With all the online order confirmation codes, password resets, and hundreds of other e-mails filled with important information, it would be nice to have a tool that helps with the woes of e-mail management. Gmail Notes, a Google Chrome extension that allows users to add notes to e-mail threads in Gmail, has the potential to be one such tool. However, with its unreliability and numerous bugs, that's all it has: potential.

Downloading this extension adds a pencil icon to your browser's address bar when Gmail is open. To take a note, open any e-mail, click the icon, type your note, and then click save. Next time you open this e-mail, your note should be waiting. This is great if you need to memo something for later or add extra information that pertains to that particular e-mail. The extension saves all of your Gmail notes in a Google Doc folder titled "Google Notes" (very clever); unfortunately, your note will not be in your e-mail in-box after you log out of Gmail and sign back in.

After testing the extension in both the stable version and the developer's build of Google Chrome, I found that every time I wanted to go back to a saved note in my in-box, the note box would say "not found." Sometimes the extension's pencil icon would not even show up in the address bar, making it impossible to take any notes.

Gmail Notes would be a great organizational tool, if it worked. With the bugs and unpredictability, this add-on is a disappointment.

The big news this week was Apple's announcement Friday morning regarding the antenna issues on the iPhone 4. Steve Jobs came to the stage in a very unique Apple event to talk about the iOS 4.0.1 update that he says shows signal strength much more reliably. As a way to quell concerns about dropping calls by gripping the iPhone 4 a certain way, which Jobs admitted decreases signal strength in some circumstances, Apple is offering free bumper-style cases for everyone. Those who have already bought the bumper will receive a full refund. iPhone 4 users will be able to sign up for a free bumper or refund starting next week at Apple's site.

I have had the iPhone 4 for exactly a week now and I haven't experienced any connection issues so far, but I bought the bumper a couple of days ago for protection, in case I drop it. I was wondering what Apple would do with people like me who already bought the bumper (most people I talked to agreed that I was out of luck), so it was a pleasant surprise to hear I would get a refund, too.

This week's apps include a slick-looking and useful calculator app and a drift racing game that challenges you to master the controlled slide.

Calcbot (99 cents for a limited time) from the makers of stylish currency converter Convertbot brings more than your iPhone's included calculator wrapped up in a nice package. Like other apps from Tapbots, when you launch Calcbot, the first thing you notice is the slick-looking design. Features include a live as-you-type expression view so you know you have all your values correct, a history tape so you can track back to earlier calculations, and an advanced functions screen, all accessible with a swipe of your finger.

For all of Calcbot's class and functionality, it's not the most feature-rich calculator in the iTunes App Store. But if all you need is to make basic calculations (and some advanced functions) and the ability to send your work elsewhere, Calcbot is an attractive option. A swipe downward brings up the history tape, and a swipe to the left brings up the advanced function screen. I'm a little disappointed there is no graphing calculator, but Calcbot is an excellent alternative to the iPhone home screen calculator.

Drift Mania Championship (99 cents) is a drift racing game that offers excellent controls, smooth graphics, and challenging gameplay, and even though it's a little short on content, the price makes it a must have for drift racing fans. The precise tilt controls work better than most racing games in the iTunes App Store, letting you truly control how you attack each corner. Your speed is controlled by where you place your finger on the throttle bar on the right side of the screen, and you'll need to adjust your speed a lot to get the best drift through each turn.

The object of Drift Mania is to race around a track maximizing your drift through the turns to be judged in four key areas: your line into turns, the angle of your car during a slide, how much speed you carry through the turns, and your ability to put on a show. Stripes on the track show you the optimum line for your slide, but you'll need to hit the corner at just the right speed and tilt your iPhone to maximize your angle. You'll also need to stay consistent all the way around the track to get the most points. With a little practice, the result is a very satisfying racing experience across the three included tracks. You start with only one car, but you can unlock four more cars with different horsepower and weights by finishing each track in first place.

Overall, with three fun tracks, five cars, and three difficulty levels, Drift Mania Championship is worth more than its price, but I can't help but think this title would benefit from more tracks and cars. Judging by the polish of this well-designed and unique racing game, I have a hunch that additional content will become available in future releases with in-app purchases. Until then, Drift Mania Championship is a steal at 99 cents for the clean graphics and unique racing style.

What's your favorite iPhone app? Are you satisfied with Apple's free bumper offer? Do you have a calculator that you recommend over Calcbot? Is it possible that Drift Mania Championship will always be 99 cents for such a great game? Let me know in the comments!

Apple may not be happy about letting other browsers on the iPhone, but it approved an application from Mozilla that synchronizes bookmarks and open tabs with versions of Firefox running elsewhere.

The Firefox Home application is an offshoot of the project once called Weave and now called Firefox Sync. Mozilla submitted Firefox Home to Apple's App Store on June 30.

Synchronization is of growing importance as people use more computing devices in their lives--not just home and work computers, but now also mobile phones, TVs, and tablets. Firefox Sync is arriving in Firefox 4, and Google is building similar sync tools into Chrome.

The granddaddy of browser sync tools, Xmarks, can bridge across Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Not all sync is the same, though: bookmarks and tabs are one area, but sync also can extend to passwords, browsing history, and other aspects of browser use.

Although there's no Firefox for iOS, Mozilla has released a version for Nokia devices running the Maemo operating system that's on the way to becoming MeeGo through a partnership with Intel. And an Android version is on the way. Mozilla scrapped a Windows Mobile version of Firefox.

Originally posted at Deep Tech

Editors' note: Each day for the next 10 business days, CNET personalities you know and love will publish slideshows of their 10 personal favorite iPhone apps. With each post, you get a chance to vote for your own favorite app. Two weeks from now, we'll collect the full list of 100 apps and announce the 10 that you, our readers, love the most.

Today, check in with digital-media-loving, iPad-reviewing, Buzz Out Loud-talking Senior Editor extraordinaire Donald Bell for his favorite 10 iPhone apps.

No surprise: Donald loves him some music apps--Pandora and CBS Interactive's own Last.fm among them. But Donald's creativity doesn't stop at music selection. His apps include a $.99 drawing app, plus a couple of games more appropriate for a toddler. Hmm. Find out more about what Donald does with his iPod Touch in his full slideshow:

Once you've seen all of Donald's picks, return to this poll to let us know which app is your favorite, then check back each day on iPhone Atlas to see app choices from the rest of the CNET crew.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas