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Latest by Andy Boxall

google glass great for picking up girls glasses interview

Put away that body spray, fellas: Google Glass is ‘great for picking up girls’

One of the lucky few to be enrolled in Google's Explorer program, which gives early access to its Glass smartglasses, says the specs have made him something of a celebrity, and that they're, "great for picking up girls."
Lumia Amber Update

Nokia’s camera-centric Lumia Amber update for Windows Phone released

After teasing it back in May, Nokia has detailed and released the Lumia Amber update for its Windows Phone hardware. Primarily about making the camera even better, it also includes several new features.
RoboDesk

RoboDesk lets people in wheelchairs finally geek out with tablets and smartphones

Engineers at Purdue University have developed the RoboDesk, a motorized tablet mounting system, which has been designed for people with disabilities who use a wheelchair.
digitaloptics memscam camera lite on mem

Lytro-like camera tech takes a step closer to appearing in smartphones

DigitalOptics has announced it has signed a deal with Lite-On in China to produce is Mems|cam camera modules, which could bring Lytro-like abilities to smartphones, from the end of this year.
Barack Obama

Proposed new $5 per year cellphone tax could be used to bring more U.S. schools online

President Obama has put forward a plan to use a new tax on cellphone bills to help pay for his ambitious ConnectED scheme, which aims to give 99 percent of U.S. students access to high speed Internet in schools.

Did you know that HTC stands for Hipster Troll Carwash? (Video)

HTC's long awaited Here's To Change marketing campaign is here, and the firm has hired actor Robert Downey Jr. to bring some Hollywood gravitas to its new TV and cinema ads.
lg g pad 8 3 tablet teaser video optimus lte  front

LG has an G Android tablet coming, may be called the ‘G Pad’

Could LG be about to release a new Android tablet? If the latest rumor is correct, it is, and we could see the device - currently known as the LG G Pad - at the IFA show in Berlin early next month.
Samsung SB971 Monitor logo

Brazilian government accuses Samsung of violating labor laws, sues for $108 million

The Brazilian government has exposed labor law violations in one of Samsung's largest factories in the country, and has filed a lawsuit with damages of $108 million.
samsung w789 hennessy announced

The flip phone is back, as Samsung launches the W789 Hennessy in China

Samsung has announced the W789 Hennessy, a flip phone which uses the Android operating system, and features a quad-core processor and dual screens. So far, it's only headed to China.
iPhone 5 Lightning charger

Apple seeks to rid world of sketchy third-party chargers with $10 replacements

Apple has introduced a scheme to help rid the world of potentially dangerous third party chargers, as it'll swap any dodgy cheap charger for an official USB power adapter from August 16, at almost half the usual cost.

Firefox OS coming very soon to the U.S. and UK, as ZTE Open is prepped for launch

ZTE has announced it will be selling the ZTE Open, one of the world's first smartphones running Firefox OS, in both the U.S. and the UK. It'll be doing so through its own eBay store, where it'll be priced at just $80.
Drobbox Datastore Service

Can Dropbox succeed where iCloud has failed?

Dropbox has introduced a service named Datastore, which syncs data stored in your apps. It can then be synced with other devices, regardless of the OS. Can this idea succeed where services like Apple's iCloud have failed?
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Devices

Android 4.3 to bring improved 3D gaming, text input, multi-user profiles

Google has announced the latest version of its mobile OS at an event in San Francisco. Android 4.3 continues with the evolution of Android Jelly Bean, and contains to interesting new features including tighter parental controls for family tablets.
Motorola Droid Ultra Maxx Mini back

Verizon’s new Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx and Droid Mini cater to every crowd

Verizon has announced three new Droid smartphones: The Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini will all be on sale by the end of August.
ubuntu edge phone indigogo gamble desktop

The space-age Ubuntu Edge phone is super cool, but a galactic gamble

Ubuntu has announced its first smartphone to run its Ubuntu Mobile operating system. Called the Ubuntu Edge, it's a super high-spec smartphone which won't be out until next year, and its launch is being made possible through a crowd-funding website.

Apple needs to re-evaluate its censorship, but we don’t want the walls to come down entirely

Apple won't autocorrect you when you misspell words such as abortion, and murder, which is another example of its bizarre, vaguely censorious attitude. While we want it to give us the choice, we'd rather it didn't abandon its vigilance entirely.

Now’s a great time to buy a cheap tablet, but should you?

Several high profile tablet computers have been reduced in price over the past few weeks, including the Nook HD range and Microsoft's Surface RT. Any cheap piece of tech is tempting, but should you give in to one of these, and if not, what are the alternatives?
samsung galaxy folder shouldnt exist flip phone

Looking for a state-of-the-art Android flip phone? Of course you aren’t!

