Wireless Industry Press Releases

Femto Forum Announces Results of Femtocell Interference Research

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:06:23 -0500

Femtocells can deliver a significant increase in mobile network capacity and play a key role in increasing mobile data speeds

Dallas, US - 2nd December 2008 - The Femto Forum, the independent industry and operator association that supports femtocell deployment worldwide, today announced the results of its femtocell radio study. The study found that femtocells have the potential to deliver an order of magnitude more capacity than the macro network alone when used in dense deployments, even when occupying the same radio channel as the macrocells. It also identified numerous technological solutions that mitigate potential interference with the macro network to remove barriers to wide-scale deployment and maximize the capacity benefits.

The research assessed the impact of femtocells on a mobile network in a wide range of deployment scenarios in order to explore co-existence issues including interference.

The study looked at both femtocells using a separate carrier to the surrounding macro network and those using the same carrier - which pose the greatest interference challenge, but also the greatest opportunity for increased spectrum efficiency.

Although femtocells using a separate carrier were demonstrated to provide a simple means to essentially eliminate interference, many 3G operators do not have enough spectrum for this to be practical. The Femto Forum therefore identified technological solutions that mitigate the potential interference where femtocells share the same carrier as the macro network. These methods are already being developed for pre-standard femtocell solutions, and Femto Forum members are working to bring them within the standards framework. The key solutions are:

.       Adaptive Pilot Power Control, whereby the femtocell dynamicallyadjusts its transmit power in response to the current level of signals from surrounding cells and the desired coverage area.

.       Extended Tests for Dynamic Range, to ensure that femtocell designs are able to operate reliably even in the presence of nearby high power mobile phones connected to the macro network (this test has already been incorporated into the latest 3GPP Release 8 25.104 specification).

.       Uplink power capping of the mobile phone when operating in the
femtocell environment, ensuring that, even in difficult radio conditions, the phone hands-off to the macro network before its transmit power increases to the point where macro noise rise is a problem.

.       Dynamic receiver gain management in the femtocell (Automatic Gain
Control or adaptive attenuation), to ensure that femtocells can offer good service to both near and far mobile phones without unnecessarily increasing the phone transmit power, therefore keeping the noise rise to a minimum.

This particular study relates to WCDMA, but the Femto Forum represents the full range of radio standards and similar studies are underway for other air interfaces.

"At a time when mobile operators are seeing data usage rocket, femtocells offer an economic and effective way to deal with demand," said Professor Simon Saunders, the Femto Forum's Chairman. "By utilizing the identified interference management techniques it has been shown that femtocells offer operators an effective method to increase capacity and coverage within their existing networks through dense cell deployments."

The research builds upon work done within 3GPP by putting femtocells through a more extreme series of interference tests. The full results can be found in a white paper available on the Femto Forum web site (www.femtoforum.org).

About The Femto Forum
Femtocells are low-power wireless access points that operate in licensed spectrum to connect standard mobile devices to a mobile operator's network using residential DSL or cable broadband connections. The Femto Forum
(www.femtoforum.org) has been set up to promote the wide-scale adoption of femtocells. The Forum will support and drive the adoption of industry wide standards and common architectures to enable the widespread adoption & deployment of femtocells by operators around the world. It will direct and implement a multi-faceted marketing campaign to raise the profile, drive technology development & deployment and to promote the potential of femto solutions among industry stakeholders, journalists, analysts, regulators, special interest groups, standards bodies and consumers.

Gumiyo Announces New Mobile Ready Platform for Newspapers

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:53:45 -0500

With newspaper companies nationwide searching for innovative ways to increase revenue, create new value, and maintain relevance in an increasingly interactive world; Gumiyo, the nation's leading mobile marketing and technology provider, today announced the release of a powerful new suite of online tools that enable newspapers to offer rich Mobile Web and SMS campaigns to advertisers. The mobile marketing solution lets advertising departments construct entirely new revenue streams that fit seamlessly within their existing ad sales business, regardless of circulation size.

"Newspapers recognize the consumers' shift to a mobile lifestyle and have begun adopting mobile technology to retain and recover advertising dollars," said Rich Abronson, vice president of marketing for Gumiyo. "It's a natural evolution of the printed page."

Gumiyo's Mobile Ready Platform can be privately labeled and integrated directly into a publication's existing ad sales business, providing in-depth, interactive, and media-rich content that is linked to the advertiser's display and liner ads. The platform can also mobilize a paper's classifieds section by delivering matched listings to on-the-go consumers, and creates additional opportunities to engage those consumers beyond the printed page. Combinations of its unique engagement tools keep local consumers and advertisers connected and communicating.

The Gumiyo platform is a proven mobile marketing solution in the retail automotive and real estate markets, two of the leading advertising sectors for the newspaper industry. Several large metropolitan and small-town newspapers are successfully deploying the platform for these sectors, as well as for retail advertisers and employment listings.

"All newspapers are looking for the same exact formula - instant value for advertisers and readers, fast and simple deployment and, most importantly, positive ROI from day one," said Abronson. "The Gumiyo Mobile Ready Platform is a low cost, easy to implement solution that can immediately begin generating results and revenue."

About Gumiyo (www.gumiyo.com):
Gumiyo connects small and medium-sized businesses with consumers in the mobile space and facilitates their real-time conversation. By seamlessly integrating a mobile presence into an overall marketing and merchandising strategy through SMS, MMS, and the Mobile Web; partners and advertisers can dramatically increase the number of interactive touchpoints with their customers anytime and from anywhere. As one of the earliest entrants in the field of mobile classifieds, mobile merchandising, and mobile marketing solutions; Gumiyo has built a reputation for expertise in mobile-based programming and content development.

The Gumiyo Mobile Ready Platform takes advantage of the unique capabilities of today's mobile handsets with an eye toward future innovations in the industry. Comprised of a flexible suite of tools, the Gumiyo Mobile Ready Platform is a turnkey solution enabling nearly any business to launch a mobile presence, merchandise inventory and listings to mobile phones, and run mobile marketing campaigns.

As a private label solution, the Gumiyo platform powers a number of offerings in the retail automotive, real estate, and printed publications industries.

Sierra Wireless Agrees to Acquire Wavecom in Friendly Deal

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:46:21 -0500

VANCOUVER, and PARIS, Dec 02, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ --

           Combination Will Create a Global Leader in Wireless Data

    -   Sierra Wireless to make an all cash offer of (euro)8.50 per ordinary
        share of Wavecom
    -   Founders of Wavecom, representing 21% of Wavecom's shares
        outstanding, have committed to tender all their shares to the offer
    -   The combination of both firms uniquely positioned to benefit from the
        anticipated growth in wireless data for the mobile computing and M2M
        markets
    -   Complementary products, geographic coverage and capabilities to drive
        growth and significant synergies

Sierra Wireless, Inc., (NASDAQ: SWIR - TSX: SW) ("Sierra Wireless"), a leading provider for wireless modems for mobile computing, and Wavecom S.A. (Paris: AVM - NASDAQ: WVCM) ("Wavecom"), a leading provider of embedded wireless technology for M2M (machine-to-machine) communication, announced today that the companies have reached a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") providing for a business combination that will bring together these two industry innovators to form a global leader in wireless data. Pursuant to and subject to the terms of the MOU, Sierra Wireless will make a cash offer of (euro)8.50 per ordinary share of Wavecom, and (euro)31.93 per OCEANE convertible bond ("OCEANEs"), amounting to an aggregate purchase price of approximately (euro)218 million. The Board of Directors of Wavecom has unanimously determined that the proposed acquisition of Wavecom by Sierra Wireless is in the best interest of the Company, its employees, and, subject to consideration of a fairness opinion, its shareholders. In addition, the founders of Wavecom have committed to tender all of their shares to Sierra Wireless, representing approximately 21% of the outstanding shares, in support of the transaction. The Board of Directors has also decided to adjourn Wavecom's meeting of shareholders which was to be held on December 8, 2008.

The offer represents a premium of 21% over the offer for Wavecom shares announced by Gemalto on October 6, 2008 and a 108% premium over the share price on October 3, 2008, the last trading day prior to Gemalto's announcement of its offer. For the OCEANEs, the price represents a premium of 2% to their redemption value.
Together, Sierra Wireless and Wavecom will be a market leader in wireless data, and will be uniquely positioned to benefit from the anticipated growth in wireless data for the mobile computing and M2M markets - which are expected to grow to over 200 million units by 2012. The combined company is expected to benefit from significant competitive advantages in the marketplace:

    -   Industry's most comprehensive wireless data product portfolio
        including PC adapters, 2G, 3G and multi-mode embedded modules, M2M
        terminals, software and solutions
    -   Long-term relationships with mobile network operators and market-
        leading OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers in key
        markets around the world
    -   Clear leadership in advanced wireless data technology and innovation,
        with unparalleled research and development capabilities

"The agreement reached today between Sierra Wireless and Wavecom is a key strategic milestone for both companies. In joining forces, we are creating a global leader in wireless data," said Jason Cohenour, President and CEO of Sierra Wireless. "The acquisition of Wavecom will be the foundation of our plans to substantially expand our position in the global M2M market. Furthermore, Wavecom will significantly increase our scale and capabilities in Europe and Asia - both of which are important geographical expansion opportunities for the company. Wavecom is aligned with our growth and diversification strategy and adds many complementary capabilities. We believe this acquisition will deliver long-term strategic advantage and profitable growth."
"Sierra Wireless and Wavecom are a natural match. The two companies share similar histories and a common culture of innovation and technology leadership in wireless data. Joining with Sierra Wireless is a unique opportunity for Wavecom, its customers and employees. Together, the companies are well positioned to provide the most competitive solutions in the market and to become a global leader in wireless data," said Ronald Black, CEO, Wavecom.

