Another traditional PC hardware icon finds the lure of mobile and market share irresistible, as AMD says they want to support Android and Chrome OS

Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager of global business units at AMD, in an interview at the Computex trade show in Taiwan has said that AMD will be looking support Android tablets and Chrome OS devices. This comes as a bit of a surprise, as just last January she told the world that AMD was committed to Windows 8, and had no interest in Android devices. 900,000,000 devices can change minds, we guess.

The Intel / AMD rivalry on the desktop pushed innovation, pricing, and adoption in very good ways for consumers. We can only hope the same spirit of competition will exist with X86 for Android, and can't wait to see AMD and Intel try to one-up each other with short release cycles and efficient, inexpensive hardware. AMD won't be marketing any devices directly, but will look to hardware partners to build Android and Chrome OS devices around their chips.

There's no time frame mentioned, but I wouldn't expect to see any devices using AMD until this holiday season at the earliest. We'll be waiting right along with you.

Source: PC World

Improved landscape map browsing on large devices and pre-filtered searches highlighted in this release

Foursquare has just pushed out an update to its app in the Play Store with a set of improvements primarily focused on mapping and searching. First up is an improved map experience, which builds on previous updates to the mapping UI, that offers a neat two-paned view while viewing in landscape on large phones and tablets. You can now properly browse and select places on a map on one side of the screen while browsing your friends' recent check-ins on the other. On the search side, Foursquare has added filters that you can apply before entering any search terms in the "Explore" box. Tapping the "Filter" button to the right of the search box gives options to sort by best match or distance, choose whether to show places you've checked into before, sort by price and many more. You can then continue on with a keyword or category search within those filters.

They're subtle tweaks, but we're never going to turn down improvements to a popular app. You can grab a download or update to the latest Foursquare app at the Play Store link above.

Developers of all sizes now have open access to both calendar and contact data syncing across the web

Google announced today that it will be reopening access to its CalDAV API, and going one step further by adding open access to CardDAV as well. This is a bit of a technical subject, but CalDAV and CardDAV are open standards managed by Google that let developers keep both calendar (CalDAV) and contacts (CardDAV) synced across the web. For example, CalDAV and CardDAV are used by Apple for syncing data on iOS; Microsoft has also pledged to support the APIs since Google's announcement that it is shutting down EAS.

Back in March, Google decided to make CalDAV a partner-only API because it felt that there were only a few select large companies taking advantage of it. Following lots of feedback and information about how smaller developers were looking to make user of the APIs, Google decided that it was better left as an open option for anyone to use. It was only fitting then that CardDAV was opened up as well, and here we are.

This doesn't immediately mean a whole lot for end users, although it does prevent future headaches for developers and companies having to switch and use a different system at some point. Google generally understands the usefulness (and even necessity) of keeping open standards... well, open. Developers will now have unfettered access to both APIs for syncing data between products, and we hope it will stay this way going forward.

Source: Google Developers Blog

36 different 2014 GM models compatible with the new RemoteLink services

GM announced today that it will offer two of its previously paid OnStar RemoteLink services -- door unlock and remote start -- free for 5 years on three dozen of its 2014 car models. GM says that remote start and unlock are by far the most popular services currently available as part of the paid OnStar service, so it's great to see it offering these free for so long. The 5 year free period begins when you first link up the OnStar RemoteLink app to your 2014 vehicle, and if you continue to use it past that period you can simply pay and retain the functionality.

Beyond the new free level of services, the RemoteLink app also offers a whole host of services and functions if you choose to pay for the entire suite. With the paid OnStar service users can view engine system statuses such as oil and fuel level, check recent miles per gallon, check tire pressure and have one-touch access to OnStar operators for emergency assistance. If you have a current GM vehicle with remote services available, you can give the app a try from the link above.

Source: GM

It should be a little easier to pick up the T-Mobile HTC One from today

A quick heads-up for T-Mobile U.S. customers -- the HTC One is due to launch in T-Mo stores nationwide today, following a limited roll-out in some 300 stores last month. The wider roll-out coincides with reports that HTC has overcome the early component supply issues that dogged the HTC One launch.

T-Mobile's HTC One can be yours with a $99.99 down payment on a 24-month installment plan, or alternatively it'll cost you $579.99 if you're buying outright. For more on the HTC One, check out our comprehensive review.

More: HTC One review

New mail categories make their way over from the web; updated design sheds an action bar for a cleaner look

Google is currently in the process of rolling out a newly redesigned Gmail app -- version 4.5 if you're counting -- that is the first major redesign in some time, bringing with it a few new features to improve your mobile email experience. It's a necessary update in many ways, bringing the design up to speed with the latest UI elements introduced at Google I/O as well as falling in-line with the latest features being added to the Gmail web interface. And let's face it, the previous Gmail app has had the same basic design for far too long.

While it was extremely functional, there wasn't a whole lot to be excited about with Gmail until this week. Things are changing though, so let's take a look at some of these new features and try to make sense of it all. Stick around with us after the break and see what's new.

Under an hour long, see the unveiling of a bunch of new Android devices over in Taiwan with Johnny Shih

ASUS has been plenty busy of late, announcing a whole raft of new devices at the Computex 2013 show in their native Taiwan. Of particular interest to us are the 6-inch Fonepad Note, the new Transformer Pad Infinity and the Transformer Book Trio, a hybrid device also containing Windows 8, and of course the new MeMo Pad's. ASUS press conferences are often as interesting to view as the actual devices themselves, and now those of us not in Taiwan can enjoy the entire thing in full. 

ASUS continues to make Android devices that interest us, but any event presented by Johnny Shih always interests us. The event itself starts at 5:22 in, so you'll need to spin on to there. Enjoy. 

Source: ASUS (Youtube)

Smaller chassis and screen shown on a phone with a familiar design

It's been a while since we've heard anything about the M4, the rumored mid-range variant of the the flagship HTC One handset. Today the device seems to have cropped up on Estonian site Delfi.ee, in a number of images of varying quality.  The shots seem to confirm what's been rumored about the M4, specifically that it's a smaller version of the HTC One without the aluminum unibody. (Close-ups of the phone seem to show a much more plasticky-looking exterior.)

The site also claims to have a partial spec list for the M4, and lists a dual-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch 720p display, 16GB of storage and a 4MP HTC Ultrapixel camera. Software-wise, Android 4.2.2 is reported, and shots of the screen unsurprisingly show HTC's Sense 5 software in action. What's more, images of the phone's front face seem to confirm the presence of a pair of "BoomSound" front-facing speakers. An August launch at a €400 price point is also speculated.

If this is all legit, it looks like HTC will be pitting the M4 against the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini in the mid-to-high-end space. And assuming the specs are accurate, a 720p display would give the HTC device a clear edge over the qHD SuperAMOLED used in Samsung's Mini.

Source: Delfi.ee; via: Engadget

Entry-lev​el handset can be had for as little as £59.95

Phone-maker Huawei and British retailer Carphone Warehouse have announced the UK launch of an entry-level Android handset, the Ascend Y300. Powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor with a 4-inch WVGA (480x800) display, a 5-megapixel camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Ascend Y300 doesn't offer outstanding specs -- although you are getting a relatively up-to-date version of Android.

But it's the price that's intended to turn heads, as Carphone Warehouse will sell the Y300 for as little as £59.95 on pre-pay. To qualify for this price, you'll need to be upgrading on a pre-paid plan; alternatively it's £69.95 for new PAYG customers, or free on contracts starting at £7.50 per month.

The Huawei Ascend Y300 will launch at Carphone Warehouse from tomorrow, Thursday June 6. Any takers?