This week in cell phones at the FCC

Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the Federal Communications Commission holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.

Alcatel OT-255C
Alcatel OT-706A
HTC PC10110
HTC PD15100
Huawei U8150
CDMA RIM BlackBerry flip phone
Motorola (IHDT56LU4)
Motorola WX295
Pantech Sparrow
Samsung SCH-B379
Samsung SCH-R250
Samsung SCH-W899
Sony Ericsson Cedar

Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry. E-mail Kent.

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Hands-on with GuitarJack and FourTrack

Testing the GuitarJack recording adapter for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)

There are a number of companies offering products that let you plug your guitar into your iPhone. Most of them assume (astutely, perhaps) that musicians don't have a lot of money to throw around. Products like Amplitube iRig or Griffin GuitarConnect offer ways to transform your iPhone or iPod Touch into a virtual practice amp for around $30-$40. The result is fun and arguably convenient, but the sound quality isn't great.

Sonoma Wire Works takes a different approach, with a $199 accessory called GuitarJack that works directly through your iPhone or iPod's dock connection. The product isn't cheap, but neither is the sound, which can be adjusted for 60dB of continuous analog level control, and offers simultaneous recording from both instrument and mini jack inputs. Each input can also be adjusted with various gain pad options, and switched between hi-z and low-z impedance to precisely account for instrument and line-level sources.

The design and build quality is first class. The adapter is housed in an aluminum casing that feels as if it could survive a nuclear bomb. Even the input connectors use a high-quality nickel-plated brass that can hold up to the best pro-audio gear.

To put the GuitarJack through its paces, I tried it out yesterday morning using my guitar and the FourTrack app. To see (and hear) the results, check out the following gallery.

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Apple looks to patent new flash system

Seems like Apple wants a piece of the imaging business. The Cupertino, Calif., firm recently filed a patent for a unique flash (not Adobe's Flash, which won't work with iOS) for cameras that is said to optimize the lighting on the subject.

The patent shows an array of flash lights that point at different directions, so we presume the camera will detect where the subject is and turn on the nearest flash.

Gadget blog Gizmodo said such an implementation could make its way to iOS devices such as the iPhone and iPad, and even to video cameras.

So, anyone looking forward to an Apple-branded camera?

(Source: Crave Asia)

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New Sonos accesssory: The Wireless Dock

The Sonos Wireless Dock arrives at the end of October for $119 (no iPod Touch included).

(Credit: Sonos)

Sonos, the guys behind the highly rated multiroom music system, is getting ready to launch an accessory for users who have a lot of music stored on an iPod or iPhone.

With the Sonos Wireless Dock (WD100), which will be available at the end of October for $119, you can play all of the music from an iPod or iPhone in any room where you have a Sonos ZonePlayer setup.

Of course, a lot of people keep their music stored on a computer or networked drive, but apparently Sonos has identified that many people simply want to be able to dock their iPod or iPhone and stream music from the device. In some cases, that device might even belong to someone else. The Wireless Dock doesn't discriminate.

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Add a sexy HTML signature to iPhone e-mails

The free iPhone Signature Creator uses a little Web-app prestidigitation to let you add cool signatures to your e-mail.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida)

If you've ever messed around with the e-mail signature settings on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad, you know that the best you can hope for is to replace the stock "sent from my iPhone" message with another boring block of text.

Welcome to "Extreme Makeover: iPhone Signature Edition." With the free iPhone Signature Creator, you can whip up a sexy, HTML-based sig complete with colored text, a company logo, your Facebook and Twitter info, and more.

To get started, just fill out Signature Creator's Web-based form with as much information as you want to include: name, title, company, phone number(s), and so on. You can upload a logo or avatar in GIF or JPEG format and even tie it to a URL.

The form also gives you the option of adding links or icons to your Facebook, FaceTime, LinkedIn, Skype, or Twitter accounts.

Be sure you don't overlook the last field where you choose a PIN, otherwise the form will reset and you'll have to do the entire thing over. (I speak from experience.)

When you're done, click Create Signature. You'll see a completion page with a URL you need to enter into Safari on your device. (You can also have that link sent to you via e-mail.) When you do so, the resulting page will ask you for the pin you entered in the Web form. Type it, but before you tap Go, tap the Plus sign at the bottom of the screen, then tap Add to Home Screen.

Now, whenever you want to compose an e-mail that has your sexy new signature, just tap that new Home screen icon. Awesome.

I must give credit where credit is due: this excellent tip comes from Dave Johnson, my colleague over at Business Hacks.

