Phones

'Banana phone' isn't one, really

There's a funny thing about LG's new "banana phone." Unless we're mistaken, it doesn't have much in common with its namesake fruit.

For one thing, it's not yellow. In fact, the only color at all (other than white) seems to be a hint of orange. And even though it does have a slightly curved form, we highly doubt that you'd mistake it for a Chiquita if it were hanging around the produce section at Safeway. The LG-SV280 does make good on the other half of its name, however, in that it is … Read more

Celebrities get a BlackBerry upgrade

We all know that a BlackBerry can soothe our young celebrities in their time of need. We previously reported that Britney Spears had her trusty BlackBerry 8700 at her side during her various stints in rehab and K-Fed drama. Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan were also known to tote that version of the smart phone.

But Hollywood is a fickle beast that is concerned with the latest and greatest, and the folks over at CrackBerry are reporting that the BlackBerry 8800 is the latest in-style communication accessory.

I guess it's just a matter of time before we start seeing … Read more

Google does free 411

Google has a new telephone service in the U.S. called Voice Local Search. It's the equivalent of dialing 411, but free, really fast, and it pulls multiple listings like you'd get from a search in Google local. Mobile phone users can get listings sent to their phone via SMS, including the telephone number and full address. You can also be connected to a business for free, a great feature that got dropped from my previous favorite free 411 service 1-800-Free-411.

The entire service is controlled by computers, and the voice recognition is pretty capable. I tried confusing … Read more

The shiny LG VX8700 goes on sale today

We already mentioned that the LG VX8700 would be available starting today from Verizon, but hey, everyone needs a reminder right? Just to refresh your memory, this shiny new multimedia successor to the VX8600 has a 2.0-megapixel camera, a music player, a video recorder, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, EV-DO, and access to all the Verizon V Cast goodies like V Cast Video and V Cast Music. It'll cost you $179.99 after a two-year service agreement and a $50 rebate.

Can the cell phone become a boombox?

As mobile phones grapple with their identity crisis as MP3 players, handset makers have worked themselves into contortions trying to provide decent sound quality--creating some ugly accessories in the process.

The Chinese-made "Super Audio Phone" aims to change all that by building in a speaker that's much larger than today's standard sizes in the back of the handset, where a second, smaller LCD screen that provides song titles and other audio information, according to Slashphone. The front looks like a regular phone, with a larger display and buttons.

We have no idea how its music actually … Read more

Ferrari takes another turn for luxury phone

Ferrari's marketing department is apparently as finicky as the legendary brand's automobiles. That, at least, is the only explanation we can assume given its fickle nature on branded mobile phones.

Just a few months after announcing a custom Motorazr Maxx V6 that bore its nameplate, Ferrari has already made a sharp turn to another manufacturer: luxury handset maker Vertu, which will produce the "Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition" to mark the automaker's 60th birthday.

As for the specs, we'll leave you with Tech Digest's summary: "To match the year, there's 1947 … Read more

More evidence of a Palm Treo 755p for Sprint

About a month ago, we told you of some rumors about the Palm Treo 755p headed for Sprint. Neither Palm nor Sprint unveiled such a device at CTIA 2007, but if we're to believe the latest pictures that have surfaced on the Web, the Treo 755p is alive and kicking. Engadget Mobile has posted several images of the supposed Treo 755p, sporting the same slim and external-antenna-free body style as the Palm Treo 680 and the Treo 750. Also like the latter, the Treo 755p appears to have a dark-blue casing, though Palm Infocenter claims Sprint will offer a … Read more

FCC to fliers: No talking

If the thought of self-important loudmouths using their cell phones at 35,000 feet sends shivers down your spine, you can rest easy, at least for now. As CNET's News.com reports, the Federal Communications Commission today ended a two-year investigation into a ban on in-flight cell phone use that dates back to 1991. The agency said it hadn't received enough technical information to prove that using cell phones and other gadgets while aloft doesn't interfere with an aircraft's navigation and communication systems. The FCC could revisit the issue but didn't say when it might … Read more

Ringtone Roundup: Predicting the future

Each week, Crave tracks the most popular ringtones.

There hasn't been much change in Billboard's ringtone chart since last time. Chris Brown's "Poppin'" is still on top, and Buck Cherry's "Crazy B****" is still in the top three. Afroman's "Because I Got High" moved up three spots to number seven, and Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" dropped to the ninth spot. Other than that, there wasn't much movement in the top-10 chart.

Despite the lack of movement at the top of the chart, I'm going to put … Read more

T-Mobile launches Moto Krzr, Verizon picks up the Slvr

Don't think that T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless are taking a rest after the end of the CTIA show last week. A quick look at their Web sites today shows that both carriers have added new phones to their lineups. Though it's not a surprise T-Mobile stepped in to formerly offer the Motorola Krzr K1. The GSM version of the Krzr landed at Cingular/AT&T last month, while Sprint and Verizon introduced the CDMA Krzr K1m last year. T-Mobile's K1 is silver (Cingular opted for blue) but the feature set is standard including Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel … Read more