mobility

Reuters and the Nokia Research Center have announced that they are working on a joint project to enable journalists to file and publish stories and multimedia news content from handheld devices instead of computers. Called Reuters Mobile Journalism, the initiative relies upon connecting peripherals to Nokia's high-end N95 device--a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard, a small tripod for video interviews, and a microphone that can plug into the mobile handset--as well as software to make it easier to put together text, images and streaming media.

"By running on handheld devices, rather than on bulkier laptop computers, the mobile journalism application enables … Read more

Today bluepulse, a free mobile social network, announced a platform shift that will give smartphone users access to the free service for the first time. Bluepulse is now Webware.

Until now, the strictly-mobile social network installed on JAD and JAR downloads to Java and Symbian cell phones, but wouldn't run on smartphones like Pocket PCs or Palm Treos. Migrating to a wholly Web-based app opens the door for smartphone users to take advantage of the service's instant messaging and social discovery mash-up.

In addition to making the switch to Web, bluepulse also adds an all-in-one message in-box and … Read more

Well, It doesn't appear that Microsoft will be taking direct aim at the iPhone on Tuesday.

Rather, the software maker is playing to its strengths, announcing a new piece of server software to help businesses manage a company's worth of smartphones.

That doesn't mean Microsoft isn't interested in say, adding a full Web browser into Windows Mobile, according to Scott Horn, a general manager in Microsoft's mobile device unit.

"Do I see a path where we are going to have a phenomenal browsing experience," Horn said. "Yes, I do."

But the … Read more

Thumbplay, a sales hub for mobile ringtones, videos, and games, will announce tomorrow at the CTIA conference in San Francisco, California, that it has also become a free database for user-generated content.

Account-holders can upload and store media from either their cell phone or computer to their Thumbplay "locker." From there, they can send images and clips to friends via SMS or e-mail. Users can also download content from fellow Thumplay members for free, and grab code to affix the image on any personal Web page that accepts HTML embedding. Oddly, there doesn't seem to be a … Read more

The iPhone is a tough act to follow.

That will be the challenge for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who is keynoting at the CTIA Fall 2007 trade show on Tuesday.

A preshow flyer promised a major news announcement from Microsoft. But what would be considered major for Microsoft in the wake of the iPhone?

To be sure, Microsoft targets a different audience than Apple. Those considering Microsoft's phones are typically e-mail addicts who are more likely to weigh a BlackBerry than anything from Cupertino.

But even business users would benefit from many of the features Apple has packed into … Read more

Who needs a pencil to track a golf game when you've got a finger? Seasoned swingers will benefit from a finger-friendly iPhone app that stores course, par, and game information. The free iGolfScorecard lays it all out in an attractive interface.

Like many mobile apps, the simplicity here is refreshing. Bookmarking the site and creating an account are the hardest parts. Once that's ingested, you can immediately start entering course names and scores for 9-hole and 18-hole greens. iGolfScorecard tracks the par and stroke count for up to four players per game.

After the last swing, iGolfScorecard shows your overall scorecard and game statistics, including the total par and average. Once saved, you can in theory review statistics from a previous game. The scorecard I saved for my 9-hole game didn't immediately show up, which is disappointing, since the user experience up to this point had been blissfully smooth.… Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--One area where Sun Microsystems' Java caught on was in mobile phones, but a leader of the project is working to eventually replace the mobile-specific version of the software.

Java Standard Edition (SE), geared for desktop computers, will gradually supplant Java Micro Edition (ME) as technology improvements let more computing power be packed into smaller devices, said James Gosling, the Sun vice president often called the father of Java.

"We're trying to converge everything to the Java SE specification. Cell phones and TV set-top boxes are growing up," Gosling said at a Java media event here … Read more

Yes, you read that right. After what seemed like ages (heck, this video shown here was taken way back at CES 2007), Verizon Wireless today officially announced the availability of the Samsung SCH-i760 smartphone.

A bigger, badder version of the Samsung BlackJack, this Windows Mobile 6 (Professional Edition) device adds a slide-out QWERTY keyboard with an external dial pad, a touch screen, and integrated Wi-Fi. If that weren't enough, it also serves up EV-DO, Verizon's V Cast services, Bluetooth with A2DP support, and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Of course, all this goodness comes with a cost. The i760, … Read more

Virgin Mobile has been selling the Kyocera Wild Card since October 7, but it's finally making the phone available to its retail partners like Best Buy, Target, and RadioShack.

Also known as the Kyocera M1000, the Wild Card is exactly the same as Cricket's Lingo except for a few services that only Virgin Mobile offers.… Read more