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Nintendo eyes smartphone apps to spur Wii U sales

Nintendo is trying to modify its game consoles so customers can use smartphone applications on them, as the struggling Japanese company aims to return to profitability.

The Japan Times reported Monday that anonymous company sources say the console maker is betting on third-party smartphone apps to spur device sales. This, in turn, could lead to a growth in popular game titles on its platform, the Japan Times added.

Read more of "Nintendo taps smartphone apps to increase console sales" at ZDNet.

Clearwire to shareholders: Sprint's our only hope

Clearwire told shareholders in a letter sent on Monday that its best path lies in an acquisition by Sprint Nextel.

The letter laid out in extensive detail why Sprint's offer of $2.97 a share provides the best value for shareholders. Nowhere in the letter does it reference Dish Network's rival bid for Clearwire, which is actually higher at $3.30 a share.

According to Clearwire's board, Sprint's offer is the only legitimate one. The wireless broadband company said Sprint's offer represents "fair, attractive and certain value." The deal represents the culmination of … Read more

When your airbag is your enemy (CNET On Cars, Episode 17)

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Way back in May 2005, I did what I believe was our first car tech video: a look at the 2005 Acura RL. It was like this thing from Mars had dropped on the CNET building. Today, the RL is gone, the RLX takes its place, and its first job is to put Acura back on the map in terms of a high-tech flagship sedan that sells in greater numbers than you can count on two hands. We'll show you … Read more

B&N chops prices on Nook HD and Nook HD+ for one week

This tablet deal may be hard to beat. After adding the Google Play store to its tablets on Friday, Barnes & Noble is now offering major discounts on the Nook HD and Nook HD+ in a one-week-only sale for Mother's Day.

Today through May 12 (yes, that's Mother's Day), the 7-inch Nook HD is available starting at $149 for the entry-level 8GB model (normally $199) and the 9-inch NOOK HD+ starts at a mere $179 for the 16GB model (normally $269). Both products offer expandable memory via a microSD expansion slot.

The reduced prices are available online … Read more

Sid Meier lets fly with mobile game -- and why you'll be happy to pay

Sid Meier is not a fan of "freemium."

The model of giving a game away only to charge for extras such as new levels, features, or power-ups, has swept up the mobile gaming industry, much to the chagrin of gamers who would prefer to pay once for the complete experience.

Meier, a legend in the gaming business thanks to his beloved "Civilization" franchise, couldn't agree more.

"It's about designing unhappiness," Meier told CNET in an interview on Friday. "You have to design a game so not fun that people will pay … Read more

Nook becomes a more tempting tablet

CNET Update gives the Nook a second look:

In this edition of Update:

- The Nook gets more attractive with full access to the Google Play store. (Put a Kindle app on a Nook? Madness!)

- Acer gets creative with its latest Windows 8 laptop, the Acer Aspire R7. (Touchpad above the keyboard? More madness!)

- The first solar-powered aircraft begins its long journey across the U.S.

- Learn to add an event to your Google calendar from inside an e-mail.

- Hotmail users must face the music and move on to Outlook.com.

- Staples puts 3D printing … Read more

Apple extends lead over Samsung in U.S. smartphones

Maybe it's time to hold off on the Apple negativity.

The iPhone franchise captured 39 percent of the U.S. smartphone market in the first quarter, extending its lead over Samsung, which garnered 21.7 percent of the market, according to research firm ComScore.

Interestingly, Apple's iOS took market share away from Google's Android, which traditionally has seen more rapid growth.

Apple saw its smartphone market share rise by nearly 3 percentage points in the quarter, while Samsung's share inched up slightly. The next three largest handset vendor, HTC, Motorola, and LG, all lost market share … Read more

Traces of malware activity detected in App Store game

MacWorld is reporting that a program on the iOS App Store may be detected as containing malware, but in analysis the program is not considered to be malicious.

After its readers wrote in about the potential of malware in a game called Simply Find It that is available on the iTunes App Store, MacWorld confirmed traces of nonfunctional Trojan horse malware embedded in an MP3 file used by the program, which shows an HTML iframe reference to a potentially malicious (but currently unresponsive) Web page.

This is not the first time that malwarelike activity has been found in programs in … Read more

BlackBerry's Q10 selling well in Canada, U.K.

BlackBerry's Q10, which features a QWERTY keyboard and operating system BlackBerry 10, has had a strong showing in the U.K. and Canada, according to one analyst.

According to Reuters, which obtained a note from Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, checks across the U.K. and Canada "indicate broad sellouts with generally limited stock otherwise."

"Based on our store checks, the BlackBerry Q10 has been selling extremely well and has been sold out or seeing limited availability in Toronto and across the U.K.," Misek said.

The BlackBerry Q10 launched earlier this week in the U.… Read more