Google launches new mobile search

Google has today launched its new search service for mobile phones, which is said to make searching on a phone faster and more intuitive, while offering more relevant results.

Google says that, with the new search service, mobile phone users will get results that best fit what they're looking for, with search results combined from different bodies of information, so users don't need to sift through both mobile and regular web results, or specify their search type. Instead, Google searches through the whole web, mobile web, news articles, local business listings, and image index to get the information needed and then provides the most relevant results. A search for sunflower, for example, provides links to photos of sunflowers as well as web pages.

Google's new mobile search also improves the local search experience. By remembering a user's recent search locations, the new service is said to provide relevant local results in subsequent searches-no need to retype the location every time. Once a user has entered a location, searches for weather or restaurants, for example, provide information tailored specifically to that user's location.

"We're excited to introduce Google's new mobile search service, which will make it easier and faster for people to find what they're looking for anytime, anywhere," said Google Mobile Search Product Manager Steve Cheng. "With millions of mobile phones in use worldwide, our goal is to make the Google search experience even more useful and relevant for users on the go."

Sony Ericsson PlayNow Arena Gets 5 Million New Tracks

Sony Ericsson have announced partnerships with 10 of the largest international and regional music labels including: Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, EMI, The Orchard, IODA, The PocketGroup, Hungama, X5 Music, Bonnier Amigo and VidZone, adding over 5 million new tracks to PlayNow™ arena. Sony Ericsson is currently negotiating further deals with a host of regional labels to further broaden the variety of music available and bring a wealth of localised content direct to the consumer. The majority of the content is DRM free.

Sony Ericsson introduced PlayNow™ in February 2004 as the easiest way to pre-listen and then purchase polyphonic ringtones directly to your phone. The service has proved a hit with consumers and is now available in 32 countries around the world, with annual free and premium downloads through both PlayNow and Fun & Downloads having reached more than 200 million. Since launch, the scope of the service has expanded to mirror the functionality of Sony Ericsson’s phones to include mastertones (MP3 ringtones), games, full music tracks, themes and wallpapers. In November 2007 Sony Ericsson announced its intention to further develop its PlayNow™ service with PlayNow™ arena, offering access to a greatly expanded range of content and combining the power of the PlayNow™ catalogue with unique applications like TrackID™, which identifies songs and allows them to be downloaded directly to your phone or PC.

Speaking at the Sony Ericsson event at MIDEM in Cannes, Sony Ericsson’s Executive Vice President, Anders Runevad, presented the enhanced PlayNow™ arena service and emphasised the importance of industry partnerships delivering digital content and an unparalleled multimedia experience:

“We are delighted to announce deals with such high calibre record labels. This will help realise our vision for PlayNow™ arena as a service that will be developed in collaboration with our partners. Our commitment is to work with the industry to ensure we are building an experience-based and intuitive content delivery platform, enabling the development of an ecosystem that provides a unique experience for the consumer and a business model where everybody prospers.”

With mobile games remaining a key focus, Sony Ericsson has also added 250 new games through existing deals with leading games manufactures such as EA Games, Gameloft, THQ, Glu, Digital Chocolate and I-Play. Sony Ericsson users download more games to their phones than users of any other mobile phone brand*. These deals take another step in cementing its number one position in the mobile games market.

PlayNow™ Uncut

PlayNow™ Uncut (previously know as M-BUZZ™) is a promotional space for breaking new and emerging artists via Sony Ericsson’s product, content and marketing channels. PlayNow™ Uncut showcases selected, previously unreleased tracks, videos, artwork, interviews, tour dates and other artist information on Sony Ericsson mobile phones and the web at www.playnow-uncut.com.

The rebranding and alignment with PlayNow™ opens up new channel opportunities for artists and enables the site to target consumers worldwide, including the United States of America for the first time. With an international reach, the service has always been about presenting the best new talents from around the world, whatever their style or native language. Apart from the current streaming possibilities, the highest rated and most listened to tracks will be made available for sale in the music section of PlayNow™ arena. For artists, this will add revenue possibilities to the already extensive promotional benefits of appearing there.

One Arena. Unlimited experiences

“The PlayNow™ arena is an open environment that offers something for everyone. We see PlayNow™ Uncut as the edgy version, whilst the PlayNow™ music section is more a case of familiarity, giving consumers something they know and are already comfortable with. Consumer experience is our absolute priority and we will continue to develop PlayNow™ arena as a service that appeals to all consumer segments and lifestyle trends,” said Martin Blomkvist, Head of Content Acquisition & Management at Sony Ericsson.

The PlayNow™ arena will be brought directly to the consumer at: www.playnow-arena.com

The PlayNow™ arena will launch in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland in May 2008 with more European markets to come at the end of Q2 2008 and further expansion in Europe, Americas and Asia during Q3 and Q4. Sony Ericsson predicts that the PlayNow™ arena will be active in close to 30 markets by the end of 2008.

TrackID™

The growth in popularity of the TrackID™ application has rocketed around the globe, presently recording more than 200,000 hits per day equal to more than two each second, a figure that has doubled in the last three months. TrackID™ will be an integral part of the PlayNow™ arena experience, offering an instant way to first hear a track – for example, in a coffee shop or on the radio – and then get it to your phone and PC. The PlayNow™ arena itself will feature TrackID™ Charts, created by consumers in real time using TrackID™ around the world. This will allow consumers to see what songs other users are searching for and wanting to hear the most, both globally and in their own market.

T-Mobile Launches the MDA Touch Plus

T-Mobile announced the hotly anticipated MDA Touch Plus in the UK. Featuring a new slender design with a large touch screen and sliding keyboard, the MDA Touch Plus is packed with the latest technologies to enable users to send emails, surf the Internet, listen to their favourite tunes and catch up with the latest TV programmes on the move.

