Dialed In

Four major holes in Google Voice

I like Google Voice, I really do. But now that the search giant has thrown open the gates to make Google Voice free for anyone in the U.S., many more people will get the opportunity to pick and praise.

After all, it was Google's multipronged voice service for forwarding phone numbers, sending free text messages, transcribing voice mail, and making voice messages accessible online that recently got me out of a bind with a broken phone.

Still, there are persistent foibles in the less-than-perfect service that Google bought a scant three years ago when it was still called GrandCentral. The call-block, listening-in, and call-forwarding features are great, and visual voice mail is and has been a plus. But inconsistencies, especially with the computer-aided transcription of voice mail messages and with phone number mess-ups in the Google Voice mobile apps, have continuously disappointed.

We overlooked some drawbacks in the name of a free service that has essentially been in closed beta since 2007, and therefore subject to a little leeway, but all that is about to change now that it's open season. Google Voice already had more than a million subscribers while it was still in invite-only private mode, and I suspect millions more callers will be less forgiving once the thrill of accessing another hot Google service wears off.

Consumer pressure will surely cause Google to throw more resources at the system's holes, and also give it an opportunity to monetize by adding more targeted advertising, planning waves of premium features for consumers, and selling corporate plans to companies managing a mobile workforce. I welcome the compliments and critiques that will hopefully lead to the changes, and Google should too.

So if you're listening, Google, here's my list of the top four features missing in today's Google Voice.

Report says be aware of what your Android app does

Updated 4:30 p.m. PDT to change headline to reflect that SMobile says it isn't criticizing the Android model and Updated 10:30 a.m. PDT to change misleading headline and add information throughout stating that users are granting permission to apps when they download them.

About 20 percent of the 48,000 apps in the Android marketplace allow a third-party application access to sensitive or private information, according to a report released on Tuesday.

And some of the apps were found to have the ability to do things like make calls and send text messages without requiring more

First iPhone 4 reviews

The official reviews:
Boing Boing
Engadget
The New York Times
USA Today
Wall Street Journal

Unofficial reviews and photos found around the Web:
- San Diego lawyer Gil Cabrera has received some attention for tweeting about the early arrival of his iPhone 4
- Loyal Moses also posted pictures of his new iPhone 4 on his blog, and he took pictures with it.
- We found a few YouTube videos of people unboxing their new iPhone 4s:
Unboxing video 1
Unboxing video 2
Unboxing video 3

If you were one of the few folks who received your iPhone 4 early,

Samsung Behold II gets first and only software update

After months of waiting, the Samsung Behold II is finally leaving Android 1.5 Cupcake behind. Unfortunately, however, this update only takes the phone as far as 1.6 Donut. And that's all it's going to get. Yes, you read that right.

Though most Android owners are concerned about 2.1 Eclair and even 2.2 Froyo, this T-Mobile handset is only now seeing last year's Donut. Samsung's official statement on the phone is that it is "not upgradable" beyond 1.6 likely because of unforeseen growth in the platform.

Like the original G1 from HTC, more

BlackBerry App World 2.0: Everything we know

It's true: BlackBerry App World 2.0 is rapidly on its way. We got the low-down in a special press event late last week about how some of the new services will work and when you can expect to get it. We also got a chance to try out BlackBerry's new app catalog on a Bold 9700. Make sure you check out our image gallery to see screenshots of what's to come.

New features and services

BlackBerry ID
BlackBerry ID is an account-based service that can help manage your device content and later help you transfer it to a new phone if you switch devices, much like scooping the flesh of a melon into a new rind. If you delete an app, you'll be able to redownload it at any time, but only for one app at a time.

Having to redownload every app onto a new phone will add unnecessary tedium back into the device-switching process, though RIM's product manager for App World, Alex Kinsella, told CNET he's already asked the developers to fold in "Update All" functionality. Thank goodness. We're not sure whether that will come out with version 2.0 or in a later update.

The previous version, App World 1.0, had some similar features. It could reinstall paid downloads through PayPals' payment service in the My World section, but PayPal owned the download data, not RIM, and it only applied to paid apps, not to free downloads. My World downloads certainly didn't apply to phone data outside of the app catalog the way that BlackBerry ID might.

While RIM didn't pour on the details, we do know that you'll sign up for BlackBerry ID the first time you start up App World 2.0. It will give you the option to associate previous PayPal purchases to the ID. We also know that the ID will be integrated into future BlackBerry services, not just the app store. We're hoping that will include changes to the online catalog along the lines of what Google has planned for pushing downloads from its the Web store to the phone.

