Recently Filed in Cell Phones

Here’s what I’ve been waiting for: a surge suppressor I can use to charge my iPhone and other mobile devices and which will only charge them during the times I specify. That means I can leave the charger cords plugged in without wasting energy. Some of the biggest power “vampires” are the chargers we use to power up our cell phones and other mobile devices, especially when we leave them plugged in. You can waste energy even after a full charge if the device stays… View this story
Power Management • Cell Phones • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Get ready to add the IP multimedia phone to your shopping list. The technology is being touted to become the “fourth screen” in your home due to its ability to marry the Internet and social media applications with voice calling and real-time IP video conferencing. You may have thought that the PC was going to become the primary method of video teleconferencing. Not according to market researcher In-Stat, which calls the IP phone the “fourth screen” in the home to complement the PC, TV and… View this story
Cell Phones • Internet • Product News

Apple began selling the iPhone 3G S this morning at 2,200+ AT&T locations, 211 Apple Stores and seven other countries. One analyst says Apple may sell 500,000 iPhones this weekend. Seems like a lofty number, but it would be only half as many as the iPhone 3G did in its first week. The iPhone 3G went up for sale in 21 countries on the first day. There are minor changes to the outside of the iPhone 3G S, including an oil-resistant screen. Major overhauls have… View this story
Cell Phones • Internet • Telephones • WiFi • Product News

Apple released its much-awaited iPhone 3.0 software update today, overhauling the operating system (OS) with more than 100 new features. The update, which is free to all iPhone users and $10 for iPod touch users, is available through iTunes 8.2. The update is a great deal for iPhone 3G users who don’t want to shell out the money for the new iPhone 3G S, which is scheduled to be released Friday, or are still locked into their contracts. The software updates should eliminate several gripes… View this story
Networking and Communication • Cell Phones • Internet • Software • Product News

My wife and I are on the fast track to becoming “helicopter parents.” You know, those parents who hover over their children. She recently dusted off the old baby monitor (wireless camera with TV monitor) so we could keep tabs on our 4-year old who moved to the bedroom on the third floor. I bought a set of Uniden two-way radios (or walkie-talkies as we call them) so we can hear his demands for another glass of water from our first floor living room. Our… View this story
Safety and Security • Cell Phones • Software • Automotive • How To • Info and Answers

“Hey, Apple, this is Verizon. About that whole iPhone thing—can you hear me now?” “Hey, Verizon, you’re starting to come in loud and clear.” Or so it seems, as USA Today is reporting that discussions are heating up between Apple and Verizon to make the iPhone a possible phone option for the 80 million-plus Verizon users out there. It’s always seemed kind of likely that AT&T couldn’t possibly hog the whole iPhone pie, and apparently talks are in the “high-level” stage even as Steve Jobs… View this story
Networking and Communication • Cell Phones • Internet • Product News

We’ve all had that sinking feeling that something bad is happening to our home while we’re at work, on the road or on vacation. Call it paranoia, but there’s no denying that disasters can and do strike when you least expect it. It happened to my family and just a few months ago. Arriving home from a weekend ski trip, we were welcomed to standing water in our rec room. A pipe had burst, ruining the floors and walls. We’ve since gutted and remodeled the… View this story
Surveillance • Cell Phones • Security • Product News

If buying a multi-functional smartphone is on your to-do list, you might want to wait a few months. Apple, Google, Palm and RIM are all planning to release new phones starting in June. Here’s a quick look at what’s coming, courtesy of the Silicon Valley Insider: Palm (Sprint) - Promised the Pre by end of June with an estimated cost of $200 with two-year contract. Apple (AT&T) - New iPhone announcement expected in early June with possible July availability. Could Apple drop price to $99?… View this story
Cell Phones • Gadgets • Product News

Hey golf fans, this app’s for you. Follow this year’s Masters—the early leaders are at -5 as this is being written—on your iPhone/iPod touch. Yes, there’s an app for the action at Augusta National this year, pretty much a portable version of what you’ve come to expect from Masters.org during the tournament in recent years. And that’s a good thing for those who want to get the up-to-the-minute leaderboard and catch real-time play that’s not tied to the TV coverage. After you’ve downloaded the software… View this story
Portables • Cell Phones • Web Services • Product News

The week of April 6 to 12 has been designated National Cell Phone Recycling Week by the EPA. And it’s not too late to participate in this national event by donating or recycling unwanted cell phones, PDAs and their accessories—though we know you already recycle your old mobile devices, right? Well … er … actually, despite the large number of programs, most consumers still do not know where or how they can recycle their cell phones. Consequently, only 10 percent of unwanted cell phones are… View this story
Cell Phones • Green Technology • Info and Answers

We’re taking a break from the continuous stream of iPhone app news we hear to give a little media tidbit on the other heavy-hitter smartphone out there, the BlackBerry. BlackBerry users will be able to watch full-length episodes of TV shows on-demand coming in May, for a monthly subscription fee. The service is being provided by QuickPlay Media, which announced its launch of PrimeTime2Go mobile TV service that will be offered in the U.S. on the BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Curve 8900 devices (currently available… View this story
Miscellaneous • Gadgets • Web Services • Cell Phones • Product News

It was only a matter of time before Skype came to Apple’s iPhone. The web communication service was a no-brainer to get an app available for the Apple portable devices (yes, iPod touch too), as it was the top request the company heard, and Skype has now delivered. Sounds like you’ll get a lot of similar features Skype will be offering in the way of mobile when it arrives on the Nokia N97 later this year, and if you’ve got an iPhone or touch you… View this story
Networking and Communication • Cell Phones • VoIP • Product News