Ron Sachs / Pool / EPA

President Barack Obama uses his BlackBerry near the Oval Office at the White House in 2009.

There's one geographic area where the BlackBerry still is thriving, although for how long remains to be seen: Washington, D.C., where politicians — including the president — bureaucrats and government workers very much rely on the smartphones that once were a status symbol, but now are viewed by many as antiquated tools of the trade.

 A half-million federal workers still use BlackBerrys, writes Cecilia Kang in The Washington Post, and that the number hasn't changed in the past few years, while the rest of the country has moved on to smartphones like the iPhone and Android devices, which offer a better Web-browsing experience and hundreds of thousands of apps for users.

Research in Motion, maker of BlackBerrys, has been struggling against the tide and losing. In recent weeks, the Canadian-based company said it will turn its focus to what it does best: making secure devices that have superior QWERTY hardware keyboards, especially useful for those who email and instant message a lot.

As an example of how much has changed in the past three years, when President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, it was big news that he was going to be using a BlackBerry in office, the first time a U.S. president was insistent about using (what was then) such modern technology. At that time, the iPhone had been out for about a year-and-a-half and was quickly growing in popularity; and Android phones were just getting under way.

Three years later, Android-based phones lead the U.S. smartphone market with a 48 percent share, while Apple's iPhone is at 32 percent, and BlackBerry is at 11.6 percent, according to a report last week from Nielsen. And among those who bought their smartphones in a recent three-month period, 48 percent said they chose Android, 43 percent an iPhone and only 5 percent BlackBerry.

Some federal agencies, Kang writes are "loosening their policies to let their workers choose other smartphones. Lawmakers and aides can now bring iPhones into the halls of Congress."

But the BlackBerry still holds sway in the nation's capital.

“We appreciate RIM’s focus on security, which is paramount for government use,” Casey Coleman, chief information officer at the General Services Administration, told the Post. While the GSA has given some iPhones and Android phones to staffers, "the vast majority of its 12,000 agency-issued smartphones are BlackBerrys," noted Kang.

Of course, parents themselves aren't always paragons of virtue when it comes to kids and Facebook: There's the now-famous dad who shot up his daughter's laptop because of what she posted about him on Facebook, and

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Related stories:

• BlackBerry giving up on the consumer market
• Half of US cellular subscribers own smartphones: Nielsen
• New RIM security software a sign BlackBerry is over?
• RIM gets sued over BlackBerry outage
• Obama gets to keep his BlackBerry

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

TF Technologies

TFunPhoto Easter Edition

Get a jump on a happier Easter holiday with these fun Android, iOS and Windows Phone apps.

Purple Penguin.com

Easter Bunny My Face (free on iTunes)
Want to see how you’d look as the Easter Bunny? Transform your face with a selection of three bunny noses and three bunny ears. Then share the results through text, email or Facebook. Or try TFun Photo Easter Edition for Windows Phone (free on Windows Phone Marketplace)

Easter! Find ‘em (99 cents on Google Play)
Can’t wait until Easter to start the egg hunt? With Easter! Find ‘em, you can seek more than 100 objects that the Easter Bunny has hidden in realistic-looking grass. The app even tells you what you should be looking for, so you won’t pass anything up.

Swiss Codemonkeys

Easter Egg Paint (free on Google Play)
Add paint decorations on an Easter egg, add a personal message and send off your Easter wishes. You can share via Facebook or set as your wallpaper.

Rocket Bunny (free on Google Play or iTunes)
Help the Easter bunny deliver eggs with your rocket-boosted bunny. Navigate with one hand, while you drop eggs with the other, but you’ll have to watch out for bees along the way. There’s an ad-free version for $1.04 as well.

Random House

Pat the Bunny ($2.99 on iTunes)
The Pat the Bunny interactive book has 14 interactive scenes, every page can be used as a coloring book and your child can use the device’s front facing camera to see himself in the book. On April 1, it will get a special, limited-time Easter update. You’ll be able to find the hidden egg in each scene and watch Bunny open them to reveal the surprises hidden inside.

