| Appliya has updated their 'Katana' app with some new features. What is Katana? It's a simple and fun little app that turns your iPhone into a sword, much like those 'light saber' apps that were popular awhile back. Good clean fun really. The update has added the following:
You can read more about Katana here, or pick it up in the App Store for $2.99. Related News from IntoMobile:
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| UK: Mobile retailers snap up cheap leases Posted: 08 Mar 2009 05:07 PM PDT
Interestingly, some believe that there are already too many Mobile shops, and more at this moment in time isn't going to help things. My personal experience is that th preponderance of Mobile retail outlets varies massively between areas - with some saturated, and others just not served at all. Each of the Operators mentioned above is intending to open between 30 and 50 stores soon, which are solid numbers - as I said though, lets hope the geographical distribution of them is not exacerbating existing saturation, or missing out areas that are in need of a shop. Good news from a UK retail perspective though, what with all the negative news recently…. [Via: Mobile Today] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| SpinVox and Skype team up Posted: 08 Mar 2009 04:56 PM PDT
I still use their service (or rather the people leaving messages for me do!) on a daily basis, and the logic of converting voice-to-text is something that all voicemail services should offer. Who wants to call voicemail when you can read what's on it?! Well now SpinVox have extended their offering by doing a deal with Skype to get voicemail on there as texts too! The cost is 17p/message, plus any operator SMS charges - but I gotta say it's going to be worth it - no more wasting minutes and minutes letting an IVR system slowly playback your vmails! Bliss! [Via: TechDigest] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Stop telling me about the device, give it to me! Posted: 08 Mar 2009 04:51 PM PDT  The X1 took a little while to come to market... but it was good when it got here! Mobile Choice has an interesting blog piece about how long people have to wait after handsets are announced, to actually get them! And I say fairplay, they have a point! In the blog, it's noted that recent culprits have been the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) N96, and Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) Xperia X1, both of which took a good half-year after announcement to make it to sale. But I can think of a number of devices that have been announced with almost hysteria, to then see it's taken a vendor up to 9 months to get the thing out! And therein is the eternal worry of the vendor's PR company - when to put the info out? Want to be ahead of the curve of course, especially if there is new feature or spec that can be played upon. Don't want to leave it too late, or another vendor might match (or even worse trump) that feature/spec with one of their own! But also need to consider that making a consumer wait 6+ months might mean they go for something else…. hmm how to solve? Well could I suggest possibly something toward Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)'s strategy of keeping schtum until you have something that you can sell shortly after! OK Apple is legendary at this, but one thing you'll notice is that after announcing something, they can usually ship it a few days later - I find that amazing! Maybe other vendors have to look at getting devices to a point where they can accurately predict it's ready-date, before making announcements. If you have tens and tens of showstopper issues with your device, perhaps it's too early to tell the world about it! What say you, readers? Do ya like to wait, or would you rather have something soon after it's announced! I know what the answer should be…..! The original Mobile Choice blog piece is here. [Via: Mobile Choice] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Virus firms says protect your smartphone from viruses Posted: 08 Mar 2009 04:40 PM PDT There's an interesting piece on mobilemarketingmagazine.co.uk, where the CTO of a company called UMU Mobile makes a statement about people needing to be more vigilant about the security on their Mobile devices. Peter Harrison says that since the advent of mobile devices are more capable, we are at risk of a virus causing major damage - such as file wipes, hard resets, or unexpected call charges. He says that the advancement in Operating Systems, and also wireless network types, means it's now easy and lucrative for malware writers to exploit devices. His final thrust, and not unexpected given he works for a Mobile Security company, is that we should consider some sort of firewall and anti-virus equivalent for our smartphones.