Wavecom will operate as a Sierra Wireless business unit based in Paris, and the two companies will leverage synergies in product development, sales channels and complementary resources to accelerate profitable growth and product leadership in M2M embedded modules, M2M terminals, and M2M software, solutions and services. Furthermore, the addition of Wavecom's significant presence and capabilities in Europe will provide strong support to Sierra Wireless' mobile computing business in the region. Additional information regarding product, go-to-market and other integration details will be provided after the transaction is complete. Sierra Wireless expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2009.

Transaction Details
The transaction is expected to be implemented by way of concurrent but separate public tender offers in both France and the United States for all Wavecom shares, all American Depositary Shares representing Wavecom's ordinary shares, and all OCEANEs issued by Wavecom. The U.S. offer is anticipated to be open to all U.S. holders of shares and U.S. holders of OCEANEs as well as holders of ADSs, wherever the holder is located. The French offer is anticipated to be open to all other holders of shares and OCEANEs. The offer price will be (euro)8.50 per ordinary share, the U.S. dollar equivalent of (euro)8.50 per ADS (converted as into U.S. dollars as of the date of the settlement of the tender offers), and (euro)31.93 per OCEANE plus accrued but unpaid interest on the OCEANE, in each case in cash. A French offer document has been submitted with further details of the French offer to the Autorite des marches financiers ("AMF") and will be opened for acceptances once the AMF has granted its clearance in accordance with French law. The offers will be subject to the condition that at least 50% plus one of all voting rights of Wavecom securities be tendered. Concurrently with the filing of the offer, Sierra Wireless and Wavecom have entered into a MOU, pursuant to which Wavecom has agreed to support the transaction and has also agreed to non-solicitation and right to match provisions. The MOU also provides for payment to Sierra Wireless of a break fee of (euro)3.27 million in certain circumstances. Sierra Wireless will use cash available on its balance sheet and available credit facilities to fund the purchase of the ordinary shares and the OCEANEs of Wavecom. In that context, Sierra Wireless has drawn a Letter of Credit in the amount of (euro)218 million secured by cash and an (euro)80.5 million secured term facility underwritten by CIBC World Markets Inc. and TD Securities Inc. The term facility is to facilitate the purchase of the OCEANEs until Wavecom redeems them from its existing cash balance upon the successful completion of the transaction. If the transaction does not close, both the Letter of Credit and the secured term facility will be cancelled. Upon closing, Sierra Wireless expects to be sufficiently capitalized and have ample liquidity from its estimated pro forma cash balance. In addition, Sierra Wireless will have access to committed credit facilities, if needed. As of September 30, 2008, Sierra Wireless had $227 million of cash and cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments on its balance sheet, and Wavecom had (euro)126 million of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities on its balance sheet. CIBC World Markets Inc., Lazard, and TD Securities are acting as financial advisors to Sierra Wireless. Linklaters LLP is acting as French and United States counsel to Sierra Wireless, and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP is acting as Canadian counsel.

Merrill Lynch is acting as sole financial advisor to Wavecom. Jones Day is acting as French and United States counsel to Wavecom.

Nokia Acquires Symbian Limited

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:10:19 -0500

ESPOO, Finland, December 2, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/
-- Nokia today announced that it has completed its offer to acquire Symbian Limited. All conditions to Nokia's offer to acquire Symbian Limited have been satisfied and it has received valid acceptance of greater than 99.9% of the total Symbian shares that Nokia did not already own. Symbian is the software company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the market-leading open operating system for mobile devices.

The closing of the offer is a fundamental step in the establishment of the Symbian Foundation, announced on June 24, 2008 by Nokia, together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Motorola, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, ST-NXP Wireless, Texas Instruments and Vodafone. More information about the planned foundation can be found at http://www.symbianfoundation.org.

All Symbian employees are planned to become Nokia employees on February 1, 2009.

About Nokia Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Forward-Looking Statements It should be noted that certain statements herein which are not historical facts, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) the timing of product, services and solution deliveries; B) our ability to develop, implement and commercialize new products, services, solutions and technologies; C) expectations regarding market growth, developments and structural changes; D) expectations regarding our mobile device volume growth, market share, prices and margins; E) expectations and targets for our results of operations; F) the outcome of pending and threatened litigation; G) expectations regarding the successful completion of contemplated acquisitions on a timely basis and our ability to achieve the set targets upon the completion of such acquisitions; and H) statements preceded by "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "foresee," "target," "estimate," "designed," "plans," "will" or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) the deteriorating global economic conditions and related financial crisis and their impacts on us, our customers, suppliers, and collaborative partners; 2) competitiveness of our product, service and solutions portfolio; 3) the extent of the growth of the mobile communications industry; 4) the growth and profitability of the new market segments that we target and our ability to successfully develop or acquire and market products, services and solutions in those segments; 5) our ability to successfully manage costs; 6) the intensity of competition in the mobile communications industry and our ability to maintain or improve our market position or respond successfully to changes in the competitive landscape; 7) the impact of changes in technology and our ability to develop or otherwise acquire complex technologies as required by the market, with full rights needed to use; 8) timely and successful commercialization of complex technologies as new advanced products, services and solutions; 9) our ability to protect the complex technologies, which we or others develop or that we license, from claims that we have infringed third parties' intellectual property rights, as well as our unrestricted use on commercially acceptable terms of certain technologies in our products, services and solution offerings; 10) our ability to protect numerous Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks patented, standardized or proprietary technologies from third-party infringement or actions to invalidate the intellectual property rights of these technologies; 11) Nokia Siemens Networks' ability to achieve the expected benefits and synergies from its formation to the extent and within the time period anticipated and to successfully integrate its operations, personnel and supporting activities; 12) whether, as a result of investigations into alleged violations of law by some current or former employees of Siemens AG ("Siemens"), government authorities or others take further actions against Siemens and/or its employees that may involve and affect the carrier-related assets and employees transferred by Siemens to Nokia Siemens Networks, or there may be undetected additional violations that may have occurred prior to the transfer, or ongoing violations that may have occurred after the transfer, of such assets and employees that could result in additional actions by government authorities; 13) any impairment of Nokia Siemens Networks customer relationships resulting from the ongoing government investigations involving the Siemens carrier-related operations transferred to Nokia Siemens Networks; 14) occurrence of any actual or even alleged defects or other quality issues in our products, services and solutions; 15) our ability to manage efficiently our manufacturing and logistics, as well as to ensure the quality, safety, security and timely delivery of our products, services and solutions; 16) inventory management risks resulting from shifts in market demand; 17) our ability to source sufficient amounts of fully functional components and sub-assemblies without interruption and at acceptable prices; 18) any disruption to information technology systems and networks that our operations rely on; 19) developments under large, multi-year contracts or in relation to major customers; 20) economic or political turmoil in emerging market countries where we do business; 21) our success in collaboration arrangements relating to development of technologies or new products, services and solutions; 22) the success, financial condition and performance of our collaboration partners, suppliers and customers; 23) exchange rate fluctuations, including, in particular, fluctuations between the euro, which is our reporting currency, and the US dollar, the Chinese yuan, the UK pound sterling and the Japanese yen, as well as certain other currencies; 24) the management of our customer financing exposure; 25) allegations of possible health risks from electromagnetic fields generated by base stations and mobile devices and lawsuits related to them, regardless of merit; 26) unfavorable outcome of litigations; 27) our ability to recruit, retain and develop appropriately skilled employees; 28) the impact of changes in government policies, laws or regulations; and 29) our ability to effectively and smoothly implement our new organizational structure; as well as the risk factors specified on pages 10-25 of Nokia's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2007 under "Item 3.D Risk Factors." Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proving to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Nokia does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.

