Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) and T-Mobile USA, Inc. (T-Mobile), today announced the availability of the new Samsung Katalystâ„¢(a). The Katalyst adds a stylish, slider design to the growing line-up of phones that support T-Mobile HotSpot With built-in support for T-Mobile HotSpot @Home, the Samsung Katalyst provides customers with great wireless coverage when placing calls over a home Wi-Fi network and at nearly 8,500 T-mobiles locations nationwide. When customers leave home or a T-Mobile HotSpot, their calls are passed onto T-Mobile’s wireless network, and the same is true for passing calls from T-Mobile’s network onto Wi-Fi networks.

In addition, with the purchase of a HotSpot @Home add-on plan, customers can enjoy the freedom of unlimited, nationwide calling over Wi-Fi.(b)Available exclusively from T-Mobile, the Katalyst features a sleek, slider design with a sophisticated metallic silver finish and is equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth wireless technology and a 1.3 megapixel camera. The Katalyst also features advanced messaging capabilities including instant messaging, which enables instant chat and supports AOL, ICQ, Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger.”

Since launching T-Mobile HotSpot @Home in June, we’ve worked closely with companies like Samsung to expand our selection of HotSpot phones,” said Saj Sahay, director of product marketing, T-Mobile USA. “The Samsung Katalyst strikes a great balance of style and features with an affordable price, and gives customers who want the calling benefits of HotSpot @Home a great new handset choice.”The Katalyst is the next-generation Samsung device to support T-Mobile HotSpot Home that delivers great features in a sleek, slide form factor,” said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president, Samsung. “Samsung is proud to work closely with T-Mobile to introduce handsets that enhance consumers’ mobile experience.”Key features of the Katalyst include:

– Wi-Fi-enabled phone; supports T-Mobile HotSpot @Home
– T-Mobile myFaves(SM) enabled(b)

– Bluetooth(R) wireless technology
– Music player
– Expandable memory (microSD memory card)
– Speaker-independent voice recognition
– Advanced messaging capabilities
– (SMS, EMS, MMS)
– Instant messaging (AOL(R), ICQ, Yahoo!(R) and Windows Live(TM) Messenger)
– Compatible with T-Mobile Address Book
– GSM/GPRS/EDGE
– Quad-Band: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
– Dimensions: 3.97″ x 1.98″ x .65″
– Weight: 4.1 ounces (with standard battery)
– Main Display: 176 x 220 pixels, TFT, 262K

Nokia announced that mobile operator Telenor Pakistan will offer Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email to its consumer customers, small-meditum enterprises (SMEs), and large corporations. The service, branded as “SmartMail”, is currently available. Telenor Pakistan started mobile operations in March 2005 and today owns the fastest growing and the largest mobile data network (EDGE based), in the highly competitive mobile market of Pakistan. According to Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) the mobile penetration rate reached approximately 43 percent in August 2007.

By comparison, Pakistan’s fixed line market is moving slowly, reaching only a tenth of the mobile teledensity. “Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email supports all kinds of mobile devices from entry level phones to high-end smartphones for professionals, this together with Telenor Pakistan’s largest EDGE coverage in Pakistan will provide customer convinence to all service subscribers” said CMO Telenor Pakistan Sigvart Voss Eriksen. “A fast growing market such as ours demands a flexible solution that offers not only the possibility to host the solution for consumers and SMEs, but also to meet the special requirements of large corporations,” Eriksen added.”

Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email supports more than 100 devices from various vendors - the broadest support in the industry — allowing Telenor Pakistan to deploy email on a range of devices to meet the needs of various customers,” says Scott Cooper, senior vice president, Mobility Solutions, Enterprise Solutions, Nokia. “Given the highly scalable platform, Telenor Pakistan is well prepared for further fast growth of their customer base, followed by increasing demand for mobile access to email.”
Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email is part of Nokia Intellisync Mobile Suite that provides access to powerful collaboration tools such as email, contacts, calendar, device management and synchronization of files, data and enterprise applications. Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email works in any groupware environment - ISP, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes or Groupwise and can run on any kind of device platform - Symbian, Windows, Palm J2ME, or Pocket PC. The highly scalable email solution supports for more than 100 different devices in addition to Nokia Eseries portfolio.

