December 2007 Archives

A story that should have gotten a thumbs-down from editors at ZDnet was the third most read post on ZDNet. Russell Shaw wrote,  about the post  Man endures thumb surgery to better enable iPhone use:

“At first, this sounded quite twisted, but consider the era, dude. We’re talking early August of this year, when the iPhone was just out a matter of weeks. So one extremist who took it too far by having his  thumb adjusted to make iPhone usage easier? Hey this is a crazy world and I’ve seen crazier.”

He further notes “Only trouble is, the source we extracted the story from finally copped to making this all up. So I guess you could say we got “punk’d.”

Greenlight Wireless Corporation announced that usage of its Skweezer mobile browsing service has dramatically increased since December 26th, which appears to support industry speculation that mobile handsets were a popular item under the Christmas tree.

Aggregated mobile Web traffic data from the Skweezer portal and Skweezer Private Label implementations indicate the following:

- An average month-to-month growth rate of 11% between January and November 2007
- A 21% increase in worldwide traffic from December 25th to December 26th 2007
- Traffic from North America experienced the highest post-Christmas increase in traffic at 28%
- Mobile Web traffic from Blackberries, iPhones, Blackjacks, and other "smartphone" devices increased 19%, indicating that high-end handsets received as gifts may be responsible for the increased mobile Web usage

While Skweezer traffic has been growing steadily month-to-month, this year's post-Christmas spike is the most dramatic increase on record. Past years have seen a similar yet more modest average increase of 17% in Skweezer page views immediately following the holidays. While usage historically corrects itself after the initial spike in traffic, 71% of post-holiday traffic is maintained after the second week of January.

Beginning  January 1,  airline passengers will no longer be allowed to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage, under new transportation laws aimed at reducing the risk of battery fires.

Passengers are permitted to  carry up to two spare extended-life rechargeable lithium batteries in carry-on bags as long as they are in their original packaging or in a plastic zipper bag, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Checked bags can contain batteries already installed in gadgets such as cell phones, cameras or laptop computers, according to the DOT.

Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Safety testing conducted by the FAA found that current aircraft cargo fire suppression system would not be capable of suppressing a fire if a shipment of non-rechargeable lithium batteries were ignited in flight.

AT&T I has announced a new text messaging program that will support the USO — and U.S. military families — with free prepaid phone cards. The program launches at the AT&T Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Beginning Jan. 1, and running through March 31, 2008, customers can make a $2 donation in support of the USO by text messaging USO to short code 740 from their AT&T wireless devices. In addition to text messaging, anyone wishing to support the effort can donate online at www.uso.org/cottonbowl08.

Donations will support the USO Operation Phone Home program, which provides free prepaid phone cards to military members serving active duty away from home so that they may stay in touch with loved ones. After callers send the message USO to short code 740, they will receive a response asking them to confirm their $2 donation by replying YES. After text messaging YES back to the 740 number, callers will receive a message letting them know that the donation is complete.

This text messaging program extends the support that AT&T has provided to the USO for the past 20 years, including contributing tens of millions of dollars in support of Operation USO Care Package, USO Operation Phone Home and USO entertainment tours. AT&T also has assisted the USO through funding regional operations in Europe, Southwest Asia and the Pacific.

Verizon Wireless expects its customers to send and receive more than 300 million messages in the 16 hours between 12 p.m. today and 4 a.m. ET New Year’s Day.

Mike Lanman, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless, said, “During holidays such as New Year’s Eve, text, picture and video messages allow our customers to personalize their communications with friends and family. Last New Year’s Eve, our customers sent and received more than 284 million text messages and nearly 4.75 million multimedia messages, so we fully expect to surpass the 300 million mark tonight.”

Now, you can take your iPhone virtually anywhere with the OtterBox for iPhone Armor Series case. The fully rugged, interactive enclosure provides complete water, dust, dirt, drop and sand protection so your iPhone is safe regardless of what the day brings.

The rugged cases can withstand any adventure from snowboarding, biking, exploring the great outdoors and even swimming. The OtterBox for iPhone Armor accommodates 4 and 8 GB models. Fragile screens are protected by a thin, patented membrane which remains fully functional. The case provides sealed, interactive access to the home, sleep/wake and volume buttons on your iPhone and you can even use your camera right through the case! Two easy open compound latches securely close the case and the iPhone remains cradled by impact absorbing rubber on all sides.

