Motorola expanded its ROKR family of music products with the introduction of the ROKR E8 mobile device, the EQ5 and EQ7 wireless speaker systems and new stereo headsets at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (Booth #8545, Central Hall).

This new generation of ROKR products offers consumers a complete music ecosystem that can help them enjoy their favorite tunes while on the go. “ROKR E8 is a no compromises device – it’s both an MP3 player that makes great phone calls and a mobile phone with tremendous audio capabilities. With our unique ModeShift technology, we’re dispelling the myth that mobile phones with music features are inferior to stand-alone audio devices,” stated Stu Reed, president, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Rounding out our ROKR portfolio, our new music accessories provide consumers with a number of ways to enjoy their music.”Dimensions115×53x10.6mm

BandQuad Band; GPRS/EDGE class 12

Weight100 grams

Battery970mAh

Display2.0” QVGA 240×320 262K TFT

FeaturesModeShift technology transforms the device from phone to music player to imaging device with the touch of a buttonFastScroll navigation wheel allows for scrolling through songs, contact and image library with the slide of a thumbInnovative haptics technology provides tactile response when a virtual key is pressed2GB internal memory4; optional external memory support up to 4GB capacityMicrosoft™ music ecosystem support3.5 mm stereo headset jack, stereo Bluetooth wireless technology (A2DP)³2.0megapixel camera with 8x zoom, multi-shot feature, video capture and playbackAirplane mode to play uninterrupted music in the air, even without a SIM cardTalking phone offers a voice readout of text messages while dialing number or when receiving a callMIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, Real Audio (RA) v10

The game, called CellMill, is a traditional two-player board game that can be played by two players over Bluetooth, or as a single-player game against the smart phone.�Bluetooth enabled smart phones, like Nokia�s 7650 with Symbian OS, are more suitable for multiplayer games than traditional PDAs and portable game consoles. Our goal has been to develop a user-friendly gaming experience, which is almost as real as players sitting at the same table in real life. CellMill is our second game for this emerging multiplayer game market�, says Esa Ketola, President, Cellsoft, Inc.�We have received a lot of positive feedback from players who really enjoy the Bluetooth multiplayer feature of both CellMill and CellPoker, which we released earlier this year �, Ketola continues.Initially, CellMill will run on Nokia 7650 and other Symbian OS handsets will be supported as they become available.

A wildlife conservation group is offering free cell phone ringtones with the sounds of any of 70 rare and endangered birds and animals. The species whose chirps, croaks and roars are made available by the Center for Biological Diversity include the polar bear, blue-throated macaw, Beluga whale and Yosemite toad. The center began the program a year ago and since then has provided 100,000 free downloads to people in 150 countries, according to center spokesman Jeff Miller.

The sounds can be downloaded from the center’s endangered species ringtone Users can also download photos, cell phone wallpapers and facts about each species. Center conservation director Peter Galvin said, “Our endangered species ringtones have become a great way for people to personalize their cell phones and make a statement about the importance of protecting imperiled wildlife. “The center is dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places worldwide. It is based in Tucson, Ariz., and has offices in eight other cities including San Francisco. Miller said the two most popular ringtones since the program began have been the killer whale and Mexican gray wolf. Bay Area species on the list include the California red-legged frog, foothill yellow-legged frog and western burrowing owl.

The sleek slider-style and powerful handset, Samsung SCH-r610, is now available to customers of Cricket, a subsidiary of unlimited wireless service company Leap Wireless International. This ultra-slim mobile phone is packed with a high-resolution, 262K TFT display, MP3 Player with microSD memory slot, 1.3 megapixel camera, WAP 2.0, stereo bluetooth and a loud, clear speaker phone. Because Cricket customers have unlimited wireless access, it has a digital talk time of up to 3 hours and standby time of up to 350 hours. Cricket customers can get all these features inside a 4.06 x 1.96 x .5 inch handset weighing only 2.92 ounces. In addition, SCH-r610 is data capable, giving Cricket customers access to mobile Web and ability to download games or apps.

Verizon Wireless announced the newest flavor of Chocolate by LG – Blue Ice. The newest addition to the Chocolate line-up, the silky-smooth slim slider design comes coated with a frosty blue finish and includes the must-have multimedia capabilities for the music and entertainment lover on your holiday list.

