Smartphones

What iPhone apps do you prize the most?

You know the old get-to-know-you quiz about the desert island? What books would you bring? What movies? What foods?

Let's play the app version! If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only five iPhone apps (other than those already built in, of course), what would they be? Here's my list:

Kindle: An e-book reader is a must, and while I also use eReader and Stanza, I like being able to grab sample chapters from the Kindle Store before deciding what books to buy. ( The books themselves are too expensive, but my island-living expenses are … Read more

Verizon entices app developers

In attempt to fill its upcoming V Cast Apps endeavor, Verizon Wireless is inviting developers to submit application ideas. A panel of judges will review all submitted apps and award a $50,000 prize for their top pick.

Apps should fall under one of five categories: Connect, Entertain, Guide, Save Time, and Enhance Living. Apps must be new to that RIM BlackBerry platform and they must work on the BlackBerry Storm to win. Though the Storm wouldn't be our first choice for a model smartphone, we suppose that you have to start somewhere.

Besides the $50,000 prize, the … Read more

Five million iPhones to return home

Finally, it seems the Chinese people are about to be able to legally get their hands on the phone they have been building: the iPhone.

According to International Business Times, Unicom, China's second largest cell carrier, has paid 10 billion yuan (about $1.46 billion) to buy 5 million iPhones from Apple. The first batch of the phones will be made available to Chinese customers as early as next month. Since March, the company has been posting the phone's images and specs at its stores.

This will be the first time the phone is legally available in the … Read more

HanDBase puts database in hand, on iPhone

HanDBase, from DDH Software, is an easy-to-use relational database system ported from Palm OS to the iPhone. (HanDBase sells for $9.99 from iTunes.) The application ships with a starter gallery of databases that include a checkbook, customer list, shopping list, movie list, password keeper, and billing log. If none of the included databases meet your needs, you can create your own or access more than 2,000 database templates to find one that satisfies you--all databases are free to download.

Create your own customized database

My IT career started as a software developer and database designer, I've been exposed to a variety of databases running on different platforms. HanDBase is the first I've used on a handheld device, and it works better than I expected, even on the iPhone's small screen.

To give HanDBase a workout, I launched the app on my iPhone 3GS and started developing a database template for testing various platforms and development tools. … Read more

Dialed In 91: Samsung goes green

Samsung and Sprint have jumped on the green bandwagon: they launched a new eco-friendly phone last week, the Samsung Reclaim. Speaking of green, some handset manufacturers and carriers think we're rolling in money and are charging some jaw-dropping prices for their devices. We're not quite sure what they're thinking, especially after a Gartner study finds that North Americans pay more for cell phone service than other parts of the world. We've got all this and more on this week's Dialed In podcast.

Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video)

Rumors of the … Read more

Dear Palm: Please stop tracking me and my Pre use

Tell us you're not really doing this, Palm? Really, we've been friends for over a decade. I've defended you when you had bad ideas and praised you when you had good ideas. But this time even I have to give a well earned "What the...?" I mean, you had to know that modern tech users value their privacy over pretty much anything else, and yet it looks like you're doing this?

It looks like you're sending a daily message to yourself from people's Pres without their knowledge. Why? And why would you … Read more

T-Mobile HTC Touch Pro2 on sale now for $349.99

Seven months after its official debut at GSMA 2009, the HTC Touch Pro2 is finally stepping out on U.S. soil. The highly anticipated smartphone is now available from T-Mobile for a pricey $349.99 with a two-year contract and qualifying data and voice plan.

While expensive, the Touch Pro2 offers a lot, including HTC's Straight Talk technology for better message and call management and a spacious touch screen and QWERTY keyboard. It also finally replaces the T-Mobile Wing and brings such improvements as a faster processor and HTC's slick TouchFlo 3D interface.

We've had the smartphone … Read more

Official multitouch to appear in Android 2.0?

Google Android fans have long been waiting for official multitouch support on Android devices, but Google has yet to offer any confirmation. Even at this year's Google I/O developers conference where multitouch was a hot topic, I only heard that "we don't know when it is coming." But after doing some digging and speaking to several sources with knowledge of the situation, it looks like Android users may finally get their wish this holiday season.

When is it coming? Allow me to start with the rumor of the day. From what I understand, Android 2.0 will ship this year and will include multitouch support similar to what's found on the iPhone and the Palm Pre.This might sound far-fetched to some readers, but there is mounting evidence to back it up.

Several blogs have reported that Android will receive two more updates this year. I believe the first will be a minor update based on the Donut branch of Android. The second update, however, is likely to be a major refresh based off the Eclair branch.

The release schedule was recently echoed in a Reuters interview with Andy Rubin, director of mobile platforms at Google. Reuters reported that Donut will become Android 1.6 and Eclair will ship as Android 2.0.

So if Android 2.0 is coming this year, when exactly will it be released?… Read more

PC classic Civilization makes iPhone debut

Following in the footsteps of PC classics like Doom, Myst, and SimCity, Sid Meier's legendary Civilization just landed in the App Store.

Not only has it arrived, but also it's on sale for $4.99--but only until tomorrow (Aug. 12), at which time the price jumps to $9.99.

Of course, die-hard Civilization fans (of which there are a few hundred bazillion) would probably pay any price for a mobile, iPhone-optimized version of the beloved game. If you're new to the world-building party, there's a single-scenario Lite version available for free.

Civilization Revolution for the iPhone … Read more