Android

As Schmidt speaks of caution, Google Glass gets hacked

Within hours of Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's revelation that apps for Google Glass will require Google's approval, a renowned hacker/developer has shattered the notion of locked-down Glass. More specifically, Jay Freeman -- aka "Saurik" -- has jailbroken it.

Freeman is also the creator of the popular Cydia app store for jailbroken iOS devices, and he tweeted a photo Friday afternoon that's apparently a capture of the "Device info" dialog for the pair of Glass he purchased from Google as a developer. It describes the device as "Jailbroken ;P"… Read more

ZTE Director's got us saying lights, camera, cut

I have nothing against entry-level devices. As long as they work well and are priced reasonably, there's nothing wrong with these handsets for people who don't need to be on the bleeding edge of technology.

But while the ZTE Director is indeed priced inexpensively (without a contract, it's $99.99, but with one, the price drops to 1 cent), it's not a great performer. Its screen can be frustratingly unresponsive, its camera takes washed-out photos, and its processor is sluggish. Frankly put, the ZTE Director is more of a Tommy Wiseau than a Steven Spielberg.

Design … Read more

Samsung plans a hard-core Galaxy S4, says report

Samsung wants you to be able to take a Galaxy device with you wherever you may roam... or swim, or sandboard.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Korean monolith plans to release a variant of the much anticipated Galaxy S4 Android smartphone dubbed the Galaxy S4 Active that will be waterproof and dust proof but still have the same look and feel as the flagship S4.

The report, which cites an anonymous source, also says Samsung plans a new 8-inch Galaxy tablet and a smaller, 4.3-inch version of the Galaxy S4.

All this, while unconfirmed, seems in … Read more

Even Wall Street is left impressed with the HTC One

Will the HTC One be HTC's savior? Some Wall Street analysts are starting to come around to the idea.

HSBC upgraded the company's investment rating on Friday, citing the impressive flagship phone, according to MarketWatch. The ratings change comes after another firm, Daiwa, also raised its ratings and recommended buying the stock.

HTC has had a tough go at it recently, with sales and profits sinking with each successive quarter. On a marketing and distribution basis, Samsung and Apple have it completely outgunned, and its market share position remains anemic, not even breaching the top five smartphone vendors. … Read more

Samsung to block app store access in Iran, AP says

Iranian device users will lose access to Samsung's mobile app store as of May 22, according to a new report.

The Korean electronics giant said, via an e-mail sent to smartphone and tablet users, that it couldn't provide access to the store because of "legal barriers," the Associated Press reported. Many sanctions have been imposed on Iran over its controversial nuclear program, and Samsung's step is viewed as the latest such move.

Samsung declined to comment.

The AP noted that "unlike Apple, Microsoft and Adobe, Samsung has provided localized services to Iranians in their … Read more

Friday Poll: Is the Galaxy S4 your top smartphone?

There's a newcomer hanging around town. It has 5 spacious inches of screen space. It flaunts a 13-megapixel camera. You can't deny the allure of its 2,600mAh battery. All those specs may put it one up on its competitors, at least on paper. But just because the Samsung Galaxy S4 wants to be top dog, doesn't mean the other guys aren't going to put up a fight.

The lead contenders to challenge the Galaxy S4 for the smartphone throne are the iPhone 5, the HTC One, and the BlackBerry Z10. They all have their claims … Read more

See the Samsung S Translator app in action

We put the S Translator app found on the new Samsung Galaxy S4 in action in the below video, and tested out two phrases in different languages. The first is, "Excuse me, where is the hospital?" and the second is, "Let's go to the mall."

Our verdict: It's not too bad, but you will need a data connection for this to work. Which means that if you're traveling, you will need to pay for a data roaming plan to make full use of this (or hope to get on free Wi-Fi networks).

In this scenario, it's probably better to use an offline-capable app such as Google Translate, which works just as well for the basic phrases we used and features an offline mode for when you need to travel overseas. … Read more

Android notebooks? Yep, Intel says, and they'll only cost $200

Notebook prices should soon hit $200, but most of those will be Android-based devices, not Windows 8, an Intel executive said.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini last week said touchscreen PCs could debut at prices as low as $200 in the coming months. At the time, he didn't specify what operating system those products would run.

But Dadi Perlmutter, Intel executive vice president and chief product officer, told CNET on Wednesday that notebooks priced at the $200 level will predominantly be Android products running on Intel's Atom mobile processor. Whether Windows 8 PCs hit that price largely depends on … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 rocks the best phone OLED yet, says report

The Samsung Galaxy S4 may have a 5-inch screen with a killer 1080p HD resolution, but that doesn't tell you as much about its display quality as you might think.

That's because, as any display guru (like CNET's David Katzmaier) will tell you, a screen's ultimate rating spans resolution and pixel density, sure, but also color reproduction and accuracy, total brightness, viewing angles, and reflectance.

The screen material technology also plays a huge role; when it comes to smartphones, LCD displays make up the lion's share of manufacturers' choice, with Samsung at the forefront of … Read more