Phones

On Wednesday, as predicted, the rain came. I must say I don't think I've sported this much Gore-Tex outside of hiking trips. Thunderstorms had been on the horizon for New York, and despite rampant rumors that Steve Jobs can control the weather, they still came. Around the 5th Avenue Apple Store, drainage isn't too good, so parts of the stone courtyard outside the Early Show studios were half an inch deep in water. (Note to self: don't wear flip-flops next time!)

But that didn't do anything to break up the line of enthusiasts waiting for … Read more

MacRumors has confirmed that the forthcoming version of iTunes will contain a built-in ringtone creation utility for songs purchased via the iTunes Music Store. Users will be able to right-click on purchased songs and select "Make into Ringtone," which will give them a small audio workspace to select the 30 seconds they want to use as a new ringtone. According to MacRumors, the use of this feature will cost $.99 per track--a fee which goes toward licensing the music for your mobile phone. That means the total fee for a ringtone is $1.98.

There's no confirmation … Read more

If you're planning to stand in line for an iPhone at an AT&T store, or if you're already there, understand that you can only buy one of those babies this weekend.

AppleInsider received an e-mail from AT&T informing potential customers that it's one-and-done for iPhone purchases starting this Friday at 6 p.m., at least at the onset. Apple is also expected to limit purchases, but the company hasn't said how many devices you'll be allowed to take home. Neither company's Web site appears to have that info at the … Read more

A San Francisco Craigslist posting is offering to supply "diversions" that will allow buyers to cut in line for the iPhone, and sadly, we're afraid he might not be joking.

"Why pay someone else big $$$ to wait in line if the only thing between you and the front of the line is a good diversion?" the post asks, claiming to come from a trademarked company called "Over Here, Jerks." "Our tactics are guaranteed to be safe, effective and even humorous!"

Photos accompanying the posting include a giant clown bicycle, a scary-looking … Read more

A power outage, possibly related to the sweltering heat, has knocked out one of New York City's most heavily trafficked subway lines as well as some lights in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. The outage, which apparently began around 3:40 PM EDT, affected the 4, 5, and 6 subway lines (the green line), the D line, and power in nearby areas of Manhattan and the Bronx near Yankee Stadium. There's no word on when power will be restored yet.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority's Web site, meanwhile, is timing out, probably due to the overload … Read more

The iPhone hasn't even launched yet and there are already dozens--if not hundreds--of iPhone accessories ready to be purchased. Sure, most of them are universal dock iPod accessories that happen to be iPhone-compatible, but there are also quite a few that were made with the iPhone in mind. From Apple's own Bluetooth headset and iPhone dock to a plethora of cases and headphone adapters, it looks like new iPhone owners will be spoiled for choice when it comes to the right accessory for their brand-new cell phone. Here are just a few that have caught our eyes recently. … Read more

BOSTON--Device and network technology is not holding back mobile video, it's the money makers who can't agree on what to do with it.

At least that was the consensus among several mobile video leaders, including Nokia and MobiTV, at Red Herring East's Wednesday panel on mobile video.

"From a network and device perspective we are ready," said Ray Derenzo, vice president of business development for MobiTV, one of the leading mobile video distributors.

Proprietary nuisances, on the other hand, are an issue.

"It's all about the open platform," said Nokia research director … Read more

While half a dozen people smolder in the near 90 degree heat waiting in front of Apple's store on Fifth Avenue for the much anticipated iPhone, no one is camping out yet at the AT&T store in Times Square.

So far all seems quiet in Times Square. A salesman said the store would be getting those steel barricades the NYPD uses to control crowds on Thursday just to make sure that the line, when it forms, will be orderly. But as of Wednesday, the AT&T store looked like a promising option for people who must … Read more

There are so many products announced at the January Consumer Electronics Show, a few of them always manage to slip off your radar. For me, one such product was the new line of GE-branded cordless phones from Thomson. I know what you're thinking--"Thomson" and "GE" are yawner brands that have no place among your carefully groomed hipster-approved gadget lineup. Well, think again: I was able to spend some quality time with the new GE phones last night, and each of them offered at least one compelling leg up on competing products. Each model is a DECT 6.0 product (Digital Enhanced Cordless Technology), meaning it operates on the 1900Mhz wireless band that's free of the interference issues that can occur on the more-crowded 2.4Ghz band (which competes with everything from microwave ovens to Wi-Fi to wireless speakers). A quick roundup of the key models follows: … Read more