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Yahoo Mobile introduces new Yahoo Mobile service

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yahoomobileMobile World Congress 2009 is on so it is only fitting that after MySpace announced the launch of a new mobile site, here comes Yahoo as well.

Yahoo announced, you guessed it right, the upcoming launch of its new Yahoo Mobile, an app developed for the Apple iPhone, and as an app developed for smartphones from Nokia, RIM, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola as well as those powered by Windows Mobile. Yahoo! Mobile initially will be available through a managed beta program, with general availability expected in Q2 2009.

Originally posted on February 17, 2009 @ 11:00 am

American soldiers use TextAway.com to keep in touch

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U.S. soldiers are using TextAway.com’s service to keep in touch with family and friends while abroad. TextAway.com allows soldiers to enjoy fast real-time communication by text messaging family and friends from any internet-connected computer.

TextAway.com is a global web portal that offers internet users the ability to send and receive free text messages while online. The website offers cool tricks like: free text messaging, group messaging, mobile invites, and the capability to receive replies via email, mobile phone or the web.

TextAway.com allows the soldiers to choose the type of reply they receive (email or text message inbox). When family or friends receive a text message on their mobile phone, they can reply immediately and the response is sent to the soldier’s email inbox or text message inbox. TextAway.com also allows users to store mobile contacts and use them to send free text messages quickly to a single person or multiple individuals with U.S. mobile phones.

Originally posted on February 18, 2009 @ 9:45 am

Nokia to integrate Skype into Nokia devices

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skypeSkype and Nokia forged a partnership that will bring the Skype experience to the Nokia range of mobile computers. Under the terms of the cooperation, Skype will be integrated into Nokia devices, starting with the Nokia Nseries. The Nokia N97 flagship device will be the first to incorporate the Skype experience in the 3rd quarter of 2009.

The Skype experience will be part of the address book of the Nokia N97, enabling presence – seeing when Skype contacts are online – as well as instant messaging. Nokia N97 owners around the world will also be able to use 3G and WLAN to easily make and receive free Skype-to-Skype voice calls, in addition to low-cost Skype calls to landlines and mobile devices.

“With more than 400 million Skype users worldwide, the integration of Skype on Nokia Nseries mobile computers is a significant step in bringing converged Internet experiences from the desktop to the world’s most advanced mobile computer,” said Jose-Luis Martinez, Vice President, Nokia Nseries.

Originally posted on February 17, 2009 @ 11:06 am

Glu Mobile releases Build-a-lot for Android Market

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Mobile games publisher Glu Mobile Inc. has launched the real estate strategy game Build-a-lot for the Android Market.

Build-a-lot is a strategy game where players build, buy, sell and rent properties to become a real estate mogul. Players can flip houses for quick cash or sit back and collect rental income. Earn enough, and they can work their way into commercial properties, build up towns and eventually master the market.

“We are proud to continue to support the Open Handset Alliance’s efforts with Android and believe Android Market provides a fertile environment for the business of mobile games,” said Jill Braff, senior vice president, global publishing, Glu Mobile. “Build-a-lot is an addictive game that will resonate with anybody who’s ever wanted to try their hand at the housing market.”

Originally posted on February 16, 2009 @ 2:53 pm

Bitstream releases BOLT browser to mobile phones of all types

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boltBitstream Inc. announced the public beta of BOLT, a mobile browser built for speed and completely optimized for mobile phones. It provides a desktop-like view of web pages on even the most basic feature phones.

One month ago Bitstream began offering BOLT in a private beta that included more than 30,000 users around the world. From the data collected and comments received over the past month Bitstream made improvements to the user experience and further optimized BOLT by adding device-specific features and making pages load even faster.

BOLT features unrivaled speed of routinely 25 percent faster, and as much as 50 percent faster, than the next fastest competitor in speed tests. BOLT is also both optimized to conserve battery life, and to minimize data transmissions allowing people to browse longer without recharging batteries while consuming less data.

The BOLT mobile browser lets people view full websites as they would on a personal computer. It does so using a patented magnification technology that smoothly scales both text and images, letting users navigate to specific sections of large web pages and then zoom in to display clear text and images that look crisp on even small mobile phone screens. BOLT also supports streaming video from popular websites such as YouTube, vids.myspace.com, video.yahoo.com, blip.tv, dailymotion.com, and metacafe.com.

Originally posted on February 16, 2009 @ 3:06 pm