Microsoft:
Microsoft Announces New Zune Pass Music Subscription Model — Consumers can now keep the tracks they love. — Zune, Microsoft Corp.'s digital music and entertainment service, today announced landmark agreements with major and independent music labels to bring significant new value to the subscription music model.
NTT DoCoMo is developing an Android-based smartphone with an aim to launch it next year, a spokesperson with the Japanese operator confirmed to AFP via Business Standard. The phone could help the carrier compete with its smaller rival Softbank, which has been growing customers at a faster rate since launching the iPhone in July.
An earlier report from Japanese financial newspaper the Nikkei picked up by Reuters, said that the phone would be co-developed by DoCoMo's Korean partner KT Freetel. DoCoMo owns a 10 percent stake in the Korean carrier, and in the past the two have procured handsets together to get better prices. But the company's spokesperson said that they hadn't yet decided on any partners, nor was it confirmed if the handsets would sell in Korea.
The handset will be the first Android phone to be launched in Japan, where mobile devices are already among the most sophisticated in the world. DoCoMo lost out on the iPhone after months of talks with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), which reportedly broke down after the Japanese carrier balked over the high revenue sharing terms that Apple was demanding to let it sell the handset exclusively.
But an Android-based phone may actually prove to be a better bet for DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM). Though Apple has helped lure subscribers to Softbank, it hasn't sold spectacularly in Japan, where users apparently still want features particular to the local market?including mobile payments and digital broadcast TV. It's been reported that Japanese consumers who have bought the iPhone also tote around a second phone that give them access to these features--which could be potentially included in an Android-based phone. DoCoMo and Google (NSDQ: GOOG), meanwhile, already have an "alliance" in place, when early this year DoCoMo agreed to integrate its search and email into its content service i-Mode.
The Nikkei also reported that DoCoMo would price the Android-based phone at about 20 percent lower than existing smartphones, since it would save costs on software development as Android is free.
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Ad-funded, youth-targeted European mobile virtual network operator Blyk announced yesterday that it had secured a massive $50 million (40 million euros) in funding from its existing backers, which include Goldman Sachs, IFIC and Sofinnova Partners, no mean feat for a company whose business model relies almost entirely on advertising at a time when the downturn is clearly hurting ad revenues. But Blyk CEO Pekka Ala-Pietilä, and ex-president of Nokia, says that the company, which now has 200,000 users in its targeted age group of 16-24 who have agreed to view ads in return for free airtime, is not only poised to "weather the storm," it may well have edge during the recession.
Blyk has "taken measures to streamline and cut costs"--what does this mean exactly? "It means first of all that we are experiencing tougher times and unpredictable times ahead of us, and we like everyone else are feeling the impact, so we have to be well prepared and to do things differently internally. We are working more smartly, and we have to cut the number of people. But I can't disclose that number."
More on advertising, funding and other topics after the jump
Growing the subscriber base: "This hasn't been a challenge. Now more than ever people want free things."
The downturn is obviously having an impact on advertising, what does this mean for Blyk, given that your model is so reliant on it? "In Blyk's case there are interesting things that will help us weather the storm. If you can send relevant messages, you cut down on waste. Our form of advertising is extremely measurable, and during times when people are very careful when planning how best to spend their money, we see this even giving us an edge. (Blyk claims an average response rate of 25 percent for the 2000+ campaigns it has run in the UK.) Also, the mobile advertising industry is still small and we believe it will be less impacted because of its relatively smaller size."
But despite the cuts, international expansion is going ahead...: "Yes, it's going ahead. In the last few months, we've had increasing interest in Blyk's media model. It was at such a level that we needed to go back and rethink what does this mean as an opportunity for us. We are embarking on a path for partnering with operators, with media, and with ad agencies. To deliver the Blyk media experience, from end to end, from operator to consumer, the whole ecosystem, or constellation, is very muti-faceted, very complex. By partnering, we speed up our footprint, by using competencies from each of the partners."
