Android

Research In Motion is said to be prepping cross-platform versions of its popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) application for release later this year. According to multiple sources close to Boy Genius Report (BGR), an Android version "is definitely a go" with an iOS counterpart also on the horizon. Android Atlas reached out to RIM to confirm the report, but spokeswoman Marisa Conway responded that "RIM's standard policy is to decline comment on rumors and speculation."

One theory is that a stripped-down, lighter version of BBM will allow Android users to communicate across platforms with other clients, … Read more

The 404 Podcast has a symbiotic relationship with "Aunt" Jill Schlesinger aka The Financial Decoder for CBS Moneywatch: she helps our listeners create a foundation for their financial future, and we answer her tech questions about her Twitter account and yesterday's Apple iPad 2 announcement.

And sometimes she brings us cookies...giant, half-pound cookies from Levain Bakery!

You'll have to hold your breath for the iPad 2 discussion, though, because first we want to tell you guys about Jill's new podcast on the radio, appropriately called Jill On Money!

Episode 1 is already posted on the Moneywatch.com Web site; it's an hour-and-a-half broadcast where Jill answers plenty of questions about paying off mortgages, rising gas prices, and tips on how to maintain a good credit score. Plus, a little Cheryl Dunn in the morning ain't hurting anyone.

If you have a financial question for Jill, make sure you give her a call at 855-411-JILL (855-411-5455) and she'll schedule time to ask it live on the show, or you can also send her an e-mail at askjill(at)moneywatch.com or tweet her.

With Jill getting more involved in the tech side of broadcasting, she asks us for advice on whether she should buy the new Apple iPad 2. The way we see it, her buying decision depends on what she'll ultimately do with the tablet.

Since she already has a MacBook, she can either dish out $350 on a refurbished iPad 1 or spend $150 more for the 16GB iPad 2. Tune in to hear our advice, and as usual, we don't all agree on one path to take.… Read more

This week, we tell you what we thought of the Xperia Play's gaming controls. We also discuss T-Mobile shutting down the Danger service, the latest HTC phones, Android news, and the continuing debate over radiation. Also, yes, we do talk a little about the latest Apple announcement.

News The iPad 2 makes its debut iOS 4.3 hitting March 11 Hot spot coming to GSM iPhone 4s Playing the Xperia Play Before there was the Xperia Play T-Mobile to shut down Sidekick data service May 31 … Read more

We've all known more or less what was coming for a while. The iPad 2 was going to get slimmer and lighter, have a faster processor and better graphic engine, as well as sport cameras in the front and back--oh, and the already impressive battery life would be about the same. We also knew that if past Apple product upgrades were any indication, the new, improved iPad was going to be the same price as its predecessor. And it is, with the Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad 2 (16GB) starting at $499.

So what's this all mean for … Read more

Android 3.0 Honeycomb is here, and its icon has arrived on the Google lawn, as witnessed in this image posted on Twitter by Google's Justin Mattson.

When Google releases a new version of its Android software, it places a large statue based on the version's code name on its lawn for geeks to worship. You may also leave offerings of food, iPhones, and code branches near the statues in a bid for more stable bug fixes from the Google gods.

Honeycomb is the tablet version of Android, and the Motorola Xoom will be the first gadget in stores to have it.

Read more of "Look on Google's Android Honeycomb statue, ye mighty, and despair!" at Crave UK. … Read more

Apple will announce the next iPad 2 today, so imagine our surprise when all Wilson wants to talk about is Charlie Sheen joining Twitter! There may be hope for our Apple suckling fanboy just yet...

The rumors fluttering around the next iPad are growing, with the latest batch wondering about a MobileMe update that will allow streaming media to iOS devices.

This isn't the first time we've predicted this upgrade, but a new rumor claims that an Apple employee has said today's update will indeed allow all media including music, TV shows, and iTunes-purchased movies to stream in the cloud. Since you still can't iTunes on multiple computer libraries without a clever workaround, this could be a huge boon for the next iPad.

But you just want an iPad to consume news and watch movies, it may make more sense to either wait a month for a first generation iPad price drop or wait until the end of a year, when a third generation iPad may surface with more significant upgrades. Either way, we're done with the Apple rumor mongering for today.

Moving onto the more important news of the day (to Wilson), @CharlieSheen has finally joined the Twitterverse and is adding friends at an astonishing rate of 2,000 followers a minute.

Business developers, marketing professional, and public relations experts should take note of his social media strategy: your first tweet better have porn stars, or… Read more

After a lot of hype and an awkward Super Bowl ad, Sony Ericsson finally introduced the Xperia Play to the world at Mobile World Congress 2011. Since then, however, we've yet to get a proper gaming impression of the phone, at least until this afternoon, when a few CNET editors headed over to a Sony event to get their hands on it. Our colleague Dan Ackerman had a chance to handle it, too, and compared the gaming experience with that on the iPhone. Here, we'll focus a bit more on the feel of the controls.

It's clear … Read more

Did you know that my birthday is on St. Patrick's Day? It is; it's true. And did you know that my favorite iPhone game (though it's on other platforms now) is Angry Birds? Also true. I was hoping that Rovio, makers of the game, would continue the holiday theme it's been on lately with Angry Birds Seasons and publish a St. Pat's version of the game for my birthday. And The Unofficial Apple Weblog says that, according to Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka, it's doing just that.

Vesterbacka said the game should be "very … Read more

The Samsung Galaxy S is officially still chilling with Android 2.2 Froyo. But if you're fed up with frozen yogurt and you want to try a little Gingerbread, an update to bump up the phone to Android 2.3.2 has appeared online at the SamFirmware forum.

Read more of "Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.3 Gingerbread update leaked" at Crave UK. … Read more