Everything Else
News: eBay Vulnerability Allows Scammers to Attack Android & iOS with Malicious Programs
Researchers have discovered a "severe vulnerability" that allows attackers to use eBay to distribute malware, and the online auction company has no plans to fix the problem.
News: Microsoft Announces Acquisition of SwiftKey
Microsoft announced Wednesday morning that it has entered into an agreement to acquire SwiftKey, makers of the SwiftKey predictive keyboard and its SDK that runs on over 300 million Android and iOS smartphones, for about $250 million.
News: Ford Is Adding Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, & More with New Sync System
You've probably heard the old joke about how Ford is an acronym for "Found on Road Dead." Well, the Detroit automaker on Monday announced a new and much better way to help you find your parked vehicle, as well as a whole host of other features—just use your smartphone.
News: Sony Developing Longer-Lasting Smartphone Battery
Sony Corp. is working on new battery technology that the company says would have a 40% longer life than a lithium-ion battery of the same size. Sony is planning to have the higher-capacity batteries on the market around 2020.
Game Changer: YouTube Music Is Live for Android & iOS
In the wake of Apple Music making its debut on Android devices, Google has finally released its highly anticipated YouTube Music app. With these two tech heavyweights throwing their hats into the ring, the streaming music world is about to get rocked.
News: Amazing New Digital Assistant Puts Siri & Google Now to Shame
SoundHound, the Shazam-like song-matching service, recently announced a new mobile app called Hound, which wants to be your one and only intelligent personal assistant.
News: Google Just Launched a Cell Service—Here's What You Need to Know About Project Fi
Rumors have had Google making a foray into the mobile carrier world for quite some time, but today, the Mountain View tech giant finally made things official. The new service, dubbed Project Fi, will be a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, or MVNO, that uses existing Sprint and T-Mobile cell towers.
News: Facebook's Riff App Makes Snapchat Stories (But with Friends)
In the shadow of Facebook's announcement for third-party app development on Messenger, the company has announced the release of a whole new application called Riff, a creative tool for making videos with friends.
News: How to Keep Your Kids Safe on YouTube for Android & iOS
These days, we truly have a world of knowledge at our fingertips. Trouble is, a large portion of that information is not something you'd want your five-year-old learning about quite yet.
News: Hack Proves Android Wear Can Work with iPhones (Demo)
With wearable tech becoming the latest trend in electronics, it's a shame that most smartwatches are locked down to one ecosystem. If you purchase a smartwatch, you can expect that it will not work with devices from competing manufacturers. That will be the case for the Apple Watch when the product finally hits shelves, and it has been the case for Android Wear devices like the Moto 360 for quite some time now.
News: Charlie Hebdo Releases Mobile App for Android, iOS, & Windows
In the wake of a horrific attack on its Paris headquarters, satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo has responded by upping its print run from a typical 60,000 to upwards of 3 million. This commemorative issue, Tout est pardonné ("All is forgiven"), has been met by such demand that the publisher is turning to alternative forms of media to reach as many viewers as possible.
CES 2015: Wocket Digitizes All the Cards in Your Wallet into One Single, Secure Card
As far as wallets go, mine is as full as they come; think something like George Castanza's overstuffed wallet on Seinfeld. I've got receipts, pictures, and tickets jammed inside, but what takes up the bulk of the space are all of the cards—credit, debit, gift, rewards, customer loyalty... I've got pretty much any card you can think of squeezed in. While it is a strain on my rear end, there's nothing I can do besides keep some of the cards elsewhere. However, looking for them when I need them ...
CES 2015: These Headbands Are Really Comfortable Headphones for Sleeping or Running
Getting a good night's sleep is critical to maintain good health, a better mood, and clear your mind for whatever the day has planned for you. But in practice, whether you're tired or not, the world has a way of preventing it, either through your partner's snoring, your neighbor's music, or the road construction going on right by your bedroom window. It can get rough.
