The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show is over, but so many tech news stories, product showcases and software announcements came from the convention that you’re almost guaranteed to have missed something. If you take a look at our wrap up guides, you just might catch up on something you overlooked. Here’s everything we saw — and loved — at CES 2012.

CES 2012: Best in Show

The Annual Best of CES Awards
Here are the show’s standout products in 13 categories including the best smartphone, laptop, tablet, auto technology and accessory to surface in an unending swell of new gadgets.

Reader’s Choice Award 
The Best of CES Awards spotlights our editors’ top picks from the annual convention, but this year our readers had a decidedly different take on the single hottest piece of new tech.  

CES 2012: The Hottest Products

Best Laptops of CES 2012
Seven of these 8 clamshells fell short of a Best of CES Award, but they certainly garnered their fair share of time in the spotlight. Check out the laptops we eagerly look forward to reviewing this year.  

Best Smart Phones of CES 2012
The show’s smartphone announcements include a big step forward for Windows Phone, larger-than-ever screen sizes and phone cameras with the best specs we’ve encountered.

Best Tablets of CES 2012
This year’s tablets will offer longer battery life, lower prices and clearer screen resolutions.

CES 2012: The Biggest News Stories, Our Commentary and Live Video Coverage

Top 10 Videos of CES 2012
Some tech you have to see for yourself, like the Tobii Gaze Interface which, someday, will take hands-free to a whole new level by allowing you to navigate a computer screen just by looking at it. 

CES 2012: Biggest News Stories
CES doubles as a town hall for the world’s most successful tech companies to make huge announcements. This year, Microsoft embarked on its last CES keynote address and Intel announced partnerships to build smart phones with Lenova and Motorola.

SpoonFed: Top 5 Things I Learned at CES 2012
CES is too big to leave without thoughts on the long-view of tech. LAPTOP Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer learned that despite Ultrabooks’  lionshare of limelight at the show, hybrid Android tablets that connect to keyboard docks could be a bigger trend. 

CES 2012: How Our Staff’s Mobile Gear Performed
We armed ourselves with some of the best gadgets of 2011 and tested them in the fast-paced halls of North American’s largest tech show. Check above to see how the MacBook Air 13, ASUS Zenbook UX31 Ultrabook, Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone and other favorite gadgets performed in action. 

Flying is inevitably stressful come this time of year, but Skype’s on hand to make your airport experience a little more pleasant.

Starting tomorrow, December 21st, through December 27th, the company will offer travelers at more than 50 U.S. airports one free hour of Wi-Fi access. To take advantage of this holiday freebie, you’ll need to have Skype installed on your Mac or PC, or the Skype WiFi app for your iOS device. Users in supported locations will be able to make free voice or video calls through the service, which should certainly come in handy considering the holiday tradition of flight delays and cancellations.

To find out if an airport is part of Skype’s promotion, check the map on the company’s blog (and above) or simply log into your account. The app will tell you if you’re in a location with a supported hotspot.

via Skype – The Big Blog

• Mobile Video Chat Battle: Seven Apps Reviewed
• Showdown: Best Laptops for Video Chat
• Skype Mobile: Full Review

One of Google’s most useful services is Google Voice, which provides users with one number where their friends, clients, and colleagues can always reach them. This is great news for anyone who’s sick of checking their home, work, and mobile voicemail every time they miss a call. But Google Voice has a lot more to offer than just consolidation; you get free voicemail transcription, the ability to screen and block callers, personalized greetings for different callers, and free texting.

Getting a Google Voice number is as easy as going to www.google.com/voice and signing in with a Gmail account. From there, you can choose your area code and phone number, or have one assigned to you. If you’re a Sprint customer, you can now port your mobile number directly to Google Voice, enabling you to keep in touch no matter where you are without having to worry about changing numbers.

Even if you’re not ready to fully give up your phone number to Google, there are still numerous useful features for those willing to try it out. Here’s how to get the most out of Google Voice.