Symbian and all Symbian based trademarks and logos are trademarks of Symbian Software Limited. Until the Symbian Foundation has become fully operational, Symbian Software Limited retains exclusive responsibility for all licensing and marketing activities related to Symbian OS. http://www.nokia.com SOURCE Nokia Corporation

Mobispine Signs Licensing Agreement with Sony-Ericsson to Provide Mobile Content for Global Handset Business

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:03:45 -0500

Mobispine AB (MOBS), an innovative Value Added Services (VAS) company and provider of mobile services for operators and handset manufacturers today announced a licensing agreement with Sony Ericsson to provide localized and categorized Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds to all handsets the company delivers worldwide. Mobispine will deliver local content to Sony Ericsson's pre-installed RSS reader with recommended RSS-feeds based on user interest and access to statistics.

While RSS has evolved in recent years Mobispine had lead the charge in addressing some of the continuing issues with RSS. For example, with some RSS aggregators the RSS client is often empty at startup with no way of discovering new content. Additionally, the feeds are sometimes difficult to access with no local content available in the client. All these issues add up to a situation where the technology is not user friendly for the average user. Mobispine continues to innovate in this area and is using its technological prowess to tackle and improve issues that other mobile aggregators continue to ignore.

"Mobispine is confident that Sony Ericsson's customers will find our service easy-to-use, informative and fun," said Dusyant Patel, CEO, Mobispine. "By partnering with a respected industry leader like Sony Ericsson we can offer its end-users speedy access to localized content and a superior multimedia experience. Moreover, the ongoing development and adoption of RSS feeds will further drive the growth of a new generation software-based mobility products such as messaging, client applications, and other rich multimedia features."

Mikael Nerde, Head of Application Acquisition at Sony Ericsson, added: "Mobispine continues to differentiate itself in a highly competitive market through its innovative technologies and by providing localized and easily categorized content. We believe our customers should find it a valuable and enjoyable option."

Mobispine aggregates the web content transmitted by RSS feeds offering users fast and cost effective access. The company leverages a feed-of-feed approach which is a designed feed comprised of other feeds. All feeds are local and of high quality and each time a user checks the feed it is updated with new and recommended feeds. Mobispine's approach provides users with the option to add the feed to their own RSS-reader and preview the latest articles before adding the feed.

About Mobispine
Mobispine is the market leader in delivering PC-to-mobile solutions to mobile service providers. Since 2001 Mobispine has delivered its desktop messaging & content aggregation solution to more than 25 mobile operators throughout the world.

Desktop. Laptop. Pocket: The era of the personal Internet dawns with the Nokia N97

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:46:31 -0500

December 02, 2008
Tilting touch display, QWERTY keyboard and personalized home screen - a true mobile computer

Barcelona, Spain - Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N97, the world's most advanced mobile computer, which will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other. Designed for the needs of Internet-savvy consumers, the Nokia N97 combines a large 3.5" touch display with a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an 'always open' window to favorite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia's flagship Nseries device introduces leading technology - including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds - for people to create a personal Internet and share their 'social location.'

"From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence," said Jonas Geust, Vice President, heading Nokia Nseries. "Together with the Ovi services announced today, the Nokia N97 mobile computer adjusts to the world around us, helping stay connected to the people and things that matter most. With the Nokia N97, Nseries leads the charge in helping to transform the Internet into your Internet".

Sensing your 'So-Lo'
The Nokia N97 introduces the concept of 'social location'. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their 'status' and share their 'social location' as well as related pictures or videos.

Widescreen - Internet and entertainment
The home screen of the Nokia N97 mobile computer features the people, content and media that matter the most. Friends, social networks and news are available by simply touching the home screen. The 16:9 widescreen display can be fully personalized with frequently updated widgets of favorite web services and social networking sites. The Nokia N97 is also perfectly suited for browsing the web, streaming Flash videos or playing games. Both the physical QWERTY and virtual touch input ensure efficiency in blogging, chatting, posting, sending texts or emailing.

The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN.

The Nokia N97 is expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2009 at an estimated retail price of EUR 550 before taxes or subsidies.

For more information and materials on Nokia World 2008 event and announcements, please visit:
http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld
www.nokia.com/press/nokiaworld08

About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Media Enquiries:

Nokia
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34900
Email: press.services@nokia.com

www.nokia.com

Nokia World 2008: Transforming THE Internet into YOUR Internet

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:19:23 -0500

Imagine a world where we can always connect to our friends and loved ones, where we can know what they're doing, where they are and how they're feeling. Imagine a world where we can know what's going on around us, around the corner and even around the world.

This is the world that Nokia is building. Taking the next steps towards making this vision a reality, Nokia today introduced the Nokia N97 mobile computer and new Ovi services, including Maps on Ovi and Mail on Ovi.

"Today, we are at the threshold of another profound change in the way we connect and interact with each other and with our world," President and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said at the opening of Nokia World 2008. "We are, in fact, transforming the Internet . putting in your hands the power to be more in tune with the world around you."

"This is a world where you will have the power to tailor and personalize your Internet how and when you like, to make your day-to-day life easier and more fulfilling." Kallasvuo noted that Nokia, with more than one billion customers globally, has the opportunity to put the power of the Internet into the hands of more people in more places than any other company, "and that's what we intend to do."

Nokia's global scope, assets such as NAVTEQ and a growing list of Ovi services, "uniquely position Nokia to transform the Internet to become a more personal and relevant part of our lives. And that's a claim no legacy Internet company can make."

Nokia N97: Making the Internet Personal
The Nokia N97, unveiled today, is designed for Internet-savvy people. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the device intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving people the ability to update their 'status' and share their location as well as related pictures or videos with approved friends. Nokia's flagship Nseries device packs a large 3.5" touch display, personalized homescreen and a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an 'always open' window to social networking sites and Internet destinations.

Maps on Ovi: More than Just a Mapping Tool
Maps on Ovi is the first free service that allows people to pre-plan their journey at home on their PC and synchronize with their mobile, giving access to pre-planned routes and favorite destinations while on the move. Over the coming months, Nokia Maps will become a destination for people to save and organize places, pre-plan trips and post-edit them. People can share their location and all their personally and socially meaningful content with friends, inviting them to join in activities.

Mail on Ovi and Nokia Messaging: Mobile Email for the Masses
Some 75% of the world's population has not yet used email. Many of these people will have their first email experience will be on a mobile phone, not on a PC. Mail on Ovi, together with Nokia Messaging which mobilizes consumer email and instant messaging on Nokia devices, brings mobile email to everyone and not just for a privileged few. With Mail on Ovi, users will be able to create and access email online portal as well as on their mobile device. Nokia Messaging, on the other hand, will give consumers access to their existing email and instant messaging accounts from Yahoo! Mail® and Yahoo! Messenger®, Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail and Google Talk, and AOL Mail as well as email solutions from thousands of ISPs around the world on the majority of Nokia devices. Nokia has shipped about 200 million devices that immediately enable the launch of its messaging solutions, including Mail on Ovi, Nokia Messaging and corporate mobile email (Microsoft Exchange Activesync and Lotus Traveler).

Open for Innovation
A key element in making Nokia's vision reality is openness. Increasing openness makes it easier for third parties to develop services and applications for Nokia's solutions. For example, the planned Symbian Foundation will engage industry leaders in developing an open source platform for mobile computers and services, built on Symbian OS, already the most open and mature platform for mobile innovation. There are currently 3.5 million developers working on the S60 platform on Symbian OS, and more than 10,000 applications are available to date.

Nokia is also creating new opportunities for third parties to develop innovative widgets and other Internet service applications for Nokia devices, like the social networking widgets seen on the new Nokia N97's personalized homescreen. Over the course of the next year, Nokia will debut new and interesting opportunities to work together to create a highly personalized Internet experience on Nokia devices.

For more information and materials on Nokia World 2008 event and announcements, please visit:
http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld
www.nokia.com/press/nokiaworld08

About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Nokia acquires Symbian Limited

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:44:12 -0500

Nokia today announced that it has completed its offer to acquire Symbian Limited. All conditions to Nokia's offer to acquire Symbian Limited have been satisfied and it has received valid acceptance of greater than 99.9% of the total Symbian shares that Nokia did not already own. Symbian is the software company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the market-leading open operating system for mobile devices.

The closing of the offer is a fundamental step in the establishment of the Symbian Foundation, announced on June 24, 2008 by Nokia, together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Motorola, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, ST-NXP Wireless, Texas Instruments and Vodafone. More information about the planned foundation can be found at www.symbianfoundation.org.

All Symbian employees are planned to become Nokia employees on February 1, 2009.

