Bits and Bytes: BlingNation launches payment trial; Airspan markets LightSquared’s network; and more

Bling Nation launched a program in Palo Alto, Calif., that allows PayPal employees and early adopters to fund Bling Nation purchases on their mobile phone to a PayPal account. The program uses BlingTags that are affixed to mobiles phones and can be linked to a PayPal account to allow customers to make purchases using their phone. PayPal is offering BlingTags to all of its employees at its San Jose, Calif., headquarters.
HiBeam Internet & Voice selected Tellabs’ SmartCore 9100 platform to be deployed in its new WiMAX network. The solution provides HiBeam with an open network architecture that manages security, dynamic services, seamless mobility, paging, location tracking and dynamic charging.
Airspan Networks Inc. announced an agreement with LightSquared, a wholesale-only wireless broadband and satellite network, that calls for Airspan to market LightSquared’s 1.4 GHz wireless spectrum. Airspan said it will market the 1.4 GHz wireless backhaul solution, including spectrum, equipment and services for Smart Grid applications in the electric, gas and water utility sectors.
Namco Bandai Games America Inc. and Namco Networks America Inc. said they will integrate under the Namco Bandai Games America label. The integrated company will combine talent from both the mobile and console businesses to develop games across multiple platforms, including all major video game consoles, Apple iOS products, mobile PC and the Web.
Agilent Technologies introduced its N9342C handheld spectrum analyzer, which allows RF engineers to perform installation, maintenance and surveillance of RF systems in the field. The product works in the 100 kHz to 7 GHz frequency range and is tunable to 9 kHz, said the company. Functions of the product include band clearance, signal coverage and interface hunting.
Wi-Ex, which provides cell phone signal boosters, launched it is zBoost-SOHO YX545. The product, which operates in the 800 MHz and 1900 MHz bands, increases and optimizes signals for cell phones and other wirelessly connected devices. In addition, the product includes software that allows the unit to recalculate and optimize itself every 24 hours.
AudioCodes said it expanded its VMAS family of Voice over Internet Protocol solutions to include Blackberry and Android clients. VMAS is a Mobile VoIP and SMS over IP solution that can be used on mobile devices, personal computers and the Web. The Mobile VoIP Clients are standalone mobile-phone SIP soft clients based on Session Initiation Protocol standards.
Truphone announced an updated version of its iPad application is now available in the Apple iTunes store. New features of the application include the ability for consumers to place and receive calls on 3G networks and to use the company’s instant messaging functionality.
Motorola’s networks business teamed up with a group of vendors to provide an end-to-end TD-LTE solution at the Shanghai World Expo. The solution includes subscriber devices, eNodeB, backhaul, evolved packet core, billing and LTE manager. Vendor partners included Aricent, Bridgewater Systems, Cisco, Continuous Computing, Emerson Network Power, IBM, Innofidei and Sequans.
Handmark announced several milestones, including signing more than 200 brands representing more than 1,000 applications it will develop and support for media organizations worldwide. The company also said it already has launched cross-channel mobile application campaigns for more than 50 brands this year. And finally, the company said it added support for Samsung bada, Nokia Qt and the Apple iPad as part of its cross-platform mobile publishing solution.
The Symbian Foundation said it shipped more than 27 million devices during the second quarter. The organization said that equals about 300,000 shipments per day.