phones

Regional cell phone operator MetroPCS Communications bid Tuesday to buy competitor Leap Wireless International in a deal worth more than $5 billion in stock.

MetroPCS, which went public in April, said in a press release Tuesday that it would offer 2.75 of its shares for each outstanding common share of Leap. This represents a value of $75.05 based on Friday's closing price and is only 3 percent higher than Leap's closing price on Friday.

MetroPCS also said it would refinance $2 billion of Leap's debt as part of the deal.

"We believe that the … Read more

The battle between parents, school, and teens over cell phones involves many levers to push and pull. Now AT&T has added a new twist: for $4.99 per month per line, parents can add on customized controls through the new "Smart Limits" service. Phone options include limiting talk time, text messages, instant messages, and Web content and downloads.

Teens naturally balk at the idea of limits, but there are many advantages to making these controls available.… Read more

Am I the only one who has noticed that most products today feature an "i" or "HD" in the model number or name? What is with this? I don't know about you, but I'm fed up with all of this crazy lingo.

The "i" phenomenon started with the iPod, which quickly filtered down to iPod accessories, which quickly filtered down to the rest of the business once everyone realized that putting an "i" before a name may make people think it has something to do with the popular DAP. After all, it makes sense: if you're an entrepreneur trying to sell a junker, you don't want to call it what it is, you want people to believe that it's comparable to an iPod or has something to do with Apple.

I actually heard a few suckers at a Sam's Club discussing this. As I was looking around, I heard one of them claim that a product "must be good -- it's made by Apple." A couple of minutes later, the couple was walking out of the store with an iHome clock radio in hand. Unfortunately, I didn't have the heart to explain to the woman that just because the name has an "i" in front of it, it doesn't mean it's made by Apple. Oh well.… Read more

Do you stay informed of the latest news around the world? This fun quiz application for iPhone tests you on the news of the day, by showing you pictures that you need to match up with the headlines. Once you've matched the story with a picture, NewsMatch will take you to a small blurb of information. Though we like the concept of the game, if you're not already a news junkie, this probably isn't the best way to get the news.

iPhone Link: http://labs.openlaszlo.org/ipdc/newsmatch05

Web site link: http://www.laszlosystems.com

Have you ever been out shopping and wondered if the item you were buying might have a coupon? We certainly have--and with Online Coupon Check for iPhone, you can find out right away if you need to wait on that big purchase. You enter in the item in question, and then Online Coupon Check, made by KeepCash, will go to work looking for potential savings. The interface is set up to search for things alphabetically, so browsing sale items is easy.

iPhone Link: http://www.keepcash.com/iphone

Web site link: http://www.keepcash.com/tools

Just when you thought it was safe to talk on your cell phone.

Now some scientists say there is a chance that talking on a mobile phone for as little as 10 minutes could trigger changes in the brain that are associated with cancer, according to a story published on Thursday by the The Daily Mail.

The article said that researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel discovered that exposure to even low levels of radiation from mobile handsets could interfere with how brain cells divide, thus causing tumors.

But the scientists said there was no evidence to … Read more

Everyone seems pretty sure Apple will have new iPods next week at a media event in San Francisco. Could iPhone ringtones also be on the menu?

The Los Angeles Times and The New York Post both reported Friday that Apple plans to let iPhone users purchase ringtones through the iTunes Store, in addition to unveiling new iPods next Wednesday. The ringtone deal would only apply to iPhone users, according to the Times, but the Post said iPhone users would also be able to make ringtones out of songs they've already purchased from the iTunes Store.

Ringtone deals are less … Read more

It's a pretty boring Billboard ringtone chart this week, with the same crowd of top-10 contenders simply shuffling around.

"Adios Amor Te Vas" by Grupo Montez de Durango is back in first place, while Henry Mancini's funky "Pink Panther" ringtone is in second and the Koji Kondo "Super Mario Brothers Theme" is in third.

So, let's review one of the quickest methods for making your own.

While there are many programs available for making your own ringtones, some cell phones offer you a simple three- or four-click solution.

This is old … Read more

When you look at technological generation gaps, the ubiquity of cell phones is one of the dividing lines between youth and "elders." Today's teens can't imagine life without cell phones, and if you walk across a college campus you'll see students glued to their phones seemingly at every waking moment.

On the adult authority figure side of this divide, some school districts, including Cleveland and New York City, are trying to ban cell phones outright. Now I can understand an "out-of-sight, out of trouble" approach, but the strictest bans prohibit the devices anywhere on campus, even in the bottom of a backpack or a locker. Kids are ingenious in their attempts to come up with creative ways around the ban, everything from hiding a phone in a sandwich roll to parking the devices for a fee at a nearby store. … Read more