Mobile

Google's new Chrome browser for Apple's iOS seems to be a hit.

Released on Tuesday but available only since yesterday, the new mobile version is the top free app in both the iPhone and iPad categories. Google created dedicated versions for both devices, so iPad users running the browser can take advantage of the tablet's ample 9.7-inch screen.

Chrome now joins Opera, Dolphin, and other browsers as yet another alternative to mobile Safari for iOS users. The Chrome app has also made its splash in the Android world, officially out of beta mode and available through … Read more

After a rough start, Google's Gmail app is finally trying to improve itself.

The latest update out yesterday adds long-awaited support for push notifications. That means iPhone and iPad users can receive a notice each time a new message hits their Gmail inbox.

Like other apps with Notification Center support, a new message can trigger an alert or a banner and also appear even if the screen is locked.

A couple of other enhancements grace the latest version, according to a Google blog post.

Users can configure Gmail to use an alternate send-as address instead of their Gmail address. … Read more

Google has announced an 88 percent price cut for those using Google Maps on high-traffic Web sites and services.

The move, which Google Maps API product manager Thor Mitchell announced yesterday, comes a few days before the developer-oriented Google I/O show and two weeks after Apple ditched Google Maps for the upcoming iOS 6.

Google lets others embed Google Maps on their own sites and services through the Google Maps API, or application programming interface. When Google announced new limits to Google Maps usage last October, Mitchell said at the time, "We need to secure its long-term future … Read more

Lenovo ThinkPad users who need 3G access can now get it without having to cough up money for a lengthy contract.

Available starting today, Lenovo Mobile Access is a service built into select ThinkPad Classic and ThinkPad Edge laptops for customers in the U.S. and parts of Europe. The service is geared for customers who may need mobile broadband access from time to time but don't want to be saddled with expensive monthly fees.

Lenovo ThinkPad owners can buy a "Time Pass" costing just $1.95 for 30 minutes of access allowing 30MB of data, or $… Read more

Netflix subscribers who use the site's iOS app on their iPhones or iPads will find a few surprises in the latest edition.

Netflix version 2.2 for iOS adds a small but healthy number of enhancements. First among them is a new scrub bar for controlling your content.

The bar itself is bigger and better, letting you more easily navigate to any section of your video. Thumbnails now appear above your finger on the scrub bar so you can travel to a specific scene of your favorite TV show or movie. You can also rewind 10 seconds at a … Read more

Google Voice users can now tweak their settings to screen unwanted callers in favor of family and friends.

Users of the call-forwarding service have apparently been asking for a way to handle callers not in their address book. And Google has answered that request, as detailed in a new blog.

Two new groups of callers are now available in the Google Voice settings menu -- people in your address book and anonymous callers.

You can customize the response received by people in your address book by setting a special voice mail greeting. You can also set a different greeting for … Read more

The Internet is growing at a rapid rate, but there's still a long way to go.

Speaking at the D10 Conference today, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers (KPCB) partner Mary Meeker announced her company's latest report on Internet trends for 2012. Chief among her company's findings was that at the end of 2011, there were nearly 2.3 billion Internet users worldwide, representing 8 percent growth year over year. China led the way with 513 million Web users, followed by the U.S. with 245 million users.

Emerging markets, such as the Philippines, India, and Indonesia saw the … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--There's a whole lot of mobile startups these days, but how many of them are actually, you know, mobile?

A company called Needle is, and if you'd wandered near South Park here today, you would have seen its so-called Mobile Contact Center -- essentially a huge RV -- parked on the street with several employees working away inside.

Ostensibly based in Salt Lake City, Needle contracts with retail partners to provide them experts to chat with end users. The idea is that there's likely no one better suited to explaining a product, or answering questions about … Read more

NEW YORK -- Today, more than 200 startups, most from the Big Apple, came together for the first NY Tech Day, their chance to show off their wares to a gathering of more than 1,000 press, investors, and members of the public.

While the companies' offerings were diverse and rather uneven, there were some that stood out, and CNET did its best to pull together a list of the best that were on display:

FoundIt FoundIt is a useful service with an analog approach. The idea is to help you recover lost belongings. By signing up, you receive a sheet of stickers, each with an ID number assigned to your FoundIt account. Affix a sticker to your phone, your wallet, or anything worth recovering, and the finder can contact FoundIt via a phone number or by entering your code number on FoundIt's Web site. FoundIt then notifies the owner via text message or e-mail that the item has been located.… Read more