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Court Upholds School Cellphone Ban in New York City

According to a New York Times report, the battle over cell phones in schools ended with the state's appeals court voting to uphold a ban on cell phones in public schools in New York city. The Department of Education passed the ban in 2005, saying that phones are disruptive, and that students could use them to cheat on exams. Read more
(April 23, 2008)

Cell Phone Ban Lifted in Cuba

According to AP, cell phone service has now become available to all Cuban citizens for the first time ever. In response, citizens of the island nation are flocking to phone stores everywhere. Cuban government has eased restrictions on buying cellular phones for the first time and also allowed registering those they had held illegally. Read more
(April 15, 2008)

Emergency Alerts May Come To Your Cell Phone

The FCC has approved a new nationwide alert system that will send text messages to cell phones to alert Americans when an emergency, disaster or attack occurs. The plan itself will deliver three different types of charge-free text alerts to mobile phone users. Read more
(April 10, 2008)

EU Approves In-Flight Cell Phone Use

The European Union has approved in-flight cell phone use for all of its 27 member nations. Under the new rules, phones usage will fall under the same rules as regular electronics meaning passengers canЎЇt yak on their phones during takeoff and landings. In addition, the flight crew can disable phone usage at any time. Read more
(April 8, 2008)

AT&T CEO: 3G iPhone Due ‘In Months’

According to a Reuters report, AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega said that AT&T was expecting a 3G iPhone within the next few months., when asked about plans to sell a third-generation (3G) iPhone. Read more
(April 2, 2008)

Verizon Wireless Files Lawsuit to Stop Telemarketers

Verizon Wireless filed a lawsuit to stop unknown telemarketers from calling its customers and employees with an offer of an extended car warranty.

The Basking Ridge, N.J., wireless voice and data network operator said the lawsuit alleges telemarketers illegally used an autodialer to reach its customers, a violation of the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and also used "spoofing" techniques to mask the origin of the calls. Read more
(March 27, 2008)

Study: Hands-Free Cell Phones Phones Still Distract Drivers

According a USA Today report, a study by a Pittsburgh scientist on the effects of driving while answering questions found that simply hearing a cellular phone call may distract drivers.

The study, conducted by Marcel Just, director of the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University, monitored the brain activities of 29 people who drove a simulated vehicle while choosing whether auditory statements were false or true, USA Today reported. Read more
(March 11, 2008)

Study: Cell Phone Now Most Valuable Communication Device

For the first time, Americans reported their love for their mobile phones trumped both their feelings for television and landline phones, according to a survey released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Read more
(March 4, 2008)

Nokia Reveals Flexible Cell Phone

Nokia and the University of Cambridge jointly revealed a new stretchable and flexible mobile device of the future called Morph. This is a new concept of the cell phone of the future basically, as the phone has the ability to flex, bend, and stretch. Read more
(February 26, 2008)

T-Mobile Offers Home Phone Service

T-Mobile will test an Internet calling plan designed to replace consumers' home wireline-based phone service. The provider begins offering a $10 per month Internet-based phone service in Dallas and Seattle as an add-on to its mobile service. Read more
(February 21, 2008)

Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile Offer Unlimited Cell Phone Plan

AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA on Tuesday announced flat rate plans for unlimited calls in the United States. Verizon Wireless said early on Tuesday it had started offering unlimited calls for $99.99 a month. AT&T followed with a similar plan, while T-Mobile USA went a step further by including unlimited texts as well as calls for the same price. Read more
(February 19, 2008)

Study: Heavy Cell Phone Use Link To Cancer

A recent study of nearly 500 Israelis has shown that frequent cell phone use is linked to a 50% increased risk of developing cancer. A new study has shown that Tumors of the parotid (salivary) glands are significantly more common in people who use cellular phones over a relatively long period. Read more
(February 18, 2008)

Startup Modu Launches Modular Cell Phone

Israeli startup Modu is looking to revolutionize the mobile industry with a new modular phone. This phone allows you to dress it in various “jackets” or enclosures. This hallows customers of the cell phone to have a very intimate experience with the phone as they can customize it to their liking. Read more
(February 8, 2008)

Nokia Smartphone Can Read Documents for Blind

According to AP, the world's first smartphone that translates photographs of written text into audio and then "speaks" the words aloud to users is expected to become available in early 2008. The device is the product of a joint venture between the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and world-renowned inventor Ray Kurzweil. Read more
(January 28, 2008)

Study: Cell Phones Might Interfere With Sleep

According to a report by UPI, a study in Sweden and the United States finds that using a cell phone just before bedtime interferes with sleep patterns. "The study strongly suggests that mobile phone use is associated with specific changes in the areas of the brain responsible for activating and coordinating the stress system," one researcher said. Read more
(January 21, 2008)

EPA Launches Cell Phone Recycling Campaign

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with cell phone makers, service providers, and retailers to promote cell phone recycling.

The EPA and its "Plug-In to eCycling" partners said they would be involved in a year-long campaign to increase capacity and outreach about existing recycling programs; educate the community about the benefits of cell phone recycling, including how and where the phones can be recycled; and work with communities to hold special cell phone collection drives and events. Read more
(January 10, 2008)

Cell Phones Are a Drag on the Commute

Drivers talking on cellphones are probably making your commute longer, a new study concludes. According to research from the University of Utah, cell-phone users drive more slowly than their non-cell using counterparts.

Driving while chatting on the phone isn't just dangerous - it's also a drag on traffic, University of Utah researchers contend. Read more
(January 3, 2008)

Boston Underground Railway Gets Cell Phone Coverage

Accoding to a report by the Boston Globe, passengers on Boston's public transport train service can now use their mobile phone in selected areas of the underground network. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas announced that wireless services are available, for the first time ever, in the train tunnels connecting the four downtown Boston stations that comprise the core of the nation's first subway. Read more
(December 28, 2007)

Japan's Mobile Carrier DoCoMo To Offer Google Services

Japan's largest mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo Inc. will tie up with U.S. Internet search engine Google Inc. to promote its Internet service for mobile phone users, Kyodo News said. Through the tie-up with the World's No. 1 search engine, NTT DoCoMo will apply Google's search and e-mail functions to its proprietary i-mode Internet service for handset customers, Kyodo News citing a report said, citing unnamed company sources. Read more
(December 26, 2007)

Air France Introduces Cell Phone Services

Air France has kicked off its very first in-flight mobile phone service trial onboard a single Airbus A318, which operates on European routes. Air France has joined hands with OnAir for the same. With this service, at first passengers will be able to send and receive text and picture messages along with emails through phones with internet access. Read more
(December 24, 2007)

Analog Cell Phone Network To Shut Down In 2008

In 2008 wireless carriers will begin shutting down the analog cell phone network. Starting February 19, 2008, cell phone carriers, including AT&T, Alltel and Verizon Wireless, will be turning off their analog networks. Other mobile carriers including Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile do not have analog networks and their customers will not be affected. Read more
(December 21, 2007)

iPhone Outsold Windows Mobile in Q3

According to research firm NPD, US handset sales in Q3 had their largest increase and best quarter since the firm started keeping track in 2005. According to Bloomberg "U.S. customers shelled out 40 percent more for handsets last quarter than a year earlier, just as Apple Inc. put its Web-browsing iPhone on sale and Research In Motion Ltd. brought out BlackBerry e-mail phones with video features. Spending rose to a record and jumped the most since at least 2005." Read more
(December 20, 2007)

US Spending On Cell Phone Service Surpasses Land Lines

Accoring to an AP report, U.S. households are starting to spend more on cell phone services in 2007 as more Americans cutting the cord to their land lines, industry and government officials say.

