Personal communications

As news spread of the blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon, people in the area reported that phone lines were down and cell phone calls could not get through. However, smartphones enabled some to send text messages and update social media accounts.

People took to social media sites like Twitter and Instagram to notify loved ones that they were OK. Others were using Twitter as a tool to reach out and ask those in the area to post updates.

Shortly after at least two bombs exploded near the Boston Marathon finish line today, reportedly killing at least two people and injuring dozens, cell phone service in the heart of the city was severely disrupted.

An Associated Press report initially claimed, citing an anonymous law enforcement official, that "cellphone service has been shut down in the Boston area to prevent any potential remote detonations of explosives." But AP reporter Peter Svensson said on Twitter at 2:45 p.m. PT that "cellphone problems in Boston are not due to an intentional shutdown" and the wire service was publishing an updated story. AP subsequently reported that service was operating in the Boston area, though cell traffic was heavy in the aftermath of the bombings. … Read more

If you're in the market for a new smartphone this year, chances are good you're seriously considering the two best Android handsets: the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.

Both offer tempting helpings of powerful components, advanced features, and cutting-edge software.

So which device should you go with? It's a tough choice. But fear not: CNET is here to help. Sit back as we stack up all the abilities these excellent phones have in common and the key differences that separate the two. … Read more

Microsoft is reportedly exploring the idea of joining what promises to be a crowded smartwatch market.

The tech titan has asked suppliers in Asia to ship components for a potential touch-enabled watch device, executives at the suppliers told The Wall Street Journal. One executive told the Journal that he had met with Microsoft's research and development team in Redmond, Wash., but it's unclear whether Microsoft will commit to producing such a device.

CNET has contacted Microsoft for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

Microsoft has dabbled in the sector before, marketing devices running its … Read more

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt predicted that the world's entire population will be on the Internet by 2020.

"For every person online, there are two who are not," Schmidt said on Google+ last night. "By the end of the decade, everyone on Earth will be connected."

Certainly the number of people online is expanding dramatically, in particular with the spread of mobile phones. But the entire world?

That's a bold claim, given persistent poverty in many parts of the world and the difficulty of bringing even wireless networking to large swaths of thinly populated … Read more

Don't want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to hit stores? Then perhaps you'll be tempted by a new purple-hued version of Samsung's hit handset from last year, the Galaxy S3. Sprint announced it will sell a special Amethyst Purple GS3, as well as the older Pebble Blue and Marble White models, for $99.99.

Of course that discount applies only to customers who bring their service and phone number from other carriers, or existing subscribers who add another line. That lops $99.99 off the Galaxy S3's unsubsidized $549.99 price. You also have … Read more

Today, you've got wireless networks that use radio waves and you've got optical networks that use light traveling in tiny glass fibers. Tomorrow, if Fraunhofer Institute research comes to fruition, a combination of the two could turn living-room lights into network devices.

The German applied-research lab has developed wireless networking that uses rapidly blinking LEDs to transmit data through the air. The technology can send data at speeds up to 1 gigabit per second -- and by using three colors of light, triple that data rate is possible, Fraunhofer said.

The technology could be useful in crowded, interference-prone … Read more

Loyal BlackBerry keyboard addicts may not have long to wait. Reportedly, a leaked memo from Canadian carrier Rogers pins the launch date for BlackBerry's Q10 phone as April 30. … Read more

Here's a crowdfunding project with a twist: instead of pledging a certain amount to buy a new gadget for yourself, an underserved senior citizen will receive said product instead.

The project in question is Silverline, which is seeking funding on Indiegogo to equip senior citizens with smartphones preloaded with essential apps.

Silverline Mobile's Singapore-based creators, Jason Aspes and Lilin Phng, have developed senior-friendly iOS apps that provide useful information and keep them connected to loved ones. The five apps that have already been developed are: … Read more