The OtterBox for iPhone sells for $69.95 at otterbox.com.

We are pleased to announce that our editor, Lynn Walford was asked to write an article about mobile banking for ATMmarketplace, titled "Mobile banking at market tipping point."

In the article, all the top analysts from Aite Group, TowerGroup, Celent, and Javelin voice their opinions about SMS text, downloaded, and WAP based mobile banking. All the latest deployments by financial institutions are mentioned.

"It was very interesting, doing research for the article," said Lynn Walford, "I looked at my bank accounts through various methods on different phones and could see my balance quickly as well as the implications on the mobile banking space."

Cognos announced that it has extended its wireless business intelligence solution, Cognos 8 Go! Mobile, to support Windows Mobile 6 smartphones. Previously their solutions were available on the BlackBerry platform.

Cognos 8 Go! Mobile is the industry’s first business intelligence solution designed to make it convenient to view, consume and interact with highly relevant performance information on mobile devices. Cognos 8 Go! Mobile delivers enterprise data through an intuitive interface optimized for each different type of mobile platform. It now brings timely decision-support information directly to Windows Mobile 6 devices. All decision makers who need to access BI content across the enterprise, either through a mobile device or on the Web, are able to use the same consistent, trusted source of operational information.

Existing Cognos 8 BI customers, such as MTD Products, will be able to use their Windows Mobile 6 smartphones to further leverage their BI investments.

Consumers still perceive mobile phones as casual gaming devices, despite recent efforts to introduce more advanced games and features to the platform, according to Parks Associates’ The New Frontier: Portable and Mobile Gaming. Their report analyzes trends in the mobile and portable gaming industries; profiles major publishers, developers, technology providers, and carriers; provides consumer data regarding portable and mobile gaming; and forecasts market growth.

“In the mobile gaming industry, consumer awareness lags behind technological advancements,” said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Director, Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates. “New 3D and multiplayer mobile games look great in demos, but casual games are where the money is and will be for the next few years.”

According to the report, fewer than 10% of on-the-go Internet gamers want to play core or console-centric games on a mobile phone, compared with 55% who want to play puzzle and card games on mobile phones and more than 30% who want word and arcade games.

The California Auto Club reminds motorists of the following laws that will not take effect until July 1 2008:

Cell Phones and Driving. SB 1613 prohibits the use of handheld cellular telephones while driving. Starting July 1, 2008, an adult driver may use a cell phone only if it has a hands-free listening and speaking system. Drivers ticketed for a violation will be subject to a fine of at least $70 (base fine plus penalties) for a first offense and at least $175 (base fine plus penalties) for subsequent offenses.

Teen Drivers and Cell Phones. SB 33 prohibits drivers under age 18 from using any cell phone or other “mobile-service device” while driving, even if it is equipped with a hands-free device.

ReCellular's  cell phone data eraser site reminds everyone to clean off all your data before recycling your phone. 

Various blogs have reported a new patent filed by BlackBerry for an angled keyboard for easier thumb typing:
This seems to make sense. Thumbs move on angle not straight up and down. Our editor has been using an ergonomically curved Kinesis keyboard since the early 1990’s, It’s shaped like the curve of fingers. The Kinesis keyboard also angles the space bar and back space keys to the angles of thumbs.

Information Week reported that Apple has filed a patent that would enable a wireless device (such as an iPod or iPhone) to place a wireless order at a cafe or quick serve restaurant without waiting in line.

The article notes that Apple already has a deal with Starbucks (for selling music or free Wi-Fi) and there is an added value to restaurants because each order gets a tracking number and the stores will be able to track customer orders and behavior.

