iPhone Atlas

Sprint today is shouting its unlimited iPhone 4S data plan from the rooftops, hoping to attract Verizon customers who are hopping mad at losing their unlimited data.

Starting today, you can trade in your current non-Sprint iPhone for the carrier's own model, and get at least $100 off when you sign a new two-year contract.

Of course, the limited-time offer also gets you Sprint's promise of capless data access for the device, and that's what Sprint hopes will be the real draw for fed-up Verizon subscribers.

CNET has contacted Verizon for a comment.

Plan rates and conditions … Read more

Those of you in the market for an iPhone 4 can now pick one up at Best Buy for just $49.99.

The iPhone 4 is half off the usual retail price of $99.99 and requires a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless, AT&T, or Sprint. Potential buyers have a color choice of black or white.

The deal seems to be an in-store only promotion as the Best Buy Web site shows that none of the models is available for shipping. Stock may also be limited -- an online search of various stores around the country revealed the … Read more

Flipboard (free) is already many people's go-to app for flipping through the latest news and social network updates. But today, a new update lets you connect Flipboard with SoundCloud to offer audio clips created by major news services like NPR, and audio clips created by your friends and people you follow.

You can sign into the new SoundCloud component by using a previously created SoundCloud account, by starting a new account, or by using your Facebook account. Once connected, Facebook and Twitter posts, and any story that includes audio, can be listened to with a handy player that resides … Read more

One out of every two mobile subscribers owns a smartphone of some kind, and those smartphone owners average 41 apps per device, according to the latest report from Nielsen.

If those numbers sound staggering to you, consider where the mobile phone customer landscape was just one year ago. Nielsen reports that back then, just 40 percent of mobile subscribers had smartphones and that apps per device were at 32.

The study, labeled the State of the Appnation, also found that Android and iOS users make up the bulk of smartphone owners, accounting for 88 percent of people that have downloaded … Read more

I am going to whisper this very quietly, but there are some people who are sick of Zooey Deschanel's "self-consciously cute ways."

I use the quotation marks because I don't want the person who said it to have his house broken into by rabid men ages 18 to 34.

It would be men in that age range because, according to YouGov's indispensable and highly objective Brand Index, these men love the fact that Deschanel is starring in Apple's Siri ads.

Indeed, the very minute Apple launched its ads (which also featured the rather bossy … Read more

Discovered by Patently Apple in a group of 21 patents issued to Apple by the Patent and Trademark Office, the in-vehicle remote-control patent describes a product designed for drivers wishing to control their iOS devices more easily.

Currently, drivers must fumble around with their iPhone, iPod, or iPad to change songs, get directions, or make calls if their car's in-dash system doesn't support iOS devices. This lack of integration can cause serious distractions for drivers.

Apple's solution is a small device that would attach to any steering wheel, allowing users to connect to their iOS devices and control basic functions.… Read more

I first posted this roundup not long after the iPhone 4 hit stores and it's been through several updates, and now only includes cases that fit both the iPhone 4 and 4S and carry the "universal fit" tag.

Update, May 15, 2012: Added Griffin Survivor and Gumdrop Drop Tech Series.

As I've said before, how you choose to protect -- or not protect -- your iPhone is a matter of personal preference. But if some heavy-duty shielding is what you're looking for, this is the list for you.

While I tried to pick tough, protective cases that look good and don't make your iPhone too bulky, a few of the cases have more extreme designs that aren't necessarily intended for everyday use. I should also note that some of the more rugged cases can be a bit of a chore to remove and aren't friendly toward iPod docks and certain charging accessories due to how recessed the ports become when the case is on.

… Read more

Is Apple purposely tweaking Siri to stack the deck in favor of the iPhone? Nokia certainly thinks so.

Siri stirred up some controversy late last week in voicing its view on smartphones. When asked its recommendation of the best smartphone, Apple's voice assistant named Nokia's Lumia 900 the top dog.

However, it didn't take long for Siri to change its mind. As of yesterday, the voice assistant is firmly back in Apple's camp. When asked the same question, Siri now responds: "The one you're holding," or "You're kidding, right?"

Apple … Read more

iCloud currently offers users the capability to store and sync photos to other iOS devices and PCs using Photo Stream. That functionality does not, however, include the capability to share with other users directly.

According to the WSJ sources, users would be able to comment on shared photos, but any further details of the service have yet to be disclosed.

The iCloud update is expected to be officially announced by Apple at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins June 11.

Last week, several sneak peeks at Apple's plans for its iCloud service made their way to the … Read more