- Siemens unveils the U10 - its first UMTS colour-screen mobile phone operating both in W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) networks and in GSM/GPRS 900/1800 and 1900 MHz frequency bands - in New York.Siemens mobile will distribute U10 3G handsets, a first result of the technical collaboration with Motorola, to selected operators to help build up UMTS networks and services.

One of the first manufacturers to offer 3G handsets to UMTS carriers, the Germany-headquartered company has also created a dedicated 3G service and customer support team to assist their customers to drive next generation telecomms development.The U10 is a mobile multimedia powerhouse. It has an integrated camera which rotates 180� and captures video with sound and still images. With its Multi Media Messaging and Email capabilities sending and receiving images, video clips, and melodies happens fast and easily.

With high speed Internet access via WAP 2.0 it allows data streaming at up to 384kbs and offers the download of additional applications based on JavaTM Wireless Technology as well as connectivity to peripheral devices such as laptop computers through Bluetooth, USB or infrared.The U10 supports video streaming with file formats such as MPEG-4 and music files like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). It has 2MB worth of memory expandable with a MultiMediaCardTM.

Siemens mobile aims to use the 3G network trials as a platform to test its first 3G consumer product. The European number two mobile manufacturer will first use the U10 for selected customers and formed a new 3G customer support department to support those clients and assess their feedback of the phone�s capabilities. Recording, watching and sending video for instance, as well as testing video download speeds will not only reveal the performance of UMTS features, but also help both network operators and Siemens mobile to assess consumer expectations to ensure the 3G promise matches its delivery.

- MobileGuru launched Java & SMS games on their fun & games portal offering some of the best mobile contents in the UK market. SMS games such as Mighty Metropolis, Top Agent, Txt to Shoot and at least 40 Java games currently available for download to mobiles such as the Nokia 7650. Popular games such as Goldminer, Jem Jam & Detonate are amongst the list of very exciting java games.

Top Agent is an SMS spy game that allows players to live out their secret agent fantasies in a world of espionage, intrigue and danger.The company has been working with a leading UK contents solution provider to develop a brand of Java & SMS games for 2G & 2.5G mobiles.

Java games can be downloaded to Nokia 3410, 6310i, 7650 and Siemens M50, SL42i, SL45i. The services offered are aimed at mobile users on all UK networks.MobileGuru’s current SMS games portfolio includes Mighty Metropolis, Top Agent, Txt to Shoot with Virtual Lover and Spin the Phone in development.Top Agent is a spy adventure game played via SMS messages. Players live out their secret agent fantasies in a world of espionage, intrigue and danger, where their role is to hunt down the world’s most dangerous criminals and bring them to justice.

Earthcomber has just released a new version of its Earthcomber application for use on the iPhone. If you’re not familiar with Earthcomber, it’s a really easy to use application (a “personal radar”, as Earthcomber calls it) for finding movie theaters, airports, ATM machines, restaurants, and more for over 10 million places around the USA, all from your mobile. The application itself is free, and depending on your phone there’s even a local version that can be downloaded. Also, if you sign up and log-in, you can share your location, messages and more between other registered users.

For my test I went to Earthcomber.com and then clicked on the iPhone START HERE button. I was then able to see all of the attractions around my area and navigate through using a “looklist” such as Brands, Essentials, Fun Times, My Day Off, and more. If you don’t want to use a “looklist”, you can search using the search box at the bottom of the screen. The interface is very fast and the information is comprehensive. For example, it immediately told me about a bunch of museums within 20 miles of me that I didn’t even know existed.

I also looked at movies and it gave me the show times for the local theater–nice! Another cool feature is the ability to switch to Business mode (see image below), which immediately shows you links to lists of ATMs, airports, and other business-oriented activities.

