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  • iPhone 3G Roundup: $330 Million For Apple; Month-Long Inventory Shortage; Free AT&T Wi-Fi Snags; RIM

    -- Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ) Makes $330 Million On Early iPhone Sales: Apple earned about $330 million during the first weekend of iPhone 3G sales, according to Fortune . Piggybacking on Apple's announcement that it sold at least 1 million iPhones in the first three days and a tear down by iSuppli that gauged how much the devices cost to build, Fortune was able to break down its best guess at exactly how much coin Apple netted in return. Finally, basing sales numbers on a Piper Jaffray survey that estimated two-thirds of iPhone sales were the more expensive 16 gigabit model, Fortune estimates Apple made $239,113,000 on 16 gigabit model sales and $91,556,000 on the 8 gigabit model. -- Major iPhone Shortage To Last For Weeks: Apple might be slow to see a pickup in sales again since most AT&T ( NYSE: T ) and Apple stores are reporting serious shortages of the device, an inventory slip-up that might last for a month, Computerworld reported. Barely a quarter of Apple's retail stores have iPhones to sell, but only nine stores have all three versions available. Only 18 stores currently have the 16 gigabit black model in stock and 26 stores have the white model with the same storage capacity. AT&T is also reporting a severe shortage with all 1,200 retail stores nearly out of the iPhone altogether. This shortage comes after Apple sat out of sales for at least four to six weeks, as the first iteration of the iPhone dwindled in numbers before the new device launched. -- Free AT&T Wi-Fi For iPhone Users: AT&T keeps false-starting its plan to open up its Wi-Fi hotspot network to iPhone users for free. iPhoneAlley spotted a new page on AT&T that appeared to finally mark an official announcement from the carrier, but the page is now dead . iPhoneAlley captured a short announcement from AT&T that read: "AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and free Wi-Fi even hotter, which is why we are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation's largest Wi...
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  • T-Mobile USA Challenges The FCC's Free Wireless Internet Plan

    Yesterday, T-Mobile USA Exec Cole Brodman flew out to D.C. to plead with the FCC to reconsider a proposal that would require bidders in the next spectrum auction to offer free Internet access, Dow Jones reported . FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is proposing that the winning bidder in an auction would be required to devote at least 25 percent of the airwaves for free Internet access to 95 percent of the country. A long list of other companies also oppose the idea, such as AT&T ( NYSE: T ), Texas Instruments and Motorola ( NYSE: MOT ). T-Mobile argues that in particular the sale would affect them because the Internet activity will be next to the band its using for wireless services. "We're asking the FCC essentially to slow down and give the industry some time to do some testing," said Brodman, who is T-Mobile's CTO. Martin dismissed the idea that there could be interference issues. And, siding with the FCC was John Muleta of M2Z Networks, which is the company that originally brought the free Internet idea to the FCC. Muleta argued that the testing wouldn't accomplish anything but to cause a delay. Martin has already admitted that the sale may not occur until next year. Of course, the idea behind the plan is to give everyone in the U.S. a chance to have access to the Internet. However, it's unclear how a business would make money given such restrictions, and clearly opponents of the plan are against the idea because it would offer additional competition for their services, which cost billions of dollars to build. Related FCC Pushes For Free Broadband Network Despite Mounting Wi-Fi Failures FCC Chairman Puts Free Internet Plan On Hold 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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  • Belgacom Buys SMS Parking Payments Provider Mobile-For

    Belgian network operator Belgacom has bought SMS parking payments provider Mobile-for. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The two year old start-up was created by Belgian parking operator Apcoa Belgium and the Estonian Now! Innovations and currently offers SMS parking in seven Belgian cities. It plans to roll out in three more by the end of the year. Belgacom said the purchase fits with its strategy of investing in the growing mobile payments market, which would allow it to expand its products ( release ). 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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  • AT&T Grabs Exclusive 24/7 NBC Olympics Channel For MediaFLO

