Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

AT&T has  announced the launch of the BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8110 smartphone, which includes built-in global positioning system (GPS) support for location-based applications and services. Combined with navigation and mapping applications such as AT&T Navigator, the handset provides turn-by-turn voice and on-screen directions with colorful 3-D moving maps that can be used in vehicles or while walking. AT&T Navigator also alerts users through voice and on-screen prompts to traffic slowdowns and incidents along their programmed travel route, and it provides customers with the option to choose an alternative route.

3Screens News Summary:

• The small and stylish BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone from AT&T measures just 4.2 inches by 2.4 inches by 0.5 inches, weighs approximately 3.2 ounces and is available in a glossy titanium or rich red finish.
• It features the popular BlackBerry e-mail and messaging capabilities, including RIM’s SureType® QWERTY keyboard system for easy typing and phone dialing — enhanced with word completion and a spell-checker with a user-customized dictionary. The smartphone features a display that supports more than 65,000 colors and automatically adjusts brightness based on surrounding light levels. The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 also is the first BlackBerry that enables users to wirelessly download AT&T’s popular — and free — YELLOWPAGES.COM Mobile application directly from an icon on the smartphone.
• Customers can easily find and map local businesses, save favorite listings and get step-by-step directions to or from any location.
• The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 also features impressive multimedia capabilities, including an advanced media player that is ideal for users who want easy access to music and videos while on the go. It also includes a 2-megapixel camera that supports video recording,1 a 3.5-mm stereo headset jack, externally accessible microSD™/SDHC memory slot for additional storage, high speed USB and Bluetooth® 2.0 with support for headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth accessories.
• The global capabilities of the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone from AT&T utilizes AT&T’s industry-best domestic and international wide area wireless data coverage.
• The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 is powered by AT&T’s nationwide2 EDGE network — the largest high speed national wireless data network in the U.S. — with availability in more than 13,000 cities and towns and along almost 40,000 miles of major highways.
• The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 can also keep users who are abroad connected with wireless e-mail, Internet access and other mobile applications through data services in more countries than any other U.S. carrier, with data-roaming in more than 145 countries.
• Customers can also use the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 to make or receive voice calls in more than 200 countries.

Pricing and Availability

The new BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone from AT&T is available now at AT&T retail stores nationwide, via and through AT&T’s business-to-business sales teams for as low as $149.99, with a two-year contract, unlimited data plan and $39.99 voice plan. Customers who want personal e-mail access and Web browsing with BlackBerry® Internet Service can choose the BlackBerry Personal Unlimited data plan for as low as $30 a month with a qualified voice contract. Unlimited corporate e-mail and data access via BlackBerry® Enterprise Server or BlackBerry® Professional Software are available for as low as $45 a month when a qualified voice plan is also chosen. Customers who travel overseas can select the BlackBerry International Unlimited data plan for as low as $65 a month with a qualified voice plan. AT&T Navigator requires a separate subscription of $9.99 a month.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 also supports AT&T Mobile Music subscription services and AT&T unlimited Push To Talk for walkie-talkie-like communications; both services are an additional $9.99 a month with a qualifying voice plan. Small business customers also can couple their BlackBerry data plans with AT&T’s new BusinessTalk voice plans, which start at $60 a month for five users and 700 Anytime Minutes and can be expanded for $9.99 a line to accommodate up to 40 users and 20,000 Anytime Minutes. When combined with BlackBerry Professional Software, BusinessTalk provides small businesses with a complete voice and data solution. Companies may also choose BusinessTalk with either unlimited Mobile to Mobile or Push To Talk features.

Source: andyabramson.blogs.com

I’m not so sure that using Fring is a good idea if you want any kind of privacy. While Fring’s privacy settings on the handset require enable you to switch the fringME! location feature on or off this whole idea of tracing someone’s movements is getting a little extreme. Since a lot of people pass phones around o show off their "toys" one moment you may be where you want to be, but don’t want anyone to know, and the next you will be tracked unknowingly when someone "configures" your phone.

In the end I wish these "tracking" technologies were like the 10 second beep when a call is being recorded. Let the user know its working when it starts and then every few minutes. You’d be amazed what something like that will stop.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

A few posts ago RavenII wondered "Does Location Matter? refering to Nokia’s plans on NAVTEQ, Looks like It seems to be. GPS giants are running around and buying competitors or technology providers. In the latest move, Garmin will offer to buy the digital maps company Tele Atlas for €2.3 billion (US$3.3 billion) in a move to outbid rival TomTom International, a big maker of in-car navigation systems.

Garmin said Wednesday it had notified the Tele Atlas board that it will make an offer of €24.50 per share in cash for all its outstanding shares. It plans to make the offer by Dec. 24, the date TomTom’s offer is set to expire. TomTom offered to buy Tele Atlas in July for about €2 billion. Garmin said its offer was 15 percent higher than TomTom’s, and is a premium of 48 percent over Tele Atlas’ share price just before TomTom made its offer.

If you are the type that listen to executives, Garmin executives will discuss this transaction today at 10.00 CST/11.00 EST/15.00 GMT/16.00 CET during its third quarter earnings call. For more information, visit http://www8.Garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/irCalendar.html.

