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Smartphones

Easily import Astrid tasks to Any.Do on Android, iOS

The most important feature your to-do list needs is accessibility. A written grocery list you forgot on your kitchen counter doesn't help you much at the store. For this reason, among others, many people use a to-do list manager on their mobile device. But what happens when the app you're using shuts down their service? That's the thought on many users' minds following Yahoo's recent acquisition of Astrid

Fortunately, some of the other to-do list apps are stepping up to help you migrate your data. Such is the case with Any.Do, which released … Read more

Home networking Part 7: Power line connections explained

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series. For the other parts, check out the related stories section below.

Power line networking basically turns a building's existing electrical wiring -- the wires that carry electricity to different outlets in the house -- into network cables, meaning they also carry data signals for a computer network. And this means virtually all households, in the U.S at least, are "wired for" power line networking. It doesn't replace a regular network, so you'll still need a router, but it's a good way to extend … Read more

Recent FCC filings support rumors of Motorola X phone

The highly anticipated and hotly rumored Motorola X phone may have just popped up in FCC filings earlier this week.

According to the paperwork, the Motorola device includes the model number XT1058, and supports earlier rumors that the X phone will be available on AT&T.

For one thing, the handset is enabled for a GSM network, and it appears to be operating on 1900/850 bands -- both factors are indicative of an AT&T device.

The report also notes that the phone has 4G LTE and NFC capabilities.

Ever since Google acquired Motorola, talk of the … Read more

Delete unwanted Facebook comments using the Android app

You can now moderate the comments on your own Facebook posts from your Android device. With an update to the Android app last week, Facebook enabled the ability for Android users to delete comments in just a few short steps.

The next time someone leaves an inappropriate comment, or an old flame starts proclaiming his undying love for you, you'll be able to delete the comment without having to rush to a computer.

The first thing you'll need to do is update to the latest version of Facebook for Android. After you've updated, you'll need to … Read more

Sony unveils waterproof Xperia ZR phone

Sony is launching a new Xperia smartphone designed to be dunkable.

Announced on Monday, the Xperia ZR phone can stay under as much as five feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Using the phone's 13-megapixel camera, you can shoot underwater photos and videos in full HD. The dedicated camera key also allows you to quickly take a shot even if the phone is locked.

The camera takes advantage of Sony's Exmor RS for mobile image sensor with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for both photographs and videos. The company promises that photos and videos are automatically captured … Read more

Apple, Samsung, others urged to help thwart mobile phone thefts

Apple and other mobile phone vendors are being asked to amp up the fight against cell phone theft.

In a series of letters sent today to the heads of Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and Microsoft, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested information on what they're doing to make their phones more safe and secure from thieves. Schneiderman also urged the companies to work with his office to devise ways to cut down on the lure of cell phones to criminals.

The attorney general pointed to a rise in the theft of phones and other mobile devices in … Read more

Samsung: We'll get you 5G wireless by 2020

Samsung says it has developed new core technology that provides data transmission several hundred times faster than current 4G networks.

In an announcement Monday, Samsung said that plans to accelerate the research and development of 5G mobile communications technologies suitable for consumers across millimeter-wave bands are going ahead, with a view to commercialize the technology by 2020.

The Korean company says that it has developed the "world's first" adaptive array transceiver -- which is able to operate in millimeter-wave bands -- and has overcome issues caused by transmitting data over long distances. The core system is able … Read more

Nokia video teases next Lumia with eye on camera

Nokia is shining a light on the camera and flash of a new Lumia smartphone.

A video posted on YouTube today takes us on a tour of the phone from the camera to the lens to the flash, promising "more than your eyes can see" and telling us that "the new Nokia Lumia is coming."

So, just which model Lumia is coming?

Nokia will hold an event in London tomorrow in which it will likely pull back the curtains on its latest Lumia phone. The company has been playing up its Lumia 928 in a series … Read more

Mozilla offers developers phones to write Firefox OS apps

Mozilla has a deal for programmers: We'll supply the phones if you supply the apps.

In an effort to ensure there will be good Firefox OS apps in the Firefox Marketplace, Mozilla is offering developer phones to programmers who have compelling ideas for software. In a blog post Thursday, Mozilla employee Havi Hoffman tried to drum up interest:

If you can show you've got a great app idea and the skill to build it, we'd love to see your apps in the Marketplace when the Firefox OS launch begins later this summer. And to sweeten the deal, … Read more