New Moto G Is Available In Amazon Now

Motorola surprised the smartphone world by launching its new Moto G cell phone on its Web site months early. Now, the device can also be bought on Amazon.

The e-commerce giant began selling both the 8GB and 16GB versions of the smartphone on Friday. The prices are the same as Motorola, which has the 8GB going for $179 and the 16GB at $199. Amazon says that the device will start shipping on December 4, while Motorola will begin shipping on December 2.

The Moto G is a less expensive version of Motorola's Moto X. The Moto X, which launched only in the US earlier this year, stands out to customers because they can tweak how the device looks with different colors and accents.

The Moto G is being launched around the world, which could mean it'll sell better than its costlier predecessor. It has nearly an identical design to the Moto X and also offers a host of colors, a 720p 4.5-inch display, and the Android Jellybean operating system.

Microsoft, bored of bashing Apple, bashes Samsung

If you're in the gadget business, however, you're nobody unless Microsoft criticizes you. What other conclusion can one reach after Redmond's assault on its various rivals?

There's the constant poking at the iPad's foibles. Then there's the sublimely gauche Scroogled campaign, which accuses Google of being little more than a malevolent dictatorship. Samsung, though, has been relatively free of Microsoft's barbed fire. Until now, that is.

For Microsoft has chosen the Thanksgiving weekend to give thanks that its own Surface RT is so much more intelligent and useful than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.I'll admit I haven't seen an enormous proliferation of Tab 10.1s adorning coffee shops, holding cells and public transport. So it makes for a slightly odd target for Microsoft.

However, Redmond wants you to be clear, should you be vacillating between a Tab and a Surface RT that its machine is superior. It has a full-size USB port, which allows you to do, well, full-size USB porting. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has one micro USB port, which means you can't power and connect to an external device at the same time.

Incredible remote-control world's-largest passenger plane

Soaring over the airshow, the A380 looks as it should -- its double-decker fuselage wowing the crowd watching from below.

But while Airbus' A380 is the world's-largest passenger plane, this aircraft doesn't even have a pilot, at least not one on board. In fact, this is a remote-control scale model of an A380. Built by Peter Michel, the model, made to look like a Singapore Airlines A380, took eight months, 5,000 working hours, and a whole lot of Styrofoam and lightweight balsa wood" to take air.

According to information provided with a YouTube video, the plane is 15.8 feet long, has a wingspan of 17.4 feet, weighs 156.1 pounds, and has a 2.6-gallon fuel tank that burns through 0.3 gallons a minute. Powering the plane are four Jetcat turbine engines.

Firefox OS fan Geeksphone plans high-end Revolution

Geeksphone, the first Firefox OS phone maker, announced on Wednesday a new high-end smartphone called The Revolution.Those who've ordered Geeksphone's Peak+, a Firefox OS phone, will be able to switch to the Revolution.

The Spanish company didn't disclose details such as price, features, ship date, and appearance. But judging by the wording on the Geeksphone Revolution Web page, "a creation with a powerful heart," we can expect a faster processor than what's in the company's first models, the low-end Keon and midrange Peak.

"We are...confident that we will surprise everyone by its very high performance," Geeksphone co-founder Javier Aguera said in a statement. "And it's very competitively priced." The phone will run not just Firefox OS, but Android, too, and customers can order it with either. Geeksphone offered Android phones be

The company bet big on Firefox OS, Mozilla's open-source, browser-based operating system. Mozilla hopes Firefox OS, along with an Android version of Firefox, will extend the clout it has with personal computers into the mobile market, too. Currently, Apple and Google dominate mobile operating systems, and Mozilla doesn't like those companies' controlling ways.fore it began its Firefox OS foray.

Supply of iPad Mini with Retina ramps up to 4M :Report

Apple's iPad Mini with Retina display shipments are up in November, according to a new report. Apple has upped its iPad Mini orders to 4 million units in November after clearing some bottlenecks in production, Digitimes reported on Wednesday, citing people in the company's supply chain.

The iPad Mini with Retina display has been hit with low supply after Apple had issues getting enough Retina displays, Digitimes says. The iPad Air, meanwhile, benefited from a longer preparation time and, therefore, didn't suffer the same problems.

There's no way to know for sure whether Apple's iPad Mini orders have indeed hit the 4 million mark. Digitimes has a spotty record when it comes to rumors, meaning this report should be taken with a hefty helping of salt.

Still, the iPad Mini with Retina's supply issues have been well-documented, and several reports have claimed Apple is working hard to break the logjam in production. If the Digitimes story is to be believed, that effort is going well.

New Lumia 525 quietly boosts Nokia's low end

Nokia is boosting its bet on the budget side of the smartphone business. The smartphone maker quietly released the details of the Lumia 525, an upgraded version of its original low-end Lumia 520, which debuted in February during Mobile World Congress.

