Apple rejection of the Google Voice app slammed by advocates

The rejection by Apple of a Google Voice application that would allow iPhone owners more options in how they place calls is “very troubling,” according to our colleagues at Consumers Union, the parent company of Consumer Reports.

The app is available now for Blackberrys, and for Google phones such as T-Mobile’s G1, now in our smart phone Ratings (available to subscribers), and the upcoming MyTouch 3G, which will soon be.

Google Voice is designed to route work, home and wireless phones to a single number provided by the Internet search giant. Other features include free local and cheap international calls and even transcripts of voicemail phone messages in your email inbox.

In a blog post on its HearUsNow.org website, CU says that Apple rejected the app because “Google Voice effectively gives away for free many of the services that AT&T makes a lot of money selling." And it links that decision to the exclusivity arrangements that are prevalent for many cell phones, including the iPhone, and that CU opposes.

“It’s safe to say that Apple would not have rejected Google Voice for the iPhone were it not for its exclusive service deal with AT&T, “ CU says.

Traveling overseas with your cell phone—without the big bills.

With the summer travel season in full swing, the last thing on your mind may be your cell phone. Unless, you’re traveling overseas.

Will my phone work in the country I’m traveling to? Will I get socked with per-minute charges? International roaming costs? Will I be able to send and receive text messages? Should I just buy a “disposable” pre-paid phone when I land at my final destination?

We’ve covered these questions—and more—in our recently updated guide to Getting Cell Service Abroad. But, here’s a list of tips for staying-connected while vacationing overseas.

1. Check if your phone will work at your vacation hot-spot. Depending if your phone’s technology (CDMA or GSM) matches the network used at your destination, you have different options. If you can’t take the phone with you, you can rent a phone from your carrier or a third party like Cellhire or 1-800 Mobiles. See "If your cell phone’s a globetrotter," for more information.

2. Consider suspending your cell phone service if you can’t travel with your phone. If you can’t use your personal cell phone overseas, putting your account on hold might save you some cash—perhaps enough to rent or buy a temporary phone overseas. For more help, see “If your cell phone is a homebody.”

3. Consider texting, rather than talking. You can potentially save yourself from increased minute rates, as most international messages are no more than 50-cents to send, and even cheaper to receive. See “Survival tips for using cell phones internationally,” for rates on specific carriers.

For the ins and outs of international cell service and even more ways to save, see the complete "Getting Cell Service Abroad" article, which is full of up-to-date information and pricing on all your cell travel needs. Just remember to pack a charger, and that cell phone thing is set (if only packing were this easy). —Will Dilella

A first look at the Navigon iPhone App.

Recently, the Consumer Reports Cars people took the Navigon iPhone GPS navigation application for a spin. After downloading the app—for the one time fee of $70—to an iPhone 3Gs, they gave their new toy the usual treatment, with a battery of tests.

The results? Mobile Navigator does a good job of mimicking traditional portable navigation devices, and the iPhone’s large screen is a definite benefit, as is the touch interface, but in laboratory and real-world tests, they found some differences that leave the iPhone application lacking.

Entering directions can be a chore because of the often-complained of virtual, on-screen keyboard—which has smaller buttons than a traditional GPS. The voice volume (used in turn-by-turn directions) wasn't favorable, neither was GPS accuracy. Mobile Navigator is not as precise as traditional navigation devices. The GPS will often place the current position on a surrounding road—as experienced with other iPhone applications—rather than the road on which a user is actually traveling.

In the CR test labs: New HTIB systems

Panasonic’s SC-BT300 7.1-channel HTIB has an integrated Blu-ray drive, an iPod dock, and access to its Viera Cast online service. (Click to enlarge.) [Photo courtesy of Panasonic]

With their relatively simple set-up and all-inclusive designs, home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems have a lot to recommend them. Many now include integrated Blu-ray drives, although systems with standard DVD players remain popular. Most HTIBs are now either 5.1- or 7.1-channel systems that come with either five or seven sonically matched speakers, plus a powered subwoofer. As an added convenience, some models include—or have an option for adding—wireless rear speakers, and many have iPod docks that let you play songs or videos through your entertainment system.

