How old should you have to be to own a smartphone?

How old is old enough when it comes to owning a smartphone? We take a look at both sides of the debate.   The first cell phone I ever purchased was the original Motorola Razr. I actually resisted the cell phone revolution until 2004 when Motorola’s super-thin phone lured me in, but I was already in my late twenties by then. These days, no one waits until...

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Acer CloudMobile smartphone goes on sale in UK

Nine months after launch, the CloudMobile goes on sale Acer's CloudMobile S500 smartphone, unveiled way back at MWC in February, has finally gone on sale in the UK. The 4.3-inch Android Ice Cream Sandwich handset is now in stock at online retailer Expansys for the rather modest SIM-free price of £290. The device, initially slated for launch by the store...

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Specs leak for Verizon-bound BlackBerry Laguna

RIM is completely renovating its BlackBerry OS in its BB10 release and its new gesture-based UI. The Canadians also developed hardware that should stands up to BB OS 10’s biggest competitor, Windows Phone 8. A leaked specs sheet details the BlackBerry Laguna for Verizon, an L-series device (those are the touch-only ones) that seems to be the CDMA version of the oft-leaked...

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10 best job hunting apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Get the best new job you can with our ace work apps Finding a job can be a tough task at the best of times. Right now, it's harder than ever - job cuts, lay-offs and mass redundancies mean the job market is more competitive and has more candidates, too. We may all be in it together when it comes to the financial crisis, but when it comes to job hunting,...

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iOS 6 users reporting Wi-Fi connectivity issues

Are you struggling with Wi-Fi on your iOS 6 device? Many iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners, who've upgraded to iOS 6, have been left without basic Wi-Fi connectivity. Users are reporting a number of different issues and have taken to Apple's official support forums to register their displeasure. In two lengthy threads (150 pages in total, CNET has reported)...

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Facebook Messenger app for iOS updated

The Messenger app now plays nice with the iPhone 5 Facebook has tweaked its Messenger app for iOS. The changes mirror those rolled out to the Android version of the instant messaging application on September 20. The most important of which will allow iPhone, iPad and iPad touch users to swipe to the left to see which of their contacts is online and available...

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Mobile weekly wrap: iPhone 5 hangover week

Blackberry fails upward, AT&T goes all in on 4G, and everyone recovers from their iPhone 5 buzz in this week's Mobile Weekly Wrap. A week after the iPhone 5 made it into the hands of nearly 5 million people, the world finally started spinning on its correct axis again. As the dust settled from the lines of stampeding early adopters, other companies started...

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Google and Asus may be building a $100 Nexus tablet

A recent report says the two Android-loving companies responsible for the Nexus 7 are working on a $100 tablet. If you’re wanting to buy a Nexus 7 then now is the time to do it because Google’s still offering a $25 credit for Google Play with tablet purchase. But if you can wait until Christmas there may be a brand new, even cheaper Nexus tablet to get...

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Apple Maps reveals high-security spots, Google Maps adds the right detail

Google, left, obscures what Apple, right, reveals (credit: The Verge) Apple Maps has been called blurry, inaccurate, and unfinished, but there's one area in which the Cupertino company didn't skimp on the detail: high-security locations. In a three-way comparison of iOS 6 Maps, Google Maps, and Nokia Maps, The Verge found that Apple paints the clearest...

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SpareOne emergency phone: One battery, 15-year charge, now in waterproof bag

When you can't rely on your smartphone battery to last forever, use the SpareOne emergency phone as backup. Tis the season for new smartphone announcements. Whether you are a diehard gadgeteer or a general consumer shopping for a new phone, one of the most important thing you want to learn about a product is how long the battery lasts. You never know when...

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Motorola cancels ICS update for certain devices

Back in February, Motorola released a chart with names and dates that told us when each of its Android devices will be getting upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. Unfortunately, it seems the company won't be able to keep its promise for all the announced devices. The updated chart now showws that the Motorola Atrix 4G, Photon 4G and the Electrify...

