Apple

Nvidia-based Microsoft smartphone coming?

Updated at 5:45 p.m. PST with additional comments from Microsoft.

Nvidia's Tegra chip will be used in an upcoming Microsoft smartphone, according to an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech.

The San Francisco-based research firm also is speculating that Apple will eventually use the Nvidia ARM-based chip in a future iPhone.

Broadpoint's Doug Freedman said the Microsoft-branded phone would be the second Nvidia Tegra design win after HTC. "We believe the HTC ramp in '09 is the more material of the two as we have some concerns on the channel for Microsoft's handset distribution given the … Read more

Jajah adds calling and texting to iPod Touch

Internet phone company Jajah can turn the iPod Touch into an iPhone. (Download from CNET Download.com.)

The company, which competes with other low-cost Internet calling applications such as Skype, announced Thursday a new application that will allow Touch users to call and text messages using a voice over IP network instead of a carrier's cellular network.

All that is needed to start making calls is the Jajah application, the latest version of the iPod Touch, a microphone headset, and a Wi-Fi connection. While the Jajah service can reduce calling costs up to 98 percent, the fact that it … Read more

Why it's time to dump smartphone data plans

Time to dump smartphone data plans? Why not? The cell phone market is stagnating--and worse while only a fraction of wireless customers own smartphones. Any way you look at it, the global cell phone market appears to be in miserable shape.

Some recent headlines to consider:

• Motorola loses $3.6 billion

• Sprint Nextel announces plans to cut 8,000 jobs

• Nokia's profits plunge 69 percent

• New subscriber growth at T-Mobile USA (which coincidentally offers the only Google Android phone in the U.S. market) suffers a steep decline.

•  While the fourth quarter is usually … Read more

iPhone racer gets a big update

My favorite game so far for the iPhone just got even better and it's definitely worthy of its own Download blog post. To be clear, this is not my iPhone apps of the week post which will appear on Friday as usual. It's just an update I think all players of this game should know about.

SlotZ Racer ($2.99) just received a free major update and it is definitely a must have for fans of this slot-racing simulator. The game was already a steal at the $2.99 price tag, featuring excellent graphics, different racing modes to … Read more

The Digital Home 49: It's time to get connected

In this episode, Don discusses Windows 7 and its possible impact on the world of tech. After that, he examines Panasonic's recent layoffs and sits down with Qwest Technologies to hear about the Connected Home. Check it out!

And as always, follow Don on Twitter!

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 49 … Read more

Apple delays 17-inch MacBook Pro shipments

Apple is going to need a little more time to get its new 17-inch MacBook Pro out the door.

Last week Apple updated its order page for the new MacBook Pro unveiled at Macworld 2009 to reflect a shipping lead time of 7 to 10 days. But AppleInsider now reports that those who preordered the systems from Apple have been told not to expect their systems before February 19.

Apple didn't provide an exact explanation for the delay but told customers via e-mail that "wrapping up the new 17-inch MacBook Pro is taking a few days longer than … Read more

Bump up your old iPod to 240GB

I'll catch some hell for saying it, but Apple's fifth-generation iPod (aka the iPod Video) is one of the best hard-drive MP3 players of all time.

Say what you will about sound quality or the easily scratched screen, compared with today's iPod models the 5G iPod has a lot of advantages: it's compatible with just about every iPod accessory ever made; video output is built right in; you can use it with older computers and old versions of iTunes; and there are countless ways to hack and modify it. Unfortunately, the old guy just doesn't … Read more

Norway drops iTunes gripes after Apple drops DRM

One of Apple's most persistent European critics regarding the use of digital-rights management technology on the iTunes Store has dropped its complaint following the company announcement that iTunes music would soon be DRM-free.

Norway's consumer ombudsman, Bjoern Erik Thon, said Wednesday that he would drop his complaint against iTunes before Norway's Market Council, telling Agence France Presse "we have no reason to pursue them anymore." Norway has been particularly vocal among European critics regarding the way Apple had used DRM technologies on the iTunes store to limit the use of purchased iTunes songs to iPods.… Read more

Smartphones offer hope in declining cell phone biz

Cell phone sales around the world took a nose dive in the fourth quarter, as the weakened economy hurt demand for new devices. But sales of smartphones continued to grow.

According to IDC, overall sales of cell phones in the fourth quarter were down about 12.6 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. In the fourth quarter of 2008, manufacturers shipped a total of 289.0 million units, compared to 330.8 million units shipped during the fourth quarter a year ago.

''The fourth quarter was the perfect storm of factors to produce this result,'' Ramon Llamas, senior … Read more