Skype Mobile for Verizon Wireless available now

Verizon Wireless and Skype have teamed up to offer free Skype-to-Skype phone calls over the Verizon voice network. That’s potentially a lot of free chatter, considering that 91 million people use Verizon Wireless and Skype counts 600 million users worldwide.

The Skype Mobile service is now available from Verizon on six of its BlackBerry 3G devices and three Android 3G smartphones, said Ryan Hughes, vice president of business development for Verizon Wireless. Verizon says it will expand the number of devices that can use Skype Mobile.

Skype-to-Skype calls are free, and you can make international calls to standard landline phones with Skype’s low international rates. You also can send Skype IM messages to other Skype users at no charge. Skype Mobile works only on Verizon’s cellular voice network and not on Wi-Fi networks, however.

The calls are charged against credits in your Skype account, just as so-called Skype Out calls are when using a PC. Calls and IM messages are not charged against Verizon monthly minute allowances or data plans. You do need a Verizon data plan to use the service, however.

The Skype Mobile service automatically logs users into Skype when they turn on their smartphone. This creates an always-available presence so that your Skype contacts know you are available (you can turn off the service, of course).

Video isn’t yet available because of limitations of phone handsets and the cellular voice network, Mr. Hughes said.

Verizon selected the BlackBerry and Android phones because customers who own these devices tend to be heavy consumers of wireless services, he added.

Skype Mobile can be used on the Blackberry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630. Android phones include the Motorola Droid, the HTC Droid Eris and the Motorola Devour.

If you are a Verizon subscriber who uses one of the compatible phones, you can download the Skype software to your phone and use Skype Mobile.

Boingo Brings $1.99 Pay-Per-Use Wi-Fi to Apple's iPad

Boingo Wireless has a new app for the iPhone, iPod touch, and, soon, the iPad that lets you buy an hour of service at a time: The Boingo Wi-Fi Credits app will let you connect from any iPhone OS device for $1.99 for 60 minutes at a single location in Boingo's aggregated worldwide network. You can also purchase 11 credits for $19.99.

Boingo has a $7.95 per month mobile plan that all iPhone OS devices qualify for; the company reiterated today that the iPad would be supported out of the gate. That's why two bucks for one hour seems a bit steep, since Boingo doesn't require a contract commitment to use its mobile service.

The only other worldwide pay-as-you-go system is Skype Access, formally launched a few days, which charges US$0.22 per minute for on-demand access.

AT&T Seeks To Expand Market, Targets Dogs

Considering 91% of Americans carry a cell phone, there are not a lot of new customers for wireless carriers to target. That is, unless you start considering non-human customers. That's just what AT&T has in mind with a new dog collar that can connect to the Internet.

After talking about wireless dog collars for more than a year, AT&T is almost ready to deploy a collar. The collar could send text messages or emails to a pet owner if the pet strays outside of a predefined area. It could also provide continuous tracking of the pet.

A wireless dog collar is just one of many new devices AT&T hopes will catch on and provide additional streams of revenue. Other gadgets could include a pill box that will remind you to take your medicine, ereaders, tracking devices for shipping containers, and in-car entertainment systems. By connecting these types of devices to the Internet via AT&T's network, the company expects to bring in about $1 billion in annual services revenue in about five years.

"We see opportunities in dogs, in pallets, in cars and how you take your pills," Ralph de la Vega, the head of AT&T's mobile business, said at the CTIA annual wireless trade show.

AT&T showed off a dog collar at CTIA but did not reveal a price. The carrier expects to launch the collar later this year. The dog collar was developed by Berkeley, California-based Apisphere.

Samsung announces plans for LTE handset

Samsung has announced plans to produce a handset for use on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband platform.

The company said that it will develop the SCH-r900 handset for use with the LTE network, which is operated in the US by MetroPCS. The device is initially scheduled for a trial run later this year in a handful of cities.

Samsung will also start selling telcos the computing and radio devices needed to build the backbone for an LTE network. The company will offer a range of LTE devices, including rack-mounted appliances and radio antennas.

Samsung gave few additional details on the handset, including a specific release date or international availability.

Samsung's announcement comes just days after news surfaced that fellow US carrier Sprint is working with HTC on a handset to run on the competing WiMax wireless network.

Both WiMax and LTE have been suggested as eventual successors to the current 3G wireless broadband system. LTE has garnered a larger support base, but neither standard has thus far moved beyond small targeted deployments.

Belkin intros new line of wireless routers with built-in apps

Belkin has launched a new range of routers which it claims are capable of doing more than just silently connect devices in your network. The new Surf, Share, Play, and Play Max are the first routers to embrace the concept of apps, with each model bundling different sets of utilities to handle things like playing music, games, and HD videos as well as share photos and print wirelessly from anywhere in your home.

