World Briefs

South Korea

Motorola Inc. introduced a super-slim sliding-style phone in South Korea, dubbed the Z, which is the latest wafer-thin handset from the maker of the wildly popular Razr. However, the company said the CDMA phone is only intended for the Asian market. Introduced more than a year ago, Motorola’s Razr is one of the most popular mobile phones ever. Indeed, one out of every four Motorola handsets shipped in the fourth quarter was a Razr device, according to analysts. Due to the Razr’s popularity, Motorola has been releasing Razr variants; the company now sells GSM, CDMA and W-CDMA Razrs in a variety of colors, as well as a candybar-style Razr-like device dubbed the Slvr. Motorola is also planning a super-slim smart phone, complete with a tiny QWERTY keyboard, called the Q. Motorola executives have promised a variety of Razr-style phones, including devices that slide open and rotate open. South Korean media first reported on Motorola’s new sliding-style Z. Motorola confirmed the new handset, but was not immediately able to provide specifications on the device.

United Kingdom

Mobile video advertising company Rhythm NewMedia opened offices in the United Kingdom. Stephen Upstone is set to lead the company’s U.K. office in the role of senior director of U.K. operations. Most recently, Upstone was business development director at Touch Clarity, an advertising and content targeting company. Rhythm NewMedia delivers targeted advertising into mobile content.

BAHAMAS

Plans for an islandwide Wi-Fi network is coming to the Bahamas thanks to an agreement between Meru Networks, a wireless Voice over Internet Protocol infrastructure developer, and Sawtel Inc., a satellite and wireless telecommunications provider. Sawtel said it plans to implement Meru’s wireless local area network indoor and outdoor systems solution, providing voice, data and video services to business and residential users on the 140 square-mile island.

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