Samsung has its Galaxy S II at the top of the smartphone pile, and a bunch of entry level smartphone cheapies, including the Galaxy Ace, Fit, mini and Gio. That’s a lot of phones. Confused much? Don’t be, the B-list Galaxy phones are basically variations on the same entry level touch-screen smartphone phone, nipped and tucked to match different demographics in the orgy of product niching that makes the marketing folks think they’re earning their salaries.   The US$240 Galaxy Gio is aimed ...

True remakes in games. Why so few? Hollywood loves remaking the same stuff ad nauseum, whereas game studios just rewarm or port over. While I was contemplating the metaphysical implications of rehashes, it occurred to me that this is something you don't often see in videogames: the straightforward remake. Not a reboot or port to a handheld, but taking an existing game and making it all over again using the latest technology, but keeping the same plot and gameplay elements ...

If you can't beat 'em, co-opt 'em. The 19-year-old New Yorker who created the JailBreakMe tool for iPhone users to unshackle their hardware from No 1 Infinity Loop tweeted that he's landed an internship at Apple. Nicholas Allegra, creator of the site JailBreakMe, announced the news on Thursday on his Twitter feed @comex. "The week after next I will be starting an internship with Apple," Allegra said. Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at computer security firm Sophos, said in a blog ...

Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia X8. A big name for a candybar-sized smartphone that will barely register in your hands (note: have gorilla-sized paws, but even so). This teeny, tiny Android phone is a ‘starter’ smartphone - it comes with all the features you would expect from its grownup counterparts (like the Xperia X10), but at a lower price-point. It comes with a selection of colourful back-plates, clearly marking it a phone for the "fun" side of the market. Getting around With a ...

Imagine for a moment that you've decided to spend your money on… something, anything really. A car, a cellphone, an iPad, a haircut, pay TV service, whatever. Now imagine for a second that an intrinsic part of that transaction gives whoever you are trading with the right to enter your home and rummage through your personal belongings and those of your kids. And they can do this with impunity. Furthermore, not only would they be able to do that, they would ...

Black and blocky - you're not going to get a much bigger screen this side of a tablet, and it's got some pretty serious innards to power its Androidy goodness. Gearburn weighs up the iffy build quality against the sheer value for money. [jwplayer mediaid="31491"]

United Airlines recently announced it was replacing the hefty flight manuals and chart books its pilots have long used with 11 000 iPads carrying the same data. Now instead of ruining their backs carrying 17 kilograms of paper instructions, data and charts, they can ruin their nerves trying to get the devices past TSA security screeners. The popular tablet computer will carry the Mobile FliteDeck software app from Jeppesen, a Boeing subsidiary which provides navigation tools for air, sea and land. "The ...

Apple's reign as king of the high-end consumer tech world is assured in the short term but the long-term outlook is hazy without the leadership of visionary co-founder Steve Jobs, analysts said. "The Jobs legacy will continue to influence products for at least two to three years out," independent technology analyst Carmi Levy said. "That's how big the pipeline is of products developed during his watch. "The real test of Apple's post-Jobsian mettle will come after the pipeline of products conceived under ...

I enjoy paying tribute to the most influential piece of technology in my life, the TV. It’s always been there for me, my television. The fuzzy, nostalgic feeling when I think back to my childhood, the memories of grainy images and needing to adjust the bunny ears just so. It is with a little sadness that I say that those days are long gone – obliterated by a new era of crystal clear imagery and absolute TV awesomeness. Yes! TVs ...

This week I take a look at Photovine, a photo sharing social network that is fast becoming a favourite app amongst iPhonography enthusiasts and casual snappers all around the world. I’m sure most of you reading this will remember the Internet before the digital camera became as readily available as it is today. Back to the days when hardly anyone used a photo of themselves as a profile picture or avatar, not for fear of being recognized or anything like that, ...