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Detect lies and draw lines: iPhone apps of the week

(Credit: CNET)

No iPhone for Verizon? That seems to be the implication in news this week via AppleInsider. According to a Wall Street analyst with RBC Capital Markets, Verizon and Apple have not been able to come to an agreement on bringing the iPhone to Verizon. Apparently, both companies have issues with the deal; Verizon is wary of the iPhone cannibalizing Android's market share, and Apple may not want to settle for a lesser marketing campaign to lighten the impact of iPhone sales.

As you know, I already have an iPhone 4 (and needed one for my job, obviously) so I had no choice but to re-up my contract with AT&T. But what about you? Are you one of the people who decided to wait to buy the iPhone 4 for a chance to get a contract with Verizon? Do you think this really means the end of a deal between the two companies? I'm interested to know what people will do with this information, so please chime-in in the comments!

This week's apps include a fun way to see if your friends are telling the truth and a line-drawing game that has you hurling axes at approaching bad guys.

At the end of the quiz, Lie Detector Pro breaks down your scores on three criteria.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Lie Detector PRO (99 cents) is a fun app that allegedly can detect whether you are generally a liar or generally truthful, but mostly it's just fun to play with. To start the test, place the iPhone in your hand, read the instructions, and hit Next. From there you will be asked a series of questions onscreen and you will need to speak your answers out loud.

The app supposedly measures your stress level, the tonality of your voice, and whether your hands are shaking to detect if you are dishonest in your replies. The questions are mostly simple ("What is your first name?") with some more-personal questions ("Are you in love?"), and you end the test by speaking off the cuff for 10 seconds so the app can analyze your voice.

Does Lie Detector Pro work? Probably not, but in my testing, walking around the office to see who is the biggest liar was certainly a lot of fun for all involved. The app does not allow you to ask specific questions, which is probably a good thing because we wouldn't want people to end relationships with best friends over a lie detector test on the iPhone. Still, Lie Detector Pro is a great party trick and it's even fun just to see what score you get by trying to lie convincingly on every question. Anyone who wants a good app for hanging out with your friends to see who is the most honest (allegedly) will like this simple app.

Sometimes you'll need to throw your ax through the camp fire to take out more difficult enemies.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Axe in Face--Defense of the Daffodils (99 cents) is a silly, yet challenging game that borrows elements from many classic iPhone games in the iTunes App Store to make for a fun time waster. The object of the game is to defend a garden of daffodils from an approaching onslaught of baddies (think Plants vs. Zombies) by drawing a path from your viking warrior across the screen to throw your ax.

The ax will return to you like a boomerang, which comes in handy for hitting foes as the ax circles back around, but be careful not to draw complex paths because you won't be able to throw another ax until it returns to your hand. Much of the fun comes from trying to hit multiple enemies with one throw and you'll get a score bonus for hitting larger multiples. But if just one attacker gets past your defenses, your beautiful daffodil garden will be trampled and the game ends.

As you progress through Axe in Face, you're given more variation on the game mechanic to keep it interesting. In higher levels, you'll have more enemies to deal with along with unique enemies that require special skills to kill them. One enemy blocks himself with a pine tree that can only be beaten by throwing the ax through an onscreen fire first, then hitting the tree to sizzle the tree and the bad guy within. As the enemies get harder, you're also given a special advantage: some enemies drop small red orbs that fill up your lighting orb. When your lightning orb is full you can strike three enemies with lighting by pressing a button--great for when the game gets particularly hectic.

Axe in Face comes with only 32 levels of increasingly difficult action, but I'm hoping later updates will add more levels (and magic skills) to this cool game. Overall, if you want a fun line-drawing game, Axe in Face--Defense of the Daffodils is an excellent and affordable time-waster.

What's your favorite iPhone app? What's the lowest percentage (most honest) you've scored in Lie Detector Pro? Do you like the action in Axe in Face--Defense of the Daffodils? Let me know in the comments!

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Hair-washing robot leaves your locks silky-smooth

Lie back and let those mechatronic fingers give your scalp some love.

(Credit: Panasonic)

Bad hair day? Now you can blame your robot. Panasonic has developed a hair-washing bot that lets you lie down while your locks are gently shampooed.

Designed for Japan's growing elderly and bedridden population, the device consists of a reclining chair and a computerized washbasin.

The machine incorporates robot hand technology, with 16 mechatronic magic fingers that rinse and wash hair. It also remembers each user's individual data, such as head shape and massage preferences.

According to a Panasonic release, a moving arm in the machine first scans your head in 3D to determine its shape and the optimal amount of force to use while shampooing (one hopes this is foolproof technology).