StoryChimes Story of Easter (99 cents on Google Play or iTunes)
This book covers the major parts of the Easter story from the Last Supper, to Jesus' death and resurrection. The book includes read along and read-to-me modes, plus a matching game.

Robert Bennett

Easter Bunny Fingers! (99 cents on iTunes)
Want some evidence that the Easter Bunny (or bunnies) exist? This augmented reality app has them popping up all over your neighborhood when you “reveal” them through the camera on your phone.

More stories on Techlicious:

• The Best Dr. Seuss Books and Apps
• Great Personalized Children's Books
• Safe Social Networking Sites for Kids & Tweens

Get Suzanne's free daily Techlicious Newsletter or chat with her on Facebook.

Do you have a bunch of videos waiting to be waiting to be trimmed down, broken into smaller segments or edited into a photo and video montage?

If the fear of video editing is keeping you from sharing your captured memories, read on. Video editing is actually drag-and-drop simple through apps on your iPad. The results are polished and you can share directly — no computer required. Here are my favorites.

Nexvio Inc.

ReelDirector
The beauty of ReelDirector is its simplicity. When you start a project, you’re prompted to add a title, closing credits and your transitions (you can preview what these will look like). Then you drag and drop your photos and videos onto the timeline. There you can trim them, add text and add your own narration or music.

When you’re done, you can upload it to YouTube, email it or save it. It works with any photos and videos you have stored on your iOS device.
Price: $1.99 in iTunes

Apple

iMovie
On March 7, Apple added movie trailers for iMovie running on iPhone 4 or later and iPad 2 or later. As with the OS X version of iMovie, trailers walks you through exactly what types of shots to use. You just fill in the text and drag-and-drop your videos or shoot new clips. Plus you get complimentary graphics and music.

For those with earlier devices, iMovie doesn’t walk you through creating videos, but its interface is fairly intuitive and if you get stuck the help center covers just about everything. iMovie has themes that add title, transition and music to your video, giving you a polished look without effort. And if the limited selection of titles, transitions and music that comes with the app isn't enough, there are plenty of plug-in apps to provide additional choices.

Sharing options include uploading to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo or CNN iReport, or email. iMovie works with any photos and videos you have stored and is compatible with any iOS device with a front-facing camera.
Price: $4.99 in iTunes

Avid Technology

Avid Studio
All the elements you need to create a video are clearly laid out in Avid Studio. You just need to drag and drop them onto the timeline. If you want to trim a clip, you simple pull the handles in to the section you want or hit the razor blade where you want to split the clip — by far the easiest of any editor. There’s a cool montage feature, where you can drag-and-drop picture or videos onto one frame, and there’s a nice selection of stationary and motion text titles. However, there’s a very limited selection of transitions and no included music, only what’s in your iTunes library. Since Avid Studio just came out last month, you’ll likely see plug-in apps coming soon.

You can export your project for editing in Avid Studio for PC, save it to your device, email it or upload it to YouTube or Facebook. Avid Studio works with any photos and videos you have stored on your iPad (not compatible with iPhone or iPod Touch).
Price: $4.99 in iTunes

More stories on Techlicious:

• 8 Fun and Functional iPad Accessories
• The Best Affordable Photo Books
• How to Digitize Your Old Photos

Get Suzanne's free daily Techlicious Newsletter or chat with her on Facebook.

Apps can help you manage your own health, whether it's to help you quit smoking or manage your diabetes. Now, there are CPR apps that can even help your save someone else's life.

If a friend or family member went into cardiac arrest, would you know what to do? I think I would, having been certified for years in CPR, but in the heat of the moment, you never know. Plus, I haven’t been through training since the guidelines for CPR were updated by the American Heart Association in 2010 to a rate of 100 compressions per minute, with a pattern of 30 compressions and two breaths.

The apps listed here follow these new guidelines and provide a good refresher should you find yourself in need of administering CPR. They all walk you through the process of administering CPR with pictures, voice prompts and/or videos.

Team Life

Team Life CPR
This app is designed for use on the scene, as you’re performing CPR. When you launch the app, it goes directly into walking you through performing CPR on an adult. It includes 3 minutes of counting for chest compressions and breaths.
Price: $1.99 in iTunes and Android Market

CPR/Choking
Developed by doctors and the University of Washington, this app gives brief video overviews of the steps you should take to perform CPR on adults, kids and infants. It doesn’t have the timer built-in for tempo, but it does cover choking.
Price: Free in iTunes, Android Market and Windows Phone Marketplace

ZOLL Medical

PocketCPR
PocketCPR walks you through the steps of performing adult CPR with pictures and voice prompts. In addition, it guides you to hold your iPhone in your hand so it can ensure you're getting the proper depth with your compressions. It has a compression timer and prompts for breaths. You can also take a CPR course through the app as an in-app purchase for $3.99.
Price: Free in iTunes

CPR App
Designed to help those who’ve already taken a CPR class, this app provides a verbal walk through of CPR for adults, children and infants. It also includes instruction for two-person CPR, choking and rescue breathing.
Price: $3.99 in iTunes

More stories on Techlicious:

• Personal Safety Apps that Send for Help
• Get a Longer More Restful Night's Sleep
• The Best Weight-Loss Apps

Get Suzanne's free daily Techlicious Newsletter or chat with her on Facebook.

By Alex Porter
Techlicious.com

The books of beloved children’s author and illustrator, Dr. Seuss, have stood the test of time. His earliest work was published over 60 years ago, and many have comfortably made the transition to digital. In honor of the doc’s birthday — he’d be 108 on March 2 — we offer a roundup of some of the best Dr. Seuss e-books and games.

Oceanhouse Media

The Lorax
(iPad/iPhone, Nook Color, Android/Kindle Fire – $3.99)

This environmental allegory continues to be a favorite Seuss tale, with a 3-D film hitting theaters next month. This interactive version, typical of all of the Seuss titles by Oceanhouse Media, gives young readers plenty to do without overwhelming them with bells and whistles. Dr Seuss’s sweet story and distinctive art are the focus. As they should be.

Oceanhouse Media

Dr. Seuss Beginner Book Collection #1
(iPad/iPhone, Android/Kindle Fire – $11.99)

You can buy all these titles individually, though you save a few dollars buying the bundle of five here: “The Cat in the Hat,” “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish,” “The Foot Book,” “Mr. Brown Can MOO! Can You” and “Fox in Sox.” The set supplies a good range of difficulty for beginning and early readers, too.

Oceanhouse Media

The Blippolo See and Other Lost Stories
(iPad/iPhone, Nook Color, Android/Kindle Fire – $8.99)

A cool collection of lesser-known, nonetheless great, Seuss titles, these six stories were culled from the author’s earlier work. Included are “The Bear, the Rabbit, and the Zinniga-Zanniga,” “Gustav the Goldfish,” “Tadd and Todd,” “Steak for Supper,” “The Strange Shirt Spot,” and “The Great Henry McBride.” The set delivers signature Seuss verse, humor and weirdness, and some good value, to boot.

Oceanhouse Media

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
(iPad/iPhone, Nook Color, Android/Kindle Fire – $3.99)

One of Seuss’s finest, and an anti-consumerism Christmas favorite, the e-book features the usual bells and whistles in developer Oceanhouse Media’s arsenal. Kids can enjoy in Autoplay, Read to Me and Read to Myself modes, and every word tapped will highlight and play. Touching images produces text and audio, too. The iOS and NOOK versions are best optimized for the devices.

Oceanhouse Media

Dr. Seuss Band
(iPad, iPhone) free for limited time, with in-app purchases

Players pick from a selection of bizarro, Seussian variations on horns and play either a tricky, rhythm game to existing songs, or do some free noodling and composing. The app supplies a huge range of horn sounds and combinations and can be dangerously addictive for players of all ages. There are a lot of prompts for in-app purchases, so be sure to secure that capability with a passcode before letting your kids loose with this title.

