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  • Interview: Pelago's CEO Jeff Holden Maps Out Vision For Mobile Social Networks

    Last week, I caught up with Jeff Holden , the CEO of Pelago , which is developing Whrrl , an application for mobile phones that lets people share opinions about events and restaurants and organize meet-ups with friends. Pelago has the distinction of being the first investment of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer's iFund, which is dedicated to funding iPhone applications. It subsequently also raised funds from T-Mobile's investment arm, among others. But Holden, who is a former Amazon exec, is distinctive in his own right. From his office in downtown Seattle, where he was wearing cargo shorts and a polo shirt on a rainy day, he covers ground quickly, and makes whopping predictions. One is that Amazon ( NSDQ: AMZN ) will become a hardware company and the second is something he's banking on—that Apple's ( NSDQ: AAPL ) iPhone will evolve from a niche device to one that gains double-digit market share. When it comes to explaining his company's vision, he references scenes from sci-fi movies and uses made-up words and phrases, like "foot-streaming" and the "digital augmentation of the physical world." He addressed the challenges they faced with the first iPhone app, the new version; integration into Facebook and Twitter, and the carriers Whrrl will launch with soon. Holden summarizes his excitement by drawing parallels between Pelago and Amazon: "Whrrl makes people's lives a lot better. Amazon made their lives a lot better, too. I get charged about that." Here's a summary of our conversation: -- The iPhone app: The Whrrl application launched In July with the App store, but received hundreds of complaints on its landing page for not using GPS and not being able to zoom to find restaurants. Holden said it still was downloaded more than 100,000 times over the first few days, and that iPhone users have been more active and engaged than users on the Blackberry platforms. A new iPhone version launched in the last week solves...
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  • Orange Admits To Capping iPhone 3G Speeds

    Maybe it's not all Apple's fault after all. French wireless carrier Orange has admitted to capping 3G network speeds at 384Kbps for iPhone customers, AppleInsider reports . Perhaps that's why iPhone users on Germany's T-Mobile network were reporting speeds as high as 1800Kbps while Orange customers' data moved at a much slower pace. As with other carriers that recently launched the new iPhone 3G, Orange's customer care lines lit up. In some cases, representatives were able to dramatically increase specific iPhone users' speeds to as much as 3Mbps by simply altering some technical parameters. Orange told FranceInfo that the network speeds were capped to preserve network stability, but that it intends to raise the download cap for iPhone users to 1Mbps by Sept. 15. It's doubtful that will resolve the concern of many Orange customers that have signed a petition saying the artificial limitation is in direct violation of Orange's service agreement, which should allow for HSDPA speeds up to 7.2Mbps. And it's likely to stoke the debate on whether iPhone 3G connection issues are the fault of Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ) or the carriers. Is AT&T ( NYSE: T ) doing the same thing in the United States? Apple may not want to rustle the feathers of its carrier partners, but it would serve the company well to deflect criticism if it's not a chipset or software problem that's crippling iPhone 3Gs. If the blame rightfully belongs elsewhere, why hasn't Apple said so? My guess is there's a group of snafus gathering here, the fallout of which we'll be seeing for some time to come. Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when you're on the go. Go here to download .
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  • Olympics Review: NBC Olympics 2Go On AT&T's MediaFLO Lineup

