You can now try Firefox OS on your Android phone

Mozilla has dropped the latest version of Firefox OS into everybody's lap, and there's a special treat tucked inside for brave Android users. A new developer preview of the software can be downloaded and tried as an alternative home screen on your phone that, thankfully, doesn't require you to wipe your device beforehand. Just install the APK and it'll appear as an app that, with a single press of your device, will transform the handset into a Firefox OS phone. Naturally, in order to play nice with Android, there's a few futzes and workarounds tucked inside, but it's hoped that the move will enable more people -- and developers -- to engage with the burgeoning operating system.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow review: All about polish and power

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When Android 5.0 Lollipop started hitting devices last November, people could tell. Google's new Material Design aesthetic made sure you wouldn't mistake it for any prior version of the OS, which was great... especially when you consider how confusing parts of it could be. Now that Android's look has been more or less firmed up, Google set about making its operating system smoother, smarter and more battery-friendly. The end result: Android 6.0 Marshmallow. So, how'd they do? Spoiler alert: pretty damned well.

Google Nexus 6 features Android Lollipop, 6-inch display, and Snapdragon 805 processor

October 15, 2014 9:00 AM PDT / Updated: October 15, 2014 11:40 AM PDT

Google Nexus 6 by Motorola comes in "midnight blue" and "cloud white."Google

Google's latest flagship phone is finally here. But instead of holding a press event like years past, the tech-giant announced its newest Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 tablet today, via an online press release. The device starts at $649 (32GB) and $699 (64GB). Preorders begin Wednesday, October 29, and it will land in stores in November. You'll be able to buy the phone unlocked, with a service contract, or through monthly carrier installments.

Just like that, Android 4.3 is out, ahead of its release date

Yes, the latest Jelly Bean has gone public already, plus: the HTC One kind-of-mini, malware scares, and HP's supposed Android phone

In the same way that watched pots never boil, hotly anticipated Android versions often aren’t released when we think they should be. However, turn your back for a second and bang – suddenly Jelly Bean 4.3’s all over the Internet.

It was a somewhat odd way for the new software to make its debut – leaking quietly onto Google+ via a guy named Jeff Williams, who apparently bought a Nexus 4 running Android 4.3 on Craigslist from a Googler. (The comments on the post are worth a read.)

[MORE GOOGLE: Google Glass susceptible to poison-pill QR code]

Introducing Samsung GALAXY S4

Sprint Galaxy Nexus registration page gets served up by Google

Good news is here for folks on Sprint who've been anxiously waiting for a first taste of LTE connectivity and Ice Cream Sandwich. Google's official Galaxy Nexus website has quietly gone live with a registration section for anyone on the Now Network who wants to be notified when the device goes up for sale. If you'll recall, the pre-release version of Sprint's GNex that we spent time with at CES notably retained access to Google Wallet, and was apparently free of any crapware (unlike Verizon's variant). Aside from that -- and a Sprint logo -- it's essentially the same 32GB device you've come to know in the US. There's still no word on pricing just yet, but if you've got to be among the first to know, hit up the source link below.

ComScore calls Android top dog, Apple pulls further ahead of RIM

According to ComScore, out of the 82.2 million people in the US with a smartphone (up ten percent fromlast quarter), Android came in first as the biggest platform yet again, capturing a whopping 41.8 percent of the market like a boss. In a not-so-close second, Apple was able to snag 27 percent, followed by RIM in the third place spot with 21.7 percent -- down 4 percentage points from last quarter. Pulling up the rear is Microsoft with 5.7 percent, and lastly Symbian with a grim 1.9 percent -- both down when compared to the previous three months. As far as US hardware manufacturers goes, Samsung is still on top with 25.5 percent of the market, while LG got 20.9 percent and finally Motorola with 14.1 percent, down 1.5 percentage points from before. Apple was able to snag some standing in the OEM space with a 9.5 percent share, while BlackBerry-maker RIM only captured 7.6 percent. As the battle wages on, looks like Androids, iPhones, and BlackBerrys (oh my) are still on top -- at least for this quarter. Check out the PR after the break for the full scorecard.