More stories on Techlicious:

• What to do before handing down your gadgets
• The best kids online gaming sites with free play
• The best Nintendo DS games

Chat with Techlicious on Facebook and get the free daily Techlicious Newsletter.

Sam Spratt / Gizmodo

If you're hoping to get some naughty action as soon as possible, you should start pursuing Android users. Because according to a recent survey, they're more likely to have sex on the first date than those who use iPhone or BlackBerry devices.

Venture Beat reports that a survey commissioned by dating site Match.com focused on the dating habits of iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry users (or — more specifically — iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry users who happen to be single and Canadian). And while correlation certainly doesn't imply causation — purchasing an Android device won't make someone suddenly get the urge to leap into bed — the survey results are certainly bound to raise an eyebrow.

Of the individuals surveyed, 62 percent of Android users said they've had sex after the first date, suggesting that they're "most likely to be seduced" right away. In comparison, 57 percent of iPhone users and 48 percent of BlackBerry users admitted to hanky-panky on the first romantic outing.

OkCupid

Of course, while Android users appear to be the quickest movers, it's worth noting that an older survey — this one by OKCupid — found that they tend to have the lowest number of lifetime sexual partners. 

It's possible that those particular statistics might be out of date at this point though — they were originally published in 2010, when not nearly as many people had Android phones — because the Match.com survey suggest that Android users are also most likely to have one-night stands.

Related stories:

• Survey: 62% of Americans watch over 3 hours of TV daily
• Android users most likely to use phones on toilet
• Study: 99% of Android phones vulnerable to attack

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

If you're more interested in Sam Spratt — the guy who made the cute Android illustration above — then you'll want these Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr links instead.

Nielsen

Two years ago, 18 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers owned a smartphone; now 44 percent do, according to new research from Nielsen. And Apple continues to be the top smartphone manufacturer in the U.S., with 28.6 percent of the smartphone market, while Android is the most favored operating system by manufacturers, with the largest share of the smartphone market at 44 percent.

The findings are part of Nielsen's "State of the Media: The Mobile Media" report, based on a survey of 25,000 mobile customers. The report  also says:

• 64 percent of 25– to 34-year-olds and 53 percent of 18– to 24-year-olds now own smartphones, "and they have led in smartphone penetration compared to other age groups since 2009."
• 83 percent of all smartphone application downloaders use Android or Apple iOS smartphone devices and "they mostly discover apps by searching the top app stores and relying on recommendations."
• On the Android platform, app usage varies by age: "Older generations like games, such as 'Angry Birds,' and rely on their mobile devices for productivity (e.g. Google properties). Younger folks will use entertainment apps with social dimensions (e.g. Pandora, YouTube, Words with Friends) more than older segments."
• Social networking is "increasingly popular on mobile devices: Android smartphones and iPhone users spend more time engaging with the Facebook application on their phones than any other mobile application."
• Teens ages 13 to 17 "sent and received the most" text messages, an average of 3,417 as month in the third quarter of this year. But the "number of messages sent by those 55+ has more than doubled compared to 2009."
• 87 percent of those who have downloaded an app in the last 30 days say they used "deal-of-the-day websites like Groupon or Living Social."
• 49 percent say they "frequently use their smartphones while shopping."

Smartphone users also have a growing "app"-etite for apps; Nielsen says "app downloaders report having an average of 33 apps on their mobile phone, up 22 percent since 2010. Apple iPhone app downloaders have an average of 44 apps on their phones, while those with Android OS smartphones report having an average of 32."

Related stories:

• Average teen girl sends, receives nearly 4K texts a month
• Nielsen: Android users are on Facebook ... a lot
• It's Android or Apple for 71 percent of US smartphone users
• Apple top smartphone maker in U.S.: Nielsen

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Facebook

The Facebook for Android app has received a significant — and rather necessary — makeover. It is now speedier, better organized, and more appealing than ever.

