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
In a matter of months, the high-end smartphone camera spec rocketed from a respectable 8 megapixels to an altitudinous 13.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro are the freshest examples of this megapixel push, but even last January's Pantech Discover (12.6 megapixels), last October's LG Optimus G for Sprint (13 megapixels), and especially mid-2012's 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView piled on the megapixels.
Yet even though the technology exists, quality can be just as uneven from phone to phone as it was when an 8-megapixel shooter was the "best" that money could buy.
Shootout!: Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One and iPhone 5Championing that perception head-on is HTC, the same company that not too long ago boasted about the 16-megapixel camera in its Titan II. Now, in its HTC One flagship, the smartphone maker dials down the megapixel count to 4 megapixels, which HTC fancifully terms "Ultrapixels," arguing that the lager pixel size throws back the blinds to let in much more light.
In this lies the reminder (something photography nuts will tell you) that it's quite possible for an excellent 5-megapixel camera to produce photos you prefer over a shoddy 12-megapixel camera. The number of megapixels alone is no guarantee of heightened photographic performance.
Instead, the formula for fantastic photos comes down to the entire camera module, which includes the size and material of the main camera lens, the light sensor, the image processing hardware, and the software that ties it all together. So let's dive in.… Read more
Google today announced that it is now offering unlocked Galaxy Nexus handsets directly to consumers.
On the company's mobile blog, Android chief Andy Rubin wrote that the company has added a new Devices section to its Google Play store. Initially available only to U.S. consumers, the GSM Galaxy Nexus carries an attractive $399 price tag.
"We've worked with developers and content partners to launch Google Play, offering more than 500,000 apps, millions of songs and books, and thousands of movies. And we've implemented new customer support services to improve the purchasing experience on Google Play," Rubin wrote. "We've taken all of this into consideration in designing Devices on Google Play." … Read more
Internet & Media
Internet & Media
1kFacebook Likes
402Tweets
354Google Plus Shares
The one stop shop for all things iPhone
What's the #1 music streaming-app for iOS? Who wins in an iPhone v. S4 faceoff? We've got it covered with iPhone news, rumors, app recommendations, and more.
Manage updates with the Download App