Smartphones

eBay is reporting some pretty big numbers for mobile.

The San Jose, Calif., e-commerce giant says its mobile apps have been downloaded 100 million times since being launched in late 2008, while users have listed 100 million items on its auction site using mobile devices. The apps have been downloaded 25 million times in the last six months alone, the company said.

"We are taking a mobile first approach to the business, drawing on four years of leading mobile commerce, and continually making our experience more personalized and relevant to the customer," Steve Yankovich, vice president of eBay … Read more

Netflix users should now have an easier time finding their favorite movies and TV shows via their Android devices.

Unveiled over the weekend, the latest changes to Netflix's Android app conjure up the same interface that was already part of the iPhone and iPad versions.

Opening the Netflix app on your Android phone or tablet displays thumbnails for items that you started watching but never finished, so you can easily pick up where you left off. The app then blankets the screen with the familiar rows, showing you the top 10 picks based on your preferences, your Instant Queue, … Read more

Do a quick search on Twitter and you'll find many iOS users sending request after request (or in some cases, demand after demand) to retailers, airlines, and merchants for Passbook integration. Passbook is clearly one feature iOS users are eager to use, but the delay in adoption is driving them mad.

Enter Gyft.

Gyft is a gift card app for iOS that allows you to store gift card information in a single, easy-to-access place. Sound familiar?

As TechCrunch pointed out this morning, Gyft received a big update last night, bringing with it the ability to add any gift card … Read more

As we've already discussed, the new Panorama feature on iOS 6 for the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 is extremely easy to use. But, my biggest issue when first using it was always being forced to go from left to right while taking a photo. This may not be a big deal in most situations, but there are times when being able to pan from right to left would be ideal.

It took me a few times using the new feature before I accidentally discovered you're able to switch the direction by tapping on the … Read more

I came across this tutorial last week that showed how you can turn an ordinary phone camera into something capable of capturing extreme close-up macro photos. You know, the ones where you can see the hairs on a fly's head.

After the dust settled on the iOS 6 release, over the weekend I dug through the junk drawer in my kitchen and found an old laser pointer. I then located a bobby pin in the bathroom and some painter's tape in the basement. I now had the three necessary ingredients and the time to see if this thing … Read more

In the past, it was easier to load the Redbox Web site and reserve copies of movies or games there. The reserve feature is especially useful in heavily populated cities, where something might be gone by the time you make your way to the physical Redbox. With access to this same functionality on your mobile device, you can easily reserve a rental during (provided you're not driving!) or before your commute home from work or school.

Grab a copy of the new Redbox app for your mobile Android device. You will need Internet connectivity to use the … Read more

Users diving into Apple's new iOS 6 can get a helping hand from Apple's new guidebook, now available free via iBooks.

The iPhone User Guide For iOS 6 comes packaged as a 153-page e-book detailing all the ins and outs of the new OS. The book is geared for the iPhone, but iPad and iPod Touch owners running iOS 6 can also glean a fair amount of information.

The latest guidebook joins other e-book efforts from Apple, including iOS 5.1 user guides for the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod Touch. The books are nicely designed, well … Read more

While the United States is just getting familiar with its version of the Optimus Vu, LG may soon be ready to introduce its successor to the rest of the world. The details for the presumed Optimus Vu II have spilled online, pointing to a moderately improved competitor to the Galaxy Note II.… Read more

Apple may receive a nice Christmas bonus in the form of 50 million iPhones sold over the December quarter.

Courtesy of J.P. Morgan analyst Katy Huberty, that forecast is a bit higher than the previous estimate and is based on heavy iPhone 5 demand anticipated by both suppliers and carriers. Last week's preorders for the new iPhone also were greater than expected, rising 100 percent from 2011's numbers for the iPhone 4s.

For the current quarter ending this month, Huberty now sees iPhone sales of 25 million, a modest bump from the previous forecast. The actual numbers … Read more