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Samsung working on Android 4.1 update for Galaxy S III

Samsung is on the verge of releasing an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for its Galaxy S III smartphone, according to a recent SamMobile report. The mobile blog claims that internal testing of the new firmware is complete and that a public-ready version is ready. All that stands in the way, or so it seems, is a final approval from the Google team. … Read more

Samsung will pay you up to $300 for your phone

Samsung Electronics is looking to press its momentum with the Galaxy S III smartphone.

The Korean electronics conglomerate said it will offer up to $300 for an existing smartphone if you switch to one of its phones. You can check out the offer here.

Samsung has emerged as a dominant player in the smartphone business, taking the crown away from Apple. While Apple has its limited iPhone lineup, Samsung has been able to take the lead on the back of a wide variety of smartphones. But its flagship Galaxy S III has proven to be a blockbuster around the world. … Read more

HTC's Q2 profit plunges 60% amid turnaround struggles

HTC's planned turnaround is going to take a lot longer than expected.

The struggling smartphone company posted a second-quarter profit of NT$7.4 billion, or US$247 million, nearly a 60 percent decline from its year-earlier profit of NT$17.5 billion, or US$584.3 million.

Revenue for the Taiwanese company fell by more than a quarter to NT$91.04 billion, or US$3.04 billion.

The results underscore a growing trend in the smartphone business: that virtually everyone but Apple and Samsung is struggling to grow amid intense competition. HTC's One series of phones … Read more

Filmmaker shoots kung-fu vid on Samsung Galaxy S3

Freddie Wong, also known on YouTube as FreddieW, makes videos packed with dazzling special effects that appeal mainly to gaming geeks. His latest effort, "Sandcastle Sensei," is born of his claim that anyone can make good videos without high-end equipment as long as they have a good idea and the right execution.

The short film was shot entirely on the Samsung Galaxy S3. … Read more

Sprint CEO confirms business-centric Motorola Photon Q

Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse confirmed that the company will sell the Motorola Photon Q and provided an update on its high-end smartphones.

The Motorola Photon Q is the 4G LTE-compatible successor to the original Motorola Photon. Hesse said the carrier will launch the phone later this year. The device, like some of its other environmentally friendly phones, is ULE-platinum-certified, and is designed to target business users.

Hesse made the comments on the company's quarterly conference call today.

The Sprint CEO also talked up the success of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S3 and HTC's Evo 4G LTE. He didn'… Read more

Samsung Galaxy S3 loses local search after 'stability' update

Samsung is rolling out an update for its international Galaxy S3 smartphone that disables on-device search functionality.

According to Android Central, the over-the-air upgrade currently rolling out is described as a "stability" update and, although it brings system improvements, it also strips out the local search functionality from the device's built-in Google Search app.

Consequently, when S3 owners conduct a Web search on their smartphone, results generated from content stored locally on the device -- such as contacts -- will not be included.

Local search is reported to have been disabled on some U.S. Galaxy S3 devices, … Read more

Questions rise over Skype wiretapping

It's time to tap into the juiciest tech conversations for Monday:

Microsoft has not given a straight answer about whether its Skype service can facilitate law enforcement wiretapping of conversations. Previously, the online chat service was so heavily encrypted that the company went on the record about not being able to participate with wiretapping.

But Skype just made a change to its technology, and some say the changes make it possible to intercept a call. But when asked, Microsoft didn't admit if wiretapping was possible. It told Slate that Skype "co-operates with law enforcement agencies as much … Read more

How to root your Samsung Galaxy S3

Note: This process was done using the U.K. version of the S3. We haven't yet rooted the U.S. version, and using this process on a U.S. version could damage your phone.

So you've just bagged yourself a gleaming new Samsung Galaxy S3 and you already want to root around in Android's murky depths? Step this way, friend, and let me take you through the process.

If you think of your phone as a computer, rooting it is like being given administrator rights; you can edit and mess around with things that normally would be … Read more

Is a data share plan right for your family?

Updated 7:07 a.m. PT:This story was updated to reflect AT&T's announcement of a new data share plan. The story has been reworked to compare AT&T's and Verizon's data share plans.

First Verizon and now AT&T has announced new plans that offer families the option to share a bucket of data across several users or even several Internet-enabled devices. But are these new plans right for your family?

One thing is certain about these new plans. AT&T and Verizon have not made these plans easy to understand. … Read more