Verizon and HTC officially announce DROID Incredible for April 29th

Verizon Wireless announced launch plans for the latest model in its Droid handset lineup, the HTC Corp. Droid Incredible.

Like the other devices in its Droid lineup, the Incredible runs Google Inc.’s Android operating system. The device sports a 3.7-inch touchscreen, runs Qualcomm Inc.’s 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, includes an 8-megapixel camera and runs the latest 2.1 version of the Andorid OS. The device also runs HTC’s Sense user interface that includes interactive widgets and relies on an on-screen keyboard for data input.

The Droid Incredible is set to launch on April 29 for $200 after all rebates and a two-year contract. Rate plans for the device will require the carrier’s $30 per month data package for smartphones.

Verizon Wireless’ first Droid model, the Motorola Inc. Droid, experienced a successful launch late last year supported by an extensive advertising campaign by the carrier that resulted in more than 1 million devices sold in the first month. That model was later joined by the HTC Droid Eris.

Verizon Wireless is also set to launch Google’s Nexus One device in the next couple of months, further bolstering its Android line up possibly at the expense of other devices.

Dell forms alliance with Spanish telecom giant

Dell partners with Spanish firm Telefónica

Dell Inc. and Telefónica, a Spanish telecom giant, announced a strategic alliance to develop advanced mobile products.

No products or timetables were disclosed, but both companies said they are eager to work together.

Dell, the world's third-largest PC maker, has announced plans to launch a family of wireless mobile products that include its Aero smart phone, which is soon to be launched in the U.S. by AT&T Inc.

Other products, including a 5-inch tablet computer, are thought to be in the works. Telefónica is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, with operations in Europe and Latin America.

"The demand for pervasive instant-on, Web-connected devices is everywhere," said Ron Garriques, president of Dell's Communications Solutions Group.

"The new digital ecosystem under construction creates huge opportunities and advantages for all industries ... in terms of new applications and new business opportunities," said Vivek Dev, Telefónica's director of innovation.

The companies said the alliance will focus on present-generation mobile devices, early development of future-generation devices and enhancing the customer experience while driving information communications technologies to market.

Gannett joins deal to broadcast TV shows to mobile devices

The national effort to bring broadcast TV to wireless phones and devices got a boost on Tuesday: Nine of the largest owners of television stations – including Gannett, parent of USA TODAY — teamed up with NBC, Fox, and ION Television to send news, entertainment, sports, and print content to mobile devices.

The stations, which collectively reach 150 million people, will use their broadcast airwaves – as opposed to the Internet – to transmit shows from the national networks as well as locally produced news and programming. They also may carry cable channels such as CNBC and Fox News, Gannett Broadcasting President David Lougee says.

Specific programming, possible consumer charges, and a launch date have yet to be decided. Lougee says the group also is interested in bringing ABC and CBS on board. LG and Dell have just begun to sell mobile devices that can receive digital TV broadcasts.

Microsoft unveils Kin smart phones aimed at young buyers

With a splashy, musical ad campaign aimed at young buyers, Microsoft Corp. on Monday sought to carve out a piece of the fast-moving smart phone market with a pair of new handsets.

In unveiling its Kin One and Kin Two phones, which will be available through Verizon Wireless starting in May, the company focused largely on the social and musical features of its software.

The Kin's promotional site featured young people -- many equipped with the new phones -- dancing to live rock music at a local club.

"We built Kin for people who live to be connected, share, express and relate to their friends and family," said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division in a statement.

Microsoft did not announce the price of the new phones.

To appeal to what it calls the "social generation," the company has put messaging and social networking features front and center, making it easier for Kin users to access sharing services such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Users of the phones, for instance, can update their status across several social networks with one tap. The software from Microsoft's Zune music player is also built in, allowing users who pay a monthly fee to access millions of songs from an online library.

The Kin phones are separate from the new smart phone operating system that Microsoft announced in February. The Windows Phone 7 Series, as it's known, is Microsoft's larger play to compete with sophisticated mobile operating systems that run on Apple Inc.'s iPhone and Google Inc.'s Android-powered devices.

The Kin phones, which do not feature an online application store, run a more limited operating system aimed specifically at younger consumers, a group that many device companies are chasing in earnest.

It’s National Cell Phone Recycling Week!

The U.S. EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling National Cell Phone Recycling Week runs this year on April 5-11.