Well I've got to say I'm really not on board with many of the arguments that are made. Having myself worked for a Mobile company with an AV offering, it became clear to me that much of what is malware is created by hobby-hackers, and even then, it's not that common. In addition, the mobile companies are seen as more of a gatekeeper to subscribers than say ISPs are for fixed-line InterWeb users, and so there's an expectation that my service provider will stop viruses getting in to the mobile network. Given the lack of viruses that have gone mainstream, and the fact that Series60 has unfortunately borne the (small) brunt of smartphone viruses so far it seems, are the rest of us really that bothered at the moment? Will we be in say 18 months time? Doubt it. But what say you IntoMobile readers? Should we be wary? [Via: mobilemarketingmagazine.co.uk] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| GSA confirms 26 Operators committed to LTE Posted: 08 Mar 2009 04:13 PM PDT
The current status of LTE worldwide is presented in an update of the GSA Information Paper � Evolution to LTE, published on March 4th, 2009. The Evolution to LTE paper contains concise information about the business drivers, objectives and targets for LTE � Long Term Evolution and SAE � System Architecture Evolution, including network operator commitments and deployment/launch plans, device and platforms availability, latest trials results, spectrum, and plans for future evolution of LTE for consideration for the ITU IMT-Advanced standard. Business users and consumers can today browse the Internet or send and receive e-mails using HSPA-enabled notebooks, or using HSPA modems including USB dongles, as well as send and receive video or music using their 3G/HSPA phones. Several operators are upgrading their networks this year with evolved HSPA (HSPA+) technology using 64 QAM modulation, enabling up to 21 Mbps downlink peak data speeds. Combining with 2×2 MIMO will mean 42 Mbps as a future step when devices come to market that support these speeds. LTE will deliver significant further capacity, data rate speed and throughput enhancements, and reduced latency, to support new services and features requiring higher levels of capability and performance. LTE is the next step in the user experience which will further enhance more demanding applications such as interactive TV, mobile video blogging, advanced games and professional services. The new system includes support of a full IP-based network, and harmonization with legacy 3GPP systems (GSM, GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA-HSPA) and other radio access technologies. LTE reduces the cost per Gigabyte delivered, which is essential for addressing the mass market. The Information Paper notes that up to 10 LTE networks are expected to launch commercial services in 2010. LTE is on track, attracting global industry support. With the HSPA mobile broadband eco-system in place, LTE is the natural migration choice for GSM/HSPA operators. LTE is also the next generation mobile broadband system of choice of leading CDMA operators, with leading players expected to be in the forefront of service introduction. If you want to get hold of "The Evolution to LTE" Information Paper by GSA, you get it here. [Via: GSA] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Netlingo: bit-spit! Posted: 08 Mar 2009 01:37 PM PDT
Today we have another instant classic: bit-spit Any form of digital correspondence (text, bit-mapped images, fax transmissions) or the act of sending same. "Did you bit-spit that file to Jane yet?" Now I've not heard this one in common usage, so I can only assume this one has been derived from the US. Just to be doubly sure, I also rang up a Jane that I know, and she confirmed she's not had any files bit-spat at her Any of you guys got any kerr-azy tech language that we might not all have heard before?! [Via: NetLingo] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Hutchison plans spin-off for HK Business Unit Posted: 08 Mar 2009 01:05 PM PDT
…. but that's maybe not the most interesting news - Hutchison has also confirmed that it will be spinning off the Hong Kong holding company, which consists of the landline and Mobile operations in Hong Kong and Macau. Hutchison has stated the reason for doing this is that it will allow the value of these two profit-making operations to be better recognised by the public market valuations. Hmm, okay, but at a time with so much uncertainty on so many different scales, isn't that a risky strategy? Time, as usual, will tell….. [Via: Cellular News] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Vodafone Turkey investing 1.3bn lira in 2009 Posted: 08 Mar 2009 12:56 PM PDT
So what is that wadge of cash going to go on? Well apparently customer satisfaction (always good), driving sales, and employing more staff - a none too bad thing given the unemployment we hear about daily (on a global scale) currently… [Via: Reuters] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Is this Sprint's upcoming Samsung Instinct Mini? Posted: 08 Mar 2009 12:31 PM PDT
Well, well, well, if this isn't the upcoming, approved-by-the-FCC Samsung Instinct Mini, I don't know what it is. The device pictured above certainly seems smaller than the original Instinct and the prominent Sprint (NYSE: S) logo makes us think this is what we'll see without all that blur on April 19th when Sprint reportedly pushes this baby into the realm of the official. In the meantime, if anyone cares to know how we got these images, they are from the Sprint Users Forum member "phonetec." And while we're not 100% sure this is the real deal, something tells us we may be onto something. We'll see…    [Via: BGR] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Nokia 5310 XpressMusic available in two new colors @ T-Mobile USA Posted: 08 Mar 2009 12:21 PM PDT