About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Rogers Communications mourns passing of Founder and CEO Ted Rogers

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:37:04 -0500

Visionary business icon, philanthropist, family man and proud Canadian
It is with great sadness that the Board of Directors of Rogers Communications Inc. announces the death of our colleague, leader and friend, Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers, the founder of the company, a visionary communications industry pioneer and an icon in Canadian business. He was 75.
Mr. Rogers, known for his indefatigable drive, built Rogers Communications into a Canadian and North American leader in wireless telecommunications, cable television, broadcasting, publishing and more. Mr. Rogers' name is synonymous with innovative, high-quality communications products across Canada, products that improved and simplified the everyday lives of Canadians.
"We wish to express our deepest sympathy to Loretta and all of the Rogers family for this loss," said Alan Horn, Chairman of Rogers Communications and acting CEO. "Ted Rogers was one of a kind who built this company from one FM radio station into Canada's largest wireless, cable and media company. A leader also in giving to the community through his and Loretta's many philanthropic initiatives. He will be sadly missed."
Phil Lind, Rogers Vice-Chairman, worked alongside Mr. Rogers for almost 40 years. "Our sincerest condolences to Loretta, the children and the grandchildren. He will be missed by so many. Though Ted was relentless in business and building this company over the years, he was also very much a family man. His impact on family, community and country was as impressive as his business success," Mr. Lind said.
Mr. Rogers, who suffered from congestive heart failure, saw his health weaken over the past few years. He was surrounded by loved ones when he died at his home in Toronto.
Mr. Rogers' successor as Chief Executive Officer will be addressed by the Rogers Communications Inc. Board of Directors which intends to form a special committee to lead a search considering internal and external candidates. In the meantime, Alan Horn, Chairman of Rogers Communications Inc., will continue to serve as acting Chief Executive Officer and lead the company's office of the president.
Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family.
About the company:
Rogers is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are engaged in wireless voice and data communications services through Wireless, Canada's largest wireless provider and the operator of the country's only national GSM/HSPA based network. Through Cable, we are one of Canada's largest providers of cable television services as well as high-speed Internet access and telephony services. Through Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports entertainment. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange . For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit www.rogers.com.
SOURCE Rogers Communications Inc.

World-wide most popular comic will be soon available for mobile phones

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:35:16 -0500

Cologne (Germany) - 2 December 2008 - mobivention, the global mobile content distributor, has signed a distribution agreement with United Media for the popular cartoon brand PEANUTS. In addition to image products such as wallpaper, themes and Flash Lite wallpaper, mobivention will also offer MMS Cards and Java games. The agreement provides mobivention with the distribution rights for the content throughout 9 Central and Eastern European countries - Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia (FYROM), Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia.

Created by legendary Charles M. Schulz, PEANUTS is widely considered as one of the best-written and most popular comic strips of all times. Appearing in over 2,600 newspapers around the world and reaching 335 million readers in 21 different languages, Charles Schulz's PEANUTS characters have also been featured in over 63 award winning television specials, 1,400 books, four feature films, and a Broadway musical.

For the first time, PEANUTS will appear on mobile phones in the mentioned countries. The mobile content products features the hilarious adventures of the entire PEANUTS gang, including lovable loser Charlie Brown, fussbudget Lucy, security blanket carrying Linus, piano enthusiast Schroeder, and of course everybody's favourite comic beagle Snoopy (and his little bird friend, Woodstock).

In addition to distributing the PEANUTS products through the existing mobivention distribution channels mobivention also targets new channels. For the future it is planned to build theme specific sub portals for PEANUTS, which will offer end consumers, mobile network operators and licensors a significant added value.

"The PEANUTS brand is truly inter-generational with broad appeal among all age groups. Snoopy und Charlie Brown consistently rank within the top ten favourite cartoon characters year-to-year. I am pleased to announce the expansion of our brand portfolio with these characters and to delight fans throughout Central and Eastern Europe with them,' said Dr. Hubert Weid, CEO at mobivention.

mobivention will proceed with its focus on high quality contents and branded products. Further agreements with leading brands and licensors are planned to roll out more worldwide known brands onto mobile phones. mobivention is currently engaged in advanced negotiations for corresponding license agreements.

About mobivention
mobivention is a leading innovative international content provider in the new world of mobile entertainment. The focus is on the production and distribution of innovative mobile entertainment contents - from graphics and videos to games and applications, delivering to our customers for distribution to their end users. Besides to content provision-ing mobivention also offers services like master content providing and set up and operation of mobile portals. The process optimized business model and the up-to-date contents have put mobivention in first rank with its customers' world-wide.
mobivention has its own inhouse production. In addition to creating its own IP mobivention licenses and produces content from well-known brands and distributes this mobile content worldwide. The target groups of the product offering are mobile network operators, mobile portals and handset manufacturers. For more information please see: www.mobivention.com

Nokia Releases Series 40 6th Edition Software Development Kit for World's Highest-Volume Mobile Developer Platform

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:50:48 -0500

Nokia today released the new software development kit (SDK) for its Series 40 6th Edition mass-market mobile devices, providing application developers and network operators with new tools to create unique applications and services for the high-volume feature phone market worldwide.
Today's release of the Series 40 6th Edition SDK, available for immediate download at http://www.forum.nokia.com/tools, coincides with Nokia's announcement of the new Nokia 6260 slide, the latest device based on the Series 40 6th Edition platform, which achieves significant breakthroughs in advanced capabilities and enhanced functionality for mobile subscribers worldwide. In June, Nokia announced the first mobile device based on Series 40 6th Edition, the Nokia 7510 Supernova, which will ship to markets worldwide in Q4.
Series 40 6th Edition supports the Nokia WebKit Open Source Browser for full web look and feel, Adobe Flash Lite 3.0 for accelerated development and delivery of rich graphical mobile content, and the Java(TM)-based location API (JSR-179) for navigation and location-aware services. The Series 40 6th Edition SDK provides the application development, testing and debugging tools to bring these exciting technologies to devices for the mass consumer market worldwide.
"Nokia is very pleased to release our Series 40 6th Edition SDK, enabling developers to create a broad range of exciting new software and services focused on the dynamic mobile consumer market worldwide," said Tom Libretto, vice president, Forum Nokia, Nokia's global developer support program. "This latest SDK helps third-party developers to build richer multimedia applications and deliver advanced mobile services to the broad base of mobile subscribers served by Nokia Series 40 high-volume devices around the world."
"The advanced capabilities of these new Series 40 6th Edition devices will enable service providers to deliver the latest applications and content available to the broadest possible mobile subscriber base," said Aage Snorgaard, vice president, Series 40 Software, Nokia. "Mobile application developers will find operators are increasingly eager to include their cutting-edge software and service offerings on Nokia high-volume Series 40 devices in markets worldwide."
Series 40 6th Edition support for the Nokia WebKit Open Source Browser, previously available on the S60 smartphone platform, lets mobile content and service providers target Series 40 feature phones with full web look and feel. Webkit Browser features include the popular Pointer user interface, Incremental Page Rendering, Page Overview and Visual History browsing, and the user-favorite Minimap browsing that allows for easy screen navigation of full-size web pages.
Series 40 6th Edition supports the interoperable Adobe Flash Lite 3.0 platform, enabling rich graphical mobile content that is further enhanced by an expanded main screen UI resolution that facilitates additional opportunities for development and delivery of industry-leading software and services. The Series 40 6th Edition's new HVGA Portrait 320x480 main screen UI resolution brings devices like the Nokia 6260 slide unprecedented access to streaming video, image rendering, mobile 3D graphics and scalable 2D Vector graphics.
The Series 40 6th Edition now includes location API (JSR-179), allowing developers to write exciting location-aware applications that can deliver new navigation and context-based services for the consumer mass market.
The Series 40 6th Edition SDK provides Java class libraries, APIs (including the Nokia UI API), relevant documentation and a device emulator for testing Java, Flash Lite and browser content.
Forming an important element of Nokia's platform strategy for supporting mobile application development across all consumer segments and in all markets, Series 40 6th Edition shows Nokia's commitment to offer the latest in mobile technologies and application development across all of its developer platforms and multiple handsets. Nokia's device platform approach maximizes developers' volume opportunities and minimizes the need to port applications and services to individual handsets. Developers can build core functionality on top of the platform technologies and then optimize their applications for user interfaces and technology extensions on specific target devices.
About Forum Nokia
Nokia's global developer program, Forum Nokia connects developers to tools, technical information, support, and distribution channels they can use to build and market applications around the globe. From offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, China, India and Singapore, Forum Nokia provides technical and business development support to developers and operators to assist them in achieving their goal of successfully launching applications and services to consumers and enterprises. More information is available at http://www.forum.nokia.com.
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

TechFaith and QIGI Launch i6-Goal, First Android-Powered Phone in China

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:58:34 -0500

China TechFaith Wireless Communication Technology Limited (NASDAQ: CNTF), an original developed product provider focused on the research and development of cell phone solutions, and QIGI, a Smartphone brand in China, today announced the launch of i6-Goal, the first Android-powered phone in China. The fast, 624-MHz CPU slim bar-type phone has a touch-screen, business card scanning and GPS functionality. The i6-Goal also provides mobile Web access that includes Gmail(TM), YouTube(TM) and Gtalk(TM).