    AT&T ( NYSE: T ) has used its clout as an Olympics sponsor and official telecommunications provider to the U.S team to nail an exclusive 24/7 channel on its broadcast mobile TV service run by Qualcomm's ( NSDQ: QCOM ) MediaFLO, we have learned. That's how a Verizon Wireless ( NYSE: VZ ) spokesman explained it to us: "They are an Olympics sponsor and as such they use their weight to freeze out other mobile TV providers from offering Olympics coverage." NBC's coverage of the Olympics won't be limited to AT&T entirely, but for mobile the carrier did secure sole rights for live competition footage and commentary on the MediaFLO platform, which both carriers use for broadcast-like TV service. The new channel, NBC Olympics 2Go, is set to launch August 8 at the beginning of the games and marks the third channel for NBC on the permanent 10-channel deck in addition to the limited-time channels routinely offered for special events. AT&T will play NBC's coverage of the games on its mobile TV broadcast service and its Media Net deck while Verizon's mobile offering will be limited to streaming video only on its V Cast video deck that will include daily highlights, breaking news, scores and results and more. AT&T's U-verse customers and Verizon's FiOS TV customers will get on-demand access to events at the games, footage from past games and highlights. On the broadband side, the carriers' plans are near identical as well with both launching more than 20 live streaming feeds from the games when the games begin. Related NBC And AT&T Partner On An Exclusive Music Work-Out Mix For The Olympics
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  • Mobile Content Bits: Opera Mobile 9.5; Verizon Mobile Banking; Google Mobile Reviews

    -- Opera Launches Mobile 9.5: Opera Software (OSL: OPERA) released today the Opera Mobile 9.5 beta, a new browser for Windows Mobile touchscreen devices. The browser can be downloaded at http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/ . Opera Mobile 9.5 beta is supposed to be faster and is also nice because it defaults to the page overview mode, allowing the user to view the entire Web page to be able to recognize the Web site. The user can pan and zoom to to focus on specific areas of the page. -- Verizon ( NYSE: VZ ) launches mobile banking: Verizon Wireless said today it is launching mobile banking services on the BlackBerry Curve, Pearl and World Edition smartphones, and phones that have Get It Now. The banking application allows users to check account balances and transactions; transfer funds between accounts and view and pay bills. Currently, the banks that support the application are: Wachovia, Regions, SunTrust, USAA, Synovus, America First Credit Union (AFCU), Arvest, Bancorp South, FirstBank, South Financial and BECU. Once customers sign up, they will receive an eight-digit code that will allow them to access the Mobile Banking application on their phones. The app is free, bit data charges apply. -- Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) Launches Mobile reviews: Google said today it is launching a new feature that let's people review and rate restaurants and local businesses from your phone. All you have to do is go to google.com on your phone's browser, search for the business by name or location, click on the business name on the results page, and scroll down to click on "Sign in to write/edit your review." The results are also published on Google Maps. Sorry iPhone users, this ones not available to you yet.
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  • SK Telecom Denies Plans To Buy Stake In "Any" Major US Carrier

    In a filing with the Korea Exchange today, SK Telecom ( NYSE: SKM ) rejected the notion that it is planning to buy a stake in any of the US's major carriers, reports Reuters . "We are studying various business opportunities in the United States but are not seeking to take control in (any) major U.S. mobile operator," the Korean carrier stated, after the exchange ordered SK to come clean on the rumors that started on Tuesday when CNBC reported that SK was in talks to buy Sprint ( NYSE: S ). This was quickly shot down, with new reports saying the two companies were actually discussing collaborating on technology. Of course, SK Telecom did call the rumors of a Virgin Mobile-Helio tie-up " groundless ." Related Updated: SK Telecom In Strategic Talks With Sprint Nextel: Reports
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  • France "Inviting" Operators To Cut SMS Prices

