Android Key Lime Pie: Most wanted features (video)

Right now, deep beneath the Earth's crust, Google engineers are working in secret to develop the next major version of Android.

Rumored to be called Key Lime Pie (though some reports suggest the next version may stick with the Jelly Bean moniker), little is known about what new software treats this update has in store. That said, we at CNET certainly have an idea of what we want to see -- hit play on the video above to hear the apps and tweaks we're desperate for Google to bake into the heart of its next big refresh.

Separate … Read more

Nexus 5: The likely price, specs, camera tech (video)

When it was first glimpsed, the Nexus 4 looked pretty similar to other smartphones -- quad-core, with a high-res display and a decent camera, and the latest version of Android chucked in for good measure.

What we weren't counting on however was the simply astonishing $299 price, which let smartphone owners working on a budget acquire a phone that was every bit as capable as the Samsung Galaxy S3, but cost half as much. A lack of LTE was painful to bear, but at this cost, who could complain?

Now we're standing on the prow of the good … Read more

The idea of a Facebook Android version makes my head hurt

On what should be a quiet Good Friday, speculation is flying over an Android-themed event that Facebook has scheduled for next Thursday.

Of course, the most low-hanging rumor fruit is that the company will really-we-mean-it-this-time introduce the endlessly discussed "Facebook phone." This is one rumor mill that makes me ill so I'll defer to BGR's Zach Epstein to explain what I think the chances are of such a device. (Spoiler: there's not a chance)

Please, God, no Now I could be wrong. And if I am, I'll say so next week if the rumored HTC Myst … Read more

Coming soon: Verizon Games Portal for Android devices

Announced today, Verizon's Android devices will soon come loaded with a new Games Portal, a standalone app marketplace for games (separate from Google Play) combined with a social network similar to Apple's Game Center.

Powered by PlayPhone, an experienced builder of gaming networks, Verizon's Games Portal figures to be an attractive marketplace for developers. The platform not only offers distribution to millions of Verizon customers, but it also allows these customers to take advantage of direct carrier billing, a low-friction option that could result in more games-based purchases. What's more, since Android doesn't (yet?) have … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 keyboard powered by SwiftKey

Samsung's new flagship device has officially been unveiled, and it has a lot of new features packed in. But what many aren't talking about is the device's on-screen keyboard, which, arguably, is one of the most important aspects of its interface.

In an attempt to improve on its previous flagship phone, Samsung has partnered with third-party keyboard maker SwiftKey to have its proprietary technology built into the Galaxy S4 keyboard.

Despite not knowing the extent of the companies' partnership as yet, we think the move looks like a solid one. Samsung gets some ultrapowerful typing technology to … Read more

Google celebrates one year of Google Play with deals

Today marks exactly one year since Google rebranded the Android Market into the Google Play store and the company is observing the occasion with limited-time deals and freebies.

Deals this week include $5 books and 99-cent movie rentals as well as select magazines for only $1 each. What's more, a number of television shows are being offered at no cost, including "Breaking Bad," "Community," and "Justified."

A handful of Android games also have gotten in on the birthday love, offering free, exclusive in-game features. Disney's Gnome Village, for instance, features an Android-exclusive … Read more

Opera overhaul: WebKit-based Android browser due Q2

BARCELONA, Spain--Opera Software has dropped the new engine into its browser and now has begun revving it up.

At the Mobile World Congress show here, the company began showing for the first time its new WebKit-based version of Opera for Android. That browser is the first product from a completely overhauled product line and technology strategy for the company based in Oslo, Norway.

Opera is changing the browser engine at the core of its software, dumping its own Presto for the open-source WebKit used in Chrome and Safari. It's a radical change in many ways: many engineers are changing … Read more

Samsung TV Discovery service launches this quarter

Samsung today revealed more details about its TV discovery service -- except for the finalized name for the U.S. version -- as the Korean electronics giant gears up for the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.

Samsung first unveiled the service last month during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. At that time, it said users would be able to use one app to navigate all of their different video services on their smart TVs and tablets, and use their mobile devices as remotes to control their TVs.

Today, it noted that the service will give consumers a … Read more

JavaScript expert: WebKit, get your bug-ridden house in order

It was a good day for the WebKit browser engine yesterday when Opera Software adopted it in place of its in-house Presto. But yesterday's developments also became an opportunity for a high-profile JavaScript programmer to lodge criticisms about WebKit.

"Each release of Chrome or Safari generates excitement about new bleeding-edge features; nobody seems to worry about the stuff that's already (still!) broken," complained Dave Methvin, president of the jQuery foundation and a member of the core programming team that builds the widely used Web programming tool, in a blog post.

"jQuery Core has more lines … Read more