Verizon Wireless and LG today announced the LG Dare is now available. The LG Dare boast a spacious three-inch touch-screen with handwriting recognition, a superior 3.2 megapixel camera with face detection and flash, and unique photo editing capabilities. The phone will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, on July 3.

The LG Dare’s touch-screen offers the optimal HTML Web browsing experience and runs on the nation’s most reliable wireless network to ensure a smooth and easy navigation experience. The touch-screen also supports handwriting recognition and tactile feedback so that customers can more easily select their options on the phone.

The phone’s camera has a Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens for outstanding image quality, and the camera offers advanced features, such as face detection and an LED flash so customers can take enhanced-quality photos from their mobile phones. Additionally, customers can use the photo editing tool to personalize their digital photos with features that include borders and landscapes, and they can draw on their pictures directly on the screen using their fingertips.

Palm, Inc. today announced that Palm Centro smartphone is now available unlocked for U.S. customers. Palm Centro is sold by Sprint, AT&T and Verizon Wireless in the U.S. Palm also announced that Google Maps for mobile with My Location on Centro is available for Centro starting tomorrow, 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.

Google Maps for mobile with My Location makes it easier and faster for Centro customers to get mapping and direction information by approximating the user's current location on the map. This saves time and keystrokes for people trying to find where they are, what's around them, and how to get there.

Clad in a mysterious black color and embellished with a subtle The Dark Knight emblem, this themed-edition flip phone comes pre-loaded with wallpapers, voice tones, animated screensavers inspired by the film, and a full movie trailer.

The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition has a generous set of features designed to enhance the mobile lifestyle. Touch-sensitive external music keys make it simple to access tracks purchased from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service, while the crisp two-inch display that supports up to 262,000 colors, makes watching news, sports and entertainment content from V CAST Video more enjoyable.

In addition, the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition includes:

Every night of the tour, Pearl Jam’s live concert performance will be recorded. After each performance, Pearl Jam’s studio engineer will mix three songs on the Verizon Mobile Recording Studio Bus that will be released on V CAST Music. Verizon Wireless will offer one of the full-length tracks for free on V CAST Music; the other two full-length songs will be available, as well as the ringtones and ringback tones for all three songs, at standard costs. 

LG Dare: From the sleek, slim appearance, to the all touch-screen operation, the LG Dare will be the talk of the season. Loaded with multimedia functionality, this 3G V CAST-capable phone has VZ Navigator(SM), 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 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. Additional information on the LG Dare will be available later this month.

Camila, the hottest group in Latin music right now, is launching their first headlining U.S. tour with a 17-city schedule that kicks off in Miami, on June 6.

This Latin sensation, whose albums have sold in excess of 800,000 units worldwide, has joined forces with Verizon Wireless to further connect with fans via mobile technology. Camila’s song, “Todo Cambio,” recently won two Billboard awards for the album of the same name, which has sold nearly 400,000 copies in the U.S. in 12 months.

Verizon Wireless customers who download Camila’s content via their V CAST-enabled handsets will have a chance to win a pair of tickets sent directly to their phones. These mobile tickets will be their entry into the show. Others may purchase tickets at traditional outlets. For more information go to www.camilainconcert.com.

Scheduled to debut in mid-June in 10 markets across the U.S. and during 3,500 show times, the interactive text message polling program asks moviegoers questions related to their music preferences and gives them an option to text their responses. After audience members submit their text messages, the actual audience results will be displayed on the movie screen in a bar chart.

The polling program was developed by Screenvision, a leader in cinema advertising, and uses Screenvision’s cinema advertising network comprised of more than 14,000 screens across 2,300 theaters nationwide and reaches 92 percent of U.S. markets. Screenvision produces the only host-format entertainment preshow in the cinema advertising industry, which airs across Screenvision’s High Definition digital network of approximately 7,000 screens.

Verizon Wireless is the buying Alltel Corporation.  The companies has entered into an agreement which includes Atlantis Holdings LLC, an affiliate of private investment firm TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, for Verizon Wireless to acquire Alltel Corporation in a cash merger.

Verizon Wireless will acquire the equity of Alltel for approximately $5.9 billion. Based on Alltel’s projected net debt at closing of $22.2 billion, the aggregate value of the transaction is $28.1 billion.  The merget is expected to be completed by the end of the year which is subject to obtaining regulatory approvals.

Once this transaction closes, customers of both companies will have access to an expanded range of products and services, including a premier lineup of basic and advanced devices and an expanded IN Network calling community.

