Top Mother's Day Gifts - 2011

With over 80 million moms to shop for, Mother's Day is second only to Christmas when it comes to gift giving. Skip the same old bouquet of flowers and mystery box of chocolates this year. Why not get mom  something she'll actually love. Help her stay in touch for less, grab memories on the go or find more time for herself. 

Our top three Mother's Day gifts this year are:
Sodastream- The Sodastream is our pick for innovative product of the year.  Mom can create her own fresh sparkling water or seltzer in less than a minute.  The reusable water bottles last for three years. 

Olympus Stylus 5010 - This 14 megapixel camera is one of the most popular digital cameras this year. Mom will be able to create lasting memories with this gift.


Nokia Astound - This is a 3G-enabled smartphone with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and free voice-guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation. You won't have to worry about Mom getting lost with this phone.

The Pirate Discovery App

HTC Thunderbolt

The Pirate Discovery App, the official mobile app for Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, directed by Rob Marshall, is now available exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers.

The Pirate Discovery App has exclusive content  including character stills, character bios and movie artwork. When the movie is available in theaters, the Pirate Discovery App will let customers browse local show times, find nearby theater locations and purchase tickets directly through the app. Moviegoers can also share their Pirate experiences by creating Facebook® and Twitter™ posts from within the app.


The Pirate Discovery App is free to download for Verizon Wireless customers with select 3G and 4G Android mobile devices by texting “AHOY” to 52011 or by accessing it directly from Android Market™.

Learn more about the HTC Thunderbolt or shop all Verizon Wireless phones

The New DROID Charge

Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announces the Droid Charge by Samsung.

The Droid Charge is designed with Samsung’s 4.3-inch Super AMOLED™ Plus display, setting a new touch screen standard for brightness, clarity and outdoor visibility. The Droid Charge is equipped with both a rear-facing 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for both stills and video chatting. The smartphone’s 1GHz application processor and HTML 5 Web browser maximizes high-speed 4G LTE connectivity for faster downloads and graphics processing.

DROID Charge Features:

• Android 2.2 platform – With support for Google Mobile Services
• Adobe® Flash® Player compatible
• Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G connection with up to 10 WiFi-enabled devices or a 3G   connection with up to 5 devices
• Samsung Media Hub – Samsung’s own content service, offering a vast lineup of critically   acclaimed films and TV programs for rent or purchase
• Virtual QWERTY Keyboard featuring Swype Technology

Learn more about the Droid Charge.

The MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot

Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL) today announced that the award winning MiFi® 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. The MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is the next-generation of the Novatel Wireless MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, building on innovation and design, proven performance and industry-leading user experience.

The MiFi 4510L allows businesses and consumers to create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE and 3G Mobile Broadband with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously. The 4G LTE MiFi 4510L includes new features, such as an intuitive status display on the device showing signal strength, battery level, roaming and number of connected devices.

• 4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas
• Backward compatible with the Verizon Wireless 3G network
• Simple one-touch connectivity
• Intuitive eInk® display with status indicators
• Security: WEP/WPA/WPA2 and VPN pass-through support
• Supports Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems

 View more Verizon Wireless Phones.

The Networked Society Of The Future

During the International CTIA Wireless 2011 show, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) will show how it is prepared to take a leading role in the transformation into the Networked Society, the next era of growth in the information communications technology (ICT) space. The company will demonstrate how the Networked Society will change how people live, work and play.

Hans Vestberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ericsson, says: "The forces of mobility, broadband and the cloud - where information is easily maintained and instantly accessed - come together in the Networked Society. These forces can address some of the biggest challenges on Earth- things like education, population movements, CO2 emissions, and healthcare." Vestberg cited studies demonstrating the value of investing in broadband and a simulation found that, in the United States, a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration leads to the creation of more than 2 million new jobs.

"Around the world, the urban population grows by 7,500 people every hour. That growth fuels the need for creative solutions including and beyond simple voice and messaging.  There is a need to innovate and collaborate to deliver the quality of experience that people demand," says Vestberg.

·         CDMA evolution: Progression of EVDO to EVDO Advanced incorporating new features for continued network efficiency and effectiveness. Co-existence of CDMA and LTE networks plus use of existing resources for smooth LTE deployment. Live HD-Voice on CDMA voice network for improved user experience.

