Mobile

Windows mobile app store, My Phone service officially opening

Updated at 8:05 am PDT with a slideshow and some first impressions of the Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store, at 4:25 pm PT with a correction about Marketplace reviews, and at 12:10 am PT on 10/7/09 with an update about the availability of Marketplace on other Windows Mobile platforms, and details on the My Phone service.

On Tuesday morning, as Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 phones hit the market, two of its mobile services are officially launching.

Brand new to 6.5 phones are Windows Marketplace for Mobile--an application storefront like that found on iPhone, BlackBerry, and every other major mobile OS--and a Web-based backup and sharing service called My Phone.

We've heard plenty about both services in the days and months leading up to this release. The much-anticipated Windows Marketplace for Mobile has a well-thought out model that will eventually include both a Web and on-phone storefront, and a flexible billing system that lets you purchase apps using either a credit card or your monthly phone bill (depending on the carrier). According to Microsoft, the PC catalog isn't available now but is planned to be released before the year's end.

There's also a self-service return policy that gives you a full refund from unwanted apps within a 24-hour period. There's a caveat, of course. You'll be limited to one refund per month to avoid abusing the system. The app store launches in 29 countries on Tuesday.

In our pre-release demo, we found the app store to be a little visually boring, though serviceable. Following a proven app store model, Windows Marketplace for Mobile has a search bar, a featured apps showcase, and a list of browseable categories. In them, you'll only see applications that work on your phone model and in your country. There's also an personalized screen that helps you manage the apps you have. As with iPhones and BlackBerrys, if you switch devices, you can easily re-download the apps you installed through the Marketplace. You'll sign on with your Windows Live ID. We heard before the launch that you won't be able to create your own reviews until the second phase, but in truth, rating and reviews are fully functional today.

Microsoft didn't tell us how many apps were expected in the app store Tuesday morning, but with 82 games ready to download, there are at least 100 apps altogether. We already see Facebook, Netflix Mobile, Zagat to Go, Windows Live, and the Midomi music app. Most app prices range so far from free to about $10, though the most expensive one we spotted so far is a $25 golf calculator. We saw quite a few $20 games as well.

Verizon to release Android handsets

Update at 5 a.m. PDT Tuesday: Google and Verizon Wireless announced they are forming a partnership to "leverage" Verizon's 3G network and Google's Android platform to deliver mobile applications, services, and devices. They plan to co-develop "several Android-based devices," and Verizon will release Android handsets in the next few weeks, the companies said.

Google and Verizon Wireless plan to hold a joint press conference Tuesday morning on the eve of the CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment Show, they announced late Monday night.

Details were scarce, and a Google representative declined to comment on the nature of the more

Voice chat app Vivox comes to Facebook

A voice chat application launched on Monday in open beta enables Facebook users to place and receive calls within the social network.

Vivox, which also provides voice services for online virtual words and accommodates more than 15 million users worldwide, is offering the app.

In order to use it, Facebook users first need to add Vivox Voice to their applications list and download a Vivox plug-in. From there, a Vivox channel and phone number are created to accept calls. Users can then place calls to (or receive calls from) Facebook friends also using the app. And because each Vivox channel more

Vonage app available for iPhone, BlackBerry

Voice over Internet Protocol service provider Vonage on Monday announced that it has launched its first mobile apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and BlackBerry devices.

Dubbed Vonage Mobile, the company's free VoIP app enables users to place international calls from their mobile devices. iPod Touch owners can do so by placing calls through Wi-Fi. BlackBerry owners will transmit calls over the cellular network only. iPhone owners will be able to place calls from Wi-Fi or through AT&T's network.

According to Vonage, its app will help users save up to 50 percent on international calling charges levied more

AT&T unveils Windows 6.5 phones: HTC Tilt2, Pure

, the HTC Pure and the HTC Tilt2.

The Pure is a rebranded version of the HTC Touch Diamond2, which we took a look at earlier this year, and sports some design changes and, of course, the new features of Windows Mobile 6.5. This includes the Microsoft's MyPhone backup service, an improved Internet Explore Mobile browser that offers Flash Lite support and better navigation tools, and support for Windows Marketplace for Mobile, which will launch later this year.

In addition, the mobile OS offers a more touch-friendly user interface with a new Today screen, Start menu, and Lock screen. more

WebOS 1.2.1 fixes Palm Pre iTunes syncing

When WebOS 1.2 didn't refix the syncing compatibility that iTunes 9 rebroke, it almost looked like this bizarre little Apple-Palm standoff had finally just, you know, puttered out. Well, nope, for some reason! Cue WebOS 1.2.1.

Palm's possibly heroic, mostly inconsequential iTunes-molesting theatrics aside, the fix most people were actually waiting for involved an error introduced this week by 1.2, which broke Exchange 2007 EAS syncing for quite a few people. That, along with a few bug fixes, is the main component of 1.2.1, which should be making its way to handsets more

AdMob: iPhones, Android phones on the rise

Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones have both seen solid growth throughout the world this year, says a report released Wednesday by AdMob.

The iPhone's worldwide market share jumped from 33 percent to 40 percent over February to August, according to AdMob's "August Mobile Metrics Report," which tracked smartphone usage for that six-month period. AdMob, which serves ads for mobile Web sites and apps, bases its numbers on data from ad requests, impressions, and clicks.

Phones running Google's Android OS picked up a 7 percent market share by August versus only 2 percent in February, thanks to more

Is the iPhone hurting AT&T's brand?

The Apple iPhone has boosted AT&T's subscriber numbers, but network problems and a bevy of complaints from frustrated customers are likely hurting the company's reputation.

While a recent survey by the consulting firm CFI Group found that iPhone users are the most loyal smartphone users with 90 percent saying they'd recommend the device to a friend, half of all iPhone owners surveyed said they would like to jump ship to another provider if given the chance.

And for the first time, AT&T has scored worse than all four major more

Crowdsourcing coming to iPhone apps, big time

If you've ever been driving down the highway and looked at the Google Maps application on an iPhone to see what traffic is like ahead, you may have wondered where the data behind the green, yellow, and red lines indicating real-time vehicle flow come from.

In fact, the data are coming from people just like you: users of smartphones with GPS who, by the very act of driving down the highway, are feeding back information about how fast they're going to Google, which in turn is sending it back to users of more

'State of the Internet' assessed

Internet attacks came from 201 different countries in the second quarter, up from 68 countries in the first quarter, according to a report released Thursday.

Akamai Technologies' quarterly "State of the Internet" report compiles data about the online world, from Internet attacks to average connection speeds across the globe.

Among the 201 countries now seen as the source of malware and other Internet threats, the U.S., China, and South Korea accounted for more than half of the attacks in the second quarter.

Blaming the Conficker worm on the majority of the assaults, Akamai discovered attacks on 4,100 unique more