An automated home where everything from the lights to the refrigerator can be controlled by a smartphone is still a distant dream for most of us. You may have an opportunity get a high-tech jump on the neighbors if the Sonte Film Wi-Fi digital shades Kickstarter project comes to fruition.

Sonte Film reacts to an electric current and can turn from opaque to clear and back again almost instantaneously. The film can be connected to Wi-Fi so that an app for both Android and iOS can let users control the opacity.… Read more

Well, that was quick.

Days after LG confirmed that it will release a white version of its <"http://reviews.cnet.com/lg-nexus-4/">Nexus 4 in the U.S. and U.K. after an initial launch in Hong Kong, T-Mobile reported that it will sell the model starting today online for a limited time only.

The black model will still be available in retail stores.

The new coat of paint is only applied on the battery door, while the phone's bezel remains the same stark black.

Other than that, the handset will not change. It will … Read more

Android has upped its lead in the growing Chinese smartphone market.

Google's mobile OS reached a milestone at the end of the first quarter as it gobbled up a 51.4 percent slice of all smartphones owned in China, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said on Friday. That figure showed a gain of 2.8 percent over the fourth quarter of 2012.

Among all Android vendors, Samsung proved the fastest growing with a 15.2 percent share among Chinese smartphone owners. And Kantar expects more growth on the way.

"Samsung has recently launched the Galaxy S4, selling over 10 million … Read more

Motorola needs a smartphone hit badly, and it should have happened already. Its last innovative smartphone was the Droid Razr Maxx, way back in January 2012. While its battery lasted a phenomenal 15 hours, a number that newer handsets can't yet match, this is an inexplicable handset drought for the company. Motorola has a long and storied history of shaking up the market with earth-shattering products. That's why I know the company has what it takes to craft the Moto X, now officially due by October, into a hit. And with such stiff competition in the mobile space, … Read more

Following the success of its flagship handset, the Galaxy S4, Samsung announced that it will launch a smaller version of the device in the U.S. and U.K. Aptly named the Galaxy S4 Mini, the manufacturer will release 4G, 3G, and 3G dual-SIM models.

While pricing and carrier information remain unknown, a few key specs were released. As you can see from the chart below, not only is the new device physically smaller, it also has some less powerful hardware features.

For example, it has an 8-megapixel camera (compared with the GS4's 13-megapixel), a dual-core CPU, and a … Read more

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. -- Stealth startup Atheer came out of the shadows at the D: All Things Digital conference here, unveiling its wearable 3D augmented reality platform that works on top of Android and potentially other mobile operating systems.

Atheer's technology employs stereoscopic glasses and a 3D camera to track hand movements to manipulate virtual objects in real space, similar in concept to the portrayals of gesture control in movies like "Minority Report" and "Avatar."

"We are the first mobile 3D platform delivering the human interface. We are taking the touch experience on … Read more

HTC just made all the speculation about an stock Android Version of its HTC One smartphone official today. The company's blog announced that the HTC One with what it calls the Nexus User Experience will arrive on June 26 for $599.

CNET did previously confirm that HTC was indeed working on a version of the HTC One that will run pure Android. Now the shroud of mystery has been lifted. In fact, the coveted device was shown off today by Google's Sundar Pichai at the D11 technology conference.

Contrasting Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S4, which will also be … Read more

Not to be outdone by T-Mobile, Verizon sets June 6 as the launch date for the BlackBerry Q10. Priced at $199.99, the long-anticipated device features a superbly crafted physical keyboard plus the latest BlackBerry 10 software.

Verizon is now taking preorders for the Q10 and expects to stock its store shelves with the phone by June 6. This development will no doubt come as welcome news for the BlackBerry faithful. Many in this camp are zealously addicted to typing on real keys and poo-poo messaging via touch screen.

And what a keyboard the BlackBerry Q10 sports. Based on the … Read more

Glu Mobile, a developer and publisher of freemium games on smartphones and tablets, will start offering cash to highly skilled gamers.

Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, the company confirmed that Android users playing "Deer Hunter Reloaded," its hunting-simulation game, will be able to win cash prizes if they achieve strong results in certain skill-based contests.

In order to win the cash, gamers will need to pay a fee to enter the competition. The company told Reuters that if all goes well, it will bring the cash-for-gaming system to its other Android titles.

Because the cash-based system is based … Read more