Comment from Wireless and Mobile News:
The patent doesn’t state if when Apple creates another device for which Macaholics stand in line if they will be able to order the next iGadget with an other iGadget…

According to ABI, Research In Motion (RIM) is likely to end 2007 with around 10% share of the smartphone market. This means that in terms of device shipments, RIM will be the second largest smartphone vendor in 2007, after Nokia. RIM’s share in the smartphone market has steadily increased in the last five quarters — from 7.2% in 3Q 2006 to 9.5% in 3Q 2007. However, RIM’s business is still predominantly in North America and the company now needs to put increasing efforts into addressing and benefitting from the growing demand for smartphones in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific and other regions.

According to ABI Research industry analyst Shailendra Pandey, “In addition to operator partnerships, RIM needs to grow both its R&D and manufacturing capabilities to expand and increase its presence in markets beyond North America and Europe. Considering the growing opportunities in the Asia Pacific region, a manufacturing and R&D presence in India or China can help RIM in shipping more devices and reducing overall costs.”

Nearly two dozen leading companies from all areas of the mobile imaging eco-system have joined forces to work on Phase 2 of the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A; http://www.i3a.org) Camera Phone Image Quality (CPIQ) Initiative, the group announced today.

Following the final open meeting held last month in Paris, the CPIQ Initiative enrollment is now closed, and work begins in earnest to develop repeatable, robust, test methods for evaluating the metrics associated with image quality — both subjective and objective.

“CPIQ Phase 2 is off to an aggressive start, with nearly all Phase 1 members returning and a substantial number of new companies joining in,” said Lisa Walker, I3A President. “This breadth of participation - companies of all sizes, from all segments of the imaging eco-system and all corners of the world — demonstrates how important addressing image quality issues is to the future of our entire industry, and how valuable is the level playing field that I3A provides.”

One of the major talking points at recent femtocell conferences has been the question of which technology will take precedence for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) in the home: femtocells, or Voice over Wi-Fi. ABI Research suggests that this is an outdated view of the market and that a mindset embracing both femtocells and Wi-Fi would provide the ideal solution to support a fuller FMC concept.

Research director Stuart Carlaw, says, “The current focus of the femtocell industry is on supporting FMS (Fixed Mobile Substitution) applications. However, in order to reach the hoped-for 36 million unit shipments per annum, the industry must take a wider view of FMC that embraces multimedia, place-shifting content and a multitude of innovative solutions including home automation and remote monitoring.”

Although ABI Research expects the majority of initial femtocell shipments to be standalone products, Carlaw contends that a solution which includes Wi-Fi will be best suited to providing a full array of consumer-friendly services. The absence of Wi-Fi would leave a sizeable hole in the package.

Sales of wireless LAN infrastructure equipment, including WLAN switches and controllers, dependent and independent access points, wireless broadband routers, and outdoor bridges, jumped 14% in 3Q07 from 2Q07, according to Infonetics Research’s latest Wireless LAN Equipment quarterly market share report. The overall market, which hit just under $870 million worldwide in 3Q07, was led by strong sales in the enterprise and consumer segments, both up in the double-digits, the report shows.

“The third quarter was a good one for wireless LAN equipment manufacturers, particularly Cisco,” said Richard Webb, directing analyst for wireless at Infonetics Research. “Cisco leads across all 3 segments of the market—consumer (through its Linksys division), enterprise, and service provider—and has an increasingly dominant position that looks unassailable, though other players such as Aruba Networks continue to improve their performance in the enterprise segment quarter on quarter.”

Other highlights from the report:

• The number of enterprise single-mode WiFi phones sold is up 51% sequentially, and manufacturer revenue is up 37%
• The number of embedded and standard WiFi NICs is up 8% sequentially
• Manufacturer revenue for wireless LAN switches and controllers is forecast to triple between 2006 and 2010
• All regions showed double-digit revenue growth in the WLAN equipment market: North America is up 16%, EMEA is up 15%, Asia Pacific 11%, and CALA 13%
• The cycle of upgrade purchasing, driven by 802.11n, is slowly starting and will continue over the next several years

 

This holiday season, many consumers rang in the holidays with new wireless phones,. Rather than throwing old phones into a drawer or into the trash, Verizon Wireless reminds consumers to donate their no-longer-used wireless phones to the company’s HopeLinephone recycling program to support victims of domestic violence.

HopeLine collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition, from any wireless service provider, at the company’s Communications Stores across the country. Phones that can be refurbished are sold for reuse and those without value are disposed of in an environmentally sound way. Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to provide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and other non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness.