    More often than not, video on mobile phones is a lackluster experience. MediaFLO has been the most obvious exception to that rule in the United States since its service launched in March 2007. Although its nationwide rollout has been slow and customers aren't paying $15 a month for the broadcast-like TV service in droves, one thing's for sure: MediaFLO's got the best mobile video around. No buffering, pixilated mess here. As the Olympics approached, AT&T ( NYSE: T ) used its position as an Olympics sponsor and the official telecommunications provider to the U.S. team squeeze out an exclusive channel from NBC on its MediaFLO lineup. Throughout the games, AT&T had sole rights for live competition footage on the MediaFLO platform. -- Features : Other than the unmatched video quality, the features are pretty basic. It's a streaming feed of video, much like you get at home on TV. Sometimes the programming matched up closely with what NBC was airing on television, but not often. The channel, like others on the platform, routinely used optimized graphics to display text and statistics legibly on the small screen. -- Passive experience : Mobile is a pro-active environment and it's on this point where MediaFLO goes into a tailspin. Mobile is supposed to be ahead of the curve or at least in line with the norm, and while MediaFLO is ahead on video quality, its content library is lagging . On-demand content would be an outstanding addition to the MediaFLO system. The Qualcomm ( NSDQ: QCOM ) subsidiary knows it and has hinted it at it for years, but doesn't appear any closer to making that a reality. How cool it would have been to pull up some of the major athletic milestones achieved during the games in video snippets. Or what about the opening and closing ceremonies? I could watch that a few times over. -- Conclusion : Why was the NBC Olympics 2Go channel already blacked out by early Sunday? Why not leave the channel running for another week with...
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  • Analyst Predicts Apple Will Sell 13 Million iPhones In 2008; And A Whopping 45 Million In 2009

    Frequent Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ) forecaster Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, has come out with a whopper of a prediction that dwarfs many of his previous iPhone guesses. He's expecting Apple to sell 13 million iPhone 3Gs this year and 45 million next year, BusinessWeek reports . On the lower end, other analysts are guessing Apple will sell around 11 million iPhones in 2008 and another 25 million in 2009. If Munster proves to be right, Apple would outpace the number of Windows Mobile smartphones shipped worldwide a year after releasing its first 3G device. Microsoft ( NSDQ: MSFT ) said it sold 18 million Windows Mobile licenses in the fiscal year ended June 2008, missing expectations by 2 million. Some say that will make it even harder for Microsoft to hit its goal of increasing global sales in fiscal 2009 to 30 million, which is still easily shy of Munster's forecast. But maybe Microsoft has a sleeper surprise that could help it reclaim some of its lost share—don't forget it bought Danger, the Sidekick maker. Nonetheless, it would be quite a feat if Apple, which had zero market share little more than a year ago, is able to knock out Microsoft's global position by the end of 2009. Apple doesn't appear to be letting up in the slightest, but it would be major victory by all accounts. According to figures published by Symbian after Apple's first full quarter of iPhone sales, Apple climbed past the smartphone market share positions held by Microsoft, Symbian, Linux and Palm ( NSDQ: PALM ) OS in the U.S. with a 27 percent share. BusinessWeek goes on to report that Apple plans to build 40 million to 45 million iPhone 3Gs over the next 12 months, which would even eclipse Munster's sales prediction. Apple declined to comment and only repeated its goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of this year. Related Windows Mobile To Grow 50 Percent Per Year—Pacing Smartphone Market Microsoft Misses Windows Mobile Sales Target By 2 Million Social...
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  • Ogo-Maker IXI Mobile Cuts Staff By 25 Percent; Abandons U.S. Market

    Belmont, Calif.-based IXI Mobile, which makes Ogo mobile devices, has cut 40 employees or 25 percent of its staff and is closing facilities to save money, San Francisco Business Times reports . The company lost $21.5 million a year ago and was able to cut its second quarter loss to $11.4 million, but sales are dropping at a good clip, and one customer made up 69 percent the company's entire sales in the latest quarter. Last week the company's sales staff was cut from 21 people to nine. Gideon Barak, its executive co-chairman, and CEO Amit Haller, were fired and CFO Lihi Segal quit. Israel Frieder has been named chairman and CEO and Motti Gill is replacing Segal. At the close of the most recent quarter, IXI's accumulated deficit peaked to $180.2 million. Back in 2004, IXI made a deal with AT&T ( NYSE: T ) Wireless to sell Ogo, a quirky mobile device termed a 'Personal Mobile Gateway,' which was geared towards teens for IMing, emailing and surfing the Web. But AT&T Wireless never sold many and discontinued the device soon after. Last week IXI decided to essentially abandon any business dealings in the U.S., and focus exclusively abroad. Related AT&T Wireless Preps New IM Device, Service Messaging Solutions Company IXI Mobile Secures $20-Million Financing Social Media Deals Report: This 199-page report, filled with charts and data, examines the categories, number and size of VC and M&A deal in social media from 2007 through 2008. Visit the ContentNext Reports page
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  • Mobile Content Bits: LG Invision; AIM On Windows; DVD Extras; Qwest-Verizon; Mobile Flash Awards

