retail

Mobile game publishers have gained steady-if uninspiring-traction churning out titles based on blockbuster movies and classic board games. But what the industry really needs, some believe, is some fresh ideas. And they’re unlikely to come from some of the more …

The second quarter is over in a week and will end with a bang or a whimper, depending on how “opening weekend” goes for Apple Inc.’s iPhone. Hard numbers from the vendors themselves are due in mid-July and the leading …

Hedge*hog*ing v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.In the “I’d change the channel, but the remote control is too far away” department, always-thinking Sony Ericsson unveiled a trio of Bluetooth-enabled …

MEDIA COMPANIES AND RETAILERS are beginning to target wireless users with free, advertising-supported services. And carriers are slowly tolerating-if not quite embracing-such offerings.USA Today last week launched a mobile search service that delivers text alerts about news, sports scores, stock …

IMAGINE THIS made-for-TV moment:An outsized individual-a Sumo wrestler, say-is about to perform the much-revered cannonball maneuver into the deep end of a swimming pool. A traditional cast of bon vivants garbed in linen suits and straw hats, ladies in polka-dot …

Behind the seemingly mild-mannered, Finnish face of Nokia Corp. lies the heart of a crafty predator.The company has seen the markets of the future and it plans to be more nimble to pounce on opportunity as it arises, or as …

Mobile payment startup Obopay Inc. announced a distribution deal that secures space on the deck of Verizon Wireless, the nation’s No. 2 carrier.The Redwood City, Calif.-based payment company unveiled a BREW-enabled version of its flagship application that allows users to …

Verizon Wireless named Ajay Waghray as its new chief information officer, effective July 1. Waghray has been a leader in the company’s information technology organization for seven years and will now be responsible for the carrier’s overall information technology strategy, …

In the primordial days of the affordable, multimedia/enterprise slab-say, a year ago-the Nokia Corp. E62 swiftly joined the fray initiated by the Motorola Inc. Q. They were soon joined by the RIM Pearl, along with a host of others. The …

Finnish handset vendor Nokia Corp. used its annual Nokia Connection event at telecom conference CommunicAsia in Singapore to beef up its mid-range offerings with three handsets, one destined for the United States.The Nokia 3500 emphasizes style over substance, apparently, as …

HTC Corp. moved from original device manufacturer to original equipment manufacturer at Sprint Nextel Corp. this week with an HTC-branded smartphone at the high end of the price range for the U.S. market.The Taiwan-based smartphone maker has been raising its …

Regional telecommunications provider NTELOS Inc. announced plans for an overhaul to its advertising efforts, news that coincides with the company’s hiring of new advertising firm The Johnson Group. NTELOS said the marketing firm will create new internal and external ad …

AT&T Mobility says more than a million customers have signed up for information regarding the much-hyped iPhone, and Apple Inc.’s Steve Jobs has said that he expects the device to sell around 10 million units in 2008. An April survey …

When customers call, marketers aren’t doing a very good job addressing their concerns. That’s the conclusion of a new call-center-satisfaction study, which found one-fifth of callers hang up with unresolved issues.Callers to personal-computer companies were most unhappy, with a satisfaction …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We’ve collected a group of the industry’s leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Compete’s Miro …

Fans of GPS applications are getting enhanced features at two of the nation’s largest carriers. AT&T Mobility announced four of its newer Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry devices can now provide customers direct access to traffic and re-routing information through …

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Amp’d Mobile Inc. may not necessarily signal the death knell for the business model, but is certain to make investors and partners wary and put additional pressure on other fledgling mobile virtual network operators …

Editor’s Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what’s hot in wireless. Wireless Toyz stores operate in 24 states across the country offering devices and services …

Fans of GPS applications are getting enhanced features at two of the nation’s largest carriers. AT&T Mobility announced four of its newer Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry devices can now provide customers direct access to traffic and re-routing information through …

Firefly Mobile, maker of the Firefly mobile phone designed for children, said its gadget is now available at Kmart stores nationwide.The news is notable as Firefly lost a major distribution channel when AT&T Mobility dropped the Firefly from its lineup.The …

Apropos of a recent handset offering dubbed “The Blend”-which combines CDMA and iDEN network access in one handset-Sprint Nextel Corp. has blended the online presentation of its CDMA and iDEN phone lines.The carrier now offers handsets in three categories: “walkie-talkie …

Best Buy Co. Inc. has expanded its mobile retail experiment, bringing on additional wireless-only retail locations beyond the initial test market in New York City.Best Buy Mobile started out with 13 stand-alone and store-within-a-store locations in the New York metro …

Whether it’s through a transistor radio, a Walkman or an iPod, on-the-go music has an impressive track record as a business model. But when it comes to revenues from full-track downloads, their may be little room on the dance floor …

Gadgets beget more gadgets, leading to fun, safety and productivity for consumers and profit for all. What’s not to love about that? New figures for the accessory market place its ascendance in context and underscore how handset vendors and network …

AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. see opportunities ahead for their international operations, according to remarks by company executives at last week’s Lehman Brothers Worldwide Wireless and Wireline conference. Meanwhile, Sprint Nextel Corp. is doing its darnedest to convince Wall …