June 2008

The following list includes venture capital and other investments into wireless companies announced during the past week. The value of the investment is included when available. —BridgeWave: Intel Capital and …

Last year, of course, the iPhone launch drove hand-wringing over the need to revamp user interfaces, accompanied by a move to large-display touchscreens.A wave of devices sporting large-display touchscreens followed, …

Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for …

Microsoft Corp. said it will acquire the Portuguese mobile software developer MobiComp for an undisclosed sum.MobiComp specializes in data protection and management technologies that allow the backup and restoration of …

Suddenly, it’s all about consolidating handset platforms. Today, LiPS said it would jump on the LiMo. Earlier this week, Nokia Corp. said it would buy out its partners in Symbian …

Regional wireless carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc. announced a new promotion, MetroFlash, that will allow shoppers with a compatible CDMA handset to connect to the MetroPCS network; users will be able …

PlayPhone Inc. is targeting Hispanic mobile users with a Spanish-language version of its online storefront.The San Jose, Calif.-based company said the site offers Latino-targeted content as well as wares from …

Research In Motion Ltd. doubled its fiscal first quarter revenue and net income over the year-ago quarter, sold 5.4 million devices and added 2.3 million new subscribers. RIM’s fiscal first …

The world’s first advertising-funded mobile telecoms operator, Blyk, will enter the German, Spanish and Belgian markets next year, the company said.

The large Surface tabletop computer in the office Gates soon will relinquish to Ballmer offers one clue about where he thinks computing is going: The interactive, 30-inch touch-responsive tables can …

Electromagnetic glitches occurred in almost 30 percent of the tests when microchip devices similar to those in many types of wireless medical equipment were placed within about one foot of …

Back in 2002, there was suddenly a lot of buzz about how MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) were going to be the next big thing.

Wait. Scroll. Scroll. Tap-tap. Wait. Wait. For many years, that was the typical experience of someone surfing the Web using a mobile phone or PDA, at least in the U.S. …

“Is this interesting to Google?” That’s what Andy Rubin was asking Larry Page. It was a spring day in 2005, and the two were in a conference room just off …

But security concerns hinder millions more.

Brightpoint Inc. said today it would distribute handsets for Verizon Wireless’ indirect channel of authorized agents and national retailers. Bob Laikin, chairman and CEO of Brightpoint, declined to discuss the …

Loopt scored another carrier win, notching a deal to place its friend-finding service on Verizon Wireless’s deck.The Silicon Valley-based startup offers a GPS-based service that allows users to locate friends …

Based on preliminary analysis of the 3G iPhone, Apple’s new handset may be its most profitable product, garnering better than 50% margins, according to analysts.Though the grand shift from hardware …

Looking to cut into its rivals’ wireless-wireline bundles, T-Mobile USA Inc. announced it will expand its wireline calling plan nationwide. The carrier’s @Home offering allows T-Mobile USA customers to place …

Speech-recognition startup vlingo Corp. launched a free downloadable application that allows BlackBerry users to navigate their phones using voice. Vlingo for BlackBerry users can speak commands into their handsets to …

We know that the iPhone 3G will have “assisted GPS.” But what does that mean? Unfortunately, there is no clear definition of this term, and of course it's beneath Apple …

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators agree that distracted drivers are dangerous. But the government won’t require phones built into cars and trucks to shut down automatically when the vehicles are moving. …

Apple Inc. is distributing to its retail and sales personnel an internal iPhone 3G Frequently Asked Questions document which implies that first-day sales and activation procedures are still being ironed …

Interactive media’s share of worldwide advertising expenditures is expected to hit 15 percent in 2009, almost double from four years ago, and will remain the main source of growth as …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.CarrierStandard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its outlook on U.K.-based mobile …