phones

While not the best-kept secret in the technology world, what with all the leaked photos and videos, we're still aflutter over Palm's official unveiling of the Palm Treo Pro Wednesday. And why wouldn't we be? The smartphone is looking pretty sharp, both inside and out.

The first thing you might notice is the new modern look. The Treo Pro sheds the outdated, clunky design of previous Treos and trades it in for a sleeker design (4.4 inches high by 2.3 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep; 4.7 ounces) and nice black casing. It … Read more

These are the days I dread, but like in some sense. Release day for an iPhone firmware update. This always happens: I'm on my way out the door to work and want to synch my iPhone just to update any playlists or iCal entries when "BAM" - an update is available, "would you like to download now?" iTunes asks invitingly.

Of course I do, even though I have no idea what the difference between 2.0.1 to 2.0.2 is, it's just that it's better, right? (I would hope so, but … Read more

One of the common complaints about Apple's iPhone--and one that did not get solved with the launch of the iPhone 3G--is the lack of a copy-paste function. An independent developer, Zac White, recently unveiled his open-source solution: OpenClip, a standard for other iPhone application developers.

He's not the first one to have that idea: another developer, Preston Monroe, has created a hack called iCopy that lets iPhone owners copy and paste between the e-mail and Web browser applications.

OpenClip is not a standalone app but rather a technology that developers can incorporate into their iPhone applications, should they … Read more

Apple has reportedly acknowledged the fact that many third-party iPhone applications have been crashing on launch, according to AppleInsider.

One of AppleInsider's readers says that after he contacted Apple about the problem, he received a response from CEO Steve Jobs himself: "This is a known iPhone bug that is being fixed in the next software update in September."

Apple representatives did not immediately have confirmation.

That was the full extent of Jobs' e-mail, AppleInsider said. While the most talked-about mobile-software problems for Apple right now are still the issues with MobileMe, crashing apps have been causing a … Read more

It's rare that we get a mobile phone case that really excites us--as you can imagine--but we think we've found one. The Cygnett GrooveShield Form iPhone 3G case is as simple as it is beautiful--yes that's right, we just called a case beautiful.

The GrooveShield Form is very straightforward: it's shaped in such a way that it hugs your iPhone 3G perfectly and protects the back, corners, and edges from scratches and general wear and tear.

Because of its thinness, the GrooveShield Form almost looks like it's part of the case, and in fact many … Read more

As old as it is, iTunes isn't the oldest free media player around. Since it was married to the iPod, though, there's been no denying that it's the industry standard for multipurpose jukebox software and that the program has become practically synonymous with media playback. Available for Windows and Mac, iTunes handles music and video equally well in a clean layout.

The bundling with the iPod and iPhone have made it the powerhouse that it is: neither device will function unless you connect it to iTunes first. The connections to the iTunes Store and App Store are … Read more

It's been only a day since the HTC Dream, aka the first Google Android phone, won approval by the Federal Communications Commission. That's why I think it's a little early to start naming reasons why the iPhone is better.

Sure, comparisons between the two devices are obvious, but I'd prefer to wait until I have the Dream in my hands to make my own. Despite the iPhone's success and popularity, it's both possible and acceptable for another cell phone to compete against it.

Here are a few reasons why I'm excited for both … Read more

Will VoIP become the technology of choice for the future of cell phones? I certainly think so.

And as always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter!

Ringback tones, those songs that play on the line while you wait for someone to pick up, are music to the ears wireless operators. And the tune is only going to get sweeter, according to a new report out Tuesday.

By 2012, ringback tones are expected to generate $4.7 billion in revenue for mobile companies, according to the research firm MultiMedia Intelligence. That's triple the revenue that this service generates today. The research group said that ringback tones are on track to becoming the most attractive premium mobile content category for wireless operators, falling just short of revenue … Read more