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Symbian Foundation adds another round of supporters
The Symbian Foundation's founding member list was nothing to sneeze at, featuring the likes of Vodafone, Samsung, LG, AT&T, and of course Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola -- but the initiative is getting even stronger here with the addition of a couple other major carrier players, a chipset giant, and a heaping handful of software firms. From the carrier side, 3 and America Movil get added to the list; Marvell joins Texas Instruments from the silicon side of things, and the app developers now include Aplix, EB, EMCC Software, Sasken, and TietoEnator. We're not going to lie, we're not familiar with some of these devs -- but when you're fighting juggernauts like Android and LiMo to win the hearts and minds of the open-platform public, you need all the ammo you can get.
HSDPA-equipped Skypephone S2 coming to 3
Not quite a year since the original Skypephone made a minor splash across the pond comes word that the second iteration is nearly ready to be removed from the oven. Slated to launch on 3 (of course), this candybar-styled handset will reportedly boast HSDPA connectivity, a 2.2-inch QVGA display, a respectable 3.2-megapixel camera, integrated Skype and "built–in modem drivers so you can use it as a dongle for your PC or Mac." We're particularly fond of that last part -- are any of you other carriers listening here? Check it out sometime in the mysterious future for a currently undisclosed price.[Thanks, Linsey]
It's 12:01 a.m.: Do you know where your beta key is?
The rumor mill has been flying lately that on July 3rd we'll see the first invites go out for the closed beta. Well, it's 12:01 a.m. on July 3rd now, and that means Beta Watch 2008 can begin.All of this beta rumor stems around a German Assistant Community Manager by the name of Gnorog telling the German gaming site Allvatar that the closed beta was going to be starting on July 3rd. It was "fueled" a little bit more in that Bornakk did not come out and deny the July 3rd date, something that they have regularly done before.Another small indication that something is changing is that the Wrath of the Lich King forums have seen several sticky post removed. They normally do this only when new information is about to come out to replace said sticky posts.It will be interesting to see how this one plays out. And if you do happen to get into the beta, feel free to drop us a tip. Happy waiting!
Blizzard's icy splash screen changes as Diablo 3 and WoTLK speculation intensifies
We reported yesterday about the new icy splash screen which has appeared on many of Blizzard's corporate and gaming sites. There's already tons of speculation speeding around the web about it, and of course the pot was only stirred all the more this morning when the picture changed slightly: the light in the middle of the cracked ice became brighter, and there's some new detail that can be seen through the ice, including a rune of some sort just to the upper right of the center. we can probably assume that the picture will change more each day until something is announced at the Worldwide Invitational. However, the question remains: What is being announced? Right now, there's two major schools of thought about it: One school says that this will lead up to the announcement of the WoTLK Beta, while another says that this will be the announcement of Diablo 3. Each side has some pretty passionate arguments, and are bringing the analysis to back it up. Let's look at what we have after the break. %Gallery-25975%
Hutchison / 3 snags iPhone for Hong Kong and Macau
Looks like Hutchison (aka 3) snagged the iPhone for distribution in Hong Kong and Macau, which will be coming "later this year." Like the rest, this was another one liner un-announcement with no real info, but you probably wouldn't want to anger Steve before WWDC. Besides, in Hong Kong 3 doesn't sell anything but 3G phones -- so put that in your iPipe and smoke it.[Thanks, Chris and Joe]
Hutchison's 3 gets iPhone in Hong Kong, Macau
The countries continue to fall ahead of Apple's presumed June 9th, 3G iPhone announcement at WWDC. This time it's Hong Kong and Macau -- foothold populations as Apple eyes the big Japanese, Russian, and Chinese prizes which have thus far avoided Jobs' charm RDF.[Thanks, Patrick C and Edmond]
Qualcomm plans multiple HSPA+ trials this year
