June 2008 Archives

Remember what happens on July 1 in California.

1. Drivers under the age of 18 may not use a wireless telephone, pager, laptop or any other electronic communication or mobile services device to speak or text while driving in any manner, even "hands-free." EXCEPTION: Permitted in emergency situations to call police, fire or medical authorities (VC §23124).
2. Drivers 18 and over will be allowed to use a "hands-free" device to talk on their wireless telephone while driving.
3. The new law does not prohibit dialing, but drivers are strongly urged not to dial while driving. You can use a Bluetooth earpiece however you cannot have BOTH ears covered.
4. The law does not specifically prohibit texting by adults,  but an officer can pull over and issue a citation to a driver of any age if, in the officer's opinion, the driver was distracted and not operating the vehicle safely. Sending text messages while driving is unsafe at any speed and is strongly discouraged.
5. The base fine for the FIRST offense is $20 and $50 for subsequent convictions. With the addition of penalty assessments, the fines can be more than triple the base fine amount.
6. The violation is a reportable offense, however, DMV will not assign a violation point.

For more information go to the CA Department of Motor Vehicles.

Your hands free device doesn't have to be Bluetooth, you can buy a cheap headset or get one for free. Until you get your hands free device just turn off the phone for now.

CSR, and Skyhook Wireless maker of the Wi-Fi Positioning System and XPS 2.0, the hybrid positioning system, announced a partnership that will bring advanced location capabilities to CSR’s Wi-Fi silicon.

Skyhook Wireless’ core technology, the Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS), is software that produces accurate location information by detecting Wi-Fi access points and comparing them against a known database of geo-located points. By combining CSR’s UniFi, embedded Wi-Fi chips, and GPS location solutions with Skyhook’s positioning capabilities, this partnership will enable device makers to more easily support and launch location based services that satisfy consumer location needs.

The technology provided by CSR and Skyhook will capitalize on the emergence of Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices and provide greatly enhanced positioning availability and accuracy for the growing location-based services market. This technology will enable device makers and application developers to provide consumer-ready location technology that works quickly and accurately, indoors or outside. The system will benefit consumers by enabling them to more quickly and reliably perform tasks such as planning a trip, finding friends nearby or locating the closest restaurant.

Kiwibox, teen social networking destination, announced the launch of a new WAP service designed to expand their online community to mobile users. WAP, or wireless application protocol, is an open international standard for applications that use wireless communication to enable access to the Internet from a mobile phone or PDA.

The extension into the mobile market will allow Kiwibox’s 1.8 million teen users the flexibility to communicate on-the-go. Kiwibox’s WAP site will translate the innovative social networking features currently found on the Web site to the mobile handset.

Kiwibox partnered with Quattro Wireless to mobilize the existing Kiwibox.com web site. Using Quattro’s Juicing technology, the site content rapidly develops into a dynamic format suited to a mobile presence with the layout and intuitive navigation specifically adapted for all types of handsets.

Tele Atlas, announced that Google has signed a long term license agreement with the company that gives Google access to Tele Atlas maps and dynamic content in more than 200 countries around the world.

The agreement spans Google's current and future map-based services and navigation offerings across mobile, online and desktop environments. These include the Google Maps and Google Earth services and mobile applications such as Google Maps for Mobile. The agreement also gives Tele Atlas access to edits for its maps from Google's community of users, whose suggested changes can help the company further increase the quality and richness of Tele Atlas maps.

Verizon Wireless and Rhapsody, the digital music service from RealNetworks  and MTV Networks, launch V CAST Music with Rhapsody. Combining Verizon Wireless' over-the-air mobile music service with Rhapsody's  desktop solution, V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and seb browsers

Customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.

When customers download the V CAST Music with Rhapsody Software to their PCs and sign up for the monthly subscription, they have the ultimate music management service, including:

• Unlimited subscription syncing with access to more than 5 million songs
• Creating and accessing playlists, viewing playlists of other users, including celebrities
  
• Burning, importing and converting CDs to play anywhere
  
• Managing an existing digital music collection for free and syncing it to their mobile phones
  
• Buying non-protected MP3s of songs on the PC for 99 cents per song
  
• Buying songs on the phone, over-the-air - get two copies of the song for just $1.99 (one is over-the-air, the second master copy is the file customers download onto their PCs)

Verizon Wireless customers who simply want to manage or buy music can download the V CAST Music with Rhapsody software for free at www.verizonwireless.com/music. Customers interested in a subscription may sign up for $14.99 monthly subscription

Alltel Wireless, announced the addition of “texting” to its exclusive “My Circle” offer. “My Circle” customers with a “My Circle” message pack starting at $7.99 can send and receive unlimited text/video/picture messages to anyone in their “Circle,” as well as other Alltel Wireless customers.

