iPhone

I scout several Web sites every week for new iPhone applications to try to find what I think are the most useful (or the most fun) for everyone who reads this column. A couple of weeks ago, I featured a budgeting application that I thought had some nice features, but a user quickly pointed me in the direction of something much better.

Mint.com (Free) is an excellent money management tool that automatically syncs up with your accounts to help you follow a budget on your iPhone. The interface is well designed, letting you quickly navigate several accounts, track spending, … Read more

Infinitely cooler and more practical than the still-respected iTunes Remote is Air Mouse for iPhone 1.5 ($6). Why? You can play music and videos from any media player, for starters, not just from Apple's pet player.

In fact, Air Mouse gives you the reins to the keyboard and mouse, with new screens in this version that are tailored to commanding the Web browser, media players, and function keys. Then there are the two methods for wielding your iPhone's remote mouse, and new support for landscape mode.

In a word, it's awesome, and it works (with the … Read more

If you own an iPhone 3G, you know how the 3G and GPS features eat battery life. The Mophie juice pack is the first accessory I got for mine. I liked it, but like all juice packs, you'll have to plug it in at some point--unless you get the SoliCharger from SoliLight.

This new juice pack for the iPhone (both versions) and iPod is probably the most versatile in terms of how it gets recharged.

The SoliCharger can be charged in any one of four ways: via Apple's USB charging cord, an Apple compatible car charger, a computer'… Read more

Market research firm iSuppli has taken apart the BlackBerry Storm and discovered that the sum of its parts is worth more than those of Apple's iPhone 3G.

Components used to build new Research In Motion smartphone cost about $203, according to iSuppli. Verizon Wireless, the exclusive carrier of the Storm, sells the device for $199 after rebates and with a two-year service contract. Meanwhile, the total cost of components in Apple's 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G, which was introduced last summer, is $174. AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive carrier, sells the 8GB device for $199 with a two-year … Read more

Apple may be planning a new section of the App Store dedicated to premium game titles that will put more cash in the pockets of developers.

The new section will supposedly cater to games that sell for about $20, according to the blog PocketGamer.biz, which first reported the rumor.

The new section will be restricted to only games of large publishers, rather than titles created by smaller gaming developers that are already offered through the main App Store, the site said.

PocketGamer believes that Apple will likely introduce the new section its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

The … Read more

As might be expected, it doesn't seem that the iPhone 3G will be Apple's last iPhone.

MacRumors has discovered code inside the OS X 2.2.1 firmware released earlier this week that describes an "IPhone 2,1" model. Previous discoveries have shown that Apple uses this labeling nomenclature for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

The original iPhone was labeled "1,1", while the iPhone 3G was model "1,2." The iPod Touch has already advanced to a second-generation design, as the iPod Touch released at September's music event … Read more

T-Mobile hit us with a triple whammy today when it released the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900, T-Mobile Shadow and the Nokia 7510. Bonnie managed to secure the two smartphones for full reviews, and she gave us the full details in today's Dialed In. We also dish on the the latest Palm Treo Pro rumors, a camera phone-hating Congressman, texting in the sky, and why service rebates really stink. And if reviews are all you're after, we also give you the scoop on the latest handsets that we put to the test. Listen now: Download today's podcast

Ever since Palm introduced the Pre at CES a few weeks ago, rumors have been swirling over the possibility of Palm butting heads with Apple in a courtroom over the Pre's functionality.

Critics say the Pre's use of swiping the screen to move between windows, and multitouch gestures to zoom, make it a logical legal target for Apple, which has engaged in some posturing over the past few weeks.

In Apple's quarterly earnings call last week, COO Tim Cook said that his company "will not stand for having our IP ripped off," but he wouldn't "talk about any specific company."

It's no secret which company Cook is talking about and in an interview with All Things Digital, a Palm rep said that if the company is "faced with legal action," it's confident that it has "the tools necessary" to defend itself against any Apple lawsuits.

Whether or not Palm has a case is in doubt. Apple was recently awarded a patent that covers many of the iPhone's multitouch functionality, including the zoom functions and swiping currently found in Palm's Pre.

Will Apple use this new patent to its advantage? The company has yet to make a statement. But if takes Palm to court over the Pre, I'll be rooting for Palm. … Read more

Multitouch gestures on the iPhone are simple and really easy to use. Mobile touch-screen devices that don't have it, however, can make Web browsing a harrowing experience. Enter Linja Zax, a new project that's trying to give users an easy way to zoom in and out of Web pages (and potentially other UI elements) with one finger only.

Similar to the "wax on, wax off" mantra of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid, this simply involves moving your finger in a circular motion. Going clockwise zooms in, while counterclockwise zooms you back out. In the demo, … Read more