There's not an app for that: CAC issues warning about avalanche apps

The smartphone is like the modern day, techy Swiss Army Knife. With the help of a few apps, it can control all kinds of devices, deliver all types of entertainment and information, and get you out of jams. Heck, it can evenbecome an actual pocket knife. But it can't do everything. The Canadian Avalanche Centre says that avalanche rescue apps can not effectively replace dedicated avalanche beacons.

Read more

Sony's US Mobile Strategy: Whatever

Sony has dropped three new mobile devices into the US market -- its Smartwatch 2 and its Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra smartphones -- but it doesn't seem to be playing a very high-stakes game. That's possibly because it doesn't need to. "Sony is a diversified consumer electronics and digital content company," noted tech analyst Stephen Blum. "Its competitive advantage is its brand."

Read more

The Brick mobile phone is back - and has Snake

An 80s-style retro phone called 'The Brick' has been launched today at Carphone Warehouse.

The Brick is on sale for £50, has a standby battery life of up to one month, and comes with mobile phone game Snake.

Read more

Phonebloks: a phone that can be built like Lego

A smartphone with detachable parts that could last forever has been designed.

Phonebloks is a sustainable device that can be built like Lego and would allow users to replace its parts over time instead of buying new smartphones.

Dutch designer Dave Hakkens designed it after his favourite camera broke and he was advised to buy a new one as it was cheaper than replacing the broken part.

Read more

LG unveils G Flex curved smartphone

South Korean mobile phone maker LG claims that the vertically curved design of its G Flex smartphone is optimised for the average face, to deliver improved voice and sound quality. The curved form increases the sound level by 3dB compared to typical flat smartphones.

The curved design also offers a more reassuring grip and fits more comfortably in the user's back pocket, according to LG. In landscape mode, the display offers an IMAX-like experience, providing accc angle for watching videos or playing games.

Read more

A cheap, powerful digital microscope using your smartphone and an old laser pointer

There is little reason anymore to buy one of those toy microscopes from the hobby shop for your budding biologist. To observe all that the microworld has to offer, the focus has shifted from the scope, to the camera. In other words, instead of trying to rig a camera to an existing scope, it now seems to make more sense to just build the scope around the camera. A cool project to build a high-power digital microscope, using an iPhone and the focusing lens from a cheap laser pointer, recently showed up on the Instructables website. Ten minutes and twenty dollars may be a little bit optimistic, but the video below does make it look easy.
Read more

Review: Rhino Shield impact-resistant smartphone screen film

It was just a month ago that we reported on Evolutive Labs' Rhino Shield, a 6-layer transparent polymer film designed to protect smartphone screens. Not only is it said to ward off scratches and fingerprints, but it's also reportedly five times more impact-resistant than Gorilla Glass 2. Evolutive recently sent me a testing kit, so I could see first-hand just how tough it is – without endangering my smartphone in the process. Here's how things turned out ...
Read more

Next Android mobile software version dubbed ‘KitKat’

Google on Tuesday said the next version of Android will be called “KitKat” in keeping with its penchant for giving tasty names to its software for powering mobile devices.
“Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert,” the California-based technology titan said in a blog post.chocolate
“As everyone finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate we decided to name the next vertion of Android after one of our favorite chocolate treats.”
The list of Android software names over the years includes Cupcake, Donut, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean.

Read more

Locket Launches A Developer Toolkit That Lets App Publishers Push Ads To Android Lockscreens

Locket, the Android app that pays you (in tiny amounts) just for unlocking your smartphone, is today launching a toolkit for app developers that will allow them to publish their own content to users’ lock screens. That means when users see ads for apps on their phone’s screen, they can open up the app itself with just a swipe, similar to how a push notification works.
Launched this summer, Locket is an early mover in the U.S. market to bring the concept of lockscreen ads to Android users. The company competes with the likes of Seoul, South Korea-based LatteScreen, which only recently began targeting the American audience with its existing product. But Locket is already seeing some traction stateside – it recently hired Charity Sabater, formerly of Candy Crush-maker King, to lead sales, and says that it has grown its footprint to roughly 300,000 users since launching just a few months ago.
Read more