    -- *AT&T and LG* launch Invision, latest MediaFLO handset : AT&T ( NYSE: T ) is refreshing its MediaFLO handset lineup with a new device from LG Electronics (SEO: 066570) that measures up as the smallest MediaFLO-capable handset yet for the carrier. Like the LG Vu and Samsung Access, which were released when AT&T launched its Mobile TV with FLO service earlier this summer, the LG Invision can access Qualcomm's broadcast-quality mobile TV network in 58 markets where the service is currently available. ( Release ). -- AOL ( NYSE: TWX ) launches AIM for Windows Mobile : AOL has launched AIM Express, a flash-based web version of its instant messaging service, and a new client for Windows Mobile ( http://mobile.aol.com/AIM4WinMo ). AIM for Windows Mobile gives users access to many of AIM's traditional features along with the ability to send text messages to contacts, the company said. AIM Express will include many of the same features, but through a browser instead of a dedicated client. The program will includes advertising from Third Screen Media. ( Release ). -- Universal Studios Home Entertainment brings DVD bonus material to mobile : Fans of The Office and Heroes can now preview DVD bonus material on mobile thanks to a new deal from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Extras from Heroes and The Office will be available on mobile via short code from Sprint ( NYSE: S ), T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless ( NYSE: VZ ) and AT&T phones. -- Qwest begins customers' transition to Verizon Wireless : Qwest Communications customers are now eligible to begin switching their wireless service to Verizon Wireless, the company announced today. Qwest said it will begin contacting its customers with specific device and calling plan recommendations this week. ( Release ). Qwest also launched a new cellphone recycling program called "Go Green for Schools," which promotes educational initiatives and protecting the environment...
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  • Flawed Chip To Blame For iPhone Connection Woes?

    When my colleague Matt said he was returning the iPhone after two weeks of use , he took a bit of a slating from fans of the phone. But now it looks like Matt's not the only one experiencing dropped calls or a weak signal that has resulted in stalled web surfing—the internet has been buzzing with the angry complaints of annoyed customers having the same exact problems. But who or what was to blame? Was it AT&T's network, or some underlying fault with the phone? Businessweek, citing two inside sources, is reporting that the phone's Infineon chip is the problem, and that Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ) is planning to fix it through a software upgrade, rather than the more drastic and dreaded product recall. The magazine was following up an August 12 report from Nomura analyst Richard Windsor that said flawed software on the chip wasn't allowing the iPhone to switch seamlessly from higher speed networks to slower ones. Infineon wouldn't comment on the story, but pointed out that their chips are working just fine in the Samsung phones that use them. AT&T ( NYSE: T ), meanwhile, has said they're not to blame either: "Overall, the new iPhone is performing just great on our 3G network." (Technically, you could say that's true, as the glitch supposedly only affects 2-3 percent of iPhone users, and only those in dense urban areas.) Apple refused to comment on the problem, though apparently its customer service has been instructing iPhone owners to just switch 3G off already. Will this end up hurting Apple's rep? If Apple can fix the problem with a software patch and avoid a recall, perhaps not. According to Windsor, handset makers including Nokia ( NYSE: NOK ) and European carriers had similar problems when 3G networks were first being rolled out there, and have not suffered long-term damage. Social Media Deals Report: This 199-page report, filled with charts and data, examines the categories, number and size of VC and M&A deal in social...
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  • Mobile Content Bits: Rock The Mobile Vote, NBC Series, CBS Mobile Hurricane; Vodafone Stores