    Record high inflation is apparently taking its toll on the purchasing power of French citizens, so what better way for the government to tackle the problem than to target the high price of SMS messages? Days after the EU announced it would move ahead with "measures" to slash the price of roaming SMS, France is "inviting" its operators to cut the price of text messages. Reuters reports that along with the invite the country's junior minister for consumer goods Luc Chatel is penning a letter to the networks to "make them aware of the difficulties of consumers with low budgets." That should warm the hearts of the operators. According to a study published by French telecoms regulator Arcep , French consumers on pay-as-you-go phones, pay an average cost of 12 euro cents ($0.19) per text. While the volume of SMS sent in the country is nearly twice the amount sent in 2004, prices have remained stable. Moreover, the price of an SMS from France's various MVNO's, which buy network access from the carriers, actually cost 25-30 percent less than the main operators--Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom. Roaming text, the target of EU scrutiny, is nearly double the cost of domestically sent SMS. Related European Commission Vows To End SMS Roaming Rip-Offs With Price Cuts T-Mobile Hikes Text Price To 20 Cents Each
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  • Google Is Using Android To Push The Wireless Industry And Its Own Agenda: Report

    The iPhone and Google's upcoming Android platform are shaking up the wireless industry, according to report released yesterday by In-Stat Analyst Bill Hughes . In an interview, Hughes supported his conclusions with two theories: First, he said Google is primarily using Android to push its agenda of doing location-based search, and second, the two Bay Area companies are implementing change by marketing and merchandising better, not developing more advanced technology. The statements become even more interesting when juxtaposed with two public knocks made recently against Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ). In the last week or so, Android developers have become disheartened by the amount of support they are getting from Google, and Sprint made comments questioning its ability to address industry fundamentals. -- On Google's presence in mobile: Hughes said that Google's interest in mobile relates to its desire to get into location-based search. Because the wireless industry can move slowly, Google needed leverage, which is why it is developing Android ( It took a similar approach in the spectrum auction. ) "No one is talking about that, but the whole premise and business model behind Android is to be able to do location-aware search." So far, the focus has been on the Android software and on the devices, but the technology isn't a lot different from what's already out there, he said. "If you look at things purely from a technology standpoint, there's no reason for Google to bother with Android. They are getting involved because from what they've seen is that this market moves at glacial pace...I don't believe publicly held companies do things for purely altruistic reasons, but I would reason, that this is an effective way to do that. Location-aware searches are hugely profitable venture for many, many organizations." -- On Google using Android to push location aware: Hughes says because of Android, Google has some leverage, and is...
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  • Virgin Mobile Bares Too Much In Lasest Quirky Stunt

    "Virgin Mobile USA ( NYSE: VM ) definitely walks to its own, very hip drumbeat," reports USA Today in a story today about how the pre-paid service provider "treads a quirky path to success." But oddly enough, the story doesn't mention its latest headline-catching stunt. The carrier is participating in an initiative to support organizations that will give brand new clothes to homeless kids. To generate more interest, Virgin launched Strip2Clothe , which asked people to post striptease videos of themselves online, and for every five times a video was viewed, Virgin would donate one piece of clothing. For the campaign, Virgin was working with the National Network For Youth (NN4Y), a D.C.-based group representing 150 homeless organizations, according to WirelessWeek . The striptease, however, got more than viewers aroused. Catholic Charities reportedly said that it was never consulted about the stunt and has called the campaign "distasteful," "inappropriate" and "exploitative." The organization's names have been taken off the site, and NN4Y has reportedly said the campaign has been "limited and it's being re-evaluated." The videos, however, can still be found at strip2clothe.com , where the tagline is: "You take off yours, we donate ours." So far, there has been 70,831 donations, according to the site's counter. But before you get too excited, yes, Virgin does have some standards: "to be clear – while the moniker of our effort is Strip2Clothe and we want you to have fun with it — keep it clean, too. Because youth homelessness is anything but a joke." Check out the best business jobs in digital media. Go here for paidContent.org Job Board.
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  • Samsung Continues Instinct Push With Three-Part Web Series Shot On The Device

