Nokia 3220 Neon Stripes faceplate

Japan may promote lower mobile phone fees (Reuters)

Reuters - Japan's government will seek to introduce new guidelines on mobile phone connection fees as early as 2010, which may lower rates for consumers, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday.

After Years of Delays, China Finally Issues 3G Licenses (PC World)
PC World - China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) finally granted 3G licenses to the country's mobile operators on Wednesday, bringing to a close years of waiting and delay.

Skype brings free, cheaper calls to mobiles (AFP)

AFP - Skype, which brought cheap and free calls to the Internet, is doing the same for mobile phones.

AMD to Bring HD Gaming and Movies to Mobile Phones (PC World)
PC World - Advanced Micro Devices CEO Dirk Meyer on Thursday said the company will deliver high-definition gaming and movies to devices like smartphones in an attempt to bring more usability and interactivity to the devices.

Nokia stops making only WiMax device (Reuters)

Reuters - The world's top mobile phone maker Nokia said on Thursday it had ended production of its only mobile device using the U.S.-centered WiMax technology, another blow for the struggling wireless technology.

Ford committed to new products and cost cuts: CEO (Reuters)

Reuters - Ford Motor Co is committed to maintaining investments in new products such as its Sync audio platform as well as production cuts forced by the global economic downturn, Chief Executive Alan Mulally said on Thursday.

Verizon completes 28.1 billion dlr acquisition of Alltel (AFP)

AFP - Verizon Wireless announced Friday that it had completed a 28.1 billion dollar acquisition of mobile phone operator Alltel to become top wireless carrier in the United States in terms of subscribers.

Dish Network unveils `Slingloaded' TV recorder (AP)
AP - Satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp. on Thursday unveiled a digital video recorder that can send TV signals to a computer screen or mobile phone.

Skype Extends VoIP To Some Mobile Phones, MIDs (NewsFactor)
NewsFactor - Skype is offering its Voice over Internet Protocol service to Android and Java-enabled mobile phones, and to Intel-based Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs). This is the first time the software has been released for mobile users in the U.S.

New 3G Palm Pre Enters Smart Phone War (PC World)
PC World - Palm today announced its long-awaited new operating system--called Web OS--as well as the new Palm Pre smart phone to match. The Pre will be available exclusively on the Sprint 3G Network in first half of 2009. The announcement was made at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.

Verizon Wireless completes $5.9B Alltel buyout (AP)
AP - Verizon Wireless on Friday completed its $5.9 billion purchase of Little Rock, Ark.-based Alltel Corp., making Verizon the nation's largest mobile phone company.