Back in late May, we caught wind of curious goings-on happening over at the Bluetooth SIG. While it's no oddity to see devices get their Bluetooth certification published as they prepare for launch, last month we looked at a brand new certification just filed for the Nexus 7. While there's no good reason for the SIG to be doing that, as far as what info was publicly available, it all might make sense if this was somehow tied to the upcoming release of Android 4.3, which could bring the platform new Bluetooth functionality (4.0 LE mode, to be specific). We've yet to see that happen (despite ...

Over the years, Bluetooth has become one of those terms you simply expect to see when reading through the specifications of a phone – any phone. It's a given that most smart devices have it. Laptops, smartphones, tablets, and most wireless peripherals or connected accessories utilize Bluetooth in some way or another. And the use cases for Bluetooth stretch far and wide. For many mobile users, although we like to take it for granted, it's a necessity – an undervalued connection we give little to no thought to anymore. That's likely due to the stigmas surrounding the technology. It's ...

The standard-issue Starfleet communicator of the 2260s is a marvel of Federation technology. The flip-top device is ruggedized for adverse interplanetary environments, outfitted with a transponder for transporter lock-on, and it's capable of transmitting voice and data over thousands of kilometers -even through solid rock- without the aid of a cellular network. Sadly, it is also completely fictitious. The communicator, a product of the keen imagination and amazing design talents of Desilu model-maker Wah Chang, burst into the public consciousness as a prop on the original Star Trek ...

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that's supposed to make connecting our devices easy. When we're talking about headsets, keyboards, and mice, the process is usually pretty straight forward. Bluetooth itself is capable of so much more than just connecting to simple devices. We can have Personal Area Networks, wireless data transfers, and we can even get updates from specialized equipment like heart-rate monitors. In many cases Bluetooth carries with it a premium cost when it comes to battery life. Items like pedometers, geo-locators, watches, and the monitoring equipment that we talked ...

You know the drill: another week, another overload of tech news for three geeky guys to talk about. On this exiciting episode of the Pocketnow Weekly, though, things are a little different: in addition to the usual news from the three big mobile platforms, Michael, Anton, and Joe discuss issues of major import for the industry in our broadcast's new preshow segment. Today's "Thought Thread" covers the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and its impact on smartphones and tablets, as well as a little invention called CommBadge that has the potential to bring voice interface back into the ...

Some holes, like this one in Yellowstone National Park, are beautiful. But take a look at your phone or tablet. How many holes does it have in it? None of them are "pretty". Let's face it,  they're eyesores. Holes seem like they are necessary components, but they do make your phone look ugly. Additionally, they're extra components which just add on to the cost of an already pricey piece of electronics. Let's count them, shall we? Chances are you've got a headphone jack, a microUSB port, and maybe even an MHL/HDMI port. Why? Why do we have so many holes in our devices? Aren't there other ...

Perhaps we should start off by explaining what a smart watch is. Like a regular watch -- or chronograph if you'd prefer -- a smart watch tells time, but it does so much more. A regular watch (which we'll just call a "watch") might also include the date, the day of the week, and if you had a super-fancy one, even the barometric pressure and altitude. The nice thing about a watch is its simplicity. You glance at it and get all the information you need. As we started waltzing toward the chasm of information overload, brought on by the now ubiquitous smartphone, the traditional watch just ...