(Credit: WhitePages)

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When someone can't take the hint and keeps calling or texting you, it might be time to disable their ability to do so. The Android contact app allows you to send callers directly to voice mail, which is fine in most cases; however, if you're still getting flooded with voice mails, or even texts, Current Caller ID can help.

The app's new blocking feature -- suggested by users to WhitePages -- will let you quickly send callers to voice mail without fumbling through the contacts app, or perform a pickup and hang up operation when they call. Here's how to set it up:

Note: The blocking feature that picks up and hangs up is not working properly on a few handsets (like the T-Mobile Galaxy S3 and Note II running 4.1.2) at this time. However, WhitePages is aware of the issue and is working to resolve it immediat... [Read more]

The WebRTC standard for Web-based communications is a battleground for Nokia and Google over the VP8 video technology.

The nascent WebRTC standard for video communications on the Web has become a technology battleground pitting Google against Nokia.

The reason for a war not just of words but also of actions is a lowly technology called a codec, which compresses video for efficient networking and compact storage. Google wants the Net to embrace its royalty-free, open-source VP8 codec, but Nokia is trying to quash VP8 by refusing to license patents it says are required to use it.

Google, meanwhile, has come to the aid of Android phone maker HTC in a Nokia patent-infringement case that involves VP8.

Why the hard feelings? In a statement, Nokia said it's trying to keep Google from infringing its patents and forcing inferior, proprietary technology down the industry's throat:

Nokia believes that open and collaborative efforts for standardization are in the best interests of consumers, innovators and the industry as a whole. We are now witnessing one company attempting to force the adoption of its proprietary technology, which offers no advantages over existing, widely deployed standards such as H.264 and infringes Nokia's intellectual p... [Read more]

The WebGL-powered version of Google Maps shows transparent 3D buildings such as this view of Kowloon and offers other fancy effects.

Microsoft's next version of Internet Explorer might just support WebGL, a standard for accelerated 3D graphics on the Web that the company previously has attacked as a security risk.

A leaked version of the next version of Windows, code-named Blue, came with a version of IE11, and developer's scrutiny of the browser shows evidence of WebGL.

"It seems like WebGL interfaces are defined but not functional at this time," said Web developer and author Francois Remy in a blog post this week. That means that the IE11 build has some infrastructure in place to support WebGL, but lacks actual support at this stage.

Microsoft won't confirm anything at this stage. "We don't comment on rumors or speculation," the company said in a statement.

WebGL got its start at Mozilla and won Google's endorsement as a way to bring 3D graphics to the Web and to speed them up with hardware acceleration. WebGL, also helpful with 2D graphics acceleration, is good for games and poten... [Read more]

After existing as a peripheral event during Mobile World Congress each year in Barcelona, Spain, the International Mobile Gaming Awards this year moved its ninth annual show to San Francisco.

Launched in 2004, the IMGA is a competition for mobile games developed in countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Awarding is based on two rounds of judging by a jury of twelve, with 10 category finalists announced in the months leading up to the event, and one winner ultimately winning in each category. In addition, the IMGA also gives awards for Honorable Mention, People's Choice (based on online voting), and Grand Prix (best overall game).

This year's show was hosted by Australian blogger and television personality Maude Garrett from Geek Bomb, and it featured a handful of big-name games, as well as quite a few that we had never heard of. All of the nominees presented, though, looked fantastic based on the short video snippets that were presented. Check out the winners below:

Excellence in Visuals The Room, a popular puzzle-solving, story-driven mystery game won the Excellence in Visuals award for good reason. Each new puzzle is presented in beautifully textured realistic 3D graphics complete with lighting effects. Even on the first puzzle, you will immediately see why this game de... [Read more]