smartphones - News, Features, and Slideshows

Features

• Why BlackBerry Curve 8520 is First to Get Trackpad

  Today, Research In Motion (RIM) launched the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone, an evolution of the Curve 83xx and Curve 8900 families of BlackBerry devices. Though the new Curve's really nothing groundbreaking--it's basically a combination of the two earlier Curves--the device features one brand new BlackBerry component that could prove to be quite significant: the trackpad. But why would RIM ditch its traditional track ball now and release the trackpad on its cheapest, lowest-end BlackBerry ever? Keep moving for an official answer from RIM, as well as my own "unofficial" opinion.

• As Apple rots, iPhone users revolt

  Users are turning against the iPhone. Call it the summer of our discontent, but these hot, sticky months are proving an excellent time to not buy a smartphone. Apple and AT&T have only themselves to blame.

• A closer look at INQ Mobile's new colorful handsets

  INQ Mobile stopped by PC World's offices last week to show off their new Chat 3G and Mini handsets. INQ Mobile is a relatively new mobile company based in the UK and previously only had one phone on their roster, the INQ 1. But this is a company to watch: INQ phones offer smartphone-like features at an inexpensive price point. And, according to Co-Founder Jeff Taylor, the new INQ phones will be available in the US in 2010.

• BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac: Four Things To Know

  Research In Motion (RIM) recently announced that it will finally release Macintosh-compatible desktop management software for BlackBerry handhelds this fall. I was lucky enough to get a quick hands-on demonstration this morning from RIM Product Manager Andrey Feldman at an event in New York City, and I dug up a few previously unannounced tidbits about RIM's upcoming software release for Apple computer users with BlackBerrys.

• Manage iPhones with Exchange

  When iPhones first started trickling into my office, I was a little apprehensive. At the time they only supported IMAP and POP3 for e-mail, which can be tricky to support in an Exchange environment. Two generations later, the iPhone has become a robust enterprise-grade mobile device.

• Banning texting while driving will help

  Banning texting while driving is such a no-brainer that it's hard to believe there is even a discussion. States may say they have better things to do, but when the feds threaten to cut off highway funding they'll find the time. Good for the feds.

• iPhone Tips: How to Clean and Care For Your iPhone

  It's a wonder Apple sales folks aren't dressed up like storks when they sell you an iPhone. The storied device has taken on a life of its own, and iPhone owners cradle them like newborns.

• Sprint: Defend yourself against Verizon's Palm Pre

  In its latest attempt to show some smartphone muscle, Verizon Wireless says it will offer the Palm Pre in early 2010.

• A GIS pioneer on the future of mapping technologies

  With the founding of ESRI 40 years ago, Jack Dangermond pioneered the business of geographic information systems (GIS). He shares his perspective on how the Web has democratized access to geographic information, and how mashups between GIS and traditional information systems are transforming the way companies view and analyze business data.

• Food fight! Palm and Apple out of sync!

  Palm Inc.'s decision to re-enable syncing to iTunes in its new Web OS update has an element of Palm taunting Apple Inc.

• Why Palm Needs To Ditch iTunes and Create a Media Sync

  Yesterday Palm released an update to its webOS mobile operating system for the Pre, v1.1.0. The new webOS packs a handful of enterprise-oriented features, like the ability to remotely wipe the Pre, along with a number of maintenance fixes and more. But perhaps most interestingly, webOS v1.1.0 also "re-enables" the iTunes sync feature that Apple blocked via its own software update earlier this month.That's good news for Pre users, since it's remarkably simple to use iTunes to sync media libraries to the Pre. However, it'll no doubt be short-lived and Pre owners will soon find themselves in the same iTunes-sync-less position they did last week, when Apple released iTunes v8.2.1, which blocked Pre syncing.

• Android's next stop: high-tech remotes for your home

  Get ready for more Google in your life. A slew of household gadgets based on the company's Android operating system will debut within the next five months, a new report says, including several high-tech remote controls for your home.

• iPhone Battery Life: 3 Tips For Getting More Juice

  The new iPhone's battery life, or lack thereof, has been a growing concern for users in recent weeks, leading to a smorgasbord of "tips" on how to breathe more life into the misbehaving battery. Sure, most of the tips will save juice-but some solutions don't prove too convenient.

• Palm vs. Apple: Sizing up smartphone cameras

  I'm something of a grumpy old man when it comes to camera phones--for years, I've resisted them, complaining that I just didn't see the point. "Using a camera phone dumbs down photography," I'd say, citing poor image quality and lack of control. When I wrote "Five Tips for Great Photos With Your Cell Phone," I did it reluctantly, mainly because my friends insisted that phones with cameras were incredibly popular.

• App selection secures iPhone lead In smartphone market

  It wasn't always obvious that applications would be as important to mobile users as the iPhone has helped them become. Or that they would be even more important for keeping competitors at bay.