testing

Analyzing your Android device

Apple may have mysteriously removed the Field Test mode from iOS4 and the iPhone 4, but Android users continue to have such information at their disposal. Though Android pros have no doubt discovered this option already, novice users may not know that it exists.

To start, access the main Settings page and choose the "Status" option under the "About phone" menu. There you'll find an assortment of useful facts like the battery level, the carrier and network you're using (such as whether you're on 3G or not), your roaming status, the Wi-Fi and … Read more

CNET to the Rescue: No matter where you go, here we are

On our show today: our favorite smartphone apps to help find stuff to do, things to eat, and people to connect with. Also, your questions and calls answered, including tips on painting laptops. But not until Josh shows off his USB-powered warning lights and a beer cooler that looks like a laptop case.

CNET to the Rescue: Cubicle defense

Today, we rescue you from the indignities of working in a cubicle. We've got your rear-view mirrors, your headphones, and should all else fail, your USB foam rocket launchers. Because, you know, work is war. Also: How to stream music on an iPhone, how to test your home network for open ports, and much more.

CNET to the Rescue: Newest video editors

Josh Lowensohn has been using the iPhone 4's iMovie video-editing app, and compares it to the new YouTube editor and old standbys, iMovie for the Mac and Windows Live Movie maker, among other apps. Also, your questions answered. Mostly. We still haven't quite figured out how to ditch cable TV and just use the Internet and game consoles in its place.

Apple has an ally; Electromagnetic engineer says Consumer Reports iPhone 4 study flawed

As iPhone 4 hits seem to keep piling up, Apple finds a friend in an electromagnetic engineer and self-described 'mobile topic expert' who claims that Consumer Reports failed to provide a truly scientific test of the antenna issues facing Apple's iPhone 4.… Read more

CNET to the Rescue: Rafe and Josh talk keyboards

If you're going to spend more time touching your keyboard than your spouse, you might want to put some time into picking a good one (keyboard, that is). Here are our tips for keyboards. Plus, of course, your questions answered. And the obligatory Evernote tip.

iPhone 4 exceeds talk time promises

Our official iPhone 4 talk time battery tests are back from CNET Labs. In both 3G and EDGE tests, we beat Apple's promised times of 7 hours and 14 hours respectively. Also, when compared with the previous three iPhone models, the iPhone 4 delivers more juice per charge.

Below you'll find the complete talk time results for all four iPhone models as tested by the always affable Eric Franklin in CNET Labs. We're still running battery tests for music playback, video playback, and Internet use, but I'll report them here as they come in. And for … Read more

AT&T capping data uploads on the iPhone 4?

Are you an iPhone 4 customer running into data upload problems?

CNET is seeing plenty such reports saying iPhone 4 usersin some regions of the country, including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and as far west as Salt Lake City and Seattle, are experiencing dramatic drops in their data upload speeds.

People in the MacRumors forum started writing posts about the potential problem on Sunday. The initial poster from New York City said that last week he had seen upload speeds of 1.7 megabits per second. But on Saturday, he noticed he was only able to get … Read more

Do 3D TVs use more power?

Post and results updated October 21st with results from Samsung PN50C8000 and Panasonic TC-P50GT25.

Initial testing of 3D-compatible HDTVs has revealed that, in the default picture settings, displaying 3D images can indeed draw more power than in standard 2D mode, especially on plasma models.

We tested five plasma televisions as well as three LED-based LCD models, and the results generally show that more power is consumed to produce images in 3D mode as opposed to 2D. The plasmas were particularly power-hungry in 3D, averaging about double the power used in 2D. The only TV that didn't increase its power consumption in 3D was a Sony LCD--a discrepancy we chalk up to its dimmer 3D picture setting. See the full results after the break.

CNET to the Rescue: Road trip road test

This week on the show: Road tripping. We've got real-world road tests from road warriors Daniel Terdiman of CNET Road Trip 2010 and Darren Kitchen, of Hak5 and his own cross-country motorcycle trip.

Also, Android and networking tips.