Android

There's something to be said about streaming content from your PC on the TV. The question is how do you get that content from the PC - and now tablets and phones - to your TV. The latest option from Philips is the Soundbar CSS5123, an Android-powered surround sound speaker that lets you stream content from any DLNA-enabled device. Read More

Imagine the power of a US$500 outdoor GPS built into a $5 app available on iOS and Android devices. In a nutshell, that's ViewRanger. The advanced mapping GPS app has been around for years in Europe and just launched in the United States. Read More

A Dutch mechanical engineer is working on realizing da Vinci's dream of human-powered flight, with some help from modern technology. Jarnos Smeets is the driving force between the Human Birdwings Project, which utilizes a combination of gadgets including an HTC Wildfire S and a Wii remote. He claims to have conducted his first successful test flight this week, even though he didn't appear to get too far off the ground. Read More

It's another typical day in the office when your co-worker conspicuously begins to play "Ride of the Valkyries" on high volume. Before you can react to the strange shift in tone, you hear the "thwip thwip" sound of a helicopter coming your direction, as if you've stumbled into a cubicle version of Apocalypse Now. Next thing you know, a bright light shines over your cube wall and in your face, blinding you right before you spot two missiles launching straight at you ... which then bounce off your chest since they're made of plastic. You've just become the latest victim of the HELO TC Assault, the newest toy helicopter from Griffin that includes Android support and twin missile launchers. Read More

Since the release of the G-Slate and Optimus Pad last year, tablet offerings from LG have been pretty thin on the ground. Now the company has announced it will be releasing its first LTE-capable tablet in its homeland next week. The Optimus Pad LTE is powered by a Qualcomm 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and comes running Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). It also features the same True HD IPS technology that debuted on LG's Optimus LTE smartphone but with the 1280 x 720 pixel resolution now spread over 8.9-inches worth of display. Read More

With most people happy to make do with camera phones for their digital image snapping needs in the majority of situations and the quality of such devices improving markedly in recent years, makers of dedicated consumer-level cameras face an increasingly tough row to hoe. At CES 2012, Polaroid has announced its SC1630 Smart Camera that attempts to blur the lines between a camera phone and dedicated camera with its smartphone-like form factor and being one of the first dedicated cameras to run on Android. Read More

Ever since the Nintendo 3DS proved that you don't need bulky glasses to watch video in 3D, smartphone and tablet makers have been systematically releasing their own glasses-free 3D devices with varying results. None of these however have incorporated the experience with console-like controls to play casual apps or streamed video games. That's where the WikiPad comes in, with its no-glasses 3D screen and attachable gamepad to give a more immersive gaming experience. Read More

With the Xperia ion, Sony has joined the throng of phone-makers clamoring to announce LTE handsets at CES 2012. Sony's PlayStation certified Android device features a 4.6-inch 1280 x 720 HD display, with both front and rear cameras capable of shooting HD video, at 720p and 1080p respectively. The rear camera has a 12-megapixel sensor which, budding Cartier-Bressons take note, can take shots within 1.5 seconds of leaving standby mode. Read More

The PC and Mac advocates have been debating for years over which is superior, with good arguments on both sides; but a third, often overlooked camp exists: people who use both. If you're in that group, then you know how frustrating it can be to have the perks of both machines, but the downside of few easy options for sharing files or peripherals between the two. That's why tech manufacturer j5create has rolled out the Wormhole Switch and the Wormhole Station, which allow file transfers between PC, Mac, Android, and iOS, as well as keyboard and mouse sharing. Read More