    -- *AT&T* partners with Rock The Vote, FunMobility to reach young voters : Another election that's obligatorily being pegged as the one that will bring out the youth vote is nearing and AT&T ( NYSE: T ), Rock The Vote and FunMobility are hoping to reach those evasive potential voters with a suite of politically-minded mobile content. Trouble is, will wallpapers or special ringtones recorded by pop artists really translate to a record-high turnout at the voting booth? We'll withhold judgment for now, but we wouldn't bet on it. For its part, FunMobility is donating half of its net revenue to support the Rock The Vote campaign. ( Release ). -- NBCU rolls out new multi-platform series : NBC Universal ( NYSE: GE ) Digital Studio is launching a new short-form series next week that will span 50 episodes starring Rosario Dawson and Justin Hartley. The sci-fi series, Gemini Division, will play on NBC Mobile, NBC.com, SciFi.com, a dedicated microsite , video-on-demand services and gaming platforms, the company said. Intel ( NSDQ: INTC ), Cisco ( NSDQ: CSCO ), Microsoft ( NSDQ: MSFT ), Acura and UPS have all signed on as advertisers that will see their brands integrated into the series' storyline. ( Release ). -- CBS Mobile launches News Hurricane Center : CBS ( NYSE: CBS ) Mobile has tapped Quattro Wireless to build a made-for-mobile severe resource that will allow users to gain access to up-to-the-minute storm information and relevant thunderstorm and hurricane updates from their mobile devices. The CBS Mobile News Hurricane Center , which will pull content from AccuWeather.com, will operate under the CBS News Mobile website. -- Wi-Fi-enabled devices popping up on more Wi-Fi networks : Boingo Wireless CEO David Hagan told Unstrung that Wi-Fi devices such as mobile phones now comprise 15 percent of all usage across the Wi-Fi networks supported by the company. A few years ago, the number was closer to one percent, an increase that dramatically highlights...
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  • T-Mobile USA To Take Extreme Measure; Will Ditch The Traditional Deck To Mirror Apple's App Store

    Starting this fall, T-Mobile USA will take the extraordinary step of ditching its traditional deck on the phone and replacing it with a platform that's open to almost any developer, multiple sources have told us. Think of *Apple's'* App store, but for the entire carrier's handset line-up from smartphone to feature phone. As one developer, who was briefed on the matter, said: "The App store was a big deal, but that's one phone. This is an entire carrier." In other words, we are talking about T-Mobile's 31.5 million subscribers today vs. the 10 million iPhones Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ) expects to sell by year-end (granted, the iPhone users tend to be more engaged as early adopters). The impact of this move by T-Mobile could set off a wave of changes in the industry, as other carriers feel pressure to offer new applications on their networks. Clearly, for this to happen, T-Mobile will have to follow through on its promises to encourage developers to participate. We are waiting for a statement from T-Mobile and will update when we have it. Here's the details: Developers will submit their applications online; the revenue-share agreement will be based on how much the application uses the network; and the applications will be presented to the user in order of popularity, not according to T-Mobile's preferences. It's all pretty straightforward, but the more interesting aspect is that this will apply to all the carrier's platforms from upcoming Android to Java to Sidekick and Windows Mobile . And, when it comes to revenues, it will be almost as easy as Apple's 30-70 split. T-Mobile will take a percentage of revenues based on bandwidth, so if it's a streaming video application, it will take more. Still, one developer called the baseline "very generous." Right now, there's not many details on the certification process, which will be the most important aspect. If developers have to jump through a lot of hoops, the...
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  • Mobile Content Bits: AT&T Team USA Soundtrack; MediaFLO NASCAR Coverage; T-Mobile 3G In Las Vegas