In addition to the “My Circle” message packs, Alltel is also introducing new “My Circle” Family Choice Plus plans. For $84.99 per month, customers will receive two lines with 1,000 shared minutes and the ability to call any 10 numbers on any network. Also, customers can receive two lines with 2,000 shared minutes and unlimited calling within their “Circle” of 20 numbers for $114.99.

Besides, the unlimited calling within their “Circle,” Family Choice plan customers will receive unlimited mobile-to-mobile calls and unlimited nights and weekends. Customers will also have the ability to choose either free evening calls starting at 7 p.m. or 1,000 text/picture/video messages the plans include unlimited texting to their “Circle of Friends” and other Alltel customers.

Alltel Wireless was the first carrier to offer Anytime Plan Changes, giving customers the flexibility to change their calling plans at any time, without extending their current contract.

Today marks the first commercially available rollout of Mobile WiMAX Internet service by DBC (DigitalBridge Communications) offered over Alvarion's BreezeMAX  2.5 GHz solution. The network is already up and running with broadband Internet to businesses and homes across Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

he US 12-17 teen cellular subscribers surpassed 16 million in 2007, according to market research and consultancy firm MultiMedia Intelligence. This is up 12% from 2006. By 2012, the number of teen subscribers will reach 17 million, a delta of only 1 million subscribers from 2007. Wireless penetration rates for teens are reaching saturation, resulting in stagnating growth. Since the teen market is not a multiple handset demographic, subscriber growth is forced to slow.

"The teen market has been the 'golden child' for cellular providers in the US," according to Frank Dickson, Chief Research Officer for MultiMedia Intelligence. "In addition to growing subscribers, teen ARPU has been growing higher than that of the overall market. Teens simply use their phones to do more, from text messaging to purchasing premium content. However, pricing pressures and teen cellular saturation are bringing an end to the teen cellular gold rush."

Key findings regarding teen wireless subscribers include:

1. Subscriber growth is seasonal, with Q3 and Q4 the stronger quarters.
2. Over half of teens are cellular subscribers by age 13.
3. On average, girls mature cellularly earlier than boys. Even at the higher age groups, teen female subscribers outnumber male subscribers. However, the gap among those in the 17-year-old age group has narrowed greatly.
4. The Hispanic teen market has become significant, projected to approach 3 million subscribers by 2012.

GyPSii, the leading geo-location and mobile social networking provider, announced it has entered into a multi-year worldwide agreement with Garmin

Under the terms of the agreement, GyPSii will provide technology, products, worldwide data center infrastructure, development licenses, and GyPSii branding rights to Garmin, on a worldwide non-exclusive basis for a range of Garmin products. Garmin anticipates that future products will include friend finding applications that support the GyPSii-powered location-based social networking services platform.

The agreement provides development licenses to Garmin, to leverage the GyPSii location-based geo-social networking services infrastructure for internal development and integration with its products. The agreement also has provisions for revenue sharing between GyPSii and Garmin.

GyPSii uniquely incorporates a wide range of location-specific functions and mobile lifestyle services - including mobile search, user generated content-sharing and social networking - in a single platform.

Worldwide mobile subscriptions will rise from 3.9 billion in 2008 to 5.6 billion in 2013, according to a new Strategy Analytics report, “Worldwide Cellular User Forecasts, 2008-2013.” Discounting for people with more than one subscription, more than half of the world’s population will be using mobile phones by early 2010, up from 40% at the start of this year.

Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa (MEA) are responsible for the current surge in mobile subscriptions. Those areas will remain the engines for growth in the wireless market in the medium term, contributing to 80% of subscription growth through 2013.

“These two regions may be driving the subscription count, but they contribute much less to global revenues,” comments Phil Kendall, Director Global Wireless Practice. “Asia-Pacific and MEA account for nearly 60% of worldwide subscriptions, but less than 40% of revenues. Their increasing significance will reduce average revenues per subscription by 15% over the next five years”.

3G networks will account for half of all mobile subscriptions by 2013. Susan Welsh de Grimaldo, Senior Analyst, Wireless Network Strategies, adds, “3G technologies will reach critical mass in more regions in 2008, driving worldwide subscriber numbers close to 500 million by year end. Next year, more than one third of all service revenues will be generated by 3G technologies, even though 3G accounts for only one in six subscribers.”