Apps include Memory Safe for backing up photos and files to a USB hard disk, Print Genie for printing to a USB-connected printer, Music Mover for playing music through an audio streaming device like an Xbox 360, Daily DJ for custom playlists based on your mood, Torrent Genie for downloading files when your computer isn't on, and Bit Boost to prioritize traffic on your network for video, gaming, or VoIP.

Granted, you can already do all this with other software using wireless routers or NAS devices currently on the market, but Belkin claims that they make the job much easier for novice users. The routers will cost from $50-$130, depending on the model chosen. All models have pre-set wireless security and incorporate Belkin's dual-plane antenna positioning, along a "unique implementation of MIMO technology" to provide a consistent signal, even through walls and floors.

Samsung launches Galaxy-class smartphone at CTIA 2010

Samsung has launched its Galaxy S smartphone at CTIA 2010.

The new Android-powered device features a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, along with a 1 GHz application processor that renders HD videos and augmented reality content through its Layer Reality Browser and advanced LBS (Location Based Services).

The Galaxy S also boasts a mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe) which optimizes an already crisp viewing experience for photos, videos, and e-books.

"The Galaxy creates a perfect environment to record, edit and play HD video, to browse the Internet and to read your favorite e-books," explained JK Shin, president of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.

"A variety of applications from Android Market allows users to even more extend the benefits and excitement of smart phone experience. Plus, users have access to Google mobile services, such as Google Search, Gmail and Google Maps."

Shin added that the smartphone offers a "highly advanced," always-connected Social Hub, as well as easy wireless integration with a variety of other devices, such as notebooks, TVs and cameras.

Other key features include:

• Daily briefing - Instant access to weather, news, stocks, and the scheduler.
• All share - Enables inter-device connectivity via DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology.
• Home cradle - Can be used as a digital photo frame, table clock, calendar, and music station.
• Write and go - Jot down an idea first and later decide on a format such as SMS/ MMS, email, calendar or memo.
• Swipe- Provides fast and easy way to input text on screen while on-the-move.
• Think-Free - Apps to view and edit Microsoft Office 2007 documents.
• Smart alarm - Wakes up with a natural alarm sound and automatically turned-on display light.

AT&T to Soon Launch Android-Based Dell Aero

On Monday, mobile phone carrier AT&T announced plans to deliver to its users a series of new smartphones, including the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus devices, as well as a new Android-based handset, the Dell Aero. We already knew that the wireless operator was set to bring the Dell Mini 3i to the US market, and now things seem to have become official.

“The lightest Android smartphone coming soon to the nation's fastest 3G network!,” is what AT&T has to say on the launch of the new device. The Dell Aero will become the second Android-based smartphone available for AT&T's users, yet the wireless carrier will still have to unveil officially the exact details on the handset's availability and pricing.

According to AT&T, users should expect for the new Dell Aero to arrive with a wide list of appealing features, including a 3.5-inch nHD (640 x 360 pixels) touchscreen display, as well as a 5-megapixel photo snapper with fast access to social networking sites like Flickr, Facebook, Picassa, YouTube and TwitPic.

Moreover, the wireless carrier touts the social networking capabilities of the new mobile phone, which comes packed with apps like Facebook, fully integrated into the phonebook and capable of syncing events to user's calendar. Not to mention that the handset also sports Flash Lite support, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity, and built-in GPS receiver.

Opera Brings New iPhone and Android Solutions at CTIA Wireless

Norwegian software company Opera Software has recently announced that it plans on demonstrating some of its latest mobile apps at CTIA Wireless. Opera will showcase its Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10 mobile browsers on devices running under Android, Blackerry, iPhone, Symbian S60, Windows Mobile, or J2ME, this being the first ever demonstration of Opera Mini for iPhone.

At the same time, the company will also demo its latest Opera Mini 5 browser developed for Google's Android operating system, offering users the possibility to enjoy fast browsing and a full set of features. The company will bring along the pre-submission iPhone version too, a solution that was displayed for the first time at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month.

“Final versions of Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10 will also be on display on many of today’s most popular handset platforms, including Symbian S60, Windows Mobile 6.5, J2ME and RIM Blackberry. Both products were released earlier this week, bringing Opera’s new user interface and feature set to market,” the software company further notes.

Moreover, it seems that Opera Software won't display only the applications mentioned above at CTIA Wireless, but that it also plans on showcasing a series of additional solutions for the telecoms and mobile industry, such as Opera Widgets and cross-platform solutions. Moreover, it will conduct real-world speed tests on various mobile phones as well, so as to show the new Carakan JavaScript engine in Opera, as well as the Opera Presto 2.5 rendering engine and Opera Turbo compression technology.

