Apple has started the iPhone 4 free bumper program and the Cupertino based company has come up with a very interesting way of distributing the cases; everything will be done through a downloadable application.

According to Apple, the system has been made in order to prevent users from committing fraud. The special iPhone app will connect directly to user’s iTunes accounts and will show if they are eligible for the free iPhone 4 bumper offer. For those who have not taken up Apple’s offer, now is a great time to get the app and sign up for the free casing. Those who have already purchased a bumper from the official iPhone store will be happy to know that the amount has already been returned to their credit cards.

For those wondering why Apple is giving out free bumpers, this is because that is currently the only solution that the company can offer the 1.7 million iPhone 4 owners. Reports indicate that the Apple iPhone 4 is suffering from a design flaw that leaves a portion of the antenna exposed to human touch. When this part is touched by the hand or a finger, the phone completely loses signal strength and calls get cut off. Sadly, the phone was designed in such a way that the exposed portion is most likely to be touched when the user is holding the device close to their ear with the left hand.

Apple, in an attempt to divert attention to the actual problem, gave varying excuses regarding mobile phone technology. Their argument was that other handsets also lose signal strength when the antenna is touch. This was countered by various mobile phone manufacturers, stating that other phones have been designed in a way that the antenna would not be touched automatically, and even if users did, the signal drop would not be so bad as to actually drop calls.

Well, it is not really over yet. After all, the most that the public got on Friday was that Apple is willing to give out free cases; they also know that the antenna has problems, but they are still not willing to admit that the iPhone 4’s antenna problems are so severe that it needs a real solution.

In short, Apple still wants to get away from this situation with the least possible amount of damage.

What would have been better was for Apple to just admit the situation outright, and present their users with a viable solution options. While it is nice to have a free case (which would, in a way, allow users to use the device with less problems), and the option to have the phone refunded, that still leaves people who want to be able to use the iPhone with no need for a case.

Apple has managed to forget that they have other options to offer as well. The company cannot offer a recall, but they should at least be able to offer a discounted antenna repair program. This will still be a burden on their customers, but at least the problem would be solved directly (as opposed to the free case, which is basically a temporary fix).

Another solution would be to offer a major rebate that would offset the value of having a phone that keeps dropping calls. Because as impressive as apps, multi tasking, FaceTime and other side features can be, the bottom line is that the iPhone is still a phone, and a phone that cannot handle calls properly is a product that is never worth the full price.

One other thing that Apple needs to look at is their PR. Steve admits they do not have a “wall of PR to shield them (Steve and company)”. Steve needs to hire PR, not for themselves, but for their customers.

If there is one thing that we now know from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference it is that most of the folks in MS share the excitement and enthusiasm that Steve Ballmer has regarding Windows Phone 7, and that a wide range of other upcoming Microsoft services are going to make the whole deal a lot sweeter for all end users. When Ballmer stated that they would have plenty to be proud of, he was not kidding.

The Windows Phone 7 already brings a lot to the table. From the new Bing search engine (which is slowly proving to be quite the competition for Google’s search engine) to the inclusion of Zune, WP7 promises plenty of new features that are dedicated to making everything more accessible to users. The new OS will also have the Xbox Live Games services, the MSN player, Silverlight, the XNA engine and plenty of other unannounced features.

Microsoft is not just stopping with the OS, they also have several supporting services that will be launched such as the Windows Phone Live service which allows users to easily back up files online for free (which is a much better deal than the Apple MobileMe paid service).

The Beta versions of the development tools for Windows Phone 7 have also been launched as well as trial versions of the handset running the new MS OS have been given out to specific groups for testing.

Microsoft stated that the app support for the new OS has been overwhelming and that they are excited about the platform’s launch. Considering that Microsoft has been pretty generous to app developers –to a point of even offering cash incentives for some, it is pretty much important that WP7 still manages to come out with plenty of great app support.

With the new OS expected to come out this coming September, many smart phone hopefuls are keeping a tight control on their budget for the release of the first Windows Phone 7 handsets.

Seriously, the Fring app for the Apple iPhone 4 is the best thing to happen to current users of the FaceTime feature. While the Apple iPhone 4 may actually have the FaceTime app to give users a chance to have fun with the front facing camera, the service is still quite limited and the time to have access to conversational opportunities need to be budgeted.

This is not a concern with the Fring app. Not only is Fring completely free, it also allows users to connect to 3G and WiFi.