The most recent government data show that households spent $524, on average, on cell phone bills in 2006, compared with $542 for residential and pay-phone services. By now, though, consumers almost certainly spend more on their cell phone bills, several telecom industry analysts and officials said. Read more
(December 18, 2007)

Consumer Reports: More Than Half Of Cell Phone Users Dissatisfied

According to the latest survey by Consumer Reports, the cell phone industry is making slow progress addressing a number of issues including call quality, poor coverage, unsatisfactory customer service and contracts. The cellular industry notched a satisfaction score of 67 out of 100, up a point from last year and up two points from 2002, when Consumer Reports began surveying its subscribers. Read more
(December 17, 2007)

Canadian Cell Phone User Rings Up $85,000 Bill

According to a Reuters report, Canadian oil-field worker, Piotr Staniaszek, stunned to get a C$85,000 ($83,700) cell phone bill. The trouble stems from the new phone he received when he renewed his mobile phone contract. In return, he received a new cell phone. The new model allows him to connect with his computer and download data. Read more
(December 13, 2007)

Nokia Unveils Eco Phone Concept

Nokia has revealed a concept eco-mobile. The manufacture would make use of environmentally friendly materials such as plant-based plastics and recycled steel. Additionally, there would be no traditional battery charing required. As might be predicted, the Eco Sensor Project would make use of a solar panel, although it would be attached to a bracelet rather than to the phone itself. Read more
(December 12, 2007)

Study: More Than One In Eight Houselholds Have Only Cell Phones

A new federal study by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NHIS) indicates that more than one out of every eight American homes (13.6%) had only wireless telephones during the first half of 2007. Read more
(December 10, 2007)

FCC To Unlock Cell Phone User Access

According to a report by the Mercuy News, the Federal Communications Commission will begin auctioning off a coveted swath of airwaves ideal for offering new high-speed Internet services next month. Companies including Google, Verizon Wireless, AT&T and some promising start-ups have signaled or confirmed they will bid for chunks of the 700 megahertz spectrum that's expected to fetch at least $15 billion for the U.S. government. Read more
(December 10, 2007)

Nokia Introduces Feature Rich, Yet Classically Designed Nokia 6263

Designed for customers who want to have the latest features, but also appreciate a classic design, Nokia today announced the new Nokia 6263 phone, now available nationwide from T-Mobile USA, Inc. Read more
(December 7, 2007)

Sonim Tech Introduces the “Indestructible” Mobile Phone

Sonim Technologies has today launched its Sonim XP1 in Europe. Having been available in the US for a few months already, the "indestructible" IP-54 certified, mil-spec approved, bluetooth and Push-To-Talk enabled GSM phone finally makes its way to Europeans. Read more
(December 6, 2007)

Mobile Phones to Replace Paper Boarding Passes

According to a USA Today report, Continental Airlines says it will begin allowing customers to substitute paper boarding passes with a cell phone-based boarding pass system. For the next three months Continental will test the system out of the Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. It won't be the first, according the news report. Since September Air Canada has been using the system and allowing user to board aircrafts with their cell phone or PDA - sans a paper pass. Read more
(December 5, 2007)

AT&T to Quit Pay Phone Business

With an enormous percentage o the American public using mobile phones, AT&T Inc. announced today plans to exit the shrinking pay phone business by the end of 2008. To providers, pay phones are a pain to operate and maintain, subject to the elements, vandalism, and needing regular service and collection by way of a real life human being. Read more
(December 3, 2007)

NEC Develops Cell Phone That Translates Japanese On The Fly

Japanese electronics giant NEC has created a world-first real-time translator on a mobile phone, which can instantly turn Japanese travellers' words into English. When a traveler speaks Japanese into the cellphone, it displays the recognized words and then attempt to translate it into English, which is then displayed on the screen. Read more
(December 3, 2007)

Google Rolls Out Cell Phone Locator

Google on Wednesday released upgraded mapping software that figures out the general vicinity a mobile telephone is in based on which transmission tower it is using. Unlike the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) technology Google uses the exchange of signals between the phone and nearby mobile phone towers to estimate the phone's location. Read more
(November 29, 2007)

Verizon Wireless Plans to Open Its Cell Phone Network

Verizon Wireless subscribers will be able to use handsets and mobile applications from other companies by the end of next year, the #2 U.S. cell phone carriers announced on Tuesday in a major reversal of business strategy. For years in the U.S., consumers have been locked to networks, saddled with expensive two-year contracts, and restricted from doing things they would like to do with the products they buy. Read more
(November 28, 2007)

AT&T Launches LG Shine Multimedia Phone

AT&T and LG Electronics have released a new mobile phone in time for the holiday shopping season, the companies said Monday. The Shine by LG is a sliding form-factor device, offered exclusively through AT&T. Made and set in a full metal body and a sliding design the LG Shine can really catch your eyes. And aside from its great façade, this LG phone also comes filled with great capabilities. Read more
(November 27, 2007)

Campaign Against Cell Phone Addiction In Korea

Accoding to a report by the Korea Times, a civic group called School Beautiful Movement has launched a campaign to teach the youth proper cell phone use in South Korea.

South Korea has one of the world's most advanced cell phone systems and services. However, the wide use of the handsets has resulted in addiction, especially among teenagers, with cell phones dominating their daily lives. Read more
(November 26, 2007)

Verizon Wireless Unveils LG's Touch-Screen Cell Phone Models

According to a TMCNet report, Verizon Wireless' iPhone look-alikes, Voyager and Venus by LG Electronics, are debuting in stores this week in time for Thanksgiving, like the carrier had promised. Competition in the touch-screen cell phone market is bound to heat up in the U.S. with the introduction of the two new LG models with advanced features at a competitive price. Read more
(November 20, 2007)

AT&T, Samsung Launch Napster Phone

AT&T unveiled the SLM by Samsung, a lightweight clamshell cell phone that's designed for music and multimedia. The phone is AT&T's first to include Napster Mobile, a new service that allows subscribers to search a catalog of five million songs, preview snippets of songs, and download them wirelessly. Read more
(November 19, 2007)

Google Plans to Bid 4.6 Billion For US Spectrum Auction

Google is reportedly going ahead with plans to buy up the 700MHz spectrum at a Federal Communications Commission auction next year, according to a published report on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal said the company, which announced its Android mobile device software in late October, is planning to use some combination of its own cash and borrowings to fund the bid.
(November 16, 2007)

Disney Plans to Launch Mobile Phone Service in Japan

According to a Reuters report, Walt Disney Co. will begin mobile- phone services in Japan in spring next year using Softbank Corp.'s network, relying on the popularity of characters such as Mickey Mouse to win customers in the $81 billion market. Read more
(November 14, 2007)

Google Releases Android along with $10 Million Developer Contest

Last week the firm unveiled Android, the programming platform it hopes will soon find a home on a phone near you. According to an AP report, Google Inc. is offering $10 million in prizes for people who build the best software to enhance the company's upcoming cell phone operating system. Read more
(November 12, 2007)

Google Confirms Its Cell-Phone Plans

Confirming its long-rumored foray into the mobile market, Google said Monday it is developing a free cell phone software package so the Internet search leader can more easily peddle ads and services to people who aren't in front of a PC, reports the Associated Press.