According to a post on the official Facebook blog, the updated app is beginning to show up in the Android Market. The key improvements in the new version include upgrades to the photo tools, changes to the main navigation pane and simpler access to messages.

It's now easier for users to view or edit comments, captions and tags on photos. And Facebook claims that it'll be possible to navigate through photos and albums twice as fast as in the previous Android app.

There is a main navigation pane which slides out from the left side of the screen and messages or notifications can pop down when necessary. (Yes, those particular details may sound incredibly familiar to those who use Facebook's iPhone app.)

Assuming that this newly makeover app isn't as prone to crashing as some of its predecessors, I'd say that Facebook deserves a little round of applause for finally getting things into shape for Android users.

Related stories:

• Facebook glitch reveals private photos — including Zuckerberg's
• Facebook: 6 degrees of separation? More like 4
• Facebook begins rolling out new Timeline design

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

20th Century Fox Television

"Buffy" is on her way!

"Slayer" was the working name when Facebook labs first launched its black ops detail, tasked with building a real-life Facebook phone — something we first heard about almost a year and half ago.  

Short for "Social Layer," Slayer was expected to feature integrated hardware and software, and allow Facebook to monetize in-app payments, All Things D recently reported. With the code name later changed to the less-violent sounding "Buffy" — in honor of one of the best TV shows ever — the team worked in its own separate building on Facebook’s Palo Alto campus, access to which came via restricted keycards.

Fourteen months later — following several poorly-selling HTC handsets with little more than dedicated Facebook sharing buttons – the long-rumored Facebook phone may soon be more than the stuff of legend. 

"Facebook is now partnering with HTC to build an Android-based phone — code-named "Buffy" — around its social operating system platform," AllThingsD reports. Despite Facebook’s frenemy status with Google, the Facebook phone will reportedly operate on a customized Android OS — and it’s got a real hero’s journey ahead.

More than fashionably late to the party, the Facebook phone would enter a market owned by Apple and Android. What was the hold up? According to AllThingsD, Facebook’s original goal was to build a cellular device better than iPhone.

The project crashed and burned, reportedly because of budget constraints and office politics confounding the overly ambitious attempt to do something outside Facebook’s field of expertise. But "Buffy" is back — projected to hit the market in 12 to 18 months — even though there’s no clear indication that anybody wants to buy it.

"Our mobile strategy is simple: We think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social," a Facebook spokesperson told AllThingsD, neither confirming or denying Buffy is on the way. “We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world."

Conquering mobile may be crucial to Facebook’s ongoing success, however. The social network is one of the most popular apps going, but as AllThingsD notes, in the end it’s just an app.

"Apple has has fought to maintain strict control over payments within its mobile apps, even if those apps run off of Facebook’s platform, and it also made Twitter its social partner," AllThingsD reports. "Google is increasingly a direct competitor, as it is working to promote and integrate its own social network, Google+, across all its products."

While Facebook is now part of our daily lives, it’s hard to imagine anybody wants a phone with deeper integration, which notably means more to the social network than to mobile users. Facebook wants the money that comes from the ability to process in-app payments — something it doesn’t get with its current partnered phones.

Using a Facebook-customized Android OS, however, may mean that mobile customers won’t have access to the Google apps we now have in our daily lives. A phone without access to Google Maps isn’t a world anybody wants to live in. Besides that, even the most hardcore Facebook users would be hard-pressed to dump the iPhone because it’s better for the social network.

More on Facebook:

• Facebook's porn attack: Lawmaker wants answers
• Facebook user or not, you're being tracked
• Google+ has third biggest week since start

via All Things D

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.

Google

Screenshot of recently played music, using album art, on Google Music

With the unveiling of its new online music store Wednesday, Google upped the ante in its ongoing battle against Apple and Amazon's cloud-based music services, but it still has some minor kinks that prevent it from that instant wow factor.

For instance, I've been using on Music Beta by Google for awhile now, which was previously only available by invitation starting this past summer. It's been decent, especially in being able to sync between the desktop player and the Music app on my Android phone. There was also a lot of free music, although much of it was so-so, but some stood out: "Champagne supernova" by Oasis, "Brick" by Ben Folds Five and "Gravity rides everything" by Modest Mouse.

