The Orbotix crew in Boulder just released a fun video of Sphero, billed as the world’s first robotic ball controlled by a smartphone, interacting with folks on Pearl Street Mall (see clip below).

The ball is slated to launch in late 2011 with a price tag of $130.
It’ll be sold with a basic driving application. The company promises to release a few other games and apps to coincide with the launch. The cost of the programs, to be available in the iTunes App Store and Android Marketplace, will range from free to $9.99.

I played with Sphero at CES in January and thought it was fun and challenging. Whether consumers will be willing to cough up $130 for the ball may depend on the number (and quality) of games and apps that are created for Sphero. The company Read more…

File photo

Verizon 4G is the fastest in the nation, according to PCMag.com.

PCMag.com declared today that Verizon Wireless has the top overall 4G network in the nation after testing services from six carriers.

“In a 21-city test across the United States, we found that Verizon’s new 4G LTE network is much faster than other mobile Web options, with speeds that often exceed home Internet connections,” the online magazine states.

PCMag says it reached download speeds of nearly 38 Mbps on Verizon in the central region, which includes cities such as Detroit, Chicago and Dallas. That’s simply Read more…

The Denver Post

Lawmakers want wireless carriers to clear up their 4G marketing.

I recently tested 4G service from the four major wireless carriers and found their fourth-generation mobile broadband networks to be choppy, often offering speeds that were nowhere near advertised levels.

With some carriers, such as T-Mobile, top speeds may be unclear as they advertise theoretical (or test) speeds rather than actual, real world speeds.

Turns out, some lawmakers want this cleared up.

New federal legislation would require wireless carriers to provide more details about their high-speed Internet connections, including the minimum speed.

“(T)heoretical peak speeds and actual speeds experienced by consumers vary widely across technologies and service pro-viders,” states the so-called Next Generation Disclosure Act. “Consumers need accurate information before selecting a provider of wireless mobile broadband service.”

With the carriers I tested – Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T Read more…

Andy Vuong

Based only on feel, the Nexus S wins.

As Android-based smartphones continue to flood the market, it is becoming more difficult for new entrants to distinguish themselves, at least from a software and features standpoint.

There may be tweaks to the user interface, but every phone essentially has access to the same apps and features, such as cameras and roughly 4-inch touchscreens. I haven’t found the differences between Gingerbread, the latest version of Android, and predecessor Froyo to be all that significant.

So I’m ranking four recent 4G smartphones from each of the major carriers based solely on how they feel in the hand while actually on a phone call. (A story about 4G speeds will appear in Monday’s tech section, unless Steve Jobs decides to announce the release of the iPhone 5 on Sunday evening.)

1. Sprint’s Samsung Nexus S – It’s similar to the Atrix 4G and even the iPhone. The phone has a glossy, Read more…

Jeff Goertzen, The Denver Post

Facebook dominates among social networking sites.

The number American adults who use social networking sites have surged, with Facebook users leading the way, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

Pew’s survey of more than 2,200 adults late last year found that 47 percent use at least one social networking site. That’s nearly double the 26 percent of adults who said they used a social networking site in 2008.

Facebook dominates: 92 percent of those who social network are on Facebook, 29 percent use MySpace, 18 percent use LinkedIn and 13 percent use Twitter.

The results of this survey may only drive up the already ridiculous valuation for Facebook, which is reportedly planning to go public early next year.

Those surveyed said Facebook users are more Read more…

Handout

Qwest must pay $30 million bond in a case related to an overturned rate hike.

District Judge Herbert Stern has denied Qwest’s appeal of an order that the company set aside $30 million to cover potential refunds for up to 1 million Colorado customers.

Qwest may have to refund more than $100 million to customers stemming from Stern’s decision in January to overturn a 2009 rate hike previously authorized by the Public Utilities Commission.

In March, Stern ordered Qwest, which was acquired by CenturyLink in April, to pay the bond while it appeals to the Colorado Supreme Court Stern’s decision to reverse the rate hike.

Qwest subsequently argued that it shouldn’t have to pay the bond, in part, because the PUC is also a party to the case and is exempt from paying bond.

“Qwest cannot shield itself from the bond Read more…

AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

Comcast announces Skype offering.

Though I’ve used Skype’s free video chatting service on and off for years, I recently purchased Skype credits for the first time to make international calls, so this morning’s announcement from Comcast caught my attention.

The cable giant will soon launch a service that allows its subscribers to use Skype on their TV sets.

Subscribers will be able to make and receive Skype video and audio calls on a TV while watching content at the same time. They’ll also be able to accept incoming calls during a TV show.

The service will be delivered via a Comcast adapter box, a video camera, and a specially designed remote Read more…

Getty Images North America | Mario Tama

Verizon is working on a new mobile payment system.

Verizon Wireless announced a partnership today with a startup company called Payfone to launch a new mobile payment system that will allow Verizon subscribers to charge online purchases directly to their monthly wireless bill.

Payfone’s “SmartBill” technology processes transactions with the same network used by mobile operators. The company says that it links a consumer to a merchant through a one-time PIN verification via text, allowing subsequent purchases to be made with one click.

No word yet on when the payment system will launch.

It appears the new system will compete against Google Wallet, though it’s not clear that you’ll be able Read more…

If the Wii U can do all that this video promises, it’ll definitely be a game-changer. I can imagine being able to scroll through the Madden playbook on the remote’s 6-inch screen  so the other player can’t see which plays you might run.

No word yet on price or release date (other than sometime in 2012). You can also check out the clip on YouTube.

Handout

A Pew study states that 13 percent of online adults have used Twitter.

I’ve long wondered about the true reach of Twitter.

The microblogging site claims to have more than 200 million users, while independent watchers say Twitter recently passed the 300 million mark. Those figures are probably bloated, as many users and companies have multiple accounts, not to mention the numerous spammers.

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project released a report this month that states 13 percent of online adults in the U.S. have used Twitter. Twitter says that figure is low, though it’s still up nearly 63 percent from November, when Pew reported that 8 percent of online adults had been on the social networking site.

“We think it’s a higher number than that,”  Twitter CEO Dick Costolo recently told The WSJ’s Walt Mossberg. “We’ve grown our mobile usage more than 150 percent since the beginning of the year.”

Pew found that 18 percent Read more…