Google won't be making the phones, nor does it plan to stamp its prized brand on the devices. Instead, it will work with four cell phone manufacturers who have agreed to use Google's programs in their handsets. Consumers will have to buy a new phone to get the Google software because the bundle wasn't made for existing handsets. Read more
(November 5, 2007)

WSJ: Google to Announce Cell Phone Within Weeks

The Wall Street Journal reported that Google plans a series of announcements over the next two weeks about Google mobile-phone software, which would bundle together most Google applications --search, maps, YouTube, instant-messaging--on a mobile platform.

The Google phone, sometimes called the gPhone in semi-mocking reference to the Apple iPhone, would not be an actual cell phone. Instead, it would be an operating system, possibly free, that would run on several different models of cell phone.
(October 31, 2007)

Nokia Widens Lead While Motorola Sales Plunge

According to market researcher iSuppli, Nokia is still outselling its competitors in the mobile-phone handset market by more than two to one, and the company's market share increased from the second quarter.

The analyst firm said that Samsung remains Nokia's closest competitor. Nokia, however, controls 39.5 percent share of the market, while Samsung shipped only 15.1 percent of those phones sold during the third quarter. Read more
(October 25, 2007)

AT&T To Offer Napster Music Downloads

AT&T Inc. is making Napster Inc.'s entire music catalog of more than 5 million songs available for wireless download starting early next month.

According to AP report, the service will expand the company's over-the-air download offerings beyond the independent music it offered through eMusic.com and allow it to compete with offerings from rivals Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. Read more
(Ocotber 22, 2007)

Western Union To Transfer Money Over Cell Pone

According to AP report, the Western Union is teaming up with cell phone service providers to develop a system that would allow consumers to transfer money from country to country via their mobile phones.

Western Union has successfully tested cell phone money-transfer services in a number of U.S. cities. It will work with the GSM Association, an international trade group of cell phone service providers, on commercial and technical issues to enable services to be offered internationally. Read more
(October 19, 2007)

Broadcom Introduces 3G Phone Chip

Communications chip maker Broadcom Corp. said it has developed a single-chip processor for 3G phones ahead of its rivals. Broadcom said the multifunction HSPA, or high-speed packet access, chip will allow mobile phone manufacturers to build sleek 3G phones with a long battery life at a fraction of the cost of the technologies they currently use. Read more
(October 15, 2008)

Speculation on Google's Gphone Continues.

The speculation on on Google Gphone continues. Lehman Brothers reported that we could see a Gphone by February 2008. However, Google has refused to confirm any plans for the GPhone

One speculation is that Google won't be making a physical mobile phone, but instead creating a Linux-based operating system and software which could theoretically work on a large number of mobile phones. Read more
(October 11, 2007)

AT&T Releases Windows Mobile-Based Tilt Smartphone

AT&T Wireless launched its first Windows Mobile 6.0-equipped smartphone, the AT&T Tilt, combining the features of a cellular phone, handheld computer, GPS navigator, and 3-megapixel digital camera into a single $299 device.

The smartphone has a slide-out Qwerty keypad and a 2.8-inch color screen that tilts up, making it more convenient to write e-mail, browse the Web, and play videos. Read more
(October 8, 2007)

Verizon Links Landline and Verizon Wireless Services

Facing competition from cellphone providers, cable companies, and online companies that now offer dial tones, Verizon Communications Inc. introduced a voice package that integrates cellphone and landline service.

Beginning October 1, customers within Verizon's landline service area can bundle home and wireless calling at prices starting at $59.99 a month. Read more
(October 2, 2007)

Nokia To Buy Navigation-Software Group Navteq

According to an AP report, Nokia Corp. announced Monday that it would buy U.S. navigation-software maker Navteq Corp. for around US$8.1 billion as part of its push to expand the range of services and content it offers.

Chicago-based Navteq is one of the world's leaders in electronic mapping, which enables in-vehicle navigation devices and a new generation of mobile-phone applications used for shopping, emergency services and advertising. Read more
(October 1, 2007)

Disney to End Cell Phone Service

The Walt Disney Company said it would stop operating its United States-based mobile phone service at the end of the year to reassess how it competes in a tough market for high-end cellphone services.

The service had been tailored to the communications needs of families and children, offering features designed to enable parents to stay in touch with their children and help youths learn to use cellphones responsibly. Read more
(September 28, 2007)

Palm Introduces the Centro

Palm announced the Centro, its first non-Treo PDA/cell phone hybrid based on the Palm OS.
The Centro phone will cost $99.99 and initially be available exclusively from Sprint Nextel starting in mid-October.

The smallest Palm smartphone yet, the Centro is a little black or red lozenge of 4.3 by 2.1 by 0.75 inches and 4.2 ounces, with a bright yet small 2.2-inch, 320-by-320 color screen, and a full keyboard of small, raised, close-together keys.
(September 27, 2007)

T-Mobile Introduces New Sidekicks

T-Mobile USA is updating its Sidekick cell phones, adding a high-end model Sidekick LX and the first Motorola-built Sidekick Slide with a screen that swivels to reveal a keyboard.

The LX, the new flagship Sidekick, is just about the same size as the existing Sidekick 3, at 5.1 by 2.36 by 0.86 inches, but it's considerably lighter at 5.7 ounces. It packs a WQVGA widescreen that T-Mobile says uses Sharp's Aquos hi-definition LCD technology. Readmore
(September 26, 2007)

Giorgio Armani and Samsung To Release Mobile Phones

Italian designer Giorgio Armani and South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. said they have sealed a long-term strategic partnership to develop a line of high-end electronic goods.

Unveiling the new luxury mobile phone manufactured by Samsung and designed by Armani, the two partners said the cellphone - which will retail at EUR650 starting November in major European countries - is just the first product under the new strategic alliance. Read more
(September 25, 2007)

Apple iPhone Sales Top a Million

Apple Inc. sold its millionth iPhone less than three months after the device's debut, allaying investor concerns that demand had slowed.

The benchmark sale occurred on Sunday, just 74 days after the device went on sale. Apple had said that it expected to hit the million-sold mark by the end of September. It took almost two years for Apple to sell a million iPods, the chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, said in a statement.
(September 11, 2007)

Apple Cuts iPhone Price

Apple slashed the price of its iPhone by a third yesterday as it unveiled several new iPod music players, hoping to boost sales for the holidays.

Apple cut the price of its iPhones by $200 after only two months, selling its more expensive and popular version for $399; a second model with less storage will be priced at $299 until supplies run out. The phone requires a two-year commitment with AT&T Wireless.
(September 6, 2007)

4 Billion Cell Phone Subscribers Worldwide

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) claims there were nearly four billion phone subscribers worldwide by the end of 2006. Largely because of the mobile phone boom in developing countries, telephone service has quadrupled in the past decade according to a report Tuesday from the UN telecommunications agency.

The increase has been especially strong in developing countries that have been able to provide cellular phone service to tens of millions of people much more cheaply than having to wire up homes and offices for fixed-line telephones.
(September 5, 2007)

iPhone is July's Biggest-Selling Smartphone

Apple’s new iPhone outsold all other smartphones on the U.S. market for the month of July, according to a new study published by market research firm iSuppli. Sales of the iPhone accounted for 1.8 percent of all cellphone sales for July, according to the report.

iSuppli claims that 52 percent of those purchasing the iPhone in July were male, 62 percent held college degrees and 57 percent were 35 years old or older. One quarter of those new iPhone buyer switched to AT&T Wireless from another cell phone carrier, according to the report.
(September 4, 2007)

AT&T Introduces Mobile Parental Controls

AT&T Inc. launched an online service that enables parents to manage their children's use of wireless devices by limiting their talk time, messages and credit for downloads, such as ringtones and games.