Prices for these systems can vary wildly, from very basic DVD units that start under $100, to powerful 7.1-channel Blu-ray models with lots of bells and whistles and prices that can hit $800 or more. Another option: systems that don’t include a disc drive, but which have all the connections needed for you to use a current DVD player now, then add a Blu-ray player at a later date. All DVD models in our tests play DVDs and CDs, and all models with Blu-ray players can play Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and CDs.

We’re now in the midst of testing more than a dozen new models, including some with Blu-ray drives, some with DVD drives, and several that don’t have any disc player at all. Here’s a list of the HTIB systems currently being tested in our labs:

Blu-ray models

LG LHB953: A 5.1-channel BD-Live Blu-ray system with LG’s NetCast Internet service for access to streaming Netflix instant movies and Pandora’s Internet radio service. It can decode Dolby TrueHD lossless audio, and has an iPod dock.

Netbook? Laptop? What's the difference?

We've been writing about “netbooks” for a while now, and you might be wondering if that's just another term for a laptop. Yes and no. They're both portable computers, but they're by no means interchangeable.

In a nutshell, netbooks are smaller, lighter, and cheaper, and they're designed for occasional use rather than as a full-fledged computer. Here's how these kissing cousins compare:

How Netbooks and Laptops Stack Up

	Netbooks	Laptops
Price range	$300 to $450	$400 to $2,800
Weight	2 to 3 pounds	3 to 8 pounds
Battery life	2.25 to 9 hours	2.25 to 7 hours
Hard drive size	8 to 160 GB	160 to 320 or more GB
Screen size	9 to 12 inches	12 to 18 inches

The most important thing to remember is that netbooks are much less powerful than laptops, and in most cases you wouldn't want a netbook to serve as your primary computer. Ergonomics is another consideration. If you’re planning to do a lot of typing, the smaller keyboards on most netbooks might be a nuisance.

That said, a netbook is a good option if you need a system you can easily carry around, so you can log onto the Internet whenever you want (whether over free Wi-Fi or your own wireless network, or via a paid data plan).

You can see what we thought about specific models in our latest Ratings of laptops and netbooks (both available to subscribers). For more help in deciding which portable computer is right for you, watch our free Laptop Buying Guide video and check out our Computer Buying Guide for more computer shopping tips. —Donna Tapellini

Back-to-school sales tax breaks

With back-to-school just around the corner, shoppers—students and parents alike—can find a bit of relief from costly school supplies.

According to DealNews.com, some states are waiving local sales tax on items such as computers, clothing, “school supplies” and even small appliances.

Some of these local, “tax-free” offers start today and last for some time. Other states’ waivers are valid only for a certain span of days.

Either way, check the list below to see when—or if—your state will offer these shopping incentives, and for what products. (For instance, some states only ax the tax on clothing, while others includes school supplies, and still others on computers.)

DTV coupons: It’s now or never

On Friday, July 31, when the clock chimes midnight, the DTV coupon program will no longer accept new applications, so act fast if you haven’t already asked Uncle Sam to kick in $40 toward the purchase of a digital converter box.

Applications sent via snail mail must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2009, and online, phone, and fax applications must be made by 12 midnight Eastern Time. You should expect your coupon (one or two per household) via first-class mail about nine business days after your application is received. You’ll then have 90 days to use the coupon before it expires.

To order a coupon, you can call the toll-free, 24-hour automated system 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009). You can download an application and mail it to PO BOX 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000, or fax it to 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632). Remember, you have to do it within the next 24 hours or so.

Samsung: New 8500-series line of 240Hz LED LCD TVs

Samsung 8500-series LED LCD TV. (Click to enlarge.) [Photo courtesy of Samsung]

Samsung's latest entry into the LED LCD TV sweepstakes is a new premium line of 8500-series TVs, in 46- and 55-inch screen sizes, that will be available starting in September. The 240Hz sets—priced at $3,600 and $4,500, respectively—are ultra-thin models (just 1.6-inches deep) that include Samsung’s Medi@2.0 Internet service, with access to online content via Yahoo’s Internet widget platform.