·         Health-care applications: Technology applied for medical use will include video-based 911 (emergency calling), LTE-connected home health-care monitoring and high-definition video conferencing for the medical industry.

·         Heterogeneous networks: A new network design strategy required in the world of cloud services on mobile devices. This includes Ericsson's Antenna Integrated Radio (AIR) solution, which drastically cuts energy consumption and installation costs.

·        Smart Router: New-generation router that delivers differentiated and personalized services to homes and businesses.

·         Social web: Devices that are socially networked rather than connected on a one-to-one basis, thus unleashing the true power of 50 billion connected devices.

·         Voice over 4G LTE: LTE voice calls over a smartphone with an IMS client according to GSMA specifications.

Everything that can benefit from a connection will be connected. Relevance of information, whether in rural or urban areas, is enabled in the Networked Society Of The Future.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 1-cent Sale

Will Consumers Benefit From The AT&T - TMobile Merger?

The number one question that everybody is trying to figure out is what will happen to competition?  This is going to be a massive integration that is going to take at least 12 months, if not more to workout.  That's if the deal gets approved.  Immediately, probably not much will change.  Sooner, rather than later, T-Mobile customers that have been wanting to purchase an iPhone, will have their chance.  This will make some T-Mobile subscribers very happy in the beginning.  As the two companies merge, there will likely be some disappointment when the billing systems are integrated and contract prices start changing.  Some customers will see their monthly bill increase while others will see their bill decrease.

Why would AT&;T want T-Mobile?  This is actually a very smart move.  The cell phone industry is probably the most competitive industry on the planet.  Margins are thinner than an HTC Inspire.  Also, network operators must absorb most of the cost of the cell phone.  The real price of a smart phone averages around $499.00.  Almost nobody pays the retail price because they are getting a discount for signing a 2-year contract.  That difference is absorbed by the network provider and/or the retailer.  That's why they have a penalty for canceling early.  With no ability to profit from the phones themselves, and razor thin margins on calling plans, the only way to make money is on growing revenue from services.  In order to do that you need to grow your subscriber base.  Most of the giants are already saturated which means the fastest way to add millions of subscribers to your network is to acquire a network with a large subscriber base.  Having come out of one of the worst recessions in a lifetime, AT&T was able to pick up a company like T-Mobile at a good price. 

Will this stifle competition?  Probably not.  Most major markets will still have at least five competitors:  AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, MetroPCS and StraightTalk. As long as their are choices, competition will keep prices in check. Ultimately, the consumer will determine the future of the industry.  You can be sure that cell phone providers will be working very hard to not only win your business, but to keep your business.

Google Voice Now Available On Sprint Phones

Sprint customers will be able to use their existing Sprint mobile number as their Google Voice number and have it ring multiple other phones simultaneously. So now, calls to your Sprint mobile number can easily be answered from your office or your home phone, or even your computer through Gmail.  This basically gives Sprint customers all the benefits of Google Voice without the need to change or port their number.

Alternatively, Google Voice users can choose to replace their Sprint number with their Google Voice number when placing calls or sending text messages from their Sprint handset. This feature works on all Sprint phones and gives Sprint users all the benefits of Google Voice without the need for an app.

In either case, Google Voice replaces Sprint voicemail, giving Sprint customers transcribed voicemail messages available online and sent via email and/or text message. International calls made from Google Voice users' Sprint phones will be connected by Google Voice at low rates, and Sprint customers will also have access to the rest of Google Voice's features, like creating personalized voicemail greetings based on who's calling, call recording, blocking unwanted callers and more.

Sprint SALE! BlackBerry Curve, Samsung Epic, HTC EVO, all the latest phones at lower than carrier pricing.

HTC Thunderbolt, Verizon's First 4G LTE Phone Is Now Available

Verizon Wireless and HTC today announced that the ThunderBolt™ by HTC,  is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online.

