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We tell you everything you need to know about smartphones and answer questions about Windows 7 and more.

Most popular products is a Top 5 we do monthly. It's pretty popular. It used to be a constantly changing list, often dominated by game consoles, but lately it's been taken over by phones. All phones. We've even considered changing the name to most popular smartphones.

In any case, we're still giving away a little prize for the Top 5, even if the guy from the Mailbag thinks it's lame. And since the list is all phones, we're giving away a phone...sort of. Well, it's a squishy phone.

Watch the video to get the question, then come back here and post your answer in the comments. Be one of the first 10 to post a correct answer and you may win the squishy. It's signed by our cell phone reviewer Bonnie Cha, after all.

HTC Topa100 may be the HTC Touch Diamond 2

(Credit: FCC)

When we saw that HTC passed something through the FCC this week, we didn't really know what it was. The model number was "TOPA100", which doesn't sound too familiar. That is, until we saw this post from Engadget Mobile that suggested it might be a codeword for "Topaz" also known as the HTC Touch Diamond 2. This appears to be just the European version though, and not anything for the U.S. market. Still, it's a good sign that a quad-band unlocked version might be available.

Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here is a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.

Huawei C5600
HTC Touch Diamond 2 (TOPA100)
LG MC500
Nokia RM-492
Samsung B2100
Samsung GT-M2310
Samsung SCH-S379
Samsung S3110L
ZTE AD3700

(Credit: Global IP)

If talking over the phone is not enough (as it's never enough for me, personally), you will probably soon have the option to place video calls, too. That is, of course, if your mobile phone supports VideoEngine Mobile platform Global IP Solutions (GIPS), the company that introduced the VoiceEngine for iPhone recently, announced on Monday.

The technology enables peer-to-peer video calling as well as multipoint video conferencing on mobile phones. GIPS says that its VideoEngine Mobile pave the way for wireless carriers, application developers and mobile handset manufacturers to provide high-quality video calls, even under adverse network conditions.

The VideoEngine works by implementing GIPS' existing industry standard real-time communications capabilities to leverage network effects and hardware limitations. This results in a better way to solve the most complex voice and video-related challenges in IP communications, such as packet loss and lip synchronization.

Currently the new VideoEngine works only with Windows Mobile hardware that is powered by the Marvell chipset and Intel XScale PX310 processor, such as the HP iPAQ series, Samsung's SGH-i780 and Gigabyte's GSmart MS808. This is because GIPS has partnered with Marvell Technology to make sure that its new VideoEngine is optimized for the mentioned hardware.

Still, this is a first step. In order for video calling to work, carriers have to adopt the technology and handsets need to be designed for it. For example, you can't have a video call if the camera of the phone is facing the other way from the screen. It is predicted that mobile TV and mobile video services are going to be popular by 2013.

Future releases of VideoEngine Mobile will also support other popular mobile platforms, including Symbian and Apple's iPhone, as well as additional hardware platforms for Windows Mobile.

The question is: when this all happens, what would be the excuse when "seeing" somebody is still not enough?

Update at 10:52 a.m. PDT: Information about monthly text messaging added

AT&T reaffirmed pricing for the iPhone 3G on Tuesday, noting that eligible customers can snag the new smartphone for a discount: $199 with an 8GB flash drive and $299 for 16GB.

AT&T will begin offering Apple's iPhone 3G at its retail stores beginning July 11 at 8 a.m. local time. AT&T is the exclusive iPhone carrier in the U.S.

Under the plan, the discounted price will be available to customers who have purchased any iPhone before July 11, who are activating a new customer line with AT&T, or who were eligible for an upgrade discount at the time of purchase. (Eligibility for an upgrade discount, the carrier said, is generally determined by amount of time remaining on a current contract and the payment history.)

To be eligible, customers must also sign a two-year contract. Apple had revealed the $199 and $299 pricing for the iPhone 3G at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Those who are not eligible for an upgrade discount can buy the iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB version. Both require a two-year contract as well.

Customers who purchase the phone without a contract will pay $599 for the 8GB version or $699 for the 16GB model.

The phones will come with the iPhone 2.0 software preloaded on the devices, which includes such business-class e-mail through Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and the iPhone Software Development Kit for creating customized applications. AT&T will also offer its Yellowpages.com Mobile for iPhone on the devices.

There will be an activation fee of either $18 for existing customers eligible for an upgrade, or $36 for new customers.

AT&T is requiring customers to activate their phones in the stores, as the carrier looks to reduce the number of customers who may try to unlock, or hack, the phones to run on other carriers' networks.

