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iPhone 4S arrives early to lucky German buyer

Apple's next iPhone doesn't arrive until Friday, but one German customer has already received a unit ahead of time and provided photos of the packaging and the new Siri feature in action.

German site Macerkopf.de (via MacStories) posted photos the buyer shared of the 32GB model. The outside box doesn't bear any notable changes from the iPhone 4's packaging except for the obvious "S" on the side. … Read more

How to turn on your Facebook Timeline right now

If you are impatient and want to experience the new Timeline on Facebook announced earlier today, you can turn it through the developer section of Facebook. The process is simple, takes a few minutes, and will require some patience as Facebook tidies up any lingering issues and bugs. You game? Read on.

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Sprint raises ETF to $350; a sign of new devices?

Sprint has joined AT&T and Verizon Wireless in increasing its early termination fees (ETFs) for advanced devices. Sprint used to charge a $200 ETF for those who skip out on their contracts early; now it's $350. However, it will be prorated depending on how many months left you have in the contract.

Verizon Wireless increased its ETF for advanced devices to a prorated $350 in November 2009, and AT&T increased it to a prorated $325 in June 2010. Advanced devices includes smartphones, tablets, laptops, and Netbooks. T-Mobile is currently the only carrier that has not … Read more

Early-access app teases Star Wars Blu-ray set

We're a little more than a month away from the arrival of "Star Wars: The Complete Saga" on Blu-ray, and Lucasfilm is continuing the recent Comic-Con buzz by offering the most detailed sneak peak of the set to date with Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access App.

September 16 will bring the nine-disc Blu-ray set to store shelves, and Lucasfilm publicity poobahs have effectively been hyping the set since CES in January. Most recently, they made a buzz at Comic-Con by unveiling a trailer of the restored deleted scenes included in the set.

The free early-access app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch offers an early look at the more than 40 hours of bonus footage and other material included in the Blu-ray collection.… Read more

On Call: The right to end your carrier contract early

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.

Last month, a CNET reader named Greg told me in an e-mail that the coverage map currently on Sprint's Web site shows a dramatically changed voice and data network than a similar map from a couple of years earlier. Since carrier maps are never reliable, I didn't think much of it at first. But as this Sprint user forum shows, Greg wasn't exaggerating. Sprint's home coverage area (look for the green areas) on the newer map … Read more

Early 2011 MacBook Pro starts to gray Apple logo, freezes

Some owners have noted an issue with Apple's latest MacBook Pro model (early 2011), where the machine will start up to the gray Apple logo screen without a progress indicator and freeze. Apple has also noted the issue, releasing a knowledge base article to help with the situation.

Apple Support Discussions forum user CoryCripita writes:

"So for the second time my Macbook Pro is stuck on the ****** gray screen and won't boot. The first time this happened 2 days ago I HAD TO resort to Archive and install. The only thing that I can even think caused … Read more

AT&T ups early-upgrade fee to smartphones

Those hoping to upgrade to an AT&T smartphone early, beware: the company has raised the price for doing so by $125.

When AT&T customers attempt to upgrade their mobile phone to a new smartphone less than 18 months into their current two-year contract, they will now be leveled with a $200 charge. Previously, AT&T charged customers $75 for an early upgrade to a smartphone. The iPhone is an exception to the new rule.

The increase was first discovered by Boy Genius Report, which obtained an alleged internal AT&T document discussing the change. … Read more

iOS 4.1: Positive early reviews from iPhone 3G users

After Apple's investigation into iPhone 3G users complaints related to slowness and poor battery life after updating to iOS 4, early reports make it clear that iOS 4.1 has turned the tide for most people.

Distraught iPhone 3G owners have been doing everything from frequent resets and restores to downgrading the iPhone firmware to version 3 all summer. Today's iOS 4.1 release has brought relief (and a lot of functionality) back to those users. Apple Support Discussions forum users as well as users commenting on CNET's article about the update have left several positive comments:… Read more

Ask Maggie: On buggy Android upgrades

As smartphones get more sophisticated, so does the software that runs them. And that means a major pain in the neck for consumers: buggy software upgrades.

Just like with your computer, smartphone software is constantly evolving and upgrades are rolled out all the time. While new versions of software often add more functionality, sometimes they're buggy and they break things that worked perfectly well with the previous version of software.

This is a major headache for many smartphone subscribers, especially those who use Android phones. In this week's Ask Maggie column, I answer one reader who wants to … Read more

Ask Maggie: On wireless-contract fine print

Have you ever wondered why it's so difficult to find information about when your wireless contract ends? Or have you ever gotten so angry at a service provider that you threaten to cancel all the services you get bundled from them?

Well, you're not alone. This week in Ask Maggie, I answer one reader's question about finding information on a wireless carrier's Web site as to when a contract ends. I checked in with the major carriers and will walk you through how you can access information about contract expiration and early-termination fees online.

I also … Read more