Mobile & Wireless
NewsFactor - Opera Software launched an Android version of the company's Opera Mini 5 mobile browser Thursday that promises to significantly improve page loading and speed on compatible smartphones. The beta release continues the company's campaign to increase the visibility of its browser on a global basis.
PC Magazine - T-Mobile announced that the webConnect Rocket USB Laptop Stick, the first HSPA+ device for the U.S., will be available beginning on Sunday, March 14.
Reuters - Opera Software unveiled on Thursday a version of its Mini mobile browser for use on cellphones running on Google's Android software.
PC World - Newegg.com has an unlocked RIM BlackBerry 8800 for $159.99 with $2.99 standard shipping. The sturdy smartphone is 4.5 by 2.6 by 0.6 inches and weighs 4.7 ounces. It doesn't have a camera, but it does feature music and video players and a 2.5-inch, 320-by-240-resolution display. Though it's not one of the newest smartphones, we noted in our review that it's a great e-mail device (it can support up to ten accounts) and features built-in GPS functionality and Bluetooth support. It does not have Wi-Fi.
PC World - Buy.com has a Sony VAIO W Series netbook in cocoa brown on sale for $443.75 with free shipping. The sleek little netbook has a 10.1-inch backlit LCD panel, which has great picture quality with minimal glare, rich colors, and sharp contrast. The VAIO W Series also features 720p high-definition support and plays 720p video stutter-free. The unit on sale boasts a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. Like any good netbook, it also has a built-in Webcam and microphone and two USB ports--who needs an iPad when you can get this netbook for $50 less?
PC World - In his first speech since stepping down in January as CEO of the company he founded, RealNetworks Chairman Rob Glaser on Wednesday encouraged startups to look for business opportunities in wireless.
PC World - Laying more fiber is one way to make more efficient use of wireless spectrum, former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said on Wednesday.
AFP - Phone giant China Mobile said Wednesday it will pay about 5.8 billion US dollars for a 20 percent stake in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank as part of its bid to enter the wireless banking market.
AP - Google's CEO says mobile smartphones are transforming the Internet, and defended his company's growing dominance over information on the Web.
PC Magazine - Target has unveiled a new program that will let customers download coupons to their phone, then scan the bar code at the checkout counter.
AP - China Mobile Ltd., the world's biggest phone company by subscribers, said Wednesday it was investing $5.8 billion in a Chinese bank as part of a plan to develop mobile phone banking and business services.
Reuters - IBM has started a two-year research program that aims to make cellphones easier to use for groups including the elderly and the illiterate.
PC World - Mobile networks may not be getting upgraded as fast as some subscribers would like, but carrier spending on infrastructure is expected to rebound slightly this year after falling in 2009.
Reuters - LG Electronics Inc, the world's No. 3 mobile phone maker, on Wednesday launched a smartphone based on Google's Android operating system in South Korea, as it seeks to boost its relatively weak smartphone line-ups.
NewsFactor - The wait is over. Cisco Systems on Tuesday finally took the lid off its hype machine to reveal ... a new router. Cisco is positioning its CRS-3 Carrier Routing System as the foundation of the next-generation Internet that will pave the way for rapid growth of video transmissions, mobile devices, and new online services.
AP - As a proposal to require health warnings on cellular phones got a fresh legislative review Tuesday, Gov. John Baldacci made clear his opposition but stopped short of threatening a veto.
AP - Globecomm Systems has been notified of a contract extention worth $34.2 million, the sattelite communications company said Tuesday.
PC World - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is considering ways that wireless technologies can be used to deliver free or low-cost broadband services, as part of its National Broadband Plan.
PC Magazine - A recent tweet from the mobile TV company seems to confirm that T-Mobile plans to launch the high-resolution, high screen size HTC HD2 on March 23.
Reuters - The NFL has signed a four-year agreement with Verizon Wireless to show live games and highlights on mobile phones in a deal U.S. media reported was worth $720 million.