Mobiles

Not a 2G toy anymore, the new Vertu Ascent Ti now supports 3G UTMS network and has a 3 megapixel camera, 16 million colour QVGA screen and running Series 40 interface. Nokia has just started to sell the new Vertu in Taiwan, with a price tag of about 7000 USD. Check out the photo gallery here.

Other than the unique materials used by Vertu series, the retail package also includes a Vertu Fortress wireless service. The service will backup your phone contact and calendar data wirelessly to Nokia server for free. Nokia has even kept the server protected in an ex-military underground bunker in England.

The Vertu Ascent Ti will be available in Red, Brown and Black color. More photos at next page

Specifications:

• GSM Quadband/WCDMA 2100
• 160 grams
• Up to 5 hours GSM talk time
• Up to 3 hours WCDMA talk time
• Up to 300 hours standby time
• Bluetooth
• micro USB
• 3 megapixel camera with auto focus and flash
• sms

Source [eprice]

Pipeline Data announced today that AirCharge Bluetooth software is now available on the Sprint Mobile Broadband and Nextel National Networks. The software allows credit card transactions to be accepted with a wider variety of Sprint phones and nine Bluetooth credit card swipe with printer devices. The software solution expands the number of phones that are now compatible with AirCharge for use by mobile merchants to accept credit card payments.

Tom Moore, Sprint’s director of mobile business applications, stated, “The AirCharge solution allows Sprint’s business customers to process payments wherever and whenever they need to using Sprint’s Now network. Businesses in a variety of industries benefit from using this mobile payment system and now can easily integrate it with a device and Bluetooth peripheral that best suits their needs.”

AirCharge credit card payment solutions are used by merchants to accept payments in many types of mobile environments including HVAC, plumbing, limousine and taxi, delivery, trade show, flea market or any situation where access to standard phone lines is limited, expensive, or simply inconvenient or unavailable.

The AirCharge payment processing software can be loaded onto the customer’s phone over-the-air (OTA) and is compatible with virtually any merchant processing account. The AirCharge JavaME software for wireless payment processing has been certified to run on the Motorola i335, Motorola i580, Motorola i605, Motorola i615, Motorola i870, Motorola i880, Motorola Deluxe ic902, Motorola MOTORAZR V9m, Sanyo SCP-7050, Sanyo PRO-200, and Sanyo PRO-700, all operating on the Sprint Mobile Broadband or the Nextel National Networks.

Japanese carrier KDDI is launching a visual search application on its Spring 2008 range of “au”  handsets.  The app, called ER Search, was developed by Evolution Robotics and is operated by Bandai networks, who have already installed it on more than a million handsets in the past twelve months.  Described as “hyperlinking the physical world”, ER Search allows users to take photographs of books, CDs, DVDs and other items and then view content based on software recognition of that image.

Taking a photo of a CD, for instance, could pull up price comparisons from online stores (with the ability to buy direct from the handset), links to the artist’s back catalogue and even lyrics from featured songs.  Audio and video clips would also be available.  The software is being offered as a free download to owners of earlier “au” model cellphones; Bandai apparently funds the system via referral fees.

ER Search is similar to the idea of ‘augmented reality’, whereby real-world objects are tagged with real-time data on a mobile device.  Enkin, a recent entry in Google’s Android Developer Challenge promises just that, with GPS and motion data used for real-time object/building tracking.  However Enkin goes farther than ER Search, as it works in real-time rather than from snapshots.

[via mocoNews]

KDDI, Japan's major mobile carrier, and Bandai Networks, a leading mobile content provider in Japan, make Evolution Robotics ViPR recognition system a standard feature for newest KDDI camera phones
Read the full story here.

KDDI, Japan's major mobile carrier, and Bandai Networks, a leading mobile content provider in Japan, make Evolution Robotics ViPR recognition system a standard feature for newest KDDI camera phones
Read the full story here.

Verizon Wireless has filed suit against Sprint Nextel, claiming that its competitor has not paid interconnection fees in the amount of $10 million. These fees are subject to a 2 year statute of limitations, and, if not collected within 2 years, will be void.
Read the full story here.

Verizon Wireless has filed suit against Sprint Nextel, claiming that its competitor has not paid interconnection fees in the amount of $10 million. These fees are subject to a 2 year statute of limitations, and, if not collected within 2 years, will be void.
Read the full story here.

U.S. carriers are looking to improve Push-To-Talk technology as a way to increase revenue. MetroPCS recently launched its PTT service, which allows connecting with people on other networks. Verizon is also improving its own PTT services.
Read the full story here.

U.S. carriers are looking to improve Push-To-Talk technology as a way to increase revenue. MetroPCS recently launched its PTT service, which allows connecting with people on other networks. Verizon is also improving its own PTT services.
Read the full story here.

Verizon Wireless and VOCEL today announced the availability of The Pill Phone, a new Get It Now application that provides Verizon Wireless customers with detailed drug information and automatic dosing reminders - right on their phones.

The Pill Phone application is available exclusively through Verizon Wireless. With The Pill Phone’s Pill Lookup feature, Verizon Wireless customers have access to critical information on more than 1,800 medications and prescription drugs that are commonly prescribed by physicians, including indications, dosing, side effects, drug interactions, photos of medications, and more.

The Pill Phone also offers a Medication Reminder feature, which allows customers to schedule automatic reminders to take their doses at the appropriate times. With the Medication Reminder feature, customers can stay on their familiar medication schedule at home and even when they are traveling.

The Pill Phone is currently available for a $3.99 monthly subscription on a number of popular Get It Now-capable phones