Businesses can stay connected to their corporate e-mail using their everyday wireless phones with RemoSync, the newest out-of-the-box e-mail application available to Verizon Wireless customers.

Available on select Get It Now-capable phones, RemoSync allows customers who use Microsoft Exchange Servers for their businesses to manage their e-mail, calendar and contacts in real-time on their phones – all for less than $10 monthly access.

RemoSync, developed by Remoba, is ideal for small and medium business and enterprise customers who need the tools to manage their business activities, without purchasing separate smartphones or PDAs. The Direct Push Technology allows customers to automatically view their e-mail when they launch the application on their phones.

Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group’s AddictingGames, the an independent gaming site for teens with more than 3,000 games, and Verizon Wireless today announced that Qwikies are now exclusively available to Verizon Wireless customers.

Marking its first extension off of the PC, AddictingGames’ Qwikies are Flash-based mini-games which allow Verizon Wireless customers to play popular AddictingGames’ titles from the palms of their hands, including “Fling the Ferret,” “50 States,” “Flip the Bird,” “Escape the Locker,” “Fly Squasher,” “Whack a Mole,” “Jungle Gym,” and many other original titles.

Qwikies have launched with fully functional high-score capabilities that enable customers to post scores to a daily community leader board from their phones or text their scores to friends. New games and content will be added every month.

In 2008, AddictingGames.com will add 75 exclusive self-published titles and 600+ titles from game developers from around the world.

Verizon Wireless has launched the Motorola MOTO W755.  The Motorola MOTO W755 comes in purple and black for $69.99 with 2-year contract and online discount.

The touch–sensitive controls on the front of the phone let you access music, activate Bluetooth and adjust ring volume or mute calls without ever opening the phone.

The MOTO W755 also comes with an integrated:

• 1.3 MP camera
• optional removable memory of up to 4 GB
• color external display
• microSD memory card slot
• GPS navigation

With V CAST Music, you can also sync tracks, albums and playlists on your MOTO W755. If that wasn't enough, it's also VZ Navigatorsm capable meaning you'll never have to worry about getting lost again! Simple and loaded with features, the MOTO W755 is a phone that gives a lot without asking for much in return.

Verizon Wireless and LiMo Foundation (formed January 2007), a global consortium of mobile leaders delivering an open handset platform for the whole mobile industry, announced today that Verizon has joined LiMo and will fill the final seat on LiMo’s board of directors.

By participating in Limo, Verizon hopes to help LiMo unify the mobile industry around openness and Linux as the key enablers to lowering development costs. Verizon Wirless is the first US cell phone service provider to join LiMo.

LiMo Foundation is open to all vendors and service providers in the mobile communications marketplace, including device manufacturers, operators, chipset manufacturers, integrators and independent software vendors. Verizon Wireless joins the foundation’s other 39 members in working within LiMo’s transparent governance model to shape the evolution of the LiMo Platform, while remaining entirely free to deliver their own compelling and differentiated services to mobile customers.

Verizon Wireless today announced the MOTO Q 9c will be available in the company’s online store and in Verizon Wireless business sales channels on May 9. Customers will be able to purchase the newest member of Verizon Wireless’ MOTO Q family at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, in the coming weeks.

The MOTO Q 9c is the perfect smartphone for business professionals and offers powerful capabilities, including access to more than 14 million points of interest with Verizon Wireless’ popular VZ NavigatorSM service. The phone will also offer the following features and capabilities:

• Windows Mobile 6 Standard – access to POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts
• Documents To Go – read, edit and create Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents
• Full QWERTY keyboard with dedicated “hot keys” for shortcuts to popular applications

Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America announced that the Samsung Glyde will be available on May 9, 2008, online and in Verizon Stores from coast to coast, including those in Circuit City.

The Glyde is a powerful and sleek multimedia and messaging phone that boasts a robust feature-set packaged in a compact, touch-screen device with a full QWERTY keyboard.

The Glyde features a 2.8” advanced touch-screen that offers a tactile response and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that provides customers with an easy way to send text and instant messages.

This multimedia device comes equipped with a full lineup of Verizon Wireless’ hottest services including V CAST Music and Video. With V CAST Music, customers have access to more than 3 million songs from well-known and independent artists that can be purchased and downloaded directly over-the-air to the Glyde. V CAST Video gives customers access to content from the best names in news, sports and entertainment.

Other features include a 2.0 megapixel camera with flash, microSD card slot, which supports up to 8 GB of external memory, and Bluetooth stereo headset support.