Powered by Android™ 2.2, the ThunderBolt by HTC is the first smartphone to take advantage of Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network. The ThunderBolt by HTC features the latest version of the HTC Sense™ experience, which offers enhancements including new personalization options, a consolidated e-mail inbox, and unique camera effects and filters. The ThunderBolt by HTC is equipped with support for Google Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™ and Android Market™ with thousands of free apps. Additionally, the ThunderBolt by HTC will feature 4G LTE optimized apps such as EA's Rock Band, Gameloft's Let's Golf, Tunewiki and Bitbop.

Additional features:

• 4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage area
• 4.3" WVGA display
• 8- megapixel rear facing camera and HD (720p) video recording
• 1.3- megapixel front facing camera with video chatting capabilities
• Newest generation of the 1GHz Snapdragon processor
• Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 8 GB of onboard memory and a pre-installed 32 GB microSD card (Actual formatted capacity will be less)
• Built-in kickstand for easy media viewing

With the ThunderBolt by HTC, customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a 4G LTE data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access and an unlimited 4G LTE data plan is $29.99 monthly access.

Mobile Hotspot allows users to connect up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the nation's fastest wireless network via an application available on the ThunderBolt by HTC. Mobile Hotspot will be included through May 15 for no additional charge. After May 15, customers may choose to activate Mobile Hotspot for $20 for 2 GB of data per month.  Buy the HTC Thunderbolt

Tennis Players Reality TV Show On Xperia Phones

Six Women's Tennis Association players will be sharing their lives in a new-format entertainment show to be streamed online and on mobile handsets. The series, launching internationally on March 20th at 4:00 PM ET, will follow the player's lives as they strive to win both on and off the court, and secure not only a support package from Sony Ericsson, but superstar status. 

Streamed on YouTube, they will use their own Xperia handsets for a behind-the-scenes look into the personal and professional lives of these athletes. They'll also be participating in challenges in the world of music, film, gaming and fashion, while competing to be voted the most popular on Facebook by the end of the season. At a launch event in South Beach, Miami, global tennis icon Maria Sharapova unveiled the cast on the world's biggest ever, live Facebook page.  Learn more about the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android Phone.

Browser Wars: Which Browser Is Faster; iPhone or Android?

After taking over 45,000 measurements on the latest iPhone and Android devices, the study found that Android was 52% faster than iPhone on average. Android finished loading a Web page faster on 84% of the 1000 Websites tested. The study also found that the despite significant JavaScript performance gains in the latest Apple iOS 4.3 release and Google Android 2.3 releases, these improvement made no measurable improvement on the actual page load times of the sites tested.

“We were very surprised by the results”, said Guy Podjarny, Blaze CTO and Co-Founder. “We assumed that it would be closer race and that the latest JavaScript speed improvements would have a more material impact on performance. The fact that Android beat iPhone by such a large margin was not expected”.

Mobile Web browser usage is exploding. To capture market interest in mobile browsing, smart phone vendors have been aggressively touting the speed improvements in their products. However, due to the lack of mobile measurement tools, it has been difficult to measure which smart phone actually has the faster browser.

Save up to $200 on a NEW smartphone at LetsTalk!

The New 4G Is The Fastest Growing Network In The History Of Cell Phones

LTE is the global standard for the fourth generation of mobile broadband (4G), supported by all major players in the industry. It is the fastest developing system in the history of mobile communication and in its first year LTE usage soared from zero to 150 million people. Ericsson has supplied the large majority of these commercial LTE networks and has signed contracts with five of the top ten ranked operators by global revenue 2010. Verizon's LTE network is the world's largest commercial installation to date.

Join the 4G revolution - Verizon Wireless Android Sale

Hands On With The Samsung Fascinate

The Samsung Fascinate is an Android 2.1™ Smartphone with 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities. If you're looking for a great deal on a smartphone, this phone may be just what you have been looking for.  While it runs on the older 3G network, for most applications this will be fine.  The only time you really notice the higher 4G speed is when you are downloading very large applications.  Watching TV on 3G works fine since most video applications are adjust their streaming to match the network speed.

The Fascinate has a Super AMOLED screen technology which is really super sharp. A virtual QWERTY keyboard makes it easy to surf the web, respond to email and send text messages.

You also have access to exclusive apps including NFL Mobile and Skype mobile. When football season finally gets off the ground, this will be a must have application for any sports fan.  Also, with the Skype application you can make phone calls without using your cell phone minutes.  In addition, there is support for Google Mobile Services, including, Gmail™, YouTube™ and Android Market™. With all things considered, the Samsung Fascinate has everything you need in a smartphone and then some.