Trio of US Samsung Galaxy S II models get together for a group photo?

Gaze closely at the above picture. Is this classy-looking bunch of phones the actual trio of Galaxy S IIdevices we expect to see unveiled at Samsung's press event this coming Monday? If so, our mouths are commencing salivation as we speak. From the looks of it, the Samsung Hercules, Epic Touch 4G and Attain are shown off hanging out together in full disclosure. Granted, we've seen the T-Mobile andSprint versions before, so this image simply verifies what we've already seen. The big reveal, however, is the look of AT&T's variant -- a device that's managed to do the best job at playing hide-and-seek -- which appears to be eerily similar to a leaked render we encountered in June. We're only a matter of days away from knowing for sure, but this will definitely get your weekend started off on the right foot.

Facebook introduces separate

It's not clear if its recently acquired group messaging firm, Beluga, had anything to do with it or not, but Facebook has branched out further into the increasingly crowded messaging space today with the announcement of a separate Facebook Messenger app. Available for iPhone and Android, the app lets you send messages directly to individual friends or groups, which they'll of course receive instantly (a la BBM, Huddle for Google+, and Apple's forthcoming iMessage). You're also able to share your location if you choose, and attach photos to your messages, but the app is otherwise streamlined and barebones -- which Facebook says is just the point. You can grab it from the App Store or Android Market now via the links below.

Update: As pointed out by Mark Levin in comments, it turns out the Beluga team did indeed have a hand in the development of the app.

Android app tethers handsets to Canon cams, live view fanboys rejoice (video)

We're living in a post-pc world, folks. High time you got with the program and junked that heavy and outmoded relic called the computer. But how does one take tethered snaps from a Canon, sans EOS Utility? Meet DSLR Controller, an Android app from Chainfire that turns your little green robot into an external live view monitor, and gives you complete control over your shooter's finer sensibilities. It lets you tweak exposure, aperture, shutter, white balance and focus with sensuous swipes of your fingertip. To make the whole shindig work, you'll need an Android device packing a USB host port and an "on-the-go" USB cable -- which lets your handset wear the pants in the phone / DSLR relationship. We should also warn you that the $8.51 application is currently still in beta and thus streams video in live view mode at a less than optimal 15fps. Those and other foibles may be remedied by the final release, but if you're looking to practice your tethering voodoo immediately, hit the source below, and watch a vid of your photographic future after the break.

Sony Music Unlimited hits Android, hopes you don't know why 'Qriocity' sounds so familiar

Sony didn't make a big to do about the arrival of its Music Unlimited service on Android -- perhaps it's the fact that the market for streaming music on mobile devices is getting a bit crowded these days, with recent arrivals from Apple, Google, and Amazon. Or maybe it's that the mention of Qriocity, the service that powers the offering, is still likely to leave a bad taste in the mouths of lots of folks, after the whole, well, you know. Whatever the case may be, the app is now available as a free download for those with Google's dessert-based operating system on their handsets, plus either the $4 a month basic or $10 a month premium plan.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review

When we met with Samsung in late May, company representatives didn't seem entirely sure that the company would meet the rumored June 8th ship date here in the US, but lo and behold, it's done just that. The tablet's launching at noon today at the Best Buy in New York City's Union Square, and if you can't make it up to the Big Apple, it'll hit the rest of the nation on June 17th. But here's the real question: is it worth making an effort to snag it on either date? The Galaxy Tab 10.1, much like its Limited Edition sibling that we reviewed last month, is ever-so-slightly thinner than the iPad 2, a slate that most sane individuals (and competitors, for that matter) would confess is the market leader today.

Simple DIY cellbot ditches Arduino, jousts poorly (video)

Want an adorable little Android cellbot to call your own, but aren't quite ready to tackle Arduino code? Darrell Taylor's got you covered with an audio-controlled, jousting cellbot: no muss, no fuss, no microcontroller. The Make project, called TRRSTAN, accepts commands via Google chat, web browser, or Wii remote piped through the headphone jack of your Android phone -- the robot's brain, of course. Tack on a few makeshift weapons procured at the local dollar store, and you've got a homemade warrior you can be proud of. Want one? Taylor has a ready-made kit available for just shy of $50, and offers a 'fully assembled' option for the extra-lazy robot enthusiast. Of course, you could always go back to playing Android-bots with your Legos if you aren't quite ready to big-boy world of DIY. Just sayin'.

