Droid X ad hits iPhone 4 with antenna jab

I understand that people are getting rather excited about the Droid X.Well, iPhone 4 has been out for a week, so, this being cell phone technology, it is only right that people get excited about something else.However, those crafty Droid folks have not merely a finger on the pulse, but a whole hand wrapped around it. I have reason to believe it is their left hand.

Man with Hitler speech ringtone faces jail

People's enthusiasm for technology can sometimes overpower their enthusiasm for common sense.According to the Telegraph, a 54-year-old man was seated on a train in Hamburg, Germany, when his Nokia cell phone rang.Its tune disturbed many in the carriage because instead of a cheery Europop ditty, it was a speech given by Adolf Hitler in which he pledged "the destruction of world Jewry."

Handicapping the mobile music services

I'm a big proponent of cloud-based music services for mobile devices. I struggle figuring out which 500 songs I want on my 8GB iPhone at any given time, and the problem gets worse as as I download more apps. So it's gratifying to see an explosion of mobile music services in the last six months. Start-ups and established companies alike seem to believe that the current model, where users transfer songs from a computer to their phone using a wired connection, is not long for this world. Instead, these companies are coming up with various ways to dispense music over a wireless data network to your phone--no hookup required.

Rdio, now in invitation-only beta testing, joins crowded field of subscription mobile music services. This is a screenshot of the Rdio app for iPhone(Credit: Screenshot)

I've covered many of these services in single blog posts. But there's been so much activity happening in the last couple of weeks--from the announcement of Rdio (a subscription service created by the founders of Kazaa and Skype) to the public launch of mSpot (a service highlighted by Google at its I/O conference in May) to the acquisition of Melodeo by computer giant HP--that it's getting hard to keep track.

Intel Research Day ponders location, gesture tech

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Intel's main business is churning out the chips that power everything from huge server farms to the tiniest mobile devices. But it's also focused on who, how, and where the devices of the future are going to be used. That was the theme here at Intel's ninth annual Research Day held Wednesday at the Computer History Museum. Once a year, Intel's researchers get the chance to show off their forward-thinking projects in a science fair-style exhibition. But in a kick-off speech to open the event, Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer and director of Intel Labs, said that his labs have a new focus: how users experience technology.

Intel Research Day (photos)

Dell Inspiron Rs, reviewed

The Dell Inspiron 14R and 15R: Glossier, and a little more comfortable.(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

World of 'Futurama' rebuilt in Legos

Matt De Lanoy worked overtime to a build a 5x7-foot Lego version of the "Futurama" universe for the Lego builder extravaganza Brickworld 2010 (click to enlarge).(Credit: Flickr/Pepa Quin)

iOS developer Tapulous acquired by Disney

Disney has agreed to buy app developer and publisher Tapulous, according to a report from TechCrunch, and later confirmed by CNET's own sources. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tapulous is probably best known for its iOS apps, which include the Tap Tap series, Riddim Ribbon, and Twitter app Twinkle, which made the jump from a jailbroken application to a legitimate one on the App Store.Tapulous' creations have also been featured in several Apple advertisements and keynotes, including the one for iOS 4, where Apple CEO Steve Jobs used a Tap Tap game to demonstrate multitasking for the first time.

Apple's first iAds hit the iPhone

Nissan's iAd for the electric Leaf.(Credit: Screenshot by Erica Ogg/CNET)

The first day of July brings the first real-world glimpse of Apple's foray into mobile advertising. As planned, iAds debuted on iOS 4-based devices on Thursday, with the first examples of Apple's program enabling advertisers to present interactive ads directly within iOS apps. Engadget has Dove's entry, starring Major League Baseball's Albert Pujols and Andy Pettitte.

Apple calls at least one reported Jobs e-mail fake

Customers report receiving direct e-mail replies from Apple's CEO on everything from the iPhone 4 to Blu-ray.(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

iPhone upgrade gives woman someone else's photos

Sometimes, genius can be erratic. Even when it's wearing a T-shirt and working in an Apple store. Maria Avila had an old iPhone. It was time to give it some of that new 4.0 flavor. So she went to her local Apple store in Modesto, Calif., to have the iOS 4 software installed and came back with an installation she hadn't quite expected. Yes, a slide show of strange photos, 110 of them. Thumbing through her new pictures, Avila told CBS13 in Stockton, Calif.: "I don't know these people."Her upgraded iPhone seemed to have taken on a new personality. She couldn't send texts. The phone locked up. And then, having discovered the strange pictures, she found new information in her address book. As well as text messages.