Aside from Europe and Asia, what plans are there for the US, where the Blyk model might be more of a challenge to implement as mobile users pay to receive SMS? "Again, with this partnership approach, I can envisage a partnership model in which we work together with key players in the US. This is part of our motivation?if we have the flexibility in our model, we don't need to be fixed too tightly [to our existing business model] and can expand in markets and countries where [industry practices] are different."
Despite the sizable funding you've been able to bring in, and as you say the very measurable results you can show, there still seems to be lingering skepticism over the Blyk model. Why do you think is? Where is it coming from?: "Mobile advertising as a market is still nascent. The different facets of mobile advertising have not been discussed that deeply, the awareness is not deep. Mobile advertising is still used as an umbrella term to mean one monolithic market. That doesn't do us justice; it's not the right way to assess things."
"Mobile advertising is at least four things--content, messaging, search and display. It's not fair to take a stand on all in one go. On the content and messaging side, which form Blyk's main model, what is already emerging is the recognition that messaging works well with consumers because messaging is already part of their everyday behavior. It fits naturally within the mobile experience. Complemented with targeting, which makes messaging relevant, its the holy grail. Relevant messaging is not seen as an ad, but content. We know that young people want content from the areas of their interest, which is why we have got the high response rates. When people look at our model, to say mobile advertising is too constraining, too limited. It doesn't take into account the different [strands] within it: we can do above the line, below the line, direct sales, and also market research."
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Photo: Motorola VE66 Slider Comes with ‘Widgets’ Photo 1
Motorola today announced the VE66 with CrystalTalk audio technology for clear conversations, a 5.0-megapixel camera and MP3 player.
The VE66 is a sleek, slider with the Motorola’s new widgets integration. With downloadable widgets, consumers can get real-time information on weather, sports scores, stock tickers, flight information, social media and news headlines.
It captures high-resolution images on its 5.0-megapixel camera. Pressing a dedicated camera key quickly auto-focuses, activates an LED flash, and if necessary, stabilizes the image and reduces red eye. Automatic color saturation delivers whiter whites and crisper blacks.
An MP3 player with USB 2.0 provides high-speed data downloads on a PC. Wi-Fi connectivity makes browsing the Internet or sharing photos, audio or video files easy. An integrated FM radio with RDS can help listeners “name that tune” while on the road.
With CrystalTalk technology, conversations are amplified and background noises reduced for a noticeable difference […]
Original post by Mobiledia
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Motorola today announced the VE66 with CrystalTalk audio technology for clear conversations, a 5.0-megapixel camera and MP3 player.
The VE66 is a sleek, slider with the Motorola's new widgets integration. With downloadable widgets, consumers can get real-time information on weather, sports scores, stock tickers, flight information, social media and news headlines.
It captures high-resolution images on its 5.0-megapixel camera. Pressing a dedicated camera key quickly auto-focuses, activates an LED flash, and if necessary, stabilizes the image and reduces red eye. Automatic color saturation delivers whiter whites and crisper blacks.
An MP3 player with USB 2.0 provides high-speed data downloads on a PC. Wi-Fi connectivity makes browsing the Internet or sharing photos, audio or video files easy. An integrated FM radio with RDS can help listeners "name that tune" while on the road.
With CrystalTalk technology, conversations are amplified and background noises reduced for a noticeable difference in clarity. A second microphone further enhances audio quality by eliminating ambient background noise from calls.
FastScroll one-touch navigation wheel lets users quickly navigate through menus.
"The VE66 delivers on consumer's demand for more personalized listening and imaging experiences on a mobile phone," said Tracey Koziol, Corporate Vice President of Motorola.
The Motorola VE66 is expected to be available Q4 2008.
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Reuters - The world’s top five cellphone makers launched on Wednesday a common energy rating system for chargers, making it easier for consumers to compare and choose the ones consuming the least energy, Nokia said.
