This Day in Tech: Why Apple field tests unreleased iPhones; Not guilty plea for iPhone prototype case

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Thursday, September 1.

• In case you missed it yesterday, CNET reported on yet another lost iPhone. But CNET's Kent German writes that there's a reason why Apple has to test the unreleased iPhones in the field: "Even with the risks involved, Apple can't reliably test a new cell phone without a few devices leaving the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. Keeping the handsets under lock and key may sound safer, and it no doubt would be, but Apple can do only so much in one place. It can test the media player, it can capture photos with the camera, and it can evaluate the general performance of iOS in an office or lab, but it can't fully evaluate the phone's most critical features like call quality, the strength of the cellular connection, and the GPS connection."

•The men who allegedly found and sold an iPhone prototype to a tech blog last year pleaded not guilty.

•Starz, a premium movie channel, stopped licensing talks with Netflix and plans to pull its content off Netflix when the current deal ends early next year. Content from Starz makes up a significant amount of Netflix's streaming library. But CNET's Greg Sandoval wrote: "It's too early to panic. This may just be a negotiating strategy by Starz. It wouldn't be the first time that Netflix saw a content supplier threaten to yank content."

•Founder of TechCrunch Michael Arrington is launching a $20 million venture fund. Conflict of interest? "I don't claim to be a journalist," Arrington told The New York Times. "I hold myself to higher standards of transparency and disclosure."

•Hackers attack Hollywood stars. CNET's John Scott Lewinski wrote: "According to multiple reports, the Hollywood Leaks team has announced its intent to target celebrities in film, TV, and music--evidently, folks like Miley Cyrus, Tom Cruise, and rapper Kreayshawn have already been hit. The hackers are looking for dirt, such as nude photos, embarrassing e-mails or memos, scripts under wraps, etc. In general, Hollywood Leaks wants to leave a trail of showbiz carnage in its wake."

•Toshiba is betting on a 3D TV, one that doesn't require viewers to wear glasses.

•A $620,000 Batmobile replica for sale on eBay? Not impressed? Check out the designs for this stylish nuclear-powered car.

•What it's like to have Steve Jobs as a neighbor. Jobs' Palo Alto neighbor Lisen Stromberg gushes about her high-profile neighbor on her blog.

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