Consumers Want Citywide Wi-Fi – And Are Willing to Pay for It January 30, 2009
Posted by aikservices in 3G, Google, iPhone, Mobile, Nokia, Telecom, UK, USA, Wi-Fi, Wireless.Tags: 3G, Google, iPhone, Mobile, Nokia, Telecom, UK, USA, Wi-Fi, Wireless
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A report commissioned by Wi-Fi application vendor, Devicescape has found that most respondents want citywide Wi-Fi (84%) and, surprisingly, many are willing to pay for it (56%) as they would a utility. The report also found that an overwhelming number of Wi-Fi users expect Wi-Fi while on the road (91%) and when traveling, the most-often used device for accessing Wi-Fi was the smartphone, such as an iPhone (vs. laptops). The overwhelming majority of smartphone users (81%) prefer using Wi-Fi over 3G for browsing Web sites, downloading data, Google searches and sending e-mail. Also, 86% of respondents want OEMs to build Wi-Fi into their handsets and 82% of respondents want the service provider to provide an overall 3G/Wi-Fi data package.Many of the statistics within the UK and mainland Europe were similar to the US, but one significant difference is that Nokia is the most used device tapping into Wi-Fi, more than laptops and iPhone users.
T-Mobile CEO sees stable results in 2009 January 28, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Android, Apple, G1, Google, iPhone, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Telecompaper, Wireless.Tags: Android, Apple, G1, Google, iPhone, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Telecompaper, Wireless
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T-Mobile International has yet to see a direct impact on its results from the economic slowdown and expects to maintain its performance in 2009, CEO Hamid Akhavan told Telecompaper in an interview. Results for the fourth quarter were in line with the company’s expectations, he said, adding that based on November and December sales figures, the company saw no major changes in the number of clients or spending. T-Mobile is on track to meet its 2008 forecasts, and for 2009 the company expects a stable performance with no decline in results, he said.
Looking ahead, T-Mobile is focused on growing service revenues, while maintaining its profit margins. Growth will come from innovative services such as its mobile data service Web’n’walk and new data-driven phones such as Apple’s iPhone and the G1 Android handset. Mergers and acquisitions are not on the agenda at the moment, due to the high cost of capital, according to the CEO.
Microsoft Wins Mobile Search Deal with Verizon January 9, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Google, Microsoft, Mobile, Telecom, Verizon Wireless, Wireless.Tags: Microsoft, Mobile, Telecom, Verizon Wireless, Wireless
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Verizon Wireless has signed a deal with Microsoft to provide portal, local and Internet search as well as mobile advertising services to customers on its devices. The five-year agreement will go into effect in the first half of 2009 when Microsoft Live Search is targeted to be available on new Verizon Wireless feature phones and smartphones. Last August, it was widely reported that the network operator had been close to concluding a deal with Google for mobile search services.
Depending on which device they use, customers will be able to use voice commands and typed queries and even select to use location-aware searches to receive search results, including maps, directions, traffic information, information on local businesses, movie theatres and show times, gas prices and weather. In addition, customers will also get search results that include news and entertainment content such as downloadable full-track songs, videos and games. Under the five-year agreement, Microsoft will manage search and display advertising on Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Web service, creating a one-stop integrated way for advertisers and ad agencies to reach mobile consumers.
T-Mobile launches YouTube channel for G1 January 8, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Android, G1, Google, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, UK, USA, Wireless.Tags: Android, G1, Google, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Wireless
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T-Mobile is launching a channel on YouTube for its G1 Android mobile phone. The new channel allows customers to post questions about their phone and receive written and video answers from both T-Mobile’s experts and other customers. The G1 was launched last year in the US and UK.
T-Mobile prepping free replacement batteries for G1 owners? December 30, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Android, G1, Google, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: Android, G1, Google, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Wireless
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Wouldn’t it be nice if all cellphones came with an extra battery pack free of charge? Well, that doesn’t seem like it will be happening in the near future, what with all manufacturing costs mobile phone makers are facing nowadays. But rumors have it that T-Mobile and Google are going to do just that. It is said that T-Mobile is gearing up for a so-called extended battery project in which they’ll be sending out free T-Mobile G1 battery packs to owners within a month from now. This is to address the user-feedback regarding the T-Mobile G1’s less not quite impressive battery life.
Google releases unlocked G1 for developers December 9, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Android, Australia, Austria, Canada, CDMA, Finland, France, G1, Germany, Google, GSM, Hungary, India, Japan, Mobile, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Smartphone, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, T-Mobile, Taiwan, Telecom, United Kingdom, USA, Wireless.Tags: Android, Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, France, G1, Germany, Google, Hungary, India, Japan, Mobile, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, T-Mobile, Taiwan, Telecom, United Kingdom, USA, Wireless
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To make the phone more accessible to developers, Google’s Android development team released the first SIM-unlocked and hardware-unlocked version of the T-Mobile G1, which runs on the Android platform.
