CAD images of the Plinth “universal tablet stand,” as shown on the product’s Kickstarter page.

A promising prototype stand called the Plinth fits in a pocket but quickly deploys to support a large tablet, a smartphone or even an old-fashioned book.

Developed by U.K. product designer John Bull, the super-portable Plinth would make it easier for him to use his beloved iPad by holding it rock-steady at three different angles.

Having taken the holidays off (in Samsung’s case to nurse its wounds), Apple and Samsung are back to patent negotiations.

According to an article which appeared Sunday in The Korea Times, the two companies have resumed their patent battle — with officials at the Fair Trade Commission saying the companies are looking to hash out issues related to royalties.

Android’s software library gets bigger and stronger each and every year, and that’s no surprise given that it now holds the largest share of the worldwide smartphone market. And there’s never been a better time to be an Android user from a third-party software standpoint.

Not only has Android caught up with the quantity of apps on iOS, but developers are helping it bridge the gap between quality, too. Apps like VSCO Cam, Cal, and Yahoo! Weather are proving that Android software can be just as beautiful as its rivals, while things like Cover and Fleksy demonstrate the important of its customization options — and the benefits of using Android over other mobile platforms.

Picking a small selection of apps for a Best of 2013 roundup hasn’t exactly been easy, then. This list could have been significantly longer than it is, but we’ve tried to condense it down and cherry pick the apps that really stand out. So, without further ado, here are the best Android apps of 2013.

LG has today announced, that due to popular demand it has now decided to make its Knock feature, which debuted on the G2 back in August, a standard addition to all L Series II smartphones. For those unaware, this “convenient” function allows its users to lock and unlock their handsets by simply double tapping on the screen of their device.

There’s good news and bad news for Apple. The good news is that the Cupertino-based company sells more tablets in America than anyone. The bad news is that Apple is selling less iPads proportionate to the total share of tablet sales than a year ago… and Mac sales are also going down.