Danger Inc., creator of the ever-so-trendy Sidekick, may be seeking a new partner-in-crime in the coming year. Danger initially dumped the hardware manufacturing of the Sidekick series over to Sharp so the company could focus more directly on the development of Sidekick software, but recently Danger's chief executive announced his company may be looking for a second hardware manufacturing partner soon. Motorola, anyone?

Sidekick maker seeks new partner [Reuters]

1:35:31 PM    comment   

When I was five years old, I imagined Martians looked just like a the LG Mingo. It's a simplified cellphone for kids to walk around with in their pockets. With only four buttons to call certain folks in case of an emergency, it also has a speakerphone in case they need an adult to help them with the call. It's available through Verizon and goes for $150 with a 1-year service activation.

Question is, will kids who own these be considered cool or are they already savvy enough to recognize this as crippled technology?

LG mingo cellphone for kids at Verizon [Ubergizmo]

Product page and plans [Verizon Wireless]

1:32:45 PM    comment   

LG is planning to start manufacturing CDMA handsets in India next year at the company’s existing plant in Pune, where it currently produces GSM handsets.

“As of now, the company imports CDMA handsets in India, but once the manufacturing begins it would be sufficient for the market here,” he said.

The Pune plant produces over one million GSM mobile handsets and the company plan to scale it up to 10 million by 2010, he said.

1:29:19 PM    comment   

VoIP Watch reveals that things are a bit more dire than even I had reported earlier.

12:40:49 PM    comment   

Given all the recent activity in the US around the concept of four-play (a combination of voice, video, data and wireless) services, it was only a matter of time before other countries jumped into the fray. The Telegraph reports that Richard Branson will merge his Virgin Mobile MVNO with NTL, a major cable service provider in the UK. Branson, who owns 72% of Virgin Mobile will hold 14% of the combined company. The new company will be called what else, Virgin. (Virgin and four play in one sentence… priceless, for everything else…. there is Master Card!)

The new Virgin will have 2.5 million broadband customers, 4.3 million fixed line phone customers, and will have revenues of close to $7 billion. The deal is predicated on NTL closing $5 billion merger with Telewest. It is ironic that the talks were held between Simon Duffy, CEO of NTL and Branson, who is not part of Virgin’s management. Even T-Mobile, the carrier that carries Virgin’s mobile traffic was told after a handshake deal was reached. This is not good news for Murdoch family, which has been trying to build its own four-play offering. Murdoch’s Sky recently snapped up EasyNet for $373 million.

One banker said yesterday: “James Murdoch is going to choke on his muesli when he hears about this one. It’s going to be the battle of the brands - Virgin versus Sky.”

Full story @ The Telegraph.

12:30:27 PM    comment   

Social Networks 3.0, the new new thing, says David Hornik.

12:29:23 PM    comment   

The photo above from a customer of Bowery Kitchen, Komazawa.

The super-customisation of mobile phones is gaining some traction here in Tokyo. Various shops in Shibuya will adorn your mobile phone (or iPod or digital camera) with rhinestones charging anything from 7,000 yen (50 Euro) for a pre-designed P900i cover to around 50,000 yen (350 Euro) for the full front and back design-to-order bling. Mostly but not exclusively for female clientel - men are starting to order quite gothic designs.

Jewel encrusting services can be found as an annex of some phone shops in popular shopping areas of Tokyo. Now nail shops are extending their offering to include mobile phone customisation - it's possible to order matching nail and phone designs.

(In my mind this is somehow all a logical progression from an analysis of 6447 used mobile phone covers and quick and dirty customisation)

I started out a sceptic but I have to admit some of the funkier pixel-art designs have started to grow on me.

12:27:03 PM    comment   

"Reliance Infocomm is ready with the platform providing 3G in mobile phone which will give all facilities available on broadband connections," claimed B M Jain, chief technical officer, Reliance Infocomm.

12:24:02 PM    comment   

With this, television sets are expected to double up as Internet service providers, apart from beaming up to 300 digital channels through the set top box. The TRAI has asked the information and broadcasting ministry to ensure introduction of digital television across the country by 2010, when Commonwealth Games are to be organised in Delhi.

"One should expect the cable bill to at least double, if not increase three times, with the introduction of digital channels. Under reporting on part of cable operators benefits consumers as it helps in keeping their monthly cable bill to a payable amount," said Vicky Chaudhary, a south Delhi cable operator.

12:23:26 PM    comment   

The downloadable 'WAMO Packs' include a variety of mobile music products such as videotones, mastertones and Flash screensavers and menus as part of a single download with the intention of letting customers customize their cell phone with their favorite artist. WAMO Packs also contain bonus material, such as video commentary from the artists, detailed information about the artists and their music, photos, cover art and links to web sites for additional information online.

This evolution in mobile music will come as no big surprise to those who attended the Mobile Monday Tokyo event at KDDI's Designing Studio in June! [Wireless Watch Japan]
12:22:26 PM    comment   

NTL has put in a bid of close to a billion pounds for mobile virtual network, Virgin, while Google has decided to launch itself as a mobile brand, setting up its own MVNO. Both are clearly reacting to rumours that Yahoo will go live as an MVNO within three months, leaving them without a presence in wireless communications.

11:22:04 AM    comment