Next, the robot's 16 fingers gently massage your scalp while a three-motor arm moves back and forth and force sensors ensure a delicate touch.

(Credit: Panasonic)

Panasonic is also demonstrating a simplified version of its wheelchair bed, which facilitates mobility for bedridden people. The Electric Care Bed is more practical, consisting merely of a bed that partly converts into a wheelchair, and lacking the robotic canopy of the model announced last year.

The number of parts and motors has been reduced, and the chair does not have joystick control like its precursor, though it does have power-assist functions to reduce the burden on caregivers.

The shampoo bot and wheelchair bed are being shown off at the International Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition from September 29 to October 1 in Tokyo. Panasonic hasn't announced prices or release dates yet. These devices would join others that automate nursing care, such as Sanyo's Hirb human washing machine, and robot nurses like Riba.

It isn't fair that older folks are getting more robot toys than the rest of us.

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Sony's Google TV product slated for October 12 NYC unveiling

(Credit: Sony/screenshot by John P. Falcone)

Get ready for more details on Google TV.

Sony has just dispatched an invitation for a New York City media event slated for October 12 that promises the introduction of "the world's first Internet Television." Sony's "Internet Television" is one of the first home video products that will include built-in support for Google TV, the new Web video service from the search giant that promises to integrate Google search and any Web-based Flash video directly into the TV.

The product was first announced at the Google I/O conference in May, and subsequently demoed at the IFA show in Germany earlier this month (see photos below). In addition to the Sony TV, there have been persistent rumors of a Google TV-enabled Sony Blu-ray player as well. The Sony products will compete with the Google TV-powered Logitech Revue set-top box, which is also scheduled to be released this fall.

CNET will be covering the October 12 event live, and we're hopeful that we'll be getting details on pricing and availability on Sony's products. For Sony and Google, it's certainly a case of the sooner, the better. These streaming TV products will be going head-to-head with the already refreshed Roku line, the soon-to-be-released Apple TV update, and the much-anticipated Boxee Box--not to mention Sony's own SMP-N100 (CNET review coming soon).

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This week in Crave: The squeaky-clean edition

Didn't use all that free time created by the Facebook outage to catch up on this week's Crave coverage? Shame on you! Well, here's what you missed while you dared to direct all that news feed-checking energy somewhere other than this blog.

• A good week for robots, which made us cry and washed our hair--and our windows.

Need help getting your windows clean?

(Credit: PIRO)

• Will next week bring the RIM BlackPad?

• And which companies will follow?

• Die, nasty cell phone germs!

• Geotagging now an indoor sport.

• iPhone 4 and Galaxy S take a racy turn.

• 3D projector specs: the showdown.

• Turn your iPad into an Etch A Sketch.

• Indie game Minecraft: alarmingly engrossing.

• The Crave podcast reveals Donald's favorite things.

• Scott and NFL FanVision take in a Jets-Patriots game.

See anything we missed? Stop posting Facebook updates already, and write to us at crave at cnet dot com!

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Follow our RIM DevCon live blog

raygun01: Cover song at Band of Horses show: Was the original by Chris Christopherson, Christopher Cross, or Kris Kross? IMPORTANT!

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iPhone 4 G vs Android Phone

Apple iPhone 4 g is currently the hottest topic in the city. Inherit the success of his previous generations, iPhone hits the market with a newly developed operating system - Apple iOS4 4 g. Together with Apple A4 1 GHz (which is same CPU that iPad shares) it allows the phone non-stop for over 10 hours, or even sleep mood for over a month run. Looking so chic, as always, iPhone features Apple's minimalist design, reappear 4 g, to be so slim & chic. The 3.5 inch screen supports multi-touch retina-another new gadget from Apple to facilitate daily use offered. It also comes with a resolution of 640 x 960 pixels and so resolution will definitely beat display all other smart phones down.

HTC would definitely beat Apple iPhone 4 g with his latest, most Smartphone HTC EVO 4 G. The phone comes with a 4.3 inch-screen, exceed the iPhones series; capacitive multi touch screen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels only is his TFT. The phone supports no internal memory; a 8 GB card included, though.What makes HTC EVO 4 G standing out most can his 1.3MP you will need front camera, the other smartphones from fehlen.Wenn a Smartphone with a fair camera HTC EVO let its 4 G, your choice.

