Tablets

As expected, the annual Mobile World Congress has delivered an army of new Android devices. Really, though, we'd expect nothing less from the world's largest gathering of mobile-minded products and services. And with Android playing a dominant role in the smartphone landscape, it stands to reason that a majority of new phones and tablets would launch with the Google platform.

A number of standout devices made headlines this week, including the ZTE Grand Memo, Huawei Ascend P2, and the Sony Tablet Z.

LG got things started last week with the refreshed Optimus L series as well as new … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--NFC (near field communication) technology has been around for some time now, but as of yet it's failed to hit a level of ubiquity in our devices that would galvanize more businesses to adopt it. That, however, is changing fast.

While most think of NFC as solely a new payment solution, companies are constantly finding new ways to implement it.

NFC is essentially a new way to exchange information from one device to another, wirelessly. It's different from other wireless technology in that it requires the two devices to be within a centimeter of each other. Hence … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--One of the more jaw-dropping tech demos on view at this year's Mobile World Congress, new touch-screen technology from chipmaker STMicroelectronics lets you control your smartphone or tablet without actually touching the display.

Using it, you can swipe, drag, and prod at your touch-screen device, replacing the fear of fingerprints with the feeling of controlling a spaceship's navigation system.

There's nothing special about the touch screen itself, but rather about the controller chip that manages the panel. Rather than monitoring contact with the screen, the chip observes the electrical field that the tablet's touch screen … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Fear spills and splashes damaging your smartphone no longer. Startup company DryWired believes it has the technology to easily and effectively armor your handset against water and other liquids.

According to the Los Angeles, Calif. based firm, the DryWired technique uses a nano scale monomer material that, when heated forms a gas, then cools to become a water-tight sealant.

A special machine applies the DryWired material to phones and tablets that have been partially disassembled, the idea being that a device's internal components are protected, not only its exterior.

Indeed DryWired claims that after an ordinary phone has … Read more

Though most of the big players chose Sunday or Monday to make news and drop their newest devices, Day 2 of Mobile World Congress didn't slow down in the least.

Mobile operating systems have long been a popular theme at the word's biggest wireless trade show and the 2013 confab is no exception. Sunday brought us the announcement of the new Firefox mobile OS, and today the Tizen Association entered the game, as well. The group showed its new operating system at a press conference that closed the day. CNET's Luke Westaway and Rich Trenholm got their hands on an early device … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Video Discovery is Samsung's new TV guide app that stretches beyond the capabilities of the Smart Remote app Samsung's been including in each of its tablets since it started building them with IR blasters.

Samsung demoed Video Discovery on its new Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet this week at Mobile World Congress. The app includes the type of functionality you'd expect, like universal remote support, social sharing options, and local TV listings, but goes beyond most apps of this type with its powerful and useful search.

Searching for a particular piece of video content returns results … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--One of the great things about a trade show like Mobile World Congress is seeing the cool phones and tablets we won't get. Hang on, did I say great? I meant depressing -- I'd love to get my hands on a 4G Android smartphone as powerful as the Fujitsu Arrows X F-02E, or a water-resistant 4G Windows 8 tablet like the Fujitsu Arrows Tab.

Both devices are only available in Japan, and unlikely to go on sale elsewhere. Which is a shame: the Arrows X F-02E, Fujitsu's flagship phone, has specs to die for -- and … Read more

Looking for a big tablet? The iPad famously (or infamously) starts at $499. The Google Nexus 10: $399. Even the comparatively affordable Kindle Fire 8.9 will set you back $299.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Acer (via Ebay) is selling the refurbished Iconia Tab A210 10.1-inch Android tablet for $199.99 shipped. Deal? More like steal.

The Iconia A210 features a 1.2GHz Tegra 3 processor, 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD cards), the aforementioned 10.1-inch screen (running at a competitive, if not spectacular, 1,280x800), and Android 4.0. Acer will push out … Read more

With Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a 1.2GHz processor, this 7-inch tablet is entering a very crowded marketplace. There's 16GB of storage on-board, front-facing speakers and it's available in black or white.

These days, I can't help but be disappointed when a 7-incher features anything less than a 1,280x800 screen resolution. Call me spoiled, but recent entries in the 7-inch market have simply raised my expectations and this doesn't leave much room for the A1000's 1,024x600 7-inch screen to impress. Text was noticeably blurry, there was visible warping whenever I tapped … Read more