TechBytes: Apple's Announcement

July 15, 2010— -- Apple is preparing to address the antenna problems of the iPhone 4. The company has called a news conference for 10 a.m PT Friday at its headquarters. Calls for Apple to do something about the antenna have grown since Monday, when Consumer Reports said it would not recommend the device. The New York Times' Nick Bilton says Apple has two options if it wants to fix the problem. "They would either have to give customers free bumpers, which go around the phone," said Bilton, "or they would have to recall the phone, which is gonna be extremely expensive." One analyst estimates recalling the iPhone would cost Apple about $1.5 billion.

PlayStation 3 owners can now try out Hulu's new video subscription service. The PS3 will be the only game console able to play streaming videos from Hulu Plus this year. The $9.99-per-month service includes every show from such series as "Desperate Housewives," "Glee" and "The Office." Some PS3 owners have access now, with a wider rollout expected in the next few months. The service launches on the Xbox 360 early next year.

The time may be coming when you can buy one cell phone that works on any of the major carriers. Sprint's CEO says the company is considering changing its network to match the technology that Verizon and AT&T have pledged to support in the future. If all the carriers are on board, it would remove a technical barrier that prevents us from using the same phone with different companies.

Microsoft is trying to create a real, living boy in a computer. The company showed off "Milo". "Milo" is a virtual boy who reacts to a person's emotions, movement and voice using the Xbox's hands-free Kinect controller. He's part of a story-telling game in which players are actually sculpting a human being. And the more people that play, the smarter Milo gets. The game is still under development and Microsoft has no plans to release it yet.