Tablets

Those who lived through the days of xD card vs. Memory Stick vs. CompactFlash vs. Secure Digital may think people need a new flash memory card format like we need a hole in our heads. Who, after all, has a burning desire to upgrade the 9-in-1 flash card reader to a 10-in-1 model?

An established industry standards group, JEDEC, has a new format it hopes will catch on, though.

The group already took over standardization of the MultiMediaCard specification that's chiefly relevant today hidden away inaccessibly in its embedded form, EMMC, that's used under the covers of various … Read more

Apple has released to developers a beta of iOS 4.3, the newest operating system update for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. iOS 4.3 will include several feature upgrades including the addition of personal Wi-Fi hot spots, new multitouch gestures for iPad, and customizable messaging alerts.

Also included in the first beta of iOS 4.3 is the return of orientation locking by using the hardware switch on the side of your iPad. Users will be able to toggle the usage of that switch from its current function, muting, to the new orientation lock.

The App Store app has … Read more

With the new year upon us, there are no doubt plenty of plans in place for changes both big and small. For precisely this reason, January's Tech Dos & Don'ts column will be focused on helping you through the necessary transitions--at least as far as technology is concerned. First up: out with the old, in with the new.

Certainly, both the holidays and the Consumer Electronics Show have inspired a lot of dough-dropping in the gadget space. Many of you probably have a new device or two lying around, which raises the question: what to do with the … Read more

Samsung may be holding a digital hostage; Android gains ground on Apple, but may soon lose it to the Verizon iPhone; and the announcement of the next iteration of Android raises questions about version numbers. Join Antuan Goodwin and Justin Eckhouse for all that and more in the world of Android.

Android outshines Apple iOS on mobile ad network http://reviews.cnet.com/8300-19736_7-251.html

Android Market saw greatest surge in 2010 http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20028122-94.html

Analysts: … Read more

In case you missed our special live Digital City show from the CNET stage at CES 2011, now you can catch it here. Dan is joined by G4TV's "Attack of the Show" co-host Kevin Pereira , plus CNET's Jeff Bakalar and Rich Brown, for a discussion ranging from post-apocalyptic cell phone reception to high-tech digital name tags.

Bonus: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

… Read more

BALI--Research In Motion is looking to harness the best of today's Web technologies including HTML5 and JavaScript, to bridge the gap between development efforts for its BlackBerry smartphones and the soon-to-be-released PlayBook tablet.

Tyler Lessard, vice president of global alliances and developer relations at RIM, said the Canadian smartphone manufacturer is intent on bringing the "Web to mobile" by incorporating existing Web technologies into its WebWorks SDK for Tablet OS.

Released today, the beta version of the software development kit will give Web and mobile developers skilled in HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS the tools to create apps … Read more

During a recent interview with TechCrunch, Android's head honcho Andy Rubin let slip that the name of the next release of the mobile platform will be Ice Cream Sandwich.

Once rumored as Ice Cream, Ice Cream Sandwich will follow OS 3.0, or Honeycomb, which landed on its first device, the Motorola Xoom, last week at CES. Availablity is uncertain, but one theory suggests that Ice Cream Sandwich would arrive as OS 2.4 later this summer.

The timeline makes sense, but the version number leaves me scratching my head. As to why Google would backtrack on the number … Read more

This week, we're all back from CES with a list of the coolest laptops of the show. Plus, the Verizon iPhone is imminent--find out if it's worth making the switch.

Bonus: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

… Read more

The Motorola Xoom was one of the tablets that stood out at CES 2011, even netting CNET's Best of Show award. Running on the upcoming Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system, its sleek design and future compatibility with 4G standards make it one of the more desirable upcoming slates.

Turns out there's another trick up the Xoom's sleeve. According to the specifications released by the company, there's a barometer hidden under the hood. Used to measure atmospheric pressure, it not only tells you the altitude, but also predicts the weather.

The larger the change in pressure, … Read more