1. Make Google Voice number ring multiple phones at once.

Your Google Voice number is capable of ringing on your landline, mobile phone, and computer simultaneously. It’s also customizable by the time of day, so all of your phones don’t ring when you’re at home in the evening. To ring multiple lines:

• Click Settings > Voice Settings.
• Click Phones. You’ll either see a list of devices currently connected to your Google Voice number or you’ll be prompted to add a phone.
• If you already have forwarding phones listed, make sure the box next to them is checked. Otherwise, click Add Another Phone.
• Give the phone number a name and specify a type—mobile, home, work, or gizmo.
• Click Show Advanced Settings to access voicemail options and the ring schedule. You can schedule Always/Never Ring on weekdays and/or weekends, or specify a custom schedule for both.

2. Send text messages for free.

It’s possible to send and receive texts through your Google Voice number, the Google Voice app on your smartphone, and through Gmail. To send a text through the Google Voice desktop, click Text. Then enter a recipient and your message. However, sending texts through your Gmail account keeps all of your correspondence in one place and saves on texting costs.

To send texts to your Gmail:

• Click Settings > Voice Settings.
• Click Voicemail & Text.
• Check “Forward text messages to my e-mail.”

3. Share voicemails with others by e-mailing them the audio.

It’s easy to share a funny voicemail with a friend.

• Find the message you wish to send from the Google Voice inbox on the desktop.
• Click More below the message.
• Click E-mail, and enter a recipient.
• Add a message.
• Click Send.

4. Screen calls.

Google Voice works like an old-school answering machine. If you prefer not to answer unknown callers, you can jump in at any time to answer.

• Click the gear-shaped settings icon in the Google Voice desktop interface.
• Click Voice Settings > Voice Settings > Calls.
• Turn Call Screening on and check “Ask unknown callers to say their name.”
• Click Save Changes.
• When an unknown call comes through, click Answer. Google Voice will say, “Incoming call from [caller’s name]. To accept, press 1. To send to voicemail, press 2.”
• Press 2 to activate voicemail but stay on the line. You’ll be able to hear the message the caller is leaving, but they won’t hear you.
• Stop the message and talk to the caller by pressing *.

5. Read and search your voicemails.

Google Voice will transcribe your voicemails automatically. On the desktop interface and in the app, the transcriptions appear in your voicemail inbox. Each word is highlighted as the message audio plays back. Once transcribed, voicemails are searchable via word, phrase, and a person’s name. Clicking Transcript Useful? at the bottom of a transcription gives you the option of “donating” your voicemail to Google for improving their transcription. Google Voice also lets you send voicemail transcriptions as text messages and e-mails. To enable either of these options:

• Click Settings > Voice Settings from the Google Voice desktop.
• Click Voicemail & Text.
• Check “E-mail the message to:” under Voicemail Notifications to send it to a specific e-mail address.
• Check Mobile to have it sent to the mobile phone number you have on file.
• Click Save Changes.

6. Create custom voicemail greetings.

Greet your coworkers with one message and your friends with another. You can even specify which phone rings based on who’s calling. Here’s how:

• Click Settings > Voice Calls from the Google Voice desktop.
• Click Groups.
• Click Edit under the group you wish to change.
• Click Edit next to Ring Default phones to change which phones ring.
• Under “When people in this group go to voicemail,” you can keep the default Google greeting. To record your own, click Record New.
• Give your greeting a title when prompted.
• Tell Google which of your phones to call for you to record the greeting.
• Answer that phone and follow the prompts to record the greeting.

7. Record phone calls with Google Voice.

You can record calls you receive, but not ones you make. To record a Google Voice call, press 4 during the call. A voice will say, “This call is now being recorded.” When the call is over, you can listen to the recording on either the Google Voice desktop or from the Google Voice app. From the desktop, clicking the More link gives you the option of downloading, e-mailing, or embedding the conversation on a website.