On Monday, June 30 from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. on the North Steps of the California State Capital Building, typically conservative lawmakers are getting “glammed” with the latest mobile phone accessories as they prepare to set an example for the new Hands Free Driving Law taking effect July 1. Motorola and Nectar Accessories have teamed up to give elected officials a fashionable and safe option for using their phones while driving.

“These lawmakers will have the newest accessories before their kids do,” said Renee Cleary of Nectar Accessories.

<p>
  Motorola and Nectar Accessories will be providing California lawmakers 
  with Bluetooth headsets and stylish Nectar headset holders. Nectar<span id="bwanpa3">'</span>s 
  award-winning headset holders, BlueNECK and BlueCLIP, allow users to 
  keep their headset secure and convenient without wearing a headset in 
  their ear all the time.
</p>
<p>
  From 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. on the Capitol Building North Steps, Motorola and 
  Nectar Accessories will be offering members of the public the 
  opportunity to enter for product giveaways, including cutting-edge 
  Bluetooth headsets and Nectar<span id="bwanpa4">'</span>s BlueNECK and 
  BlueCLIP headset holders.
</p>
<p>
  On-site demonstration topics include:
</p>
<ul><li class="bwlistitemmarginbottom">
    charging, pairing and using Bluetooth<span id="bwanpa5"></span> 
    headsets; and
  </li><li class="bwlistitemmarginbottom">
    using Bluetooth with Nectar<span id="bwanpa6">'</span>s BlueNECK and 
    BlueCLIP to safely answer calls while driving.</li></ul><b>Comment from Wireless and Mobile News:<br /></b>If the lawmakers get glammed don't they have to report it on their income tax?<

Nokia today unveiled 4 new Nokia Supernova phones.The new Nokia 7610, 7510 and 7310 Supernova devices give people a choice of exchangeable Xpress-On covers in striking colors and glamorous surfaces.

MasterCardannounced an agreement with Obopay, Inc. to offer a fully-integrated on-demand person-to-person mobile payment service in the United States. The service, offered via MasterCard MoneySend, will give new and existing MasterCard issuing customers the ability to provide an innovative mobile payments service to their MasterCard cardholders on all credit, debit and prepaid MasterCard-branded products.

LG Dare Rated 4 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News Review of Reviews Revised July 1, 2008

Reviewers of of the LG Dare found most of the features impressive and called the LG Dare the "closest to the iPhone." Although some reviewers liked the web browser for its fast access, many did not like like it as much as the iPhone web browsing experience.

The best reviewed features of the LG Dare include the media capabilities such as music playing, uploading files via Bluetooth, high speed video recording with bright flash and slow motion playback, photo enhancements, face detection, Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera lens, auto-detection of portrait/landscape modes by an accelerometer, admirable messaging and great sound/call quality. The LG Dare uses the 3G Verizon EV-DO Rev. A network for fast data.

One reviewer called the web browsing snappy while another thought that it lacked true HTML rendering. Features that you should notice about the LG Dare are expandable MicroSD, GPS, Chat, and the drawing pad to draw pictures or take notes. There is a proximity sensor that turns off the touch capabilities when it close to ears.

The LG Dare costs $199.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year contract. For Verizon customers who don't want to change networks, the LG Dare could act as an iPhone surrogate. We dare you to try it out (pun intended.)

Chrysler will bundle a bunch of entertainment and communication technologies under one umbrella name - “uconnect.” The featues are named, uconnect phone, uconnect tunes, uconnect gps, uconnect studios and uconnect web.

It includes Bluetooth hands-free, hard-drive stored media( 30GB that can handle up to 6,700 songs in a variety of formats) Sirius TV & Radio, GPS and the ability to turn your car into a WiFi hotspot. It will be available on most Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles starting in August.

UConnect Web, will be available as a dealer-installed Mopar accessory. The technology delivers uninterrupted, secure Internet connectivity for all passengers in and around the vehicle. a wireless router, connects to a 3G cellular data allowing passengers to connect to the Internet and any Wi-Fi capable device in the car can in turn connect to the via the auto-hotspot to the Internet.

The U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of UConnect Web is $449. Dealer installation is estimated at approximately $35 to $50. Autonet Mobile offers wireless Internet account service at $29 a month.

Quattro Wireless  announced today it has signed deals to add a variety of leading entertainment sites to its fast-growing  mobile Ad Network. The sites include Cracked.com, Savvy.com, TheInsider.com (a division of CBS Interactive), Fandango.com, Hollywood.com,  and MovieWeb.com.

Quattro will deliver mobile ads for the sites which feature a range of entertainment content, including: movie listings, video humor, gossip, community forums, entertainment news and men's lifestyle information. According to recent research conducted by Quattro Wireless, entertainment related sites are among the best performers within its Network consistently delivering high page views per user and click-through rates on advertisements.