With AT&T Smart Limits for Wireless, parents can go onto the Internet at any time to also filter access to inappropriate mobile Web sites, set the time of day the device is used and designate numbers that can be called or received, spokeswoman Dawn Benton said. One of its features lets parents allocate minutes among users of shared wireless plans. Read more
(September 4, 2007)

AT&T Laywers Start To Act on iPhone Unlocking Software

Several groups have now said that they have software ready that robustly unlocks the Apple iPhone and enables users to use the iPhone on other carriers. One of these groups has apparently got a call from AT&T lawyers reports Engadget. AT&T is going after the mercenary group trying to profit from the iPhone unlocking.
(August 28, 2007)

Nokia, Samsung Gain Cell Phone Market Share

Nokia and Samsung Electronics increased their share of the mobile phone market in the second quarter, putting a squeeze on Motorola as market researcher Gartner reported an overall increase of cell phone deliveries. Read more
(August 24, 2007)

Apple Reportedly Signs iPhone Deals for Europe

According to a Financial Times report, Apple Inc. has signed its first deals with mobile phone operators to offer its iPhone in three of Europe's largest markets. Germany's T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH, France's Orange SA and Britain's O2 (UK) Ltd. are reported to have signed exclusive deals to sell the iPhone in their respective markets.The operators have agreed to give Apple 10 percent of the revenue they generate from the sale of voice and data services for the device, according to the report, which cited unnamed sources.
(August 22, 2007)

Websites Let You Swap Your Cell Phone Contract

According to a Baltimore Sun report, online companies have since launched to match buyers and sellers of cell phone contracts. Celltradeusa.com and Cellswapper.com are the two major players in this fledgling industry. Both charge about $20 to the consumer unloading a contract once one or more prospects are found. Read more
(August 20, 2007)

AT&T Unveils Trax Phone by LG

AT&T has launched the new LG trax music phone, offering a thin clamshell design with high-speed HSDPA data access the companies hope will make tapping into mobile content and data service offerings all that more tempting—and practical.

"The trax by LG is more than a music phone," said Carlton Hill, AT&T wireless unit's product management VP, in a statement. "With top-notch video and data capabilities, in addition to a sleek design, this device will hit the right note with many of our customers." Read more
(August 13, 2007)

Cell Phone Import Ban Against Qualcomm Upheld

According to Union Tribune report, Bush administration will not overturn a ban on the import of new cell phone models that contain Qualcomm chips found to infringe upon a patent from rival Broadcom. In allowing the ban to stand, U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab said Monday afternoon that the effects on companies, innovation and public safety were not compelling enough for her to veto the ban.

In June, the U.S. International Trade Commission banned the importation of all new phone models that use Qualcomm chips as punishment for the company's infringing on a patent held by rival Broadcom that helps conserve battery power.
(August, 7, 2007)

Nokia, Microsoft Team on DRM

Nokia has licensed MicrosoftЎЇs PlayReady digital rights management (DRM) technology for use in its S60 and Series 40 mobile device platforms in a bid to expand the use of wireless content worldwide. Microsoft's technology lets users of Nokia cell phones share protected pieces of content?like music, games or videos?between phones, PCs, and other devices.

PlayReady is a new content access technology from Microsoft that makes it easier for content owners and service providers to deliver virtually any type of digital content. The system enables more flexible business models for rights owners, and allows consumers to share their content between wireless devices and PCs. For example, a consumer could purchase content directly from their Nokia device and then transfer it for viewing on a PC or on another mobile device.
(August 6, 2007)

Google Bets On Mobile Market

According to The Wall Street Journal , Google Inc. has approached wireless phone operators and handset makers as it looks for a piece of the market for advertisements on cell phones.

The company, which has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its cell phone project, has approached several wireless operators in the U.S. and Europe in recent months, the Journal reported.

Google has also developed prototype handsets and talked over technical specifications with manufacturers. LG Electronics is one of the manufacturers to have held talks with Google, the paper said.
(August 1, 2007)

Google Wins Partial Victory In FCC Ruling

The Federal Communications Commission moved cautiously Tuesday toward the creation of a new open national wireless broadband network, handing a partial victory to Google, which was pushing for more competition in cellphone services. Read more
(July 31, 2007)

Japan's KDDI to Offer Google-Based PC, Phone E-Mail

According to IDG News Service, Japan's number two cell phone carrier KDDI will launch an e-mail service based on Google's Gmail in September. A sample version of the interface shown Monday revealed that the new service will look almost identical to Gmail but with the carrier's logo at the top.

The new service will launch just over a year after Google and KDDI began working together.
(July 30, 2007)

Study Calls Cell Phone Towers Safe

A British study has cast doubt on whether cell phone towers can make people sick. The study has revealed that the theory that exposure to signals from mobile phone towers cause people to fall ill may be unfounded, for there is no evidence to prove the same. Read more
(JUly 27, 2007)

Motorola To Develop Mobile Phone With Display Projector

Motorola has signed an agreement that could lead to a device that can be built into a phone that projects a larger virtual screen than can fit in a pocket-size unit. It will be working with Microvision on this company's ultra-miniature laser-based display engine, called PicoP.

The two hope to eventually give users the ability to project content from a mobile device onto a wall, object, or even a curved surface. This will allow people to more easily share presentations, web sites, images, or videos with friends or business colleagues.
(July 26, 2007)

FCC Skeptical Over Google's Spectrum Bid

U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has expressed doubts over Google's plan to bid on wireless spectrum at an upcoming auction, according to a Bloomberg report.

Last week, Google sent an open letter to the FCC pledging to spend a minimum of $4.6 billion at the auction, if the agency agreed to require the winning bidder to operate the spectrum on a wholesale basis.
(JUly 25, 2007)

AT&T Video Share Expands Nationwide

AT&T launched its new Video Share product in 160 markets on Monday. The new service allows cellphone users to share live one-way video and two-way audio with each other. Both participants in the conversation must have the service.

AT&T Video Share enables one-way live streaming-video feeds that can be seen by both parties while they are participating in a two-way voice conversation. Once the parties have initiated a Video Share call, either one can be the one generating the video stream for the other to see. Read more
(July 24, 2007)

Cell Phone Providers Profiting From Old Tax

According to AP report, a decade-old telephone tax intended to help bring affordable service to rural areas has instead turned into a bottomless and politically protected well of cash for cell phone companies that do big business in rural America.

The Universal Service Fund has collected $44 billion over its 10-year lifetime from a surcharge on the phone bills of nearly every American. Payments have gone from $131 million in 2003 to an expected $1.1 billion this year, an Associated Press analysis shows.

The report says regulators and lawmakers long have viewed the fund as flawed. But efforts to change it have been derailed repeatedly by companies that benefit from the largesse and by supporters in Congress.
(July 23, 2007)

Verizon, Broadcom Make Licensing Pact

Stepping out of a raging dispute between two Southern California chip makers, Verizon Wireless said Thursday it would pay licensing fees to Broadcom Corp. to avoid a ban on importing new mobile phones.