Original post by Reuters
About two months ago, I purchased a Canon HF100 high-definition video camera to replace my ageing but still totally sweet Canon GL2 (that thing has such great optics!). It took me a while to re-create my template in 16:9 format, but I did and published my first two HD videos to YouTube...and I was quite disappointed with the results. YouTube only offers a 4:3 aspect ratio player, so 16:9 videos look pretty tiny with those big black bars on the top and bottom. I set out to find a better solution for embedding videos on Thoughts Media sites, and I think I've found one: MotionBox.
I say "I think" because while the video quality is utterly fantastic, and for $20 per year they offer a lot of value, I've been seeing some problematic playback issues today - sometimes the video will start right away, other times it will take 30+ seconds before it starts, and sometimes it won't start at all, instead showing a black box. And sometimes it will just "break" and stop playing. These are obviously serious problems, but I don't know if MotionBox is just having a bad day, or if my bandwidth Kung-fu is weak today. So check out the video below and report back what you find - does it play back OK? Any problems or glitches?
"Adobe’s Flash Player is on 98 percent of all desktop computers, but it is still struggling to make the jump to mobile phones. If you want Flash on a mobile device, right now you have to settle for a compromised version: Flash Lite. But Adobe is committed to bring the full Flash Player experience to mobile phones, as evidenced by its Open Screen Project. On Monday, at its Adobe MAX developer conference, it will demonstrate Flash Player 10 running on a Windows Mobile phone. (However, Flash won’t actually ship on Windows Mobile until late next year)."
Adobe MAX has come and gone and during that time Adobe has announced that would release Flash technology to the Windows Mobile platform and even demonstrated versions of Flash running on Windows Mobile and Google Android. It is really interesting to see Flash running on Google's Android platform as these handsets are virtually brand spanking new. It is amazing to see how quickly big name companies such as Adobe are jumping on consumer smartphone bandwagon since the release of the Apple iPhone and Google Android platforms. Sometimes I wish Microsoft could inspire that kind of innovation and excitement in the mobile industry. It is an incredibly exciting time to be a smartphone user, no matter which device or operating system is in your pocket. However I am still annoyed that it has taking this long for Adobe to get around to bringing Flash to our handsets.
The Sony DR-BT160AS Bluetooth Active Style Headphones popped up on Giz a few months back, and they looked promising if a bit odd, streaming stereo A2DP audio while packing a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a microphone for calls. But we had no pricing or availability information. Now, through the magic of press releases, we know that the headphones are available now for "approximately $130." That's not the most reassuring pricing announcement we've ever seen, but we'll take what we can get. [Sony]
LG may release some crazy handsets on a global level, but believe it or not, the LG Incite has arrived at AT&T as what could be considered the first full-fledged LG smartphone in the States. And it's not a bad first showing. The 3G Windows Mobile handset features a 3-inch touchscreen with full virtual keyboard and haptic feedback, along with aGPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3MP camera, and microSD port. The Incite is available now for $199.99 with a 2-year agreement. Read on for the full details.
AT&T and LG Mobile Phones Launch New Windows Mobile 6.1 Smartphone With Sleek Design, Vibrant Touch Screen, aGPS, Wi-Fi and More
Dallas, Texas, San Diego, California, November 18, 2008
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A. Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) today announced the availability of the LG Incite?, the newest Windows Mobile device powered by the nation's fastest 3G network for users who crave premium capabilities with ultramodern design. The Incite ? available in the U.S. exclusively to AT&T customers ? stirs up the smartphone market, with its stylish, sleek look and sophisticated technology.
The LG Incite boasts the latest in wireless communications technology, with domestic and international 3G capabilities, built-in aGPS and Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0®. The LG Incite is equipped with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Microsoft Office Mobile and Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5. The Incite, the first of its kind for LG Mobile, offers Windows Media Player 10.