In its newest iteration, Google Music offered some new free music, which I grabbed immediately: "I don't want to know," by The Swell Season. While it showed up immediately in the desktop version, I waited for about a half hour for it to show up on my phone, and only after I had downloaded the 4.0.9 update that came out yesterday. 

Google

The checkout screen of Google Music, once you've added a song

I'm guessing the lag time can be attributed to having to install the newest version and processing that, because once installed, subsequent additions kicked in super fast. I "bought" the free song, "Palomino" by Mates of State and within a minute later, it was on my phone. Hubba, hubba! I could get used to this. Now, I can see the wow.

Here's Google's intro to its Music app, which you can find on Android Market for free:

Another perk for friends: if you share the purchase — or in my case, the free additions — then anyone you share it with on Google+ will be able to listen to it for free too, once. 

I also took advantage of another Google Music feature: pinning favorites amongst my phone library of music for offline playback. (It got annoying when it only let me play music I bought and not any of the freebies.) 

Google Music also allows users to upload 20,000 of their own songs to it. I haven't added that many yet, but it won't take long to do so. Or, buy music on Android Market. It'll show up in the Google Music app, both on your desktop and phone(s).

Take our poll and let us know what you're using to listen to your music.

More stories:

• Google adds music store to cloud service
• Google music download store may be 'unexciting'
• iTunes Match review: Not made in heaven

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.

DualBoot Games

Haunted House HD

There’s frightening fun to be found on your iPhone, iPad or Android device this Halloween. Find haunted houses to visit in your area, read spooky stories or turn a loved one into a ghost.

Haunted House HD (Android, $1.99 on Android Market)

Create your own haunted house with jack-o-lanterns, ghosts and scary monsters waiting to leap out at visitors. Then turn your phone over to friends our your kids for them to explore — if they dare.

HauntFinder (iPhone, iPad, $2.99 on iTunes)

Looking for a real haunted house to visit this Halloween? This app will list all the scary places within 200 miles with a description of what you can expect to find, website links and driving directions. You can also visit HauntedHouse.com, which provides listings for the app and is free.

Danimations

Haunted Phone

Haunted Phone (Android, 99 cents on Android Market)

Turn your phone into a portable scare machine with spooky faces and horrifying screams triggered by motion or touch. Pick which actions will trigger the haunting effects, and then hand it over to your friends for a little freak-out fun.

Haunted Face (iPhone, iPad, 99 cents on iTunes)

Turn friends and family into ghosts with this photo app. Haunted Face will automatically generate different ghostly versions of any photo you load. Just shake to move between the normal picture and the horror-show version. Share your pictures from the app on Facebook, Twitter and email. Or, if zombies are your thing, turn your friends into the undead with Make Me Zombie.

Ghost House eBook (iPad, $2.99 on iTunes)

Spend the night with a boy named Charlie as he spends the night trying to escape from a haunted house. This graphic novel has a read-to-me mode that highlights each word as it is spoken. And there are great sound effects to complete to mood.

Disney

Mickey's Spooky Night Puzzle Book

Mickey’s Spooky Night Puzzle Book (iPhone, iPad, Free on iTunes)

Join Mickey Mouse and his friends at his Halloween party, where they investigate strange noises and are spooked by a ghost. There are puzzles sprinkled throughout the book. In addition to a professionally narrated read-to-me mode, parents can record their own voice.

Greedy Pigs (Android, free on Android Market)

Based on the regular Greedy Pigs action game, this Halloween-themed version has you helping the dwarfs protect the magical candy pot from the greedy pigs. Choose to be a dwarf warrior, hunter or magician and dare to enter the spooky woods.

More stories on Techlicious:

• Four Fun Halloween Photo Effects
• The Best Harry Potter Apps
• Great iPhone Apps for Toddlers

Chat with Suzanne on Facebook  or on Google+ and get her free daily Techlicious Newsletter.