Smartphones have become part of daily life but are often too delicate to withstand everyday abuse. Not so for the Sony Xperia Go, an Android handset built to shrug off treatment that would destroy typical mobile devices.
CNET UK took the Xperia Go for a spin, a few dunks, plus crevice-clogging dust-ups to put this rugged machine through its paces. … Read more
At 10:30 in the morning a few weeks ago I hopped into a plain white van, a mysterious briefcase carefully laid out on the passenger's seat abuzz with phones.
Into the afternoon, the driver answered my probing questions about long hours on the road, awkward run-ins with the cops, and flashed guns. This was no police surveillance ride along; my driver was merely sharing a day in the life of an independent cell phone network tester.
Meet RootMetrics A few miles away from Microsoft, a small company called RootMetrics (formerly Root Wireless) sends out a tiny squadron of … Read more
If you have or were considering buying an unlocked smartphone, Simple Mobile hopes its new $50 4G data plan just might tempt you to sign up. Starting August 1, the carrier reseller will shave $10 off of its current Unlimited High Speed plan. … Read more
Recently, I haven't been so impressed with a string of LG phones. Though a lot of them are good, solid handsets, none of them have wowed me.
That is, until now.
I mentioned the LG Optimus 4X HD back in February, when it was going by the name LG X3. It was rumored to have a quad-core CPU and I'm glad the rumors were true.
Its 1.5GHz Tegra 3 quad-core processor from Nvidia makes it impressively snappy. Not only does it launch and quit graphics-heavy gaming apps like nobody's business, but the 8-megapixel camera is stupid … Read more
Whether you're a globe-trotter or just don't like to be tied down, unlocked smartphones offer a sense of freedom we can all appreciate.
Because they aren't limited to working on any one specific carrier, you can simply buy a SIM card, stick it in your device, and be good to go. No need to wait for an activation, no need to get permission from your network provider.
For those of you who jet-set for business or for personal reasons, using an unlocked quad-band world phone is especially fluid and convenient because switching carriers from country to country will be a breeze.
Here in the U.S., you can get GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile to unlock your phone after your contract is up, but we've picked some of our favorite handsets (in no particular order) that you can purchase and use wherever you go.… Read more
During Apple's WWDC at Moscone West next week, T-Mobile has said that it will have an iPhone-compatible 4G network on hand for attendees, according to the Apple news blog 9to5Mac.
The carrier just announced last month that it's network would be compatible with the iPhone later this year, but few expected it to happen so soon.
Here's what a T-Mobile spokesperson told 9to5Mac:
While upgrading coverage inside the West side of the Moscone Center, T-Mobile has also deployed 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band to test the live network on a small scale. As part … Read moreTime was that fools masquerading as Windows users could delete just about any file in the system, with immediate and disastrous consequences. Windows has gotten better about keeping users from deleting critical system files, to the point that it sometimes keeps you from deleting files you should be able to delete because they're in use, locked, or otherwise busy. Free File Unlocker from 4dots software restores your ability to wreak havoc on your operating system by giving you the power to unlock and delete files that are currently in use, locked, busy, or undeletable for various reasons. Used carefully, … Read more
When Raymond Soneira compares smartphone displays, he doesn't just stare at side-by-side screens, using his highly trained eye to detect differences in color temperature and contrast. He does that, make no mistake, but he also uses a suite of scientific tests that measure factors like brightness, color gamut, and reflection.
Soneira is the president, CEO, and founder of DisplayMate Technologies, a gold standard toolkit among manufacturers and display reviewers, CNET included. Holding a doctorate in theoretical physics, Soneira has spent 23 years fine-tuning the algorithms that analyze visual data on screens of all sizes, from smartphones to TVs. Mathematical models are a specialty of his; in past positions, Soneira has developed intricate tests for both AT&T Bell Labs and CBS (CNET's parent company), among others.
This mountain of experience and expertise is why I'm paying attention when Soneira tells me quite plainly over the phone, "Just about every single spec on displays is exaggerated."
And by "exaggerated," he suggests skewed, misleading, and sometimes utterly useless. Why? Because while a screen's resolution and other specs can indicate a certain level of performance, there are many more factors involved in determining a display's actual level of performance. … Read more
No Doubt's lawsuit against Activision is going to be heard by a jury.
The pop rock band sued gaming giant Activision in 2009 on allegations that the company's game Band Hero lets players convert the avatars "into a virtual karaoke circus act." The case has been ongoing ever since, and today Superior Court Judge Ramona See ruled that the decision will now be up to a jury, according to the Associated Press.
The lawsuit was first brought when No Doubt claimed that Activision didn't tell the pop musicians that players would be able to unlock … Read more
N.O.V.A. 3 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance ($6.99 -- iOS universal) is the third installment of Gameloft's first-person shooter franchise that, many have argued, bears a strong resemblance to Microsoft's Halo. Whether that's true, the game is mostly a gun-shooting good time with all the perks you'd expect in an FPS, but it does have a couple of problems.
With that said, N.O.V.A. is arguably the best sci-fi shooter franchise on iOS, and with the third installment there's plenty more bad guys to blow away in new and interesting … Read more
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CNET's Galaxy S4 giveaway spectacular!
CNET's publishing another supercharged e-book. "Mastering the Galaxy S4" is almost here, so we're celebrating with a huge S4-related giveaway.
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