Mobile

Continental Airlines passengers flying out of Houston, Texas will soon be able to board their flights using their cell phone or personal-digital assistant in place of a standard boarding pass. The paperless boarding pass is part of a three-month ... test program that will gauge the responsiveness of passengers and overall efficiency of the service. Instead of fumbling through a myriad of papers, Continental Airlines will only require their passengers to show a bar code that the airline had previously sent to their cell phone or PDA. The two-dimensional bar code is nothing more than a jumble of ... (view more)

Google is introducing an innovative service to customers, this time targeting web mobile users. The 'My Location' feature in Google Maps Mobile 2.0 is currently undergoing beta testing and will attempt to provide mapping services via user cell ... phones. The concept of mapping technology in mobile devices is not particularly ground-breaking, as several smart-phones currently on the market have Global Positioning System (GPS) technology embedded into them. However, the advantage of this new service will be to provide access to mapping services to web mobile users whose devices do not have ... (view more)

In a move that has rocked the entire mobile phone industry, Verizon Wireless recently announced that consumers will soon be able to choose which phones they'd like to use with their Verizon network plan. Analysts are shocked that Verizon would be ... the first to initiate such a major shift in communications, as the company has traditionally followed far different business practice. The introduction of the Apple iPhone, one of the first mainstream multimedia devices of its kind, coupled with future plans from Google to develop software that basically controls cell phones, has pushed the industry ... (view more)

For those of us who follow the tech and specifically gadget industry closely, Time's recent announcement that the iPhone represents 2007's invention of the year comes as little surprise. Although the device may not have some of the long-term ... benefits associated with its competition, its commercial success is hard to deny. Released during the last days of June, demand for the iPhone led to many sweaty retail lineups. The only thing different between the iPhone launch and last winter's Wii lines was the total absence of toques. With that in mind, the iPhone has had its fair share of controversy ... (view more)

While the mobile phone industry continues to fawn over the incredible features found in the iPhone, it is important to remember that several other devices currently exist that provides equal (or in some cases) better options than Apple's device. ... Meet the latest competitor in the mobile phone market: The Sony W580i Walkman. The W580i Walkman is currently available through Rogers via Sony Ericsson and immediately distinguishes itself from the Apple iPhone with the tag line, it "doesn't shuffle...it shakes!" (Source: technology.canoe.ca ) The W580i possesses the sleekest-looking frame out of any ... (view more)

Fox Interactive Media has revealed their plans to offer MySpace and other types of social networking services for free on cell phones in the coming months. Fox Interactive Media, which is a major division of News Corp., added that they will solely ... rely on the financial support of advertisers to alleviate the burden of adding costs for the service. Fox is hoping to entice an ever-expanding audience of social networking enthusiasts keen on using their mobile devices to check the latest news and results from the world of sports and entertainment. The mobile version of MySpace will allow users to ... (view more)

Apple has finally brought the iPhone, or perhaps just the rights to one, to Europe. While the iPhone won't officially go on sale until November, those who were in attendance at the unveiling said that the multi-modal phone is already being ... well-received by the public. Seemingly every major mobile network operator from Europe's most influential cities have lined up for their chance to hold the exclusive rights to the product when it hits retail shelves in just a few months. As it stands right now, O2 will hold the exclusive rights to the product in Britain, while Telefonica will bring the ... (view more)

Driving is dangerous enough as it is. Add the distraction of cell phones to the equation and being on the road becomes more hazardous than ever. Now, a newly passed law is targeting the most inexperienced of those drivers -- teenagers -- by banning ... them from using their cell phones on the road. Even hands-free devices are considered off-limits. "They're just learning to drive. They haven't learned to juggle tasks, and they're a lot more easily distracted," said California senator Joe Simitian. "We know that driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and that cell phone use is ... (view more)

The Hewlett-Packard Company made its most recent push into the lucrative mobile phone market by unveiling two new cell phones, in addition to several other modern innovations. The phones were introduced as part of the latest iPAQ models amidst a ... huge star-studded gala in New York City. The iPAQ is a pocket PC and personal digital assistant that was first unveiled by Compaq in 2000. The device has been marketed by Hewlett-Packard ever since Compaq was acquired by the company in 2002. (Source: technology.canoe.ca ) While the device has been regarded as the leading rival to the Treo Palm, it ... (view more)

For most consumers, news that the 8GB iPhone will drop an impressive $200, or about 1/3 of its original price, is great for the wallet. It makes bugging Mom, Dad, or the wife much easier as birthdays and Christmas approach. Unfortunately, Apple's ... most loyal fans, those that braved the summer heat waiting in line for the device, are not excited. The iPhone shipped just months ago, leaving many early adopters frustrated with its short-lived $599 price tag. Reports are flooding in that Apple has been slammed with angry customer comments, many demanding a refund for their loyalty when the iPhone' ... (view more)