phones

Cases, accessories for your Apple iPhone 3G

It's now almost a month since the release of the Apple iPhone 3G, and the accessory market for the iPhone is jumping with joy. That's because cases and accessories are now selling like hotcakes for this latest version of the iconic Apple handset. There is a ton of them out there, but we've picked a few of our favorites. For cases, a couple that we liked were the Griffin Wave for its colorful selection, as well as the Apple iPhone 3G Ultra Slim Pouch for its leather exterior and micro suede lining.

As for accessories, we definitely … Read more

Nokia N85 clears FCC

The Federal Communications Commission this week approved a version of the Nokia N85 with support for U.S. 3G bands. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on … Read more

What makes the Nokia N95 a smartphone?: Ask the Editors

Q: I guess I'm missing something, because I don't really see the overwhelming appeal of the Nokia N95. Yes, it has all the radios that we all want, but it's SO big. Also, it has Symbian, which seems about as common as a unicorn.

With its different interface and high price, why do so many editors love it so much? I would expect the iPhone or a BlackBerry model or a Treo model to be ranked higher than the N95 as a smartphone. Wouldn't you call the N95 a feature-phone rather than a smartphone? -- George, … Read more

T-Mobile to launch open development platform to challenge iPhone

As reported on Moconews, T-Mobile USA is planning to launch an open development platform for all of its phone platforms from upcoming Android to Java to Sidekick and Windows Mobile.

From Moconews:

Starting this fall, T-Mobile USA will take the extraordinary step of ditching its traditional deck on the phone and replacing it with a platform that's open to almost any developer, multiple sources have told us. Think of *Apple's* App store, but for the entire carrier's handset line-up from smartphone to feature phone.

While this is an obvious attempt to compete with the iPhone App store … Read more

CNET News Daily Podcast: Journalist-on-journalist hacking at Black Hat

In what's being regarded as a total breach of professional ethics, three reporters from Global Security Mag were removed from the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas on Thursday after attempting to expose the username and passwords of two reporters in attendance, including a CNET News employee. The magazine was a co-sponsor of the event, but the three parties responsible were asked to leave and barred from all future events, including this weekend's DefCon. For more detail, see the accounts from CNET News' Elinor Mills and Robert Vamosi who are in Vegas now.

Listen now: Download today's podcast … Read more

Google Translate now fits in your pocket

Google has updated yet another one of its products to work better on Apple's iPhone. On Thursday the company launched a new version of its Translate service that lets anyone convert their native tongue into one of the other 23 available languages.

The service has been reworked mainly to appeal to travelers who don't want to carry around phrase books and have their mobile phones with them anyway. In a post about the update, Google software engineer Allen Hutchison notes that the tool uses as minimal an amount of data as possible, so it won't break the … Read more

Apple boots $1,000 app from App Store

The $1,000 application on Apple's App Store, which lets people know how rich you are simply for buying it, has been removed without explanation, making some developers wonder what it takes for Apple to pull the plug.

The "I am Rich" application developed by Armin Heinrich, a German software developer, does nothing more than display a picture of a red ruby on the iPhone screen. After initially approving the $1,000 application, Apple removed it from the store this week. Eight people managed to dish out $1,000 to buy the useless application, generating about $5,… Read more

iPhone 'kill switch' limited to location-aware apps

Apple's iPhone blacklist appears to fall short of fears that it led directly back to a big red button on Apple CEO Steve Jobs' desk.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber took a deep breath Thursday while Internet users frantically searched for their copies of 1984 following Jonathan Zdziarski's discovery of a URL inside the iPhone's operating system that downloads a list of applications designated as malicious. Some feared this would allow Apple to blacklist any application that ran afoul of its sensibilities.

Gruber spoke with what he called an "informed source" at Apple who confirmed … Read more

Google Translate comes to the iPhone

Google has released a version of its translation service that is specifically tailored to Apple's iPhone.

The Google Translate mobile service, launched late Thursday, came about as the result of the company's "20 percent" time policy, which sets aside a day of each employee's week for work on any new project or idea they may wish to pursue. Google has not yet made any announcements about future versions of the service that could work on other handsets, but a company representative told ZDNet UK on Friday that such versions were intended.

Because the service works … Read more

Crave: Bonnie's got a new Sidekick...and it's not Brian

It's all the goods from the Crave blog. Brian Tong and Bonnie Cha give you a peek at the newest Sidekick; copy and paste on the iPhone is here...sort of; and listen to music with Brandon, Brenda, Dylan, and Kelly!