The Chocolate in Blue Ice includes the same features chocoholics have come to love, such as vibration feedback on the touch-sensitive keypad, navigation wheel with classic red trace motion lighting, and a microSD™ memory card slot that supports up to 4 GB of memory. Customers who purchase the Chocolate will love the quick and easy access to V CAST Music, the Verizon Wireless service that offers more than 2.4 million songs for download over-the-air, and V CAST Video, which offers news, sports and entertainment video clips, 3D games and more. VZ NavigatorSM, a popular tool available on the Chocolate, includes mapping, audible turn-by-turn navigation and access to information on more than 14 million points of interest. A 1.3 megapixel camera, speakerphone and Bluetooth® headset capabilities round out the features wrapped in frosty blue.

Chocolate by LG in Blue Ice is available today for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores within Circuit City. It will be available at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com on Friday, Dec.7.

KDDI, Japan’s second largest wireless network operator, has surpassed its initial projections by signing 334,000 third generation (3G) subscribers in the first 30 days in which the company has offered 3G voice and data services. KDDI launched its Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 1X voice and data services on April 1 on its all Motorola supplied wireless radio access network. CDMA2000 1X technology nearly doubles the voice capacity on the network and is capable of transmitting data at a peak rate of up to 153 kilobits per second.

KDDI has been offering its customers nationwide packet data mobile services since Jan. 7, 2000, when it launched IS-95B high-speed packet data on Motorola’s infrastructure. Motorola’s CDMA2000 1X architecture builds upon existing 2G or 2.5G networks by adding packet based network elements. For KDDI’s network, these network elements include the access node from Cisco Systems, Inc. that enables the radio access network to be Internet protocol capable. Reusing the 2G and 2.5G equipment within the 1X architecture can help protect the operator’s current investments and can reduce both its capital and operating expenditures. Motorola currently has CDMA2000 1X contracts with 12 network operators worldwide. 

Ericsson and T-Mobile International signed a general agreement for the delivery and integration of MMS technology for the T-Mobile group. Ericsson is selected by T-Mobile to supply and install Multimedia Messaging technology in their GSM/GPRS/UMTS-network. After the successful launch of MMS by Westel in Hungary (an affiliate of T-Mobile International), T-Mobile plans to roll out MMS in Germany, Austria and the UK this summer with more countries to follow.

Core of the network MMS ability is the Multimedia Messaging Service center (MMS-C). The MMS-C is the essential part of the network to administer, store, transmit and transform the multimedia messages and create billing data. MMS offers an increase in mobile-to-mobile messaging capabilities by enabling colour pictures, animations, audio and video clips to be sent along with text. This opens the door to content-rich applications and services such as electronic postcards, animated cartoons and multimedia presentations.

Motorola i90c Limited Edition Phone with Pearlized Finish is Latest Mobile Phone to be Sold at Bloomingdale’s Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Bloomingdale’s today announced the pearlized Motorola i90c Limited Edition phone, the latest in a series of limited edition Motorola mobile phones to be offered by Bloomingdale’s. This pearly white flip phone is a sophisticated communications device that’s also an elegant fashion accessory.

“After the success of the translucent Motorola i90c Limited Edition phone, we wanted to offer Bloomingdale’s customers something new and different,” said Peter Aloumanis, vice president and general manager of the U.S. Markets Division, Motorola’s iDEN(R) Subscriber Group. “With its pearlized finish and silver colored trim, this phone is sleek, elegant and stylish, while also offering the most advanced features such as a two-way radio, speakerphone, musical ring tones, and downloadable games.” “Bloomingdale’s customers are fashion-conscious consumers who want to express their personal style through both their clothing and their personal electronic devices,” said Anne Keating, senior vice president of Bloomingdale’s. “

The pearlized Motorola i90c Limited Edition mobile phone is a stylish alternative for the customer who wants something different.” The pearly white Motorola i90c Limited Edition wireless phone is a compact 3.5 x 1.9 x 1.1 inches (89 x 48 x 28 mm) and weighs just four ounces (113 g). Features include blue backlighting that makes it stand out in dimly lit environments, dual displays that show Caller ID on the outside of the phone, voice recognition, and voice recording.