Not to mention that the company further plans on discussing the possibility of having widgets available for feature phones too, as well as for other types of limited-capacity devices. Opera Software intends to announce new partnerships too, and Opera Co-founder Jon von Tetzchner will be present on the “Devices – The Competitive OS Landscape” panel.

“Today we see the Web infiltrating all aspects of the mobile industry, from smartphones to feature phones” explains Roy Satterthwaite, senior vice president, Americas, Opera Software. “The Web has become a rich platform for development. For carriers and OEMs alike, the opportunity is now about utilizing existing and future Web technologies to deliver rich content and applications across multiple platforms, while dealing with real-world network conditions.”

Sprint rolling out first 4G phone next week

Sprint's billion-dollar investment in ultra-fast mobile technology soon will be paying off. Per multiple reports, Sprint will unveil the first-ever 4G phone next week.

The SuperSonic, made by HTC, will run on Sprint's WiMax network, which currently is available in 27 U.S. cities -- and which to date has been used to power wireless card for laptops.

The WiMax technology allows wireless devices to navigate the Internet at speeds more comparable to hard-wired computers. It means that pages -- like PFT's mobile version -- will load much more quickly.

AT&T to sell energy-efficient charger for wireless devices

AT&T Inc. is introducing a cell phone charger this spring designed to be more energy efficient by eliminating the so-called phantom use of electricity in standby mode.

The Zero Charger will sense when a wireless phone is not plugged into it and stop using power from a wall socket, AT&T and Superior Communications said Wednesday.

Whether it's a wireless device charger or a computer or television, many appliances currently use standby power to run features if the power cord is plugged into a socket but the device isn't in use.

The charger, which has a five-star efficiency rating, is expected to sell for $29.99 and will be in AT&T retail stores in May, AT&T spokesman Steven Schwadron said.

It will work with many phones offered by AT&T and other carriers.

AT&T developed the charger with wireless products manufacturer Superior Communications, which is headquartered in Irwindale, Calif.

Wearable Inc. releases AirStash wireless card reader

Imagine being able to transfer photos and videos between your smartphone, laptop, and desktop — or, say, that iPad you pre-ordered — without cables or dongles. That’s what the Airstash, announced today by Wearable, Inc., promises to do.

Though Wearable calls the Airstash a wireless flash drive, it’s essentially a WiFi-enabled SD/SDHC memory card reader. The Airstash allows you to wirelessly read files off your SD card using any 802.11b/g WiFi-enabled device with a Web browser. You don’t need to install software on any of your devices — the Airstash has a built-in web/file/media server so you don’t even need an Internet connection. Just pop your SD card in, and immediately begin sharing your files (you can even stream videos from your card).

The reader has a USB connector so you can use it as a USB card reader as well, and it also lets you charge the built-in lithium polymer battery via USB. The device costs $99.99 and is available for order immediately (with an estimated ship date of March 31).

Sony announces new digital wireless RF headphone

Sony Europe is showing off a new digital wireless RF headphone called the MDR-RF4000 with 30 meter range and high quality sound. These piano black headphones are rather large, but are quite comfortable thanks in part to the swivel circumaural cushions and a parallel-link self-adjusting headband. This ensures comfort for your listening experience, even for long durations of time. However, they seem a little heavy at 300g, which is .6 pounds.

There is also a handy volume control on the headphone so you don’t have to bother reaching for the remote. Digital RF transmission ensures clear, secure signal reception over a range of up to 30m. The headphone’s closed-type design cuts sound spillage, so there’s no need to disturb others while you’re enjoying the action packed finale of a favorite movie.

The MDR-RF4000K also comes with a stylish storage/charging dock that goes along well with their usual minimalistic design principles. The slim, convenient storage case doubles as a cable-free battery charger. After use, just fold the ear cups flat and the MDR-RF4000K stows neatly away while the battery recharges.

The power-efficient design allows up to 7 hours continuous listening time between charges of the NiMH battery. Alternatively, slip in a single AAA alkaline battery and enjoy up to 10 hours listening without a break. An auto power-save feature switches off the headphone when it’s not being used, extending listening time still further.

Verizon Wireless unfurls new Casio G’zOne Brigade Phone

Users for sure find it hard to cover all bases of their mobile phones. Offering an ideal solution, Verizon Wireless and Casio have recently announced the availability of the Casio G’zOne Brigade phone.

Designed to be sturdy, the new device is water, dust and shock resistant. The Casio Brigade steps in as an ideal choice for users who need devices that stand up against tough work conditions while still delivering high-performance mobile technology.