The EPA’s project brings together leading cell phone manufacturers and service providers to encourage consumers to recycle used wireless devices, batteries, chargers and other accessories and to reduce the amount of reusable materials in landfills, including e-waste.

Cell phone coatings are often made of lead, and their lithium-ion batteries can explode if exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight, which are common conditions in landfills.

It’s estimated that just 1 percent of the 4 billion wireless users worldwide recycle their cell phones after use.

AT&T announced last week that it will offer three simple ways to donate and recycle phones: Wireless customers of any carrier can drop off used cell phones and accessories at any of the 2,000-plus AT&T stores across the U.S.; go to www.att.com/recycle to download free shipping labels and mail them in for recycling or request that a free shipping envelope be mailed to them for recycling.

Part of the proceeds from these efforts benefits Cell Phones for Soldiers (CPFS), a charity that recycles cell phones and uses the proceeds to buy free phone cards for troops overseas.

In 2009, AT&T collected more than 4.2 million cell phones and almost 1.8 million pounds of batteries and accessories, overall.

The world’s largest cell phone recyclers, ReCellular, collects 25,000 cell phones daily from more than 40,000 collection sites.

Other major cell phone retailers also have in-store or mail-back recycling programs.

Verizon Slashes Palm Smartphone Prices

Verizon Wireless has slashed prices on Palm smartphones, and is offering buyers a second phone at no additional cost.

The nation's largest wireless carrier dropped the prices of the Palm Pre Plus to $50 from $150 and the Pixi Plus to $30 from $50. In addition, buying one of the smartphones gets you a second one at no charge.

To sweeten the deal further, Verizon Wireless is throwing in the Mobile Hotspot application for the Palm devices for free. Once downloaded, the application makes it possible to use the phones as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for up to five devices at once.

While Verizon Wireless has always given away the application, the carrier charged for connecting devices. Under the promotion, subscribers can make use of the Palm app for free, and the carrier is extending the free service to current Palm customers, too.

Verizon Wireless launched the promo less than two week after Palm reported that the number of its smartphones sold to people plummeted 29% during its last fiscal quarter to 408,000 units. At the same time, the company has shipped 960,000 phones to stores and carriers, which means there is lots of excess inventory.

Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Heidi Flato denied the company was holding a free sale to lower inventory.

"This is a competitive business. Promos of this type are part of doing business in a retail environment," Flato told InformationWeek in an email.

Indeed, Palm announced last month that Verizon Wireless rival AT&T would sell the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus through its stores and online in the "coming weeks." An exact date wasn't given, but AT&T was expected to sell the Pre and Pixi for $150 and $50, respectively, after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Nevertheless, there's no doubt that Palm is experiencing tough times. The smartphone pioneer has seen its market share fall as competition intensifies from larger players, such as Apple, Research in Motion, and makers of smartphones based on Google's Android operating system.

Palm had hoped to gain market share following the release a year ago of a new operating system, called webOS, which was the foundation of a new line of smartphones led by the Pre. Instead, Palm has lost share and some analysts have said the window of opportunity may be closing, as Android phones continue to gain ground, RIM's BlackBerry retains its hold on the corporate market, and Apple's iPhone grows stronger in the consumer market..

Cisco Unveils Valet Home Wireless Products

Cisco has launched two new router families in the US with the focus of getting you online as quickly and pain free as possible.

The new Valet and E-Series models have been designed by the same team that designed the Flip camcorders with parents in mind.

The Valet range "is home wireless made easy,” according to the networking company.

"Valet is the first wireless product line to make it simple for anyone to set up and manage their own home wireless network," reads the blurb.

Consumers simply insert the included Easy Setup Key right into a USB port in their PC or Mac and the Cisco Connect software takes over.

That means two steps rather than 20 or 30 claim Cisco.

A good one for parent's you'll even be able to set controls on the fly, so they can modify web usage for certain days and times of the week, or even for temporary periods.

No gaming after 9pm on a school night for example.

Internet access for each personal device connected to a Valet - from a computer, to a gaming system, to a smartphone - can be individually controlled or changed as needed for the particular child or teen, including blocking inappropriate web content.

Prices start from $99.

The E-Series seems to be a bit more standard in its offering. In the company's continued drive to make things easier the Cisco Connect software auto-assigns the WPA security passkey and SSID while also letting you add multiple Internet-capable devices to the network, set parental controls for each computer or device, and give visitors password-protected Internet access on a separate guest network.

Prices start from $79.99.

No word from Cisco as to when these products will make it out of the USA.