    Samsung and Sprint ( NYSE: S ) are pulling out all the stops to promote the Instinct this summer. Continuing with cross-platform promotions already underway, Samsung has partnered with Break Media to create a three-part Web series featuring tours of professional baseball parks in San Francisco, Boston and Chicago. Footage from all of the videos is being captured on the Samsung Instinct and the first episode is now available at break.com and a Samsung Instinct branded channel. The Web series will roll out with new installments each week through the end of the month. Less than a month since the device launched, Sprint's already called the Instinct its "best selling handset in the past two years ( http://www.moconews.net/entry/419-sprints-samsung-instinct-is-selling-as-briskly-as-the-razr-two-years-ag )." Earlier this month, Sprint asked filmmakers to "sell out" and include an image of the device in their short videos for $20 each and a chance at a $10,000 grand prize. Related Sprint's Samsung Instinct Is Selling As Briskly As The Razr Two Years Ago Sprint's YouTube Payola: Use Instinct In Your Videos, And We'll Pay You 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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  • Judge Dismisses Two Claims In Case To Block The Clearwire-Sprint Nextel Joint Venture

    A judge has dismissed claims by two companies in a case trying to block the joint venture it was forming with Clearwire ( NSDQ: CLWR ) to roll-out a nationwide broadband company. In May , iPCS, a Sprint ( NYSE: S ) Nextel affiliate operating in Schaumburg, Ill., filed a lawsuit against its parent company, alleging the new Clearwire service would violate an exclusivity agreement signed with Sprint in 1999. Clearwire and Sprint Nextel have agreed to a $14.5 billion merger of its wireless broadband business. Yesterday, a Delaware judge removed two iPCS subsidiaries - Horizon PCS and Bright PCS - from the claims because the Delaware court said it had no jurisdiction over the Ohio-based companies. iPCS filed a document with the SEC regarding the judge's ruling, and issued this statement: "The company is pleased that the court has 'dismiss[ed] all claims against Horizon and Bright- based on this court's lack of personal jurisdiction over them." The Kansas City Star reported that Sprint was also pleased with the decision because it allows them to move forward in the lawsuit to determine whether its plan to spin off its WiMax business to a new company violates its contract with iPCS. Related Clearwire Tells Investors To Expect 30.8 Million Subs By 2017 Clearwire-Sprint WiMax Merger: Few Hurdles Left Until Closing; Termination Fees Are High Sprint Nextel Affiliate iPCS Files Suit To Block WiMax Merger With Clearwire 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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  • Updated: SK Telecom In Strategic Talks With Sprint Nextel: Reports

    South Korea's SK Telecom ( NYSE: SKM ) is in talks to buy Sprint Nextel, the third-largest U.S. carrier, according to CNBC, Reuters reports . The report did not name any sources for the story, but said a deal between the companies would be friendly and that it would be the biggest takeover of a U.S. company by a South Korean company. Sprint Nextel's shares rose almost 14 percent after the report was aired. Sprint declined to comment and SK was unavailable for comment. Most recently, SK Telecom negotiated a merger between Virgin Mobile USA ( NYSE: VM ) and Helio, which was a joint venture between SK Telecom and Earthlink ( NSDQ: ELNK ). The merger required a lot of participation by Sprint, which both companies used as their network. Sprint agreed to cut the costs associated for the MVNOs. CNBC reported that any deal would include private equity because SK Telecom is smaller than Sprint (NYSE: s) in terms of market capitalization. The unidentified sources also told CNBC that talks are on-going, but a deal is not imminent and any agreement could be weeks away. The deal would be complex because of the foreign regulatory hurdles that would have to be met, however, on the technology front Sprint Nextel and SK Telecom both use CDMA, which would help on any sort of integration efforts. UPDATE: Reuters is now reporting that sources are calling the CNBC report incorrect—that the two companies are not in acquisition talks, but rather are talking about collaborating on technology efforts. "There are no acquisition talks going on right now between SK Telecom and Sprint ( NYSE: S ). Any discussions that are going on are around technology collaboration," the source told Reuters. WSJ is reporting something similar: The two are in prelim talks to form a "strategic partnership to develop new handsets and services". 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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