Why can't we just have and enjoy the latest, greatest pre-4G technology for a few frickin' minutes without having our collective attentions immediately redirected to the next latest, greatest thing? Qualcomm has gone and spoiled all the fun by announcing that it'll be setting up HSPA+ trials with Australia's Telstra, Italy's Telecom Italia, Hutchison 3 in the UK, and Telefonica this year to deliver downlink speeds up to 28Mbps as an evolutionary upgrade to the networks' already-deployed HSPA systems. If all goes well, Qualcomm expects that the technology could be commercialized as early as 2009, potentially putting it head-to-head with the very first volleys in the race to true 4G via LTE. 28Mbps, 173Mbps... we think we know which one we'd rather have in our backyard.[Via MobileBurn]
Mobile advertising takes center stage at MWC
Because the mobile industry isn't nearly monetized enough as it is (we jest, we jest), big players have come out of the woodwork at Mobile World Congress this year to announce some pretty heavy initiatives with the goal of revolutionizing the way we're hit up with advertising on our phones. Nokia has actually come forward with two mobile ad headliners: first, the Nokia Media Network is now official, bringing together ads on Nokia's own sites as well as 70-plus publishers' and carriers' properties under a single umbrella, all made possible by the company's 2007 acquisition of Enpocket; second, Nokia Siemens Networks has announced a turnkey solution for folks wishing to bite the targeted mobile ad bullet, spanning from consulting to infrastructure and ad delivery. Meanwhile, the big five carriers in the UK -- Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, O2, and 3 -- have announced that they're working with the GSM Association to develop a common standard for measuring mobile ad reach, a marked change in some of the carriers' typical policies of keeping customer metrics well out of reach of potential advertisers and therefore limiting interest. One of those carriers, O2, has separately revealed that it has launched its own mobile advertising service (take that, Nokia Media Network) following a 2007 trial that will allow advertisers to get really, really down and dirty with their target demos -- age, location, browsing behavior, and so on -- through a system that generated a 6 percent click-through rate in testing. As long as the average phone display stays QVGA or lower, we're pretty sure we're not down with teeny, tiny banner ads all up in our business, but it's the wave of the future, it seems.[Via mocoNews]Read - Nokia Media NetworkRead - Nokia Siemens NetworksRead - UK mobile companies to develop advertising standardsRead - O2 sets sights on mobile advertising market
3 teams up with Royal College of Art for phones of the future
When the mobile industry turns to college programs for design guidance, the results can be... shall we say, unusual. British carrier 3 recently enlisted the help of the Royal College of Art for a look at what phones of the future might look like and do, and needless to say, the results span the full gamut from mild to wild; on the mild side, for example, is the MÜ slider (pictured) that takes social networking to an extreme by showing all of the user's networks as points on a sphere -- totally realistic, totally believable, and probably destined for reality in the not-too-distant future. Moving to the wild end of the spectrum, the Auxo actually changes shape based on your profile. We don't see that one hitting shelves any time soon, but hey, keep on dreaming, guys.[Via Shiny Shiny]
T-Mobile, 3 holding hands for 3G
Despite an ongoing spat between the UK's 3 and the whole lot of its larger rivals, the scrappy 3G-focused carrier has managed to bury the hatchet long enough with T-Mobile to ink an agreement to share some towers. Virtually every carrier across the world with WCDMA capability is struggling to find the balance between buildout -- an extraordinarily expensive proposition -- and profit, and it seems that collaborating with even the fiercest rivals might be the way to go in the interest of expanding footprint rapidly, keeping existing customers happy, and winning the occasional data-hungry conquest. Not to mention that Orange and Vodafone have already gone public with a similar agreement, and when you're competing with a juggernaut like Voda in any segment, joining forces sounds like a good idea.
UK carriers ganging up on 3?
