calling

Apple reports its third fiscal quarter earnings just after the close of trading today, and will hold its usual conference call with analysts shortly thereafter.

Read: What to look out for in Apple's results

Join CNET at 2 p.m. Pacific for live coverage of that call, where Apple is expected to go into more detail about the results. The company also fields questions from Wall Street analysts, weighs in on key issues, and occasionally even announces new product details.

You can follow along below. Just bookmark this page and tune in later today.

Quick housekeeping note: I'll be taking the day off tomorrow, so I'll see you back here on Wednesday. Here's a great freebie to tide you over until then!

Talk is cheap, right? How about this: For a short while, talk is free.

Vonage Mobile (Android|iOS) is a voice over P app that lets you make free calls (and send free texts) to other Vonage app users.

You can also use it to call landline and mobile phones -- but normally this costs money. For a limited time, however, you can use Vonage Mobile to make free calls to landline and mobile phones.… Read more

NQ Mobile Vault is the simplest application I've seen for keeping text messages, call history, contacts, photos, and videos private on your mobile device. Celebrities, pay attention.

Basically, Vault creates an encrypted, password-protected space on your device, in which you can store photos, videos, text messages, and call history. It's easy to move items into and out of the space, and you can even permanently delete them, if you'd like.

Once you create your password, there are a few ways to start using Vault. First, within the app, you can pull up all of your messages and … Read more

The world's first update to Android 4.1, also known as Jelly Bean, was pushed back by Vodafone Australia because the new iteration of the operating system wasn't up to the country's standards for emergency phone calls.

The update was supposed to give Nexus S users with the carrier the latest version of Android. The Next Web first reported on the issue.

"We've just been advised that the roll-out the of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to Vodafone Australia customers has been delayed," the carrier said in a blog post. "At this … Read more

Is multiplayer gaming actually causing more harm than good?

Speaking to Wired U.K. in an interview published yesterday, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said multiplayer games tend to be played for much longer than single-player titles. Therefore, gamers are spending less time shopping for other titles, thus reducing the industry's overall revenue.

Pachter went on to tell Wired U.K. that a typical single-player campaign generates $2 of revenue per hour per user -- a measure, apparently, of total play time divided by the game's cost. However, when one takes the same calculation and applies that to a … Read more

Today, the mobile virtual-network operator known as GreatCall announced its latest cell phone for the elderly: the Samsung GreatCall r220.

Also known as the Jitterbug Plus, this feature phone looks a lot more modern than older Jitterbug models.

In addition to a big keypad and a clear user interface, several emergency and wellness services tie in with the handset. One is 5Star Urgent Response. When you're in an emergency situation or feel unsafe (for example, while walking to your car at night in an empty parking lot), you can call a live agent, available 24-7. The agent can then … Read more

Skype for Windows Phone received an update today that makes some minor improvements to smooth the experience for users of the VoIP service Microsoft acquired last year.

The changes to the app include enhancements to the contact list, which now displays all contacts that have at least one phone number in the list. You'll also now be able to edit a phone number using the dial-pad before making a call.

The release comes with some minor bug fixes as well. An issue that would end a Skype call if another incoming call or a calendar notification came up has … Read more

You could keep your call logs for months at a time, but chances are your phone wouldn't appreciate that too much. Instead, take a look at Nextcall.

This app will help you see how long it has been since you were in touch with someone. Additionally, it will let you schedule calls with someone every X days or weeks. This can come in handy if you need to remember to follow up with someone for business. Sure, you could add them to your calendar and get a reminder, but it might get lost among all the other things you … Read more

LOS ANGELES--It's been a big year for the people behind Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console, and its growing ecosystem. Month after month, the machine tops the console sales charts, and it boasts some of the most anticipated exclusive games in the industry.

This week, of course, the Xbox team is cheek-by-jowl with all of its partners and developers, and its competitors. It's E3 week, after all. And at its Monday media briefing, and at its mammoth booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center here, Microsoft has been touting its latest attempts at separating the Xbox from … Read more