For those not familiar with the iPhone 4’s FaceTime feature, the video calling app is restricted only to WiFi. This means it will not eat into your 3G data bandwidth, but at the same time, the App can only be used in areas that have WiFi hotspots. The biggest restriction of FaceTime is that users can only contact other iPhone 4 users (this is pretty much expected of the super xenophobic Apple brand).

Fring, on the other hand, provides more allowance for users. Not only can iPhone 4 users contact Android and Symbian handset owners, but they also have the freedom of choosing whether to use 3G or WiFi connections. This is particularly important for people on the go who would want to make the most out of the video chat feature. The Fring app is already available on the iTunes App Store and it not only provides video chat options, but also has some social networking features as well.

Speaking of the Apple iPhone 4, it seems that Apple is not going to make any further moves regarding the handset’s antenna issues. With the open letter already finalizing Apple’s stand on the matter, it seems that people will have to contend with possibility that calls can be dropped if the handset is held in a certain way.

The HTC Wildfire is finally available from mobile network operator Vodafone UK. According to the most recent announcements, the device is available for free on several contract offers by the network operator.

Our recommended pick would be the 20 Pound monthly tariff for two years which gives the user unlimited text messages, 300 minutes of talk time and about 500 MB of data allowance each month. The offer takes full advantage of the device’s social networking capabilities, which is much recommended for anyone who wants to have the full value of owning this impressive Android handset.

In terms of specs, it is hard not to be impressed with what the HTC Wildfire has to offer. First off, the device comes with a nice big 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen. A typical display for a mid range handset, it handles video playback and web browsing quite easily. The screen will support multi touch gestures, has an accelerometer, a proximity sensor that will automatically shut off the screen when used for a voice call and the HTC Sense user interface. Aside from the touch screen, there is an optical trackpad on the bottom of the device as well as support for movement gestures which will allow users to instantly switch the device to mute or to “dim out” an incoming call.

With the Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz CPU, apps run fairly fast on this Android OS. Just do not expect to get super smooth performance when running resource intensive games. But for most phone functions, the CPU is able to provide a stable and fast experience.

The Wildfire’s main features focus heavily on social networking. It has several integrated apps that would allow users to easily access accounts on Facebook and Twitter as well as file hosting sites such as Flicker and YouTube for uploading media content to be shared.

There are plenty of new and convenient things that the internet and smart phone technology is bringing to the people. For many small local businesses, nothing can be more influential than having a good location based service (or at least a tie up with Foursquare).

While investing in a major advertising project is too much for your typical corner pub, it still helps to get good internet reviews. And while there are plenty of GPS apps that would help lead new customers to a store, nothing beats getting great recommendations from pub goers themselves.

It is common to find reviews by professional critics in local media, but the internet can offer something more –what the local residents say. There are many products, services and features that many locals are able to grasp, understand and talk about more –like how a favorite local snack is served just perfectly, or how the ambiance proves to be great for drinking or catching the latest match on the telly.

And of course, it also helps being able to avoid the criticisms. As much as a professional review could put down a classy restaurant, a local store will have trouble attracting new customers with bad reviews.

Another major factor that is important with locations based services, is that they actually lead people into the store. Any facility of location that is made available on an online directory can be found on search and will be a major recommendation for anyone nearby. While this will not be attracting new customers from across town, at least the folks who just moved in the apartment several blocks down the road might be encouraged to go.

Meanwhile, apps such as Foursquare are providing customers with plenty of virtual rewards and incentives for customers –stores would be wise by adding in some real life incentives as well.

Smart phones are designed to do many things. From expected features such as allowing users to make and receive calls and messages to having memory storage space for contact information and for the inbox of messages. With the arrival of better hardware, mobile phones begun to do more. From being able to connect to email servers to playing media content, the average mobile phone today has plenty of basic capabilities.

The arrival of smart phone technology, and more importantly, the new, complex mobile platforms that have been introduced, the capabilities of the smart phone has exponentially increased in the past few years.

While manufacturers and phone developers have been able to do plenty of things for the technology and the community, there are still plenty of functions that the average smart phone can provide. Thanks to the high power processors, large capacity batteries, massive touch screens and other hardware available, a standard smart phone of today is pretty much a very small, low power computer.

However, making use of this hardware is not something that phone makers can focus on. It is up to independent developers and companies to create specialized software for phones –and that is why we have apps.

But why apps are so famous and widespread is a different matter.

Sure, a mobile phone can do plenty of things, but Google and HTC has better things to do than program a augmented reality golfing guide –and that is where the apps come in for the end users. By allowing developers to create and distribute apps for different smart phones, users are able to access a wide variety of content and install specifically what they need.

