phones

Sudoku (iPhone App)

One of the most addictive newspaper number games available comes to the iPhone with this Sudoku app. The nine by nine playing board is just like you would expect, but what makes it cool is how they utilize the touch-screen interface for entering numbers. We would have liked more skill levels, but for a quick Sudoku fix, this app performs quite nicely.

iPhone Link: http://sudoku.myiphone.pl/

HP iPaq 510 Voice Messenger finally shipping

Six months after its official unveiling at 3GSM World Congress, the HP iPaq 510 Voice Messenger is finally shipping here in the States. The voice-centric Windows Mobile 6 smart phone features some advanced voice-command functions that let you perform a number of tasks, such as making calls, opening applications, and composing and sending e-mails, just by the sound of your voice. The iPaq 510 is available unlocked through HP, with prices starting at $319.99.

Vodafone shareholders want to spin off Verizon Wireless stake

A group of investors in Vodafone Group want the European cell phone operator to spin off its stake in U.S.-based Verizon Wireless.

Vodafone owns a 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless, which has been adding subscribers rapidly and posting huge profits. Meanwhile, Vodafone's own global cell phone services have come under financial pressures.

A group of investors called ECS Assets, or Efficient Capital Structures, wants to see Vodafone's stake in Verizon Wireless spun off into a separate tracking stock. The group is getting help and support from the U.S. proxy firm Glass, Lewis & Co.… Read more

Fall iPod fashions

In contrast to the horned one, Mr. Gruber has come down in favor of the rumors of OS X-ey (pronounced "OS sexy") iPod coming this fall and poo-poos concerns over cannibalizing iPhone sales.

The reason some people are skeptical about Apple introducing OS X-based iPods this year is that the question about cannibalizing sales works both ways: an iPhone-ish OS X-based iPod would surely have some detrimental effect on iPhone sales. AT&T might care about that, but why would Apple?

Because they report the sales figures separately.

As a new product line, the iPhone's sales … Read more

Free the iPhone

Love the new iPhone, but hate the New AT&T? You're not alone. Long before the iPhone hit stores, a backlash was developing against this unholy union. A few clever souls have devised methods to bypass AT&T, but these approaches all involve transforming your iPhone into a device that will no longer dial and that kind of defeats the point, right?

This morning, Freepress announced their own advocacy campaign to Free the iPhone. The site features some basic background information about the issue, several videos, social networking profiles, and a petition demanding both Congress and the FCC take action to ensure that customers can use any device over any network.

… Read more

What could you make from an iPhone?

Since the iPhone's June 29 launch, we've seen several teardown reports--some from professionals, some demonstrating more enthusiasm than skill, and some that are just awful (but funny).

What's inside? Well, you can read the details in reports from various analyst firms, but it breaks down like this:

A microprocessor A 3D graphics controller DRAM Flash memory An LCD A touch sensor A cell phone module Wi-Fi and Bluetooth controllers An audio chip A microphone and a speaker An accelerometer A camera module A SIM card Assorted other interfaces, connectors and buttons A lithium-ion battery Power-supply circuitry

All … Read more

How many iPhones?

An analyst with RBC Capital Markets says Apple may sell as many as 14 million iPhones in 2008 and as many as 8 million this year.

Those paying attention will remember that Apple's goal was to sell 10 million in 2008 (antler tip to Daring Fireball). RBC's Seeking Alpha is off on the numbers, though. The 10 million figure does not include 2007. Tim Cook's verbiage in the quarterly conference call is somewhat confusing, but Apple's stated goal is really to sell 1 percent of the cell phones sold in calendar 2008, which they say will … Read more

iPhone's black screen of death

Being a PC person, I've encountered the dreaded "blue screen of death."

I've never seen a comparable thing on Apple products. (I have heard of the sad Mac face, or the sick iPod face.) So, much to my surprise, starting a couple days ago I noticed what appeared to be a "black screen of death." Everything stops working. The time bar at top is there, but the rest of the screen is black. No touching. No prodding of the home key. No pressing of the upper right key will get the thing working again.… Read more

LG finds more to life than black and silver

If it seems that most mobile phones are either silver or black, there's good reason: Most are silver or black. Then there's LG, which is trying to split the difference between the two with a new finish called "Titanium Black."

Perhaps the company thought its designers had taken the name of its "Shine" line too literally and wanted to tone it down a bit. LG says the metallic-gray casing is "edgier than black and more chic than silver," according to Luxurylaunches, so it will provide "the best of both looks and … Read more