Crisp Wireless and the Sports Illustrated announced the launch of SI’s new off-deck mobile website. The new ad-supported, interactive SI Mobile website offers form analysis and reporting from famed SI writers such as Peter King, Tom Verducci, Jack McCallum and Michael Farber, as well as hundreds of other stories and sports images produced exclusively for SI Mobile. T

he “Truth and Rumors” section provides users with the latest buzz on potential moves, hirings, firings and news in sports. The site will also feature a new live Game section where users can check scores, standings, stats, and the schedules of their favorite teams. SI Mobile covers every sports genre and level from football to horseback riding, professional to high school. The mobile site can be found at m.si.com.

Crisp Wireless will work with Sports Illustrated’s ad sales department and partner mobile ad networks to offer advertisers a wide variety of marketing opportunities on SI Mobile

Worldwide mobile gaming revenue is expected to total $4.5 billion in 2008, a 16.1 percent increase from 2007 revenue of $3.9 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. While mobile gaming revenue will continue to lag behind other value-added entertainment services - such as music and adult content - the market still has much potential.

Gartner predicts that mobile gaming revenue will experience a compound annual growth rate of 10.2 percent between 2007 and 2011 with worldwide end-user spending reaching $6.3 billion in 2011. Analysts said mobile operators and other game providers should build usage by offering game demos or advertising-funded games.

The Asia/Pacific region (including Japan) represents by far the largest market for mobile gaming, with end-user spending forecast to total $2.3 billion in 2008 and reach $3.4 billion by 2011. The mobile-game market has outshone the PC and console game market in the emerging territories of Asia largely because of the low penetration of PCs compared with that of mobile devices. India is expected to lead among Asian countries in terms of total mobile gaming revenue generated, with the 2007 figure at approximately $80 million. This is forecast to reach $450 million by 2012.

The mobile gaming market in Western Europe is expected to grow from $701 million in 2008 to $862 million by 2011. The North American market is projected to grow from $845 million to approximately $1.2 billion in 2011. The gap between North American and Western European mobile-gaming revenues is expected to widen over the forecast period as more users in North America adopt mobile data services in general.

Microsof announced it intends to acquire MobiComp, supplier of backup and restoration of mobile data and mobile posting of social content to websites such as Facebook. The acquisition would combine MobiComp’s expertise building imobile data protection and sharing services with Microsoft’s platforms across mobile phones, the web and PCs. Terms of the planned acquisition are not being disclosed.

The Portugal-based company is known for a variety of breakthrough mobile services including MobileKeeper Backup & Restore, MobileKeeper Sharing & Communities, and Active mTicker. These services help mobile operators and people round the world back up personal content stored on a phone, publish updates to online communities, and get entertainment and news content delivered to phones.

MobiComp will contribute to a rapidly expanding list of offerings from Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business while continuing to serve its existing partners and customers, which include 11 mobile operators worldwide.

Alltel Wireless is offering premium Wi-Fi access to more than 25,000 hotspots developed through Alltel’s relationship with Boingo Wireless.

Alltel Wi-Fi is available for purchase by anyone in the United States as a stand alone offer. Consumers can access unlimited Wi-Fi access for $19.99 per month or $3.99 per day with no contract commitment. In the past year, more than 15,000 additional hotspots have been added to Alltel’s nationwide service, which includes thousands of hotels, bookstores, coffee shops and fast food restaurants. Travelers can also take advantage of Alltel’s premium Wi-Fi service, which provides Internet access in more than 100 of the nation’s airports and thousands of hotspots across Canada, Mexico and Europe. Exact locations of Wi-Fi hotspots can be found at http://wifi.alltel.com and downloadable Wi-Fi software for laptops can be downloaded for free at http://software.alltel.com.

Recently, Alltel Wireless began offering an Internet Anywhere Bundle, allowing Alltel customers to bundle their Wireless Internet plan with unlimited Wi-Fi access for their laptop. The $69.98 per month bundle gives customers the choice of connecting to either Alltel’s EVDO network or a Wi-Fi hotspot. More information about the bundle is available at www.alltel.com/internet.

Consumers can now activate their existing CDMA handsets on MetroPCS' Network and not have to buy a new phone when they switch to Metro PCS service.

MetroPCS announced the launch of MetroFlash, allowing consumers to bring their compatible CDMA handsets to be used on MetroPCS' network. Coupled with its low cost, flat-rate unlimited wireless service, MetroPCS is further broadening consumers' freedom to enjoy more cost efficient, flexible wireless options. MetroFlash will eliminate for many consumers the requirement of having to purchase a new handset when signing up for MetroPCS service.