Was Motorola droid end of the year 2009 as "iPhone alternative" promoted but droid X can beat his followers in 2010 iPhone 4 g? Droid X currently composed best hardware. iPhone 4 g to a limited number of manages support but droid X can pay more when it comes to multi - ta skin g. It is the Texas Instruments OMAP 3630 1 GHz CPU running it twice faster than the other smartphones allowed, so that Web pages can be loaded in less than 5 seconds.Although droid X has only 8 GB of internal memory, it supports 32 GB Micro SD card, which together form a huge storage capacity of 40 GB.Powered by Android 2.1 Eclair with MotoBLUR interface and Swype and is an update for Android 2.2 Froyo shortly. Droid X is surely the ultimate Android phone.






There is no doubt, the Smartphones are becoming increasingly popular. Market growth is remarkable, that attracts new players like Samsung to participate.Samsung Galaxy S is Samsung Android device.Supported by Samsung Intrinsity S5PC110 1 - GHz - processor and it has also 512 MB RAM, 8 GB/16 GB of internal memory plus additional 2 GB memory card.Apart from these, it supports Bluetooth 3.0 - the most advanced under all anderen.Es touch screen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels has an attractive 4.0 inch AMOLED kapazitiver. it just 119 grams, is independent of its big screen really leicht.Galaxy S will definitely attracts followers, many followers.

Click here for detail specification comparison: www.dragonext.com

DROID Incredible Compared with iPhone 4

With the iPhone 4 now being officially released, the real question on everyone's mind is, "How is it going to stack up against the currently superior DROID Incredible?" Well, we finally have that answer, and it looks like Apple has done it again. The new iPhone 4 packs quite a punch especially considering many of it's features are not only comparably better than that of the DROID Incredible but also outside the realm of possibilities for the DROID Incredible due to Apple's proprietary software and hardware. This isn't to say that the iPhone 4 is better in every aspect however, there are many features that the DROID Incredible still offers that the iPhone simply can't match. Even so, it's been a hard fought battle up to this point for about the past year with regards to market share, but with this new release I see nothing short of a landslide victory in the coming months. The real competition that the iPhone 4 will now face is the HTC EVO.

A couple of reasons the DROID incredible has seen such a large gain in market share during this period is due to two reasons. One, the enormous marketing push to show how and why the DROID Incredible was better than the iPhone 3GS, plus the DROID Incredible's ability to multi task. Now that Apple's OS 4 operating system that comes with the iPhone 4 allows multi tasking though, the DROID Incredible may not be so "credible" at all. One of the biggest differences between the two platforms is the number of apps available for each. The iPhone 4 comes with the Apple Store's 215,000 plus apps, while DROID's Incredible can only boast around 70,000. A lot of times, this and this alone is the reason that many buyers choose Apple's phone products versus the DROID's. Since you are taking the time to read this however, I will assume you want a little more info on both to help you make your decision and that is why we put together a thorough comparison of both platforms main selling points and features. Hope you find it useful!

Cosmetics

Apple is of course known for their sleek designs and the iPhone 4 isn't going to be the exception. The new phone comes with a stainless steel band that couples as the iPhone 4 antenna is engineered to be 4 times stronger than steel and allows for the extra thin and rigid design. In addition to the stainless steel band, both the front and back are made with engineered aluminosilcate glass (the same stuff used in high speed trains and helicopters). The glass is designed to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times stronger than plastic. Also it's extremely durable. In comparison, the DROID Incredible... well... it's plastic. No comparison needed here, the iPhone has much more curb appeal.

Size and Weight (Dimensions)

The new iPhone 4 weighs in at 4.8 ounces (137 grams) and measures 4.5 inches (H) by 2.31 inches (W) by 0.37 inches (D). The DROID Incredible comparably weighs in 4.59 inches (130 grams) and measures 4.63 inches (H) by 2.3 inches (W) by 0.47 inches (D). As you can see the differences here aren't that astonishing. The iPhone 4 dimensions differs slightly in weight and the depth is considerably thinner than that of the DROID incredible. This is as a result of many of the internal factors that Apple painstakingly designed in to fit perfectly in their new glass metallic casing. However, for most consumers, this really won't be a factor when considering which device to purchase.

Networks--Cellular/Wireless

Verizon and Alltel use the Dual Band CDMA 2000 system they offer for the DROID Incredible. AT&T will continue its affiliation with the iPhone 4 as expected, operating their GSM/EDGE network. For more detailed differences please review the article on our website comparing AT&T's network to Verizon's.

As for wireless capabilities both the iPhone 4 and DROID Incredible offer 802.11 b/g/n. Additionally each also offer Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and I believe the new iPhone 4 is going to offer wireless tethering via the OS 4 release which will allow for automatic syncing much like the MacBook's and other current Apple devices.

