The old most popular list is really coming back into its own these days. For a while there I thought it would be all phones forever. But it's two months running with only two phones on the list. I guess most of you all finally picked a phone and are moving on to better TVs, Netbooks, etc.
So watch in good health this week and then come back to this blog post and take a crack at answering the trivia question for a chance at winning the lame prize.
Cell phones are the hottest tech items of the year, and one of the most frequent questions we get at CNET is: what's the best phone?
We conferred with Mr. Kent German, who sees every phone created, and worked up a list to count down. And don't forget you can post an answer to the lame prize question in the comments for a chance to win the signed iPhone cases! So watch the show and come back.
Time once again to check in on the most popular, and the trend away from cell phone domination continues this month! Hooray for Netbooks and TVs! Maybe it's the fall shopping season finally starting to turn people's minds away from phones. It's so much nicer to buy a gift that doesn't come with a two-year contract.
And of course there's a prize in this Top 5. So watch it, and answer the question in the comments below. One of the first 10 people to answer correctly wins the racing shirt. Properly laundered, I promise.
There have been plenty of ways to view Flickr photos and upload to Flickr from your iPhone using third-party apps. But Yahoo's Flickr for iPhone app is the company's first official take.
How is it? We're sorry to report that for avid uploaders, it's only so-so. You can search, view your photostream, and also friends' photostreams. You can also take and upload photos or video--for the latter, only if you've got the video-enabled iPhone 3GS. Commenting, e-mailing a photo, and tagging are also present.
So what's the problem? Flickr for iPhone is missing some management basics like deleting photos from the photostream, editing tags, and zooming in on a photo. These may seem small, but they add up to an experience that isn't fully baked. Catch all the pros and cons in the First Look video above, and share your own opinion in the comments.
Related story: Smile! Flickr has an official iPhone app
Last week when it first updated, we related our first impressions of Facebook for iPhone 3.0. Now that's we've spent some more quality time with it over the weekend, we can confirm that the 3.0 update is huge. Sure, it takes up more room on your iPhone or iPod Touch, but that's not what we meant.
The real growth spurt comes from the pile of new and improved features that Facebook has poured into the app. They range from the typical--support for landscape mode, capability to change your profile picture--to the powerful--such as creating photo albums and kicking off a text message or call from the Facebook interface.
That last point echoes a central thesis in a June 2009 Wired article ("The Great Wall of Facebook"): by storing intensely personal data about real people--their likes and dislikes, e-mail addresses, friends, activities, and even phone numbers--Facebook is creating a formidable "second Internet" to rival Google. Indeed, the SMS and phone call triggers on Facebook for iPhone 3.0 (and a similar feature on Facebook for BlackBerry that hooks into your address book) do influence, even facilitate, the way you contact friends in real life. Now you can rely on a Web-based network as a point of entry to your actual social life.
But that feature is just one of many. See the new Facebook for iPhone 3.0 in action in this First Look video. If you have used it, let us know how you like it.
Many people have complained lately about AT&T's network problems. My solution to spotty 3G data coverage: switch to Verizon.
Here's how.
The Verizon MiFi is a cigarette pack size portable access point. It takes the cellular data from Verizon and rebroadcasts it as Wi-Fi. There's also a version for Sprint's data network, if that works better in your area.
The MiFi is smaller than an iPhone. And of course, this trick will work for any phone that has Wi-Fi. Although it might not make much sense if you were using a Verizon or Sprint phone.
Turn on the MiFi and make sure it's running.
Go to your phone and connect to the MiFi's Wi-Fi access point.
Now you have Verizon's data network behind your phone.
And this means a couple things. For one, I get much better data coverage in my area with Verizon. For instance, AT&T's 3G network craps out about halfway across the Bay Bridge, cutting off my Pandora, or Twitter or whatever else I'm using. The Verizon data network stays connected all the way across.
Another happy accident of using the system this way is you get around data network restrictions. ... Read more
Tom and Brian take live calls and answer e-mail questions about cell phone plans, wireless reception, and Google Chrome issues.
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Documents To Go (with and without support for Microsoft Exchange attachments) is one of our favorite applications for turning your iPhone into a home office. But it's not anywhere near complete and it has some formidable competition in the form of Quickoffice Mobile Suite, another premium offering.
If you're in the market for a document editor and creator, this video will give you a peep at what Documents To Go can offer in its first application release.
Things we Crave
Add more USB ports to your laptop with style
Nintendo Wii gets catering channel in Japan
First Looks
Best of the Web
FlightAware is being used to ferret out news stories Video question
Can I get a 3G data card that will work in USA and Brazil?
Check your carrier before you sign up to make sure they roam in Brazil. Even so, it's going to be expensive for a world plan. It might be better to just wait until you get to Brazil to get the card, or go with a prepaid card in the US for six months and then get a new card in Brazil.
Links we mentioned
To sync Windows Mobile phones to OS X try Missing Sync or SyncMate.
Belarc Advisor inventories your computer specs and software for free.
List of VoIP apps for iPod Touch.
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