Palm, Inc. has announced that its Treo Pro smartphone is now available on Bell Mobility’s high-speed mobile network (EV-DO Rev. A), marking its debut in Canada. With its streamlined design and Palm innovations layered on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Treo Pro allows businesses to simplify their IT infrastructures while lowering costs and keeping their users productive and happy.
The 3G-capable Treo Pro smartphone is now available to Bell Mobility clients for a limited-time price of $99.95 on a three-year contract.
Treo Pro offers Bell Mobility clients simplicity and productivity – including email, Wi-Fi, GPS, web and CDMA EV-DO Rev. A network capabilities(1) – to meet the needs of businesses and end users alike. Treo Pro’s thin design blends a flush, high-resolution colour touch screen, one-touch buttons and a full QWERTY keyboard.
Opera has announced the Opera Mobile 9.5 technology preview with support for Gears, a Google open source project that enables more powerful web applications. Opera Mobile 9.5 technology preview, Gears is currently available for Firefox 1.5+, IE 6.0+, Internet Explorer Mobile 4.01+, Safari 3.1.1, and Android.
The use cases for Gears differ somewhat between mobile and desktop devices. On mobile, Gears is perfect for creating a better user experience by allowing applications to cache data more efficiently, so you can cut down on bandwidth, and carry out processes discreetly in the background. On the desktop, Gears has ideal functionality for allowing your applications to function offline and synchronize data with the server when you get back online again. You can try this out for yourself with the various Gears samples available on Google Code.
Nokia announced today that the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is now available in the United States. The latest in Nokia's XpressMusic range, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic delivers an affordable music device with a touch screen interface to the mass market.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers all the music essentials including a graphic equalizer, 8GB memory for up to 6000 tracks and support for all main digital music formats, and a 3.5mm jack. Built-in surround sound stereo speakers offer a powerful sound.
Making the most of touch screen technology, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic delivers easy and fast access to all music, video and photos through a one-touch 'Media Bar' drop down menu. The Media Bar also offers a direct link to the Web and to online sharing. Because the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic supports Flash content, individuals can surf even more of the web.
The innovative 'Contacts Bar' lets people highlight four favorite contacts on their home-screen and, through a single touch, track a digital history of recent text messages, emails, phone logs, photos and blog updates.
iSkoot, a mobile software Internet calling solutions, today announced it has added support for the popular Twitter community to its innovative Kalaida mobile services platform, which can deliver real-time Internet functionality to almost any handset sold today.
Twitter's rapid updates and "micro-blogging" format have made it one of the world's fastest-growing social networks. By concentrating processing in the network, iSkoot's Kalaida platform lets consumer handsets connect to Twitter and other communications tools the way PCs do: all at once and in real time. A single sign-in activates all services to keep the experience simple while preserving handset resources and battery life.
Other services enabled on the Kalaida platform include full-time, real-time connection to social networks, personal e-mail, instant messaging, and leading news, sports, and entertainment feeds. Kalaida delivers a full spectrum of Internet services to a single live screen on the handset, eliminating the need for users to open a browser or application to access one service at a time.
Apple's iPhone does so much more than make phone calls. It's so cool it might help you get out of a parking ticket!
Parkingticket.com today announced full compatibility of its online service with the Safari web browser on the Apple iPhone, enabling an iPhone user to immediately contest a parking ticket the moment it is issued. The iPhone, combined with its versatile camera revolutionizes the way people can now fight back against predatory ticketing using the parkingticket.com website.
"Imagine, you come back to your car from dinner and find a ticket on your windshield and you were positive you had parked legally. Now, without even leaving the scene, you can use your iPhone and begin to fight your ticket. You react instantly to a ticket using your iPhone," explains Glen Bolofsky, President of parkingticket.com.
Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. announced today that the LG Versa will be available Verizon's network beginning March 1. With its elegant chrome border on a bar design, animated 3-inch touch screen interface with tactile feedback and an attachable QWERTY keypad, the LG Versa will be an MVP (Most Versatile Phone) for customers.
Customers can personalize their LG Versa phones based on their messaging needs – either attach the QWERTY keypad to their phones or leave the keypad at home. The LG Versa’s home screen is transformed into a sizzling, animated 3D interface and customers can quickly customize three different home screens with their favorite shortcuts.
The built-in accelerometer rotates the screen automatically from portrait to landscape, and customers can use rotation movements to steer games.
Educators, policymakers and wireless industry leaders joined together last week at the Mobile Learning Conference 2009 (MLC09) in Washington, D.C. to discuss the promising future of educational technology in America and the key role the application of cellular technology and devices can play in helping kids learn in the classroom.