From simple RSS readers to fun interactive games to very complex information databases, apps can store and provide a vast variety of data and functions. While there are a wide range of apps available for most platforms, they certainly shouldn’t be ignored when it comes to purchasing a new phone. Whether or not it has that must-have-app may prove the deciding factor between, say, that new Samsung Wave 2, or the Apple iPhone 4.

It may be a bit of a surprise for some people, but the Samsung Wave 2 and the Wave 2 Pro smart phones are officially confirmed to be mid to low range handsets. With the original Samsung Wave being a pretty impressive high end smart phone, it was originally thought that the next device in the series would have bigger touch screen display, a faster processor and overall, better features. Instead, the Wave 2 and Wave Pro 2 are more of watered down versions of the original device.

This is easily explained by the fact that Samsung aims to put the Bada OS into the mid range smart phone market as opposed to competing with the big giants of the high end market (which would be the Android, Windows Phone 7 and the Apple iPhone). The original goal from Samsung was that they wanted to bring smart phone technology to everyone.

And by turning the Bada into the best mobile platform for this range of handsets, Samsung has a chance to gain a good hold of the market (they would still have to compete with the Android as the Google OS is being used in low to high end smart phones).

In detail, the S5250 Wave 2 and S5330 Wave 2 smart phones are pretty identical in terms of specs; the only difference is that the Wave 2 Pro has a physical QWERTY keyboard. The devices come with a pretty decent sized screen at 3.2 inches with a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels. With an internal memory of 80MB, users are better off using a 16GB micro SD card for storing data and other content. Of course, the phones will be using the Bada operating system, so expect to get plenty of good app support and a good choice of games for the platform.

Farmville is considered to be one of the most successful browser based online gaming applications. The game has millions of users (estimated to be anywhere from 70 to 80 million) and that number is still continuing to grow.

Thanks to the game’s simplistic gameplay and connectivity with user’s online networks in Facebook, there are plenty of reasons for people to keep addicted. First off, the game offers quick rewards for tasks –a very important factor for casual gamers. Also being able to trade produce and other farming materials with other people in one’s social network is major reason as to why people are so obsessed with making their farms larger and more successful. For others, the feeling of accomplishment in being able to expand and make their farms successful and productive is another reason why people live the game so much.

Since the game uses Flash to run in a browser, iPhone users do not have access to Farmville –this became even more realized after Apple has announced that they would never be supporting Flash at all. And with Steve Jobs’ reactions regarding Adobe and the Flash format, it seemed likely that iPhone users would not be able to access Farmville.

This however has been changed with the new announcement from Zynga. According to reports, the web game developer is working on a Farmville iPhone application that will allow users to access their Facebook Farmville accounts from the iPhone.

While this news will certainly make millions of Farmville players happy, it still does not cover the many other Flash games on the internet. Even if it is possible to re-make all the games into Flash compatible formats, the fact of the matter is that Apple’s initial lack of support for the web format is a major drawback. Not all Flash developers are as big as Zynga and could afford the time and resources to remaking an already existing game.

Because the default media player of Android smart phones is usually basic and unpolished, the folks over at the doubleTwist corporation have decided to make their own.

This new player works with the doubleTwist desktop software and works with both the Windows and Mac operating systems. It gives users the ability to sync their media files between the computers and smart phones carrying the little green robot platform.

Because doubleTwist aims to offer Android users the iTunes experience, it also has compatibility with playlists made on the Apple software. This effectively eliminates your iTunes envy because the new Android media player allows for iPod media syncing. All of the information you set for your Apple devices are carried over to your Android devices so you are not forced to set the song artist details, the ratings of your tunes or the play count. Additionally, you can also enjoy video and audio podcasts any time with theuse of your doubleTwist media player.

The team behind doubleTwist has managed to make their media software available even to other smart phones and devices. Among these is the Palm Pre as well as the office powerhouse, Blackberry. Users who have Sony PSPs or Flip devices will also be able to use the media player if they wish.

There are so many new features that are set to come out for doubleTwist users. The CEO and co-founder of the doubleTwist corporation, Monique Farantzos, said that in the future even wireless syncing may be supported by the media wonder. That would definitely be a huge breakthrough in terms of efficiency, potentially making the doubleTwist a better media manager than even Apple’s iTunes software.

If you would want to see the media capabilities of doubleTwist for yourself, the app is currently available for download without cost at the Android Market.