CES 2015: Solar-Powered WakaWaka Is a Light & Charger That Helps You Be More Socially Conscious
With over 1.5 billion people on this planet without electricity, it's hard for those of us in developed nations to even fathom how anyone can read, write, repair, or do anything else that we take for granted without any lights. While some of our First World problems pale in comparison, they remain issues nonetheless, one of the biggest being constant battery drain from portable electronics.
CES 2015: Monitor Your Dog's Activity All Day Long with FitBark, a Wearable Health Tracker
Animal lovers, especially dog owners, know that pets are a part of the family, but it's often incredibly frustrating to know if and when something just isn't right with our furry companions. If you're out and about most of the day, your dog will be so happy to see you when you come home that you may have no idea they were tired and listless all day long, which can be a sign of health problems for your pup. This is where FitBark comes in.
CES 2015: Linx Headbands Can Keep You Safe from Permanent Head Injuries
Wearables were everywhere at CES 2015... you literally couldn't walk 10 feet without seeing some new and innovative device. Among the sleep, fitness, dog, and baby wearables, we came across one with a different, more important purpose—the Linx IAS injury prevention headband.
CES 2015: The Swiss Army Knife of Sports Bottles Plays Music & Holds Your Phone, Cash, Keys, & More
If you're going exercising, either at the gym or outside, you're going to need a backpack, gym bag, or pockets to hold your water bottle, wallet, keys, smartphone, and anything else you've got on you.
CES 2015: SmartPlane Is a Super Lightweight Aircraft Controlled by Android or iOS
Sometimes it's not the look of a product that makes it unique, but the thought that went into it. That's what struck me about TobyRich's SmartPlane—it isn't the most elegant toy on the market, but its simplicity and function make it a winner.
CES 2015: Use iLuv's Selfy Phone Case to Take Hands-Free Selfies & Sharper Photos
Our first stop at CES this year was at iLuv, a company well known for their long line of smartphone accessories (portable chargers, speakers, headphones, etc). While their products are geared towards everyday use, their Selfy phone case, which is a bit more situational, caught our attention.
News: Johnson & Johnson Make Social Responsibility Easy by Donating Whenever You Post a Photo
By donating a dollar for every image you post to a designated charity of your choice, Johnson & Johnson is rendering those narcissistic selfies a little less selfish by bringing social awareness and responsibility to social media.
Hot or Not: The Original Ego Scaler Is Now on Android, iOS, & Windows
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? Besides being one of the most notorious misquotes of all time (the line is "Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all"), it's a question that men and women probably have asked themselves more than once.
News: Will It Bend? iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 3
With the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, comparisons to the Samsung Galaxy Note series have been circulating like crazy, and it's only natural. The Note was panned as an oversized gimmick when it was released, but after its enormous success, Apple caved and built their own "phablet," something that Samsung took little time to call them out on.
News: iPhone 6 Tempting You to Switch? Here's What You'll Miss from Android
Apple just announced the iPhone 6, and no matter whether you've been with Android for a few months or few years, there's a good chance you're enticed by the idea of switching over to the other side.
News: It's Now Completely Legal to Unlock Your Cell Phone—President Obama Signs Bill
Update: August 1, 2014 Earlier today, President Obama signed into law the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, making the act of unlocking your unsubsidized cell phone 100% legal.
News: Snapchat Is Making It Easier for Your Friends to Stalk You
Snapchat recently introduced geofilters to its ephermal messaging platform—cute stickers that you can add on your Snapchat, which showcase your location.
The Passport: BlackBerry's Last Stand
BlackBerry was one of the first companies to put anything that resembles a modern-day smartphone on the market, but now, seeing one out in the wild is like stumbling upon a fossil. Now that they've announced the BlackBerry Passport, it seems as if this is their last-ditch effort at remaining relevant.
News: Supreme Court Rules on Police Cell Phone Searches
Your constitutional right to privacy cannot be violated by police, so ruled the United States Supreme Court in a unanimous decision on two cases from California and Massachusetts—a major ruling for privacy advocates worldwide.