LG Incite looks as good as it sounds: a sophisticated, sleek design, a crystal-clear 3-inch touch screen and a 3.0 megapixel camera and camcorder that enables consumers to send and enjoy memories at the touch of a button. Users have a choice of on-screen virtual keyboards ? a full, QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode and a 20-key keyboard in portrait view ? with haptic keys that provide vibration feedback. The Incite also offers users choice in terms of screen navigation by simply using their fingers to move through the Incite's friendly user interface, the scroll button to the upper right of the screen or the included stylus. A configurable, drag-and-drop favorites menu provides quick access to the applications that matter most to the user.
The Incite is pre-loaded with everything you'd expect, including AT&T Navigator, powered by TeleNav, featuring turn-by-turn voice and on-screen directions with colorful 3-D moving maps that can be used in vehicles or while walking. AT&T Navigator also features traffic alerts, re-routing and other location-based services. There also is business and personal e-mail access through Microsoft Direct Push and AT&T's Xpress Mail service, instant messaging and AT&T Mobile Music service, which provides fast access to downloadable music from eMusic®.
Store all your favorite songs with the microSD Memory Port with up to 16GB of support. Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities allow consumers to wirelessly access music through stereo headsets, transmit data to other Bluetooth-enabled devices and make calls hands-free anytime. The Incite also features AT&T Video ShareSM, the first-ever service in the U.S. that allows users to share live video over wireless devices while participating in a voice call.
"LG Mobile Phones has done an outstanding job in its first offering in the U.S. smartphone arena with the LG Incite, and AT&T is pleased to the be first U.S. carrier to offer an LG smartphone," said Michael Woodward, vice president, Smart Devices for AT&T's wireless operations. "It is a great looking smartphone with powerful capabilities that will provide our customers with a new and outstanding choice in our Windows Mobile smartphone portfolio, which is the broadest in the industry."
Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of Marketing and Product Strategy for LG Mobile Phones, said: "LG is excited to offer a phone with a different capability than anything we've offered in the U.S. thus far. As a leading provider of handsets, LG constantly looks toward the future and strives to incorporate the newest technologies as they become available to our consumers."
The Incite also supports Microsoft's System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, an enterprise-grade mobile solution for managing and protecting Windows Mobile 6.1 phones. Mobile Device Manager helps companies provide its mobile workers with software updates and applications over the air, as well as security-enhanced access to company data. The Incite operates on AT&T's 3G BroadbandConnect network, which currently is available in more than 320 major metropolitan areas in the U.S. and, by year-end, AT&T expects to offer the service in nearly 350 leading U.S. markets. In addition to 3G connectivity, the Incite is also designed to connect seamlessly with AT&T's nationwide1 EDGE network, which is available in more than 13,000 cities and towns and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. When abroad, customers can use the Incite to make a phone call in more than 200 countries and access data in more than 150, including more than 60 with 3G networks. AT&T has the broadest international wireless coverage of any U.S. carrier.
The Incite is available now in AT&T retail stores nationwide and online at www.wireless.att.com for $199.99 with a new two-year agreement and mail-in rebate. AT&T voice plans begin at $39.99 with monthly enterprise data plans priced at $45 and personal data plans at $30 per month. Small business customers also can subscribe to AT&T's new, industry-first BusinessTalk voice plans, which start at $60 a month for five users and 700 Anytime Minutes and can be expanded for $9.99 a line to accommodate up to 40 users and 20,000 Anytime Minutes.
Carlo Longino is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Carlo Longino and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.
Photo: LG Incite Touch Screen Smartphone Launches for AT&T Photo 1
AT&T today launched the LG Incite, a Windows Mobile device with a modern design.
The Incite has a sophisticated, sleek design, a crystal-clear 3.0-inch touch screen and a 3.0-megapixel camera. Running on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the Incite has Microsoft Office Mobile, Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5 and Windows Media Player 10.
Consumers can navigate through the menu using their fingers, the scroll button to the upper right of the screen, or the included stylus. A configurable, drag-and-drop favorites menu accesses favorite applications.
Users can text message using an on-screen virtual keyboards - a full, QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode or a 20-key keyboard in portrait view. Haptic keys provide vibration feedback.
Users can access business and personal email through Microsoft Direct Push and AT&T’s Xpress Mail service.
