Inside these posts: iPhones

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AT&T drops price of iPhone 3GS to $49

AT&T Inc. will start selling the previous-generation iPhone — the iPhone 3GS — for $49 starting Friday to customers who buy the smart phone with a two-year service contract and data plan. AT&T said it will include iPhone 3GS devices sold through AT&T and Apple. Get the full story »

Comcast rolls out video app for iPad, eyes live TV

Comcast Corp. plans to soon roll out a feature allowing its customers to watch real-time television shows, whether a crime drama or newscast, on tablet computers such as Apple Inc.’s iPad. Get the full story »

iPhone alarm glitch to be fixed today, Apple says

(Reuters)

A glitch with Apple Inc.’s iPhone alarm gave some users a late start to the new year. The alarm application on the smartphone failed to work for alarms that were set for one-time use only — as opposed to recurring — on the first two days of 2011, triggering complaints of oversleeping.

A spokeswoman for Apple acknowledged the issue, saying that “customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning Jan. 3.”

Apple declined to comment further about the exact nature of the glitch, but some Internet blogs said the problem was primarily affecting the iPhone 4 and older models that were updated with the latest software. Indeed, some iPhone users on Twitter boasted that their alarm clocks were working just fine. Get the full story »

Skype adding Wi-Fi, 3G video calling to iPhone app

A new version of the free iPhone app for Skype SA will let users make and receive video calls. Users of the Internet calling and messaging service will be able to use both Wi-Fi and AT&T Inc.’s 3G cellular network. FaceTime software, which comes with iPhones, works only with Wi-Fi. Get the full story »

Verizon to sell Motorola 4G phone

Verizon Wireless will distribute a smartphone made by Motorola Inc. to run on its new 4G network, the carrier’s chief operating officer, John Stratton, said in an interview Tuesday. The comments mark the first time the carrier has identified a handset maker for the closely watched launch and represent an important vote of confidence in Motorola. Get the full story »

Maker of ‘Angry Birds’ app unveils billing software

Finland’s Rovio Mobile, known for its Angry Birds puzzle video game, unveiled on Friday payment software that gives mobile telecom operators a chance to win a share of booming app store business.

Mobile operators have struggled to grab a piece of the mobile applications market — worth $4.1 billion last year, according to research firm Chetan Sharma — as consumers pay with credit cards directly to Apple Inc or Google Inc.

Rovio said it would start to roll out its payment solution in early 2011 for Android phones sold by Finland’s top mobile carrier, Elisa, for purchasing additional features in Angry Birds. “This gives operators some revenue, compared to none. We are going to open it up to all other developers,” said Peter Vesterbacka, head of Rovio’s business development in North America. Get the full story »

How free iPhone games can get expensive

“The Smurfs’ Village,” a game for the iPhone and other Apple gadgets, was released a month ago and quickly became the highest-grossing application in the iTunes store. Yet it’s free to download.

So where does the money come from? Kelly Rummelhart of Gridley, Calif., has part of the answer. Her 4-year-old son was using her iPad to play the game and racked up $66.88 in charges on her credit card without knowing what he was doing. Get the full story »

Google mobile head says Nexus One too ambitious

The head of Google’s Android mobile operating software says the search company “bit off a little more than we could chew” with the sale of the Nexus One, a smart phone Google began selling online early this year but then stopped offering after similar devices powered by Android hit the market. Get the full story »

Consumer Reports rates AT&T worst carrier

AT&T’s customer satisfaction rating tumbled this year, ranking dead last among U.S. wireless carriers, according to a Consumer Reports survey released on Monday.

The nation’s second largest wireless network received the worst possible rating in eight of the nine categories the magazine studied, including overall value, voice service, data service, phone service, staff knowledge, and resolution of issues, among others. Get the full story »

Google Voice app finally approved for iPhone

Google Inc.’s Voice calling application has won approval to be on the iPhone after more than a year of haggling with Apple Inc.

The breakthrough announced Tuesday resolves a stand-off that triggered a Federal Communications Commission inquiry into whether Apple and AT&T Inc., the iPhone’s exclusive U.S. service provider, were trying to stifle competition by keeping the app off the popular device. Get the full story »

Smart phone market up 96% in third quarter

Global smart phone sales nearly doubled in the third quarter, and Apple is now one of the top five bestselling manufacturers.

Research firm Gartner says cell phone manufacturers sold 80.5 million smart phones in the third quarter. It says nearly 1 in 5 of all phones sold is a smart phone. Get the full story »

Apple sues Motorola over smartphone software

Apple Inc. sued Motorola Inc., alleging that the company’s smartphone lineup and the operating software it uses infringe on the iPhone-maker’s intellectual property.

The two lawsuits came after Motorola sued Apple in October for patent infringement and were the latest skirmish in a long-running series of disputes in the fiercely competitive smartphone industry. Get the full story »

SCVNGR adds mobile games, perks in Chicago

A mobile application that combines games and perks at local businesses is launching Wednesday in Chicago with the Chicago Office of Tourism and other area institutions.

SCVNGR is the latest location-based service to enter the Chicago market. These apps, which allow consumers to “check in” at local businesses, have become increasingly popular, thanks to the rise of companies such as Foursquare and Gowalla. Yelp and Facebook have also added location-based features to their offerings. The SCVNGR app is available for both the iPhone and Android-based phones. Get the full story »

Verizon CEO hints iPhone not coming soon

Comments from Verizon Communications Inc. CEO Ivan Seidenberg leave little room for the possibility of a Verizon version of the iPhone in the near future.

Speaking to an investor conference Thursday, Seidenberg said nothing about an iPhone for the company’s current network, but said he hopes Apple Inc. will come around and allow Verizon to sell the phone for a new network it’s building. The “4G” network hasn’t yet opened for service and won’t be complete next year. Get the full story »

Hershey in dispute over iPhone chocolate milk app

The Hershey Co. is asking a federal judge to decide whether its iPhone application to make virtual chocolate milk violates another company’s copyright. The Pennsylvania chocolate maker has filed a federal complaint asking for a judgment in its legal dispute with Las Vegas-based software developer Hottrix LLC. Get the full story »