Google Now a fine complement to Siri

Google Now became available on Apple devices in the past week. It's particularly useful when traveling, anticipating when you'll need car-rental details, gate numbers and more.

Google Now a fine complement to Siri

Google Now is often compared with the Siri voice assistant on Apple's mobile devices, but its power lies in giving you information you need to know before you have to ask. It works best as a supplement to Siri, rather than a replacement, now that it has expanded from Android devices to iPhon…

BlackBerry's Q10 is old-school cool

The BlackBerry has finally caught up to the world of touch-screen smartphones. It took time - six years, from the launch of the first iPhone - and it may be too late to save the company that makes it. But the BlackBerry deserves to be taken seriously again.

HTC One sets bar high for new crop of phones

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HTC One sets bar high for new crop of phones

Ready for the battle of the phones? This year's crop of high-end smartphones is starting to emerge, like bear cubs crawling out of their burrows, sniffing the spring air.

Facebook phone app makes itself at Home

These screen images shows Facebook Home running on Google's Android operating system. Home comes installed on the HTC First, which shipped Friday and costs $100 in the U.S. with a two-year contract with AT&T.

Facebook phone app makes itself at Home

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Facebook phone app makes itself at Home

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Facebook phone app makes itself at Home

When I got my first smartphone in 2010, I checked Facebook obsessively. But over time, the novelty wore off and opening Facebook's app to check photos, links and posts from friends turned into a chore.

Google's Pixel falls short

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Google's Pixel falls short

SIEM REAP, Cambodia - Google's first high-end laptop, the Chromebook Pixel, is an impressive machine. It feels light and comfortable in my hands and on my lap. Its high-resolution display makes photos look sharp and video come to life. From a hardware standpoint, it's everything I'd want a l…

Tablet-PC hybrids don't fare well vs. ol' laptop

From left, the Iconia W510 by Acer, the Yoga 13 by Lenovo and the Surface Pro by Microsoft.

Tablet-PC hybrids don't fare well vs. ol' laptop

Since Windows 8's debut in October, there have been a range of hot-looking devices that try to combine elements of tablets and traditional PCs. These hybrids seem as if they would be great both for relaxing with an e-book and for writing stories when I occasionally need to snap back into work mode.

Siri chattier; Google Now smarter

The virtual assistant Siri attends to an Apple iPhone 4S user. She reliably provides snappy, verbal responses to questions.

Siri chattier; Google Now smarter

I never thought I'd be telling my phone what to do. But I often find myself talking to digital assistants - Siri on the iPhone and Google Now on Android devices - to request driving directions, restaurant recommendations and answers to all sorts of questions.

When earbuds fail to deliver

V-MODA True Blood V-80

When earbuds fail to deliver

Scosche Realm RH656 MD

When earbuds fail to deliver

BiGR Audio Jam Master Jay

When earbuds fail to deliver

Most people consume their music while on the go these days - in cars, while jogging, in between smartphone calls or while working at a desk. Thousands of our favorite songs are just a playlist away.