Ten selectable musical files and ten selectable ring tones allow users to personalize the ring style with rich polyphonic sound. Users can customize the phone by wirelessly downloading applications, such as games and productivity tools, to meet their individual needs. Pre-installed applications include Checkers, Blackjack, Video Poker, Calculator, and Unit Converter. The Motorola i90c Limited Edition handset will be available beginning this week at select Bloomingdale’s stores in New York City, Huntington Station, White Plains, and Garden City, New York; Hackensack, Wayne, and Bridgewater, New Jersey; Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles. It will be also featured in the Bloomingdale’s Mother’s Day catalog. Suggested retail price is $399. 

Verizon Wireless announced plans to develop and deploy its fourth generation mobile broadband network using LTE – Long Term Evolution – the technology developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization. The selection of LTE provides Verizon and Vodafone – joint owners of U.S.-based Verizon Wireless – with a unique opportunity to adopt a common access platform with true global scale and compatibility with existing technologies of both companies.Verizon and Vodafone have a coordinated trial plan for LTE that begins in 2008. Trial suppliers include Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia-Siemens, and Nortel.

These suppliers, along with others in the world community, have contributed significantly towards development of the standards in 3GPP. Discussions with device suppliers have expanded beyond traditional suppliers such as LG, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson, as consumer electronics companies anticipate embedded wireless functionality in their future products .Working within 3GPP, Verizon and Vodafone, as well as a broad group of infrastructure suppliers, device suppliers, and technology companies from around the globe, have advanced the standards to enable a technology that will deliver unprecedented wireless broadband service for high performance mobile computing, multimedia, and consumer electronic devices and applications.

The technology is designed to deliver mobile data networks with higher speed and throughput performance, lower latency, global roaming, and improved efficiencies.Today’s LTE announcement builds on Verizon Wireless’ technology leadership as the first company to launch high-speed wireless broadband service in the United States using CDMA Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) technology. Its data innovation and leadership have been marked by the introduction of new multimedia handsets and innovative applications such as V CAST Music, V CAST Video, VZ NavigatorSM, V CAST games, e-mail, Internet access, and picture and video messaging on a variety of devices, including handsets, PDAs and laptops.Richard Lynch, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Verizon Communications observed that “while this next generation technology will be exciting to develop and deploy, it comes at a time when we are adding record numbers of customers to our existing CDMA2000 1x and EV-DO networks.

We relish the challenge of preparing for the time when our customers start demanding such 4G capabilities, while continuing the expansion and operation of our existing technologies for many years to come.”“The company’s move toward a 4G network is driven by our vision of pervasive wireless Internet connectivity and mobility,” said Lynch. “Customers want to be truly untethered with advanced communication devices that provide functionality comparable to today’s wired networks – whether it’s downloading or uploading video, gaming, downloading their favorite music, or social networking. They want to be able to communicate in new and innovative ways whenever and wherever they choose around the globe. A number of factors are setting the stage for our 4G network migration; most importantly, our view of customers’ evolving appetite for more information, entertainment, and functionality, combined with an increasing customer expectation for easy access, high speed, easy handling, and seamless mobility. With a host of new devices and applications, and a particular focus on embedded wireless in virtually every piece of electronics you buy in any store, we believe LTE is the best technology with global scale to deliver on the promise.”

Discover and listen to radio shows broadcasted over the internet with the Nokia Internet Radio service now available The application can be downloaded for free from internetradio and will also be embedded in upcoming Nokia S60 3rd edition devices. “Most new music discovery occurs while you’re listening to the radio,” said Tommi Mustonen, head of the Nokia music business. “By offering the Nokia Internet Radio service on mobile devices, the radio experience becomes more accessible, giving people new ways to find music.” With hundreds of internet radio stations to choose from worldwide, the station directory of Nokia Internet Radio makes music discovery effortless - browsing can be done based on station name, genre, country or language.

To find out what hits are hot around the world, hourly updates of the top ten most popular internet radio stations are also available in the station directory. Plus, there is no need to search for your top stations time and again because adding them to the list of ‘Favorites’ makes them easily accessible.Moreover, the audio quality is enhanced by selecting appropriate streaming servers that match the speed of the current network connection.The Nokia Internet Radio application is currently available for download to the following devices: Nokia N82, Nokia N91, Nokia N95 and Nokia N95 8GB. The application is planned to be available later on further devices and will be embedded in selected upcoming Nokia S60 3rd edition devices.