Eric Abent

Author: Eric Abent

Instagram hit with class-action lawsuit over controversial Terms of Service

By Eric Abent
on 26 Dec, 2012

It hasn't been a good week for Instagram. When the Facebook-owned company revealed its updated Terms of Service, which go into effect next month, the Internet went crazy, pointing out certain clauses that many users took issue with. It was a controversy that had co-founder Kevin Systrom taking to the Instagram blog to try to smooth things over before the company changed the Terms of Service to contain more favorable language. Today, however, we hear that Instagram has been hit with a class action lawsuit filed by Finkelstein & Krinsk for plaintiff Lucy Fines.

Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean updates begin rolling out to global HTC One S

By Eric Abent
on 26 Dec, 2012

HTC has quite the gift in store for One S users, as it has starting rolling out Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean updates to some global HTC One S handsets. The update was first discovered by the fine folks over at the XDA Developers Forum, and while there are a lot of CID numbers that are apparently supported, not all global One S devices are getting Jelly Bean right away. The same is true for the US One S, which is sold through T-Mobile - we're not sure when that will be getting Jelly Bean either, sadly.

Google extends free Gmail calls through 2013

By Eric Abent
on 26 Dec, 2012

One of the more interesting features of Gmail, as many of you already know, it that it lets you make voice calls in addition to just sending off emails. Google allows free domestic calls within the US and Canada, which is a major bonus, but today it announced that the free calls won't be ending anytime soon. Google has revealed that it will extend free domestic calling for the US and Canada through 2013.

Motorola Electrify M Review (US Cellular)

By Eric Abent
on 25 Dec, 2012

The Motorola Electrify M recently landed at US Cellular, and with it we're getting a very strong feeling of deja vu. Despite the new name, we've seen this phone before, as its nearly identical twin – the DROID RAZR M – is currently gracing Verizon's shelves. The DROID RAZR M was a pretty solid handset, though it was somewhat overshadowed by the release of the DROID RAZR HD and the RAZR MAXX HD. Can Motorola keep the quality train rolling with the Electrify M? Read on to find out.

Sonic Jump Game Review

By Eric Abent
on 24 Dec, 2012

I've been a Sonic fan almost as long as I've been alive. The original Sonic the Hedgehog was the first game I ever played at the ripe old age of five, and since then, there have been a lot of ups and downs. Thankfully, the series seems to be on the upswing lately, with titles like Sonic Generations, Sonic Colors, and Sonic and All Stars Racing Transformed doing surprisingly well with critics and fans alike. Sonic's latest appearance is in Sonic Jump, a new vertical platformer that launched last week on Android. Does this new title keep Sega's string of good Sonic releases going? Do we dare hope?

Sega launches Sonic Jump on Google Play Store

By Eric Abent
on 21 Dec, 2012

Sonic fans take note, because Sega has just released a new game called Sonic Jump on the Google Play Store. One look at the title and you're likely to know right away what kind of game this is - it's a vertical platformer in the vein of Doodle Jump, a game that was extremely popular a while back. Here we've got the same basic premise, only this time, it features everyone's favorite blue hedgehog and his friends.

Nielsen’s year-end rundown has Android on top once again

By Eric Abent
on 21 Dec, 2012

It's time for Nielsen to break down the data it collected throughout the year, and once again, we're seeing Android dominate the mobile space as of the end of October 2012. Android had 52% market share at the end of Q3, which places it a significant 17 percentage points ahead of its closest competitor, iOS. BlackBerry managed to secure a third place ranking with 7%, while Windows Phone was only able to boast 2% market share at end of Q3.

Android team says Happy Holidays in touching video

By Eric Abent
on 21 Dec, 2012

We've been seeing plenty of companies releasing holiday-themed videos lately, including one particularly unsettling commercial from the likes of Samsung. Today it's the Android team's turn to show off a holiday video of their own, and rest assured, there isn't any uncomfortable innuendo between Santa and Mrs. Claus to be found. Instead, the holiday video the Android team put out is rather touching, and may even make you shed a tear if you aren't careful.

Samsung to show off 5.5-inch flexible screen during CES

By Eric Abent
on 20 Dec, 2012

We've heard plenty about Samsung's flexible smartphone screens throughout the years, but when CES rolls around in a couple of weeks, Samsung will be ready to show them off once again. This time around, the screen will be 5.5-inches and sport a resolution of 1280x720 - that gives us a pixel density of 267. There will also be a flexible 55-inch TV screen on display, so Samsung has been hard at work to bring us these nifty new displays.

Antitrust charges on the way for Samsung from European Commission

By Eric Abent
on 20 Dec, 2012

More bad news for Samsung today, as the European Commission told Reuters that it may soon be hitting the Galaxy S III maker with antitrust charges. These possible anti-competitive charges come after a larger and longer investigation of Samsung carried out by the European Commission. Essentially, the European Commission wants to know if Samsung broke the EU's competition rules by filing patent suits against Apple.