The move, which the development team quietly let slip on Friday, is a clear signal to application developers that they now have a G1 to test their applications on free from the constraints of signing up for a service contract with T-Mobile USA. The phone, called the Android Dev Phone 1, is available for $399 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, India, Canada, France, Taiwan, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Poland and Hungary.
Developers who are registered in the Android Market can sign into their account and purchase the phone. Google is limiting one phone to each developer account. Google warned that non-developers should probably not make use of the phone, noting that, “Since the devices can be configured with system software not provided by or supported by Google or any other company, end users operate these devices at their own risk.”
Source: http://www.fiercewireless.com
The Phone that Feels the Flu Before You Do December 8, 2008
Posted by aikservices in G1, Google, iPhone, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: G1, iPhone, T-Mobile, Wireless
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A maker of over-the-counter cold and flu remedies released a program this week for the T-Mobile G1, also known as the “Google phone,” that warns the user how many people in an area are sneezing and shaking with winter viruses.
The “Zicam Cold & Flu Companion” will say, for instance, that 8 percent to 14 percent of the people in your ZIP code have respiratory illnesses, representing a “Moderate” risk level. To give germophobes and hypochondriacs even more of a thrill, it also says what symptoms are common, like coughing and sore throat.
Matrixx Initiatives Inc., the Arizona company that makes products under the Zicam brand, gets the information on disease levels from Surveillance Data Inc. — which gets its data from polling health care providers and pharmacies.
Users can also ask the application about risk levels in other ZIP codes, so they can steer clear of, for instance, Atlanta, one of the five most infected cities in the nation right now, according to Zicam.
The “Companion” is available for free from the Android Marketplace, the repository of downloadable programs for the G1. Later this month, the program will be available for the iPhone, according to Matrixx.
Google Inc., which created the G1’s operating system, launched its own state-by-state Web-based flu tracker recently. It’s based on the number of people plugging flu-related searches into Google’s search engine.
Open-Source Symbian Has Caught AT&T’s Eye December 8, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Android, AOL, Apple, AT&T, BlackBerry, CDMA, Google, GSM, iPhone, Mobile, Research In Motion, RIM, Smartphone, Symbian, Telecom, Windows Mobile, Wireless.Tags: Android, AOL, Apple, AT&T, BlackBerry, Cell Telecom, Google, Intrinsyc, iPhone, ISB Corporation, Mobile, Nokia, Research In Motion, RIM, Symbian, Telecom, Trusted Logic, Windows Mobile, Wireless, Xenient
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The world has been waiting for an open-source Symbian mobile operating system, but it won’t have to wait much longer. The Symbian Foundation expects to have its first version ready in the first half of 2009.
The foundation is making strides and gaining more support. Symbian on Thursday announced AOL, Cell Telecom, Intrinsyc, ISB Corporation, Trusted Logic, and Xenient have added their endorsements to the 58 other companies already supporting the open-source effort.
“We are delighted with the response from the Silicon Valley community, as well as from developers around the world, to the plans for the foundation to build on the leading open mobile platform,” said Lee Williams, who has been nominated as executive director of the foundation and who was a keynote speaker at this week’s Symbian Partner Event in San Francisco.
The AT&T Connection
Even though Symbian has a commanding lead in the global mobile operating-system market with nearly half the implementations worldwide, competition is rising. Research in Motion, Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, and Windows Mobile are all challenging Symbian on the smartphone front.
What’s more, Symbian hasn’t gained much traction in the U.S. Symbian could gain an advantage, though if comments made by an AT&T executive at the Symbian event Thursday pan out as some observers expect.
Roger Smith, AT&T’s director of next-generation services, told the event that the wireless carrier is considering how it might standardize on only a few mobile platforms over the next few years. He cited Symbian as a “credible candidate” to be among those platforms.
Speaking of an open Symbian, Smith said, “If done well and done right, this can be a game-changing event.” It’s all part of AT&T’s move to take more control over its destiny in the mobile operating space.
A Fragmented Market
“At the end of the day, the mobile OS platform market is going to be fragmented for the foreseeable future. While there is Windows Mobile, there is no Windows of mobile, meaning one dominant platform that will rule everything,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia. “We are going to see any number of strong players here amongst many.”
Symbian has been a strong platform in Europe for some time. But until the birth of the Symbian Foundation, talk about Symbian revolved around Nokia, its creator. Nokia’s interpretation of the Symbian mobile operating system was in the Series 60 devices. Some industry watchers have speculated about Symbian becoming a unified platform for AT&T.
“It’s hard to see a carrier standardizing on a single platform and what benefit that would have for them,” Gartenberg said. “Even more interesting is that these comments came from someone at AT&T, which of course has the exclusive [U.S.] franchise on the iPhone, which is now one of the best-selling devices in mobility, period.”
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