Fring announced in its blog, that they have just added Yahoo!™ and AOL’s AIM® instant messengers to their growing world of online communities, joining Skype, Google Talk, MSN, ICQ, and Twitter to provide fringsters ways of staying connected with all of their online buddies.

Users of a Yahoo! or AIM account and a fring-enabled handset will be able to take all of their buddies mobile and benefit from fring’s IM-style chat and live presence features, enabling them to bring y IM and mobile phone contacts into one easy-to-use list on your handset. Users will  be able see whether they’re on, offline or away and enjoy rich chat sessions from your mobile or whenever you’re away from your PC.

NOTE: Yahoo! & AIM are currently available for Symbian and UIQ handsets; voice calls are not yet enabled.

Fring’s mobile VoIP application enables users to make voice calls, chat and check out who’s online before dialing (real-time presence), no matter where they are, using lower cost data plans and free Wi-Fi.

Motorola, Inc. issued a year-end update on its wi4 WiMAX solutions and customer engagements. During 2007 Motorola increased to15 its number of contracts for commercial WiMAX networks and demonstrated the historic first live mobile WiMAX 802.16e handoffs between continuous WiMAX cells supporting voice, data and multimedia applications during WiMAX World USA in Chicago.

The company also:

• Increased to more than 57 the number of WiMAX engagements in 38 countries worldwide, including 44 active trials.
  
• Is on track to support Sprint/Xohm™ soft launch in Chicago by year end 2007 and is on schedule with deployment for the planned commercial launch in Q2 2008.
• Delivered thousands of access points to customers worldwide and delivered tens of thousands of CPE units or PC cards for customer engagements including trials and commercial deployments currently underway.
• Completed the deployment of the first 802.16e commercial WiMAX network in Pakistan for Wateen Telecom.
  
• The operator has since launched nationwide commercial services to corporate and consumer markets. Unveiled its test WiMAX mobile device and WiMAX chipset which will be embedded in consumer electronic devices to provide mobile Internet access.
  
• Completed the first phase deployment of two additional commercial WiMAX systems in France and Germany.

“We’ve seen tremendous progress in the deployment of 802.16e WiMAX technology worldwide this year,” said Fred Wright, senior vice president, WiMAX and Cellular Networks, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility. “With the recent and impending launches of commercial service by major broadband wireless operators worldwide WiMAX is set to become a mainstream broadband wireless technology at least two years ahead of other alternative technologies.. While we spent the majority of 2007 proving the commercial viability of WiMAX technology, we will see the commercial launch of dozens of WiMAX systems in 2008 with a wide variety of customer premises equipment, PC cards, mobile devices, and innovative applications.”

“2008 promises to be another exciting year for WiMAX and the entire 4G landscape,” said Phil Marshall, vice president, Enabling Technologies, Yankee Group. “We expect that in 2008 several large scale national WiMAX deployments will be announced in Asia and Europe. Currently our conservative forecasts are calling for 37 million WiMAX globally subscribers by 2011. “

Shipments of recycled handsets (old handsets recycled for reuse) are expected to exceed 100 million units in 2012, according to a recent study from ABI Research. Shorter handset replacement periods, growing demand for low-cost handsets in emerging markets, regulatory requirements, and growing consumer awareness are key factors driving the market for recycled handsets.

ABI Research industry analyst Shailendra Pandey says, “Mobile phone recycling companies such as ReCellular, Fonebak, and Eazyfone are witnessing good market growth, but increasing consumer awareness and retrieving used handsets at affordable prices are still key challenges. Also, the ASP of used handsets falls rapidly, so these handsets need to be handled at the lowest possible cost to ensure decent margins on their resale.”

Handset vendors including Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and LG are concentrating more on designing and manufacturing mobile phones to ensure that they are easily recyclable and contain a minimum of hazardous elements. This is being complimented by the efforts of mobile operators, retailers, recycling companies, charities and various take-back schemes, resulting in more users starting to return their old, no longer used handsets for recycling.