T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA has two new color options for the popular mid-ranger, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 5310 XpressMusic. We're talking about "White Aqua" and "White Silver" versions, both of which are identical to the original model in terms of specs. The music-ready device(s) should sell like hot cupcakes now when the Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT)-owned mobile operator is offering them for free on a contract. That's two year-long contract, but you'll get a decent music-friendly device to use it both as a phone and an MP3 player. If that's what you want, hop over to T-Mobile's online store and find these babies there. Otherwise, keep reading for something more interesting. [Via: Engadget Mobile, CellPhone Signal] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Alcatel's OT-707 and OT-800 bring touchscreen, QWERTY to masses Posted: 08 Mar 2009 12:13 PM PDT
Alcatel has recently unveiled two new devices, both targeting low-to-mid range of the market. The twist is in the form factor, as both of these bring interesting features to the entry-level segment. The first of the two, OT-707 (pictured on the right), is a small all-touchscreen device, measuring just 95×53x13 mm. Specs wise, it comes with a 2.3-inch QVGA touchscreen (kinda small for a touchscreen, though in real-life that may be just enough), dual-band (900/1800 Mhz) GSM/GRPS radio, Bluetooth, music player, FM radio, 1.3-megapixel camera, 10MB of internal memory that is further expandable with microSD memory cards. As for the other model, OT-800 (the one on the right), again it's an entry-level device, which dumps the touchscreen for the full QWERTY keyboard. In that sense, this low-end messenger is an ideal handset for young, savvy texters, who don't necessarily like having bulky devices in their pockets ― the OT-800 measures 111×58x14 mm. In terms of specs, it comes with a QVGA screen, tri-band (900/1800/1900 MHz) GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, FM radio, 2-megapixel camera. Availability details are unknown at this stage. We do however, know the prices. Once they hit the market, the Alcatel OT-707 and OT-800 will be available for 100 EUR ($126) and 95 EUR ($120), respectively. [Via: Unwired View] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| Unofficial OS Leak: OS 4.6.1.174 for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 Posted: 08 Mar 2009 09:26 AM PDT
As promised here comes the second OS update for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) users today. This one is an unofficial release for the BlackBerry Curve 8900… OS 4.6.1.174. As with all unofficial OS releases, make sure you backup your device and take all necessary precautions. If you don't need to install an unofficial update… then don't. But if you absolutely have to get the latest build, then hey, I'm sure you know exactly what to do. Give 'er. Get OS 4.6.1.174 for the BlackBerry Curve right here > Stay tuned for more… the way these OS updates are dropping around the web these days… We may see a few more unofficial updates before the weekend is over [Via: CrackBerry] Related News from IntoMobile:
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| OS 4.6.0.247 Appears for the BlackBerry Bold Posted: 08 Mar 2009 09:18 AM PDT
A couple BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) OS updates for you this morning. First comes OS 4.6.0.247 for the BlackBerry Bold. The release is an unofficial one, so only do install if you absolutely have to get the latest build. This release comes fast and furious, as only yesterday OS 4.6.0.244 was released on A1. As always with these updates, if you want to proceed please do backup your device and take all necessary precautions. Be sure to let us know if you spot any worthwhile changes, updates or improvements in .247. Pick up OS 4.6.0.247 for the BlackBerry Bold right here > Next: OS update for the BlackBerry Curve 8900! [Via: CrackBerry] Related News from IntoMobile:
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Monday, March 9, 2009
Katana for the iPhone Gets an Update
Well it's not all doom and gloom in UK retail areas it seems - Mobile Today is reporting that Mobile retailers are taking advantage of cut-price leases in shopping areas! Apparently Vodafone (NYSE: VOD), Virgin, and Orange are amongst the various mobile frms using the drop in charges to help them expand.
SpinVox - ah yes, my fave voice-to-text company…… 
According to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), 26 network operators have commited to deploy 3GPP LTE systems.
As you all know, I do like my tech-jargon, and the main source of that for me is the great site Netlingo!
Hutchison Telecom has reported a 16% growth in revenues, bringing them in a HK$24bn, but here's the kicker - net income has dropped from HK$66.8bn to a shade under HK$1.9bn - crumbs….
Vodafone Turkey is planning to invest 1.3bn lira (that's about $750m) in 2009, according to Reuters. This is to try and counteract the last quarter poor performance, which saw a drop in revenue of ~15%. It is thought the fact that the Turkish market is so fiercely competitive has been part of the problem, with competitors Turkcell and Avea gaining ground in the same period.
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