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> The Progress and Freedom Foundation released a primer on the U.S. Mobile TV market, which the foundation says will grow dramatically in the next five years because of U.S. policy and other factors. Release > Alltel Wireless launched MyShow, a user-generated slideshow application that lets customers create slideshows in a few clicks. Release > Cricket added the Motorola RAZR V 3, which has tri-band functionality for the new AWS spectrum markets, to its portfolio. Release And finally ... the iPhone 3G gets unlocked. Check out the Video

The imminent launch of Apple's 3G iPhone promises to revolutionize the mobile TV market according to a new report from telecom and digital media advisory firm Analysys Mason, which argues the handset Read more...

While many international operators have targeted 2008 as a turning point for mobile TV, citing consumer demand tied to the Beijing Summer Olympics and soccer's UEFA Euro 2008 Championship, media analysis firm Screen Digest predicts those opportunities are likely to be squandered. China, France and Germany are all planning significant mobile TV rollouts next year, but according to Screen Digest senior mobile media analyst David MacQueen, "coverage will be far from nationwide when key sporting events kick off … [and] a key opportunity to measure European consumer desire for mobile TV services is likely to be lost." MacQueen adds that fledgling 3G TV services from Orange and Vodafone will enjoy a viewership boost, while broadcast services in the U.S. and Italy should see a significant subscriber surge as well. For more on the Screen Digest forecast: - read this release Related articles: European Parliament officially endorses DVB-H France readying DVB-H services for mid-2008 E.U. pressing for DVB-H standard European mandate may propel U.S. DVB-H EMBC : No need for mobile TV regulations EU : Harmonize mobile TV rules, regulations

Australian incumbent Telstra has launched BigPond TV—a mobile TV for its Next G 3G customers. If there's one thing that can be said about this service, it's that Telstra hasn't pitched a tent in any of the camps that claim to know what viewers want from mobile TV...it's pretty much covered everything. Programming: The service will offer both on-demand and continuous broadcast content, and will include full length episodes of shows. The shows will be mostly archive, but there are some "catch up" TV efforts where Telstra will offer the new episode the day after it has aired in Australia (eg Damages ). Overseas shows include big names such as South Park and the local line-up also has some big (locally) names, such as The Chaser's War On Everything . The full-length episodes will be chaptered like a DVD, so users can jump to where they left off, as well as rewind and so on—the license is for a week. Telstra will also air some Aussie made-for-mobile shows, Girl Friday and Big 5 . Finally, it's also showing minisodes , a Sony effort that squeezes hit retro shows like Charlie's Angels into just a few minutes, because that's really all the entertaining parts. I've seen a minisode of BayWatch—furious action broken up by (to quote the voice over) "but first, the girls take another long shower in slow mo". Cost: "Under the pay-per-view pricing model, consumers will be expected to pay 50c for access to short clips for 24 hours. Full TV episodes will cost $4.95 per episode for 7 days...Consumers can also buy monthly subscription packages offering 25 clips or 55 clips priced at $9.95 and $19.95 respectively. Telstra has set its monthly TV subscription pricing at $9.95 per month for four episodes" reports Australian IT . BigPond's group managing director Justin Milne also said that Telstra would consider a free version of the service if it got enough viewers to attract advertisers: "I think there's a good...