A new report from Aite Group, LLC gauges mobile operators' current perceptions of mobile transactions. The report, which is based on an October 2007 survey of 12 international mobile operators, provides insight into how mobile operators view mobile transaction adoption and how they perceive payments will be made for various mobile transaction services.

As voice revenues continue to decline for operators, a steady uptick in simple services such as text messaging provide hope that users will gradually begin to utilize hand-held devices for purposes other than that which they were originally intended. They envision that by the end of 2009, 25.5% of users will use the devices for mobile banking, 26.9% will use them for the addition of prepaid minutes, and 26.3% will use them for mobile commerce. With the majority of payments being diverted to phone bills at the end of 2007, mobile operators stand to gain tremendously as mobile transactions continue to increase.

"Mobile operators clearly have a high opinion of themselves when it comes to the role they believe they will play in the future of mobile transactions," says Nick Holland, senior analyst with Aite Group and author of this report. "Though they may lose out in some areas, such as payment share for mobile commerce, new technologies like mobile POS payments may lead to a very bright future for the intersection of mobile devices and payments."

This 23-page Impact Report contains 15 Figures.

The Armadillo Dollar, created by Wisteria House Products of Gilbert, Arizona, protects against new wireless ID theft and RFID monitoring. When put into a person’s wallet, the Armadillo Dollar blocks the transmission of sensitive private information from RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) enabled debit/credit cards or employee badges. The user can move around essentially undetected by RFID readers, and wireless ID thieves.

The Armadillo Dollar is 7 3/8” by 3 1/8”, 25% larger than a dollar bill and fits in most wallets. It can also be folded around credit cards. It sells for $25.

Cricket Communications, Inc., is now offering MOTORAZR² V9m as part of its handset lineup. The RAZR² V9m features greatly enhanced dual screens, giving consumers the largest in its class two inch external screen for crisp picture caller ID and external text message display.

The device also supports up to 2 GB of optional removable memory, allowing users to store approximately 1000 songs, and Stereo Bluetooth, which gives users the freedom of wireless headphones, as well as web browsing and a 2.0 Megapixel camera in a sleek, sophisticated update of the RAZR’s iconic design.

RAZR² is available immediately online and in select Cricket retail stores and wireless dealers for $399.99. For more information, please visit a Cricket store, or online visit www.mycricket.com.

Samsung and Cricket Communications, Inc., announced that the Samsung SCH-r500 handset, a sleek clamshell phone for Cricket customers, will be available to Cricket customers on Monday, December 24, 2007.

The phone features:

• Changeable faceplates
• Internal antenna
• 262K TFT internal display
• 1.2” external monochrome display
• CDMA 1x 800/1900MHz digital-only EVDO
• 1.3-megapixel camera with video
• MP3 player
• Stereo speakers
  
• Up to 2GB microSD(TM: 107.26, +1.40, +1.32%) memory card slot
  
• Stereo Bluetooth
  
• Enhanced voice recognition.

The SCH-r500 phone is available at select Cricket retail stores and Cricket dealers immediately for $199.99. For more information, please visit a local Cricket retail location, or online visit www.mycricket.com or www.samsungwireless.com.

Mobifusion, Inc., a global developer and publisher of mobile applications and technologies announced an agreement with Oxford University Press to create and deliver mobile editions of Oxford’s world-leading dictionaries to mobile phones and devices through key wireless operators and other sales channels.

The mobile editions of Oxford dictionaries produced by Mobifusion are easy-to-navigate, ‘smart’ and complete versions of key dictionaries like the Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus, Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary and even Concise Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Also coming soon are Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary, Oxford-Duden German Dictionary, Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary and Oxford Portuguese Mini-Dictionary.

Due to soaring consumer interest in navigation services based on the Global Positioning System (GPS), a new national survey by Leo J. Shapiro and Associates (LJS) found that cellphone users cite GPS capability more frequently than Internet access as a desired feature.

Based on data from phone interviews conducted in early December with a national sample of 450 Americans, the survey found that among current cellphone owners 24% would want their next cellphone to have GPS capabilities, while 19% would want Internet access. The survey also found that the vast majority of GPS device owners do not have GPS-enabled cellphones. Among current GPS owners 51% report having a portable GPS device, 39% have a car-based device, and only 6% have a GPS-enabled cellphone.

