September 2006

NEW YORK—Dada USA Inc. launched its social networking and entertainment community for the U.S. market. The company’s Web site allows users to subscribe to a variety of services and content …

NEW YORK—Jamster International bulked up its content portfolio in North America with a deal to offer ringtones, graphics and mobile games from the Walt Disney Internet Group. Disney and its …

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.—Starting next week, Chocolate phone users will be able to get a software upgrade that will add speakerphone capabilities to their handset. Users will be able to visit …

HERNDON, Va.—GigaBeam Corp. picked up Department of Defense orders through its system integration partner, WirelessGuys Inc., for the company’s wireless fiber links. GigaBeam touts its wireless fiber products, called WiFiber, …

DUBLIN, Ireland—Those waiting anxiously for a .mobi domain needn’t wait any longer. The company behind the controversial, mobile-exclusive top-level domain opened registration today, allowing the general public to register wireless …

SEOUL—South Korea’s Pantech & Curitel Communications Inc. will provide its portfolio of CDMA-based handsets to UTStarcom Inc. for sale in North America under a three-year agreement, the company announced. Terms …

BELLEVUE, Wash.—With the quiet addition of its new t719 flip phone, which offers BlackBerry Connect service and an e-mail-friendly keypad, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. now supplies just over one-third of …

IRVINE, Calif.—Mobile search vendor AskMeNow said it launched a national TV advertising campaign to promote its search service. The company’s ad campaign includes 30-second spots that demonstrate the service. The …

NEW YORK—Nokia Corp. announced five new GSM phones—the company insists the devices are “multimedia computers”—for the United States, but did not announce any accompanying carrier deals. Three of the devices—the …

SAN FRANCISCO—Mobile video upstart Veeker said it has acquired ThumbJive, a developer of youth-focused wireless applications. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Veeker, which has been operating in …

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission officially launched its Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, naming Ken Moran as its acting chief. The agency has been in the process of creating the …

SHENZHEN, China—The Bluetooth Special Interest Group isn’t going to take it anymore—at least that’s the message heard around the world as the group announced it orchestrated a successful raid in …

ATLANTA—Air2Web said it snared $25 million in a financing round led by The Carlyle Group. The wireless software company said it will use the new funds to further its work …

MADRID, Spain—Mobile transaction provider mBlox said it is working with application service provider Dynetic to provide an SMS-based bidding service to eBay in Spain. The service uses mBlox’s SMS services …

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Wireless Infrastructure Association, better known as PCIA, said it drew its highest attendance numbers—1,400 registrants—to its annual trade show held last week in Nashville, Tenn. The attendance tally …

BELLEVUE, Wash.—T-Mobile USA Inc. wants its users to get more from life, but the carrier looks to be getting less from Catherine Zeta-Jones. The Bellevue, Wash.-based operator plans to drop …

SAN DIEGO—Digital Orchid is looking to expand its portfolio and global footprint with the acquisition of mobile game publisher Blue Tech. Blue Tech is a 2-year-old vendor based in Madrid, …

Less than two years ago, carriers were blaming publishers for stifling mobile gaming by churning out a surfeit of high-profile, licensed games that made for a rotten user experience. Now …

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-Alltel Corp. is set to begin a major advertising push for its MyCircle offer, which allows customers to place unlimited calls to up to 10 wireless or wireline …

Racial discrimination lawsuits are by definition volatile and messy, hitting arguably the most sensitive nerve in a nation that-while freer and more democratic than any on Earth-remains uncomfortably situated on …

ESPOO, Finland-Nokia Corp.’s Mobile Search platform will incorporate Microsoft Corp.’s Live Search capabilities to streamline mobile information searches onseries smart phones-now “multimedia computers,” in Nokia’s parlance-and select S60 platform devices …

WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court last week did not clearly signal whether it believes the facts and law support charges by Robert Kaplan, a former national sales manager at T-Mobile USA …

Revised earnings guidance by two firms that have traditionally served Nokia Corp.-delivered within four days of each other-may reflect a softening in Nokia’s Western European sales due to an invasion …

AUSTIN, Texas-Chipmaker Freescale Semiconductor Inc. said it signed a definitive merger agreement to be bought by a private-equity consortium led by The Blackstone Group. The transaction is valued at $17.6 …

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-Revenue from sales of cellular base stations will remain strong through 2008, but by 2009 base station revenue will begin a steep decline, says a new report from In-Stat. …