CTIA show

(Credit: DataViz)

DataViz announced on Thursday that it is now offering Documents to Go Standard Edition version 1.0 and a beta version of RoadSync through the Android Market. The two applications will give T-Mobile G1 and HTC Magic owners the capability, for the first time, to work with Microsoft Office documents and get support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.

Documents to Go has long been available for Windows Mobile and Palm devices, but now Android users can finally have the capability of viewing, editing, and creating Word and Excel documents through the productivity suite. The suite's editing capabilities are vast, including support for track-changes, multiple zoom levels, bold, italics, underline, bulleted and numbered lists, embedded pictures, insert and delete rows and columns, cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, save, and save as. You'll be able to use your smartphone's touch screen, trackball, and keypad to perform such tasks.

The app supports native Word and Excel files from Microsoft Office 97, 2000, X, XP, 2003, and 2007 for Windows (and 98, 2001, 2004, and 2008 for Macs), and files can be opened whether they are transferred via Bluetooth, USB, memory cards, or as an e-mail attachment.

More good news for the corporate set is the availability of RoadSync. Though available only in beta right now, the app finally brings direct push synchronization with Exchange Server 2003 and 2007, and the beta supports push e-mail, attachments, and contacts.

Both applications are available now through the Android Market. Documents to Go Standard Edition will be offered for a special introductory price of $19.99 (regularly $29.99), while RoadSync beta is available as a free download until May 31, 2009.

LAS VEGAS--Wireless industry executives at the CTIA Wireless 2009 trade show here say that despite the economic meltdown, the cell phone industry remains strong. And they're confident that it will be a driving force in pulling the nation out of the current financial crisis.

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg

(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET )

Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg and Robert Dotson, CEO of T-Mobile USA, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom, took the stage on Wednesday, the opening day of the trade show, with a similar message.

These executives said that despite the economic troubles facing the nation and the world, the wireless market is thriving and innovation is flourishing. They also agreed that as the nation moves through the current crisis that the wireless industry could play a significant role in the economic recovery of the country. But they also warned that reluctant investors and overzealous regulators could stunt its potential and harm the recovery.

"I do not mean to minimize the challenges we face--as an industry or a country--as we try to get our economy going again," Seidenberg said during his speech. "But wireless innovation has been a foundation of our country's prosperity for the last 25 years, and I'm confident that this great and vibrant industry will continue to be a leader as we put our economy back on the path to growth."

Indeed, Seidenberg went so far as to say that the rest of the economy could take a lesson from the wireless industry. Instead of companies and investors pulling back and hoarding their money as they've done thus far, he said that businesses should be continuing to invest.

"I wish everybody in America could taste the wireless special sauce," he said. "It seems the rest of the country has forgotten how to grow, but the mobile industry keeps reminding us."

Seidenberg emphasized that the way the communications industry has done this is by investing in building new infrastructure. Verizon Communications, which has a majority stake in Verizon Wireless, has already begun spending billions of dollars to lay new fiber for its fiber-to-the-home broadband service known as Fios.

And now it plans to invest in improving its wireless network. The company is about to embark on another major infrastructure project to build a new 4G wireless broadband network. The wireless operator announced its network suppliers and strategy for building the network in February at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It plans to start testing the network this year, and it will have 4G wireless deployed in 25 to 30 markets by the end of 2010.

"Our country can't afford to slow down growth and momentum," Seidenberg said.

Even though Seidenberg emphasized the need for investment, he tried to quell worries that the company is over-spending. During a press conference after his speech, he insisted the investments the company is making to build its 4G network are not much more than what the company was already spending to upgrade and maintain its existing 3G network.

"It's not that expensive," he said. While he wouldn't get specific about the company's spending plans for the new network, he said the overall budget would not be increased too much. Instead, he said that spending would shift from the current network, known as EV-DO, to the new network.

Dotson, T-Mobile USA's CEO, had the same message during his keynote speech. Dotson said that the wireless industry must be the driving force to get the economy moving again. And he urged the financial community to open its wallets to keep innovation moving. He also warned the new presidential administration to not over-regulate the industry.

T-Mobile USA CEO Robert Dotson

(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET )

"Now more than ever we must make certain that financial fuel flows to the wireless innovators, entrepreneurs and the garage geniuses, who will drive the next economic business cycle," he said during his speech. "In these times of needed financial regulation, we should be united to ensure the light regulatory touch that has successfully guided this highly innovative and vibrant industry for the past 26 years continues."