AT&T is launching four voice and unlimited data plans for the iPhone 3G.

The AT&T Nation Unlimited plan will include unlimited anytime minutes for $129.99 a month, while the AT&T Nation 450 plan includes 450 anytime minutes and 5,000 night and weekend minutes for $69.99 a month.

The carrier is also offering its Nation 1350 plan, which includes 1,350 anytime minutes for $109.99 a month, and Nation 900 plan that includes 900 anytime minutes for $89.99 per month. Both of these plans include unlimited night and weekend minutes.

And for folks who engage in tons of text messaging, AT&T is charging $5 for every 200 text messages; $15 for every 1,500 messages; and $20 for unlimited text messages.

For more details on the device, see Crave's iPhone 3G FAQ.

(Credit: Apple)

Apple's iPhone is expected to cross the Canadian border later this year, the country's largest wireless provider said Tuesday.

Rogers Communications, which is also Canada's only GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) provider, will serve as the region's iPhone carrier.

"We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned," Chief executive Ted Rogers said in a statement.

The announcement comes 10 months after the Canadian company let it slip out of the bag that it would be the exclusive iPhone provider in Canada. Rogers Communications then had retract its press release, noting it had no definitive arrangement to carry the iPhone.

Continuing its spending spree, Acer announced Monday it plans to acquire E-Ten for $290 million.

Based in Taiwan, E-Ten has been around for more than two decades, and part of its business includes manufacturing Pocket PC phones and PDAs for other companies. But it's probably known best to consumers by its Glofiish consumer brand name, established less than two years ago.

Acer buys Glofiish maker E-Ten

(Credit: Glofiish)

With this purchase, Acer, also based in Taiwan, appears laser-focused on becoming a major mobile player. Thanks to its acquisitions of both Gateway and Packard Bell, it's already taken out Dell as the second-largest manufacturer of notebooks. Now it appears ready to jump into the handheld computing fray.

"The acquisition of E-Ten increases Acer's global footprint by giving us a strong and highly credible presence in the mobility segment," J.T. Wang, CEO of Acer, said in a statement.

It's interesting that Acer has apparently been in the market for a mobile phone company and bypassed Motorola, which was, even if only temporarily, up for grabs. Instead, it went for a relative unknown (outside of China), that is likely far cheaper but, more importantly, one that specifically makes smartphones, rather than flip phones and their ilk.

Acer apparently sees value in the smartphone trend. Regarding the announcement, Acer President Gianfranco Lanci added, "The worldwide smartphone market is estimated to grow by more than 30 percent by 2011. Acer will enhance the competitiveness in the ultramobile segment, by combining PC and communication technologies."

Smartphones are increasingly becoming tinier versions of laptops. And they're only going to keep getting smarter, more connected, and more powerful. So for a company that is doing well shipping a lot of notebooks, finding a way to sell even smaller versions of those computers makes a lot of sense.

Palm at GSMA

(Credit: CNET Networks)

There's a lot of Windows Mobile and Symbian news at GSMA Mobile World Congress, but things have been pretty quiet in Palm-land. Still, the company is here at the show, and there was a wee bit news. First, a GSM version of the Palm Centro will be coming to Europe. According to Treonauts, the unlocked Centro will be available in the United Kingdom on February 14, and at the end of the month for the rest of Europe with a price tag of 299 euros. A Web site called TamsWMS also has what appears to be the first unboxing of an unlocked Palm Treo 500 for Vodafone, though we haven't heard anything official about this product yet.

Back here in the States, rumors are starting to pick up that AT&T will start selling the Palm Centro on February 19. It will carry the same attractive $99 price tag as its Sprint counterpart, but will come in a fresh white color. Stay tuned for more.

The New York Times recently reported a heartwarming story about a lost digital camera being returned after a kindhearted stranger analyzed the photos on the camera to find the owner.

The camera was left in the backseat of a New York taxi, and contained sightseeing photos of Manhattan, as well as Florida snapshots including people wearing name tags. Leads took the hunt to Ireland, back to New York, and finally to Syndey, Australia, where the rightful owner lives. He was "over the moon" with gratitude to get his camera back.

This story has a happy ending, and perhaps most of us would be glad to get our camera back in that situation, but it also made me uneasy to realize how much personally identifiable information was stored on one camera card. I would rather have a locked camera than could not be accessed if it was found, than have a stranger be able to peer into my photos.

The situation is even more crucial when it involves smartphones. ... Read more