Verizon Wireless touts sideloading music

Verizon Wireless is looking to deflate the pomp and flair of Cingular's recent mobile music service launch by giving its subscribers software developed by Smith Micro Software that allows them to manage their music libraries on their PCs and mobiles. Since Cingular's offering does not include an over-the-air process for attaining music--only sideloading and streaming--Verizon's offering of the free software serves to stress its music service's sideloading functionality, too. Verizon only charges $1 for songs downloaded onto a PC, which can then be transferred to a mobile, while OTA downloads on the mobile cost $2 each. Cingular has so far skipped the OTA process, which many analysts have skeptically shrugged off: Who wants to pay twice as much just to avoid side-loading?

For more on Verizon Wireless' new software:
- see this article from RCRNews