Combining an innovative TouchFlo screen with a handy slide-out keyboard, the device is stylishly designed to provide one of the best user experiences on the market. Navigation through emails, web pages, music and images has never been easier.

MDA Touch Plus “ Key Features:

• Unique, stylish design combining touch screen and sliding keyboard
• Super-fast connectivity with T-Mobile’s HSDPA network
• T-Mobile web’n’walk: surf the whole Internet as you would on your PC
• Listen to your favourite songs on the move
• Watch TV on your mobile
• In-built 2 mega-pixel camera and MP3 player

Coupled with T-Mobile’s latest web’n’walk service and super-fast HSDPA mobile broadband technology, the MDA Touch Plus is set to provide a complete and personalised mobile surfing experience, as users will be able to explore any site on the Internet as they would on their PC. Not only this, but people will be able to watch a range of TV channels on the handset, from Sky Sports to MTV. Perfect for people who need to stay in touch with their colleagues, friends and family, the MDA Touch Plus also offers fast and simple access to emails on the move.

There is also no need to carry around an MP3 player or digital camera, as the handset has these built-in. The 2 mega-pixel camera is ideal for people who want to zoom in and take photos or shoot films wherever they are, as well as editing images, creating slideshows and viewing favourite images at the touch of a finger. The front facing VGA camera is perfect for making video calls and the handset also comes with stereo Bluetooth functionality to give users a greater choice of how they listen to their music on the move. The MDA Touch Plus is also fully compatible with the CoPilot Live satellite navigation system “ an ideal extra for busy people on the road.

Nokia joins WWF Climate Savers with key energy initiatives

Press release: Nokia has joined the WWF Climate Savers program with a pledge to build on its strong environmental record by improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions across its business. The company is targeting a series of energy savings including halving the stand by energy used by its mobile phone chargers, using green electricity to power 50 per cent of its facilities by 2010 and reducing the overall energy needs of its sites by 6 per cent by 2012.

The targets are part of Nokia's existing Climate Change Strategy. Its commitment to these has been reinforced by joining the WWF Climate Savers program, a collaboration between one of the world's largest global conservation organizations and business to show leadership in addressing climate change.

"WWF is delighted with Nokia's Climate Savers commitments to make significant energy savings both in its own operations and from the use of its products," said WWF International Director-General, James P. Leape. "When a global brand with a high consumer profile gets on board with enthusiastic climate action it reinforces the messages that we need to act globally and quickly on climate change and we can act globally and quickly."

Kirsi Sormunen, Vice-President of Environmental Affairs at Nokia, said: "As the world's largest mobile company we have a responsibility to look at how we can play our part in tackling climate change. This is not about grand gestures but everyday things that when multiplied by the scale of our operations, or the 900 million people using Nokia devices globally, can have a major impact. It also makes good business sense, helping us find new ways to be more efficient and innovative."

Nokia's WWF Climate Savers commitments build on the company's existing achievements in increasing energy efficiency. The targets include:

Product energy efficiency
Around two thirds of the energy consumed by a mobile phone during its use is lost when it is fully charged and unplugged but the charger is left connected to the mains, so called "no-load" mode. Over the last nine years Nokia has reduced the average no-load energy used by its chargers by over 50 per cent and its best-in-class charger needs just one tenth of the power used by the most common chargers.

Nokia aims to reduce the average no-load power consumption by another 50 per cent by the end of 2010. It will also roll out reminders for consumers to unplug the charger from the electricity outlet once the phone has been fully charged across its product range by the end of 2008.

The iPhone countdown

With the number of iPhone mentions over the last few days you would think I was getting excited about the release of the most over-hyped phone ever. Well, I can assure you I am one of the many who will NOT be wasting nigh on £1,000 for the 'pleasure' of owning a phone that is little better, functionality wise, than a plethora of mid-range handsets already available.

However, there is a minority of people who like the idea of the iPhone. So, if you are an iPhone fan, if you already own the phone or if you pick one up over this weekend, defend your purchase in the comments section and let us all know why you think the iPhone is worth the hype.

Where to buy the iPhone

Two quick stories about the phone that can't be ignored. First, from Tom's Hardware the article points out how many would be iPhone customers are confused about where they can actually buy the handset from. It seems of the people who have said they will be buying an iPhone, 24 percent think it can be bought from The Link or Phones4U, 21 percent think they can buy the phone from Curry's or Dixon's, whilst 19 percent think the phone can be purchased from John Lewis. In case anyone in the UK reading this is unsure, you can only buy the iPhone from Carphone Warehouse, O2, or Apple Stores.

The second story from ITN reports Carphone Warehouse predicting tomorrow will be the busiest sales day ever. Although they may be disappointed if people don't know they are selling the handset.

Opera Mini now out of beta

Opera mini is now out of beta. You can download Opera Mini by pointing your handset browser to www.operamini.com it really is simply the best web browser available for a mobile phone, and it is free!

You can read about the changes from Opera Mini 3 here

Dork Talk

Stephen Fry reviews the LG Viewty here

No limits on iPhone tariffs

O2 are scrapping the download limits on their iPhone tariffs, meaning customers will now be able to download to their hearts content.

The iPhone is on sale in the UK, exclusively on the O2 network, from next Friday. The phone will cost £269 on an 18 month contract, with line rental of either £35 or £55 a month. By removing the download limits, O2 are hoping people will be inclined to use the phone more.

Although the limit restrictions have been removed, data usage must be for personal use only, not commercial, and the phone cannot be used as a modem