Defu Dong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TechFaith, said, "We are proud to launch the first Android-powered mobile phone in China. The QIGI i6-Goal has amazing potential in China because it is not only for making phone calls; it also provides mobile Web access to China's growing customer base. In addition, the launch of i6-Goal is a great example of the success of our strategic alliance with QIGI and its ability to quickly launch products onto the market."

Enhai Xu, President of QIGI, said, "We are pleased to be the first company to launch an Android-powered phone in China. We believe this state-of-the-art product will be very attractive to China's market due to its great features including Web access, email and GPS functions. We signed sales agreements with a few well-known mobile phone distributors in China and are looking forward to shipping the i6-Goal very soon."

About TechFaith

TechFaith is an original developed product provider focused on research and development of cell phone solutions. Based in China, TechFaith employs approximately 700 professionals, of whom approximately 90% are engineers. TechFaith engages in the development and production of middle to high end handsets and tailor made handsets. TechFaith's original developed products include: (1) multimedia phones and dual mode dual card handsets of multiple wireless technology combination such as GSM/GSM, GSM/CDMA, GSM/WCDMA, GSM/TD-SCDMA and UMTS/CDMA; (2) Window based smartphone and Pocket PC phone; and (3) handsets with interactive online gaming and professional game terminals with phone functionality.

With the capability of developing MMI/UI software on 2G/2.5G(GSM/GPRS, CDMA1X), 3G(EV-DO, WCDMA/UMTS, TD-SCDMA) and 3.5G(HSDPA) communication technologies, TechFaith is able to provide MMI/UI software packages that fulfill the specifications of handset brand owners and carriers in the global market. For more information, please visit www.techfaithwireless.com

About QIGI

QIGI Future Technology Co., Ltd. (Beijing) is focused on the development, production and sale of the Windows Smartphones, aiming to create an international mobile phone brand. Armed with the most advanced technology for mobile phones, the company is committed to developing new technologies, new functions and new types of Smartphones. The company aims to create a well-known, highly reliable, high-value mobile phone brand. By introducing high-quality and fashionable products and services to the world, the company intends to make QIGI into one of the most valuable mobile phone brands in China. QIGI also provides advanced cards and GSM+CDMA products, tailored operation products, customized products, and service to the public security system, banks, and government departments.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as TechFaith's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. TechFaith may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms 20-F and 6-K, etc., in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about TechFaith's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, disruptions in the financial markets and other macro-economic challenges currently affecting the economy of the United States and other parts of the world, TechFaith's limited operating history, TechFaith's ability to effectively manage its rapid expansion, loss of TechFaith's customers and claims against TechFaith due to defects in its designs or other reasons, TechFaith's limited insurance coverage and its exposure to product liability and product recall, TechFaith's ability to retain existing or attract additional domestic and international customers, TechFaith's earnings or margin declines, failure to compete against new and existing competitors, mobile handset brand owners' discontinuation or reduction of the use of independent design houses, and other risks outlined in TechFaith's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. TechFaith does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Celebrate Value with Sprint on "Cyber Monday"

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:42:27 -0500

Celebrate Value with Sprint on "Cyber Monday" with

Free Feature-Rich Phones and the Most EconomicalWireless Calling Plans in Time for Holiday Shopping

Sprint makes online shopping easy with money-savingWeb-exclusive offers on popular wireless devices

Families can save at least $240 and up to $1,000 annuallywith Sprint wireless plans over Verizon and AT&T

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Dec. 1, 2008 - Sprint is giving customers the gift of value this holiday season with six power-packed devices offered free with a two-year contract for a limited time only exclusively through Sprint.com. Sprint customers already enjoy the best savings in wireless service today - for families, that can mean at least $240 and up to $1,000 in annual savings based on comparable rate and service plans offered by Verizon and AT&T

Significant price drops on the following devices begin today exclusively at Sprint.com for new line activations or eligible upgrades with a two-year agreement:

Ø Palm Centro^TM: Free after $100 mail-in rebate

Centro is the smallest and lightest Palm phone to date. Centro has a modern, stylish look that feels comfortable in the hand, pocket or evening purse. Centro has been one of the top selling devices for Sprint this year because it is easy-to-use for both communication and organization (offer available only at sprint.com and 1-800-Sprint1 through Jan. 4).

Ø Rumor^TM by LG^®: Free instantly

Exclusively from Sprint, the colorful Rumor by LG helps you manage your entertainment, data and voice needs in a single, attractive device. Rumor by LG puts the convenience of text messaging in the palm of your hand with an easy-to-use QWERTY slide keyboard and one-touch access to messaging through a softkey from the idle screen (offer available only at sprint.com and 1-800-Sprint1 through Dec. 26).

Ø i335 by Motorola^®: Free instantly

Offering the industry-leading push-to-talk Nextel Direct Connect^® services available only on the iDEN network, i335 by Motorola is an easy-to-use, candy-bar-style phone offering Bluetooth^® and speakerphone. It is also certified to Military Standard 810F for dust, shock and vibration (offer available only at sprint.com through Dec. 20).

Ø Compass^TM 597 by Sierra Wireless^®: Free instantly

The nation's smallest USB modem, Compass 597 is about the size of a pack of gum. It features automatic installation of Sprint SmartView^SM software and one-touch activation on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, making it easy to get up and running (offer available in all Sprint channels through Jan. 10 or while supplies last).

Ø M300 by Samsung: Free instantly

M300 by Samsung combines many of the essential tools customers need to communicate faster and easier with a compact, attractive design. Features include Bluetoothtechnology, VGA camera with digital zoom, Internet access, email and text messaging. (offer available only at sprint.com and 1-800-Sprint1 through Jan. 10 or while supplies last).

Ø S1 by Sanyo: Free instantly

With a sleek look and feel, S1 by Sanyo offers the essential features that consumers rely on, including a robust 24mm speakerphone, integrated Bluetooth wireless technology, large LCD screen and voice-activated dialing. S1 by Sanyo is wrapped in a soft-touch finish that feels great in your hand. (offer available only at sprint.com and 1-800-Sprint1 through Jan. 10 or while supplies last).

"During these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever for us to make online holiday shopping effortless with the best overall value and the most options in affordable wireless phones," said Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint. "Sprint offers something for everyone on your holiday shopping list with the advanced features and exclusive content available on our devices. Consumers will see how Sprint can help them save money during this holiday season."

Beyond offering lower prices on devices and plans than competitors, Sprint offers customers the best value in wireless, including Now Network benefits provided by the fastest national push-to-talk network and America's largest, most dependable 3G network.^* Sprint has four times the coverage of AT&T's current 3G network. Sprint also guarantees friendly service with Ready Now, an exclusive Sprint experience that offers hands-on training and setup for customers at Sprint stores nationwide.

Earlier this year, Sprint revolutionized unlimited pricing in the wireless industry by moving beyond its competitors to deliver more features for a flat rate of $99.99. Sprint's Simply Everything^SM plan provides unlimited nationwide calling, texting, email, Web browsing, GPS navigation and much more - all for only $99.99. Comparable yearly messaging and data plans on Verizon and AT&T cost the consumer an additional $480 and $540, respectively.

Sprint's Simply Everything Family plan with unlimited voice, data and messaging for two customers is more than $1,000 less costly per year than AT&T's similar plan. Sprint's family share plans begin at $99.99 and offer an annual savings of $240 vs. Verizon and AT&T allowing two customers to share 1,500 minutes (includes free nights starting at 7 p.m. and weekends) and unlimited messaging, including texting, picture sharing and video messaging, for $99.99.

Everything Data plans are a great value at just $69.99 for 450 minutes of talk time with unlimited data, including texting, email, Web browsing, GPS Navigation and exclusive content such as NFL Mobile Live^TM and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile^TM. Unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling to other Sprint customers and free nights and weekends starting at 7 p.m. are included in these affordable plans.

Existing customers can switch plans without renewing their contracts. New lines of service require a two-year agreement.

Customers can learn more about the great holiday deals on Sprint's wireless phones by going to sprint.com. Online chat with a customer service representative is available 24 hours a day to quickly address any questions during the purchasing process. Existing Sprint customers can switch to any of these plans without a contract extension. They are available on new lines of activation with a two-year agreement per line.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 51 million customers at the end of the third quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

###

*Largest based on square miles. Dependability based on independent, third-party drive-test data on connection success and session reliability for the top 50 most populous markets from March to September 2008. Fastest based on initial call setup time.

Nokia Siemens Networks peers into the ultra-fast future with groundbreaking mobile broadband demonstration

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:26:47 -0500

Espoo, Finland, December 01, 2008

Researchers have conducted the world's first demonstration of LTE-Advanced technology.

Nokia Siemens Networks has broken new ground with another technological first: mobile broadband communications beyond LTE. Company researchers have successfully demonstrated Relaying technology proposed for LTE-Advanced, enabling an exceptional end-user experience delivered consistently across the network.

Completed in Nokia Siemens Networks research facilities in Germany, the demonstration illustrated how advances to Relaying technology can further improve the quality and coverage consistency of a network at the cell edge - where users are furthest from the mobile broadband base station.

