Sony Ericsson

SHANGHAI, China-Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd. agreed to buy the remaining interest it did not already own in Beijing Digital-Red Mobile Software Co. Ltd., a mobile games developer. Shanda first purchased a minority stake in Digital-Red in January. Digital-Red said it …

CALGARY-Zi Corp. has released an updated version of its eZiTap Front End Processor, a downloadable version of its embedded eZiTap predictive text software. Version 2 of eZiTap FEP is being offered through Handango’s 100 download portals. In addition to English, …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications has teamed with Finnish mobile game developer Sumea to launch a three-dimensional snowboarding game. “Extreme Air Snowboarding,” which will be available for download in September, can be played only on the Sony Ericsson K500. The …

Fourteen companies, including service providers, infrastructure suppliers and handset vendors, have come together to publish a set of open specifications for extending mobile voice and data services over wireless local area networks. The companies listed under the body known as …

Worldwide mobile-phone sales are on track to reach 620 million units for full-year 2004, according to new market research from Gartner Inc. In fact, if current sales momentum is maintained, Gartner analysts said 650 million units could be sold for …

Sprint Corp. reported that Ford Motor Co. has selected the telecommunications company to be the preferred wireless provider of Bluetooth phones and services for Ford’s Mobile-Ease Hands-Free Communication System. The system is a dealer-installed option for select Ford, Lincoln and …

As the wireless data market heats up, enterprise-focused Research In Motion Ltd. said it is poised to face the competition. Competitors point out that while RIM currently dominates the market, its narrow, e-mail-centric focus is bound to become outdated. RIM …

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-Red Bend Software announced a global agreement with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. to embed Red Bend’s vCurrent Mobile over-the-air software update technology in Sony Ericsson mobile phones. OTA technology allows handset makers and carriers to remotely fix phone …

A new battle of technologies may be in the offing in the 802.11n arena as 12 key companies have developed a key proposal to counter another one announced last week that is backed by a group of top wireless players. …

LONDON-Samsung leads the market in available handsets that feature integrated cameras and multimedia messaging service capability, according to market research firm EMC’s World Cellular Handset Tracker. The study, which covers 17 worldwide markets, showed more than 60 Samsung handsets with …

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-Zeosoft Technology Group Inc. said it has unveiled what it describes as the first application server wireless platform for cellular phones. Its ZeoSphere XR2.1 is for the Sony Ericsson P900 smart phone. The company said the “wireless platform enables …

Wireless e-mail stalwart Research In Motion Ltd. should brace for intense competition as converged devices with BlackBerry-esque e-mail functionality and cell-phone features, including voice capabilities, enter the enterprise. So goes the cry of RIM’s competitors, anyway. RIM’s flagship BlackBerry e-mail …

LONDON-Symbian Ltd. said its operating results for the first half of 2004 show global shipments of Symbian OS-based phones nearly doubled to 5 million, as compared to the first half of 2003 when 2.7 million units were shipped. Six months …

Aggressive tactics from some device manufacturers and conservative moves by others are causing a shift in global handset market share, according to new research from IDC. According to IDC, Nokia Corp.’s market share has dropped to 27.7 percent, having shipped …

Motorola Inc. had its share of ups and downs last week, when news of solid earnings and the launch of three new handsets collided with a software glitch in several of its Nextel Communications Inc. A-GPS-enabled phones. The company’s second-quarter …

Market share mayhem A two-way pager. A digital handset. A clamshell phone. A camera phone. All fine devices, and all devices whose introductions-and delays-have the power to change the fortunes of the companies that produce them. One misstep and it …

TORONTO-Canadian wireless provider Rogers Wireless Inc. launched Sony Ericsson’s GC82 EDGE PC Card across its network following the recent completion of its EDGE technology deployment covering approximately 93 percent of the Canadian population. The launch follows network trials initiated late …

Continuing the recent flood of camera-phone announcements, Samsung released plans for a 3.2-megapixel digital camera phone, the SPH-S2300, that it said includes features that align its capabilities with those of a digital camera. The phone includes a 3X optical linear …

Second-quarter earnings released last week by major handset manufacturers showed Nokia Corp. losing market share, while Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. increased their sales expectations for the year. Nokia set a dismal tone for the …

SEOUL, South Korea-Continuing the recent flood of camera-phone announcements, Samsung released plans for a 3.2-megapixel digital camera phone, the SPH-S2300, that it said includes features that align its capabilities with those of a digital camera. The phone includes a 3X …

TOKYO-Second-quarter financial earnings released today by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB and Audiovox Corp. offered further insight into how 2004 might pan out for wireless handset makers. Sony Ericsson said it shipped 10.4 million units in the quarter, a 55-percent …

Vodafone Sweden launched multimedia consumer services via its UMTS-based network in Sweden along with promotional rate plans that include up to 120 free minutes of video calls each month to all networks in the country. The carrier originally launched its …

Symbian Software Ltd.’s shareholders raised their stakes in the company this week, but rivals kept Nokia Corp.’s equity stake below 50 percent, ensuring the operating system developer would maintain its independent image. Nokia, Panasonic, Siemens AG and Sony Ericsson Mobile …

LONDON-Orange U.K. said it will launch its third-generation W-CDMA network July 19. The launch will include the country’s major cities. The company’s French subsidiary will launch 3G service this fall. The European operator noted numerous business applications that would be …

NEW ORLEANS-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. said its GSM network is available throughout Louisiana as part of the carrier’s plan to invest $85 million in its Louisiana network this year. Cingular noted its EDGE wireless data service is also available in Louisiana, …