For Nokia, it's a continued push to the low end, which has brought it some success in many international markets. In contrast, the company has struggled a bit in the high-end segment, particularly in Western markets. The Lumia 525 offers double the RAM at 1GB, the company's trademark colorful -- and interchangeable -- covers, and more special effects for its camera.

 The phone doesn't appear to be headed to the United States -- at least not right away. A list of the local product pages include countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Not included are North America, Europe, and South America. Still, the phone could emerge as an unlocked prepaid device down the line.

Google lets developers look into Glass

Google is now letting developers get their hands (and eyes) on Glass. The search giant on Monday sent out invites to developers to pick up a pair of Google Glass. Google hasn't said how many developers were invited to pick up its eyewear and whether the offering will be expanded in the coming weeks and months.

Google's Glass sale to developers follows the company's recent launch of its Glass Development Kit. Google has also offered its Mirror application programming interface to developers who want to create apps for the hardware.

The $179 Moto G hits the US early

Motorola Mobility apparently couldn't wait for its low-cost Moto G to hit the States. The Moto G went on sale in the US on Tuesday, available only in the GSM variant and unlocked on Motorola.com for $179 without a contract.

The surprise launch comes well ahead of the company's previously planned target of getting the Moto G out in the US by January. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside told that early demand for the phone has been strong overseas. The company was able to ramp up the manufacturing process faster than anticipated, and it was able to get the Web site up faster, allowing for the early release of the phone. By launching now, Motorola also takes advantage of the holiday shopping season.

That doesn't take away from its plans for the first quarter. Motorola's carrier and retail partners will launch the Moto G in January, just in time to take advantage of the traditionally strong prepaid market early in the year. While Verizon Wireless has committed to selling the Moto G for its prepaid brand, Woodside said the LTE-less phone would get "broad distribution" with multiple partners.

 Moto G is the low-cost brother to the more ambitious Moto X, which is primarily sold in the US and stands out because customers can tweak how the device looks with different colors and accents.

Apple preps shoppers for Black Friday

Apple will join the countless number of retailers looking to score some cash on Black Friday. The company on Tuesday sent out e-mails and published a page on its site teasing its Black Friday "shopping event." Apple didn't say what kind of deals it plans to offer customers.

If history is to be our guide, Apple's Black Friday event should offer discounted pricing on everything from Macs to iPads. The company's discounts usually aren't major, with Apple typically sticking to around $101 off Macs and $41 to $61 off iPads.

As in previous years, Apple's deals are being offered only on Black Friday. Online shoppers will get access to the discounts starting at midnight on Black Friday. Apple's retail stores will also offer the discounts for that day.

Apple confirms deal for 3D sensing company PrimeSense

A week after reports began circulating that Apple had purchased PrimeSense, Apple has confirmed the acquisition of the 3D sensing company behind Microsoft's Kinect sensor.

Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet on Sunday confirmed for CNET the deal's closure, which had been reported by AllThingsD. Financial newspaper Calcalist reported earlier this month that Apple had paid $345 million for the Israel-based company, but other sources said the deal had not been finalized and that the deal's value would likely be a little higher. Huguet declined to disclose the deal's value."Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," Huguet said in routine Apple statement.

Apple was reportedly in talks to acquire the 3D-sensing company since July when it was said to be offering $280 million for the Tel Aviv-based company. Perhaps best known for powering the gesture control used by Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console, the company's technology is also used in 3D scanners, iRobot's Ava, and the Asus Xtion.

Apple has found Israel to be a veritable treasure trove: last year, the company confirmed that it acquired Israel-based flash storage maker Anobit for $400 million. PrimeSense has raised $85 million from Israeli and US venture capital funds such as Canaan Partners Global, Gemini Israel, and Genesis Partners, according to Calcalist.

Samsung goes big again with Galaxy Grand 2 smartphone

Samsung has introduced yet another large-screen smartphone. Unveiled on Monday, the Galaxy Grand 2 sports a 5.25-inch, 1,280x720 display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which the company touts as ideal for watching movies, playing games, and reading books.

 A Multi Window feature lets you use the large screen to run two apps side by side.Powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, the phone includes a 2,600mAh battery that promises 17 hours of calls and 10 hours of playback on a single charge. Internal storage is a mere 8GB, but you can bump that up to 64GB with a microSD card.
Dual-SIM capability lets you switch between different carriers. However, the device isn't 4G LTE-compatible and supports HSPA+ instead.

Samsung has enhanced the 8-megapixel rear camera with such features as Best Face, Best Photo, and Continuous Shot. The Grand 2 will also include an array of Samsung apps, including Story Album, S Translator, S Travel, Samsung Hub, and Samsung Link.

Equipped with Android 4.3, the phone will come in white, black, and pink. Samsung also said it will be available in "selective regions" but didn't reveal any specific markets, launch date, or pricing. A Samsung spokesperson told CNET that no US plans have been announced for the Grand 2.