Phone

Social news site Digg just posted some preliminary results from the site activity since launching its recommendation engine last month. According to a post on the official Digg blog from engine creator Anton Kast, all-around voting on the site has gone up by 40 percent since launch.

Other numbers that have gone up include commenting (an 11 percent increase) and some of the social networking, which went up nearly a quarter within the past 30 days. Part of the reason for the additional "friending" and profile views are due to the recommendation engine's suggestion of not only … Read more

Earlier this week I compared Evernote and YouNote, two solid note-taking applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. With the thousands of Apple-approved iPhone apps springing up in the iTunes AppStore, finding the right program is becoming a test of patience.

In an effort to help slash your guesswork a bit, we took a closer look at one of those note-takers, YouNote. In this First Look video, we demonstrate the features that caught our eye and discuss what we'd like to see in YouNote's future versions.

Also check out other First Look videos on popular and must-have apps … Read more

Correction, 10:20 a.m. PDT: An earlier version of this story gave the incorrect quarter for the iPhone 3G's release. It was released in the third quarter of the calendar year.

Motorola surprised Wall Street Thursday by reporting a small profit and steady market share in its beleaguered handset business for the second quarter of 2008.

The key to Motorola's success for the quarter was cost-cutting and strong performance from businesses other than its handset division. As a result, the company was able to squeak out a $4 million profit, or less than 1 cent a share, … Read more

It looks like the Apple iPhone is getting a piece of the Olympic action. In commemoration of the upcoming Beijing summer games, diamond jeweler De Vere's of London has unveiled its latest creation, the diamond-encrusted Beijing Olympic iPhone.

Made up of 88 diamonds set on the front metal bezel, the Diamond iPhone is designed to coincide with the opening day of the Olympics on August 8, a date that reads 08/08. More importantly, the number 88 also symbolizes wealth for the Chinese.

Ironically, wealth is probably what you'll need to own one of these exclusive diamond-studded iPhones. … Read more

You know how sometimes you get a huge mound of dishes piled up in the kitchen sink, and then something starts to stink, and it takes a long time to realize where the stink is coming from, but eventually you wash every dish and scrub the whole thing out and it takes maybe a day or two, but you're finally fresh and happy again? OK, well, iTunes is a kitchen sink full of crud, and it stinks. Apple? You need to clean that bad boy out. Trust me. We'll all feel better.

Listeners of Buzz Out Loud will … Read more

There are just three simple instructions for finding local restaurants with Urbanspoon for iPhone and iPod Touch, an application developed by the makers of Urbanspoon.com:

Step 1: If you're one the iPhone, let the app use GPS to pinpoint your location. If you're on the iPod Touch, tap the button to enter your city.

Step 2: Vigorously shake the device up and down like you would a blocked-up ketchup bottle. Or simply press the "shake" button.

Step 3: Watch the application's slot machine wheels spin as Urbanspoon settles on a cuisine, price range, and … Read more

A new architectural licensee revealed by mobile-chip designer ARM might just be an old friend.

ARM Chief Executive Warren East revealed on an earnings conference call on Wednesday that "a leading handset OEM," or original equipment manufacturer, has signed an architectural license with the company, forming ARM's most far-reaching license for its processor cores.

East declined to elaborate on ARM's new partner, but EETimes' Peter Clarke could think of only one smartphone maker who would be that interested in shaping and controlling the direction of the silicon inside its phones: Apple.

And at first blush, the … Read more

If you've been waiting for the Garmin Nuvifone, you're going to have to wait a while longer or perhaps start looking at some alternatives. Wednesday, the GPS manufacturer announced that its first smartphone will be delayed till the first half of 2009, though it was expected in Q4 2008. According to Garmin, the delay is because of "carrier specific requirements" that makes it necessary for the company to go back and make changes to the handset. An official carrier has not been named, but many believe that it will be AT&T.

Even with this … Read more

It's been 19 days since I tried and failed to get a new iPhone 3G, but today I became eligible for the discounted price, and at 7:50am I was in line at the Apple Store at the Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose.

As you can read in my previous post, I couldn't get the usual low price for my new iPhone because I had 19 days left on my current 2-year AT&T service contract. Apple was willing to sell me the phone for an extra $200, but I decided I'd rather wait until today.

I was the sixth person in line, and by 8:00am when the store opened, there were five more iPhone buyers in line behind me.

As we lined up, we received cards from an Apple employee reserving the particular model we wanted. I'd estimate the fellow had about 40 cards. I asked if the number of cards corresponded with the number of iPhones in stock, but he wouldn't say. Another Apple guy followed behind, checking our AT&T upgrade eligibility. I did this myself last night, so I was sure it would be okay this time, and indeed it was.

The doors opened right at 8:00am and… Read more