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Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi Vatican City, Feb 9, 2011 / 12:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The sacrament of Confession "cannot be substituted by any computer application," the Vatican said Feb. 9. The remarks by papal spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, came amid a flurry of misleading international media reports on a new application developed for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod. "Confession: A Roman Catholic App" helps Catholics prepare for confession by offering a “step-by-step” guide to the sacrament and a “personalized examination of conscience.” Many media outlets wrongly reported that the application allowed Catholics to go to Confession on...

With Verizon Wireless preparing to offer Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone starting Feb. 10, the news media have focused most of their attention on AT&T (T) iPhone users who might switch to Verizon. But a new survey shows an even bigger percentage of switchers to the Verizon iPhone coming from Verizon BlackBerry and Android users. A survey by uSamp found that 26% of current AT&T cell phone users are likely to switch to Verizon when it begins offering the iPhone.

There increasing chatter on the Street that Nokia (NOK) next week will unveil a deal to adopt Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows Phone 7 as the operating system software for at least some of its smart phones. Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair weighed in the possibility this morning, asserting in a research note that such a move “would address the key concern we have had about Nokia for the last several years: terrible software.” He adds that a pairing of the two companies “could be a powerful combination in the smartphone war and put Nokia on solid footing for the first time...

On the heels of a Canalys report that said that Android had overtaken Symbian to become the top smart phone platform in the world, NPD reported later Monday that Android now owns over half (53 percent) of all U.S. consumer smartphone sales in Q4 2010. That's not just a leading market share, it's enough to prevent a runoff in some elections. What's good for Android is bad for Windows Phone however: that same report noted that Windows Phone was outsold by creaky, dying Windows Mobile in that quarter. Some of that might be attributable to the fact that Windows Phone...

Android continues to take market share in smart phones, according to research firms presenting year-end tabulations this week. Getting a clear snapshot on Android is somewhat complicated in that the platform is spread across multiple vendors, including HTC, Motorola Mobility(MMI) and Samsung. The market for smart phone operating systems currently is dominated by Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone platform, Nokia’s (NOK) Symbian and Research In Motion’s (RIMM) BlackBerry OS. Collectively, though, the Google (GOOG) -backed Android operating system continues to move up the charts.

An iPhone app that tracks down the Taliban has been developed by a US soldier who put $26,000 of his own money into the project. The idea for a smartphone application to assist soldiers in combat came to Captain Jonathan J. Springer in a dream last July. The 31-year-old, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, has worked with programmers ever since to make the idea a reality. Tactical Nav, which is expected to be available through Apple’s App Store next month, assists soldiers in mapping, plotting and photographing waypoints on a battleground and conveying coordinates to supporting units.

Apple is replacing iPhone screws -- but it may be the consumers who are really getting screwed. In line with its infamous philosophy of maintaining absolute control over its products, sources said U.S. Apple stores are replacing screws on iPhone 4s brought for servicing with tamper-proof screws to prevent anyone else from opening the device. Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, a prominent Apple repair and parts supplier, said the purpose of the new screws is to keep people out of the iPhone and prevent them from replacing the battery. He said he noticed in November that screws were being...

We've been writing a lot this week about Apple's iPhone -- and its availability next month through Verizon Wireless. Without the iPhone, Verizon's lineup has been dominated by smart new phones -- such as Motorola Mobility's Droid X and Droid 2 -- that run Mountain View Internet juggernaut Google's Android operating system. Even with a Verizon iPhone, Palo Alto industry analyst Canalys predicted this week, Google's Android army will grow more than twice as quickly as its major smartphone rivals. "With Android's momentum expected to stay strong, the installed base of Android-based smartphones and pads will rapidly increase," Canalys senior...

A Virginia Tech graduate has conjured up a machine and iPhone app that allows him to select a beer and have his fridge fire it across the room to him.

Verizon Wireless . . . is confident enough in its network that it will offer unlimited data-use plans when it starts selling the iPhone around the end of this month, a person familiar with the matter said . . . Verizon Wireless . . . has a lot at stake as it starts to carry the iPhone, which it will announce Tuesday at an event in New York City, people familiar with the matter say . . . Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said Wall Street is expecting sales of the Verizon iPhone to boost Apple's overall sales by 5%...

You may be aware of the Manhattan Declaration of November 2009. Chuck Colson, along with Princeton professor Robert George and Beeson Divinity School professor Timothy George drafted the Manhattan Declaration as a statement on the importance of the Christian voice in the public square as it relates to the sanctity of human life, marriage and religious liberty. In part, the Declaration says, “Because the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife, and the freedom of conscience and religion are foundational principles of justice and the common good, we are compelled by our...