Available in Matte Black with a unique crocodile texture exterior for enhanced grip, the rugged mobile device comes equipped with an impressive QWERTY keyboard, an HTML browser, and Document Viewer for reviewing Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. The handset also features ‘Push to Talk’ capabilities that significantly leverage Verizon Wireless’s 3G network for fast two-way communication.

Engraved in a pretty eye-catching design, the Casio Brigade sports a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, video capture and LED light. Ensuring unprecedented protection, the phone is water, shock, dust, immersion, vibration, humidity, salt fog, altitude, high and low temperature storage, and solar radiation resistant.

The mobile device integrates ‘Field Force Manager’ – a resource management tool that provides businesses with the ability to locate and communicate with their mobile field workers. Apart from this, for music fiends, it hugs V Cast Music with Rhapsody. Users can now choose from millions of songs to download over the air. Users can also watch their favorite television shows while on the go, including live college football, college basketball and NHL hockey games, local and national news, and family programming.

The Casio Brigade further delivers audible turn-by-turn directions to more than 15 millions points of interest. For additional capacity, the handset has microSD storage allowing users to store high-quality photos and music.

The Casio G’zOne Brigade can be purchased from Verizon Wireless Communications Store for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

Sony takes on Wii with PlayStation Move

Sony has unveiled its new motion-controlled video game system, pitching it to both casual and hardcore gamers alike, as the company looks to ride one of the hottest trends in gaming.

The new system will help Sony keep pace with rivals Nintendo, which pioneered gesture-based gaming, and Microsoft, which is launching its system later this year.

Sony's new PlayStation "Move" controller is used with its Eye gaming web-cam, translating users' motions into actions within games on the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console.

Move, which resembles a TV remote with a colorful ball stuck on the end, will be available in Australia as part of a package this Spring for less than $US100, Sony said at a media event on Wednesday.

The company said 36 third-party developers and publishers are supporting the Move platform. In fiscal 2010, Sony will release more than 20 games that are dedicated to or supported by the system.

Jack Tretton, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said in an interview that motion control expands the market opportunity for the PS3 to new consumers, and said the company hopes to siphon off some Wii users.

Sony said Move is especially precise, with every twitch and punch registering accurately in games ranging from casual titles for kids to fighting and swashbuckling swordplay games.

Sony said the accuracy of its motion-based gaming means it will also appeal to more hard-core gamers, generally younger men, who are the backbone of the $US50 billion gaming industry.

Samsung partners with Barnes & Noble on new e-reader

Bookseller Barnes & Noble might be best known for its Nook e-reader, but, unlike competitor Amazon.com, the company seems keen to embrace ereader devices from a variety of manufacturers into an open ecosystem. The next contender in the Barnes & Noble universe will apparently be the Samsung E6, a 6-inch Eink ereader that will market Samsung’s first entry in the U.S. ereader market. Samsung demonstrated the device at CES in January, and now says its launch via Barnes & Noble is “imminent.”

The E6 features an 800 by 600-pixel 6-inch Eink 8-levels-of-great display and supports common formats like text, PDF, BMP, JPEG, and Epub—which is handy, because Barnes & Noble’s content library is based on the Epub format, with more than 1 million books and periodicals available. The E6 features integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking, 2 GB of internal memory (and microSD expansion for up to 16 GB more), an integrated MP3 player, a microphone (for voice recording), text-to-speech technology, and features a electromagnetic resonance (EMR) stylus pen that users can use to make annotations, memos, and manage their schedules—and those schedules can be synced with Outlook. There’s also the rather unfortunately-named “EmoLink” technology that enables readers to share content between Samsung Reader devices.

Neither Samsung nor Barnes & Noble have announced pricing for the Samsung E6; however, the companies were talking about a $399 price point during CES.

Case-Mate "Hug" Brings Wireless Charging To Apple iPhone

Case-mate, a designer of innovative accessories for mobile devices and electronics, today announced the availability of the Hug, a new protective case and charging pad for the iPhone® that showcases the evolution of wireless power. Created to give iPhone users a more convenient way to charge, the design-forward Hug delivers power without cumbersome cords or adapters.

Hug Your Battery To Life

As the first charging pad to come out of a partnership with the Wireless Power Consortium, the Hug has been created to give Apple® iPhone 3G and Apple iPhone 3GS users a wire-free charging experience. Users can simply slip their iPhone into the sleek Hug case and then place the phone onto the Hug charging pad.

Key product features include:

• Efficient – The Hug delivers a "smart charge." It knows when the iPhone has reached a complete charge and at that time, stops pulling power.
  