Broadcom will receive $6 per handset ? up to $200 million over the life of the agreement, the companies said. The agreement will give Verizon Wireless the right to use a patent found to have been infringed by Qualcomm.
(July 20, 2007)

RIM Launches Dual-Mode Cellular, Wi-Fi BlackBerry

Research In Motion announced a new BlackBerry model Tuesday that will provide wireless voice and data access over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks. The BlackBerry 8820 is the first dual-mode BlackBerry handset, combining EDGE/GPRS/GSM cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity for data access and voice support through UMA (unlicensed mobile access) for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service offerings from various wireless carriers around the world. Read more
(July 19, 2007)

EU Backs Nokia's DVB-H As Mobile TV Standard

The European Commission endorsed Nokia's standard for TV broadcasts to cell phones, saying Europe needed one common standard for mobile TV and it would look at ways to mandate its use. Read more
(July 18, 2007)

AT&T Unity Plan Allows More Free Minutes

AT&T Inc. announced that the AT&T Unity(SM) Plan -- the premier wireless-wireline converged calling plan -- is going to the next level. Now with the addition of wireless Rollover(TM) Minutes and fewer requirements, the plan allows more consumers and small businesses to join free calling community. Read more
(July 16, 2007)

Samsung Introduces SGH-L760 Mobile Video Blogging Phone

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has introduced SGH-L760, a new 3G mobile phone which allows users to maintain their blogs without accessing a PC, wherein they can update content and photos to their blogs anywhere in a simplified manner by uploading contents as in the form of title, description and tag. This would help users keep their blogs up-to-date, especially while traveling. Read more
(July 12, 2007)

Skype Available on Nokia N800 Internet Tablet

Nokia announced that it would add eBay Inc.'s Skype Internet telephony service to a new smart phone. The N800 tablet handset will allow owners to make calls using Skype whenever connected to the Internet via a public Wi-Fi hotspot. Along with Skype, the new phone uses the open-source Linux operating system instead of Windows Mobile and supports up to 8 Gigabytes of storage.
(July 11, 2007)

Nano-based iPhone May Be In Works

According to Reuters report, JP Morgan analyst Kevin Chang issued a report saying Apple will convert the iPod Nano into a mobile phone, likely in the fourth quarter of this year. Chang, who quotes unnamed supply chain sources, as well as a patent Apple recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, believes "iPod Nano will be converted into a phone because it's probably the only way for Apple to launch a lower end phone without severely cannibalizing iPod Nano." Chang suspects the phone will go for a maximum of $300 and will have "rather limited functionality" compared to the more expensive iPhone. The phone would also be likely to be available globally much more quickly than the iPhone, according to Chang.
(July 10, 2007)

Motorola and Nokia Says Faulty Phone Batteries Are Fakes

Mobile phone batteries that exploded in flames during tests by officials in southern China were counterfeit, spokeswomen for Nokia and Motorola said Saturday.

According to an Associated Press report, Motorola spokeswoman Mary Lamb said that Motorola immediately sent a team to Guangdong province and found that the tests were legitimate, but that the three batteries labeled Motorola were counterfeit. Read more
(June 9, 2007)

Verizon, Dooney & Bourke unveil mobile wristlet case

Verizon Wireless and international fashion brand, Dooney & Bourke introduced a new mobile phone carrying case. Both fashionable and functional, the Dooney & Bourke Limited Edition Mobile Phone Wristlet fits most of today's slim, compact mobile phones like the Chocolate by LG.

Cut from Dooney & Bourke's multi-colored signature white "It" fabric, this elegantly designed case offers stylish service and protection for your cell phone. Beginning July 9, the Dooney & Bourke Limited Edition Mobile Phone Wristlet will be available for $49.99.
(July 6, 2007)

Chinese Killed in Cell Phone Battery Blast

A China man was killed when a mobile phone battery exploded in his chest pocket, Chinese media said Wednesday. The official Xinhua News Agency said that welder, Xiao Jinpeng, died on June 19 while working at the Yingpan Iron Ore Dressing Plant in Gansu's Jinta county. Read more
(July 5, 2007)

LG Takes YouTube To Cell Phones

South Korea's LG Electronics said it has signed an agrement with YouTube, the world's biggest video-sharing website, to develop a mobile phone which can operate the service.

The service will allow users to shoot video on their handsets and send it directly to the popular online video site, LG said in a statement. The first phones with the ability to do this will be available worldwide "at the end of the year."
(July 3, 2007)

Verizon Wireless Launches Mobile E-Mail On Get It Now

Verizon Wireless customers can now get their e-mail on-the-go and stay connected to family and friends with the company's new Mobile E-mail application on select Get It Now(R)-enabled phones. Mobile E-mail provides Verizon Wireless customers with access to the popular e-mail services, including Yahoo!(R) Mail, AOL(R) Mail, AIM(R) Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, Verizon.net accounts and more on their mobile phones. Read more
(July 2, 2007)

Motorola MOTO Z8 Media Phone Launched In Europe

Motorola launched MOTO Z8 kick-slider handset in Spain, with other parts of Europe and Asia to follow. The Z8, offering mobile TV1, video and music from one unique device, is available through Telefonica via Movistar. Read more
(June 30, 2007)

HIgh Anticipation for iPhones

Apple Inc.'s much-hyped new iPhone hits store shelves 6 pm today in a consumer spectacle that has whipped gadget fans into a frenzy over a device that challenges business as usual in the mobile phone industry.

According to AP, by early evening Thursday, short lines of eager customers were camped out at Apple and AT&T stores across the nation. At Apple's flagship store in New York City, the trickle of customers that began queuing up since Monday grew to about 50 people late Thursday, ready to brave yet another rainy night on the pavement of Fifth Avenue, outside the only 24-hour Apple store.
(June 29, 2007)

Samsung SGH-t409 Provides Support to T-Mobile Hotspot @Home

Samsung today announced the availability of SGH-T409, one of the first mobile phones to support T-Mobile HotSpot @Home.

Exclusive to T-Mobile, the T409 is a flip phone with a host of features, including Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth wireless technology, a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera with digital zoom and picture and ringer caller ID. Available in a sky blue color, the t409 seamlessly makes and receives calls over a home Wi-Fi network with T-Mobile HotSpot @Home. Read more
(June 28, 2007)

Visa, Wells Fargo to Test Mobile Payment

Mobile payments and banking are now moving into the United States through some big names, but the speedy checkout system is slow to put in place. As part of a pilot program, up to 50 Wells Fargo employees soon will begin paying for some products and services with specially equipped phones instead of credit and debit cards. Read more
(June 28, 2007)

T-Mobile USA Launches Wi-Fi Calling Service

T-Mobile USA launched a new service that enables customers to make phone calls on their cell phone over home wireless networks and Wi-Fi hotspots, using the Internet to make those calls much more cheaply.

The service would improve indoor coverage by automatically swapping calls from the cellular network to run over Wi-Fi, a radio technology found in most laptop computers and an increasing number of cell phones. Read more
(June 27, 2007)

Survey: One-Third of Mobile Phone Owners Wouldn't Give Up Their Phones for $2 Million

According to a recent Mobile Life survey of 24 British cell phone users, one-third of respondents would rather give up alcohol, chocolate, sex, tea or coffee than live without their mobile phone for a month. and 16 percent said that price was no object when it came to keeping their beloved electronic companion.