Garmin News Release

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Jeff Spagnola of Cisco Service Provider Blog mentioned my site as one of the sites that he reads and made me really happy to be listed among other prominent voip bloggers like Smith on VoIP, Light Reading Blogs, Telco 2.0,.
But before noting my sites name, there were bunch of interesting information that Jeff provides with hi post, the first post in the new Blogs@Cisco site, Cisco SP360 Blog. This new blog will include contributions from a team of Cisco leaders and executives. Jeff promise to cover the latest service provider trends and technologies and topics including Video, Mobility, Managed Services, Technology and Standards, and overall Industry News and Trends. I think this will be a very interesting Blog.
Yes I am partial to Cisco, that is where I got my VoIP feet wet. Before all these people who now talk about Unified communications, Cisco Call manger was doing it eons ago, in computer years! Of course numerous Cisco Routers and Switches that I have gone through just added experience as well as filling up shelf space in my collections. I still have my first 2501 router for sentimental value as the technology developed with the help of that router have made my life much better!
But world, and Cisco have come a long way from 2501 router and Cisco call Manager. So learning about those new trends will be much easier now since we know where to go for information.
Here is some thing for starters, Jeff mentioned Cisco Connected Life Contest that you can participate and who knows you might win the Grand price of $10,000.00!

I loved the little piece about GPS! Because, right now, I am working with GPS technology for a client that want to track something very similar to teenager in the dark!

Links;
SP360 Cisco Service Provider Blog
Blogs@Cisco

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Michal Lev-Ram, Business 2.0 Magazine writer has gone picking iPhone alternatives.

I am glad I did pick some of them sometime ago;
HTC Touch, iPrada, and also those Linksys iPhones!
Of all those choice, I think I will go with Nokia N95, if not for it’s price.

Anyway Michal takes us through his 10 picks;
Prada by LG, (I call this iPRADA)
Nokia N95, (I like this Phone, better camera, GPS, wireless VoIP!)
Moto Razr2,
Helio Ocean,
Samsung t409, (VoIP again!)
Sony Ericsson W580,
Cisco iPhone, (This is the same stuff from Linksys above)
HTC Touch,
Samsung Wafer,
LG Muziq,
So follow the link to get more info and pricing on these phones;

10 picks for the iPhone-phobic

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Of course you already know that you can do more than talking on your cell phone. Weseepeople tells us about social networking with cell phones that are GPS enabled.

WeSeePeople: Next tool in Social Networking, Your GPS enabled Cell Phone!

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

VoIP IP Telephony @ http://snapvoip.blogspot.com

The Skype division of online auction company eBay filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission last week asking regulators to end the practice of carriers’ controlling which devices and apps are used on their networks. Skype also asked the FCC to oversee an industry group that would create open standards for wireless networks.

Two public-interest groups are mulling similar action. And a handset maker in Taiwan is preparing to release a cell phone based on open-source software that it wants to sell independently of carriers.

Skype’s position

In its petition, filed Feb. 21, Skype asks the FCC to apply the so-called Carterfone rules to the wireless industry. Those rules were enacted in the 1960s to force wired-telephony monopoly AT&T to let consumers connect phones and other devices to its network, even if the devices were not made or approved by AT&T. (Skype software lets users make free long-distance calls using voice-over-Internet Protocol.)

At issue is U.S. carriers’ practice of restricting their networks to approved handsets and applications sold by the carriers themselves. Carriers often require that handsets use specific techniques to lock the devices for use only on their networks.
CTIA’s CEO had this to say; ""Skype’s self-interested filing contains glaring legal flaws and a complete disregard for the vast consumer benefits provided by the competitive marketplace. Skype’s "recommendations" will freeze the innovation and choice hundreds of millions of consumers enjoy today. The call for imposing monopoly era Carterfone rules to today’s vibrant market is unmistakably the wrong number."
But before jumping in to any conclusions, visit CTIA and check them out, specially the current members.
A Columbia law professor decried the practice in a position paper he posted on the Web in February. In a synopsis on his blog, Tim Wu asserts that wireless carriers are "aggressively controlling product design and innovation in the equipment and application markets to the detriment of consumers."

Carriers are blocking or controlling the rollout of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, advanced short message service, mobile browsers, legal image and audio file transfers, and call timers, Wu wrote.

Follow the links to read more

EE Times Call out to wireless carriers
Prof. WU’s "Wireless Net Neutrality: Cellular Carterfone on Mobile Networks"
CTIA

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Blog de alepod has published a iPhone presentation demo by Steve Jobs. If you have not seen the demo you can go there or find it on youtube.
The question is Google maps are great but will we have GPS. The rumors about Apple Macs getting GPS enabled have been known for a while.Also known is that iPhoto code has links to Google Maps. New Macs will have a GPS chip incorporated and the Mac OS X.. will be aware of it.
The Apple Blog is happy to blog about Apple GPS rather than iPhone, so I added two together.
Since iPhone runs Mac OS X.., the GPS features are builtin to iPhone already or will ve have to wait for the next version of iPhone.
I am sure if it was enabled, Steve Jobs would not have let it pass without showing it. So GPS enabled iPhoto on your iPhone might be for those who wait. Unless one has many a $599 to spend.

Links;
Blog de alepods iphone presentation
The Apple Blog peels Apple GPS