phones

An attempt to discover bugs on the iPhone found few critical problems that could cause major issues.

There's probably an argument to be made that many of the 68 bugs reported by AppleHound are more like differences of design philosophies rather than actual bugs, but the project did find some situations that could lead to data loss or application crashes. As with any first-generation product, some bugs are to be expected, and software fixes will likely trickle out later this year. Apple has said it plans to deliver regular software updates to the iPhone that could not only fix … Read more

I am not one for cell phone charms, but I also realize it's a way to personalize your handset and make a statement about yourself--whether you're a straight-up baller, fashionista, or boozer. However, a U.K. company called Mathmos has come up with a way for a cell phone dangle to be, err, somewhat cute and useful. The charm--available in lava lamp (blue or red) or light bulb (blue or white) models--detects the radio frequency emissions that come from your phone when you receive a call and will alert you to the incoming call by lighting up. Gimmicky? … Read more

Most iPhone Web apps are standalone applications that live in isolation from all the others. This means that if you use a lot of these applications, you'll either have to bookmark a ton of them, or enter in all those URLs by hand. Leaflets, however, is a site that collects a bunch of small handy Web applications into a single iPhone-friendly portal. The site is very well-designed and feels a lot like an iPhone within an iPhone (even the icons look similar). Not only is there an RSS aggregator, but there's also one-tap access to iPhone-optimized content from … Read more

It breaks my heart to see an iPhone that's missing album cover artwork. There you are with the most beautiful iPod ever created, but your music collection looks like an endless series of generic boxes. Prove yourself worthy of owning such an advanced piece of technology by using my step-by-step guide for adding cover art to your iPhone's music collection. It's the least you can do. Respect your iPhone, people.

You can even use the guide to find out how to replace your album art with custom photos. You haven't truly lived until you've seen … Read more

An informal survey of CNET News.com readers indicates that most of those who bought an iPhone during opening weekend plan to keep it around.

Like the survey we did prior to the iPhone's launch, this one probably won't be accepted by the folks at Gallup. Part of the reason could be that return rates seemed abnormally high, both on our survey and on one done by Gizmodo, as compared with a customer satisfaction survey done by Interpret.

About 38 percent of those who responded to the post that asked "Will you return your iPhone?" said … Read more

One of the most sought-after Windows Mobile 6smart phones is the HTC Vox S710, and it's not hard to see why. The Vox combines some of the best elements of the company's other smart phones to make for one killer device. Sadly, it has yet to make its debut in the United States, but we got our hands on an unlocked version. Take a photo tour here, and check out our review to see if its performance can match its good looks.

Until the "iGems" line becomes reality, new iPhone owners will need something to distinguish themselves from the pack of 500,000 others who rushed to pick one up in the first weekend alone. Lucky for these rugged individualists, the case-making cottage industry has been working diligently for months.

Luxury accessories are to be expected for a phone that costs upwards of $600, as we've seen in cases made from designer fabrics and even mahogany. In fact, we're surprised there aren't more made of high-end leather, as are the latest from Sena Cases, which MobileWhack says … Read more

The Transformers blockbuster has been a classic example of profiting from media obsession: Once a trend catches fire, there's just no stopping it. And the latest merchandizing spinoff--jewelry--just proves the point even more.

But if anything can trump the resurgence of "Optimus Prime," it's that icon of all icons, the iPhone. And in true Apple fashion, we would never expect something so cheesy as a mini-joystick pendant. GeekSugar, therefore, has come up with an elegant concept that we think would make even Steve Jobs crane his black turtleneck for a second look: Tiffany-made "… Read more

One of the joys of the iPhone is its camera.

I didn't think that I'd like it or even use it very much. But in addition to the phone's SMS texting, e-mail and Web-browsing technologies, I've actually used the iPhone's camera feature much more than I thought I would. I've already posted a few photos on this blog, but here are some more random pictures and thoughts.

(1) The iPhone camera works best at moderate light and is great at capturing stealthy candid shots, which are the best ones, I think. In low light, … Read more