The latest leak has got us really worried, as it appeared to show an Android flip phone from Samsung, a form factor we hoped was dying out. Thankfully, it's not quite what it seems.
smartpants header

Intel isn’t in your phone, but it wants to be in your smartpants

Intel's still battling away in the mobile industry, but its smartphone chips haven't proven to be a huge hit just yet, forcing the company to take an alternative path on the road to success. The one it may have chosen takes it to wearable technology.

Why a $6,000 international roaming bill is your own damn fault

Yet another story about a traveler getting hit with a massive phone bill on their return home hit the press this week, highlighting how crippling international roaming charges can be. Except, with a little research and effort, huge bills such as this are easily avoided.
Google Maps offline

Don’t worry, offline maps are still in Google Maps for Android (Updated)

Google has removed the option to cache offline maps in the latest version of its Google Maps Android app, but don't worry, as it has added in a hidden feature which lets you do something similar, and here's how it's done.
appy birthday app store header

App-y Birthday! How 5 years of the App Store has changed software forever

Despite not being the first of its kind, the Apple App Store changed the way we buy software (and not only on our phones), introduced us to thousands of almost indispensable apps, and started the smartphone revolution.
tired of apple and google meet the dark horse mobile oses youve never heard header

Tired of Apple and Google? Meet the dark horse mobile OSes you’ve never heard of

Android and iPhone currently hold a near duopoly in the smartphone market, but four new entrants are trying to join the fight this year. Tizen, Firefox OS, Sailfish OS, and Ubuntu Phone will all be available by the end of the year. Do any of them stand a chance?

HTC’s latest financial results show improvement, but it needs to keep pushing

HTC has published its latest financial results, applicable to the last three months of the year, which show an improvement over the first quarter of 2013.
Gadget overload: Nike Fuelband; Pebble Watch; Fitbit Flex; Google Glass

Nerds dressed head to toe in wearable tech are going to ruin it for everybody

We're about to inundated with wearable technology products, from watches to glasses, and shoes to helmets; however no-one is there to help guide us through the potential fashion nightmare should we give into our geek instincts and wear each and every gadget available, all at the same time.

Google calms Glass privacy concerns in new FAQ, promises wider availability in 2014

Google has published a new FAQ on Google Glass, which addresses several of the most commonly discussed privacy concerns, and also reveals more about security, its partners, and future release plans.

Leaked Lumia 1020 snap shows AT&T branding and mysterious Nokia Pro Cam app

Another picture of the unannounced Lumia 1020 has been leaked, this time showing the phone with AT&T network branding and a mysterious Nokia Pro Cam app installed.

Trademark filing hints Samsung could call its wearable tech range “Samsung Gear”

A trademark filing has revealed Samsung may use the brand name Samsung Gear for a range of wearable technology products, including a smart watch which will link to your smartphone.
nokia lumia 925 android jelly bean edition

Why Nokia needs to end its marriage to Microsoft with a Google Edition Lumia

An analyst is the latest to tell Nokia to adopt the Android operating system, or face catastrophic problems in the future. We think it should stick with Windows Phone, but why not make a Google Edition Lumia? It wouldn't be hard.

Nokia announces the super affordable, super basic Nokia 207 and Nokia 208 feature phones

Nokia has announced a pair of new phones, the Nokia 207 and Nokia 208. Both are feature phones with alphanumeric keypads, but the Nokia 208 does have one special feature missing from the Nokia 207.

Motorola’s patriotic teaser advert confirms customizable Moto X smartphone is coming soon

The first teaser advert for the forthcoming Moto X smartphone from Motorola has been published, confirming the phone will be assembled in the U.S., and that aspects of the device will be customizable.
hp plans smartphone comeback phones censored

HP, you’re pulling an Anthony Weiner. We don’t want to see your phones again

Hewlett Packard is apparently keen to get back into producing smartphones, according to a senior director. We're not sure this is a good idea, as not only has HP made a mess of its smartphone efforts before, but also because PC manufacturers just can't seem to produce a decent one between them.

Unannounced Droid Ultra smartphone shows up on Motorola’s website

An unannounced smartphone named the Droid Ultra has appeared on Motorola's website, along with a complete breakdown of its specification, although sadly there isn't a picture of the device. An official announcement can't be far away.

Firefox OS is a go, as $90 ZTE Open launches in Spain

Spanish network Telefonica has announced it will start selling the first commercially available phone running Firefox OS, the ZTE Open, from July 2, and it will cost just 70 euros, or about $90.