Seidenberg added that the government should reduce taxes on wireless services. And he called for a five-year moratorium on adding new taxes to wireless services so that the industry can work with local and state authorities . He said that from 2003 to 2007, taxes on wireless services rose four times faster than taxes on other goods and services. And he said that in some states taxation on cell phone service is over 15 percent.

"All of us understand the pressures that policymakers face in an era of big deficits and slow growth," he said during his speech. "But we need to be very careful that government does not to try to fix short-term needs at the expense of long-term growth, which happens every time it raises taxes or imposes new regulations."

Still, the wireless industry is facing its own troubles. Handset manufacturers, in particular, are hurting. Nokia, the world's largest maker of cell phones, has drastically reduced expectations for 2009 and has already begun laying off workers and shutting down production facilities. Motorola, which was already on shaky ground, is also suffering, as are other manufacturers such as Samsung and LG.

But the operators themselves have actually fared much better. AT&T has laid off some employees and Verizon has admitted that it is shedding workers who have worked on its traditional landline businesses. But these companies saw big growth in their wireless businesses during the fourth quarter of 2008. And that growth is expected to continue.

Seidenberg pointed out during his speech that more people are buying higher-end smartphones and signing up for more expensive data plans that allow them to surf the Net, check e-mail and connect to social-networking sites. And he said the new innovations around application stores, for example, would only help the industry become more efficient. He also emphasized the need to consolidate standards and operating systems to make the industry even more efficient.

But he admitted things could be better.

"My guess is that the industry as a whole is doing fine," he said during the press conference. "But if GDP were at 5 percent, we'd be that much better."

The 1661 is for making calls.

(Credit: Nokia)

Nokia may have a big booth at CTIA, but so far the company's news has been light. Besides the E71x for AT&T, Nokia's only other new cell phone in Las Vegas is the 1661 for T-Mobile's prepaid service. The low-end handset sports a simple candy bar design with basic features. The handset is dual-band (GSM 850/1900), which means it will only work in North America.

Inside you'll find an FM radio, messaging, a 250-contact phone book, a speakerphone, a calendar, and an alarm clock. Yet, there is one unique touch. On the 1661's top end is a large and bright flashlight. The 1661 will be available later in April. We don't know pricing yet, but we're sure it will be cheap.

HTC Touch Pro2

(Credit: Bonnie Cha/CNET)

Ever since the HTC Touch Pro2 was announced at GSMA 2009, everyone's been wondering when will the smartphone be available and which U.S. carrier will offer it. There's still no official word, but you know that never keeps tech community from sniffing out the details.

Now, thanks to a leaked ROM, multiple sites are reporting that the HTC Touch Pro2 will be headed to T-Mobile first. The test ROM, posted at xda-developers, shows the listed device as "RHOD21000" with the CID "T-MOB010" and language as "USA." To fuel the fire even more, the Boy Genius Report also has some fuzzy photos of a T-Mobile-branded Touch Pro2.

We always take these kind of rumors with a grain of salt, but it's no secret that T-Mobile is in desperate need of a Pocket PC phone refresh. The carrier's poor customers have been stuck with the T-Mobile Wing for a couple of years, while AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon have at least gotten a variant of the HTC Touch Pro. More to come, we're sure, at CTIA Spring 2009.

[Additional sources: Pocket Now, WMExperts]

Much to my surprise, I spotted the LG Invision Wednesday night at the Mobile Focus show here at CTIA. Even though the LG Invision has launched with AT&T on August 20, it was just a soft launch on the online store and not an official launch across all its retail channels, and we have yet to receive a review unit. So, I was eager to get my hands on it to see how it really looks and feels in person.

As a reminder, the LG Invision is the latest handset to support AT&T Mobile TV, AT&T's live streaming TV service. It is only the third handset that supports this service--the other two are the LG Vu and the Samsung Access. The AT&T Mobile TV service currently works in around 58 markets in the country, but sadly San Francisco is not on that list.

But even though I couldn't test out the AT&T Mobile TV service, I did play around with the Invision for a little bit. Measuring 4 inches tall by 2 inches wide and less than 0.5 inch thick, the Invision is certainly the smallest and lightest of all the AT&T Mobile TV phones. As a device meant for watching video, I was also pleased to see such a vibrant and colorful display, though it is rather small at around 2.2 inches. I would probably prefer the Vu for watching video because of the wider screen.

LG Invision in hand

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

You might notice that the keypad looks a bit unusual, and that's because LG has rearranged the keys so that the bottom three keys on the keypad are now flanked on the right side. This makes the handset feel slightly wider and shorter, and we think that people might have to get used to this new keypad arrangement. There's also a dedicated TV button around the navigation keys, plus the four-way toggle is arranged in a cross in the middle of the phone. I thought this felt cramped, but I'll have to use it for a longer period of time to really get a feel for it. The back of the phone is clad in a rubberized texture that feels a little like faux leather, which makes the phone easier to grip.