• Convenient – The Hug charges just as fast as traditional chargers, but without the hassle of cords and wires. Instead the charging pad transfers power wirelessly through a magnetic field to the iPhone enclosed in the Hug case.
• Design-Forward – The Hug, featuring a sleek two-part case and a charging mat, is constructed with durable injection-molded materials with true aluminum metal and accents. Its form factor was inspired by the flowing lines of the golden age of sport automotive design.
• Added Protection – The Hug comes with a durable, shock absorbing case and a charging pad. A screen protection kit is also included for total iPhone protection.
• Interoperable – The Hug is the first charging pad to be is designed in accordance to the specifications of the Wireless Power Consortium.
  

Pricing and Availability The Case-mate Hug is now available for the Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS at www.case-mate.com. The Hug, which includes the charging pad, iPhone case and screen protection kit, retails for $99.99. Versions will be available for additional mobile devices, including most BlackBerry models in the coming months. Case-mate will also offer a Hug that supports the charging of multiple devices simultaneously.

AT&T Unveils 3G USB Modems

AT&T unveiled two new 3G LaptopConnect devices: the AT&T USBConnect Turbo from LG and AT&T USBConnect Velocity from Option, both of which will hit AT&T retail stores, business channels and online beginning March 7th.

The Turbo is the carrier’s first LaptopConnect device from LG and features a compact, lightweight design. The Velocity, on the other hand, goes beyond the “pure modem functionality” to include GPS in the mix, effectively opening the door to location-based applications. Option’s device comes with a free application, the Option GPS Control Panel that connects to Yahoo! Maps and Bing for directions and local points of interest. Additionally, enterprise customers can add tracking and location awareness by signing up for TeleNav Track LITE and Xora GPS Locator from AT&T.

Both devices come with an integrated microSD card slot, which turns the modem into a flash drive.

AT&T USBConnect Turbo will be available for free, whereas the Velocity could be yours for $29.99. Each offer is good only with a $100 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year DataConnect contract of at least $35 a month.

Bluetooth 4.0 will be on devices this year

THE BLUETOOTH Special Interest Group thinks the Bluetooth 4.0 specification could find its way onto devices within the year.

Speaking at an event this week, Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG said that the specification will feature in wireless headsets along with smartphones and other gadgets.

Bluetooth 4.0 was announced only just recently in December of last year, and its power savings potential was hailed. However, according to the Goodgearguide website, Foley said the standard offers minimal power saving benefits when compared to Bluetooth 3.0.

"With today's announcement the race is on for product designers to be the first to market," said Foley as he announced the specification in December. "Bluetooth low energy modules for all sorts of new products may now be qualified - this is an important step towards our goal of enabling new markets with Bluetooth wireless technology."

Features of Bluetooth 4.0 include its ability to frequency hop and support full AES-128 encryption, its low cost and ability to run for years on standard coin-cell batteries.

Netgear Plans Wireless Adapters For Home-Theater Components

Netgear plans to launch two wireless adapters that wirelessly connect Ethernet-equipped home-theater components to the Internet to stream high-definition video, audio and other content.

The devices can be used with any brand of Ethernet-equipped game console, TV, Blu-ray player or A/V receiver designed to stream Internet content.

One of the two new products, the Wireless-N HD Home Theater kit, consists of two Wi-Fi-certified 802.11a/n adapters capable of delivering multiple, simultaneous, jitter-free 1080p HD video streams wirelessly.

One adapter can connect to two Ethernet-equipped CE devices at a time, thanks to the adapter's two Ethernet ports. The other adapter connects to the Ethernet port of any wired or wireless home-network router. Both adapters must be plugged into AC. Additional adapters are available separately to plug into additional CE components in the same room or other rooms. Each adapter is 6.9 inches by 5.1 inches by 1.4 inches.

It's promoted as the only solution that provides sustained throughput of HD streams exceeding 40 Mbps 99.9 percent of the time through multiple walls in an above-average single family home, the company said.

The Home Theater Kit also features plug-and-play setup, enabling them to power up, connect and work automatically, the company said. Built-in security enables users to add adapters to additional components by pressing a button.

The Home Theater Kit will be available in the third quarter in the U.S. Pricing hasn't been announced.

Netgear's second product is the Universal WiFi Internet Adapter, which consists of a more compact 802.11b/g/n adapter that communicates with an existing wireless router at up to 300Mbps. The 3.2- by 2.44- by 0.7-inch adapter will be available in May at a suggested $79. It can be powered via a connected component's USB port to eliminate the need to run a power wire to an AC outlet. It features one Ethernet port and uses a CD-less smart-wizard wireless connection utility on a PC.