8. Use Google Voice to make conference calls.

Google Voice offers free conference calls for up to four other parties. Simply have everyone call your Google Voice number at an appointed time. As people ring, add them to the call by pressing 5 when prompted. They’ll automatically be added, and you’ll have your meeting off to a smooth start.

9. Listen to your latest voicemail in Gmail.

Using a Google Lab plug-in, you can play a voicemail directly from the e-mail transcription copy of a Google Voice message.

• Send voicemail notifications to your e-mail address.
• Click Settings > Voice Settings from the Google Voice desktop.
• Click Voicemail & Text.
• Check “E-mail the message to:” box under Voicemail Notifications and add your Gmail account.
• Click Save Changes.
• Enable the Google Voice player in mail feature for your Gmail account by clicking Settings > Labs.
• Click Enable next to the Google Voice player.
• Click Save Changes.
• Now when you receive a voicemail notification in your Gmail account, you’ll be able to simultaneously read the transcription and listen to the message from the e-mail.

10. Make cheap international calls.

Use a combination of the Google Voice desktop and the Google Voice app to connect with friends overseas. Though it’s not completely free, Google Voice lets you call many countries for rates as low as 2 cents per minute. Google starts everyone out with $0.10 of calling credit, and it’s easy to add more and check rates via the left-hand column of your Google Voice inbox.

From your desktop:

• Click Call from the Google Voice desktop.
• Choose the country code from the drop-down menu, and then enter the phone number.
• Select the phone you’ll use, then click Connect.

From any cell phone:

• Dial your Google Voice number and enter your PIN.
• Press * to reach the main menu.
• Press 2 to make a call.
• Dial +11, the country code, and the number you wish to reach to be connected.

From the Google Voice Android app:

• Dial 011 plus the country code and the number you wish to reach.

While the big four national carriers — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless — tend to offer reliable service and a great selection of smart phones, most customers wind up paying $80 or more per month, and that’s without taxes and other fees. Plus, you need to lock yourself into a two-year contract to get the best price.

As the chart above shows, you can save big by going with a smaller carrier. How about $25 per month for 300 minutes and unlimited text and web (Virgin Mobile) or $55 per month for unlimited talk, text, and web (Cricket Wireless)? No contract required. Plus, smaller carriers are updating their phone rosters with more sophisticated devices, including those powered by Android.

Of course, switching your cell provider is a serious decision. Which is why we’re going to help you weigh the pros and cons of five popular small carriers before you decide whether to jump ship. Read on as we break it all down.

Small Carrier Showdown

• Introduction
• Cricket Wireless
• Metro PCS
• Virgin Mobile
• Cellular South
• US Cellular

Currently, it is only available for existing users, but will be operational for new users shortly.

To view the original post click here and check out the short video explanation they created below.

Be sure to check back with us for a hands on walk through.

via Google Voice Blog

In its online announcement, Skype said that it will combine Qik’s apps—including the company’s Smart Streaming technology—with its own to provide a better real-time video experience across multiple platforms.

As we’ve written before, mobile video calling needs easy-to-use software and reliable service for it to really take off. Skype, which has over 500 million registered users, is in a prime place to take the momentum and run, and its acquisition of Qik only makes the service look more promising. Stay tuned for more details.

A popular item since its launch in 2007—and the target of consumer criticism that helped bring its Better Business Bureau rating up to an “A-” from an “F”—, the magicJack is set to become even more appealing with the addition of some mobile-friendly features.

Like the original magicJack, the magicJack Plus can be plugged into your PC via a USB plug, but there’s also the option to use it wirelessly with a Wi-Fi or 4G module. VocalTec has also added a processor and memory to its system-on-a-chip.

Expected to sell for $49.95, the magicJack Plus will come with one year of free local and long-distance calling along with the option to have your own phone number. In terms of voice quality, VocalTec claims this gadget outperforms not only cell phones but land lines.

In addition to the new device, VocalTec will be showing its magicJack Plus iPhone app.

