AT&T To Upgrade to HSPA 7.2 Soon

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, GPS, Handhelds, Internet, PC / Laptop

AT&T has announced that they are upgrading their HSPA 7.2Mbps speed to their wireless network later this year, making it compatible with new smartphones and laptop express cards that will also be released around the same time. The company says that the upgrade will allow the faster access before the LTE networks merge in 2011 or 2012. They will be adopting LTE as part of the Generation Partnership Project, a collaboration of equipment makers and carriers along with Verizon Wireless and many global GSM carriers.

Read More | Phone Scoop

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Microsoft Adds Partners to Windows Marketplace

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Internet, Microsoft

At the CTIA wireless show in Las Vegas this week, Microsoft announced new software partners for its Windows Marketplace. Pandora, Electronic Arts and Facebook have joined the team that already includes Gameloft, Accuweather.com and MySpace. All told, the company expects more of its 20,000 mobile partners to offer software when it launches later this year. Apps will work on phones with Windows Mobile 6.5, also due out towards the end of the year.

Read More | eWeek

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Call Collect With AT&T

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, Corporate News

You certainly know that the days of the pay phone booth are over when you hear news like this. AT&T has a new service that allows its customers to call collect to cell phones. This is possible through a teaming with 3Cinteractive’s Text Collect, which gives access to the network for alternately billed calls. With AT&T Collect to Wireless, you simply dial 1-800-CALL-ATT (1-800-225-5288,) enter the 10 digit number and your name. That allows up to 20 minutes of talk time for $9.99. Users also have the ability to opt out of receiving them.

Read More | Mobile Burn

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AT&T CruiseCast to Include Satellite Stations

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Music, Transportation

Now you can watch 22 TV and 20 radio satellite channels in your car with AT&T CruiseCast. Watch or listen to kids, entertainment, documentary, music, comedy, news and sports channels. Working with RaySat, the system features a receiver and compact antenna for trucks, cars and SUVs that they claim overcomes out-of-sight obstacles like tunnels or trees. CruiseCast works with any existing rear seat entertainment system and will be available this spring for $1,299.00 plus ~$28.00 monthly subscription fee.

Read More | CruiseCast

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Refurbished Apple iPhone Only $99.00

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, Handhelds, Hot Deals

Remember when we told you that AT&T is charging only $150.00 for a refurbished iPhone? Blink twice and look again. They are now $99.00 for a 3G to 8GB black phone. Included is a mandatory $30.00 data plan for the life of the iPhone. Those being sold were unused or barely used and returned during the 30-day trial. Each has been tested, downloaded with the latest software, and carry a warranty of a minimal of 90 days.

Read More | AT&T

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Subsidized $99.00 Acer Aspire One

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Hot Deals, Internet, PC / Laptop

Such a deal. AT&T and Radio Shack have announced special pricing on the Acer Aspire One, the mini 3G laptop with 8.9-inch display, Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM and a 160 GB hard drive. Here comes the deal part. Purchase before December 24 and you get it for $99.99. The catch? A two year commitment and a LaptopConnect data plan which starts at $59.99 a month. That equals out to about $1440.00 over the time period. We checked out Radio Shack’s site, but they aren’t talking online so you will have to visit the store personally.

Read More | Mobileburn

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AT&T Go Phone Sweet Commercial

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, Videos

The official shopping season has begun, and we will be inundated with commercials over the next few weeks. We are already impressed with those from Apple and the BlackBerry Storm, and we are very pleased to see the repeat of one of our favorites. It features the voices of Steve Buscemi and Norm MacDonald touting the wonderfulness of the Go Phone. AT&T’s prepaid deal is a good one if your budget can’t handle a monthly bill and they offer up to a $20 bonus for every $100.00 you spend.

Read More | AT&T

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Calling 411 Is Free, If You Know Where To Look

Posted by Patrick Phelps Categories: Cell Phones, Google, Microsoft

So you don’t have an iPhone or other web-enabled phone, you’re away from your computer and you’re tired of shelling out your precious greenbacks for 411 services; is there any other option? Well, you could just keep on calling 411, the phone companies love it when you do that – a quick check reveals that Verizon charges $1.49 per call and both AT&T and Sprint charge a piggy bank busting $1.79 per call – or you could give Google or Microsoft a call, they’ll take care of you for free. Google’s service, “GOOG-411” can be accessed by calling 1-800-GOOG-411, while Microsoft’s “Live Search 411” can be accessed by calling 1-800-CALL-411.

Both systems use voice recognition technology (you won’t be able to speak with a real human) to provide directions to and phone numbers of millions of destinations across the United States and Canada, connecting you to your destination and sending you a text message containing the requested information if you so desire.

Which service is right for you? You’ll have to try them both out and decide for yourself. I surprised myself by choosing the Microsoft service as my favorite. Stranger things have happened…

Check out the video (up top) for an introduction to the Google service.

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LG Insite Smartphone

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, GPS, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi

LG has finally come around to providing a smartphone for the U.S. market. The AT&T Insite has 3G speed, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0, Windows Media Mobile Player 10 and a full color 3-inch LCD display that auto-rotates. Add to that streaming radio capability, Mobile Microsoft Office editing, Video ShareSM and both a QWERTY keyboard and 20-key version. With a price of $499.99, knock it down with a 2 year contract, a mail in rebate and the Insite is yours for $199.99.

Read More | AT&T

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BlackBerry Bold available for free with plan

Posted by Patrick Phelps Categories: Cell Phones, Handhelds, Hot Deals

The new BlackBerry Bold, which was released yesterday, is suddenly coming to Wal-Mart at an amazing price: FREE.

Billed as the BlackBerry Bold Unlimited, the catch to this seemingly great deal is that you have to sign on with a two-year contract, at least a 1350 minute talk plan and unlimited text messaging, on top of the required BlackBerry data plan – not a bad deal if you talk and text that much anyway. The deal is through LetsTalk, if you’d like to skip the middleman and order direct from them.

Read More | Wal-Mart Online Circular

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