Stories by Armando Rodriguez

4 iPhone app Easter eggs

Everyone loves finding hidden goodies in software--almost as much as developers enjoy putting them there.

Kyocera Echo: Phone that wants to be a tablet

The Kyocera Echo on Sprint ($200 with a two-year contract) is the first dual screen Android smartphone to hit the United States. With a design reminiscent of the Nintendo DS, the Echo seems to make a better tablet than a phone.

Verizon Thunderbolt

The HTC Thunderbolt, which went on sale March 17, is the first phone available in the US that can connect to Verizon’s lightning fast 4G LTE network. That alone makes the Thunderbolt ($250 with new 2-year contract) a considerable piece of hardware, especially for users who routinely run high-bandwidth apps like video chat, online gaming and high-def video streaming. Network speed aside, I found the phone itself to be another solid addition to the HTC’s mostly-impressive family of smartphones, albeit one with a few shortcomings.

More mobile spyware hits Android

NetQin Mobile has captured 2 new spyware programs that have been infecting Android phones. The two programs, "SW.SecurePhone" and "SW.Qieting", can release an unsettling amount of personal information from an infected phone.

No LTE for rooted Motorola Xooms

Did you already go ahead and root your shiny new Motorola Xoom? If you did, you are no longer eligible for a 4G upgrade from Motorola. Sending in a rooted Xoom will just result in Motorola sending it back to you, sans 4G capabilities.

The top five reasons to buy a tablet

As one new tablet PC announcement after another surfaces these days, you may be asking yourself, "What does a tablet give me that I don't already get out of my computer or smartphone?"

Google kills H.264 support in Chrome

Your move Apple: Google announced that they are changing Chrome's support of HTML5 'video' to be, in Google's view, more friendly towards open development. The H.264 codec is being removed in favor of the Theora and VP8 video codecs as well as any higher quality, open codecs. The resources that were used on H.264 will instead be used in supporting these open technologies.

Protect your Android phone with security apps

You back up data on your computer in case it crashes, and you might install LoJack on your car to help recover it in case someone steals it -- so why shouldn't you protect your Android phone? Most people carry a lot of sensitive data on their phones. If someone steals your handset or if you happen to lose it, all that personal information is suddenly not so personal anymore. Your phone is an investment, so you should safeguard your contacts, photos, texts, videos, and music.

Apps for printing photos from Android phones

With mobile phone cameras getting better and better, more people are using their smartphones as their primary cameras. Eventually, you'll want to print the cherished family photos that you've saved on your phone. Rather than dealing with MicroSD cards and USB cables to transfer your photos to a computer, wouldn't it be nice if you could print them directly from the phone?

Zombie-Slaying Teddy Bears in Viral Views 8

Greetings, sentient beings of the Internet, and welcome to another edition of Viral Views! Today on Viral Views we remember our childhood, check out a zombie killing teddy bear, and find out what it means to love yourself just a little too much. Let's get started shall we?

Norton Mobile Security (Beta)

One of the first places people often turn to when searching for antivirus protection for their new computer is Symantec's Norton suite of security tools. The company is now looking to extend that protection beyond the PC to your mobile phone through its Norton Mobile Security app. This app, although currently in beta, adds an extra layer of protection to your phone well above just having a lock screen.

[]