Samsung Captivate comes out of hiding

Less than a week after AT&T Samsung announced the Samsung Captivate, more details about the Android-powered smartphone are leaking out. Engadget today posted a hands-on with an early version of the device that offers a few more details beyond what we know already.

As the first Samsung Galaxy S model to land at a U.S. carrier, the Captivate promises many of the same features found in Sammy's original Galaxy S that we saw three months ago at the CTIA show in Las Vegas. Inside you'll find Android 2.1, Samsung's TouchWiz interface, and its new more

Windows Live Messenger debuts on iPhone (hands-on)

It's taken Microsoft a long time to produce an IM app for the iPhone. Now it has, hours before Apple released the fourth version of its iPhone operating system, we might add.

Windows Live Messenger for iPhone has many of the features we'd expect to see in an IM app, plus other social networking and e-mail extras. One screen is devoted to Windows Live, for example, offering space to update your status, follow friends in your network, and change your profile picture. A small button also take you into your e-mail in-box.

In the chewy center of the more

The 411: Prepaid phones

Welcome to The 411, my new Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.

I am looking for a pay as you go plan with a phone that will last. Can you recommend one? My intent is to keep the cost down to below $20/month with basic texting and calling/receiving calls. -- Sudeep, via e-mail

Since you're looking for a phone that will last, I would recommend a rugged handset that's military-certified to take a beating. Luckily, Boost Mobile offers a number of those. One of the more recent ones is the Motorola Clutch i465, which is rather compact and sports a QWERTY keyboard. It does cost around $80, but remember that's without a contract. As for the monthly plan, Boost Mobile doesn't offer flat rates quite that cheap, but Boost's Pay As You Go option costs 10 cents per text message, and 10 cents per voice minute. If you don't use the phone a lot, you can easily make it under $20 a month.

I live in the Bay Area and I'm planning on buying a prepaid phone but don't know which one has the best features and phones for me. I'm looking for a plan that will let me text, call, use the Web for a CHEAP price, and I'm looking for a good music phone, with a music player and FM RADIO, what is the best plan for me? I send around maybe 130 txts a month, talk around 100 minutes a month, and browse the Web A LOT. What/which plan, phone, and prepaid carrier would be the best option for me? -- ST, via e-mail

I tried looking for a phone that satisfies all your requirements and it was quite difficult. more

Apple iOS 4 review

Editors' note: Apple made iOS 4 available on Monday, June 21. The download is free for both iPhone and iPod Touch users, but it is incompatible with first-generation models of either device. The iPhone 3G will support most iOS 4 features except multitasking and home screen backgrounds.

Apple kicked off an action-packed week today with the full release of iOS 4, its newest operating system for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Though we've been playing with the developer's version on an iPhone 3GS since April, we wanted to wait for the real deal before offering our official take. And from what we can tell so far, our original positive impressions hold true. That's not say that everything is perfect, but iOS marks a significant and welcome jump in the iPhone's evolution.

In fact, we'll go so far as to say that iOS 4 is just as significant a development as Thursday's release of the iPhone 4. Naturally, new hardware tends to get the biggest spotlight, but iOS 4 brings a handful of crucial features--like multitasking and a unified e-mail in-box--that Apple's products have lacked for far too long (three years too long, to be exact). Indeed, it's always nice when we can check off a box on our "iPhone wish list," particularly when those additions are commonplace on competing smartphones. We also welcome the smaller changes--iOS 4 is set to offer up to 100 new features--even if they're not particularly glamorous. We'll continue to root around for those tiny things in the coming days and will list additional revisions here as we find them.

Multitasking
Though you've always been able to multitask with native iPhone features like the music player, the option is now available for third-party apps. Your primary access point is a multitasking menu that's accessible by double tapping the Home button. Once there, you'll see a list of currently running applications along the bottom of the display that you can scroll through using a sideways finger swipe. The pop-up menu shows only four apps at a time, and we're still investigating whether you're limited as to how many apps you can open at once.

Managing the multitasking menu couldn't be easier. To open a running app, scroll though the menu and tap its icon once. When you're ready to end an app, first use a long press on the related icon and then click the tiny delete icon in the top left corner. Switching among apps is a simple process as well: as you move back and forth, you'll return to the exact point you left.

Apple's iOS 4 was released today ahead of the launch of the iPhone 4, which becomes available June 24. iPhone users can update to the latest OS via iTunes, but some features will not be available for the iPhone 3G and the update is not available at all for the original iPhone. iOS 4 will not be available on the iPad until this fall.

Apple says there are more than 100 new features in iOS 4, but the most notable tweaks include multitasking, with handy controls for switching apps; home screen folders that you can name by category for more