    AT&T ( NYSE: T ) Brings Recording Artists Together To Record Team USA Soundtrack For Olympics: Here's another one from the official wireless telecom sponsor of Team USA. AT&T brought 16 artists together to record exclusive tracks for the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack, which will be available to AT&T wireless customers as AnswerTones, ringtones or full tracks as well as iTunes. Net proceeds from the downloads will directly benefit Team USA, AT&T said. The carrier will also make videos and exclusive artist interviews available at att.net/TeamUSA and the AT&T blue room. Artists include: 3 Doors Down, Army of Me, Colbie Caillat, Clique Girlz, Sheryl Crow, Chris Brown, Flipsyde, Luis Fonsi, Goo Goo Dolls, Josh Kelley, Lady Antebellum, Queen Latifah, Mere, Nelly, Taylor Swift and Kate Voegele. ( Release ). MediaFLO USA Brings NASCAR To Mobile Screen: MediaFLO USA has began programming live NASCAR coverage on its mobile TV broadcast service and plans to run with fresh content through the end of the month. The coverage will comprise the NASCAR Nationwide Series and six Sprint ( NYSE: S ) Cup Series races on the ESPN ( NYSE: DIS ) Mobile TV channel. Upcoming races include: Centurion Boats at the Glen, 3M Performance 400, Sharpie 500, Pepsi 500, Carfax 250 and Food City 250. ( Release ). T-Mobile Launches Second 3G Market In Las Vegas: The city of neon lights just got lit up with a 3G network upgrade for T-Mobile customers. The carrier launched its 3G service in New York City in May and plans to expand to at least 20 more markets by the end of the year. The company says it's invested more than $37.5 million to upgrade the Las Vegas market to 3G. ( Release ). Related Updated: T-Mobile USA Turns On 3G Today In NYC; Most Major Markets By Year-End Social Media Deals Report: This 199-page report, filled with charts and data, examines the categories, number and size of VC and M&A deal in social media from 2007 through 2008. Visit the ContentNext Reports...
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  • Sprint And Clearwire Say Imposing Regulations On Merger Would Hamper Abilty to Compete

    During Sprint's ( NYSE: S ) second-quarter conference call today, CEO Dan Hesse said that its WiMax merger with Clearwire ( NSDQ: CLWR ) was on schedule to close by the end of the year, but it still clearly has to work to do. This week, Sprint Nextel and Clearwire protested the objections of AT&T and others, saying that if regulators call for new conditions of the merger, the ability to compete against the largest U.S. wireless carriers would be hampered, reported Dow Jones . In comments filed with the FCC, three companies opposed the merger—AT&T, Vonage and Rural Cellular Association—but more than 100 supported the deal. AT&T wants there to be more scrutiny in deciding whether the merger should be approved, and claimed that the two companies were misrepresenting the airwaves they intend to use for their Internet service. The Rural Cellular Association wants roaming guarantees, while Vonage wants the merged company to have to offer separate voice and Internet services. Dow Jones ( NYSE: NWS ) wrote that in Sprint and Clearwire's response to the complaints, most of their attention was directed at AT&T ( NYSE: T ). The two countered that Clearwire would "become a new, viable broadband competitor, offering consumers greater choice in service providers, broadband technology, and innovative services and applications." Related AT&T Opposes Sprint/Clearwire Merger—Or At Least Wants It To Be More Difficult Check out the best business jobs in digital media. Go here for paidContent.org Job Board.
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  • Networks Loosen Up Hold On Applications

    Here's a shocker: consumers given the freedom and control to download the applications of their choice, may just end up using the services more. After years of fiercely controlling the applications that consumers can use on their networks, operators are beginning to loosen up. As the NYT notes, some of the new openness has been forced on them by the moves of rivals, some of it from their own experiences of cracking open the consumer experience. The results though are the same: operators are seeing data usage surge as consumers snap up applications, and more smartphones being bought—not a bad thing at a time when voice ARPU is heading south. Apple's App Store, for instance, saw 25 million applications for the iPhone downloaded in the first ten days of its opening. VC's like what they see too: tech research firm Rutberg & Company said their investment in applications jumped 90 percent in the first half of 2008 to $383 million, compared to the last half of 2007. The new openness has been going on for about nine months now, kicked off by Verizon's announcement last November that it would open up its network to any device compatible to its network. Nokia ( NYSE: NOK ) recently announced it would take control of Symbian and open it up for free. LiMo, the foundation promoting a Linux-based OS, said today seven new mobile phones would use its OS--including Panasonic, Motorla and NEC--for a total of 21 handsets. But of course, there are degrees to the new "openness". For one, there's a confusing array of mobile OS's, with varying interpretations of openness. Aside form Linux, Symbian, and Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ), there's BlackBerry, plus the OS's from Microsoft ( NSDQ: MSFT ), Palm ( NSDQ: PALM ), and in the fall if all goes well, Google's Android. While an application may work on one OS, it may not work so well on another, open or not. Carriers, phone makers and software developers also have their own definition of "open."...
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