One of the major issues surrounding the iPhone 4 release this summer was the proximity sensor failing during phone calls, resulting in muting, conference calling, and other inadvertent touch input. Despite the promise of relief in the iOS 4.1 update, many users, including myself, are still having proximity sensor issues. A forum thread on the …

I really need to come up with a more exciting way to shoot these things. Eric Franklin/CNET Editors’ note: If you’ve already read “Battle Royale: Five smartphones face off” or “Battle Royale 2: The Quickening” (OK, it wasn’t actually called “The Quickening”), then you may experience some deja vu when reading this article. We’ve used the same tests and presented …

Josh Miller/CNET During last week’s Galaxy Tab event in Manhattan, Samsung teased the imminent availability of its Media Hub service, and now it looks like Sprint is the first carrier to roll out the video store to a Galaxy S smartphone, its Samsung Epic 4G. In a blog post, Sprint said it began pushing out a software update in recent …

The first alleged details for an HTC-branded tablet have surfaced thanks to a recent DigiTimes article. According to its sources, Taiwanese hardware manufacturer Pegatron Technology has started taking orders from HTC for an Android-based tablet due in the first quarter of 2011. It’s being reported that the device will feature a multitouch display with 1,280×720-pixel resolution and will run an …

Two months ago, Firefox debuted Firefox Home, a companion app for iPhone that syncs open browser tabs, browsing history, and passwords across the mobile phone and Web. Today, an update to Firefox Home for iPhone adds three small but notable enhancements. First, the update tweaks the app’s search bar so it now seeks out a URL that you’ve never visited …

You may have noticed that your Twitter apps have stopped working. If your apps are giving you gyp, here’s why: it’s all to do with a change to the way Twitter lets you log in. Why the change? Twitter cleverly gained traction by opening itself up to third parties to make apps and services that expanded on the site’s core …

A Facebook-branded smartphone isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Before you mock that conclusion (as our editor did at first), hear us out: a branded smartphone could be the social-networking king’s key to competing more aggressively with Apple and Google as the Internet heavyweights take turns competing, cooperating, and causing one another fits. Of course, Facebook has been denying reports …

Verizon Communications has named Lowell McAdam as its new president and chief operating officer–a significant step along the path to succeed longtime CEO and Chairman Ivan Seidenberg. Lowell McAdam Verizon McAdam, currently president and CEO of Verizon Wireless, will become responsible for the operations of Verizon Wireless, Verizon Telecom and Business, and Verizon Services Operations. McAdam, who is 56, will …

Originally slated for a late September release, Nokia says it will now ship the Nokia N8 in October, in order to make some “final amends” to the smartphone. The company didn’t elaborate on what kind of changes it was making to the device, but said it was to ensure the best user experience. The Nokia N8 will be the first …

With Windows Phone 7 just around the corner, it’s no surprise that Microsoft is keen to put some kind of music-based infrastructure in place. What is a surprise — and a pleasant one — is that it’s bringing its Zune music and video service to a host of platforms, including Windows PCs and Xbox Live. There are a couple of …