The underdog in Britain's mobile market, 3, is accusing its larger rivals of trying to shut it out of the market to the tune of £250 million (about $500 million), taking its sob story all the way to the UK's court system. The claim revolves around a series of meetings in 2005 of the Operator Steering Group -- a group to which Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, O2, and 3 all belonged -- in which everyone but 3 voted to keep the nation's number transfer delay at five days, despite the fact that the process takes mere hours in other European countries. 3 claims that the larger carriers are using this excruciatingly long window to convince folks porting their numbers to 3 to stay by throwing fantastic discount packages their way. On the surface it all sounds like a plea for government help when the little guy finds itself unable to compete, but who knows, maybe there's some actual collusion going on here.[Via textually.org]
DVB-SH mobile TV trials to crank up in Italy
Though it once appeared as if DVB-SH was headed for high times in Europe, DVB-H eventually won out as the nationwide standard, but that certainly doesn't mean other standards can't compete within the region. Reportedly, Alcatel-Lucent has agreed to launch the first trial of the technology in Italy with RAI and 3 Italia, and while DVB-SH would likely be more costly to implement due to its position in the spectrum, European telecoms are grasping for options to satisfy the growing desire for mobile TV. If all goes as planned, the trials will take place in Turin over the next few months, but it wasn't clear when Jane / John Doe would be called in to participate. Also of note, a cellphone provider has yet to be selected, but it sounds like Samsung and Sagem both made it onto the short list. [Via mocoNews]
3 Skypephone is free in the UK
Right on schedule, you're looking at the just announced co-branded Skype phone: the 3 Skypephone. Sure, mobile Skype clients are already in worldwide use. This, however, marks the first time a carrier has fully embraced Skype which traditionally has been seen as a threat to carrier tariff schemes. Under 3's plan, Skype VoIP calls and IMs are free to any other Skype user just as long as you're under contract or top up your pay as your go account with at least £10 (about $21) each month. The £49 (about $101) 3G phone with 2 megapixel camera and microSD slot will be available in the UK on Friday; Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macau and Sweden sometime later in the year. Wanna see it in a video? Sure you do, locked-and-loaded right after the break. [Via T3]
3Skypephone launching November 2nd?
We aren't etching this in stone just yet, but we've seen numerous reports claiming that the recent partnership between 3 and Skype will soon lead to an actual piece of hardware. Reportedly, the 3Skypephone will be available on October 29th "for a pre-launch," and will be officially official on November 2nd. Specs wise, it should feature free calls to other Skype users / 3Skypephone owners, a two-megapixel camera, video capturing and an MP3 player. Interested consumers can supposedly choose from three different colors, and it should be available on the "£12 ($25) Mix and Match 100 tariff which offers 100 minutes or texts or any mix of the two." Ah well, at least we've but a few days left to find out for sure, eh?[Via UK Phone News]
Skype and 3 team up for mobile internet phone
Details are pretty light on this one, but Reuters is now reporting that Skype and UK cellphone operator 3 are currently working on a new handset that promises to "make Internet calls mobile." According to Reuters, the phone is expected to "work in the normal way," but also include an option to let users bypass all those hefty cellphone charges and contact other Skype users directly in order to save a few bucks. We assume that means Skype will operate over 3G data, although that's yet to be confirmed by either party. We should know more soon enough, however, as the handset is apparently on track to be released before the end of the year.
