Mobile

After eight years of trying, Research in Motion has finally been given clearance to sell its BlackBerry wireless handheld device in China. Research in Motion's co-chief executive, James L. Balsillie, formally announced the Blackberry expansion into ... China during a recent conference call with analysts. It was during this conference call that Balsillie expressed the company's long-standing desire to appease those customers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou who have waited years to own their first BlackBerry. (Source: nytimes.com ) The expansion into China could not have come at a better time ... (view more)

While the recent hype over the much anticipated Apple iPhone would have potential buyers believing that the product is flawless, industry analysts are just now realizing that the gadget lacks an obvious feature: a mechanical keyboard. As it stands, ... the iPhone sports only one mechanical button, and is only used to return users to the home screen. The lack of more than one button seemingly echoes a statement made by Apple CEO Steven Jobs over two decades ago. Back then, Jobs discouraged the implementation of more than one mechanical button for any computer mouse so that users would never have ... (view more)

Even though YouTube co-founder Steve Chen was born in Taiwan, the enormous video sharing website is currently not available in his native language. Ironic, huh? Well, that may soon change. Currently, half of YouTube's users reside outside the United ... States. Therefore, YouTube is reportedly considering the development of alternate versions of the site in different languages. A Mandarin site for Taiwan is reportedly first on the agenda, presumably because of Chen's ties to the island and the language's massive growth. According to Chen, YouTube is already a tool "that can break the language ... (view more)

The Bank of America and Citibank are now offering nationwide services that allow their customers to do routine banking tasks using only their cell phones. As "smart" cell phones continue to revolutionize the market for mobile devices, so too will ... more banks look to remove the hassles of physically being inside of a financial institution in order to make simple transactions. The two social functions are merging as never before, combining work and play. The service provided by Bank of America allows customers who have cell phones with Internet access to check balances, pay bills and transfer ... (view more)

Recently, T-Mobile USA launched the first cell phone in America that comes equipped with Microsoft's latest version of Windows Mobile. The upgrade features better handling of emails and boasts tougher security features. The cell phone is labeled The ... T-Mobile Wing and will come with a price tag of $299 for a two-year contract with T-Mobile. (Source: pocketpccentral.net ) Windows Mobile 6 is the latest operating system designed specifically for "smart" phones. The system is able to manage emails, file documents and even has a web browser, in addition to the standard telephone service. Microsoft ... (view more)

IAC has recently announced the release of Ask Mobile GPS. The company says that the service is the first to merge local content, social networking, and GPS navigation. (Source: tomshardware.com ) Users can use Ask Mobile GPS in a variety of ways. ... For example: users can broadcast their current GPS location (along with directions) to anyone in their contact list, get real-time directions, search for businesses through Citysearch, and view event invitations through Evite. (Source: arstechnica.com ) It almost sounds too Orwellian -- and certainly raises questions with respect to a new era in ... (view more)

When it was first introduced some time ago, the BlackBerry received its most fervent fanfare from business users who fawned over its push email and tiny keyboard. However, the original BlackBerry was never much of a looker, and its size made it the ... Pavarotti of handhelds. That changed with the introduction of the smaller, sleeker-looking Pearl, and now a modernization may be complete with the release of the Curve 8300. Although maker Research in Motion's BlackBerry has certainly had its success, the mainstream is still dominated by sleek, feature-laden cell phones. The Curve 8300 may just ... (view more)

Research in Motion is planning to launch a new wireless device that will appeal specifically to those who find difficulty when attempting to control their Blackberry. The Curve, named for its smooth edges and sleek design, will be the third model ... that Research in Motion has launched in less than a year. The mid-sized device would provide consumers with an alternative to the BlackBerry, by offering a full keyboard to type text rather than the smaller key pad offered on most BlackBerry models. The Curve will feature a small trackball below the screen to navigate through its menus with ease. ... (view more)

Canadians itching to get their hands on an iPhone may be in for a disappointment. Rogers Wireless, the only Canadian company with a network compatible with Apple's iPhone, is now denying that it will be selling the highly anticipated handset, ... calling reports that suggest otherwise "speculation." (Source: appleinsider.com ) In an email to CBC News Online, Rogers' manager of corporate communications Odette Coleman said "we haven't announced whether we will carry the iPhone. Everything in the media has been speculations to this point. The only fact is that we are the only GSM carrier in Canada. ... (view more)