Android

Hands-on with the T-Mobile G-Slate

BARCELONA, Spain--The T-Mobile G-Slate by LG isn't a new announcement. The 4G Honeycomb tablet was actually first introduced at CES 2011, but it only made a brief appearance during T-Mobile's press conference before it was quickly whisked away by LG executives.

However, our appetite for the G-Slate was satiated at Mobile World Congress 2011 where T-Mobile and LG provided us with some hands-on time with the tablet. Now, I haven't seen all the tablets out there, but I've certainly checked out a number of devices, including the iPad, the HP TouchPad, and Samsung's Galaxy Tab … Read more

MWC Day 1 Wrap-up

BARCELONA, Spain--Mobile World Congress 2011 is off and roaring, as we finally get a chance to have some hands-on time with a few of the products announced this past weekend. But it's not all just handset coverage; Barcelona has also become a hotbed for the latest news in the mobile industry.

Indeed, it seems Nokia and Microsoft are not quite done discussing their partnership, as Nokia's Stephen Elop and Microsoft's Steve Ballmer took to the stage at Mobile World Congress to tout their vision for the future. Elop tried to allay some fears, while Ballmer gave … Read more

The 404 757: Where we crash your Valentine's date (podcast)

To celebrate the most miserable day of the year, aka Christmas 2.0, we're being Debbie Downers and checking out stories to ruin your cheesy holiday. If you're not hitched up with a honey bunny today, you may be able to increase your chances of bagging someone special based on the next gadget you buy.

According to this Gadgetology study, your computer, cell phone, and other tech accessories are big factors in determining your attractiveness to the people around you. Of the men surveyed under the age of 35, 50 percent find women with fancy smartphones more attractive, whereas 38% of women think a modern laptop oozes the most sex appeal.

And this is no surprise, but the two worst tech deal breakers for women are the awful Bluetooth wireless headset and cell phone holster, so steer clear of those two if you're looking to hook up. Finally, outside of the tech world, more women younger than 35 say they're attracted to a man walking a cute dog than a geek with a cool smartphone, so we're kind of screwed either way.

On the other hand, if you want to avoid sex altogether this year, the best way to accomplish that goal is to trick your partner by cooking them a dinner made of anaphrodisiac ingredients.

You can kill the mood with a number of ingredients including hops, marjoram, common rue, soy, and coriander, or you can really play it safe with a combination of it all in a deliciously platonic chicken and tofu in a marjoram cream sauce.

A anti-touch relationship is a good way to practice safe sex altogether, but what if a painful health affliction is preventing you from getting yours? A dating Web site based out of Winnipeg is playing Cupid for clients that suffer from herpes.

Actually, you don't have to have herpes to join. According to the creators, hopeful clients are asked during registration if they have it and if they'd be open to someone with it for full transparency. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, about one in six people between the ages of 14 and 49 suffer from the STD and are embarrassed to admit it to lovers, so Camelot Introductions offers this service to dispel the prejudice.

But all that aside, if you're a super procrastinator and still haven't purchased your boo a gift, consider a New York solution and just name a cockroach after your Valentine.

Episode 757 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS VideoRead more

ZTE shows off Android-run Amigo, Blade

Cell phone-maker ZTE showed three Android smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year.

In addition to the Gingerbread-toting ZTE Skate, which we looked at earlier, there's the ZTE Amigo and the ZTE Blade. The Amigo has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a 3.2-megapixel camera--we'll known much more later when we get our hands on the device.

The third phone is one we saw at CES. The ZTE Blade it has a 3.5-inch touch screen and a 3.2-megapixel camera. Although it runs Android 2.1, ZTE says the Blade should be upgradable to Android … Read more

3D on a phone? Why yes

BARCELONA, Spain--Yes, I've been pretty skeptical about the concept of a 3D cell phone. But to my surprise, the LG Optimus 3D actually delivers what it promises. It won't be like watching 3D on the big screen--and frankly, there's no reason that it should--but it offers an experience that you won't see on another smartphone.

I just returned from LG's insanely crowded booth at Mobile World Congress where I was able to play with the phone. Since you don't need glasses to view videos or games on the handset, the 3D effect doesn't … Read more

Huawei unveils Ideos X3 smartphone, Slim S7 tablet

BARCELONA, Spain--Huawei Mobile World Congress press conference is still a day away, but the company jumped the gun and announced four new devices on Monday.

Details are slim at the moment, but we can offer what we know.

The trim Huawei Ideos X3 smartphone runs Gingerbread on a 3.2 inch-screen.

The Huawei Ideos S7 Slim tablet has a 7-inch (480x800 pixels) capacitive touch-screen and measures about half an inch thick. Features on the Froyo device include Bluetooth, HD video, a Web browser, messaging and e-mail, a music player, a camera, and Wi-Fi. The S7 Slim can make cellular and … Read more

LG launches Optimus 3D, Optimus Pad

BARCELONA, Spain--LG had already promised that they were coming, but the company waited until today--the first morning of Mobile World Congress here--to officially unveil the Optimus 3D and Optimus Pad. Both Android devices run on Gingerbread and offer 3D video recording.

The Optimus 3D smartphone builds on the Optimus 2x and Optimus Black that LG announced last month at CES. You'll find a similar design candy bar design in basic black. The 4.3-inch display takes up the most real estate, but four touch navigation elements sit just below.

LG was quick to point out the Optimus 3D's &… Read more

Motorola Mobility buys security provider 3LM

BARCELONA -- Motorola Mobility announced today that it has acquired Three Laws Mobility (3LM), which provides security software for Android smartphones targeting the business and government market.

Terms of the deal, which was completed late last year, were not disclosed. The news comes on the first day of the Mobile World Congress 2011 conference here.

The acquisition will enable Motorola Mobility to begin selling device management services in the second quarter of this year, according to Motorola Mobility, which split off in January, said. Motorola plans to incorporate the technology into its devices and make it available to other handset … Read more

Motorola to bring Droid Pro and Xoom to Europe

BARCELONA--Europeans will soon get a chance to buy two of Motorola Mobility's hottest products this year: the Google Android business smartphone, the Droid Pro, and Motorola's Android tablet, the Xoom.

The company announced today at the Mobile World Congress 2011 here that these devices, which are already announced for the U.S. market, will soon grace the shores of Europe.

The Motorol Droid Pro is powered by Google Android 2.2 and has a 1GHz processor with 2GB of internal memory and expandable external memory with SD card up to another 32GB. The phone also turns into a … Read more

ZTE Skate bakes in Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Those of you hungry for Android 2.3 Gingerbread on more than just the Nexus S will soon get a taste with the ZTE Skate.

The Skate--announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today--will have a large, 4.3-inch touch screen (qualifying it as a "jumbo phone," according to HP). However, its 800MHz processor and 5-megapixel camera make it more midlevel than premium. Also onboard is an Adreno 200 GPU.

ZTE credits the skateboard for its inspiration on its 4.2-ounce 3G candy-bar-style handset.

The Skate is expected to globally launch beginning May 2011.