Other features of the Invision include a 1.3-megapixel camera, HSDPA speeds, AT&T Mobile Music support, a music player, and stereo Bluetooth. It is available online only for $99.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year service agreement, and LG says it'll be available in retail stores later this year.

SAN FRANCISCO--The wireless Web has prompted mobile operators to change their tune about open networks, but don't expect the mobile market to be as open as the PC Internet anytime soon.

From left to right: Steve Largent, CEO of CTIA; Robert Dotson, CEO of T-Mobile USA; Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint Nextel; and Lowell McAdam, CEO of Verizon Wireless

(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET News)

CEOs from three of the big four wireless operators in the U.S. took the stage during a keynote panel at the CTIA Fall 2008 trade show here Wednesday to discuss what they envision for open cell phone networks. While Robert Dotson of T-Mobile USA, Dan Hesse of Sprint Nextel, and Lowell McAdam of Verizon Wireless all agree on the importance of opening their networks to developers and allowing subscribers to access the mobile Internet freely, the executives still say mobile operators need to have some control over which devices come on their network.

"If you look at unfettered access on the network, all of us would agree that it's a pretty poor experience for users," T-Mobile's Dotson said. "There needs to be some stewardship or control."

T-Mobile is expected to be the first carrier to launch later this month a phone using Google's open-source operating system, Android.

Dotson further explained that as a GSM carrier, open access for devices has existed on T-Mobile's network from day one. People can buy unlocked phones and simply put in their T-Mobile SIM card for service. But he said there were advantages and disadvantages to this freedom, noting that customers who bring their own unlocked devices to the network have a "less than good experience."

"If you don't optimize the phone to make sure there is network integration when you send an MMS or e-mail it might not work well," he said. "Even though on the outside (an open device network) looks enticing, there still needs to be a minimum level of control to safeguard security and privacy."

Verizon Wireless' McAdam agreed. The company launched its Open Network Initiative almost a year ago. But even though the network is supposed to be open to any device, what Verizon is really doing is speeding up the certification process for device makers and application developers. McAdam showed off the first cell phone that is a product of the initiative, a $69 phone from prepaid service provider AirVoice. He said the device is commercially available, but he didn't elaborate on availability on the Verizon Wireless network or the pricing of the service.

McAdam emphasized that Verizon's open strategy, at least toward developers, means that the operator can bring more innovative devices, applications, and services to consumers much faster.

"There is an innovation tidal wave occurring right now," he said. "People making applications for the desktop want to move to mobile phones. We couldn't handle all that innovation into our business, so opening the doors, and still protecting the network, is the only way we have to this."

Sprint's Hesse admitted his company is still working on providing more openness for devices. But he said Sprint has a new speedier device authorization program under way for its 3G, or third-generation, network, noting that the operator is providing service for devices like Amazon.com's Kindle. He also said that Sprint is working on an open platform for application developers.

He said true openness will come with the company's new 4G WiMax network, which it is building with Clearwire.

"From a device perspective, we still have a ways to go," he said. "Really 4G and the embedded chip model for WiMax will allow people to bring whatever device, a laptop, camera or whatever to the network."

But Verizon's McAdam pointed out that offering more device openness will also mean higher prices for consumers.

"We've conditioned customers by putting very expensive computers in their hands for very few dollars," he said. "And now we're giving them the option to walk into a store in an open environment and pay more for a device. It will be a big transition."

That's why McAdam predicts that only 20 percent of customers will rapidly adopt the open model versus consumers who would rather take the phone subsidy in exchange for a contract. If Verizon and others can provide a decent experience on a more open network, more will follow, he said.

T-Mobile's Dotson agreed and said he expects the majority of T-Mobile's customers to buy traditionally integrated mobile devices.

"The BlackBerry is not an open platform," he said. "But it has a phenomenal e-mail experience. And there will continue to be a role for that seamless hardware integration that provides a great experience and richness."

But John Stanton, who founded Voicestream and Western Wireless, cautioned these CEOs in a later panel discussion with Craig McCaw, the current chairman of Clearwire and founder of McCaw Cellular Communications, that moving too far toward an open network will commoditize the wireless industry and significantly drive down profits. He said that operators need to focus on developing innovative services themselves. And they need to own content instead of letting others like Google or Yahoo do it for them.