BGR has confirmed with a source close to Apple that the company has blacked out employee vacation requests between February 3rd and February 6th — Thursday through Sunday. The four-day vacation freeze has been confirmed to be in effect in several regions in the United States. A recent report suggested the vacation black-out would cover a period of three weeks beginning in late January and extending into February, which still could be true in some regions. Back in June of last year, Apple picked the dates of 24th to the 27th for its iPhone 4 weekend launch — also a...

According to a report from Bloomberg Businessweek on Wednesday, Apple will hold a special event by Valentine’s Day to introduce a new iPhone compatible with the Verizon Wireless network. The report mirrors one of two theories posed by BGR Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Geller earlier this month. Businessweek goes on to suggest that while the launch of an iPhone for Verizon Wireless could have a sizable impact on AT&T’s business, it will not be the “death blow” many have speculated. Even if AT&T loses as many as 6 million subscribers as a result of Verizon’s iPhone launch, Businessweek postulates, the lost revenue...

BOISE, Idaho - You hear the woes of holiday traveling: packed, delayed and stranded flights. Police said a Boise man lost his cool on a flight home from Vegas for a very different reason.Passengers and the flight crew told police that while the plane was preparing to take off in Vegas, Russell Miller punched a 15-year-old after he refused to turn off his iPhone.Police said the teen was playing games and listening to music when the flight attendants announced their final approach to land and all powered devices needed to be turned off. Police said the teen was playing games...

Apple and four app developers have been hit with a lawsuit that alleges violations of computer fraud and privacy laws by allowing ad networks to access users' personal information. Zuma Press The suit was filed on Thursday by the law firm KamberLaw on behalf of Jonathan Lalo, a Los Angeles County resident, in federal court in San Jose, California. It seeks class-action status. The suit was filed less than a week after the Wall Street Journal published an article raising privacy concerns over the transmission of personal information based on a study of 101 mobile apps on Apple's iPhone and...

| 1,755 views | 0 recommendations | 1 comment Apple (AAPL) has increased its global shipment goals for the iPhone for the calendar first quarter to 20-21 million units from 19 million units, according to DigiTimes, which citing “sources with Taiwan-based component suppliers.” The company plans to ship 14-15 million of the current version of the phone, with a target of 5-6 million units of the yet-to-be-announced CDMA version of the iPhone that is widely expected to be offered on Verizon Wireless and possibly other carriers early in 2011. The story said December quarter shipments were about 15.5 million units,...

A WSJ Investigation finds that iPhone and Android apps are breaching the privacy of smartphone usersFew devices know more personal details about people than the smartphones in their pockets: phone numbers, current location, often the owner's real name—even a unique ID number that can never be changed or turned off. These phones don't keep secrets. They are sharing this personal data widely and regularly, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found. An examination of 101 popular smartphone "apps"—games and other software applications for iPhone and Android phones—showed that 56 transmitted the phone's unique device ID to other companies without users'...

Mobilizing the Globe Citizen Concepts announces the launch of PatriotAppTM, the world's first iPhone application that empowers citizens to assist government agencies in creating safer, cleaner, and more efficient communities via social networking and mobile technology. This app was founded on the belief that citizens can provide the most sophisticated and broad network of eyes and ears necessary to prevent terrorism, crime, environmental negligence, or other malicious behavior. Simply download, report (including pictures) and submit information to relevant government agencies, employers, or publish incident data to social network tools. Key Features: Integrated into Federal Agencies points of contacts FBI, EPA,...

Flashcards for toddlers is a huge business. Ok, I actually have no idea how big of a business it is. But I know parents think they’re an important part of the development of their child, and I have witnessed that toddlers will actually tolerate them for short periods of time. The direct feedback loop is key. All of this stuff is moving to touch devices, obviously. Children love them, and get how to use them immediately. Anyhow, interesting data from iTot Apps, the creator of a popular flashcard app for toddlers call, aptly, Toddler Flashcards. The company, by the way,...

Mr. Jobs, I have been following the coverage on the removal of the Manhattan Declaration App from the App Store over the Thanksgiving Holiday. I understand and appreciate that Apple, Inc. owns and controls the vehicle and process by which apps are sold to those of us with iOS devices or (with the introduction of the Mac App Store, OS X). As a "signer" of the Manhattan Declaration and a devoted Mac user with the Manhattan Declaration App on my iPod Touch, however, I am concerned that the decision to pull the app was ill-advised. The Manhattan Declaration’s emails are...