After 10M downloads in 1 year, Scan gets $1.7M from Menlo and Google Ventures to perfect QR codes

February 23, 2012 4:30 AM Ben Popper
Ben Popper

Like most people, Garrett Gee thought the experience of creating and using QR codes kind of sucked. “They were not visually appealing or user friendly,” he told VentureBeat. So as a sophmore at Bringham Young University in Utah, Gee and …

LG kicks off the quad-core smartphone craze with the Optimus 4X HD

February 22, 2012 9:45 PM Devindra Hardawar
Devindra Hardawar

LG was the first company to show off a dual-core smartphone last year, and it has once again beaten the rest of the pack with tonight’s announcement of the Optimus 4X HD, the world’s first quad-core phone.

The news heralds …

OnLive delivers ridiculously fast web browsing on the iPad

February 22, 2012 6:00 PM Dean Takahashi
Dean Takahashi

Editor's Pick

OnLive promised that it would one day run Windows desktop computer apps on an Apple iPad, and today it is delivering on that promise. As an added benefit, it is also launching the world’s fastest web browser on the iPad.…

New privacy policy agreement forces apps to disclose data use

February 22, 2012 3:03 PM Meghan Kelly
Meghan Kelly

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has struck a privacy agreement with the top six companies she believes facilitate the creation of the most mobile applications: Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Amazon, Microsoft, and Research in Motion. The agreement states that all …

Improved Google Docs Android app allows for easy on-the-go editing

February 22, 2012 1:01 PM Jennifer Van Grove
Jennifer Van Grove

Smartphones and tablets facilitate on-the-go productivity and never-ending workdays. The latest refresh of Google Docs for Android seems to put emphasis on both.

The Google Docs app for Android has been enhanced today with collaboration and editing features. These allow …

T-Mobile wants the FCC to kill Verizon’s spectrum deal with big cable

February 22, 2012 12:48 PM Tom Cheredar
Tom Cheredar

In an ironic turn of events, the fourth largest U.S. carrier T-Mobile is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to halt Verizon’s pending acquisition of additional wireless spectrum currently licensed by some of the nation’s biggest cable companies.

Verizon previously …

71 percent of enterprises creating their own mobile apps, says Symantec

February 22, 2012 12:33 PM Meghan Kelly
Meghan Kelly

Companies know mobile is invaluable and inevitable. But despite 41 percent of IT professionals fearing external handheld devices, they are moving forward into the mobile enterprise.

According to a survey by Symantec, enterprises officially understand that “application culture” isn’t going …

HTML5 vs. native apps: How to pick the right path

February 22, 2012 12:17 PM Peter Yared

The mobile technology landscape is incredibly confusing. There are numerous choices, ranging from new HTML5 technologies, native app development methods, and all sorts of content management systems. At CBS Interactive, we have numerous mobile solutions, including native apps for CBS.com, CNET, and "60 Minutes," along with mobile-optimized Web sites for GameFaqs and global properties like ZDnet. At first blush, it seems problematic...

iPhone owners ready to close the deal, 75% want to pay by phone

February 22, 2012 11:10 AM Jennifer Van Grove
Jennifer Van Grove

Forget your girlfriend, your mobile phone is fast becoming a better companion in times of crisis — you know, when you need to score the best deal on that sexy gadget or you’ve left your wallet in the car.

New …

Bankrupt Chinese company still angling for an iPad ban in Shanghai

February 22, 2012 11:06 AM Jolie O'Dell
Jolie O'Dell

Bankrupt Chinese firm Proview, which once held the iPad trademark, is now fighting in Chinese courts to get the iPad banned in Shanghai.

Yes, even after a Chinese judge ruled that Apple rightfully held the trademark. Yes, even after Apple …

Verizon experiencing 4G LTE outages across U.S. again — can you connect?

February 22, 2012 8:51 AM Sean Ludwig
Sean Ludwig

Verizon Wireless appears to be having yet another wide outage of its 4G LTE data network, according to various reports on Twitter.

The network reported three data outages in the month of December. Verizon swiftly blamed the down time on …

Apple supplier Foxconn hid underage workers before inspection, says labor rights NGO

February 22, 2012 7:46 AM Devindra Hardawar
Devindra Hardawar

Foxconn, the Chinese manufacturer that Apple heavily relies on for its products, may have tried to clean up its act before inspectors from the Fair Labor Association descended on its factories, according to a Hong Kong non-governmental organization dedicated to …

Twitter updates iPhone and Android apps, releases Kindle Fire app

February 21, 2012 6:23 PM Jennifer Van Grove
Jennifer Van Grove

With one fell swoop, Twitter has confronted privacy concerns, returned missed features to its mobile audience, and opened its information network up to even more tablet-toting folks.

Twitter for iPhone and Android received updates Tuesday. The fixes address previously identified …

PlayStation Vita game giveaway!

February 21, 2012 5:18 PM GamesBeat Giveaways

The PlayStation Vita launch is happening right now. For all those looking to upgrade their gaming-on-the-go to the next level, GamesBeat is giving away a bunch of Vita launch games so that you can focus on buying memory cards, …

Everything you need to know about the PlayStation Vita

February 21, 2012 5:17 PM Sebastian Haley
Sebastian Haley

This week marks the launch of the PlayStation Vita, the successor to Sony’s PlayStation Portable handheld gaming device. Launched last December in Japan, the Vita did not fare particularly well, being consistently outsold by its predecessor even during the Christmas …

PlayStation Vita: THE hardware review

February 21, 2012 2:13 PM James Pikover
James Pikover

Editor's Pick

There is something extravagant about the release of a new game system: the promise of new and previously unheard of software experiences … hardware that is faster, better, and more capable. It is something that will be around for years …

Microsoft Office for iPad reportedly coming within weeks (updated)

February 21, 2012 11:59 AM Sean Ludwig
Sean Ludwig

Microsoft's long-anticipated Office software suite for the Apple iPad will likely launch in the next few weeks, according to a report by The Daily. However, Microsoft has denied the story.

The iPad has become a surprisingly hot device for the enterprise since its launch in April 2010.

Why Square wants to replace TVs with tablets in New York City taxis

February 21, 2012 10:03 AM Ben Popper
Ben Popper

Almost all of New York City’s iconic yellow cabs now have a TV in the back seat playing a loop of local news and entertainment. But if innovator Jack Dorsey has his way, those taxi TVs could be replaced with …

Yummy Apple rumors: iPad 3 gets thicker, iPhone 5 due for fall

February 21, 2012 7:52 AM Devindra Hardawar
Devindra Hardawar

What better way to come off the long weekend than with a bunch of Apple rumors? It looks like the iPad 3 may be getting a bit of junk in the trunk, while the iPhone 5 could be another fall …

Kindle Fire extinguisher? Barnes & Noble launches new $199 Nook Tablet, $179 Nook Color

February 21, 2012 7:45 AM Tom Cheredar
Tom Cheredar

Barnes & Noble is launching a new $199 8GB Nook Tablet to better compete against Amazon’s popular Kindle Fire Tablet, the company confirmed today.

Since the Kindle Fire’s November launch at a mere $199, the $249 Nook Tablet has had …