phones

There aren't many, but one of the downsides of the digital revolution is noise pollution. The proliferation of gadgetry in our society has given rise to a constant cacophony of beeps, rings, buzzes and Beyonce ringtones. On any given day, the sound of our own phones is enough to push us over the brink, which is why we usually keep them on vibrate. But even a vibrating phone can sound like a buzz saw when it's bouncing around on a wooden desktop.

Here's one possible solution that could work equally well in a deafening office where a … Read more

One of the most useful things the iPhone does is find Wi-Fi networks in the area. This is something any device with Wi-Fi connectivity can do, but finding a Web connection with an iPhone in hand is a bit easier than driving around a neighborhood with a laptop in search of a strong signal.

This also happens to one of the most revealing and amusing features of the iPhone.

Sure, many network names are as mundane as "linksys," 2WIRE252" and "homenetwork." In San Francisco, you find a lot of service set identifiers such as "… Read more

Counting iPhones is harder than it looks, at least from the outside.

Coming off iPhone Weekend, the numbers game flew through the air as financial analysts tried to guess how many iPhones were sold by Apple and AT&T on June 29 and June 30, the last two days of the second quarter. Estimates ranged from 200,000 to 700,000 for the whole weekend, which is why AT&T's report of 146,000 iPhone activations on Tuesday was quite the buzzkill heading into Apple's earnings Wednesday. Apple's stock closed down $8.81, or 6.… Read more

I asked a friend today (we'll call him "Bryce Roberts" to protect his identity) about his experience with the iPhone. He was a heavy Blackberry user before, so I wanted to find out how the transition was going. He said:

It's actually given me a healthier relationship with email (and my family). Because it's so hard to type on this thing, I spend a lot less time with the device.

How's that for a technology coup? Sexy enough that people want to use it, but unusable enough that they don't. I'm actually … Read more

Walking into an upscale boutique, one is bombarded with all things designer--clothes, shoes, handbags, and even makeup. As if all those objects of temptation weren't enough, Armani has reportedly teamed up with Samsung to design a cell phone that will appeal to label fiends everywhere.

Armani has not released an official statement on the phone. But The Korea Herald, citing an unnamed Samsung representative, is reporting that plans are in the works and the phone will likely be released in Europe this October. However, "the two companies have not signed a contract yet," the story said.

Armani'… Read more

The iPhone has landed in the real world and at my house it's been more of a thud than a revelation. Will iPhone be an indispensable tool or a special-occasion gimmick? Find out how everyone's tech fantasy is squaring with one busy family's reality.… Read more

I'm not sure how you people can watch movies and TV shows on those little screens, but you sure are doing it! Every time I turn around on the bus or in the airport, somebody is watching video on her iPod. (If she's supercool, she's watching it on her new iPhone.)

It's easy to buy videos designed to view on those little screens, of course, but if you want to get your own DVDs and Web movies onto your iPod or iPhone, you'll have to dive into the wide world of video converters.… Read more

AT&T said it that it signed up 146,000 new subscribers in the first two days it offered the iPhone, slightly down from some Wall Street expectations, but the promise of iPhone madness is still alive.

Wall Street analysts had predicted that AT&T would activate 200,000 iPhones in June, but the actual number reported on Tuesday when AT&T discussed second quarter results fell short of this goal. The iPhone, which is only being sold through AT&T, went on sale June 29th. AT&T's second quarter officially ended June 30th.… Read more

Don't tell mainstream marketers this, but text-messaging promotions can work.

At least for Virgin Mobile, which used the power of its network of 5 million mobile customers to raise money and awareness for homeless children in America. (There are an estimated 1.2 million to 2.8 million children and teens who are homeless in the United States.) In partnership with the nonprofit YouthNoise, among others, Virgin Mobile urged its customers, via text message, to donate $1 from their account to help homeless kids by sending the word "donate" to the short-code 66473 (or "noise"). … Read more