2007

Embedded security developer Discretix pocketed $20 million in a third round of financing.New investor Sequoia Capital participated in the round, joining backers Accel Partners, Pitango Venture Capital, Genesis Partners, SFK, …

Ringback tones continue to gain traction even as the U.S. ringtone market plateaus, according to new figures from M:Metrics.The market research firm found that the popularity of ringback tones-music clips …

WASHINGTON-Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced a bill aimed at increasing broadband access by unlocking unused TV spectrum-called white spaces-for Wi-Fi.“At a time when the U.S. is lagging behind much of …

Mobile virtual network operator XE Mobile has worked out a distribution deal with Office Depot stores, aiming to land college-age customers as they shop for school supplies. “We’re already seeing …

SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. said it named Bernstein-Rein as its new advertising agency.The regional wireless opertor also appointed Jane Passantino executive director of advertising and brand management. Passantino’s marketing experience …

Warner Music Group struck its second mobile deal in as many days, announcing an agreement to distribute videos through MobiTV Inc.The music company said it will offer made-for-mobile videos including …

Visa launched a mobile payment platform designed to support contactless payments, coupons and other m-commerce-related applications.The offering “is designed to foster collaboration between the financial services and mobile telecommunications sectors,” …

Apple Computer Inc. finally unveiled the iPhone.As expected, Apple CEO Steve Jobs showcased the highly-anticipated device during his keynote speech at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco. Cingular …

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s trouble in holding onto its postpaid iDEN subscribers continued during the fourth quarter as the company announced weak fourth quarter customer metrics and said that network and …

WASHINGTON-Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) said he will introduce legislation to free up vacant broadcast spectrum, a move that could provide additional frequencies for Wi-Fi and WiMAX services.“Most of the time, …

Amp’d Mobile Inc. is continuing to build on its appeal to younger mobile phone users. The mobile virtual network operator has further expanded its mobile entertainment portal through fresh deals …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission rejected the mobile-phone industry’s petition for regulatory relief from the recently passed deadline for meeting enhanced 911 handset-based location requirements, sending non-compliance of Sprint Nextel Corp. …

Motorola Inc. is jumping into the mobile music business with an effort to sell wireless content from Warner Music Group Corp.The handset maker said it will offer preloaded and downloadable …

T-Mobile USA Inc. tapped Medio Systems to power mobile content searches on its t-zones portal.The carrier said Medio’s technology “presents subscribers with the most relevant results” for content such as …

WASHINGTON-Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) said he is drafting legislation to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from forcing technology standards on the communications industry.“The FCC seems to be under the belief …

Yahoo Inc. is using the Consumer Electronics Show to tout a host of new partnerships supporting its Go 2.0 service.The Internet giant announced pacts to preload an updated version of …

Amp’d Mobile Inc. continues to tout its success in the mobile virtual network operator space, gaining more than 70,000 customers in the fourth quarter to end 2006 with more than …

Modeo L.L.C., a subsidiary of Crown Castle International Corp., announced today that it has launched a trial version of its live, commercial quality mobile TV service in New York City. …

Sprint Nextel Corp. has chosen the Chicago and Washington, D.C., metro areas for the first deployment of its WiMAX network, with a rollout that it expected to cover at least …

Sling Media Inc. continued to expand its wireless functionality, adding support for devices running Palm Inc.’s operating system.The place-shifting technology company said owners of its flagship SlingBox device can now …

As expected, Verizon Wireless announced in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas details of its planned mobile TV service, which will run on Qualcomm Inc.’s MediaFLO mobile …

For the wireless industry, it may be the most disruptive technology of 2006. And it all happened because Blake Krikorian couldn’t watch a baseball game. Krikorian, a San Francisco native …

Sling Media Inc. was only a blip on the wireless industry’s radar screen until April, when the company released its SlingPlayer Mobile software. The $30 software allows SlingBox owners to …

As the wireless industry rings in 2007 at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we’ll likely see some hot new looks from the nation’s top wireless players. You …