Hop-On Releases $10 'Anti-iPhone'.

"Hop-On... today announces that its GSM cell phone, the Hop1800, is now available in the United States for $10 USD, and worldwide. One of the new breed of ultra convenient cell phones, the pre-paid HOP1800 is ideal as a backup cell phone."

SMobile providing security for British Telecom phones.

"Columbus-based SMobile was selected to provide antivirus, antispam, antispyware and firewall protection for British Telecommunication Plc's BT Total Broadband Anywhere service, specifically on the company's BT ToGo phones that rolled out within the past few weeks."

Are We Ready for Mobile Identity?

The Yankee Group writes: "Assuming our forecasted mobile usage trends continue as we expect, by 2012 US mobile subscribers could generate over 360 billion identity events per year. By 'identity event,' I mean the act of authenticating to an online service or website. Applying the Law of Large Numbers to a miniscule fee per event yields another big number in the hundreds of millions of dollars. These are dollars that mobile operators and identity management vendors could leave on the table unless they capitalize on the opportunity."

Cell phone users may get break on fees.

"Cell phone companies routinely charge customers $175 or more for quitting their service early. Under a proposal to the FCC, the wireless industry would give consumers the opportunity to cancel service without any penalty for up to 30 days after they sign a cell phone contract or until 10 days after they receive their first bill."

Handset sales slowing in U.S. amid worsening economy.

"Good and bad news for the U.S. mobile wireless industry when it comes to the worsening economy. The bad news: Consumers' purchases of new mobile devices declined in the first quarter for the first time in many years. The good news: The decline tended to concentrate around customers using prepaid and among the middle class. The higher end market that features higher ARPU customers that heavily use the more sophisticated devices continued to grow."

Intel Invests in Malaysian WiMAX Operator.

"Intel's investment arm Intel Capital has invested MYR 50m ($15.3m) in Green Packet, the parent company of Malaysian WiMAX operator Packet One Networks."

Sicap and Red Bend Sign Agreement for Interoperable Device Management.

"The cooperation between Red Bend and Sicap means that device manufacturers and mobile operators can instantly manage deployed devices using standards-based Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA DM) protocols. Operators can now identify devices in the network using Sicap’s server and then update each device’s firmware using Red Bend’s client software."

Vodafone Buys Zyb for $49M.

Om Malik writes: "Finally, a wireless company makes a smart acquisition. Vodafone has acquired Danish wireless address book company Zyb, whose service I have often used to keep my growing array of mobile phones synchronized...

P.S.: Does anyone else find something intriguing about two address books companies being snapped up by telcos/broadband providers, specifically Vodafone buying Zyb and Comcast snapping up Plaxo? If this is a trend, who is the next to go, and where? Let the speculation begin."

Android vs. LiMo: What’s the difference?

[the entire article is worth reading -- the image above summarizes the key differences]

At The Churchill Club: The Top 10 Tech Trends.

Eric Savitz writes: "Here’s the pundits’ list of trends...

1. From Steve Jurvetson: 'Demographics are destiny, creating opportunity.'
2. From Vinod Knosla: The mobile phone will be a mainstream personal computer.
3. From Josh Kopelman: The rise of the 'implicit' Internet.
4. From Roger McNamee: Betting on smart phones: The mobile device migration to smart phones from features phones will produce even greater disruption than PC industry moving from character mode to graphical interface.
5. From Joe Schoendorf: Water tech will replace global warming as a global priority.
6. Jurvetson: Evolution trumps design.
7. Khosla: Fossilizing fossil energy.
8. Kopelman: Venture Capital 2.0.
9. McNamee: Within 5 years, everything that matters to you will be available to you on a device that fits on your belt or in your purse.
10. Schoendorf: 80% of the world population will carry mobile Internet devices within 5-10 years.

And that’s it. Lots of mobile phone predictions. Green energy. Water. And more phones." [emphasis added]

RIM details features in BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.

"A year after revealing a major upgrade of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server was underway, Research in Motion this week finally fleshed out what the new version will do, and put a delivery date on it...

The BES (pronounced 'bez') is the locus of an enterprise BlackBerry deployment. All communications funnel through the BES, it works with the back-end mail servers Exchange or Lotus Notes, and provides some tools for administering and managing BlackBerry devices, users, and the BES itself.

The upcoming release of BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0, codenamed Argon, is a critical piece in RIM's effort to make its software and smartphones a foundation for next-generation mobile applications. For that to happen, enterprise BlackBerry administrators need to move visibility into the BES. They also need tools to simplify and automate deploying and managing scores of mobile applications, including line of business programs. Finally, they need improvements in BES to make it more reliable and scaleable if it's to be the linchpin for mission critical mobile business and communications."

MVNOs better than their hosts?

Thomas Husson writes: "Tesco Mobile ranks highest in customer satisfaction with pre-pay mobile telephone service for the first time, while Virgin Mobile ranks highest among contract mobile phone customers for a second consecutive year.

There are obviously plenty of factors to take into account but what strikes me here is that both Tesco and Virgin are MVNOs respectively on 02 and T-Mobile networks!"

Verizon Wireless spurns Android for LiMo.

"Verizon Wireless announced its membership in the LiMo Foundation open handset consortium, committing to introduce across its handset lineup devices based on the group's mobile Linux operating system. During a conference call Wednesday morning, Verizon Wireless vice president of network Kyle Malady said that while the carrier will continue supporting rival operating systems including Windows Mobile and RIM, it expects the LiMo Platform to gradually emerge as its OS of choice."

Sneak Peak At Android Apps Out of MIT.

"A class at MIT built some mobile apps for Google’s Android operating system and presented them today. CrunchGear’s own superblogger Doug Aamoth reports on the seven apps—loco, Flare, GeoLife, Re:public, Locale, Kei, and snap—that he saw."

Intel Wins Piece of Swedish Spectrum.

"Intel won a piece of the Swedish airwaves and announced today that it plans to develop a nationwide WiMax network. Intel paid $26 million for a 15-year license and hopes to make money by selling microchips that a WiMax network will need. Intel business developer Carl-Daniel Norenberg said the company is looking for partners to build and operate the network, but that Intel will rent out the license rather than selling it."

Clearwire, Sprint Nextel to form $14.55B wireless company.

"Clearwire and Sprint Nextel said Wednesday they will combine their wireless broadband units to create a $14.55 billion communications company.

The new company, to be named Clearwire, will receive a $3.2 billion investment from Intel Corp., Google Inc., Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc. and Bright House Networks. The investment is based on a target price of $20 per Clearwire share and will give the companies a 22 percent stake in the new venture...

Rivals such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless have eschewed WiMax, opting instead for upgrades to their current wireless broadband networks and a future technology called Long Term Evolution...

The new company is looking for a U.S. network deployment reaching 120 million to 140 million people by the end of 2010."

An Outbreak of Caring.

"At its most basic level, call centers around the nation act like medical triage to handle routine service issues and minor problems. Complaints from 'triple play' customers, who have Fios television, Internet and phone services, are sent to a special team of 'personal account' handlers in Florida. The angriest customers and those who send e-mails and letters directly executives are handled by the 'escalation team.'

'What you don't want them to do...is leave or write up a blog or something.'"