Bluetooth 2.0 lets users wirelessly listen to music via stereo headsets, transmit data to other Bluetooth-enabled devices and make […]
Original post by Mobiledia
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AT&T today launched the LG Incite, a Windows Mobile device with a modern design.
The Incite has a sophisticated, sleek design, a crystal-clear 3.0-inch touch screen and a 3.0-megapixel camera. Running on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the Incite has Microsoft Office Mobile, Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5 and Windows Media Player 10.
Consumers can navigate through the menu using their fingers, the scroll button to the upper right of the screen, or the included stylus. A configurable, drag-and-drop favorites menu accesses favorite applications.
Users can text message using an on-screen virtual keyboards - a full, QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode or a 20-key keyboard in portrait view. Haptic keys provide vibration feedback.
Users can access business and personal email through Microsoft Direct Push and AT&T's Xpress Mail service.
Bluetooth 2.0 lets users wirelessly listen to music via stereo headsets, transmit data to other Bluetooth-enabled devices and make handsfree calls. It also has domestic and international 3G capabilities and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g).
AT&T Mobile Music service lets users download music from eMusic, storing songs on microSD memory cards up to 16GB. The Incite features AT&T Video Share for live video over wireless devices while participating in a voice call.
It comes pre-loaded with AT&T Navigator, powered by TeleNav, for turn-by-turn voice and on-screen directions with 3D moving maps. AT&T Navigator also features traffic alerts, re-routing and other location-based services.
The LG Incite is available now in stores and online for $199.99 with a new two-year agreement and mail-in rebate.
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Hey guys, it's that time of year again: Break out of your current Sprint contract without paying an early-termination thanks to a materially adverse change of contract. Our fedora-wearing cousins at Consumerist note that a 99-cent administrative fee increase per line going into effect Jan. 1 falls under that rubric, meaning "you can use it to argue that the fee renders your contract void and you can end service without a termination fee." For all the details and precisely how to outmaneuver vigilant Sprint reps, head over there: [Consumerist, Image: albany_tim/Flickr]
This weekend, Saks Fifth Avenue ran a full page ad in the NYTimes promoting "The Gift of Time. Enjoy no interest and no payments for 12 months on item purchases of $2,000 or more." I'm not surprised. This is a great message for those who may not be as liquid as they once were and for those who hope this economic situation will abate in mid '09.
It also might hit home to wary older customers. In fact, according to our recent consumer survey, where we asked: Given the current state of the US economy, how are you planning to change your holiday shopping habits? Customers over 45 years old are more likely to say they will spend less overall and avoid any major purchases. So retailers whose customer base skews older, might try the same tactic Saks has launched.
There are some inventions that cause electronics manufacturers and consumers alike to wonder why they hadn't been invented before, and how anyone ever lived without them. And then there's this. Fantalog Interactive has devised a camera phone that takes pictures when you blow on it. Apparently following some kind of hilarious global realization that phones can be controlled with stale air, the Fantalog 'Emotion' blow-camera is not only inspiring because it's the first of its kind, but because its invention has come to pass despite providing no conceivable benefit to anyone at all. [Aving via Hallyutech —Thanks, Henry]
Being so heavily Windows Mobile-centric, I find it interesting when I can get my hands on devices from companies that compete with Windows Mobile. I had an opportunity to play with a RIM Blackberry Bold earlier this week, and was extremely impressed with the hardware. I thought it might be useful to share what I thought was good about the Bold, if for no other reason than to point out to anyone from Microsoft, HTC, etc. reading this site that Windows Mobile devices are lacking somewhat in the area that the Bold inhabits.
The 2.66 inch, 320 x 480 screen was simply gorgeous - very crisp, with great contrast. It made everything look excellent - I think the Blackberry OS, for all its faults, gets many things right on the home screen - the indicator icons on Windows Mobile are huge in comparison, so even by making them smaller, things look sharper and more organized on the Blackberry home screen. The keyboard felt really good, although I thought the width of the device was a bit much - it's closer to the Motorola Q9h in width, while I prefer the more slender Blackjack II. Not a deal-breaker though, I'd put up with the extra width to get that screen. Device thickness and weight were reasonable.