The current cellular carrier, AT&T probably accounts for the majority of all complaints with the current iPhone 3GS. Some may find this to be a huge factor in which phone they choose, and AT&T and Apple both know this and thus have made promises to make their network much stronger. This would help to resolve the current issues of dropping calls and spotty 3G coverage that users complain of so often. Even though they may have "promised" to do so, they seem to be dropping the ball on it as those changes have yet to be noticed by the majority of iPhone users. So keep in mind that at this point, if you go with the iPhone 4, your probably going to have some of the same encounters with network problems that everyone else is having right now.

Services Location Based

The iPhone 3GS previously offered maps and directions via Google Maps through a proprietary app, but with the release of the iPhone 4 they will now have assisted GPS and also their all important standard "digital compass," which, in my opinion is probably the most useless item on the entire phone. Also, as before the location services will be performed via wi-fi and cellular triangulation services. As for the DROID Incredible, they will be offering Google Maps with Navigation, which has been offered on the previous DROID versions as well. There is not a huge difference here either but it would appear that the Android compatible DROID Incredible may have slightly better offerings as it is coupled directly with Googles navigation services and their support will be a decisive advantage for not only the DROID Incredible but all phones taking advantage of the Android OS.

Power and Battery

The iPhone 4 carries with it the power of a lithium ion battery which is rechargeable via a USB connection with a computer or by plugging it into a wall with a standard power adapter. DROID's Incredible can do the same thing and comes with rechargeable lithium ion battery too. The battery for the DROID can be taken out though which allows you the ability to replace it with another battery if the one your using goes dead. Who really cares though unless your going out of town somewhere like camping or something and don't have any outlets for power around anywhere and no car charger. If this is the case, you probably won't need to charge it anyway because you may just not want to deal with it for a few days.

Being the second phone to come to market has given the iPhone 4 a chance to step up its game a little in the battery department however in regards to talk, standby, and usage times. This new smartphone can give you a seriously nasty 7 hours of total talk time if your using 3G, 14 hours if using 2G, and when your on standby, you can get in the 300 hour range! Plus when it comes to internet use, surf around as much as you like for about 6 hours if using 3G and about 10 if using your Wi-fi connection. Plus if you love videos and music like some do, the iPhone 4 will offer about 10 hours of video play and when listening to your favorite music you will be able to chill for like 40 hours.

In comparison, the DROID Incredible offers around 312 minutes of usage time with 146 hours of standby via their provided specs on Verizon.com. Not nearly a match for the far more advanced and larger iPhone 4 battery. For most users who plug in their device every night anyway, this doesn't become a huge issue. For the power hungry and media intensive users however, the iPhone 4 may be the best option.

Memory Storage Capacity

Although the new iPhone 4 was expected to provide up to 64GB of internal memory, the actual spec came out to be the same as the iPhone 3GS upscale model at 32GB of total internal memory. They also offer a 16GB version much like was previously offered when the 3GS entered the market. By comparison the DROID Incredible offers a only 8GB of internal memory with expansion capability of up to 16 GB via a mircoSD card for a total 24GB of storage. This may not seem like an overly large difference until you consider the fact that you cannot store apps on the 16GB of external memory.

Both phones should be able to bring plenty enough memory for pretty much any and all users requirements. If you are a big fan of downloading a lot of different apps, the iPhone 4 is going to be the best option. If you use your smartphone for other things like music, videos, and photos however, the DROID Incredible may be the best choice for one main reason. You can place all your videos, music, and photos on to separate microSD cards and then swap in and out the cards depending on which medium you want to check out at that point. They really are both great options for varying reasons.

Display

Now is when the two phones begin to separate themselves with some pretty ENORMOUS differences. The DROID Incredible and the iPhone 4 were both pretty evenly matched until now. When Apple stepped up the competition to a new level with a display that brings an amazing 960 x 640 pixel screen resolution and 326 ppi, they rained on DROID's parade. The DROID Incredible has what was a fairly brilliant 800 x 480 pixel screen res, and a slightly larger display (3.7") than the iPhone 4 (3.5"). The larger screen and less pixels will make an obvious picture difference, and when we begin discussing both phones cameras below, it will stick out like a sore thumb too.






In addition to the better pixel ratio's the iPhone 4 also offers a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on not only the front screen, but the back of the device as well. The contrast for the device is also significantly better at 800:1.

These are only a few of the comparisons of the iPhone 4 to the DROID Incredible. Hopefully it helped, and if you would like even more info on this phone, just visit our iPhone-DROID site(links below) for more info.

Go to this link if you want to see the rest of this comparison of the iPhone 4 vs. DROID Incredible, at our site on iPhone's and DROID's. Help yourself choose the best smartphone, iPhone 4 or DROID Incredible, for your needs.