One in three people would not give up their mobile phone for a 'million pounds or more', and women lead the way of those most likely to refuse. The results form part of the Mobile Life 2007 report produced by Carphone Warehouse in conjunction with the London School of Economics.
(June 26, 2007)

Apple, AT&T Unveil Service Plans for iPhone

AT&T Inc. and Apple Inc. on Tuesday announced wireless service for the iPhone will range from $59.99 per month to $99.99 per month. All three plans include unlimited data, Visual Voicemail, 200 SMS text messages, roll-over minutes and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling. With everything else already included, iPhone customers can choose the plan that's right for them based on the amount of voice minutes they plan to use each month. In addition, iPhone customers can choose from any of AT&T's standard service plans. Read more
(June 26, 2007)

Nokia Eseries Available in U.S.

Nokia today announced the availability of Nokia Eseries business devices in the U.S., including the Nokia E61i and Nokia E65.

Designed to mobilize the most-used business applications and processes, Nokia Eseries business devices offer advanced voice features with superior voice quality, business email with attachment handling, and manageability with business-class device security to the most demanding business users. Read more
(June 25, 2007)

Apple's iPhone Top Choice To Buy, Survey Shows

Apple Inc.'s iPhone was a top choice in a survey of people who plan to buy an advanced mobile phone in the next three months, a sign the new device may take market share from rivals. Conducted in April, the study shows that just over a quarter of all potential buyers in the consumer field are set on buying the Apple phone when it launches this mont. Read more
(June 23, 2007)

iPhone May Lead A Sea Change For The Industry

According to AP report, analysts think the iPhone may also change the landscape of the consumer electronics industry, by ushering in a new era of mobile convergence that is as geared toward soccer moms as it is toward the business executives. They believe it could make a difference in the way products are designed, analysts said, testing consumer demand for a premium media-centric and Web-centric gadget.

And since Apple had so much control over the design and function of the device, the iPhone's performance might give handset makers more power over designs that make it into the hands of American users.
(June 22, 2007)

Verizon to Offer Mobile Payments with Obopay

Verizon Wireless announced that its subscribers will soon have the option to pay for products and services using Obopay. Verizon Wireless says this will make it the first major U.S. wireless carrier to offer mobile payment.

The Obopay service works as a BREW application, which will be available as a download from the Verizon Wireless Get It Now store. Using the application, subscribers will be able to receive, send, and spend money instantly. If you need access to your mobile money, then the service provides an Obopay prepaid Mastercard. That way if someone sends you money you will have instant access to it whether through an ATM or at a retail outlet.
(June 21, 2007)

Levi's Introduces Cell Phone

In tune with its young consumers, the Levi's brand is adding a fashionable, steel mobile phone to its range of lifestyle accessories. The Levi's phone embraces mobile technology and enables young people to connect, enjoy music, exchange images and videos whilst on the go. Read more

Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0 To Launch On Friday

Yahoo Inc. anounced it would introduce later this week a faster, enhanced version of its Internet services for U.S. mobile phone users, while expanding into key markets in Asia, Canada and Europe.

The enhanced version lets users download Yahoo Mail, organize e-mail into folders or read file attachments. Users can search the Web on their phones for locally relevant answers or zoom in on maps with current local U.S. traffic conditions. They can check numbers in their Yahoo Address Book.
(June 20, 2007)

AT&T Launches Wireless Video Share Service

AT&T Inc. launched what it said is the first service letting callers share live video between cell phones.

Video Share allows users to have the ability to show others exactly what they see, when they're seeing it, and to share that experience across town or across the country. Read more
(June 19, 2007)

Europeans Get Approval For In-flight Mobile Calls

According to Dow Jones report, the European Aviation Safety Authority has given clearance for the use of GSM equipment in airlines, meaning airline passengers in Europe will be able to use mobile phones and Blackberry devices during flights for the first time. Read more
(June 19, 2007)

Touch Screens & Move Sensors On Mobiles "The Next Big Thing"

According to Reuters, optical sensors and touch screens are the leading technologies that cell phone makers are likely to use as improvements to the tiny keypads on many of today's handsets.

Touch screens enable cell phone makers to hide numeric keypads, while optical sensors pick up movement of the phone. For example, shaking a phone could initiate a call to your loved one, or turning it around would open an Internet connection.
(June 18, 2007)

Bell Service Links WiFi, and Cell Phones

A new service that improves reception for cell phone users is being launched by Cincinnati Bell Inc.

The "CB Home Run" service gives subscribers a handset that connects the GSM mobile phone network with the wireless Internet (wi-fi) network, Bell said in a news release. The wi-fi network provides better reception and clarity in areas where cell phones normally have problems, like basements and elevators, the company said. Read more
(June 18, 2007)

Nokia Introduces 3 New Mid-Range Handsets

Nokia Corp. unveiled three new models designed for the mid-range market during its annual Nokia Connection event in Singapore: Nokia 6267, Nokia 3500 classic and Nokia 6121 classic. These new mobile phones are expected to begin shipping in the third quarter 2007. Read more
(June 18, 2007)

Mobile Phone Charger Powered By Wind

Bristol-based Orange UK is showing its Orange Mobile Wind Charger, a new phone charger that is powered by wind energy. The portable phone charger is the recent result of research done with Shashank Priya, a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. Orange UK lauds it as the solution for summer music festival attendees and campers who live in tents for days at a time.

While much research still needs to be done before the product is considered commercial, a fully functional model will be demonstrated at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, which spans 900 acres and draws in crowds as large as 175,000. The turbine is small enough to fit in a backpack and mounts on top of tents.
(June 16, 2007)

Wafer-Thin Cameras Coming To Cell Phones

A new "wafer-thin" camera for mobile phones has been shown off by Tessera Technologies. Tessera's OptiML WLC technology makes it possible for cameras to be manufactured at the wafer level, drastically reducing the size and total bill of material cost of camera modules.

Tessera's solution is designed to overcome the cost, size and manufacturing roadblocks facing the industry as cameras become pervasive in mobile phones and other electronics. Using OptiML WLC technology, thousands of lenses are manufactured simultaneously on a wafer, and then bonded at the wafer level to create the optical element of the camera. This new process can simplify assembly, saving up to 30% for the optical component of the camera module. Wafer technology also reduces the size of the camera up to 50% in conventional camera modules in cameraphones today.
(June 15, 2007)

Surveys Show Massive iPhone Demand

According to The Wall Street Journal, two new consumer surveys show that "AT&T Inc. stands a good chance of stealing customers away from other wireless operators by carrying Apple Inc.'s highly-anticipated iPhone . "Two-thirds of mobile-phone users who are interested in purchasing the iPhone aren't AT&T customers but would be willing to switch carriers to obtain the device, according to a survey in May of about 11,000 cellphone users by M:Metrics Inc., which tracks wireless industry trends."

The Journal reports "The carrier with the most to be concerned about is T-Mobile USA, according to the survey, with 12.5% of its customers expressing a high interest in the phone; followed by 8.1% for Sprint Nextel Corp.; and 6.7% for Verizon Wireless. Read more
(June 15, 2007)

Sony Ericsson Announces K850 5 Megapixel Camera Phone

Sony Ericsson has unveiled 5 megapixel camera phone: Cyber-shot K850. The new GSM handset includes a 5 megapixel sensor and a lens with auto focus and an accompanying Xenon flash. The new handset also includes quad-band GSM and a tri-band HSDPA radio and will be available in the US in the fall.