Customers using MetroFlash will receive a free month of service, plus unlimited local, long distance, voicemail and text messaging for $40 a month and pay a $30 fee. The service will be available at all MetroPCS company owned stores and select authorized dealers in all MetroPCS markets, excluding Las Vegas and Shreveport/Bossier City. Consumers can go to www.metropcs.com or a MetroPCS company owned store to determine if their phone is compatible with MetroFlash.

The ROKR E8 handset will be available in the U.S. exclusively from T-Mobile beginning July 7th. ROKR E8 is both a MP3 player that makes great phone calls with a morphing keypad, that looks like a music playser when it plays music and phone when you use it as a phone, called ModeShift technology.

ROKR E8 features:

• ModeShift technology transforms the device from phone to music player with the touch of a button
• Haptics provide tactile response when a virtual key is pressed
• FastScroll navigation wheel allows for scrolling through thousands of songs with the slide of a thumb
• Patented CrystalTalk technology for call clarity even in noisy environments
• Windows Media Player 11 compatibility enables easy transfer of tunes from the PC to the device
• Includes pre-loaded music tracks and album art from Interpol, The Starting Line and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
• Landscape 2.0" QVGA display
• 3Dl stereo feature that enhances two-channel audio and an on-board equalizer
• Bluetooth
• FM Radio
• Song ID
  

Sprint reports Samsung Instinct has become the fastest-selling EVDO handset in Sprint  history. Instinct was first available exclusively to current Sprint customers on June 19 breaking records for the initial launch of any Sprint product. Instinct became available to all customers on June 20; sales continued to be brisk with Instinct breaking Sprint’s record for the first week of sales for any device.

The record pace of Instinct sales has led to temporary shortages of the device at some locations across the United States. Sprint and Samsung say that they are diligently working around the clock to increase inventory in all sales channels. Samsung has increased efforts to deliver new supplies of Instinct on a daily basis and manufacturing plants are operating at full capacity to keep up with the demand.

Initial indications show extremely heavy use of the device for email access, web browsing and GPS navigation with Live Search for Sprint providing access to directory information on-the-go, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access. Instinct also offers the ability to quickly share pictures, watch live TV, listen to commercial-free radio and more as Sprint’s first EVDO Rev A consumer device.

Wireless and Mobile News coverage of Samsung Instinct:  iPhone 3G vs Samsung Instinct Features, Samsung Instinct in the Review of Reviews, Please note the contracts must include an unlimited data plan.

Apartment Guide announced an agreement with Mobile Accord to provide apartment listing content through participating wireless carriers. Subscribers to this service will be able to find apartments for rent by using mobile phones equipped with global positioning system (GPS) technology.

Properties that advertise with Apartment Guide and ApartmentGuide.com will have their listings uploaded for access by mobile subscribers.

Vlingo Corporation today debuted a new application for BlackBerry smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) , offering a complete voice-powered interface based entirely on vlingo’sspeech recognition technology.

Available free-of-charge, vlingo’s BlackBerry application lets users send emails and text messages, search the Web, open applications (BlackBerry Calendar, BlackBerry Maps, etc.), dial their phones, look up contacts and even send notes to themselves - all with the power of voice.

Vlingo is easy to use. BlackBerry smartphone users can simply press the side “convenience” key on their handset, which lets them speak commands into the phone.

The number of subscribers using mobile Internet services will rise from 577 million currently, to top 1.7bn by 2013, spurred by demand for collaborative applications known collectively as 'web 2.0', and greater 2.5/3G penetration.

Established mobile players face increasing competition from web-based brands and will have to adapt their commercial strategies to accommodate greater collaboration with other members of the value chain, if future revenue growth in the mobile web 2.0 space is to be achieved.

An Open Mobile Internet
According to a new report from Juniper Research, the emergence of applications such as: Social networking; User Generated Content (UGC); Instant Messaging (IM); Location Based Services (LBS); Search calls for delivery of the mobile Internet as it was originally conceived - i.e. an open environment in which users are able to share, collaborate and exploit content/information without any one party controlling the value chain.

This marks a fundamental shift for the industry towards the D2C (direct-to consumer) model and places growing pressure on mobile network operators (MNOs) and handset manufacturers in particular, to relinquish some of their control over the value chain, by opening up their networks/devices to third-parties.

Verizon Wireless, and Loopt announced today that Verizon Wireless customers can now access Loopt's interoperable location-based service.