Tuesday’s session included a number of notable presentations covering a diverse range of topics and viewpoints from a distinguished line-up of speakers, including Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, Co-Founder and Chairman of Qualcomm; Dr. Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan professor and education visionary; Carly Shuler, a fellow of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop; Carolyn Brandon, Vice President of Policy for CTIA-The Wireless Association; and Marc Pensky, internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, and designer of novel approaches to education and learning.
“Mobile broadband technology is increasing efficiency and productivity for businesses across the country, and this year’s Mobile Learning Conference strongly suggests that the same can be true for America’s schools,” said David Diggs, Executive Director of The Wireless Foundation, a MLC09 co-sponsor.
ZTE Corporation, a provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today announced another technological breakthrough by achieving the world's first EV-DO Revision B (Rev.B) VoIP Call on its CDMA2000 system, marking the first time in the industry that a CDMA vendor achieves an impressive 9.3 Mbps download rate and 5.4 Mbps upload rate. This remarkable feat once again demonstrates ZTE's leading position in the CDMA industry. The excellent results were announced by the company in the recently concluded 3GPP2 Standards Conference 2009 held in Shanghai, China from February 16-24, which was jointly organized by ZTE and China Telecom to promote next-generation wireless broadband communications.
EV-DO is a telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals, typically for broadband Internet access. It was designed as an evolution of the CDMA2000 (IS-2000) standard that would support high data rates and could be deployed alongside a wireless carrier's voice services. It is standardized by 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) as part of the CDMA2000 family of standards and has been adopted by many mobile phone service providers worldwide, particularly those previously employing CDMA networks.
According to IDC the mobile sector has emerged as the dominant driver of the global telecommunications industry. The US$700 billion mobile industry now serves almost half of the world's population with 3.6 billion subscriptions at the end of 2008. Looking beyond the tremendous growth in revenue and subscriptions, the mobile industry is a diverse one, indeed a tale of two worlds – the developed and emerging markets. It is also an industry that is roiled by social and technological transformation, as well as the fickle but equally important dictates of fashion and consumer preferences.
IDC believes the mobile industry is likely to fare the current global economic downturn better than many other industries. For sure, in 2009, the industry is likely to see softening of sales in many of its constituent segments, from network infrastructure to mobile devices and from chipsets to software. Some other industry segments, like mobile devices, applications, and services, are likely to only grow over time – taking the current economic downturn in their stride.
MapQuest announced the addition of My Places to MapQuest 4 Mobile, MapQuest’s free, downloadable application. My Places lets registered MapQuest users save maps and routes to their profile from the MapQuest site and access them via MapQuest.com or their mobile phone. My Places on MapQuest 4 Mobile is currently available on select BlackBerry smartphones, with additional handsets and major mobile platforms coming in the months ahead.
With My Places, users can set up an account at MapQuest.com and view their saved locations using MapQuest 4 Mobile. Expansion of the service to the MapQuest 4 Mobile application lets users seamlessly extend their MapQuest experience from the desktop to the handset.
To download the free MapQuest 4 Mobile application with the new My Places integration, go to m.mq4m.com on your mobile device. Existing MapQuest 4 Mobile users will be prompted to upgrade to the latest version of the application, which includes My Places, when they launch the application.
Samsung Telecommunications America, and Paramount Digital Entertainment today announced the availability of a 2G microSD card pre-loaded with the Mission Impossible Trilogy with the purchase of a Samsung Delve from Alltel Wireless. This is the first time that Samsung Mobile and Paramount Digital Entertainment have worked together to bundle full-length feature films(s) to add promotional value to its mobile products, without creating a price impact on its carrier partners or consumers.
The microSD card is available with the purchase of the Delve from February 20 through April 16, from participating Alltel Wireless retail stores and authorized dealers.
Alltel Wireless customers who purchase the Delve can send in a mail-in redemption card to receive the microSD within four to six weeks. For more information on the Alltel promotion and the Samsung Delve please visit www.samsung.com/missionexcitement.
Last week at the Mobile World Congress 2009, the GSMA announced the winner of the 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award. After a year-long search and four regional tournaments, soft keyboard for touchscreens supplier CooTek has been named the Global Champion of this most influential innovation award in the mobile industry.
CooTek's winning innovation is called TouchPal, a soft keyboard for touchscreen devices. Its mistyping correction and many other unique technologies make TouchPal one of the most popular keyboard software in the world, with more than 2,000,000 downloads last year. CooTek claims that an experienced user can type as fast as 400 characters/min. on a touchscreen with TouchPal.