The screen of the K850 is a 2.2-inch model with QVGA (240 by 320) resolution that auto-rotates to the right orientation, depending on how you hold the phone. Read more
(June 14, 2007)

British Omnifone Launches Music Download Service For Cell Phones

According to Reuters report, the UK-based Omniphone has announced the launch of a new service called MusicStation. The new music service will allow consumers to directly download an unlimited number of tracks to their cell phones for a small weekly fee from wherever they are.

Omnifone said it had signed content deals with the four biggest music groups in the industry and had agreements with 30 mobile operators in a bid to steal the thunder of the much-hyped iPhone made by iPod maker Apple. The service will launch first in Sweden on June 14 with Scandinavian operator Telenor.
(June 14, 2007)

9GB Walkman Phone Coming Soon

IDG news reports that Sony Ericsson is releasing six new phones, including a high-end Walkman-branded handset with around 9GB of internal Flash memory.

The music-centric Walkman will more than double the internal memory of previous models and feature a newly designed media player and large-touch display for easy navigating. But unlike Apple Inc.'s planned iPhone, the new Walkman will include a keyboard.
(June 14, 2007)

Nokia N77 Multimedia Computer Phone Starts Shipping

Nokia is launching its much-awaited N77 multimedia computer phone that lets the user watch live TV on phone starting in Finland.

The phone has a wide 2.4-inch flat screen and high quality stereo sound and looks stylish with complete Nokia Nseries functionalities.

The phone is based on DVB-H technology that lets users to tune into TV channels on the device. The best feature of the phone is its capacity to remember the last channel viewed. Viewers can also set reminders to alert when a programme is starting and access it at the push of a button.
(June 13, 2007)

Sony Denies Imminent PSP Phone

Sony Ericsson has moved to quell rumours that it is about to launch a mobile device that combines gaming and phone functionalities.

Sony told Reuters that it is not poised to launch a phone based on the PSP, but did not rule out the possibility of such a device in the future.
(June 13, 2007)

Motorola May Lose No. 2 Spot In Cell Phone Maker

Motorola may be poised to lose its status as the world's No. 2 mobile phone maker, ceding the spot to rival Samsung Electronics, analysts, quoted by an Associated Press report said. A series of miscues in its handset division has sent Motorola's market share tumbling to 15.3% in the second quarter, down from a high of 22% last year, according to forecasts by CIBC World Markets analyst Ittai Kidron, which were quoted by the report.

Meanwhile, South Korea-based Samsung, which has seen its market share climb to 14.5%, is a close third.
(June 12, 2007)

Linux Wireless Phone Standards Published

The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum announced the publication of its first mobile phone specifications, in order to encourage more application development for Linux phones.

The specifications include a reference model, address book, voice call enabler, text input programming interfaces and user interface services such as widget sets, and they will be posted on the LiPS website.

The forum, which was launched in late 2005, is working to standardise a layer of software in Linux phones. The aim is to make it easier for developers to create a mobile application that can operate across different phones.
(June 11, 2007)

Qualcomm Chip Ban Hits Wireless Industry

According to AP report, federal agency's decision to ban U.S. imports of new cell phones made with Qualcomm semiconductors could slow the introduction of new handsets and lead to higher prices for cell phone users.

The U.S. International Trade Commission said Thursday it was banning the phones because the Qualcomm chips violate a patent held by Broadcom Corp.
The import ban would not apply to mobile phone models that already are being imported, just to future models. But because mobile phone models are updated rapidly, the exception for current models could last only a limited time.

If the ban on imports goes on too long, wireless companies such as Verizon and Sprint ?which rely almost exclusively on Qualcomm chips ?and manufacturers such as Samsung and Motorola will look to other suppliers.
(June 9, 2007)

Chinese Firm Claims World's 1st Solar Cell Phone

A Chinese company has claimed to have developed the world's first mobile phone that uses solar energy to recharge itself, providing 40 minutes of talk-time after sitting in the sun for an hour.

Hi-Tech Wealth, telecommunication products supplier in China, claims its mobile phone is the world's first to use solar power to recharge its battery. The company says a scale-like solar panel on the top side of the clamshell-designed phone can also be recharged by light from other sources including candles.
(June 8, 2008)

Sprint Unveils GPS Shopping

Sprint Nextel announced a new service letting consumers find shops via GPS-equipped cell phones. The new service, which was developed by GPShopper and is called Slifter, providers shoppers the nearest location of stores selling products.

Sprint plans to charge subscribers $1.99 per month for subscribers with a data plan. The service is just the latest location-based application offered by Sprint. Read more
(June 7, 2007)

The Coca-Cola Company Is Creating A Mobile Community

The Coca-Cola Company is creating a virtual teenager hangout similar to MySpace and Facebook on cell phones, to lure more youngsters to its fizzy drinks.

The Coca-Cola's "Sprite Yard" is a real-time digital "on-the-go" community that will provide social connections and downloadable content via their mobile phone anytime, anywhere. This mobile marketing launched in China on June 1, and will go live in the US later this month. Read more.
(June 6, 2007)

Apple Patents Software To Reduce Dropped Calls

According to Dow Jones report, Apple has won a patent for a cell phone "accessory detector" that helps battle dropped calls. The accessory detector has two functions. It supposedly ensures that the various different radios on cell phones don't interfere with each other.

In addition, it also supposedly ensures that devices attached to phones also don't cause any interference or dropped calls.
(June 6, 2007)

Amp'd Mobile Files Chapter 11

AP reports that start-up wireless carrier Amp'd Mobile Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after it ran out of cash and failed to raise additional funding in time to meet debt payments.

Amp'd Mobile, which counts MTV Networks and Universal Music Group among its investors, has marketed its phone and mobile-entertainment services to young, hip consumers by sponsoring motocross, surfing and other action-sports competitions. Amp’d Mobile Inc. blamed its rapid growth, back-office systems and collection problems as the reasons for its need to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and said that nearly half of its youthful customer base were not paying their bills by early 2007, according to the company’s bankruptcy filings.
(June 6, 2007)

HTC Launches Microsoft-based iPhone Rival

Taiwanese handset maker HTC today announced the HTC Touch, a new GSM Windows Mobile smart phone that--like Apple's soon-to-be-released iPhone--depends heavily on the fingertip as an input device. But U.S. shoppers will have to wait to buy the HTC Touch: In announcing the handset's United Kingdom availability today, company officials said it would be available later this month in Asia and the rest of Europe, but won't appear in the U.S. until "later this year".
(June 5, 2007)

Apple to Launch IPhone on June 29

According to Reuters report, Apple Inc.'s highly anticipated iPhone will be avialable on June 29. Apple announced the date on Sunday, with three television commercials showing off the phone's large touchscreen and ability to watch video, play music and display photos. The ads can also be seen on the company's Web site.

The iPhone will cost $500 or $600, depending on the amount of memory included. AT&T has exclusive iPhone rights for two years. Read more.
(June 4, 2007)

Verizon Wireless Introduces G’zOne Type-S Rugged Phone

The Verizon Wireless launched G'zOne Type-S Rugged Phone. The second phone from Verizon Wireless that is built to provide reliable performance for customers with outdoor lifestyles, the G'zOne Type-S is exclusively available through Verizon Wireless. Like the original rugged clamshell, the Type-S meets the 810F military spec for humidity, shock, dust and water resistance.

