Need to fix that glitch in new iPhone? Try duct tape

By Raisa Habersham

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Amidst the anger surrounding the poor reception of the iPhone 4, those at Consumer Reports have found a nifty little solution to your dropped calls: duct tape.

Yes, the indispensable household item that keeps your fridge door closed when it's stuffed with food is the same one that assures you an ongoing conversation with your aunt in Kalamazoo, Mich. -- at least according to Consumer Reports.

This comes after Apple suggested an optical illusion was the reason for poor signals in the iPhone4, causing Consumer Reports not to recommend the model and citing a gap in the antenna as a problem.

The phone reportedly has signal issues when the lower left side of the phone is covered. Here's where duct tape comes in handy.

Placing a strip of duct tape along the antenna prevents your finger from interfering with the signal, providing the necessary insulation that a gap in the antenna otherwise doesn't.

According to Consumer Reports, the solution was discovered after three iPhones were tested in a radio frequency chamber. The engineers performed the same operation with other phones, such as the iPhone 3GS and the PalmPre.

Results from the report indicated that the non-iPhone 4 phones didn't have reception problems, raising questions about Apple's claim that the glitch was due to an optical illusion. The company claimed the software mistakenly displayed two extra bars, indicating the phone had more signal strength than normal.

And for AT&T naysayers, the network isn't the problem either. Regardless, those at Consumer Reports suggest Apple find a solution soon.

The report also suggests using cellphone cases but won't test those until next week. Until then, you can learn more about Consumer Reports' findings here.