Loopt allows friends who opt in to be located by other friends to show where the friends are located and what they are doing via detailed, interactive maps on their mobile phones. Loopt helps friends connect on the go and navigate their social lives by orienting them to people, places and events. Users can also choose to permit sharing of location updates, geo-tagged photos and comments with friends in their mobile address book or on online social networks, communities and blogs.

Loopt is available today on select Verizon Wireless phones for $3.99 monthly access in the Tools on the Go, Featured Applications and Community shopping aisles in the Get It Now virtual store. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled handset and Verizon Wireless digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.

According to a report in The Financial Times.Virgin Mobile USA will acquire  Helio,  owned by SK Telecom.

Verizon will launch its latest iPhonelisicious model - the 3G GPS LG Dare with video capture and photo editing on July 26.

The LG Dare is a touch screen phone loaded with multimedia functions.  The 3G V CAST-capable phone has VZ Navigator V CAST Music, and a 3.2 megapixel still and video camera that automatically adapts to low or unevenly distributed light for better quality pictures.

The LG Dare has a photo editing tool lets customers turn their photos into personal masterpieces with features that include borders, landscape and a fun doodle feature right on the screen. Customized photos can be uploaded to a social networking site directly from the phone.

The intuitive and graphical contact list allows customers to find the right number with the flick of a finger for speedy texting, e-mailing and phoning. Favorite contacts can be reached with a drag and drop photo interface. Review of Reviews rated the LG Dare 4 out of 5 .

Other iPhone-like features:

• An accelerometer for auto orientation changes.
• On screen touch keyboard (or use a stylus with handwriting recognition)
• HTML web browsing
• 3G fast network access
  

The LG Dare will go on sale online on June 26 for $199.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year contract.

T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced a new home phone service that enables customers to make unlimited nationwide calls from their home phone via their broadband Internet connection for $10 per month. Beginning July 2, T-Mobile will breathe new life and value into the home phone by launching nationwide T-Mobile @Home. The service allows customers to keep their home phone number, ditch their high phone bill and save money by adding their home phone line to their T-Mobile service.

According to a 2007 Scarborough Research[1] report, families spend an average of $65 per month on home phone service. However, for just $10 per month, T-Mobile customers can add T-Mobile @Home service to a qualifying T-Mobile wireless plan2 and get unlimited nationwide long-distance calling, plus call waiting, caller ID, three-way conferencing, voicemail, call forwarding and other features. In addition, customers will have the opportunity to use features typically associated with wireless services-for instance, CallerTunesTM (ringback tones)-and port their existing home phone number so family and friends can continue to call them at the same familiar number.

To use the service, customers simply need the touch-tone corded or cordless phone they currently use, an existing broadband Internet connection, and the T-Mobile @Home HiPortTM Wireless Router with Home Phone Connection, available from T-Mobile for just $49.99 with a two-year service agreement. T-Mobile @Home is designed to be easy to set up and running in a matter of minutes. “Unlike VoIP, no special phone is required, allowing the family’s center of communications to stay in the kitchen,” Dotson added.

T-Mobile @Home is available exclusively for T-Mobile customers, and will be offered at T-Mobile retail stores nationwide and online at www.t-mobile.com. For more information visit www.tmobileathome.com.

BSG today announced at the American Public Communications Council (APCC), the launch of Bill2Phone Mobile Collect, an automated billing solution that enables cell phone users to add incoming collect call charges directly to their mobile telephone bill.

Unlike landlines, mobile phone numbers are typically blocked when collect call requests are made to them because most operators have no automated billing mechanism to charge the recipient. Those operators that could connect callers to wireless subscribers required the recipient to pay for the call via a credit card. In an increasingly mobile society, with more than 260 million mobile devices currently in use, the ability to charge collect calls to mobile phone subscribers is critical. BSG's new solution enables operator service providers to connect callers that would normally be blocked because recipients were only available via a mobile phone.

"We see thousands of collect call requests to wireless numbers that get blocked every month," said Milton Volz, President of American Roaming Network. "BSG is supporting a need that has been overlooked by the wireless industry for years."

Palm, Inc. announced that the popular Palm Centro smartphone is now available unlocked for U.S. customers.It also announced that Google( Maps for mobile with My Location on Centro is available for Centro starting June 24, giving customers faster access to local maps and driving directions.

The unlocked Palm Centro retains the smartphone's compact, modern design and is dressed in a new white color with grey accents. Centro offers customers more choices to stay in touch with friends, family and co-workers by using voice, text messaging, email or the web. Also available in 25 countries worldwide, Centro is Palm's smallest and lightest smartphone to date.

