calls

It's our last week of 404 podcasts for 2011! We'll be back in the new year for a round of LIVE CES COVERAGE, but Wilson's not feeling well today so Joseph Kaminski fills in for an update on kid tech.

This year's most-wanted gift is the LeapFrog LeapPad, a junior tablet with games, e-books, and apps that helps kids learn...and also frees up the TV so Dad can watch the game.… Read more

The good news just keeps coming for Activison's Call of Duty franchise.

The game developer announced today that Modern Warfare 3 generated $1 billion in worldwide sales in its first 16 days on store shelves. By comparison, the 2009 blockbuster film "Avatar" reached the $1 billion milestone 17 days after it opened.

Modern Warfare 3, which launched last month, has become the third Call of Duty game in as many years to reach $1 billion in total sales. However, Modern Warfare 2, which launched in 2009, took two months to hit $1 billion in worldwide revenue. Last … Read more

AT&T earns the "worst carrier in the world" award for the second year in a row, so it's a good thing I just signed up for two more years of service with this new iPhone 4S.

According to Consumer Reports, prepaid phone subscribers are actually the most satisfied with their service, but that's probably because their burner phones don't have the Internet access necessary to lodge a complaint.

On today's show, we'll look at how the other carriers compare to AT&T, dispel rumors of Shigeru Miyamoto's departure from Nintendo, put in our our bid for RickPerry.com, Jeff demonstrates My Xbox Live for the iPad, and we'll show some incredible listener-submitted contest submission videos!… Read more

Does not having access to your phone leave you feeling cut off from your social world?

Whether you work somewhere that does not allow you to carry your cellular phone, or you forgot it at home, the lack of your constant connection can add to your stress level. Stop worrying about missing important calls or texts by following these steps.

Step 1: Download and install SMS2Gmail from the Android marketplace.

Step 2: Press the option labeled Gmail address and enter your Gmail username. Repeat this process for your Gmail password.

Step 3: Set up an activation code by pressing the … Read more

A new study comparing the 3 U.S. iPhone carriers shows that AT&T is tops for data and browsing, more than doubling the download speeds offered by Verizon and Sprint.

While the data speed news does not come as too much of a shock for many who follow the mobile phone industry, it is interesting to note that the iPhone also reported better-than-expected call quality and reliability on AT&T's network. The study, performed by wireless communications analysts Metrico, shows that AT&T's call failure rate sits at 2.8 percent, slightly higher than … Read more

Can anything slow down the Call of Duty franchise?

In its first five days of availability, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 generated $775 million in worldwide sales, helping the game set a new revenue record over that period, Activision announced today. The previous record-holder, Call of Duty: Black Ops, generated $650 million during its first five days of availability last year.

The Call of Duty franchise has now generated a whopping $6 billion in revenue over its lifespan, making it one of the top entertainment properties in the world.… Read more

Skype deepened its partnership with Facebook today by adding Facebook video calling to both its Mac and Windows applications.

With the just-announced Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac and Skype 5.7 Beta for Windows, you can initiate a Facebook video call without having to open up your browser and log in to the social-networking site. Just connect your Facebook account to Skype, select a Facebook friend, and hit the Skype video call button. Your friend picks up the call directly from within Facebook. While the feature isn't exactly a game-changer, we do think it's superconvenient. Since you … Read more

Two of the year's biggest games are going head to head this holiday season, both seeking the crown as best military first-person shooter. Unless you've cut yourself off from all forms of media consumption, I'm of course talking about Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3.… Read more

Given its history, this was hardly a sneak attack: the latest entrant in the Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare 3, has set a record for launch-day sales.

According to the game's publisher, Activision, Modern Warfare 3 generated over $400 million in revenue and sold 6.5 million units in the U.S. and U.K. in its first 24 hours on store shelves. By hitting that mark, Modern Warfare 3, which launched Tuesday, easily outpaced its predecessor and the former leader, Call of Duty: Black Ops, which generated $360 million on its launch day last year. Call of … Read more