Send high-resolution photos or other large files in just a few seconds and access websites at top speed: HSUPA – High Speed Uplink Packet Access – the data turbo now being introduced by T-Mobile in the UMTS network, makes this possible. The technology accelerates data upstreaming from mobile devices into the network from today’s top speed of 384 kbit/s to up to 1.4 Mbit/s, and significantly reduces transfer durations (ping time). HSUPA therefore optimally enhances HSDPA technology in the T-Mobile network, which already offers downstream bandwidths of up to 7.2 Mbit/s.

Together, HSDPA and HSUPA ensure that users can surf the Internet or work in the intranet while on the move, experiencing a similar level of comfort as with fixed-network DSL. The rollout of HSUPA is starting in Nuremberg and Hanover, and T-Mobile plans to equip the entire UMTS network with HSUPA by mid-2008 .The launch of HSUPA this year proves once again that T-Mobile is a driver of innovation in the mobile broadband area. For example, T-Mobile is the first network provider in Germany to make HSDPA available across its entire UMTS network .High-speed upstreaming for notebooksThe web’n’walk ExpressCard IV for notebooks is a new HSUPA-capable mobile device from T-Mobile.

Data can be sent via HSUPA using the card at speeds of up to 1.4 Mbit/s; for rapid surfing and downloads, the card supports HSDPA speeds of up to 7.2 Mbit/s. The web’n’walk ExpressCard IV is extremely compact and fits in the notebook’s Express card slot. A PCMCIA adapter is included in delivery for devices without an Express slot. The communications software also included in delivery enables easy access to mobile connections thanks to its user-friendly interfaces.

The software automatically selects the most rapid transmission technology available on site, be it HSUPA, HSDPA, EDGE or WLAN at Deutsche Telekom HotSpots. Individual user profiles can be set up in the configuration menu, and the software supports various VPN clients.

Ericsson Technology Licensing announced that it has signed a licensing agreement to provide its latest Blue tooth radio core, the K-D1, to National Semiconductor, a premier analog company focused on the market for wireless handsets. National plans to introduce products incorporating Ericsson’s radio next year.The Bluetooth radio core K-D1 from Ericsson gives National Semiconductor a Bluetooth design solution that can be completely ported into its manufacturing process.

This enables National Semiconductor to differentiate products for different manufacturing processes and different market segments.“National’s broad portfolio of Bluetooth products, from chip sets to modules to accessories, will be enhanced by our licensing agreement with Ericsson,” said Jean-Louis Bories, Executive Vice President of National Semiconductor’s IA and Wireless Division. “We are strong believers in Bluetooth and the added value Bluetooth solutions provide customers in applications such as mobile handsets and PDAs. ““By signing a licensing agreement with National Semiconductor, one of the world’s top semiconductor companies, we have taken a big step toward reaching our goal of integrating our Bluetooth solution into mass market consumer products,” says Maria Khorsand, President of Ericsson Technology Licensing. “This puts new fuel into the Bluetooth market - where the demand for chips is expected to grow more than 300 percent next year.”

The fourth generation radio is the latest in Bluetooth radio design and features complete on-chip integration of the radio front end using a 0.18-micron RFCMOS process with some key features as lowest external components count and no radio sensitive external components. The package includes evaluation hardware and design database, as well as simulation results and schematics. Furthermore, qualified samples manufactured in the foundry mother process are also included. This has been proven to accelerate the process of porting and to minimize engineering efforts.

Nokia Game finished on Friday, 29 November with an exciting musical finale. This year, the theme was the ins and outs of the music industry. Players took on the role of a start-up music band that tries to become famous as soons as possible and release their first single via a multimedia message (MMS) to mobile phones. Using “Fames”, the Nokia Game currency, players were able to buy the necessary Assets, such as Studios, Composers or PR Agencies, to enable them to become famous.
In addition, several online games gave players the chance to show off their skills and gain valuable experience for the final.“This year’s Nokia Game was a huge success with over one million players registered. And the collaborative spirit of previous years was present again, with players connecting, competing and collaborating to reach the finals, ” said Pekka Rantala, Vice President, Marketing Services, Nokia Mobile Phones. “A big thank you to all of the players who took part this year. We hope that they were both entertained and inspired by their journey into the music industry.”Nokia Game is an interactive adventure provided by Nokia that was played from 11 to 29 November in nine languages across 25 countries.