The unlocked Centro smartphone is available online at http://www.palm.com/centro for $299.

Nokia announced that it will purchase the remaining stock it doesn't own in Symbian and then migrate the solution to an "Open" platform.  ABI Researchers have some interesting comments on the move.
.

• ABI Research vice president Stuart Carlaw says, "There has been financial pressure on Nokia to move in this direction at some point. The sheer economics of the number of devices it ships with the OS versus the value it gets out of its historic shareholding clearly indicated that such a `rescue' was inevitable at some point."
  
  
• Also according to Carlaw, "The real spice in this announcement is that Nokia is stating that it will offer the OS in a more 'open' way. Perhaps this is an admission that the pressure from the Linux industry is really forcing Nokia and Symbian to change their game. Questions remain as to whether the solution will be truly open and what the cost of a Symbian Foundation membership will be."
  
  
• Research director Kevin Burden adds, "There are also questions on where the up and coming mobile Linux platforms would be today had Nokia taken care of this purchase several years ago. It's very possible that Nokia will eventually position the Symbian platform for mid-tier devices with another platform powering its high-end devices - a position that Sony Ericsson has already taken."

Starting today, American consumers can buy the Nokia N78. Combining advanced mobile features such as integrated A-GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and high-speed HSDPA connectivity on North American 850/1900 MHz networks, the Nokia N78 is perfect for enjoying new Nokia services such as Nokia Maps and Share on Ovi. Along with this full suite of data features, the Nokia N78 has also been engineered for maximum voice and messaging performance as well. Now available through select consumer electronics and wireless retailers, online retailers and at the Nokia Flagship Stores in Chicago and New York, the Nokia N78 retails for approximately $560. Specific information on retailers offering the Nokia N78 and other Nseries devices can be found at http://www.nseries.com.

Although the mobile communications market in North America is close to saturation, wireless data usage is likely to go up. Mobile service providers are expected to push for wireless networks as the primary means of communications, says Research in Markets.

 In 2007, this market was characterized by high-speed networks, the emergence of the prepaid segment, third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G), slowing subscriber growth rates, mobile advertising and search, mobile social networking, mobile banking and payments, location-based services, and mobile broadcasting. These trends are expected to continue in 2008 and beyond. The industry is now deploying technologies such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access/High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSDPA/HSUPA), and Cdma2000 1xEVDO Rev.A.

Even as service providers are using revenue-maximizing strategies such as providing mobile advertising and wireless data services, voice is likely to be the primary source of revenue. This is expected to lead to price competition in this market. 3G services are expected to increase and impact data revenues with more consumers owning 3G-capable devices. "Mobile data revenues are expected to increase in 2008," states the analyst of this research. "While messaging will continue being the primary contributor to the mobile data revenue pie, 3G services and premium mobile content will also be strong segments."

The iPod touch screen senses the electrical charge emitted by fingertips and their movement  So say if you have very long lovely nails or have a physical disability that keeps you from using your fingers, you won't be able to  use the functions of the iPhone.

Pogo Stylus simulates a human finger's capacitance and can be held like a pencil or attached to a mouth stick.  Last year we wrote about the iPhone problem for people with disabilities. A friend mentioned that he wanted a iPhone but because he could not move his hands and a regular stylus did not work, he couldn't use the iPhone or other Mac devices that used the technology. The Pogo stylus that costs between $20 and $25 could be a godsend for people with disabilities. It also has an adapter so that you can clip it on to the iPhone.

T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced a change in their early termination fees (ETFs) Beginning on June 28, 2008, the ETF for customers who choose a one-year or two-year service agreement with T-Mobile will decline during the course of their contract. The ETF decreases from $200 to $100 if customers terminate service with 91 to 180 days remaining on their agreement; and decreases again to $50 with fewer than 91 days remaining. If customers terminate in the last 30 days of their term, the ETF is $50 or their standard monthly charge, whichever is less.   

Virgin Mobile USA will unveiled its new "Totally Unlimited" calling plan for $79.99 on July 1, the lowest priced and first unlimited nationwide calling plan without roaming charges or an annual contract that can be purchased by cash or credit.

 
"'Totally Unlimited' for 79.99 per month is simply a better value than postpaid plans offer," said Bob Stohrer, Chief Marketing Officer of Virgin Mobile USA. "It is simply not necessary to sign a two-year contract to get real worth with your wireless plan. This offer surpasses the regional carriers' unlimited calling plans as well, as most add on roaming charges that can cost customers as much as 79 cents per minute. With 'Totally Unlimited,' Virgin Mobile USA is providing consumers unlimited talk without all the limitations."