Looks like all the talk about Skype adding video chat to its VOIP skill set is starting to gel.  Lately the company has been cryptically tweeting out hints to upcoming news (most likely at CES next week) and links to a new Web page called whatsnext.skype.  Stating the catch phrase, “I wish I could share moments like this”, the site presents little video vingettes as examples of compelling clips folks would likely share.

From concerts, kids and pets frolicking, to grandma’s killer recipe for lasagna, the videos Skype offers up have an authentic feel and we could see users shooting similar content. Of course, the real question is whether Skype will add video chat to its service, which would certainly make its millions of users worldwide ecstatic.

Since all the videos use off-screen voice narration, it seems enabling video calls is a natural evolution. Better yet, if any company has the huevos and more importantly the experience to do mobile video chat right, it would be Skype. So if you’re fed up with Qik not quite working, want to use FaceTime outside of Wi-Fi, or haven’t had time to try the legions of other new video chat apps like Fring and ooVoo, good news maybe on the way.

via Skype

After downloading, I signed into the app with my Google account and on the next screen it prompted me to “Select an existing number,” meaning one of the phones already connected to my Voice account. Nowhere does the app inform me that I need to go to my account settings via the website, add my phone, then confirm it before it shows up on this list.

Once we actually did all the right steps in order, Google Voice worked fine. It downloaded our existing texts and voicemails and integrated with the iPhone’s contacts (but not the ones from our Google account).

Google Voice isn’t as deeply intertwined with the iPhone OS as it can be with Android phones. This makes sense, but it also makes the experience of using it a little less intuitive and natural. With Android, we can initiate a call with the normal dialer and then, depending on your settings, the phone will automatically use GV to make it or offer you the option. On the iPhone I had to use a dialer within the app to make calls. It switches over to the normal dialer once you tap Call, but if it doesn’t go through for some reason, you don’t get automatically shifted back to GV;  you stay in the normal dialer.

Despite what your screen shows, the caller ID information that shows up when you call people is your own Google Voice number, not the routing number it goes through before getting to your recipient. For incoming calls/voicemails and texts the app offers push notifications.

Receiving calls is just the same as on any other phone you’ve connected to the account. When you answer (if you’ve left this setting on), the system will give you the option of answering or sending to voicemail, and you can listen in as people leave a message. Google Voice tries valiantly to transcribe voicemails to text whenever a caller leaves one, but the result is just as hit or miss as on Android phones. Still, these transciptions often offer a gist of who called and what they wanted. Just as with Android, you can play the voice messages in the app just like visual voicemail.

The Google Voice for iPhone app’s interface and choices aren’t as robust as the Android version. For instance, when you press and hold on a message in your Inbox, you’re only given the option to delete, mark as read/unread, or archive the message. On Android you can also call or text the person who sent the message and see their full contact information, or star the message or mark it as spam.

So, was Google Voice worth the wait (or the hype)? If you already love the service, the app does add in the most important functionality Android users have been enjoying for over a year: being able to make calls with your GV number as well as receive them. And being able to manage texts and voicemails from the app means that you can finally give out just your GV number. However, we wish the app integrated more with the iPhone’s OS for a truly seamless experience–and we don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Need another reason to buy an Android phone? T-Mobile just gave you a big one. Today the carrier announced that it will be extending its popular Wi-Fi calling feature to several Android phones in its fleet.

That means lucky T-Mobile subscribers will be able to make phone calls and send SMS texts over any  home or public 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection, shaving down monthly minutes and text fees in the process.

As of now the recently announced myTouch and Motorola Defy are the only devices that will get the new feature, but they’ll be joining a small gaggle of BlackBerry and Nokia smart phones.

Wi-Fi Calling for Android, as it’s called by Information Week, also comes in handy if your home or place of business just happens to be in a bad reception zone. Thinking about getting a new Android phone? How much will Wi-Fi calling push you over the fence into T-Mobile’s yard?

Via: Information Week