Throughout Nokia Game, the players received clues and information via the Internet, SMS, chat, interactive voice response (IVR) calls and mini-movies distributed over the web. In addtion, the UK band Idlewild rolled a giant set of inflatable dice in locations across Europe and the dice results changed the way in which the game developed.The top 10 to100 players in each country will each win a special new Nokia 3650 phone with integrated camera, video player and camcorder. The winners will be among the first in their region to own and use this new phone.

Canadian vendor Research In Motion (RIM) has been stepping up its presence in the mass market of late, focusing on applications that will help its BlackBerry device appeal to the mass market. Following on from the launch of a Facebook application for its devices last week, the mobile email shop introduced the first music download service for the BlackBerry on Thursday.

The announcement was made at the launch of Vodafone’s mobile music launch in London, which, based on Omnifone’s Music Station, will see BlackBerry users on the Vodafone network able to download unlimited tracks to their devices for less than £8 per month.But just round the corner at the BlackBerry Alliance Members conference, RIM’s Peter Heath, director of alliances, told the audience that the BlackBerry was becoming more of a ‘prosumer’ device as more and more people realised it could be used for “more than just email”.

Heath revealed that RIM now has more than 10.5 million BlackBerry users and more than 700 partners developing applications for the device. At present, 78 per cent of RIM’s revenues come from hardware but 15 per cent come from services and that figure is set to grow with the increase in usage of more consumer apps like MMS and Instant Messaging.

On Thursday, RIM also made its BlackBerry Pear 8130 available to CDMA subscribers for the first time via Verizon’s network in the US.But analysts warn that RIM is facing increasing competition in the business space as Microsoft gets its act together. Ovum analysts, Adam Leach and Jessica Figueras said that Microsoft’s announcement of support for Active Directory in the next release of Windows Mobile could be bad news for BlackBerry.Windows Mobile 6.1 devices, due in the market around the middle of 2008, will also be manageable through a new server product, the System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 (SCMDM).

The offering will allow IT administrators to manage mobile devices in the same way that they manage other IT assets.”Microsoft’s dominance in corporate office IT infrastructure has not yet translated to dominance within the fledgling market for corporate mobile IT infrastructure. That could change,” the analysts said.

Nokia today unveiled SEEK, the third dimension of its mobile sharing site, MOSH. SEEK allows MOSH users to make requests for content they crave and the community can then respond with suggestions or custom created content answering the ‘SEEK’. SEEK allows the rapidly growing, and global, MOSH community to connect with one another and to obtain content not yet available.

Looking for a specific mobile application but can’t find anything close? Visiting Amsterdam and want a great mobile map? How about video of a specific dive in the Maldives? SEEK it. SEEK is the third dimension in the evolution of MOSH. The first dimension was the ability to upload and share content with a global audience; the second was downloading and customizing your device; now SEEK provides the ability to seek content and interact with the community, SEEK will tap into the power of the MOSH community and provide customized responses to people’s mobile needs.Officially launching on December 14, an exclusive demo of SEEK will be seen at CTIA Wireless in San Francisco October 23rd through October 25th. MOSH, short for mobilize and share, has seen more than 6 million downloads since its beta launch on 9th August.

MOSH was built from the ground up with mobility in mind and its seamless web and mobile integration has facilitated rapid growth with 80% of all downloads happening through mobile browsers. MOSH allows content creators and technology leaders to post their content to a global audience. Focused on the sharing of mobile content, MOSH is intended for all mobile devices and is not Nokia specific.