Relaying technology, which can also be integrated in normal base station platforms, is cost efficient and easy to deploy as it does not require additional backhaul. The demonstration of LTE Advanced means operators can plan their LTE network investments knowing that the already best-in-class LTE radio performance, including cell edge data rates, can be further improved and that the technological development path for the next stage of LTE is secure and future-proof.

Stephan Scholz, Chief Technology Officer of Nokia Siemens Networks, said: "Demonstrating improved cell edge and indoor-user data rates is an important milestone for coverage scenarios. It further strengthens the position of LTE as the major mobile broadband technology. Consumers will enjoy an even richer user experience thanks to higher throughput everywhere in the cell, while operators will be able to deploy their networks in a more flexible and cost efficient way.

"LTE Advanced is the next step in the evolutionary development of LTE technology. Nokia Siemens Networks performs extensive research activities for LTE-Advanced in developing this important technology which will be decisive to our customers in the future."

As mobile networks move through the necessary stages towards ever faster and richer broadband performance, Nokia Siemens Networks is helping operators to create the foundation for future improvements.

These performance enhancements have been achieved by combining an LTE system supporting a 2x2 MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna system, and a Relay station. The Relaying operates in-band, which means that the relay stations inserted in the network do not need an external data backhaul. They are connected to the nearest base stations by using radio resources within the operating frequency band of the base station itself. Towards the terminal they are base stations and offer the full functionality of LTE. LTE-Advanced is currently being studied by 3GPP for Release 10 and will be submitted towards ITU-R as the 3GPP Radio Interface Technology proposal.

The improved cell coverage and system fairness - meaning offering higher user data rates for and fair treatment of users distant from the base station - will allow operators to utilise existing LTE network infrastructure and still meet growing bandwidth demands.

The demonstration has been realised by using an intelligent demo relay node embedded in a test network forming a FDD in-band self-backhauling solution for coverage enhancements. With this demonstration the performance at the cell edge could be increased up to 50% of the peak throughput.

Nokia Siemens Networks is the forerunner in LTE. In 2006 the company was the first to demonstrate LTE technology with data speeds in the 160Mb/s range as well as a successful handover between LTE and HSPA, and continued breaking records in 2007 by demonstrating a multiuser field trial in an urban environment with peak data rates of 173 Mb/s. In February 2008 Nokia Siemens Networks showcased a live demo on commercial hardware and launched its LTE solution based on Flexi Multimode Base Station. In September 2008 Nokia Siemens Networks started to ship its LTE compatible Flexi Multimode Base Station hardware.

Building on the company's technological leadership, Nokia Siemens Networks together with Nokia has continued to pioneer LTE and LTE-Advanced technology research and standardization work in 3GPP with major number of contributions in the 3GPP RAN standardization and is pushing its commercialization.

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of communications services. The company provides a complete, well-balanced product portfolio of mobile and fixed network infrastructure solutions and addresses the growing demand for services with 20,000 service professionals worldwide. Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure companies with operations in 150 countries. The company is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Media Enquiries

Nokia Siemens Networks
Corporate Communications
R&D and Technology
Bareld Meijering
Tel: +358 50 3872 862
Email: bareld.meijering@nsn.com

ATSC APPROVES MOBILE & HANDHELD CANDIDATE STANDARD

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:14:29 -0500

The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. (ATSC) has elevated its specification for Mobile Digital Television to Candidate Standard status. The new Mobile DTV Candidate Standard provides the technical capabilities necessary for broadcasters' to provide new services to mobile and handheld devices using their digital television transmissions. ATSC Mobile DTV includes a highly robust transmission system based on vestigial sideband (VSB) modulation coupled with a flexible and extensible IP based transport, efficient MPEG AVC (H.264) video and HE AAC v2 audio (ISO/IEC 14496-3) coding.

In addition to live television, the ATSC Mobile DTV Candidate Standard provides a flexible Application Framework for running software on receivers. Receivers that make use of an optional internet connection will enable new interactive television services, ranging from simple audience voting to the integration of internet-based applications and transactions with television content. The Candidate Standard also enables broadcasters to deploy new "data broadcasting" services such as providing real-time navigation data for in-vehicle use and providing news and sports highlights for "on-demand" use by consumers.

The ATSC Mobile DTV Candidate Standard describes methodology for new services to be carried in digital broadcast channels along with current DTV services without any adverse impact on legacy receiving equipment. The Candidate Standard stage of ATSC standards development is an explicit call for implementation and technical feedback. ATSC Candidate Standards are available at www.atsc.org.

"ATSC Mobile DTV will allow broadcasters to leverage the wireless and local nature of their DTV transmission" said ATSC President Mark Richer. "Broadcasters will be able to provide new compelling services to consumers utilizing a wide array of wireless receiving devices including mobile phones, small handheld TVs, laptop computers and in-vehicle entertainment systems. Many of these devices will utilize existing ubiquitous technologies to provide a return channel for true interactive applications".

"The combination of live television and interactive capabilities on mobile and handheld devices is an essential element for the future success of over the air digital television," said Glenn Reitmeier, Chairman of the ATSC Board of Directors. "Our efforts to develop ATSC Mobile DTV are a part of a strategy to provide the broadcast industry with the technical ability to deliver content to consumers on the move". Mr. Reitmeier added, "The architecture of the Candidate Standard will make terrestrial broadcasting an important segment of the internet".

"The ATSC's decision to elevate the Mobile DTV specifications to Candidate Standard is an important milestone that not only validates, but also furthers, the advancement of Mobile DTV in the United States," said Brandon Burgess, President of the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) and ION Media Networks Chairman and CEO. "This new Candidate Standard will enable broadcasters to launch services and will also allow device manufacturers to move forward with product development to ensure this emerging industry will have a successful commercial deployment in 2009."

Development of the ATSC mobile digital television standard was based on a strategic plan approved by the ATSC Board of Directors in October 2006. ATSC subsequently developed detailed system requirements and issued a request for Proposals (RFP) in May 2007. In February 2008, the OMVC conducted experimental broadcasts using prototype equipment provided by system proponents and provided results to ATSC. The ATSC Specialist Group on Mobile & Handheld, chaired by Mark Aitken, Director of Advanced Technology for the Sinclair Broadcast Group, evaluated the proposals and drafted the standard. The ATSC Technology & Standards Group, chaired by John Henderson, Consultant to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), approved elevation of the document to Candidate Standard after a six week ballot. The Candidate Standard consists of eight parts:

* Part 1 - Mobile/Handheld Digital Television System
* Part 2 - RF/Transmission System Characteristics
* Part 3 - Service Multiplex and Transport Subsystem Characteristics
* Part 4 - Announcement
* Part 5 - Presentation Framework
* Part 6 - Service Protection
* Part 7 - Video System Characteristics
* Part 8 - Audio System Characteristics

Together, the parts form a complete specification for a broadcast digital television signal that can deliver live television service, data and interactivity to new mobile and handheld receivers, while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy DTV receivers.

Rounding out the ecosystem for ATSC M/H devices and services, the Consumer Electronics Association recently launched a complimentary Special Interest Group for manufacturers interested in building products to the Candidate Standard.

The Advanced Television Systems Committee is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television. The ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries. ATSC creates and fosters implementation of voluntary Standards and Recommended Practices to advance terrestrial digital television broadcasting, and to facilitate interoperability with other media.

Yahoo! oneSearch Named as the Exclusive Search Service on Virgin Media's Mobile Portal in the UK

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:12:43 -0500

Virgin Media and Yahoo! today announced that Yahoo! oneSearch^TM will power the Internet search experience on Virgin Media's new, enhanced mobile portal. The Virgin Media mobile portal will be available to consumers on the 8th of December, and brings the world of news, music, video, games and entertainment, as well as Yahoo!'s award-winning mobile search experience, straight to consumers' pockets.

Yahoo! oneSearch is specifically designed for the needs of a mobile user, intuitively returning results directly in the first screen, removing the need for consumers to navigate through thousands of links to find the information they want.

* For instance, when a search for a football team is entered, Yahoo! oneSearch returns the latest scores, fixtures, team profiles, news, images and a link to the team's Web site.
* Alternatively, if a user searches for a film, Yahoo! returns showing times at local cinemas, reviews, news articles and information on the cast.

Yahoo! oneSearch will provide Virgin Media's mobile consumers with relevant information on virtually any topic -- from news, financial information, weather conditions, Flickr^TM photos and lottery results, to Web and mobile web sites, travel information, integrated information from Wikipedia and Yahoo! Answers, and much more. Yahoo! oneSearch will also display relevant ringtones, wallpapers, games and other content within search results.

