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Samsung wants to make it easier and more lucrative for app developers to offer advertising to Samsung mobile phone subscribers.

The company announced Tuesday that it has formed a partnership with OpenX Technologies, a leading provider of digital advertising technologies. Through the partnership Samsung and OpenX will create an exchange that will allow advertisers to purchase mobile ad space directly from mobile developers and Samsung. This closed marketplace should allow advertisers to reach a more targeted audience.

The deal with OpenX is an expansion of Samsung's existing strategy to enable advertising on its products. Earlier this year, Samsung established … Read more

Legos are cool. Tinker Toys are cool. Zoob is cool. But you know what's really cool? Building a hybrid gizmo out of all of the above (and other construction toys as well).

That's possible now--without tape, glue, chewing gum, or earwax--using the Free Universal Construction Kit, a set of adapters that let you snap together parts from 10 popular building toys. Brought to you by the F.A.T. (Free Art and Technology) Lab and Sy-Lab, the kit can be downloaded for free as a collection of models in STL format that can be printed with 3D printers such as the Makerbot.… Read more

Foursquare is one of a number of Web sites jumping ship from Google Maps to an open-source alternative. You can put a good part of the blame on Google's hefty licensing fees.

A wide variety of sites use Google Maps on their own pages to pinpoint locations, offer directions, and provide other travel info. But according to The New York Times, the fees charged by Google for the privilege can easily run into six figures.

A recent blog posted by the Web site StreetEasy confirmed a price tag of $200,000 to $300,000 shelled out each year to … Read more

One of the more subtle differences between iPhoto for iOS and its desktop software counterpart turns out to be deeper than meets the eye.

The new software, which made its debut yesterday alongside Apple's third-generation iPad, has a subtle difference that wasn't advertised: Apple's using a new set of maps to show where a user's photos were taken, and those maps do not appear to be from Apple's longtime map provider Google.

That in and of itself would not be quite so interesting if not for the fact that Apple is expected to roll out … Read more

Mozilla's Marketplace has begun accepting app submissions, looking toward the ultimate goal of building a standalone operating system for the open Web.

As part of the company's Boot to Gecko project, these apps would allow for cross-device and multi-operating system integration, which means anchoring the apps to the user and not to the device or platform.

"Using HTML, CSS and JavaScript, a developer can build an app using responsive design, and that app can offer the same look and feel as a device-native app, without having to rewrite for every desired target platform," Joe Stagner, Mozilla'… Read more

Think you're a Rubik's Cube master? Unless you are a robot, think again.

The Zonhoven Open 2012 is a Rubik's Cube competition held annually in Belgium. One insane aspect of the competition is a blindfolded Rubik's Cube challenge. After a few brief moments of examining the cube, participants must solve the 3D mechanical puzzle without looking. A moderator also holds a piece of paper over the cube to avoid peeking.

One would think this feat would take several minutes at best, but a record, caught on video, shows Marcell Endrey of Hungary solving the cube in an astonishing 28.80 seconds. Keep an eye out for the kid sitting behind Endrey, who flashes a priceless reaction. … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Wireless operators need to stop locking devices and offering overly complicated data plans. That's the message from Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn and eBay CEO John Donahoe here at Mobile World Congress.

Dunn and Donahoe took the stage today as part of a panel discussion about mobile payments. While the CEOs talked a lot about how shopping and payments are changing thanks to mobile devices, they also took a few jabs at wireless operators, challenging them to become more open to help spur greater adoption of their services across a broad range of devices.

While the mobile phone … Read more

Have you ever drawn a mind map? We bet you have. Mind maps are the kind of diagrams that business planners, mad scientists, and other innovative types scribble over blackboards and whiteboards, linking balloons and boxes with a variety of lines, arrows, and assorted scribblings. Ordinary people might draw one on a napkin while planning out their day. In any case, mind maps are one of the most flexible, useful, and intuitive planning techniques known. Open Mind is freeware for creating customized mind maps for any use you can think of. You can insert text, images, and even YouTube video … Read more

Been looking for a way to look like Billy Badass at parties or cookouts without incurring broken limbs and/or pesky restraining orders? Who hasn't, right? Well, should your bottled beverage of choice not have the convenient screw-cap top, don't reach for that boring old standard bottle opener.

Instead, whip out the Bottle Blade Bottle Opener, which looks like a razor blade. The oversize bottle blade is made of brushed stainless steel and measures 4.5 inches by 2.25 inches, so you're probably not going to confuse it with your shaving blades.

You can preorder yours from GadgetsandGear.com for $9.99; they're expected to arrive in March. Booze and friends sold separately.… Read more