TechBytes: iPhone 4 Gets a Thumbs-Up

Goodbye Google Wave, Google-Verizon talks, Blackberry Torch, 'Mad Men' makeover.

ByABC News
August 6, 2010, 10:52 AM

Aug. 6, 2010— -- There's good news for the iPhone 4. A small survey conducted by Change Wave Research found 72 percent of all users are "very satisfied" with it. The iPhone 4 had received bad press because of antenna problems that led to a "not recommended" rating from Consumer Reports.

Google is dropping the Wave. The Wave was designed to let groups of people communicate with features that resembled instant messaging, e-mail and documents. It never really caught on and will be discontinued, possibly by the end of the year.

Google and Verizon both deny reports that they're negotiating a deal, to let online content providers pay for quicker Internet access. The New York Times reported that the two companies were working on a system that would have content providers pay, so that their material would be delivered more quickly to Internet users.

The new BlackBerry Torch smartphone will be in stores next week. The Torch is getting a thumbs up from USA Today's Ed Baig. He says the new BlackBerry 6 software brings the product up to date. Baig also says the Torch should appeal both to BlackBerry's core business customers and to other smartphone users.

"The Torch is a slider phone and that means it has a physical keyboard that actually slides out from the bottom. And it's worthy of the BlackBerry keyboards in the past, it's an area of great strength for Blackberry" Baig said. "But it also has a touchscreen, and it's a touchscreen that folks have come to expect with recent smartphones."

The Torch costs about $200.

An ad agency in Brazil is giving today's hottest sites a "Mad Men" makeover. Click here to check out '60s-style advertisements for the "miraculous" Facebook. There's one for Skype too, the "fabulous voice system able to put your family together." And even YouTube, where "your films will last forever." Don Draper, eat your heart out.