Now playing: Watch this: Get your files anywhere 2:19 SugarSync, Dropbox, and Box.net all have several things in common. They’re freemium cloud-syncing services that let you upload files to download again elsewhere; they all have free apps for BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android smartphones; and they’re all featured in this week’s episode of Tap That App. …

RIM took a few of us by surprise this week by announcing its first ever tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook. Donald Bell, our resident tablet expert, joins us to discuss it and what it means to the mobile industry. We also talk about Windows Phone 7, 4G LTE, and a weird Sony Ericsson accessory. Now playing: Watch this: Dialed In 145: …

Channel Seven has confirmed it won’t be broadcasting this Saturday’s Grand Final rematch in 3D this weekend, as the equipment used to shoot it will be needed for Sunday’s NRL Grand Final. The NRL Grand Final will be shot in 3D (State of Origin II image by Pierre Roudier, CC BY-SA 2.0) Last week’s contest between St Kilda and Collingwood …

C-3PO is about to become C-3DO, as the complete Star Wars series returns to cinemas in three dimensions. Lucasfilm has announced that all six tales of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Jar Jar Binks will be converted to 3D and re-released in order, starting with The Phantom Menace. The films will be 3Dified by Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects …

Samsung Galaxy S owners on Vodafone have joined a growing list of apoplectic Android phone owners who’ve unwittingly downloaded bloatware. In a 12-page-and-counting Vodafone forum thread, Galaxy S owners blasted the operator over a firmware update received through Samsung’s Kies software. Some people thought it was Android 2.2, but instead it contained a number of unwanted Vodafone goodies, such as a branded splash …

The Vodafone 945 follows in the footsteps of the Vodafone 845, a budget Android phone that offered a few good features for a cheaper than normal contract. The 945 (pictured above) is the second in this range, and will have Android 2.1, a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and flash, Wi-Fi and 300MB of memory upgradable to 32GB with a …

Sony Ericsson has dreamt up a cool little touchscreen remote control you can use to control some of the main features of your Android phone, without taking it out of your pocket. Unfortunately, it only works with Android 2.0 and later, which most of its phones don’t yet have. The LiveView accessory is square and similar in size to an …

Get your Gaga on from anywhere on your Wi-Fi network with Apple’s Remote app. Apple Apple’s Remote app has taken another step forward, now optimized for the larger screens on iPads, Retina Displays on iPhone 4s, and with added support for shared libraries on iTunes or the new Apple TV. If you don’t already have the Remote app on your …

Despite the hopes of many, Mozilla made it official today that it will not develop a standalone Firefox browser for the iPhone. Instead, the browser-maker will continue to pour resources into Firefox Home for iPhone, its browser companion app. Mozilla said in a blog post: “People have asked about adding more browserlike features to Firefox Home, but there are technical …

A security flaw in the My Account login system of the Vodafone website left email addresses and possibly phone numbers at risk. The issue has now been fixed. It was found last week that if you went to the company’s My Account login page and clicked on a link to get a reminder of a username or password, you could …

When I buy stuff from Apple, I always, always go the refurb route. Know why? Because the company’s refurbished gear is literally good as new, right down to the warranty. The only real difference: you don’t get the same sexy box. Update: Some have suggested that the warranty is only 90 days. That’s not what I was told, but I’m …

Editors’ note: This is a guest column. See Larry Downes’ bio below California Congressman Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is preparing a limited Net neutrality law he may introduce as early as Tuesday, with hopes of passage before Congress adjourns for the election season. Washington D.C. newspaper The Hill leaked a draft of the bill …

Picture this: You’re out to dinner and your spouse is giving you grief because you keep glancing at your cell phone. What’s a guy (or gal) to do? Pick up the new Sony Ericsson LiveView, that’s what. Now you’ll be able to sneak a glance at your RSS feeds and text messages on the sly. Announced earlier today, the LiveView …

The BlackBerry Torch may be the only of RIM’s smartphones on the market to currently run the new OS 6 operating system, but that’s not stopping the company from showcasing several handsets running OS 6 at the Developer Conference in San Francisco this week. We took a look at OS 6 powering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and 9650, the Curve …

Welcome to the 411, my 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 similar queries, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I’m stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at [email protected]. If you …