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CityWatch by Zannel keeps you abreast with what’s happening in your city

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citywatchZannel has launched CityWatch, a new location-based iPhone application which allows users to instantly see, share, and talk about what’s going on around them.

Now available at the Apple App Store, CityWatch enables users to select a location on an easy-to-maneuver map which shows the latest multimedia and text updates, including pictures imported from Flickr. CityWatch users can also post their own geo-tagged updates to start real-time discussions around them via threaded commenting.

In addition to CityWatch, the Zannel community uses their “channels” to instantly and visually communicate what’s happening in their lives across mobile and the web, including all major social networks. People use Zannel to capture and share authentic moments in their lives, tell their stories, debate issues, and communicate with their community.

Zannel.com is available online and on all mobile phones in the US. Instant-membership is available by texting “Join” to 58888 to start creating your own mobile channel.

Originally posted on December 30, 2008 @ 3:08 pm

The Sports Network, Contec to offer mobile sports services

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The Sports Network and Contec Innovations announced the upcoming availability of their new global mobile sports service in early 2009.

The new global mobile sports service provides unprecedented mobile access to all things sports. Covering more than 50 sports and hundreds of leagues and events from around the world, this initiative allows mobile users around anywhere to access up-to-date news, photos, results, statistics, live action and more.

Available via mobile Internet, SMS and MMS, the service has three distinctive audiences in mind at present: mobile operators seeking to enhance their sports offering, mobile service providers that wish to add new services to their portfolios and media companies/brands that sponsor mobile Sports content in their local markets or on a global basis.

Originally posted on December 30, 2008 @ 12:40 pm

WiFi usage growing rapidly in US and UK

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AdMob is highlighting the growing WiFi usage in the US and the UK in its November 2008 Mobile Metrics Report. Worldwide iPhone requests grew 52 percent month over month to 359 million in November, giving the iPhone 6.3 percent of total requests. In the US the iPhone is now the top device with 9.9 percent of requests.

The iPhone has by far the most WiFi usage, with 42 percent of requests coming in over WiFi instead of a mobile operator network. The inclusion of WiFi on popular new smartphones such as the G1 and BlackBerry Bold indicates WiFi usage will continue to grow in the coming months. WiFi only devices such as the iPod Touch and Sony PlayStation Portable also generated significant traffic. [Read more…]

Originally posted on December 23, 2008 @ 12:11 pm

Mobile phone market set for slowdown next year

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The impact of the global economic crisis will spread to the mobile phone market resulting in a downturn in shipments in 2009. According to IDC, total mobile phone volumes will be 1.9% lower in 2009 than 2008 levels, the first downturn in annual shipment volumes since 2001 when shipments declined 2.3%. Over the past several years, the mobile phone market has enjoyed double-digit annual growth due to an increased emphasis on emerging markets. However, emerging market growth has been steadily slowing as these markets mature. IDC now expects worldwide growth to be just 7.1% in 2008 before slipping into negative growth in 2009.

The economic crunch has also affected consumer behavior, particularly consumers’ plans to purchase new devices. With less disposable income available and other expenses competing for attention, consumers may choose to hold on to their current devices rather than replace or upgrade them at the next possible opportunity, usually when a service contract expires.

IDC does not expect the downturn in mobile phone shipments to stretch past 2009. By 2010, the worldwide mobile phone market will show signs of improvement as economic recovery plans will have taken effect.

Originally posted on December 19, 2008 @ 4:18 pm

AmericanTowns, Cell Phones for Soldiers to help troops overseas stay connected to families and friends

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AmericanTowns.com and Cell Phones For Soldiers, a charity that recycles used cell phones for pre-paid calling cards, announced a promotional partnership to increase the collection of used cell phones and community drop-off locations across the nation.

Under terms of the alliance agreement, AmericanTowns will provide local residents with details on how and where to donate their used cell phones to the Cell Phones For Soldiers program, and will provide instructions on how to establish new drop off locations, as well as its free “one click” publicity tool to help communities increase consumer participation in the program. Cell Phones For Soldiers will promote AmericanTowns in its publicity initiatives and online promotions to encourage consumers to visit or establish Cell Phones For Soldiers collection centers in their communities.

Cell Phones For Soldiers is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that recycles used cell phones for cash and uses proceeds to buy pre-paid calling cards for US troops deployed away from home. It’s mission is to help American soldiers overseas call home and encourage other Americans to help make this possible. Used cell phones are donated around the nation through a network of over 3,000 collection sites and then sent to ReCellular, which then pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each phone collected. To date, the program has raised more than $1 million in donations and has distributed more than 400,000 prepaid calling cards to our troops overseas.

Originally posted on December 19, 2008 @ 7:16 pm