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FCC chairman takes the hot seat at wireless gathering

SAN DIEGO--In his first major address to the wireless industry, the new Federal Communications Commission chairman, Julius Genachowski, offered some good news for wireless operators at the industry's biannual gathering here Wednesday. But he reiterated the FCC's plans to apply new Net neutrality rules to wireless, a plan that has met resistance among the industry's major players.

As part of his speech, Genachowski announced a new initiative to add more spectrum for high-speed Internet access, and he offered assurances that the FCC will help speed up 4G wireless roll-outs by cutting through red tape for new tower … Read more

Samsung Moment revealed as Sprint's second Android phone

On the opening day of CTIA Fall 2009, Samsung and Sprint started things off with a bang by announcing the Samsung Moment, the second Google Android phone to be released for both companies in the United States. The Moment will be available starting November 1 for $179.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate, but customers can preregister for the smartphone starting today at Sprint's Web site.

Unlike the Samsung Behold II, which will be available from T-Mobile on November 2 for $199.99 with contract, the Moment features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard in addition … Read more

Refreshing: Yahoo's mobile home page cutting back on reloads

Article updated at 2:50 pm PT with more details.

Last spring's CTIA Wireless conference saw Yahoo majorly refresh its m.yahoo.com home page for mobile visitors. At Wednesday's keynote talk, David Ko, Yahoo's senior vice president of Mobile, unveiled a refresh of that redo.

Most significantly, Yahoo includes pagination on the landing page, which imparts access to Yahoo's top story headlines and movie posters without having to reload the page. As on the iPhone, dots at the bottom of the news or RSS module indicate how many more "pages" await. You'll … Read more

Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade details

By now, you've heard about the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5 and some of the new features added to Microsoft's mobile operating system, such an improved Internet Explorer Mobile, My Phone backup service, and Windows Marketplace for Mobile. However, what if you want to get the benefits of 6.5 without having to get one of the new smartphones?

Well, to help current Windows Mobile phone owners, Microsoft has posted an update guide that outlines upgrade eligibility. Essentially, devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile 6.0 are out, but Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphones, … Read more

Kyocera to offer Android handset in 2010

Kyocera is no stranger to the U.S. market, but the company has long kept a low profile by producing low to midtier handsets for minor carriers. But at the fall CTIA show, Kyocera announced several new initiatives that could change its stateside image.

The company will launch a Google Android phone next year. Details on the device are unknown, but like other Android devices it should offer a touch screen and multimedia features. The Google handset will be part of the company's shift to high-end devices. Kyocera also will launch LTE devices by 2011. The company didn't … Read more

Shazam debuts in Windows Marketplace for Mobile

Shazam, which has long been helping users identify songs, artists, and albums on other mobile platforms like the iPhone, BlackBerry phones, Nokia phones, and Android devices, now makes its Windows Mobile app store debut as a freemium application. That is, anyone can use the basics for free, but a few more-advanced features will cost you.

Here's what you can do for free: When you activate Shazam and hold the phone near the source of the recorded music, the app checks the sample against Shazam's online database and returns suggestions to you. The app also leads you to opportunities … Read more

Fall collection: Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones

Microsoft has officially launched Windows Mobile 6.5, an upgrade to its mobile operating system. While not a major overhaul of the OS, 6.5 does bring a number of enhancements and new services. Interface changes were made to make Windows phones more touch- and consumer-friendly. Internet Explorer Mobile got some much-needed attention, adding new navigation tools as well as Flash Lite support. Microsoft also launched its own app store, Windows Marketplace for Mobile, and a backup service called My Phone.

Of course, with new software, there also comes new hardware. Microsoft has already said that it will launch more … Read more

HTC HD2 revealed with HTC Sense

On Tuesday, Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC unveiled its fifth Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphhone, the HTC HD2. It will be the company's first Windows Mobile phone to rock HTC's Sense user interface, which debuted on the HTC Hero. The HD2 will also be powered by Qualcomm's new 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor and boasts a 4.3-inch WVGA (480x800) capacitive touch screen. Other highlights include Bluetooth 2.1, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.

The HTC HD2 will be available through select European operators later in October and will ship to other regions of … Read more

Windows mobile app store, My Phone service officially opening

Updated at 8:05 am PDT with a slideshow and some first impressions of the Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store, at 4:25 pm PT with a correction about Marketplace reviews, and at 12:10 am PT on 10/7/09 with an update about the availability of Marketplace on other Windows Mobile platforms, and details on the My Phone service.

On Tuesday morning, as Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 phones hit the market, two of its mobile services are officially launching.

Brand new to 6.5 phones are Windows Marketplace for Mobile--an application storefront like that found on iPhone, BlackBerry, and every other major mobile OS--and a Web-based backup and sharing service called My Phone.

We've heard plenty about both services in the days and months leading up to this release. The much-anticipated Windows Marketplace for Mobile has a well-thought out model that will eventually include both a Web and on-phone storefront, and a flexible billing system that lets you purchase apps using either a credit card or your monthly phone bill (depending on the carrier). According to Microsoft, the PC catalog isn't available now but is planned to be released before the year's end.

There's also a self-service return policy that gives you a full refund from unwanted apps within a 24-hour period. There's a caveat, of course. You'll be limited to one refund per month to avoid abusing the system. The app store launches in 29 countries on Tuesday.

In our pre-release demo, we found the app store to be a little visually boring, though serviceable. Following a proven app store model, Windows Marketplace for Mobile has a search bar, a featured apps showcase, and a list of browseable categories. In them, you'll only see applications that work on your phone model and in your country. There's also an personalized screen that helps you manage the apps you have. As with iPhones and BlackBerrys, if you switch devices, you can easily re-download the apps you installed through the Marketplace. You'll sign on with your Windows Live ID. We heard before the launch that you won't be able to create your own reviews until the second phase, but in truth, rating and reviews are fully functional today.

Microsoft didn't tell us how many apps were expected in the app store Tuesday morning, but with 82 games ready to download, there are at least 100 apps altogether. We already see Facebook, Netflix Mobile, Zagat to Go, Windows Live, and the Midomi music app. Most app prices range so far from free to about $10, though the most expensive one we spotted so far is a $25 golf calculator. We saw quite a few $20 games as well. … Read more