Unlike some TVs that try to achieve a 240Hz effect by combining a scanning (flashing) backlight with 120Hz technology, 8500-series models are true 240Hz sets that use frame-interpolation technology (called Auto Motion Plus) to actually quadruple the TV's frame rate. One thing we liked in some previous Samsung sets, included on these newer models, is the ability for users to adjust the levels of judder and motion-blur reduction individually, which can help reduce motion blur without adding so much smoothing that film starts to look like video.

Unlike most new models we're seeing, these sets use full-array LED backlights, rather than edge LEDs. Full-array backlights allow for local dimming—something the 8500-series sets include—where some segments of the screen can remain dark while others are illuminated. In previous full-array sets, such as Samsung's A950 series, we saw significant improvements in black-level performance. We hope to test a set in this series when they become available to see how black levels compare to both to the A950 set we have in house, as well as newer edge-lit models.

Samsung’s Medi@2.0 online service offers access to Web-based content—including photos from Flickr, YouTube videos, sports news from USA Today, and Twitter feeds—via onscreen widgets. In the fall, the sets will be able to receive streaming movies from Blockbuster, per a previously announced deal. The sets also come with 2GB of flash memory preloaded with content such as artwork, games and recipes.

The new TVs can be wall-mounted using Samsung’s ultra-slim wall mount, which leaves a gap of just over a half-inch between the set and the wall. —James K. Willcox

Tip of the week: Watch free TV online

If you missed last night’s airing of your favorite TV series, you don’t have to start phoning your friends in hopes that somebody, anybody recorded it. There’s a good chance you can watch it online, thanks to the growing number of Web sites offering full episodes of popular TV series. Some even have classic shows, so you can enjoy a stroll down memory lane with oldies but goodies such as Twin Peaks, the Love Boat, Perry Mason, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Most of the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and others) have online video libraries, as do many cable networks (Disney, TNT, USA, and more). There are also aggregators offering shows from many networks. Hulu may be the best-known, but AOL, TV Guide, YouTube, and Find Internet TV are also serving that niche.

Most online episodes are available free, with limited commercials. There’s often a time window in which a given episode is available, so don’t wait too long or you could miss the boat. You’ll need a fairly fast broadband connection and an up-to-date operating system; in some cases, it has to be a Windows OS (sorry, Mac users). You might also need a newer version of software such as Adobe Flash. Sites like Hulu spell out their requirements and recommendations, as does Disney.

If you can’t find a full episode, you can often fill in the blanks with a text synopsis of the show you missed or a few excerpts from the video. Happy hunting! —Eileen McCooey

New laptops, desktops, and netbooks for $400 or less

Got $400? That’s all it takes to get one of several computers we recommend in our latest Ratings of laptops, desktops, and netbooks (available to subscribers).

There are lots of bargains out there right now as manufacturers recently released a slew of new models, and prices are dropping on the old ones to make way for the latest stock. You can still find some great systems among those “older” models.

For example, we recommend a Toshiba laptop that costs just $380. For that, you get a 15-inch model with a 250GB hard drive and 3.5 hours of battery life. We also recommend a Compaq desktop that’s just $350, and would make a good basic system for routine computer use. If your space is limited, there’s a $400 Acer computer that’s compact, but full of features.

If you’re in the market for a smaller laptop or an all-in-one system, there are plenty of bargains to be had. For example, although all-in-one desktops are generally more costly than other desktops, we recommend a $780 Dell all-in-one. Thirteen-inch laptops have always cost more than their larger counterparts, but $900 is no longer an uncommon price for a slim-and-light system like those we recommend from HP and Apple.

Speaking of Apple, the company last month dropped prices on most of its systems. For example, prices on both the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro dropped by $300, and those models have been upgraded, so you get a better computer for less money.

And of course, if you’re in the market for a secondary system for easy toting and Web surfing, take a look at our Ratings of netbooks, where you’ll find our recommendation for an Acer system that has 9 hours of battery life. —Donna Tapellini