The Verizon Wireless G'zOne Type-S will be available June 1, and should retail for $150 with a two-year service contract, which happens to be $50 more than the G'zOne Type-V.
(June 2, 2007)

Prince Single Free to Cell Phone Listeners

Verizon Wireless is giving away digital copies of Prince's latest single. The carrier announced that it would be exclusively offering Prince's new single "Guitar" through its VCast service. And subscribers will be able to download the song, which will appear on Prince's upcoming album Planet Earth, for free.
(June 1, 2007)

FCC to Force Cell Phone Technology Improvements

Reuters reports that the Federal Communications Commission voted to move toward toughening wireless standards to help police and firefighters more accurately locate cellular telephone callers in an emergency.

People who call 911 from a wired telephone can be traced to a specific address. That's not the case with cell phones. Locating callers can become a matter of life or death if the caller doesn't know his or her location, or is unable to speak for some reason. Read more.
(June 1, 2007)

Nokia Launches Luxury Luna Cell Phone

Nokia unveiled the Nokia 8600 Luna, a slider luxury phone with a shell made of smoked glass. The Luna has been crafted to offer uniqueness and prestige to users by the use of chrome, stainless steel, titanium along with glass. A gentle keypad illumination pulsates from beneath the glass case while the phone awaits a call. When a call does beckon, the signature slide movement is carefully balanced to smoothly raise the ergonomic keypad from within its glass cocoon. Read more.
(May 31, 2007)

Cell Phone Market To Grow 16 % in 2007

According to Reuters, continuing strong demand for new cell phones in Asia and Africa is set to lift 2007 global handset sales to 1.15 billion phones, a 16 percent rise from last year, researchers at Gartner said .

That compares with an average market growth forecast of below 10 percent in a Reuters poll of analysts late last month after major handset makers reported January-March earnings.
(May 31, 2007)

J.D. Power Reports: Wireless Customers are Keeping Their Mobile Phones Longer

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study(SM), the average reported length of time a customer owns their cell phone has increased by 5 percent since fall 2006,

The study finds that customers are keeping their mobile handsets for an average of 17.5 months -- an increase from 16.6 months since the last reporting period (November 2006). This marks the first increase in the reported ownership cycle since 2002, when the average was 18.4 months. The increase in ownership tenure is roughly equal across major handset brands.
(May 30, 2007)

Shoot & Share: The Power of Camera Phones

Due to their convenience and instant display, camera phones have had a massive impact in our culture. The sounds of gunfire on the Virginia Tech campus; the taunts from Saddam Hussein's execution; and the racist tirade of comedian Michael Richards are just a few recent examples of powerful videos shot with cell phone cameras and seen by millions.

According to AP report, currently, 41 percent of American households own a camera phone and you can hardly find a phone without a camera anymore. Read more
(May 28, 2007)

AT&T Wireless Stores to Serve as Cell Phone Recycling Drop-Off Locations

AT&T Inc. announced today that all AT&T owned wireless store locations nationwide will become wireless phone recycling drop-off sites for a charitable program that benefits U.S. military families. The new recycling program, which was started by two teenagers, was announced just days before Memorial Day and will be available in all company owned stores across the U.S. by Independence Day.

Cell Phones for Soldiers (http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/) was established by two Norwell, Mass., teenagers to help buy prepaid phone cards for U.S. military members who
are serving overseas. The teens, Brittany Bergquist, 16, and Robbie Bergquist, 15, created a nonprofit organization that collects and recycles used wireless phones. With proceeds from the recycling, the organization then purchases prepaid phone cards for military families.
(May 24, 2007)

Briton Makes Phone Call from Summit of Mt. Everest

According to an AFP report, a British man has set a world record by making the first mobile telephone call from the summit of Mount Everest. Using a Motorola MOTO Z8 phone from 29,035 feet, he first called a special voice-mail account and then made a second call to his wife and family, a spokeswoman for Motorola Inc. said. He also sent a text message to a Motorola employee.

His achievement was made possible by China Telecom, which has set up a mobile phone tower at base camp on the north side of the mountain. Read more.
(May 23, 2007)

New Cell Phone Widget Finds Cheapest Gas Station

A free service unveiled by start-up Mobio Networks allows users of some 50 supported cell phone models to use mobile Web services to locate the lowest local gasoline prices.

The company said the Cheap Gas widget, or mini-application, is now included in its free GetMobio downloadable suite of 50 applications and widgets, bringing a wide range of services to cell phone mobile Web users. Read more.
(May 22, 2007)

Text Messaging Racks Up A Huge Phone Bill

Text messaging is regarded as one of the current teen generation's inexplicable behaviors. Teenagers are texting furiously for years.Texting is unique because it is a quick and easy form of communication. Billions of text messages are sent every day.

According to a Washington Post report, teenagers' incessant text-messaging habits are blowing their budget with a huge phone bill on the family's wireless plan. Read more.
(May 21, 2007)

Motorola launches MOTO Z8 Multimedia Phone

Motorola announced the debut of the MOTO Z8, featuring crystal clear video capture and playback at 30 frames per second and up to 32GB of expandable memory. The unique ergonomic slider design glides open and kicks out for a perfect fit-to-face curved profile.

The MOTO Z8 is expected to hit shelves in Europe and Asia in June. It will enable entertainment fans to get mobile TV, video and music all on one device. As an added bonus, a 512MB memory card will be included in-box pre-loaded with a full-length feature film ?“The Bourne Identity??from Universal Pictures
(May 18, 2007)

FCC Approved the iPhone for Sale in US.

According to the Reuters report, FCC approved Apple Inc.'s iPhone for sale in the United States on Thursday paving the way for the much anticipated device to be sold by the wireless unit of AT&T in late June.

The FCC documents confirm that the phone is a dual-band GSM phone, with support for 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. It also has Bluetooth and 802.11g Wi-Fi. They also show that the phone's compliance label will be laser etched on the phone's aluminum backing.
(May 17, 2007)

Motorola Unveils Razr 2

Motorola unveiled the Razr 2 was as the centrepiece to a new phone lineup. The Razr 2 is a follow-up to the original Razr, introduced in 2004. Motorola said it would sell its 100 millionth Razr phone in a few weeks.

The new version is thinner than the original, has a second screen on the outside, and has more memory and an improved user interface. It is also made of sturdy stainless steel and chemically hardened glass. Read more.
(May 16, 2007)

Sprint Nextel To Offer ABC, Disney Shows On Mobile

Sprint Nextel Corp. and Disney-ABC Television Group have formed a partnership to offer ABC and Disney television programs on Sprint's mobile phones.

Sprint Nextel will offer programs from ABC Entertainment, ABC News and the Disney Channel. The content is available in two forms: on demand and via three "linear" mobile channels, which stream continuous scheduled programming throughout the day. Read more.
(May 15, 2007)

Households Increasingly Have Only Wireless Phones

The number of adults who use a cell phone instead of a landline telephone at home has more than tripled in the last four years, CDD's survey showed.

During the last 6 months of 2006, more than 3 out of every 20 American homes (15.8%) did not have a landline telephone. Of those homes without a landline telephone, most had at least one working wireless telephone. Preliminary results from NHIS suggest that more than one out of every eight American homes (at least 12.8%) had only wireless telephones during the second half of 2006. Read more.
(May 14, 2007)

Helio Launches Dual Slide Phone

Los Angeles-based mobile service provider Helio announced the long-anticipated availability of its Ocean phone. The Ocean is a dual-slider 3G phone combining a traditional numeric keypad and a separate full QWERTY keyboard in a single device.