Buy the Samsung Fascinate from $29.99

How To Make Free International Phone Calls

Rebtel offers a unique free service that can be used from any phone. Use your existing smartphone, landline or cell phone to make free calls between friends and family in more than 50 countries around the world.

After signing up for the free service, simply call your friend using the local number you are assigned for the country you are dialing. When the other party answers, ask them to hang up and call you back on the local number while you stay on the line. When they dial the local number, the call is instantly connected and you can talk for as long as you like. For free. Local charges may apply if their local phone company charges for local calls. Sign Up to Make Free Calls with Rebtel

Free Mobile App Helps Classic Car Buyers

A new free mobile application can help take the guesswork out of buying classic and collectible cars by searching an extensive database of sales histories and online markets. The Classic Car Guide, created by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, provides real-time data about collector vehicle values that can help users make informed purchasing decisions.


"This one-of-a-kind mobile app will give confidence to car enthusiasts who might be reluctant to bid at a collector car auction because they're afraid of being taken advantage of," said Jim Fiske, U.S. marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. "Classic Car Guide levels the playing field for those just entering the hobby and allows them to think with their heads, not their hearts, when the car of their dreams is for sale. The application can also help them quickly determine how much it would cost to insure that car."

Two versions of the app are available now through the iTunes App Store: Classic Car Guide for iPad and Classic Car Guide for iPhone. The app will soon be available for Android-based smart phones and the Blackberry, and agents and brokers will be able to download a desktop version.

Online Car Insurance Quotes

GreatCall announces the addition of 5Star Personal Security to its portfolio of award-winning wireless services that keep customers connected, safe and healthy

GreatCall, Inc., a leader in wireless services focused on helping its customers stay connected, safe and healthy, today announced its 5Star Personal Security Service. The service enables GreatCall customers to immediately connect to a certified emergency response agent, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The emergency operator arranges appropriate assistance, while providing real-time professional support to the caller.

Most people believe they are safer by carrying a cell phone. 5Star takes this further and turns the cell phone into a personal security device for almost any situation. "While 911 is specifically for emergencies, even then many people hesitate to call when maybe they should," said GreatCall CEO David Inns. "Now with 5Star, anytime you feel threatened, unsafe, are in an emergency, or just need help you can connect to a highly-trained emergency operator that knows who you are and where you are."

GreatCall Operator

5Star is easy to use. The caller simply touches (5) and (*) on their Jitterbug phone to reach the emergency operator. When the operator answers, she immediately knows who the caller is, where they’re located using the latest GPS technology, and their personal profile that may include: emergency contacts, most-frequented locations, vehicle information, health conditions, and medications. The operator will determine the type of emergency, dispatch the appropriate assistance, or connect to 911 or family members for familiar support, while remaining on the line to ensure resolution. The operator will even place a follow up call as the situation warrants. 5Star will become commercially available in February 2011 for $14.99 per month.

Voted "Best Cell Phone" by About.com Readers' Choice Awards, the Jitterbug has no contract plans from at $14.99. Get your Jitterbug now!

A Revolutionary Service That Enables Anyone To Accept Credit Cards Anywhere.

Square is a revolutionary service that enables anyone to accept credit cards anywhere. Square offers an easy to use, free credit card reader that plugs into a phone or iPad. It's simple to sign up. There is no extra equipment, complicated contracts, monthly fees or merchant account required.

Samsung Focus Windows 7 Penny Phone Sale

For a limited time, you can buy the Samsung Focus Windows 7 Phone for 1-cent.  Normal retail value is $199.99.  If you have been waiting to upgrade to Windows 7, you can save nearly $200.00 by upgrading today.  The Samsung Focus runs on the AT&T network.  Learn more about the Samsung Focus Windows 7 Phone.

T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4G Is The Fastest Smartphone

Samsung's Galaxy S 4G, T-Mobile’s first smartphone, is capable of delivering theoretical peak download speeds of up to 21 Mbps, offers enhanced mobile experiences and unparalleled entertainment including mobile HD TV3 through T-Mobile TV, the ACADEMY AWARD® Nominated film INCEPTION, and T-Mobile Video Chat powered by Qik™ — delivered at 4G speeds on its 4-inch Super AMOLED touch screen display.

