Android

Verizon next in line for entry-level Samsung Gem

Verizon Wireless appears to be the next carrier in line to offer the entry level Android-level Samsung Gem. The budget-friendly handset was announced back in January and already has found a home with Alltel and, more recently, U.S. Cellular.

Ironically it was a Verizon-branded version of the Gem which first popped up on our radar back in August of 2010. Flash forward eight months and the stars appear to be aligning around a Big Red announcement. Tech blog Pocketnow found the Gem hiding on Verizon's Web site earlier this week, and others have begun reporting accessories arriving at … Read more

TrapCall gets wrong day to earn Apple approval

After 201 days under review in the Apple's iTunes App approval process, the new TrapCall found an awkward news day to emerge onto the market.

The TrapCall app from Teltech Systems goes hand in hand with the $5-per-month service of the same name. Users who receive calls from any blocked number can tap the sleep button on their iPhones twice to decline the call and pass it over to TrapCall. The service runs the declined number and sends the user a text message with the name, telephone number, and address of the mystery caller.

With Apple's approval, TrapCall is now available for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android. TelTech claims its service and app are unique. The most obvious question vexing the app (a good band name) is, if the owner of the blocked number chose to keep their identity a secret, is the app a violation of that privacy?

It certainly doesn't help when--just as TrapCall finally got its moment in the sun yesterday--darkness fell on other popular apps like Pandora as federal prosecutors in New Jersey announced an investigation into how honest developers were in what information they were gathering about users--and what they were doing with that data.… Read more

On Call: No more Mr. Nice Android?

Last week, Bloomberg Businessweek reported that Google was beginning to take a firmer hand in controlling how partners use the Android operating system on their devices.

Writers Ashlee Vance and Peter Burrows didn't get too specific--they mostly relied on background interviews--but they described a few ways that the Googleplex is taking control. For example, Google now must be involved in all partnerships, developers won't be able to make random tweaks to the software, and developers who get early access to new OS updates will need to inform Android chief Andy Rubin himself. Also, companies that abide by the … Read more

Don't tell noobs: Site for gently used Android gear

Buying a used smartphone online can be a little bit like looking for a used car by walking down random streets in a bad part of town.

Actually, it might be a little bit worse. These days everyone knows how to use eBay or Craigslist, but there's no guarantee that any of those people know how to use the phone they're selling, let alone provide the vital specs..."Does it have a Snapdragon process what? Hold on, I'll see if the wife has any in the flower garden..."

The antidote? Swappa.com. Last we checked, the online marketplace for gently used, functional Android devices was a one-man show, started in December by Ben Edwards of Kansas City, Mo.

Edwards was in love with Android, sick and tired of eBay, and needed something to do when he wasn't busy learning obscure scripting languages.

As you might expect, Swappa is a bit of a geek-out. If you aren't serious about smartphones, you're probably better off hanging out on eBay and sorting through the hundreds of used flip-phone chargers to find what you want. But if you're looking for a rooted Evo, or a Droid that's overclocked to 1100MHz, then Swappa is going to be a much better bet than slumming the e-resale ghetto. … Read more

Fring for Android, iPhone getting group video chats

With more and more smartphones and tablets getting front-facing cameras these days, video chatting is on the forefront. VoIP company Fring, like rival OoVoo, is making group calling its next step.

The latest beta update to Fring, available today, will let you chat with up to four participants who also use Fring on an Android phone or iPhone.

On the preview we got ahead of the launch, the app was rough around the edges at this beta stage. For instance, the version we played with works in portrait mode, not landscape. We'd also like to see a more polished … Read more

The 404 792: Where we do that voodoo that we do (podcast)

Natali Morris fills in for Wilson Tang today and assures our mutual destruction when she "accidentally" spills hot water on the mixer console...the rest of the show is spent worrying about spontaneous electrocution, but we manage to fit in a handful of stories about 3D Lego printing, the strange trend of unboxing videos, our favorite April Fools' tech product, and the ongoing Porn Wiki Leaks fallout.

The 404 Digest for Episode 792

Customize your own Lego sets using 3D printing, coming soon. MakerBot specializes in consumer-level 3D printers. Only you can prevent lame unboxing videos. Another Windows 7 tablet, and a Windows 8 tablet coming soon after--why? RE35 turns any 35mm film camera into a digital sensor (4/1).

Porn Wiki Leaks reveals the personal information of 15,000 stars. One box of Lucky Charms cereal, hold the cereal. Amazon.com sells Rice Krispies Treats Cereal for less than retail value. This might be the perfect cereal bowl to solve all your soggy problems.

Episode 792 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Samsung Galaxy Prevail coming soon to Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile is co-hosting an event with Samsung tonight, and as we reported yesterday, the companies are expected to unveil the Samsung Galaxy Prevail, a new, no-contract Android-based smartphone. Well, we can pretty much say that's a sure thing now.

Today, Boost posted a teaser site for the Galaxy Prevail and confirmed some of the rumored specs, including the 3.2-inch touch screen, a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. The site also confirms the $179.99 price tag for the Android 2.2 device.

The Samsung Galaxy Prevail is expected to be "sold online soon," but we're hoping we'll get more information about availability date and other details (such as processor and memory) at this evening's event. We'll also have hands-on photos and video, so be sure to check back soon.

(Via Android Central) … Read more

Digital City 122: Apple store shootout, the best TV shows on Netflix

This week: a brazen robbery at a San Diego area Apple store leads to a shootout, and we tune into the shocking TV news footage of the police chase. Joey joins the iPad revolution and explains how he spent $100 on iPad apps in one weekend, and the team picks the best streaming TV shows on Netflix.

Sitting for Julie this week is TJ Allard, TV/Web show host and producer, and Dan's former co-panelist on the cult video game history program "Play Value."

Bonus: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

… Read more

D-Link ships Wireless-N night vision camera

If you want to know what's going on at night in your house, "Paranormal Activity"-style, now there's a affordable solution.

D-Link today introduced its Mydlink-enabled Wireless-N Day/Night Network Camera (model DCS-932L). According to the company, with a built-in CPU and Web server the DCS-932L offers a complete monitoring system for homes and small offices, at resolutions of up to 640x480 pixels.

D-Link says that the new camera is simple to install and has an intuitive Web-based interface. Consumers can integrate it into an existing network and view the streaming video from a PC, … Read more