A Mobile Future

Imagine having internet access anywhere, every minute of every day. Or being able to pull up any document or presentation, and get directions to the local coffee shop--all without a computer.

With today's smartphones, all these things are possible. A recent study from In-Stat found that 8 percent of regular business travelers have ditched their land lines and rely solely on their mobile phones. And while some people do consider mobile phones little computers, the current phones are only glimpses of their true potential.

Reaching People

For starters, mobile phones offer huge advertising potential. "As larger screens become more common, we're going to see new opportunities in mobile marketing," says Michael Gartenberg, analyst at Jupitermedia Corp.

According to the Mobile Advertising Report from Nielsen Mobile, 58 million U.S. mobile users said they were exposed to advertising over a 30-day period. Between the second and fourth quarter of 2007, mobile users exposed to ads jumped 38 percent.

Networking via smartphone is also bringing people together. Established networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and Friendster are joining the mobile social network. Other startups like Dodgeball, which is now owned by Google, Loopt and Socialight use location-based software, which takes advantage of mobile phones' ubiquity.

"Much of mobile today is replicating the functionality in some stripped-down format of what people have on the desktop," Gartenberg says. He predicts that mobile phone applications will soon rely less on desktop replications and be optimized for their unique form.

Software Magic

Since they're small enough to fit in your hand, mobile phones also offer unique software opportunities. GestureTek Mobile was recently awarded the GSM Association's Mobile Innovation Global Award for its EyeMobile Engine, which uses the phone's camera to create a gesture-based interface. Users shake, rock or move the device to do things like answer calls or flip through pictures, similar to playing the Nintendo Wii.

KnfbReading Technologies allows users to capture text items with the phone's camera and have the text read aloud. This technology was developed to help the visually impaired. Imagine being on a business trip ready to make yourself a cup of coffee in your hotel room, except that you can't read whether the package says decaffeinated or caffeinated. Problem solved.

PC Mobilizr from Rove Mobile allows users to connect to their home or work PC remotely and use their mobile screen to navigate, access and modify any file they want from their phone.

If you've ever punched in an address on a tiny mobile keyboard you know it can be cumbersome. Ask.com Mobile launched a new service at the beginning of this year that allows users to receive directions on their mobile device simply by speaking their start and end points.

Despite these amazing innovations, the iPhone or Google's upcoming mobile platform Android lead us further into the future of mobile phones.

The Future According to Giants

Big-name companies have picked up the trend of mobile smartphones. In less than a year, the iPhone garnered a 28 percent smartphone market share, according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. That puts the iPhone behind Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry (41 percent), and ahead of Palm (9 percent).

"If we were having a conversation a little over a year ago, we wouldn't be talking about Google or Apple because neither one of them were in the mobile market," says Gartenberg. "Today, these are the companies that dominate the conversation. There's no doubt in my mind that 2008 is going to become a very pivotal year. The rate of growth and acceleration, if anything, is getting faster and not slowing down."

In the first week of March, Apple announced it was adding enterprise features to the iPhone, like compatibility with Microsoft Exchange and remote wiping of the device. It also announced it was opening the iPhone platform for outside software developers to create original phone applications.

In response, VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers announced a $100 million fund, appropriately called the iFund, to encourage entrepreneurs to build new software for the iPhone.

While information on Google's Android is still pending, and the phone is set to release later this year, Gartenberg says the mere fact that it is a Google product gives it immediate legitimacy in the market.

One thing we do know is that touchscreen, motion- and location-based technologies, synchronization with the web, widgets and more are the immediate future of mobile devices. However, these phones still have a way to go.

"You look at the core experience of the phone, which is to make voice phone calls and there hasn't been a whole lot of improvement in that experience," Gartenberg says.

A Different Spectrum

That said, the FCC has begun the process of auctioning off a spectrum of airwaves that has companies such as Google, AT&T and Verizon all vying for the waves that can send signals farther, with less power, over wider territories and with the capability of penetrating dense walls. Gartenberg believes a lot of focus will be on improving the phone experience and says this spectrum will be a major catalyst for tomorrow's smartphone innovations.

