February 2009

Boost Mobile’s decision to refocus its efforts on parent company Sprint Nextel Corp.’s iDEN network may be just what the doctor ordered – or a way to make the iDEN network a more attractive acquisition target.After launching a trial of …

The world’s top cellphone maker Nokia will unveil its new application store next week, hoping to follow the runaway success of Apple’s App Store, two industry sources told Reuters on Friday.

Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced plans to open its own stores despite the economic downturn that has left many retailers struggling.

VH1 is the latest cable programmer to launch an iPhone application, with the news today that it’s rolling out celebrity photos and show clips this month to the popular cellphone. VH1’s effort follows iPhone app introductions earlier this week by …

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.—Pontis: Norwest Venture Partners led a $19.65 million round of financing into software developer Pontis …

The Federal Trade Commission today issued revised guidelines for how wireless and other communications companies should police themselves to protect consumers’ privacy in behavioral advertising. But a top watchdog group said the report reflects the hands-off regulatory philosophy of the …

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 us at RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs …

Alltel Communications L.L.C customers can relax; Verizon Wireless announced it will offer its own version of Alltel’s long-standing MyCircle calling plan, just with a different name. Ever since Verizon Wireless announced it would acquire Alltel, customers and industry watchers began …

Facebook Inc. is stepping up its efforts to integrate its social network into an array of mobile phones, including those made by Nokia Corp., the world’s largest handset maker.

Sun Microsystems Inc. is hoping to bridge the gap between smartphones and feature phones with a new platform targeting mid- and lower-end devices.The Santa Clara, Calif.-based developer unveiled the mobile version of JavaFX, an offering designed to run atop Java …

Aruba Networks Inc. said it won round one in a patent infringement case filed against the company by Motorola Inc. and two of its subsidiaries regarding technology used for the wireless local area network market.The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office …

A defunct Russian satellite has collided in orbit with another from the Iridium satcomms fleet, according to reports. Both spacecraft were wrecked, creating two large clouds of hazardous high-speed debris. The International Space Station (ISS) is not thought to be …

Podsystem, the telemetry specialist, has released a UK M2M data Sim that is compatible within the UK on O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile. The Sim can roam across multiple UK mobile networks, reducing the chances of losing signal.

A new build version of the Windows 7 beta has been available on several torrent sites as Microsoft ended the distribution of an earlier version, according to a report.

A couple of weeks ago, iPhone developer App Cubby decided to try a little experiment. It would lower the price of its three apps–Trip Cubby, Gas Cubby, and Health Cubby–(which previously sold for a few dollars each) to 99 cents …

When it comes to mobile in the enterprise, presence is the buzzword. Just like it was three years ago.Presence – a vaguely defined term referring to the ability to determine the availability and whereabouts of others – was a key …

All the pieces are in place for a turnaround at Palm Inc., CEO Ed Colligan said in extolling the company’s next-generation platform, due to launch in months.Perhaps the biggest variable in that turnaround, however, is a lackluster economy with limited …

Some Southwest Airlines customers will now be free to move around the Web.The Dallas-based airline said on Tuesday it will offer in-flight Internet access to customers, but is using different technology than its competitors. Southwest said it will be the …

Verizon Wireless updated its InPulse prepaid offering with two new options and the extension of free weekend minutes to existing prepaid customers enrolled in the Plus plan. The pair of new offerings are dubbed Prepaid Unlimited Talk and Prepaid Basic. …

Shares of Research In Motion Ltd. plunged after the manufacturer said its quarterly earnings and gross margin would come in at the low end of expectations, despite better-than-expected subscriber growth.The Canadian-based BlackBerry maker said it will exceed its previous forecast …

Nortel Networks Corp. will have more time in its efforts to develop business and financial restructuring plans that will be considered by creditors and a Canadian court as part of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings.The beleaguered company was given 30 days …

Nokia Corp. is scaling back operations by closing up shop in one location and cutting employees in another. The world’s largest handset vendor announced today that it would close its Jyvaskyla, Finland, site, and will now concentrate mobile device research …

Google Inc. is targeting carriers and third-party mobile Web publishers with a new embeddable search box.The developer quietly rolled out “AdSense for mobile search,” which enables portals to place a Google-branded search box on their sites. Results are delivered through …

Smartphone sales are expected to increase 95% to more than 300 million by 2013 and could help key brands like Nokia during the current economic downturn, according to a new report from Juniper Research.The firm noted there is a rising …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.Handset and infrastructure vendors–Credit Suisse First Boston lowered its estimates on Motorola after the company reported fourth-quarter results and weak guidance. …