 “The Galaxy S 4G offers customers Samsung’s core premium product investments to speed, screen and content,” said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer, Samsung Mobile. “Galaxy S 4G is T-Mobile’s fastest smartphone and offers Samsung’s brilliant Super AMOLED display and rich multimedia features for premium movie and TV content.”


Through the delivery of faster speeds comes an enhanced experience when viewing video entertainment over the Web using services such as YouTube. In addition T-Mobile TV, a pre-loaded application, offers consumers access to live and on-demand mobile HD TV on T-Mobile’s 4G network, including free programming from select stations like ABC News NOW, FOX Sports, PBS Kids and Azteca America.

Samsung Galaxy S 4G (T-Mobile)

FIRST WINDOWS PHONE 7 DEVICE FOR SPRINT, HTC ARRIVE™, AVAILABLE BEGINNING MARCH 20 FOR $199.99

HTC Arrive (Sprint)

The HTC Arrive™ smartphone (announced by HTC globally as HTC 7 Pro) offers the Windows Phone 7, glance-and-go experience combined with an innovative design that features a sliding full QWERTY keyboard and tilt-up display.  Its unique Start screen with Hubs gives easy access to the user’s most valuable content and customizable Live Tiles come to life with real-time updates from the Web.

Depending on the app, the Live Tiles might show pending messages and appointments, news and weather, or game notifications and friend status – all continuously refreshed.  It also lets the user customize people, apps, playlists, pictures, and other favorites to the Start screen, so they’re available at a single touch.

Windows Phone 7 Hubs bring together related content from the Web, applications and services into a single view and offers quick and easy access to the users’ most valuable content.  The six Hubs are built on specific themes, including:

• People Hub brings together relevant content based on the person, including photos and live feeds from social networks.  People Hub provides a central place from which to update status or change profile pictures across multiple social networking sites.  Skim Facebook®, Windows® Live feeds & photos, then call, text or post to friends and get directions to their place.
• Games Hub is an on-the-go arcade and the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone.  Play solo, or use the free Xbox LIVE service to match wits with friends wherever they are and view player avatars, profiles and achievements.
• Pictures Hub houses your entire collection and makes it easy to share pictures to a social network in one step.  It can also bring together a user’s photos by integrating with the Web and PC, making the phone the ideal place to view an entire picture and video collection, including photos saved to the phone and pictures friends posted on Facebook or Windows Live.  You can even send favorites to friends, or post them to Facebook or Windows Live, all from one place.
• Music + Videos Hub is an anytime entertainment center. Play a music collection – synced wirelessly from a PC – or stream or download new tunes.  There’s even a built-in FM radio and high-resolution screen that’s perfect for watching TV shows, movies or your own video clips.  Add an optional Zune Pass subscription to get millions of songs for one low monthly fee.  Users can turn their media experience into a social one with Zune Social on a PC and share their media recommendations with like-minded music lovers.
• Marketplace Hub allows the user to easily discover and load the phone with certified applications and games.
• Office Hub brings the familiar experience of the world’s leading productivity software to your phone.  With access to Microsoft Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace all in one place, users can easily read, edit and share documents.

HTC Arrive key features include:

• Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon Processor
• 3.6-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch capability
• Full HTML Web browser with Bing Search and Maps for turn by turn directions, address mapping and even street level views via voice search or typing
• Windows Phone Marketplace offers a single view to showcase apps, games, music and premium Xbox LIVE games
• Corporate email (Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®), personal (POP & IMAP) email and text messaging
• 5MP camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom and 720p HD camcorder.  The camera button will snap photos fast, even if the phone is locked.
• 16GB internal memory for storing pictures, videos and large files
• Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g/n)

Buy the HTC Arrive for $149.99!

Why do cell phone models change frequently?

It seems like cell phones have a market lifespan as long as the average American's attention span, especially for cell phoneaholics who dream in CDMA and GSM.  Read Story

T-Mobile SALE. G2, BlackBerry Bold, Samsung Vibrant. All the latest phones at lower than carrier pricing!