Text Messaging

It was a fairly quiet week in the wireless world, but we still managed to share a few observations and kvetches-or as we like to say, here’s what got us hedgehogging last week. Most carriers are still dancing around the …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Sprint Nextel Corp. raised the price it charges users to send a text message to 15 cents, up from a previous price of 10 cents. The carrier also added a cent to the cost of “casual” data usage, …

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 RCR to rant and rave about whatever rubs …

NEW YORK—Content provider Mobile Streams said it built an off-deck WAP portal to provide content from Showtime Networks Inc. The company said it will offer video clips from various Showtime programs. The portal initially will offer video clips and wallpapers …

 World Wrestling Entertainment is encouraging its fans to register to vote via an online voter registration campaign that urges young adults to register to vote using their cellular phone. WWE is using Mobile Voter’s text messaging tool to allow its …

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—Customer spending on wireless services continues to increase, according to the latest survey by J.D. Power and Associates—and consumers’ expectations of their wireless carriers will continue to rise along with their spending. The firm’s latest customer satisfaction survey …

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—Customer spending on wireless services continues to increase, according to the latest survey by J.D. Power and Associates—and consumers’ expectations of their wireless carriers will continue to rise along with their spending. The firm’s latest customer satisfaction survey …

SAN DIEGO-Digital Orchid is looking to expand its portfolio and global footprint with the acquisition of mobile game publisher Blue Tech. Blue Tech is a 2-year-old vendor based in Madrid, Spain, and is the parent company of Java developer Kato …

SAN DIEGO—Digital Orchid is looking to expand its portfolio and global footprint with the acquisition of mobile game publisher Blue Tech. Blue Tech is a 2-year-old vendor based in Madrid, Spain, and is the parent company of Java developer Kato …

RealNetworks Inc. is buying itself a bigger space on the wireless entertainment playground with a $350 million acquisition of South Korean-based developer WiderThan Co. Ltd. The Seattle-based digital media company said it will spend $17.05 per share to acquire WiderThan, …

LOS ANGELES–Aeris, which provides machine-to-machine services, said it expanded its strategic agreement with U.S. Cellular Corp. The expanded agreement calls for Aeris to use U.S. Cellular’s network to expand its footprint and to add 1x, text messaging and MicroBurst services …

LOS ANGELES—Aeris, which provides machine-to-machine services, said it expanded its strategic agreement with U.S. Cellular Corp. RCR @ CTIA Click here for complete coverage of the CTIA Wireless I.T. show. Click here for the latest headlines from the show. The …

RealNetworks Inc. is buying itself a bigger space on the wireless entertainment playground with a $350 million acquisition of South Korean-based developer WiderThan Co. Ltd. The Seattle-based digital media company said it will spend $17.05 per share to acquire WiderThan, …

LOS ANGELES-A new partnership between TV Guide Mobile Entertainment Inc. and 4INFO Inc. aims to deliver TV listings to cellular phones. Wireless subscribers will immediately be able to search for programs by title, time or channel. The offering will work …

LOS ANGELES—A new partnership between TV Guide Mobile Entertainment Inc. and 4INFO Inc. aims to deliver TV listings to cellular phones. Wireless subscribers will immediately be able to search for programs by title, time or channel. The offering will work …

Welcome to Hedgehogging, the editorial staff’s weekly column about wireless-related stories that got us talking this week. Is it just us, or are a lot of people who work in the wireless industry checking to see what the high bids …

SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. became the latest carrier to step onto the full-track download playground, teaming with digital music provider Napster L.L.C. to offer a relatively vast library of 2 million tunes. SunCom subscribers can download songs to both a …

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. became the latest carrier to step onto the full-track download playground, teaming with digital music provider Napster L.L.C. to offer a relatively vast library of 2 million tunes. SunCom subscribers can download songs to both …

Fear not, Mike Dano-ranting fans, your leader has not disappeared, but is only resting so as to return stronger with your beloved ravings about all things wrong in wireless. In the meantime, I have been tapped by the all-powerful-foaming-from-the-mouth-one to …

CHICAGO—U.S. Cellular Corp. turned on network coverage in underground portions of the Chicago Transit Authority’s train system, and is the only carrier to currently offer service in the 11.4-mile subway system. CTA installed infrastructure designed to improve communications among emergency …

Call it the WAP gap. Major media companies and mega-brands around the world are trying to lure customers by promoting short codes as a kind of red carpet to their Internet and mobile offerings. Consumers can send a text message …

IRVINE, Calif.—AskMeNow, which allows cell-phone users to search the Internet for information using natural language queries, said it disabled its call-in Interactive Voice Response feature while it makes enhancements to the service. The company said customers may still submit queries …

Obopay inked its first carrier agreement last week, announcing a deal to provide wireless payment services for mobile virtual network operator Amp’d Mobile Inc. But most operators aren’t exactly embracing such services with open arms. The startup allows users to …

ALBRIGHTON, United Kingdom—Mobile software developer ROK Media Ltd. said it has acquired U.K.-based content developer Fonedream. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ROK’s offerings include a “place-shifting” device that allows users to watch their home TV broadcasts over mobile …

Upoc Networks announced it is providing mobile chat and community functions to Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. customers. The service allows customers to access thousands of existing messaging groups or create their own personal messaging groups. The service is available on …