Performance was very snappy - apps just flew, screens appeared and vanished quickly. I've always felt that other Blackberry models had a nice home screen, but looked like pagers once you dug a layer deeper, but the Bold has a pretty good second level as well. Video playback was very impressive as well - there was a Speed Racer sample clip that looked amazing, the best I've seen on a mobile device in a long time. The media player software was pretty weak though - it was a combination of VCR-like buttons and a DOS-like directory listing of videos. I'm spoiled by how fun and easy media browsing is on my Zune, and everything else pales in comparison.
I could only sigh as I heard my friend explain that he leaves WiFi turned on all the time, and still gets 2-3 days of heavy use out of it, because the WiFi is smart enough to stay in a super low power mode until it detects he comes home, then it connects WiFi and uses that rather than 3G. When he leaves the house, it seamlessly moves back to 3G. Now that's smart software! There were certainly parts of the software that screamed "I used to be wireless pager software!", but RIM has done a pretty good job sprucing up the look and feel of the operating system.
Oh yeah, it didn't have a high-gloss back that attracted smudges (are you listening HTC?). It really is a great hardware design. I'm sure if I spent a week using it I'd see more flaws in the software and hardware, but I have to say that as first impressions go, the Bold makes a good one - and first impressions are generally what sell phones to the public. I can't think of any Windows Mobile device that comes close to matching the Bold in terms of hardware, and that's really unfortunate.
I'm convinced that HTC in particular is so fixated on beating Apple in the touch game, that even though they don't have a great touch-friendly operating system to work with (Windows Mobile Professional is still far too stylus-based), they're ignoring the popular consumer market that RIM is making big inroads into now. When I hear a 25-year old female friend gush about how much she loves her new Blackberry Curve, a device I'd always perceived as a business device, I know there's a missing piece in Microsoft's consumer strategy - a very big piece. RIM has somehow pivoted with their product strategy just enough to allow the carriers to heavily promote Blackberry devices as being consumer devices, and based mostly on nice hardware design, consumers are buying Blackberry devices in big numbers. Microsoft and their hardware partners have to come up with a solution to this problem - and a good start would be a device that competes head-on with the Blackberry Bold and wins.
Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, and his sometimes obedient dog. He has a thing for high-resolution screens.
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AT&T today launched the Nokia 6650, a stylish clamshell featuring Symbian-based S60 platform.
Designed with premium materials and customizable illumination, the 6650 features a sharp 2.2-inch display with QVGA (16 million colors) resolution.
It has external audio playback keys, external soft keys and a 1.36-inch display that captures photos, controls music and changes profile settings without ever having to open the device. A built-in 2.0-megapixel camera has an integrated flash to snap high-quality images even in low-light conditions.
Running on AT&T's 3G network, customers share live video while participating in calls via AT&T Video Share, or listen and download music from Napster, eMusic or XM Radio.
"Nokia created this device for the thriving consumer appetite for navigation, multimedia and entertainment essentials in one stylish, affordable package," said Ian Laing, Vice President of Sales at Nokia. "We are excited to introduce this device, built on the most open and mature mobile platform in the world, to AT&T."
The Nokia 6650 will be available in red and silver colors beginning Nov. 14 for $69.99 with a two-year service agreement.
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Nokia today announced the Nokia E63, a QWERTY keyboard messaging phone designed for business users.
The E63 can switch modes with the press of a button, from viewing corporate mail, appointments and intranet data, to viewing pictures, personal email and shortcuts to favorite websites.
Consumers can record and view photos and videos with the 2.0-megapixel CMOS camera and bright 320 x 240 px landscape display, listen to music downloaded from the Nokia Music Store via a 3.5 mm audio jack, or customize the handset through the thousands of applications available for download.
Files on Ovi lets users remotely access files from their PC, even when their computer is offline.