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Apple Maps usage down to just 4 per cent?

iOS 6 Maps has, so far, been a disaster for Apple Only four per cent of iOS 6 users are making use of Apple's disastrous Maps app, according to new figures. Mobile data management company Snappli, which helps people stay within their limits by compressing data and video, pulled the numbers from its iOS 6-toting users in the United States and the UK. The...

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Gmail app for iPhone 5 optimised for 4-inch display

Google has rushed to update its iOS apps to fit the iPhone 5 Google has issued an update for its Gmail application to ensure it fits beautifully on the iPhone 5's new 4-inch widescreen display. TheVerge reports that iPhone 5 owners will be able to see a couple more emails on-screen, while they will not have to exert as much energy thumb-scrolling to read...

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Why smart consumers make dumb decisions on smartphones

Are you lining up for the iPhone 5 because it’s tailored to your needs better than any other phone, or because it’s the new iPhone? Given the massive success of the iPhone despite a number of problems (Wi-Fi, maps), tech pundits have been writing stories this week about the death of Android and suggesting it become more like iOS. This is ironic, considering...

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Out of date apps litter the App Store: why isn't Apple doing more?

A search for cooking apps in the App Store gives mixed results Remember the days when every few months would come another proud announcement from Apple about the number of apps in the iOS App Store? First it was 10,000, then 50,000, then 100,000... and then Apple stopped making too much of a fuss, and started talking about the number of apps downloaded instead....

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ICS updates for several Sony Xperia devices are now live

After a spring filled with anticipation, the Xperia U, go and sola were among the last remaining devices among the new Xperia line to not be running Android 4.0. It's unsure whether the update brings with it some of the nifty ICS features we saw on the Xperia T flagship, such as the redone Album and Movies apps, but at the very least these devices will be getting the usual bug fixes, optimizations and peace of mind that come with a higher OS version. One thing worth mentioning is that the Xperia sola is set to receive a special "glove mode"...

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This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

We check out Nikon's new D600 This week we've got plenty of new reviews for you. As well as Apple's new iPhone 5, there's the Galaxy Mini 2 at the following end of the price spectrum. Then there's Adobe's brand new version of Photoshop Elements, which is sure to be a big seller in the run-up to Christmas. We've also got a full review of Nikon's new D600,...

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Tablet talk: Video of iPad Mini mock-up hits the Web as rumors of widescreen iPad emerge

Days before Apple is expected to reveal details of an iPad Mini, a new video has appeared on the Web showing a mock-up of the device. Meanwhile, it's being reported that the Cupertino company is looking at the idea of launching a widescreen iPad. With the iPhone 5 launch well and truly behind us, attention among Apple watchers is now turning to the expected...

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Asus reportedly refutes claims of $99 Nexus 7

Cheap and sleek? We'll take'em both Those whose hopes were raised with the promise of a super-cheap Google Nexus 7 may want to come back down to Earth. Digitimes reported Thursday that Asus and Google were working on a $99 (around UK£60, AU$95) 7-inch slate, plus a $199 (around UK£120 , AU$191) model upgrade. The site cited industry sources, however...

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Apple offers guidance to third-party maps apps

Actually getting you where you need to go Apple's making it easier than ever to get you where you need to go - and, no, not by improving its own baffling Maps app. The company, following an apology earlier Friday by CEO Tim Cook for Apple's much publicized navi-snafu, has bundled a bunch of third-party maps apps in the App Store, placing them all under...

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Jelly Bean appearing on Acer Iconia Tab A700

More devices are joining the Jelly Bean movement Bit by bit, Jelly Bean is showing up on more Android devices. The latest to reportedly get the roll out is the Acer Iconia Tab A700. Members of the XDA-Developers forum said Thursday they were seeing Android 4.1 show up on those devices. "I just got the Jelly Bean update on a German ACER A700," a member...

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Judge Koh can decide fate of Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales ban

Welcome back! Samsung may finally get some good news in regards to the lengthy legal proceedings the company has been party to alongside Apple in an patent battle that's extending well beyond a jury's August decision. A United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday granted U.S. District judge Lucy Koh the power to rule on a sales ban...

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