Mobile News – RCR Wireless News

WESTLAKE, Ohio-Mobile virtual network operator Beyond Wireless Inc. announced new distribution points for its Jolt Mobile and Jolt PCS products. The Jolt service includes GSM service using an unnamed carrier and CDMA-based services using Sprint Nextel Corp.’s network. The company …

LOS ANGELES-A 23-year-old hacker who gained access to T-Mobile USA Inc.’s network and accessed the personal information of about 400 customers has been sentenced to a year of home detention, the Associated Press reported. Nicholas Lee Jacobsen also must pay …

More than one-third of wireless customers have some sort of data plan as part of their wireless subscription, according to research by The NPD Group. However, the retail and consumer information company concluded that “consumer adoption of most data services …

Greenpeace International has weighed in on mobile handset vendors’ friendliness to the environment, based on their use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing and their e-waste policies such as take backs and recycling. Overall, Greenpeace doesn’t like what it sees, but …

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-The market for long-form mobile video will begin to gain traction in 2008, according to new figures from In-Stat. The market research firm said that while long-form wireless TV-video content of more than 30 minutes-is still in an experimental …

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.-Hudson Entertainment said it has partnered with The Orchard in a publishing deal that aims to offer mobile content from Delicious Vinyl to mobile phones. The companies said the agreement includes the rights to master ringtones for artists …

BUENA PARK, Calif.-Yamaha Corp. of America released an application designed to allow musicians to use their mobile phones to tune instruments. The offering, dubbed “The Musician’s Companion,” features a pitch pipe, metronome and library of more than 1,000 guitar chord …

Sprint Nextel Corp. settled a patent-infringement lawsuit against two Voice Over Internet Protocol providers that have now entered into licensing agreements with Sprint Nextel. Sprint Nextel had sued tglo.com Inc. (formerly VoiceGlo Holdings Inc.) and Theglobe.com Inc. in October 2005 …

Space Data Corp. landed a $49 million contract to supply the U.S. Air Force with a communication system that sends radio-equipped industrial balloons filled with hydrogen or helium to between 12 miles and 62 miles above sea level. Space Data …

In the Aug. 21 article “Philadelphia loses chief of Wi-Fi push to consulting firm linked to muni network,” Dianah Neff was not fully named as Philadelphia’s departing Chief Information Officer.

NEW YORK CITY-Hip-hop music producer Jazze Pha took home Broadcast Music Inc.’s Urban Ringtone Award for his song “1, 2 Step.” BMI, a performing rights organization, handed out awards to R&B, rap and hip-hop songwriters, producers and publishers at its …

PLAINFIELD, Ind.-Brightpoint Inc. handled roughly 42 million mobile phones last year and may handle 60 million or more this year. But whatever you do, don’t call the company a distributor. “If anything, we are a customized logistics company,” Senior Vice …

Qualcomm Inc. declared victory after a U.S. district court dismissed an antitrust lawsuit filed by fellow chipmaker Broadcom Corp. Broadcom’s complaint, which was filed in July 2005, accused Qualcomm of violating antitrust laws by charging too much to license its …

BRISTOL, Conn.-Mobile ESPN L.L.C. reported plans to offer college football fans the chance to watch up to 25 live games each month during the season from their Mobile ESPN wireless phones. The mobile virtual network operator announced that it will …

Valista Ltd. is vying for more space on the mobile payments playground with a hosted, WAP-based offering for carriers in the United States and Europe. The Dublin, Ireland-based developer this week plans to unveil a new platform designed to serve …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission is moving closer to deciding whether to seek a rehearing or possibly a Supreme Court review of a federal appeals court’s rejection of rules that pre-empt states from regulating certain line items on consumers’ monthly bills, …

LOS ANGELES-Rhino Entertainment is targeting Generation X wireless users with content from classic children’s television shows from the 1970s and `80s. The division of Warner Music Group unveiled Krofft Mobile, a suite of ringtones, ringback tones, video ringers and images …

DENVER-Qwest Communications International Inc. said it plans to launch Sanyo Electronics Co. Ltd.’s Katana handset to its customers nationwide. The Katana, or model 6600, is a thin, clamshell phone that more than nods at Motorola Inc.’s Razr. “Katana,” Sanyo points …

ATLANTA-PC maker Lenovo is selling a laptop computer that has built-in support for Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s EDGE- and UMTS/HSDPA-based networks. The laptop is selling online for around $1,900. “ThinkPad users can now enjoy wireless broadband Internet access via the Cingular …

Sprint Nextel Corp. last week launched a new program for enterprise customers, hoping to be a “one-stop shop” for a range of needs from fleet dispatch management to mobile device management, with additional aspects to be added to the program …

MIAMI-Mobile-phone distributor Brightstar Corp. said it has completed expansion of a $250 million credit facility. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. led syndication of the credit facility; other investors included HSBC, USBank, Fifth Third Bank, Western Bank, CIT and IBM. Brightstar, …

Since ditching merger negotiations and a takeover bid a few weeks ago, Andrew Corp. has been busy buying back 2.4 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $9.10 per share. “We believe the share repurchase program …

Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. topped a new prepaid wireless customer satisfaction survey from J.D. Power & Associates. The rankings covered mobile virtual network operators and traditional wireless operators. The survey examined responses from about 4,000 current prepaid wireless customers on …

In other Wi-Fi news, AeroScout Inc. announced the launch of its enhanced Wi-Fi-based active RFID chip, the T2 Tag, which is used primarily for asset-tracking in the healthcare and manufacturing industries. The company’s latest enhancements to the T2 include a …

The FLO Forum said it approved a specification for its mobile TV network technology, a move that will allow equipment makers to build gear designed to work on any FLO-based network and enable operators to choose products from multiple vendors. …