ViewSonic ViewPad 10Pro boots an Intel Oak Trail CPU into either Android or Windows 7 Pro

The ViewPad 10 era is over, here comes the epoch of the ViewPad 10Pro. Beyond the introduction of Intel's Oak Trail Z670 1.5GHz processor, the new Windows 7 Pro / Android 2.2 dual-boot tablet throws in a 3G radio, 32GB of onboard storage (expandable via MicroSD or USB), and a 3500mAh battery that's rated to last for 4.5 hours of 1080p video playback. It's one of Intel's promised 10+ Android tabletscoming at this year's Computex, though it has the appreciable advantage of being able to switch over to Windows 7 pretty much instantaneously. Check it out in the gallery below and you can expect a more in-depth look from us later on during the currently ongoing Computex 2011 trade show.

Google Wallet vending on Nexus S hands-on

We just got done watching the unveil of how Google is going to revolutionize the way you pay for denim shorts at the mall, and we just got to try it in a slightly different way -- buying a Coke out of a vending machine. The process is as easy as can be: just select your beverage and, when you're ready to pay, swipe your phone. In a few seconds out pops your frosty beverage and somewhere Santa Claus laughs merrily. It's retail bliss and a lot easier than fishing filthy coins out of your skinny jeans. Check out the short video after the break -- the break that refreshes.

Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May

After encountering a little hitch with its mid-April Gingerbread delivery, Samsung is now ready to boot up Kies for another try. The company has this morning released word that it intends to update its entire Galaxy S family line, starting with models in the UK and Nordic countries from the middle of this month. The rest of the globe, including North America, will follow suit "according to the regional plan." Also benefiting from a Gingerbread upgrade will be the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which already got a taste of Android 2.3 in Italy, and the company's bevy of budget Galaxy devices, the Ace, Gio, Fit and mini. Read the full PR after the break. 

Samsung Infuse 4G review

We're just getting into the swing of spring, flowers blooming and skeeters biting, but already it's been a great year for Samsung -- if we ignore the whole lawsuit thing. Just a few weeks ago the company delivered to us our highest scoring Android phone yet, the Galaxy S II and, while that handset has not appeared on American shores, we were graced with the Droid Charge, which offers LTE speed, strong battery life, and an on-contract price that slightly exceeds its design.

LG Optimus Black review

If you asked us to design our ideal Android phone, it might well end up looking like LG's Optimus Black. The handset that was once known under the codename "B" features a clean, elegant and exceedingly thin exterior, which is garnished with a 4-inch IPS display capable of generating 700 nits of brightness. There's the usual litany of added features, too, like a 5 megapixel shooter with the ability to record 720p video, a special G-Key for motion controls, and Wi-Fi Direct for peer-to-peer file transfers. Of course, looks and headline features are just the tip of the iceberg that is user experience, so if you want to know about the mountainous whole, join us after the break for a deep dive with LG's latest Android phone.

Fossil Meta Watch wrists-on at Google I/O (video)

Today at Google I/O we got a chance to play with Meta Watch, Fossil's wearable development platform, which allows developers to extend the interfaces of devices and applications to the wrist. Both watches -- one analog / digital with a traditional dial plus two small OLED displays, the other digital with a larger memory-in-pixel LCD (a highly reflective, always-on, ultra low-power screen) -- feature Bluetooth for communication, along with a vibration motor, three-axis accelerometer, and ambient light sensor. The

The Android Market will overtake Apple's App Store by August 2011

It's been a strong possibility for some time now but the Android Market looks like it'll finally overtake Apple's mighty App Store by August 2011.

The culmination of the decelerating growth on Apple's App Store paired with the Android Market's growth still tenaciously accelerating, have meant that analysts have been able to predict this monumental shift.