Yahoo! and Virgin Media plan to deliver mobile sponsored search results and contextually served sponsored listings within the Virgin Media mobile portal early 2009. With a focus on creating the monetization engine for the mobile Internet, Yahoo! is enabling advertisers to reach their target audiences at large scale and with impact. Yahoo! is delivering a compelling consumer service via Yahoo! oneSearch that will help marketers connect with mobile consumers.

Commenting on the partnership, Graeme Oxby, managing director of Virgin Mobile said: "Our new Virgin Media mobile portal brings the web to consumers' pockets. A great mobile search service is a crucial part of this and by integrating Yahoo! oneSearch into the portal, we are ensuring our customers have all the information they need at their fingertips. Whether you're checking the Saturday football scores or your favourite web services, you're guaranteed to find what you need with ease."

"Working closely with our 70 mobile operator partners, Yahoo! oneSearch is a starting point for mobile consumers globally, revolutionizing the mobile search experience by delivering relevant answers to queries that mobile users have while on-the-go," said Mitch Lazar, managing director of Connected Life Europe, Yahoo!. "Together, Virgin Media and Yahoo! are enhancing the user's mobile Internet experience in the UK while creating unique opportunities for advertisers to reach a highly-engaged audience of mobile consumers."

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! (YHOO) is a leading global Internet brand and one of the busiest Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. (YHOO - M)

For more on Yahoo!'s mobile news please visit http://mobile.yahoo.com/newsroom.

Yahoo!, Yahoo! oneSearch, the Yahoo! logo and Flickr are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

About Virgin Mobile

Launched in 1999, Virgin Mobile is the UK's largest mobile virtual network operator and uses T-Mobile's network. With 4.4 million customers, Virgin Mobile is part of Virgin Media and the group is the first to be able to offer 'quadruple play' to customers: mobile and fixed line telephony, broadband internet and television.

In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600, on the web at virginmobile.co.uk or on the high street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores, zavvi, The Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4 U, Currys, Currys.digital, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, Woolworths, web retailers Dial-a-phone plus hundreds of independent mobile phone dealers, and available via Littlewoods Shop Direct Home Shopping, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.

Alltel Wireless and mFoundry Team Together to Offer the Alltel Wallet

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:45:45 -0500

Alltel Wireless, America's largest wireless network, will be leveraging mFoundry's® extensible mobile wallet platform to create the Alltel Wallet. The Alltel Wallet will initially provide access to a consolidated mobile banking experience, providing its customers access to a large variety of U.S. financial institutions. mFoundry's technology, which combines comprehensive mobile banking, mobile payments and mobile commerce capabilities, will provide Alltel the necessary platform to plug in enhanced financial solutions and other advanced functionality from select third party developers.

mFoundry's mobile financial services platform is based on Mojax^TM technology, which has received industry recognition for its mobile development toolset. As the only dynamically extensible wallet platform in the market, mFoundry's platform allows the Alltel Wallet to rapidly evolve by giving third party developers an ability to easily add modules to the wallet. mFoundry's mobile wallet platform has pre-built modules for peer-to-peer remittances and other payment services to help developers deploy new features quickly and easily.

"The mobile financial application space is becoming increasingly more complex. We believe that mFoundry's platform enables Alltel to simplify and deliver a seamless experience to our customers, while providing access to a comprehensive set of financial services and content - all in one mobile location," said Brian Stankiewicz, director of mobile financial solutions at Alltel Wireless. "The Alltel Wallet developed on mFoundry's MojaxTM platform provides Alltel with a great foundation that is extensible to other mobile platforms and able to evolve with our customers' needs."

"Recent research has shown that early adopter consumers are willing to switch mobile carriers to gain access to mobile payments solutions," said Drew Sievers, CEO and co-founder of mFoundry. "We are very pleased to team with Alltel in creating the Alltel Wallet and anticipate that this new application will help drive adoption of mobile financial solutions in the U.S."

The Alltel Wallet will debut in early 2009. Alltel Wireless recently launched Alltel Mobile Banking, a free service giving its customers mobile access to accounts from many of the nation's leading financial institutions. The Alltel Wallet will provide one-stop access to those financial institutions as well as access to many other payment services.

About Alltel Wireless

Alltel is owner and operator of the nation's largest wireless network and has more than 14 million customers. For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com.

About mFoundry

mFoundry provides a comprehensive mobile banking and payments solution for banks, credit unions, processors and operators. With specific programs for financial institutions of all sizes, the out-of-the-box platform supports full service mobile banking and mobile payments and serves as an ideal foundation for mobile wallets. The platform has been adopted by some of the largest banks, mobile operators and bank technology providers in the U.S.

Panasonic 'Links' with Quattro Wireless for Mobile Venture

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:09:16 -0500

Quattro Wireless ( www.quattrowireless.com), North America's best performing mobile ad network, announced a strategic and exclusive partnership with Panasonic to catapult its home-based Link-To-Cell product over mobile devices for their holiday campaign. The campaign, with both publishing services and advertising sales and operations handled by Quattro, is to promote the new Bluetooth-enabled device.
Leading Panasonic into its first mobile opportunity, the consumer electronics company engaged Quattro Wireless to position and market this product over the mobile space as an important component in their online advertising campaign strategy. Panasonic is putting a portion of its Link-to-Cell advertising budget towards mobile marketing, realizing that consumers will be relying heavily on their mobile devices this holiday season while they are comparison shopping on the go.
Panasonic will allow consumers to link directly from their Quattro-built brand destination into mobile commerce powered by Amazon.com. The mobile budget will be invested entirely with Quattro's unparalleled network of premier publishers and directly with retailers for the promotion.
"Panasonic's mobile advertising investment for Link-To-Cell is an unprecedented leadership move and Quattro is thrilled to help them realize their vision with publishing services, sophisticated ad-targeting and full-scale ad operations," said Steven Rosenblatt, VP of Ad Sales of Quattro Wireless. "The launch of this product is perfectly suited for the Quattro Network, with aggregated network traffic almost fifty percent comprised of Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, and is perfectly timed when consumers are using their mobile phones to shop for holiday gifts."
By leveraging Quattro's dynamic platform, Panasonic will not only serve the brand-preserved destination built for Link-To-Cell but will launch targeted ad serving of this product to mobile users.
Link-To-Cell, by Panasonic, allows consumers to enjoy a more consistent signal in their homes. You can leave your cell charging where your signal is strongest, link it to the base unit, and make and receive cell phone calls around the house using a more comfortable, great-sounding Panasonic cordless handset.
Quattro Wireless is working with other major consumer electronics companies and retailers during this holiday season to leverage the unique capability of mobile to drive conversion.
About Quattro Wireless
Quattro Wireless is North America's best performing mobile advertising network, specializing in taking wired assets to the wireless world. With the industry's only pre- and post-click technology platform, Quattro provides category leading publishers and premium branded advertisers with a turnkey solution to extend their internet offering to the mobile web. Advertisers partner with Quattro to design, develop and serve targeted and interactive campaigns to the highly engaged Quattro Network audience. Publishers leverage Quattro's proprietary mobilization technology and interactive feature set to launch dynamic, ad supported mobile web versions of their wired web sites. Quattro Wireless was founded in 2006 by proven mobile pioneers and is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more information, please visit http://www.quattrowireless.com.
SOURCE: Quattro Wireless

ACCESS to Provide Widget Service for NTT DOCOMO Smartphones

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:06:47 -0500

ACCESS CO., LTD., a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile and beyond-PC markets, today announced that it will begin providing a Widget service for NTT DOCOMO, INC.'s new HTC Windows Mobile smartphone models DOCOMO PRO series(TM) HT-01A (released today) and DOCOMO PRO series HT-02A (scheduled for release between December 2008 and January 2009).
The Widget service will enable DOCOMO smartphone users in Japan to download Widget content as well as a Widget player from the ACCESS NetFront(TM) Widgets Community Site at http://widgets.access-company.com/mobile/jp/ (mobile Japanese site). Users can access the site directly by clicking on the "Widgets" icon on DOCOMO's smartphone portal site ( http://www.dcm-gate.com/), which is the default web page for the DOCOMO PRO series HT-01A and HT-02A.
Among the variety of Widgets from which users can choose are applications that deliver information related to social networking sites (SNS), shopping and music. Widget content from the site can be used free of charge. To get started, users need only download a free Widget player for Windows Mobile or S60 to their mobile handsets.
"Widgets make it easy to customize mobile handsets to match the preferences of individual users," said Kazuhiro Takagi, Managing Director of Frontier Services Department for DOCOMO. "We envision this service to be important means for DOCOMO to strengthen the relationships with smartphone users."
"ACCESS' Widget service, designed to be a fully open platform for the development and use of Widget content, gives top priority to user convenience," said Toru Arakawa, CEO, president and co-founder of ACCESS. "ACCESS takes great pleasure in being able to expand awareness of Widgets and their convenience by offering this service to DOCOMO, and will continue to promote systems that enable users to fully enjoy their mobile handsets."
About NetFront Widgets Community Site
ACCESS opened its NetFront Widgets Community Site (formerly NetFront(TM) Browser Widgets Community Site) in October of 2008. A comprehensive Widget solution for mobile handsets and consumer electronics, NetFront Widgets Community Site is available in both English and Japanese, and includes Widget content, Widget developer tools, Widget players and news. Users can access either a PC version or mobile version of the NetFront Widgets Community Site. Developers can use the site both to access Widget content development tools and to release their finished products to the public.
NetFront Widgets Community Site is available in English and Japanese at the following URLs:

http://widgets.access-company.com/en/ PC site (English)
http://widgets.access-company.com/jp/ PC site (Japanese)
http://widgets.access-company.com/mobile/en/ Mobile site (English)
http://widgets.access-company.com/mobile/jp/ Mobile site (Japanese)

