For the third day, millions of BlackBerry users around the world have been unable to use messaging and browsing services. Users in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India lost access to their devices' most essential service. American users, who had initially been sparred from the outage, have also reported service issues. All this bad news for BlackBerry's manufacturer, Canadian firm Research in Motion, comes on top of the blockbuster success of Apple's new iPhone 4S, which was released on Friday. The BBC's Rory Clellan Jones has the latest on the story.

It's not definitively known whether cell phone radiation has a detrimental effect on health. While scientists try and figure it out, non-profit watchdog Environmental Working Group just released an analysis of 1,000 different cell phone models and their radiation levels. We talk with Richard Wiles, the group's spokesperson; and Louis Slesin, editor of Microwave News, an online publication that covers radiation issues.

If you're in the market for a new phone and concerned about radiation – though we should point out there's no firm evidence yet saying whether you should or should not be – you may want to consider Samsung, which has the phones that head the Top 10 list for lowest radiation. For more information, read the Environmental Working Group's rankings.

A study says that if you're using your cell phone while driving, you're just as likely to crash as someone who has been drinking. But most states don't ban texting while driving. And no state has banned driving while talking on the phone. The New York Times reports that federal agencies withheld studies showing how dangerous texting while driving actually is. Joining The Takeaway is Adam Bryant, New York Times Deputy Business Editor.

Now that Google is rolling out a free phone management service, phone use is becoming more like email and instant messaging. Join The Takeaway and New York Times personal technology editor Sam Grobart as we play with a powerful new means of communicating and managing your identity in a world of instant communications.

PLAY TELEPHONE WITH US!

Google Voice has a transcription service, but it's far from perfect. We're playing with it's flaws by having people leave a message with part of the Gettysburg address. Click through here, then click the Google Voice image, enter your phone number and when it connects you, pick a section below and read it. We'll post the (imperfect) transcripts later.

The iPhone is getting cheaper. Yesterday Apple announced it was slashing the price of the current iPhone in half just as it launches a new version, which is the third new model since 2007. This comes days after Palm launches it's so-called "iPhone killer," the Palm Pre. New York Times personal technology editor Sam Grobart helps us navigate the buying frenzy.

Watch an ad for the iPhone 3G S below.