"Our research shows that people want a device that deals with both their personal and professional lives, but helps them to separate the two," said Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President of Nokia. "The Nokia E63 is a new proposition for Eseries - a messaging device where people will be just as involved in their social network as they are in their business network."
The Nokia E63 will be available in ruby red or ultramarine blue. It is expected to begin shipping in the coming weeks for an estimated retail price of $250.
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Telcos do this all the time but by George, what a whopping drop for the iPhone! The 8GB iPhone is currently experiencing a huge price cut to $99.00 from Orange just in time for the holidays. This is way below the suggested retail price of the phone leaving a lot of subsidizing going for Orange. Moves like this usually cater to the initial appetite for gadget lust without consumers realizing how “trapped” they are in their post paid cellular plans for the next so and so months.
[Photo c/o Apple Insider]
Tags: Holidays, iPhone, Orange
There are many things to consider before you a purchase a cell phone. One major consideration for most consumers is the price of the cell phone.
Understandably, cell phones that have very few “bells and whistles” will cost much less than a mobile phone that also serves as an MP3 player, a video camera, a camera and has a full QWERTY keyboard, although sometimes you can pick these phones up for relatively cheap if the wireless carrier is offering incentives or rebates.
What’s not included in the price of most cell phones is the wireless service to make phone calls and send text messages. Wireless plans can vary from prepaid accounts which allow subscribers to pay as they go (or use minutes) to family calling plans that offer multiple handsets for family members with a calling plan that covers all the mobile phones in the family.
You can buy a cheap prepaid cell phone at most large retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and even some smaller drug stores. Convenient and cheap, prepaids are a popular choice for those that aren’t “heavy users.”
My advice is, check cell phone prices before you buy. Since it’s a buyer’s market, chances are you can find a better price if you search vendors before buying.
Motorola has won a second consecutive Industry Choice Award. This award is given to the most innovative and esteemed product deployments - Motorola took the award for their WiMAX USB 100 Adaptor for laptop computers.
“As WiMAX and other high-speed technologies continue to gain traction around the world, Motorola will continue to be in the forefront of designing innovative products and solutions that let consumers and enterprises enjoy the benefits of broadband everywhere,” said Darren McQueen, vice president, Wireless Broadband Access Technologies, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility.
Shaped like a thumb drive, the USBw 100 offers indoor and outdoor mobile and nomadic wireless connectivity through WiMAX networks operating in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands. The USBw 100 plugs into a USB port on a laptop and quickly connects to an available WiMAX network. Users on the go are free to surf the web, check emails, and stream video and audio files just as they would from a home computer. The USBw 100 is expected to be available in Q4 2008.
AT&T just announced they are launching a mobile platform for their mobile phone subscribers to stay connected with their favorite social networking platforms. The application, developed by Intercasting Corporation, allows users to maintain and manage several social networking platforms with one easy to use interface.
“Our social networking applications are among our highest-performing category, and we anticipate sustained interest from consumers as social networks continue to explode in popularity and diversify in purpose,” said Mark Collins, vice president of Consumer Products for AT&T’s wireless unit. “The My Communities application brings unmatched simplicity, increased functionality and deeper integration to this space, a combination we believe will win over active users and newcomers alike.”
My Communities is compatible with MySpace, the mobile-only community Rabble, blogging sites LiveJournal and Xanga and the photo-sharing site Photobucket. My Communities also features sites whose members share common characteristics such as ethnicity (AsianAve, BlackPlanet, MiGente), faith (FaithBase) or sexual orientation (GLEE). Subscribers get instant access to additional sites as soon as they are added to My Communities and will be alerted to updates when they launch the application ? no upgrade is required. Through My Communities, subscribers can register for social sites directly from their phone without ever having to go to the Web, a feature not common with most other social networking applications.
This application is available on 23 devices for a monthly subscription of $2.99 a month. To find out more or to see if your mobile device qualifies, please visit AT&T’s Media Mall.
