Smartphones

Saturday is iPad day, that much is certain, but there are rumors that the iPhone might itself get a little attention from Cupertino. Apple on Monday seeded the Golden Master--a copy of the final production version--of iPhone OS 3.2 for download to developers. It's part of the iPad SDK (software development kit), and for now will run only on the iPad. That means come Saturday, the iPad should be running iPhone OS 3.2, while the iPhone itself is still, as of this writing, is currently running 3.1.3.

Now that 3.2 is ready for prime … Read more

We usually scold Wilson for eating while we're on the air, but today we're making an exception so that we can taste test  Jeff's horrific supermarket find: Cheeseburger-flavored Doritos! Who knew that harnessing the sinewy flavor of cooked beef and artificial cheese would be such a catastrophe?

It takes the three of us a few minutes to recover from the explosion of McNausea, but we get it together and move onto the big Apple news of the day: while many Appleheads are still clamoring over the forthcoming iPad release, the rumor mill is also churning about the fourth-generation iPhone that will supposedly be named the iPhone HD for its 960x640-pixel resolution screen. Other features to look out for include a front-facing camera for video calls and an software update that allows for application multitasking. Our own Apple fanboy Wilson G. Tang contributes his own concerns about battery life and network robustness, and also gives us permission to tattoo a half-full hourglass on his face if his predictions are incorrect.

The latest tech trend to hit Japan is called "Ringtone Therapy" that promises the cure for fay fever and obesity by using simple sounds through your phone. Japanese citizens suffering from stuffiness, runny noses, and sneezing from the pollen in the air can call a service that emits noises that supposedly releases the pollen in your sinuses if the user holds the phone up to their nose. You know what else is good for protecting your sinuses? Not holding foreign objects up to your nose.

We can't thank Steve Fatone and Props Guy Jim enough for all the work they've done for the show. Whether it's the Official 404 Temporary Tattoos, NDC's Motherboard action figure, The 404 hoverboard from BTTF, or the Yu Be Gone spray repellent, these guys are a tremendous asset to the show and we're honored to have them as friends. Thanks again, guys! Let us know if there's anything we can do to return the favor, keeping in mind that Wilson is no longer allowed to attend children's birthday parties.

Finally, be sure to tune into the second half of the show for Calls From the Public plus a couple E-Mails From the Public! Keep sending your comments, questions, critiques, and sticker pictures to the 404(at)cnet{dot}com and you might be on a future episode of The 404!

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It might be thirty years since you've even thought about Pong, the earliest video arcade game, but believe it or not, the ancient two-dimensional tennis sports game is making a comeback in 2010.

On today's episode of The 404 Podcast, we discuss the future of video games and how students at the Imperial College in London are developing a pair of special glasses that allows players to control paddle movement using their eye movements! The new technology holds particular promise for people with physical disabilities that might soon get the chance to join the gaming community. The glasses are fitted with infrared light sensors and a webcam that links a laptop to the player's eyes, and although the hardware only costs $35 to make, the eye movement system itself costs around $36,000, so don't expect to control Modern Warfare with your eyes anytime soon.

The big news of CTIA 2010 is Sprint announcing the HTC Evo 4g, the first available handset to run 4G in the US. Its list of accolades is impressive and blows away the competition: 4.3-inch display, micro-USB port, 8.3-megapixel rear facing camera in addition to a VGA lens on the front for video calls, and perhaps the most impressive--a kickstand! So far Sprint has rolled out its 4g network in 27 cities and plans to expand to NYC, Boston, D.C., SF, and more by the end of the year. The HTC Evo 4g certainly grabs our interests, but Jeff is shaking at the prospect of a phone worthy of replacing his 8th Palm Pre. Could this be the one? We'll get CNET's Cell Phone Editor Bonnie Cha in the studio soon to get the inside scoop.

Both of those stories plus an family-sized Calls From The Public on today's episode of The 404 Podcast!

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It's no secret that a Verizon-compatible Nexus One exists; the question now is when will it be available. Unfortunately, we didn't hear anything official at CTIA 2010 and the previously reported March 23 launch has obviously come and gone. So now what?

Well, according to the latest round of rumors, the Verizon N1 could arrive as early as next week. A Nexus One Forum member by the name of NexusOneLove said he stumbled upon a listing for the Verizon model on Google's page for $199 with contract, which was taken down a few minutes later, but not … Read more

I'll be honest with you: I hate customer service as much as you do. The long waits, the anonymous feeling of phone calls, the paperwork...it's like a doctor's appointment. Maybe that's why many people I speak to simply don't bother. My dad always calls me before bothering to spend time trying to reach Apple. A friend let his bricked Xbox 360 sit in a drawer for two years rather than try to call for a repair.

As for me, my fear comes from broken headphones. At least once a year, it seems, some pair … Read more

Your iPhone and its apps can support typing in many different languages after changing a few simple settings. Launch the Settings app and then go to: General > Keyboard > International Keyboards.

Once there, turn on the foreign language keyboards you need and after that you use the small "globe" icon on the left side of the spacebar to rotate through the keyboards you selected.

In Mobile Safari after the keyboard you've chosen is displayed, you can press and hold the ".com" key. The iPhone will then display the most common top level domain names … Read more

Last Tuesday at CTIA, Skype and Verizon  jointly announced the Skype Mobile application is coming to select BlackBerry and Android phones on Verizon's network.

While only nine phones can currently run the app, Verizon and Skype are sure to add more phones to the mix. So if you don't have a BlackBerry Storm I or II, BlackBerry Curve or Tour, Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, or Motorola Devour, keep your peepers trained on this First Look video. We'll show you what you're missing out on--or what you should expect when and if Verizon pushes … Read more

As we pack our bags to leave Las Vegas, It's time to reflect on the CTIA that was. After a sleeper of a show last year, 2010 was quite eventful. The show floor was busier, the announcements were bigger, and there was more of a buzz permeating the Las Vegas Convention Center. It can be hard to keep track of it all, so here's a summary of what we saw.

4G Sprint and HTC grabbed most of the spotlight when they announced their new HTC Evo 4G. The Evo is more than just hype; it's slick and powerful and Sprint has a growing WiMax network (it might switch to LTE, however). Indeed, we liked it so much that we named it the top phone at CTIA. Yet, Sprint was not alone in pushing 4G; MetroPCS and Samsung announced the LTE-equipped SCH-r900 for Las Vegas and other markets later this year. Read Maggie Reardon's recent take on 4G for a great perspective on how the technology could develop. T-Mobile tried to counter the 4G news by promoting its 3G network and AT&T execs advocated for more spectrum.

Android Just like at CES and Mobile World Congress, Android went big at CTIA this year. We saw the first Android phone from Nextel, Kyocera's first Android handset, a Dell Android device, and the promising Samsung Galaxy S. Oh, and did we mention that the Evo 4G runs Android 2.1? Nice.

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Late last year I told you about CNET's new tool to accurately rate wireless coverage across the United States. With our partner Root Wireless, we're able to show average signal strength, data throughput, dropped calls, and failed data connections for the four major carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless) in great detail, even down to a city block.

Though we've received positive reader feedback about the service since its launch, we also know that you've wanted more coverage (no pun intended) beyond the current 16 metro areas. Well, the good news is that … Read more