Heroic 3-year old arises to save Azeroth [Updated]
juBBjuBB is the proud father of one very charismatic girl who, aside from being absolutely adorable, is also able to play WoW! As he says in his forum post "YOU may have been GANKED by our 3yr old!", Charisma was captivated with her parents gaming activities and started out playing WoW at 1 and a half years old, doing very basic things like running and jumping and chasing bunnies, but since then has actually gotten the hang of some of the basic mechanics of the game. She has learned that you don't want that green bar to get empty or you'll "fall down," as well as the fact that the alliance ("blue") is good and the ugly ones ("red") are bad -- or enemies in PvP anyway. She knows to cap a flag and grind her way up in levels, too apparently.Some people who read this story cry foul. How can a 3 year-old level to 20 "by herself" (as her myspace page claims) without being able to read? Also, it certainly does seem a bit much to say that she can "gank" people. I also doubt that she can play at the same level as, say, the proverbial 12 year-old WoW player could. My bet is that when the father says "level to 20 by herself" he probably means "without doing any quests and with me watching and talking her through things." And when he says "gank," he means "overpower a level 30ish opponent with a level 60ish rogue alt of her parents using very basic play tactics," which, hello gankers everywhere, even a 3 year-old can do by pressing just a few buttons! Good for her, I say, but shame on anyone over 9.But I digress. Playing three to four hours per week maxiumum, juBBjuBB says, is helping Charisma get excited to learn the alphabet and cooperative teamplay. Fatherly love and pride in such progress may be leading him to exaggerate a little bit about her gameplay skill, or maybe leave certain details about it to our own common sense -- but can you blame him? If I had a little kid who showed a strong aptitude in any area, from computers to cartoons, I might need to rein in my superlative praise too. She may or may not be the one heroine destined to be the best gamer in the world, but she's the pride of her father's life, and in his Azerothian sky there's no star shining brighter than her.Update: More from Charisma's father after the jump! You may find it hard to believe...
Australia gets HTC P3600i, complete with Windows Mobile 6
Looks like those that call Down Under home have been blessed with yet another option in the smartphone department, as HTC has apparently launched the P3600i in your neck of the woods. Deemed an "HTC P3600 with a faster CPU and more ROM," this Windows Mobile 6 device looks to be an Asia-Pacific exclusive for now, and touts quad-band GSM, 802.11g, a two-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, 160MB of internal memory, a miniSD expansion slot, and UMTS / HSDPA to boot. Best of all, it's available right now on 3.[Via UnwiredView]
3 cutting HSDPA pricing in UK?
In much of Europe, 3G data is traditionally as expensive as it is plentiful -- a safe haven of wireless email for businessfolk with a corporate card, yes, but that's about it. T-Mobile UK, for example, charges £29 (about $57) for its cheapest unlimited laptop data plan, likely keeping it out of reach of a good fraction of the otherwise interested masses. 3 may be changing the game next month, though, on rumors that it'll roll out a handful of data plans significantly cheaper than its closest competition. Monthly plans of £10 for 1GB, £15 for 3GB, and £25 for 7GB (about $20, $30, and $50, respectively) are said to be in the cards, taking advantage of HSDPA's generous (and now largely underused) capacity. Even better, 3 will allow subscribers to tether their handsets at these rates or pick up a modem; it's not known how much the modem will cost, but a nice, round "naught" is getting tossed around as a possibility for existing customers. All things considered, it looks like carriers are poised to take a different approach to recouping their 3G investments -- popularity over high price -- and we'd say that's a good thing.[Via GigaOM]
Palm gets official with Treo 750's WM6 upgrade -- in Australia
The good news is that the official Windows Mobile 6 Professional update for the Treo 750 is just around the corner; the bad news, though, is that you probably can't have it yet unless you're lucky enough to live in one particular corner of the world. Following countless incognito shots of WM6-sporting 750s in the wild, an imminent official announcement was pretty much a foregone conclusion -- though we admittedly never suspected Australia would be the first to get the hookup. Specifically, customers of the Australian branch of Hutchison 3 will be able to download the update free of charge starting mid-month, with "other customers" following on in September. Whether "other customers" includes AT&T is unclear, but we're keeping our fingers tightly crossed.[Via istartedsomething]
UK carriers to begin HSUPA rollouts this year
HSDPA and HSUPA are pretty much two peas in a pod -- if HSPA is the "pod," anyway -- so it stands to reason that HSUPA rollouts are going to start picking up steam as carriers look to extend their 3.5G investments. The upgrades look to be coming particularly fast and furious for British folk in the next few months, with Vodafone, T-Mobile, and 3 all having committed to kicking off their HSUPA buildouts by year end. Orange starts its work speeding up the upstream next year, while O2's still nowhere in sight -- but hey, three outta five in 2007 ain't bad.[Via All About Symbian]