While you wait, it's nice to know that the innovations are coming fast and furious.

source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Email@Mobile rolls out first free mobile email id

With mobile computing gaining prominence with each passing day, Adroit Claretdene Infotech on Monday announced the launch of a new mobile email solution - email@mobile which will allow worldwide mobile users to own a free mobile email ID which shall be accessed over any ordinary mobile phone capable of internet browsing.

Users can now use their existing mobile phone with WAP 1.2 and above browser to wirelessly access their new e-mail box as well as register for new email ID through their basic mobile phone.

email@mobile is the first solution of its kind which allows users to register for new email ID through a mobile phone.

Unlike other free Web-Mail services, email@mobile is built on the idea that users should neither have to rush to their computer nor buy an expensive mobile phone just for accessing their emails.

"So far people have heard the concept of Free Web Mail which allows one to check emails on one's computer via a web browser, with email@mobile email IDs we have introduced the concept of Free Mobile Mail, accessible on ordinary GPRS enabled mobile phones, which will be more spontaneous, effective, and convenient," said Arvind V. CEO with Adroit Claretdene Infotech.

"There are companies providing mobile access to existing web-mail but the device compatibility and monthly subscription charges are the major constraints" Arvind added.

Users can read text/ attachments, reply or compose new email, delete or send email, set up address book and avail other features what a web-mail program offers - from a basic mobile handset.

Users neither have to buy any smartphone/PDA nor install any software on the mobile phone. All that is required is a mobile phone capable of Internet browsing.

source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

China end-Feb mobile phone users 565 mln - Xinhua

China's mobile phone users totaled 565 mln at the end of February, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement from the industry and information ministry.

The report did not give a growth rate for mobile phone users.

It said fixed-line subscribers declined by 3.26 mln year-on-year to 362 mln.

In the first two months of 2008, China added 17.94 mln new mobile users, with the telecom sector's revenue at 122.03 bln yuan, up 10.1 pct, the report said.

source : http://www.forbes.com/

Icahn Sues Motorola For Mobile Phone Document Access

Motorola (NYSE:MOT)'s second largest shareholder, Carl Icahn, on Monday said he's suing the communications company in order to obtain records detailing the vendor's strategy for its struggling mobile device business and documents pertaining to the use of a corporate jet by top Motorola executives and their families.

In a statement, Icahn said he's filing a lawsuit in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware ordering Motorola to allow him to inspect the requested materials.

"Over the past 12 months the statements and predictions of Motorola's management and the Board about Mobile Devices business have too often proven to be wrong," the billionaire activist and financier wrote in a statement. "We want to ascertain what the board could have done in the exercise of its fiduciary duty to assure Motorola stockholders that Motorola's statements and predictions were not incorrect and would not provide Motorola stockholders with an inaccurate perspective on the prospects for the mobile devices business."

Icahn said he demanded materials to determine whether Motorola's board failed in setting the vendor in the right direction, but said Motorola would not comply with his demand. Motorola could not be immediately reached for comment.

Icahn is seeking materials including board and committee minutes relating to the service and selection of Motorola's senior officers; the prospects or strategy of Motorola's mobile devices business; and the realignment of its business regarding mobile devices, including the potential spinoff of the mobile devices business.

Icahn also seeks to look at any documents provided to Motorola's board regarding matters disclosed in certain press releases and conference calls concerning Motorola's performance, particularly those that mentioned improvements or changes in the mobile devices business that have not come to fruition.

Lastly, Icahn is looking for documentation showing the use of Motorola's corporate aircraft and other property by members of senior management, the board of directors and their families, including the aircraft's use for personal reasons. The request also includes all records regarding reimbursements to Motorola.

"We demanded these materials for the purposes of enabling us to investigate whether and to what extent the board of directors for Motorola failed in their duties as directors in supervising management and setting policy and direction for Motorola," Icahn said.

Icahn also urged stockholders to vote for new directors of Motorola at the 2008 annual stockholders meeting, scheduled for May 5.

In addition to his statement, the New York-based Icahn issued a letter to shareholders, highlighting Motorola's struggles.

"As we all are painfully aware, over the past 18 months, the market value of Motorola has dropped by over $37 billion," he wrote. "More than $17 per share of stockholder capital has vanished under the 'guidance' and 'leadership' of the current board."

