ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc. is hoping to kick-start the lagging mobile-commerce market with a system that allows users to purchase products, transfer funds or pay bills with their cell phones.The company unveiled M-Wallet, a downloadable application for both smart phones and mass-market devices from...
LONDON-Operating system vendor Symbian Ltd. announced it will cut its licensing fees in half in a bid to counter encroaching competition from Windows Mobile and Linux. Symbian currently charges handset makers $5 per phone (for shipments of more than 2 million units) to use...
PHOENIX-Software developer EQO Communications announced a new Java application for mobile phones that the company said allows Skype users to place and receive Skype calls from their mobile phone. EQO said it is offering the service for free during a trial period. The company...
BENTONVILLE, Ark.-Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it plans to offer its own discount wireless service in Germany under the brand name MangoMobile. Wal-Mart Germany is partnering with telecommunications distributor Facey Retail Solutions GmbH for the mobile virtual network operator service, which will be sold in...
NEW YORK-Third-generation handsets now account for roughly 16 percent of the U.S. mobile phone landscape, according to a new study from CIBC World Markets. In the firm's January report on 3G handset sales, CIBC found that 12 out of a total of 76 handsets...
BENTONVILLE, Ark.-Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it plans to offer its own discount wireless service in Germany under the brand name MangoMobile. Wal-Mart Germany is partnering with telecommunications distributor Facey Retail Solutions GmbH for the mobile virtual network operator service, which will be sold in...
WASHINGTON-Verizon Wireless said it was awarded a contract to provide wireless priority service to local, state and federal government officials and first responders, marking the first availability of the feature on CDMA mobile phone networks. The Bush administration renewed focus on wireless priority service...
The worldwide mobile-phone market roared to another record finish in the fourth quarter as unit shipments reached a staggering 245 million, according to research and consulting firm IDC. For the full year, the handset industry shipped a total of 825.5 million phones. "2005 was...
The evolution of the wireless industry has had a profound effect on the players involved. Within all levels of the market, companies have had to scramble to adapt to changing demands and conditions. And the rollercoaster isn't likely to slow down-for anyone. From carriers...
Big brands and high-powered advertising agencies are stampeding to wireless in an effort to snuggle up next to consumers. But they're finding that effective mobile marketing usually means more than just placing their company name on the display. Recent weeks have seen a flurry...
BANGALORE, India-SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. said it has acquired Impulsesoft, which specializes in Bluetooth stereo solutions and embedded software. Terms of the cash deal were not disclosed.Impulsesoft's products include an embedded Bluetooth protocol stack; a platform that enables music streaming from mobile phones to...
LOS ANGELES-Move aside Barbie, Bratz now have their own mobile phones. MGA Entertainment-the company behind the Bratz "fashion dolls"-announced it will sell a Bratz-branded mobile phone through select Wal-Mart locations nationwide. The phone is a rebranded Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. T290 and features...
WASHINGTON-CTIA told state regulators earlier this week that they should focus on the needs of wireless consumers-and the benefits wireless can bring to rural America-rather than boosting the revenues of rural incumbent local exchange carriers. "CTIA is concerned that the National Association of Regulatory...
HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. reported gains in its business during the fourth quarter, but a drop in the company's mobile phone profits appeared to scare investors. Nokia's shares dropped by around 28 cents per share to $18.21 per share after the company's earning announcement. Nokia...
MUNICH, Germany-Siemens AG delivered strong first quarter results, posting new orders worth $32.8 billion, a 31-percent increase from $20.4 billion in new orders a year earlier. Wall Street reacted favorably, boosting Siemens' stock to its biggest gain in more than two years. The stock...
SEOUL, South Korea-LG Electronics Co. Ltd. reported 16.2 million mobile phone sales in the fourth quarter, along with an 8.1 percent operating margin in its handset business.Companywide, LG reported total sales dropped 5.2 percent year-on-year, but up 2.7 percent quarter-on-quarter due to growth in...
WASHINGTON-A new study published in the British Medical Journal failed to find a cancer link from mobile-phone use for up to 10 years, saying only additional research will be able to address longer latency periods for the development of brain tumors in adults. "Overall,...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission authorized Globalstar L.L.C. to operate land-based cell phone networks to augment its existing mobile satellite services, a significant enhancement that should allow the company to reduce the size of its satellite phones. Globalstar is the second MSS operator to win...
WASHINGTON-A new study published in the British Medical Journal failed to find a cancer link from mobile-phone use for up to 10 years, saying only additional research will be able to address longer latency periods for the development of brain tumors in adults. "Overall,...
WASHINGTON-Top U.S. mobile phone carriers have joined to bid for rights to offer wireless service in hundreds of subway stations throughout New York City. Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. are bidding for the project. A Cingular spokesman...
LUXEMBOURG-Smart card vendor Gemplus International S.A. lowered its 2005 revenue expectations due to a quality problem with one of its chips. The firm said it now expects fiscal 2005 revenues of around $1.137 billion, which is down from previous expectations of $1.150 billion.Gemplus' shares...
MIAMI-Brightstar Corp. continued to strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific market with a new subsidiary in Hong Kong. The mobile phone distributor and supply chain management company opened the doors to its new sales offices and a distribution center in the city, which it...
BERLIN-In an announcement showing that the company is not to be forgotten, BenQ Mobile unveiled its new consumer mobile phone brand: BenQ-Siemens. The launch coincides with the release of the company's first phones carrying company's the new logo. Taiwanese electronics manufacturer BenQ Corp. last...
Wireless is getting Googled. And, well, Yahoo'd. The Internet giants have made numerous headlines in recent weeks as they rush to become the premier destination on the wireless Web. And they're doing it in very different ways.Google Inc. fired the year's opening salvo earlier...