AT&T and Rock the Vote will use new technologies like mobile to educate and engage these young voters.

“The AT&T and Rock the Vote campaign will engage young people where they are — through a device that nearly never leaves their hands — and encourage them to actively participate in the democratic process,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO for AT&T’s wireless services.

Net Applications tracked iPhone usage since its launch.  Total web browsing on the iPhone has topped the web browsing on all Windows Mobile devices combined, their report shows. Their report is a listing of the top operating system versions in use.  It is not a measure of units sold, but the share of users browsing the Internet with the devices.  The iPhone has had a dramatic rise in usage share in its short time on the market 

In their report for November the iPhone had .09% market share and Windows Mobile had .06% share for the month.  Their report can be sorted by different variables and downloaded at their website.

According to Newsday, two young Santa and snow globe slashers were caught by a homeowner firefighter, after they left a cell phone at the scene of the crime.

Santa Claus needs a new cell phone this year.  What would be the best cell phone or mobile device for Santa? Commentary Feature from Wireless and Mobile News

Aware of the latest mobile phone trends because of letters from very good girls and boys asking for iPhones; Nick of the Silent Holy Night looked at the iPhone, first. He wears gloves while on his sleigh ride, so he ruled out touch phones such as the iPhone HTC Touch and LG Venus. 

In case Rudolf’s nose runs out of power, GPS would be nice, therefore he may go for the LG Voyager with voice commands and GPS.  He would use the Voyager to tune into a TV shows, check the Web for weather forecasts and text last minute requests to the elves. The white-bearded miracle worker could use a Bluetooth earphone to call Mrs. C without taking his hands off the reindeer reins.

The ride is long and can be boring. Sometimes, Santa likes to rock with some tunes but he wants to sync his iTunes from his iMac which he can’t do with the LG Voyager. He could try to sideload his tunes to a Juke, but it’s kind of small and lacks GPS and a QWERTY keyboard. 

TORONTO, Canada - GPS software manufacturer Northport Systems, Inc., has launched Fugawi Touratel, a new cell phone-based outdoor navigation software and interactive web site, for use in the United States.

Designed to enhance outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and more, Fugawi Touratel provides exceptional map detail on a wide variety of mobile phone handsets as well as the complimentary touratel.com website.

A first in GPS software solutions for the outdoor recreation market, Fugawi Touratel is a Web 2.0-based cell phone navigation software product that delivers high-resolution US Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, air photos and urban photos to a wide variety of cell phone models within the USA. The service costs $2.99 a month.

A lawsuit filed in October, accused Facebook of sending unsolicited text messages to out of date/recycled numbers. Plaintiff Lindsey Abrams of Patriot, Ind, said Facebook kept sending her numerous text messages, for which she was charged 10 cents apiece and Facebook got its share of the fee. Her number was previously assigned to a Facebook member.

Facebook because of it vast number of members did not check the validity of the numbers.

The terms of the settlement state that Facebook must update its current practices and simplify the opt-out process for text spam message, and with the help of carriers keep track of recycled phone numbers.Facebook must also pay Abrams's legal fees.

Los Angeles, California, Mayor Villaraigosa kicked off the multi-phase Parking Management Program (PMP) and unveiled the new "Easy Park - Easy Pay" parking meters in a parking lot in North Hollywood, last week.

The "Easy Park - Easy Pay" meters - which will replace the outdated single space parking meters - are single, multi-unit, state-of-the-art machines that offer motorists a broad range of options to pay for designated parking spaces, including paying by credit card, debit card or cell phone. The new meters will alert drivers by text message when time expires

The unveiling and installation of these meters represents the first phase of Mayor Villaraigosa's PMP plan, which aims to improve parking throughout the City by giving motorists better customer service and more reliable and efficient parking meters.

"These parking meters will offer customers a more reliable and efficient way to pay for parking in Los Angeles," Mayor Villaraigosa said. "This new technology will provide LA drivers with a much more convenient alternative to the every-day stress of paying to park in this city."

