Carriers are beginning to use carrot-and-stick strategies to bring their third-party content partners to heel. And both the carrot and the stick are made of cash.Sprint Nextel Corp. earlier this year became the first U.S. carrier to formally tie revenue shares to business practices,...
Sprint Nextel Corp. added Photobucket to its photo-messaging service, allowing users to send pictures to the popular online site with just two clicks.The option was added to "Post to Service," a feature that allows Sprint Nextel users to send photos to print-processing retail outlets...
AOL L.L.C.'s Platform-A debuted a mobile platform and network specifically for serving ads to Apple Inc.'s iPhone.The new offering, which is available through AOL's Third Screen Media subsidiary, delivers targeted, iPhone-optimized ads through sites within Third Screen's mobile network, Advertising.com's online network or any...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. has tapped buzzd to power an ad-supported, location-based entertainment offering from its home deck.A New York-based startup, buzzd couples location-sensitive city guides with social-networking features allowing users to broadcast and share content from their phones. The Web-based service features content...
The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were touted as a potential springboard for mobile video, an event that could help push the application beyond early adopters and gadget geeks and into the mainstream.So how'd it do? Nobody knows. Or, more accurately, anyone who does...
Nokia Corp. is teaming with The Carphone Warehouse to bring its all-you-can-eat mobile music service to U.K. users next month.Comes With Music, as the effort is branded, packages one year of unlimited downloads with the purchase of a handset. Users will have to pay...
Google Inc. unveiled its answer to Apple Inc.'s App Store, outlining a distribution system for applications built on its Android platform.Android Market will serve as an unrestricted storefront where registered developers can offer their wares simply by uploading their applications and posting descriptions. Google...
Triple-tapping continues to explode, according to new figures from VeriSign Inc.The Mountain View, Calif.-based company said it delivered 95.4 billion inter-carrier text messages in the first half of 2008, establishing a new record for text messaging activity during the period. VeriSign also reported a...
An Irish comic publisher is lobbying Apple Inc. to embrace content ratings after its graphic novel was dropped from the company's App Store.Infurious Comics is pushing for a ratings system after Apple rejected "Murderdrome," which the publisher describes as a "darkly humorous strop"...
As you may know, this week's Democratic National Convention - right here in RCRWireless.com's beautiful, mile-high backyard - is very much a wireless affair.Barack Obama's campaign set a high bar for mobile with a much-publicized effort to notify supporters via text message of Sen....
Barack Obama has added one more record to his historic bid for the White House.Nielsen Mobile estimates that 2.9 million mobile subscribers received the Democratic Illinois senator's text message announcing Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), as his choice for VP, according to a news release.Nielsen...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Yay or Nay. Every week we'll review a new wireless application or service from the user's point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn't. If you wish to submit your application or...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We've gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace. It feels like every day we are seeing articles about the "operating system wars" and who...
Real-estate startup Trulia.Inc expanded its mobile offerings, adding downloadable mobile applications for agents, home owners and house hunters.A 4-year-old site that claims 5 million monthly users, Trulia.com directs users to listings on agent and broker Web sites. The outfit unveiled mobile versions of its...
MediaFLO USA Inc. expanded its live news coverage with three new channels of 24-hour-a-day content.The Qualcomm Inc. subsidiary added CNBC and MSNBC from NBC Universal as well as News Corp.'s Fox News. All three channels offer simulcast programming - delivering content simultaneously across mobile...
Google Inc. launched a mobile microsite dedicated to following the race for the White House.The destination, m.google.com/elections, offers links to election-related news; mobile YouTube channels from both Barack Obama and John McCain; information about the sites read by the candidates and political journalists; and...
ESPN Inc. unveiled an expansion of its current agreement with Major League Baseball Advanced Media that "covers all new platforms" including online, interactive television and mobile.The Walt Disney Co. subsidiary locked up rights to deliver MLB content through its online and mobile channels, video...
In an industry that constantly looks for the next big thing, ringtones are yesterday's news. But the little snippets of music still generate billions of dollars.Ringtone revenues are on the wane, to be sure: Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) predicts the U.S. market will shrink...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Yay or Nay. Every week we'll review a new wireless application or service from the user's point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn't. If you wish to submit your application or...
Nokia and travel information company Lonely Planet said Tuesday they are joining forces to sell maps and city guides that can be accessed on mobile phones.
Mobile content behemoth Zed announced an exclusive deal to distribute ringtones from the digital-only record label Nappy Boy Digital.Nappy Boy, which was founded by hip-hop star T-Pain, serves as a direct-to-consumer conduit for emerging artists such as Tay Dizm, Jay Lyriq and Sophia Fresh....
Barack Obama is using text messaging to keep his supporters informed of his choice of a running mate.The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign is sending notes to potential voters asking them to sign up to receive e-mail or text alerts notifying them of Obama's choice...