 Consumers who opt for Virgin Mobile USA's new "Totally Unlimited" calling plan will be able to talk as much as they want each month across days, nights, weekdays and weekends.  The Totally Unlimited plan - like all Virgin Mobile USA calling plans - will be available for purchase with cash using Top-Up cards, or with credit/debit for maximum convenience.  For just $10.00 more per month, consumers can add Unlimited Text & Messaging, with texting, IM, email and picture messages.

Nokia and Plazes (www.plazes.com) announced an agreement for Nokia to acquire substantially all assets of Plazes, a privately-owned start-up company of 13 people with its principal operations in Berlin. Plazes provides a context-aware social-activity service that people can use to plan, record, and share their social activities: why they are at a given location at a given time, whether in the past, present or future.

Once geared towards enterprise usage, smartphones today have approximately 31% of U.S. small businesses (SBs, or companies with up to 99 employees) utilizing vendors such as RIM, Palm, Motorola for e-mail accessibility or mobile calendar and contact information on top of their every day cell phone features. According to the latest study by Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, Inc., a whopping 20% of SBs who currently use a smartphone have plans to purchase a new one in the next twelve months. Of the SBs who do not presently have a smartphone, 11% have plans to purchase one--equating to approximately 400K U.S. SBs.

MediaFLO USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, ESPN on ESPN Mobile TV, and NBC Sports on NBC 2Go will provide comprehensive live coverage of championship tennis from Wimbledon, one of the world's greatest sports events, on the award-winning FLO TV service, June 23 - July 6, 2008. Available to AT&T subscribers as AT&T Mobile TV with FLO, the FLO TV service will let sports fans watch in stunning clarity all of the excitement from London's All England Lawn Tennis Club, live on AT&T devices, including the LG Vu and the Samsung Access.

Just days after bringing mobile consumers five thrilling days of U.S. Open coverage on the FLO TV service, ESPN on ESPN Mobile TV and NBC Sports on NBC 2Go will provide MediaFLO USA with a combined 119 hours of live video coverage from Wimbledon starting with the opening match on Monday, June 23 and concluding with championship finals matches on Sunday, July 6 (all times Eastern):

Firethorn Holdings LLC, a Qualcomm company today announced that it has added BECU (formally known as Boeing Employees' Credit Union) to its growing roster of financial institution customers. The nation's fourth largest credit union, BECU plans on launching the Firethorn mobile wallet application in the first quarter of 2009. By collaborating with Firethorn, BECU will enable its members to check their account balances, transfer funds and view and pay bills through their mobile devices. Future service capabilities will include more advanced mobile transactions and mobile commerce.

With more than 550,000 members and more than $8.3 billion in assets, BECU is the largest credit union in Washington state and is one of the top five financial cooperatives in the country. BECU has more than 45 branches and more than 150 ATMs located throughout Western Washington.

Motorola and Kodak today announced MOTOZINE ZN5, that combines a high- quality phone and camera experience .

ZN5 is the first mobile phone to combine Motorola’s ModeShift Technology and KODAK Imaging Technology. Together, they redefine the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices. With KODAK EASYSHARE Software and easy access to KODAK Gallery or other web sharing sites,(pictures are easily moved off the device, allowing consumers to print, share and enjoy their favorite photos whenever they want.

According to The NPD Group, a consumer market research company for the wireless industry, there was a 20 percent decline in year-over-year mobile phone handset purchases made by consumers in the U.S. from January through April 2008; however, a survey of mobile phone owners conducted in June 2008 shows that wireless retailers may be able to make up for lost revenue by redoubling efforts to market and sell accessories. While carrier stores still make up the lion’s share of mobile phone sales, there is room for improvement when it comes to accessories sales. Nearly half of mobile phone owners are likely to look to other competing retail establishments, like mass merchants and electronics stores, when purchasing accessories for their phones.

T-Mobile USA, Inc., today announced the availability of the Nokia 6301 and Samsung SGH-t339, the newest additions to the growing lineup of phones that support T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, which provides unlimited, nationwide calling over any accessible Wi-Fi connection in addition to great in-home coverage.

The Nokia 6301 and Samsung t339 bring two stylish phone options to the expanding T-Mobile HotSpot @Home family. With a stunning red finish and a thin flip form factor, the Samsung t339 is a Wi-Fi-enabled phone, outfitted with stereo Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capture, a music player and instant messaging capability.   The Nokia 6301 provides the style of a home phone with the look of a mobile. The stainless steel bar phone comes with a standup charger so customers can conveniently dock their phone, similar to the design of a home cordless phone. The No