In the letter, Icahn details a situation that has "gone from bad to worse," noting that this year was supposed to be a successful and profitable year in mobile devices with the potential to achieve 10 percent operating margins in the near future. Instead, Icahn said, it has become a "stockholders' nightmare."

This isn't the first time Icahn has squared off against Motorola. Last year, Icahn argued that Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola needed true stockholder representation on the board of directors, a battle he lost in a close election during last year's proxy contest.

"Motorola's board and management made enough empty promises to convince stockholders to give them another change to get it right," he wrote. "They didn't. What we got instead was a year of revolving-door executives, a leadership vacuum, and accelerating deterioration of Motorola's Mobile Devices unit."

He plans to use the materials he obtains through the lawsuit as part of his ongoing battle to win four seats on Motorola's board. Icahn has nominated former Viacom CEO Frank Bondi, WR Hambrecht & Co. founder and CEO William Hambrecht, MIT professor and semiconductor materials processing expert Lionel Kimberling and Icahn Enterprises CEO Keith Meister for spots on the board.

Icahn now owns 6.3 percent of Motorola shares. In the final quarter of the year, Motorola told investors that net profit dropped 84 percent and sales of mobile phones fell 38 percent, while rivals Nokia and Samsung continued growth.

Along with dipping profits, Motorola faced other challenges in 2007, including CEO Ed Zander stepping down.

Recently, Motorola has said it is considering selling or spinning off its cell phone division, which is now headed by Greg Brown, Zander's successor. Icahn has said he supports spinning off the devices division.

source: http://www.crn.com/

Mobile contract complaints on the rise

Complaints about mobile phone contracts could be up by over a quarter on last year’s figures if they continue at their current rate.

So far this year, only second-hand cars have generated more complaints than mobile phones, according to figures obtained by Mobile .

A total of 32,496 calls were made about contracts during the whole of 2007, and if complaints continue at the current rate they will hit just over 43,000 by the end of the year.

Government watchdog Consumer Direct received 7,239 calls from unhappy consumers about mobile phone service agreements during the first two months of 2008.

The only sector with more complaints was second hand cars, which generated 11,093 calls.

Calls about mobile phone hardware reached 4,029 during January and February.

source : http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/

Motorola's first AWS RAZR - The Motorola MOTORZR V3s

Just how long can Motorola milk their RAZR brand? Well, they're going on 4 years now - ever since the MOTOROLA RAZR first revved-up the industry in 2004. We can't blame them for trying to wring as much revenue out of the RAZR's success, but the whole thing is starting to get a little tired at this point.

The FCC has revealed a new RAZR in the MOTORZR V3s. What's new? Well, the "A" in "RAZR" has been axed in favor of an all-consonant setup - RZR. But, more interesting is the MOTORZR V3s spec-sheet that indicates CDMA support on the AWS 1700Mhz frequency band (you know, the same AWS spectrum that T-Mobile USA is using for their 3G network). With a 800/1700/1900Mhz CDMA radio in tow, the RZR V3s is Motorola's first AWS-compatible handset.

Nothing much else is innovative about the "new" RZR handset, so go about your business. Just know that Motorola is seemingly on-board with AWS.

source : http://www.intomobile.com/

Samsung’s latest phone is the Miniskirt

Samsung have announced a new phone with an odd name The phone in question is called the Samsung Miniskirt Season 2 (or the even-less intuitive SCH-C225, SPH-C2205, and SPH-C2255), a title that contains not a hint of the gadget it actually refers to. Looking nothing like a mini-skirt, the new Samsung phone is being pitched firmly at women, who apparently like to Talk, Play, Love.

More details and pictures of the Samsung Miniskirt phone (and girls in miniskirts, naturally) after the jump.
New Samsung mobile phone
Given its role as a fashion phone, you'd expect the Samsung Miniskirt to be short on features, but not a bit of it. Not only does it have all the usual features you'd expect (2 megapixel camera, bluetooth, MP3 player), it also comes with GPS and a rather oddly-named "Smile shot" function, which recognizes a subject's smile when taking pictures of them, and uses as that as the focal point. There's also a haptic touch-pad, just to round off the features.

As you've probably guessed by now, the Samsung Miniskirt is destined for the Korean market only, priced between 400,000 and 500,000 KRW.

Source : http://mobilementalism.com/