About ACCESS
ACCESS CO., LTD. is a global company providing leading technology, software products and platforms for Web browsing, mobile phones, wireless handhelds, and other networked devices. ACCESS' product portfolio, including its NetFront(TM) Browser, Garnet(TM) OS (formerly Palm OS(R)) and ACCESS Linux Platform(TM), provides customers with solutions that enable faster time to market, flexibility and customizability. The company, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operates subsidiaries and affiliates within Asia, Europe and the United States. ACCESS is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mother's Index under the number 4813. For more information about ACCESS, please visit http://www.access-company.com/
About NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO is the world's leading mobile communications company. DOCOMO serves over 53 million customers, including 46 million people subscribing to FOMA(TM), launched as the world's first 3G mobile service based on W-CDMA in 2001. DOCOMO also offers a wide variety of leading-edge mobile multimedia services, including i-mode(TM), the world's most popular mobile e-mail/Internet service, used by 48 million people. With the addition of credit-card and other e-wallet functions, DOCOMO mobile phones have become highly versatile tools for daily life.
NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.nttdocomo.com/
(C) 2008 ACCESS CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
ACCESS, the ACCESS logo, NetFront, Garnet, ACCESS Linux Platform are registered trademarks or trademarks of ACCESS CO., LTD. in the United States, Japan and/or other countries.
The registered trademark LINUX(R) is used pursuant to a sublicense from Linux Mark Institute, the exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a world-wide basis.
Palm OS and Palm Powered are trademarks owned by Palm Trademark Holding Company.
DOCOMO PRO series, i-mode and FOMA are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DOCOMO, INC. in Japan and other countries.
Windows Mobile is an either registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
S60 is a trademark or registered trademark of Nokia Corporation.
All other trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE ACCESS CO., LTD.

Hands-On Mobile's Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile Now Available Nationwide

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:00:01 -0500

Mobile phone subscribers everywhere will now have the opportunity to strum guitar strings and play the drums to the tune of their favorite songs. Hands-On Mobile, Inc., the world's leading developer of connected games and applications, in partnership with Activision Publishing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI), today announced the availability of Guitar Hero® World Tour Mobile for mobile phones. The mobile phone version of the popular console game allows players to choose drums, in addition to the guitar, as a playable instrument within the game. Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile is available today on major carriers nationwide and will be debuting in January on Android, the platform built by Google and the Open Handset Alliance.

As the sequel to the award-winning and best-selling Guitar Hero® III Mobile, Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile pushes traditional mobile phone gaming boundaries and offers players an unmatched entertainment experience. Comprised of real-time multiplayer capabilities, players have the opportunity to battle head-to-head against others throughout the country, regardless of their mobile carrier. Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile also features MP3 quality original artist recordings, with 15 of the hottest songs available at launch. Additionally, new bonus songs will be added monthly and will also be available for multiplayer gameplay. Players can take their Guitar Hero® experience beyond the phone and create profiles, download new songs and track player rankings through the game's web companion located at: www.guitarheromobile.com/worldtour.

"The Guitar Hero franchise has witnessed unprecedented success and will undoubtedly continue to thrive as one of the leading multi-platform entertainment franchises on the market today. We are excited to be an extension of this phenomenon and provide consumers with a dynamic Guitar Hero mobile phone experience," said JJ Lechleiter, Senior Product Manager. "With the addition of drums, MP3 quality sound on more devices and innovative multiplayer capabilities, we are confident fans and casual players alike will enjoy all that Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile has to offer."

In June 2008, Guitar Hero III Mobile received two BREW Developer Awards for Top Application and People's Choice and was named the Best Mobile Game of 2007 at the 2008 Casual Game Awards. In addition, Guitar Hero III Mobile has reached more than two and a half million game downloads and more than 65 million songs have been downloaded to date. The second game in the Guitar Hero® Mobile series, Guitar Hero® III: Backstage Pass, recently launched and is available on carriers across the country. For more information, please visit www.guitarheromobile.com.

About Hands-On Mobile

Hands-On Mobile, Inc. is a premier mobile technology and marketing company as well as an award-winning developer and publisher of mobile entertainment. Its portfolio consists of the critically acclaimed Guitar Hero® Mobile and WPT® Texas Hold 'Em games and the universally popular Astrology Zone® Premier and NFL^TM Mobile Live applications. Hands-On offers global distribution of the world's best entertainment brands and content from partners including Activision, Billboard, CBS, NBA, NBC Universal, and World Poker Tour. Utilizing its proprietary mobile development platform, Hands-On is a leader in providing complete mobile marketing application solutions to companies worldwide. Established in 2001, Hands-On Mobile is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information please visit www.HandsOn.com.

MP3 or MPEG Layer-3 audio coding technology licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

Hands-On Mobile is a trademark of Hands-On Mobile, Inc. All other product or company names are trademarks of their respective owners.

© 2008 Activision Publishing, Inc. Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

AOL Reveals Top Web, Mobile and Video Searches of 2008

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:52:56 -0500

The presidential elections dominated user searches this year, according to AOL's annual lists of top Web, mobile and video searches across more than 40 categories for 2008. But celebrities continued to be hot topics for searchers as well. The rankings are based on the people, places and topics that received the largest volume of Web and mobile search queries on AOL Search, http://search.aol.com, and on Truveo, AOL's leading video search engine, http://www.truveo.com.

This year, Barack Obama topped the list in the Newsmakers category - in fact, politicians occupied 7 out of the top 10 spots on this category. The presidential election was also the Top Searched News Story, while elections-related videos - including will.i.am's "Yes, We Can" video, Paris Hilton's response to John McCain's campaign ad, and Barack Obama's victory speech in Chicago - were among the most searched videos on Truveo.

At the same time, America couldn't get enough of celebrities and pop culture with searches for Britney Spears, a pregnant man and music videos all among the hottest searches. Mobile consumers took a keen interest in staying social while on the go by tapping MySpace, AIM, MocoSpace and Facebook onto the list of top searches from mobile devices.

"What people are searching for online is a strong reflection of what's captivating their attention offline and throughout their daily lives," said John Kannapell, Senior Vice President of AOL Search. "While the economy and the elections grabbed the majority of headlines and consumers' mindshare this year, America's continuing obsession with celebrities and pop culture were also clearly evident across Web, mobile and video searches."

Highlights from this year's top Web, mobile and video searches include:

Top News Stories: Political and Athletic Juggernauts Rule

This year's historic "presidential election" was the most searched news story, followed by the Olympics. Bailout came in at No. 3, followed by Hurricane Ike at No. 4 and unemployment at No. 5.

Top Newsmakers: An Agent for Change Tops the List

"Barack Obama" and his path to the White House led him to No. 1 among newsmakers in 2008, with vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin coming in at No. 2. Pregnant Man (No. 3); Hillary Clinton (No. 4) and John McCain (No. 5) rounded out the top 5.

Top Celebrities: Oops, She Did It Again

All eyes were on Britney Spears and her road to personal recovery and professional redemption as she once again topped the list of most-searched celebrities. Trailing behind Britney were Miley Cyrus (No. 2); Kim Kardashian (No. 3); Paris Hilton (No. 4); and Oprah Winfrey (No. 5).

Top Financial Faux Pas: Wall Street On My Mind

With Wall Street's troubles top of mind, consumers turned to the Web to dig deeper into the companies making headlines including Wachovia (No. 1); Washington Mutual (No. 2); Merrill Lynch (No. 3); AIG (No. 4) and Morgan Stanley (No. 5).

Top TV Shows: American Idol Keeps the Crown

America's thirst for reality television showed no signs of fading. For the sixth year running, "American Idol" was the most searched television show in 2008, followed by "Dancing with Stars" (No. 2). Rounding out the top five were "Hannah Montana" (No. 3), which moved up a spot from 2007; "The View" (No. 4); and "Lost" (No. 5).

Top "How Tos" Searches

With the U.S. unemployment rate reaching its highest level in five years, it's no wonder that queries for how to tie a tie (No. 1) and write a resume (No. 2) topped the list. Other top searches included how to draw (No. 3), how to make money (No. 4) and how to lose weight (No. 5).