As the popularity of mobile messaging services continue to grow, Gartner, Inc. forecasts 2.3 trillion messages will be sent across major markets worldwide in 2008, a 19.6 percent increase from the 2007 total of 1.9 trillion messages. Mobile messaging revenue across major markets will grow 15.7 percent in 2008 to $60.2 billion, up from $52 billion in 2007.

Although mobile messaging traffic volumes will continue to show strong growth in many markets, operator margins on messaging services have become progressively thinner as a result of competition and market saturation.

“In many markets, there has been strong pressure on operator margins for text messaging services and this has been driven by often intense competition between carriers,” said Nick Ingelbrecht, research director for Gartner. “At the same time, consumers have grown accustomed to large or unlimited bundles of inclusive SMS as part of their basic cellular service package. Carriers should plan for a future of much reduced margins on messaging services. They should develop messaging platforms, services portfolios and pricing plans that support the broader objectives of customer acquisition and retention, rather than short-term margin enhancements.

Cellfire, Inc. has signed an agreement with MetroPCS Communications,, to provide mobile coupon and discount offers. Cellfire is now available to any MetroPCS customer with a compatible phone and MetroWeb service.

Cellfire makes it easy for MetroPCS users to find and use valuable deals delivered directly to their wireless handsets. To access Cellfire, MetroPCS customers select the “MetroWeb” menu icon on their phone, select the “Shopping” link and then select “Cellfire Coupons.” Cellfire’s discount offers are automatically uploaded to MetroPCS phones, enabling customers to access instant savings from participating national and local merchants.

Cellfire’s growing list of participating merchants include Hardee’s, Hollywood Video, Papa Johns, Virgin Megastores, Taco Bueno, Wienerschnitzel and numerous local merchants across the US.

Cellware.com is offering free mobile content, including ringtones, wallpaper, videos, games and applications, for all types of mobile phones. Created by Advertising.com’s co-founder, John Ferber, Cellware combines a robust social network along with the ability to explore, create, and share great mobile content by users.

Cellware now in Beta, is working with major content producers to deliver users a wide spectrum of content from new & underground music to extreme sports and movie trailers to animation and mainstream TV content. Initial content partners include: Alliance, Arphiola, Norstar Media, NO GOOD TV, Go Music Network, Oddcast, Selectracks, SoundIdeas, 4info, and Hanaho Games.

There are also tools for users to create their own content.

WiMAX continues to make gains, with network trials becoming commercial deployments, and well known vendors adding the technology to their product portfolios, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). Despite many positive events over the last 12 months, however, WiMAX still faces much uncertainty, the high-tech market research firm says.

“Investor pressure could force Sprint to pull back on its announced deployment,” says Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. “As the largest planned deployment, Sprint’s actions could impact what other carriers do with WiMAX, and negatively impact the entire WiMAX community.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• Shipments of 802.16e-compliant infrastructure overtook 802.16d in 2007.
• North America service revenues will account for 41% of all service revenues in 2012.
• Vendors remain uncertain over the form and business case for WiMAX femtocells.

AT&T announced that callers coast to coast can get free directory assistance thanks to a new service, AT&T 1-800-YellowPages.

The service, which has rolled out to several markets in 2007, is now available from every wireline and mobile phone in the United States. The service gives consumers free access to business listings while providing advertisers the opportunity to reach buyers at a critical moment in their purchasing decisions.

Callers dial 1-800-YellowPages (1-800-935-5697) from any area code in the United States and then tell the prompt what they’re looking for — a particular business or a type of business within a particular city. The caller will hear a few short audio advertisements, usually from businesses in the category of the requested listing. Then the caller will get the listing they asked for, and, in many cases, can choose to be connected directly to the requested business at no additional charge.

Reviewers are debating whether Apple's iPhone or Verizon's LG Voyager is the best phone. Who is the winner? Reviewers make comparisons between the phones because the major features they both offer are touch interfaces and full Web access. The iPhone offers the most computer-like browser experience and sophisticated touch controls while the Voyager adds a QWERTY keyboard to touch operations and has a less computer-like browser experience. Other features make the debate heat up.

CNET duked out both phones in a prizefight with Voyager knocking out the iPhone in the final round for superior call quality and features. Macahholics stay loyal to their first love, Apple. Then there is question of carriers, and if you are bound to Verizon due to a contract or family plan, Christopher Null at YahooTech says go for Voyager.

