Smartphone

A while back, OnLive released an app that allows its on-demand video game service to function through any Android device. While the service has been around awhile for use with computers and TVs, what makes the app unique is its ability to deliver games usually reserved for consoles and gaming PCs to many tablets and smartphones. The app could effectively turn any smart device into a portable game console that streams games like Netflix streams movies. That's all great as a concept, but the big question is how well it actually works. After spending some time with OnLive's app, it's clear that it isn't going to replace your console or gaming PC anytime soon, but it does offer a glimpse at the possible future of video games. Read More

These days, your average tech enthusiast typically has at their disposal a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, and a digital camera; and that's listing the bare minimum. That's quite a bit of processing power and storage space spread out among different gadgets. What if it were possible to link all those devices together into one convenient package that uses all that computing power at once? That's the idea behind one designer's concept for a Fujitsu Lifebook, which would come with slots for a smartphone, digital camera, and tablet, for them all to all work together as one super device. Read More

Don't want your teenage kids using their mobile phone while they drive? Well, hopefully explaining the dangers to them will do the trick. If it doesn't, however, you could always install Scosche's cellCONTROL in your car. The device is activated whenever the vehicle is in motion, and uses a Bluetooth signal to disable calling functions, text messaging, email, app use and internet access on phones within the car. Read More

Although it can't be denied that smartphones are ... well, that they're really smart, the fact is that not everyone wants to play games, shoot and watch videos, surf the web or use apps every time they step out their door. For many people, the ability to make and receive phone calls is all that really matters. It was for minimalists like these that Austrian electronics company emporia designed its very basic, large-keyed mobile phones. While they were previously not available to North American consumers, that changed with an announcement last week at CES. Read More

Every CES puts the most prominent tech trends on show, and this year was no exception, though some were a bit more visible than others. After the unveiling of arcade-style attachments for smartphones and tablets, a no-glasses 3D tablet with an attachable controller, and a tablet aimed at the hardcore gaming crowd, it became pretty clear that one of these trends is to bridge the gap between high-quality console games and smart devices. However, none of these new devices have appeared quite as portable as the Ion Controller from SteelSeries, which connects through Bluetooth and is about the size of a deck of cards. Read More

More from CES 2012, Sin City, where we've briefly had a chance to get familiar with the Nokia Lumia 900, the Finnish corporation's sacrificial offering at the increasingly cluttered LTE altar to the gods of 4G. The Windows smartphone features a large 4.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 8-megapixel camera with a wide-angle Carl Zeiss lens and seven hours of talk time, according to Nokia. First impressions? Really rather good, actually. Read More

People who are worried about their mobile devices running out of juice at inopportune moments now have another portable power supply at their disposal – and it’s tiny. The 2.8-ounce (79-gram) Innergie PocketCell is a little larger than a car key, and allows for hours of extra use of Apple and Android devices, MP3 players, and a variety of other mobile gizmos. It was unveiled this week at CES. Read More

It’s now possible to use a smartphone or tablet for just about anything that would be traditionally done using a desktop or laptop computer. There is still one disadvantage to doing your computing on a mobile device, however – the small screen. Massachusetts-based Mobile Monitor Technologies (MMT) is attempting to address that shortcoming, with its Monitor2Go. The 15.6-inch HD LCD backlit screen mirrors the displays of all mobile Apple devices, along with those of Macs, PCs and HDMI-compatible smartphones and tablets, plus it can also be used as a lockable protective case for the iPad2. 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