Touchscreen phones are getting popular these years. But typing on touchscreen is no fun. Many iPhone users, for example, have complaints about its onscreen keyboard. Due to the small buttons and the lack of key-pressing feedback, users are more likely to press wrong keys on a virtual keyboard than on a real keyboard.
Verizon Wireless announced today that the new Verizon Wireless Push to Talk CDM8975 is available immediately through business sales channels. The phone, developed by Personal Communications Devices, LLC, provides customers with fast two-way communication to get their jobs done quickly and efficiently.
Packaged in an industrial clamshell design, the Verizon Wireless CDM8975 gives customers a feature-rich wireless experience at an attractive price. It will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning March 9.
The Verizon Wireless CDM8975 provides customers with access to Verizon Wireless’ Push to Talk service that leverages the company’s Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network. The Verizon Wireless CDM8975 also supports VZ Navigator(SM) with access to audible turn-by-turn maps, directions and millions of data points that can help business customers locate their offsite meeting locations quickly and even share their maps with colleagues.
Verizon and Next New Networks, an online television company, will showcase emerging bands and musical artists paired with talented filmmakers.
The launch kicks off with an original video for La Strada, and upcoming guest talent includes Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Via Audio, Plushgun, The Depreciation Guild, Project Jenny, Project Jan, Lowry and Savoir Adore Frances. New videos will premiere every Thursday on the network's Web site at 99dollarmusicvideos.com, and on distribution channels including YouTube, iTunes, and more.
Cricket Communications, Inc. has announced that the Cricket A100 is now available to customers in Cricket’s newly-launched Greater Chicago market and soon to be available to customers in all Cricket locations. The A100 is an exclusive slim candybar style phone designed for Cricket’s customers from the ground up, with many of today’s hottest features at an attractive price.
The A100 features an internal antenna, a 1.8” LCD screen (128x160 CSTN, 65K), speech recognition for handsfree dialing, a 2.5mm mono headset jack, a mini USB charging port, vibrate and speakerphone. It also has 31 megabytes of user memory and supports Mobile web, Games and Apps, SMS and today’s most popular image and ringtone formats. The A100 weighs 2.47 ounces and measures 4.44x1.94x.55 inches; talk time is 4.5 hours and standby time is 250 minutes. The phone is Hearing Aid Compatibility compliant.
The A100 is available now with a retail price of $89.99 at Cricket stores and dealers in the Chicago area, and will be available soon in all Cricket markets.
Google today announced that Google Maps on Verizon's BlackBerry Storm now uses GPS for My Location. Owners of the BlackBerry Storm can download a brand new version of Google Maps for mobile that utilizes the Storm's internal GPS.
Go to m.google.com/maps from your BlackBerry's browser to download the latest version of Google Maps to your device. After you install the new version on your Storm, you will notice improved accuracy for My Location and Latitude.
The Storm is the first BlackBerry on Verizon's network that makes it possible for My Location to access GPS location.
Sorry, owners of the BlackBerry on Verizon, even one with GPS like the BlackBerry 8130, this announcement is not for you.
Good news! Google Mobile App now available on phones powered by Windows Mobile. Now you can download it at http://m.google.com/search on your mobile phone. (See video to the right)
Google Mobile App for Windows Mobile features:
Allows faster searching Windows Mobile device
Easy access to your favorite Google applications from the Today screen
No need to wait for a browser to open to begin a search
Search history to reduce typing
Get Search results with fewer clicks than before
Pocket PC users can add the Google Mobile App to the start menu (Settings: Menus)
Pocket PC users can configure a hardware key (Settings: Buttons) to provide easy access from within any application on your phone
Cricket Communications Inc. and Kyocera Wireless Corp. today announced the availability of the new Kyocera S1300 mobile phone. It is available immediately at Cricket retail stores in the Chicago area and will be available soon at Cricket retailers nationwide. The S1300 is an elegant, streamlined bar-style phone that provides a wealth of features and style at an affordable price.
The S1300 is enabled with Mobile Web for downloading ringtones and graphics and browsing the Web, along with Cricket Games and Apps. The phone features SMS, voice memos, preloaded images for caller ID assignment, speakerphone, vibrate, a 250-contact directory (supporting up to five numbers per contact) and a large display and keypad. The S1300 is HAC-compliant and supports TTY/TDD for the hearing-impaired. With a talk time of up to 200 minutes and standby time of up to 200 hours, the S1300 is ideal for users on the go who want style and substance without a high price.
Retail pricing for the Kyocera S1300 is $89.99. For more information, visit a local Cricket retail location, or online visit www.mycricket.com.
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