Comparti is letting the public vote by features with the meter arrow currently pointing to Voyager. In our Voyager Review of Reviews we found that reviewers liked the Voyager because it had more features than the iPhone, such as a keyboard, speedy 3G data and GPS.

Wireless and Mobile News surveyed users at our local coffee house and found that although emotions run high about which phone is "sexier," we are not at the point where any wireless phone is the device everyone wants it to be. Yes people want full Web browsing, but they also want Wi-Fi, email, calendar syncing, music, GPS, voice commands, style, panache and convenience. And they really want inexpensive unlimited data plans, while many need a keyboard.

And the winner is the consumer because we are in the exciting revolutionary phase of a new frontier in gadgetry, with phone makers wanting to win market share and expand their reach. The LG Voyager and iPhone have raised the bar for all phone makers. The competition is heating up and we all win.

If you are trying to decide between an iPhone and LG Voyager we suggest you figure out first what you need the phone for. Then decide which phone best meets your needs. If you can wait a few months, you will have even more phones and features to choose from. To view links to original iPhone vs LG Voyager comparison articles continue reading.

AT&T Inc. announced two new applications that will increase usability for wireless customers who are blind or have low vision. AT&T is partnering with Code Factory to offer Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier, both for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60operating system devices.

Mobile Speak is a powerful, full-fledged screen reader with an easy-to-learn command structure, intuitive speech feedback in several languages and Braille support, which can be used with or without speech. Unlike other screen readers for mobile phones, Mobile Speak automatically detects information that the blind user should know, just as a user with sight would easily find highlighted items or key areas of the screen at a glance. Supported applications and functions include:

• Speed dial, call lists and contacts
  
• Text messaging Calendar, tasks, notes and calculator
• Internet browser Word, Excel and PowerPoint
  
• Voice Recorder, Media Player, voice speed dial and voice command
  
• Phone/device settings, profiles, alarms and ringtones

Mobile Magnifier is a flexible, full-screen magnification application that supports low- and high-resolution screens and can be used with or without speech feedback. Magnification software is compatible with a wide range of mobile devices

Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier are each available for a one-time charge of $89, which is billed directly to the customer’s credit card. For additional information or to obtain a 30-day software trial, contact the National Center for Customers with Disabilities (NCCD) at 1-866-241-6568 or place a TTY call to 1-866-241-6567. The NCCD is available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Verizon Wireless and Palm, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of the Palm Treo 755p smartphone in exclusive deep blue- green is available online and in in stores January .

Compared to its Treo 700p predecessor, the Treo 755p has a sleeker design with an internal antenna and a soft-touch feel. Other features:

• High res touch screen
  
• Full QWERTY keyboard for easy e-mail creation
• Web browsing and text messaging
• 1.3 megapixel camera.
• Support for Microsoft® Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® documents and PDF documents.
•  Built-in Support for Direct Push Technology for Email EV-DO high speed access
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• Integrated Google Maps for Mobile

The Palm Treo 755p from Verizon Wireless is available for $399.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement. Customers who purchase a qualified voice plan along with a data plan may be eligible for an additional $100 credit making the Treo 755p $299.99 for those customers.

Verizon Wireless Nationwide E-mail plans for the Treo 755p begin at $79.99 for 450 anytime voice minutes and unlimited e-mail. For more information on any Verizon Wireless product or service, visit www.verizonwireless.com.

Qualcomm announced that it has acquired San Diego-based SoftMax Inc., a market leader in noise reduction for mobiledevices. SoftMax brings multi-microphone noise suppressionand echo cancellation expertise to Qualcomm, broadening the audio and voice capabilities of the Company’s product portfolio for integration into devices such as mobile handsets, Bluetooth headsets, VoIP phones and notebook PCs.

SoftMax’s leading-edge voice algorithms for signal separation, echo cancellation and signal processing have enabled some of the latest wireless devices on the market to separate a speaker’s voice from various background noises. The result is a dramatic improvement in voice quality. Thse technology benefits have led to several key partnerships and implementations with i