News: T-Mobile Announces Free Music Streaming, New "Test Drive" Program
T-Mobile continues to make waves in the U.S. wireless market behind CEO John Legere's UnCarrier program. At the latest installment in a series of industry-challenging announcements, Uncarrier 5.0 unveiled Test Drive. The new program is set to allow would-be customers to try out the "latest generation" iPhone for seven days on T-Mobile's network without any financial commitments.
News: Get Ready to Send Scents Through Text
Admit it, since childhood you've thought to yourself, "When oh when will they finally make Smell-o-vision?" And while that technology hasn't yet made it to our living rooms, we may soon be a step closer towards that particular American dream with the oPhone.
News: The Finnish-Made Jolla Phone with Sailfish OS That Runs Android Apps
Say "hola!" to the independent Finnish phone company, Jolla, and its new eponymous smartphone of the same name.
News: Facebook Messenger Gets "Big" Likes & Instant Video Sharing
In a time when messaging platforms may outnumber the people you'd ever want to message, one of the more popular options—Facebook Messenger—received a big update for both Android (must be part of the free beta program) and iOS, going from version 5.0 to 6.0.
News: Project Tango Brings a Whole New Depth to Tablets
Lately, it seems, that we live in a two-dimensional world. With smart phones and tablets constantly at our fingertips, it always seems as if we are looking into a screen.
News: Amazon Teases Its New 3D-Capable Smartphone
We recently gave you a peek at what Amazon's first smartphone will look like, and its 3D technology. With six (six!) cameras and no-touch motion control, the product is intriguing to say the least. Now, Amazon's put out a teaser video, and it's got Amazon Phone written all over it.
News: Sprint Agrees to Buy T-Mobile for $32 Billion
Sprint and T-Mobile have agreed to a $31.6 billion deal that, if it gets through federal regulators—which is far from a sure bet—would create a formidable carrier to really compete against AT&T and Verizon. The deal comes packaged with a $1 billion "breakup" fee that Sprint would have to pay T-Mobile in the event the deal does not go through. After the deal, Deutsche Telekom, which owns about 67% of T-Mobile, would maintain a 20% ownership stake.
News: Android Maintains Lead in Platform Market, Apple Dominates Device Market
For the month of April, Android maintained it's edge over Apple's iOS platform, 52.5% versus 41.4%, with Blackberry, Microsoft, and Symbian rounding out the top five (2.5%, 3.3%, and 0.2%, respectively). Due to the vast number of OEMs that manufacture Android smartphones, Apple does have a solid lead in the device market, with a dominant 41.4% market share, with Samsung, LG, Motorola, and HTC rounding out the top five (27.7%, 6.5%, 6.3%, and 5.3%, respectively). The research, compiled by comS...
News: Apple Finally Fixes Its Massive iMessage Failure with a New Deregister Tool
It took many months of cries from all around the internet—and a particularly large groan from an ex-Lifehacker editor-in-chief—but Apple has not only acknowledged the existence of its iMessage problem, it's promising a fix.
News: Emergency 911 Text Messaging Coming May 15th to All U.S. Carriers
How do you call 9-1-1 when you need to remain silent or can't speak? It's a great question that will finally be answered on May 15th.
News: Major Google Maps Update Brings Uber Integration, New Navigation, & More
This week, Google sidestepped their usual "Update Wednesday" strategy by dropping a huge update to their Maps app for both Android and iOS. We're accustomed to seeing new features and bug fixes to their stable of apps on Wednesdays, but today's Maps update was presumably big enough to get its own release day (it's Tuesday, folks).
News: Jury Awards $120 Million to Apple, Far Less Than the $2 Billion It Wanted from Samsung
The second patent trial between Apple, Inc. and Samsung Electronics has effectively ended, with a jury ruling that Samsung did in fact infringe on two of Apple's patents. The reward of $119.6 billion is far lower than the $2.2 billion in damages that Apple seeked.
News: Facebook Introduces "Nearby Friends" for Increased Stalking Power
Facebook today has unleashed a new way to creep...er...keep in touch with "friends" using the official Facebook apps on Android and iOS.