"When you become a pure access provider in a saturated market, you grow at the rate of the economy," he said. "U.S. operators are running the risk of turning into commodity businesses instead of global content businesses with innovation that delivers higher profits."

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8220

(Credit: RIM)

While the fall CTIA show isn't really known for handset announcements, Research in Motion paid no mind and started the show off with a bang by introducing the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 on Tuesday night. While much of the attention has turned to the rumored BlackBerry Thunder as of late, the Pearl Flip 8220 shouldn't be forgotten, as it's the first BlackBerry to sport a clamshell design.

The flip phone, which comes in black or red, measures 3.9-inches high by 1.9-inches wide by 0.6-inch deep and weighs 3.5 ounces. It features a 65,536-color, 128x160 pixel external display and front-facing 2-megapixel camera, while you get a 65,536-color, 240x320-pixel TFT display on the inside. As part of the Pearl series, you get the SureType keyboard (groan) and trackball navigator. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 also comes equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack and an external microSD expansion slot.

Moving onto features, the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) Pearl Flip 8220 offers true world roaming, a speakerphone, smart dialing, and background-noise cancellation. Wireless options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support. There's no GPS, but the BlackBerry Maps application is onboard to at least provide you with maps and text-based directions.

Supported e-mail solutions include BlackBerry Enterprise, Microsoft Exchange, IMB Lotus, Novell GroupWise as well as POP3 and IMAP4 accounts. There's also an attachment viewer for Word, Excel, PowerPoint files, PDFs, and JPG images.

(Credit: RIM)

When you're done working, you can enjoy MP3, WMA, AAC, MPEG4, WMV, and other music and video formats with the built-in media player. In addition, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 has a 2-megapixel camera with flash and video-recording capabilities.

In all, there aren't a whole lot of surprises, as the smartphone keeps very much in line with the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120. Research in Motion was a little vague as to release date, but it will be offered by carriers worldwide sometime this fall and the company did confirm that T-Mobile will be one of the U.S. carriers. No word on pricing.

Now, here's the question: Will the flip-phone form factor work for BlackBerry? There's only been a handful of smartphones to come in the clamshell design, such as the Pantech PN-820, but they never seem to really take off. Will the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 be any different?

Soon after we heard the announcement of the LG Vu, we rushed over to the LG booth to take a look at it live and in person. The screen is indeed impressive--it measures 3.0-inch diagonally and displays 262,000 colors, and has a touch vibrating feedback (or haptic feedback) similar to that on the LG Glimmer and the LG Voyager. Its menu interface is almost identical to that of those phones as well. The four shortcut icons on the bottom of the standby page correspond to the main menu, AT&T Mobile TV, the contacts list, plus the on-screen dialpad.

LG Vu's on-screen QWERTY keyboard

(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET Networks)

The device itself measures 4.25 inches by 2.16 inches by 0.51 inch and weighs around 3.16 ounces, which is a bit more lightweight than we thought it would be. It even feels that way, due to its plastic yet glossy black casing. Using the phone was quite intuitive, and we especially liked the phone's texting interface. You can either text via the aforementioned onscreen dialpad, or a cool onscreen QWERTY keyboard laid out in landscape mode. The individual keys on the keyboard even magnify when pressed, ala the one on the iPhone. It's a bit of a copycat move, but we like it all the same, even more so with the vibrating feedback.

LG Vu showing the Tonight Show

(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET Networks)

Features, as you know, include access to AT&T Video Share and AT&T Mobile Music, a 2.0-megapixel camera, a MP3 player, plus mobile email support. We have to say, we were very pleased with the performance of AT&T Mobile TV. It's really fast--as soon as we hit the TV button, we were watching a show. The channel guide is easy on the eyes, and is simple to navigate. The video quality was rather mediocre though; a little like watching terrestrial TV. But it's good enough for on-the-go watching I think.

LG Vu's AT&T Mobile TV channel guide

(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET Networks)

We only had a few short minutes with it, so we won't have the full on scoop for you for a month or so yet. Watch out for it around May when the Vu will debut at the same time as the Mobile TV service.

T-Mobile RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120

(Credit: T-Mobile)

Feel better now T-Mobile customers? That's right, in case any of you were frothing with jealousy over AT&T's next-gen RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120, you can rest easy knowing that you'll be able to get your hands on one starting April 14 (you can preregister for the smartphone starting today). The upgrade to the original Pearl brings integrated Wi-Fi, which you can use for Web surfing as well as voice calls since it's compatible with T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service. You'll also get the benefit of a 2-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support, an improved Web browser, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD/SDHC expansion slot. We're still trying to confirm pricing for you and will update as soon as we get the information.