iphones

The media generally portrays hacker as criminals going after law-abiding computer users, but one Dutch hacker has turned his sights on more fertile prey: other less-skilled, or even aspirational hackers. Like a digital stickup boy, he has remotely kidnapped illegally (according to Apple) jailbroken iPhones in the Netherlands, holding them hostage for five Euros.

What a heavenly year for stargazers. We’ve had a spectacular solar eclipse in Asia, a clutch rescue of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the surprising crash of a comet into Jupiter—discovered, no less, by an amateur astronomer. Try the gear below to find the next marvel yourself.

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If you've been in a cave the last three months you've been safe from the endless barrage of Blackberry Storm ads. If not, we feel your pain and are happy to tell you the wait is over (or at least that particular ad campaign is).

On November 21, the first touchscreen Blackberry will launch stateside.

When Slacker first started talking about a wireless MP3 player that would learn your preferences in music and build you custom radio stations, the idea was awesome. Then more than a year passed and still no player. Meanwhile, services like Pandora and Last.fm built huge fan bases offering similar services. Now the player is finally here, debuting at CES, and the idea is no less awesome. The device will come in three capacities: a $200 2-gigabyte model that will hold 15 stations; a $250, 25-station 4-gigabyte; and a $300 40-station 8-gigabyte. You can set up your stations from any browser—so the device isnt locked to one computer—then anytime youre near a Wi-Fi connection it will automatically load enough songs (with cover art) to keep your stations going for several hours. You can also load your own music files on it, although that will take space from the stations. And because the music isnt streaming, quality shouldnt be a issue. Well be taking the device for a test drive at the show and let you know if the reality is as great as the promise. Whether Slacker succeeds or not, Ill be shocked if Apple doesnt incorporate something like this into the next generation of iPhones and iPods.—Mike Haney

Was that golden iPhone that made the rounds on the web a little ways back a bit too gaudy? Care for something that still advertises your wealth, but in a more subtle, solid way? Well, now the same company is offering platinum iPhones for the wonderful low price of $2,230.

Now, if you're not managing a successful hedge fund, or you're unwilling to run with that Apple crowd, there are other options, too. Fortune just posted a few viable iPhone alternatives. They might not have the cache, or allow you to channel the spirit of Steve Jobs, but these cellphone slash music players will keep the notes playing in your head.—Gregory Mone

Nokia's timing couldn't have been any better when the revised and enhanced U.S. version of its flagship N95 smartphone (the N95-3) went on sale last week-just days after the iPhone's 1.1.1 firmware update officially shut down third-party apps and rendered useless many iPhones that had been unlocked.

As the iPhone-induced buzz surrounding Apple fades slightly, the company might have some more big news cooking, as it has another announcement planned for this Tuesday, according to AppleInsider. It surely won't be as big as its last grand intro, and Apple says it has nothing to do with iPods or iPhones, but that's no reason not to get excited.

One blogger suspects that Apple might be unveiling a tiny new tablet Mac that takes advantage of the iPhone's amazing touch-screen technology. This is just an educated guess; he doesn't actually have inside information. But his rationale makes sense. First, he points out that it wouldn't make a ton of sense for Apple to invest so much time, effort and money into that touch-screen technology and not use it on other products. He also cites rumors of an ultrathin keyboard, which could fit with the tablet computer.

Sounds amazing, but we'll have to wait until Tuesday, at the earliest, to find out if it's true.—Gregory Mone

What do you think Apple will release next? Post your guesses in the comments section.

Lets hope this isnt another false accusation, delivered before the verdict is in. A Duke University spokesman says the college has been working with Apple in preparation for the start of the school year, because that companys new iPhones have supposedly frozen parts of the schools wireless network for up to ten minutes at a time. Apparently a single iPhone requesting access to the network was enough to stall parts of the system, and there are already as many as 150 of the devices trying to get online. Administrators noticed the problem nine times in the last week alone. Now the network team is trying to fix the glitch before the full student body returns for classes next week. But the bigger question, to us: Who is buying all these kids iPhones? Yes, they are bright students, but how in the name of Jobs are they convincing their parents to pay $2,000 a year for their phones? Theres a good explanation of the possible network issues, but not the spoiled student problem, here.—Gregory Mone

Via AP