Verizon Wireless has begun offering a femto cell called the Network Extender. The Extender provides extended cellular network coverage in the home (approx. 5,000 square feet) through a subscriber’s broadband (DSL, cable or fiber) connection. The Extender costs $250, which the users must pay in full, though there are no monthly costs associated with using [...]

The U.S. Senate has provisionally approved of a proposal to delay the transition to DTV by four months. The Senate has yet to officially vote on the matter, which is also being debated by the House of Representatives. The proposal in question will push the transition back to June 12. The Senate is also seeking [...]

Today Verizon Wireless announced a new product for the home that is meant to replace landline telephones and act as an accessory to wireless service. The Verizon Hub uses a broadband connection to connect to the Internet and provide VoIP-based telephony services. It has a seven-inch touchscreen display that offers a wide range of features [...]

Obama has asked FCC commissioner Michael Copps to act as the FCC Chairman on a temporary basis until a permanent replacement for former Chairman Kevin Martin is found. Obama is expected to nominate Julius Genachowski for the post. Genachowski will have to be approved by Congress before taking office. Copps will head the FCC until [...]

Today Nokia began offering a revised version of its Nokia Chat program. The new version, called Contacts on Ovi, brings a number of fixes and improvements. It now supports S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, and there is also a J2ME version available for Series 40 phones. Contacts on Ovi, which is beta software, offers [...]

Today Sprint announced a new set of calling plans for business users of its Direct Connect service. The Unlimited Workgroup plans offers unlimited Direct Connect and Group Connect, plus unlimited text messaging, mobile-to-mobile minutes and night and weekend minutes for $30 per month per line. Add $10 to get unlimited data, Web browsing and GPS [...]

Today HTC announced a new Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional smartphone, the Touch Cruise. The Cruise has the TouchFLO user interface and a host of other features, including quad-band GSM/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, GPS/a-GPS, and a 3.2 megapixel camera with fixed focus. The display spans 2.8 inches, rating QVGA resolution, and the Cruise has a slot [...]

A CDMA version of Palm’s Treo Pro briefly appeared for sale on Sprint’s web site today. The phone appears mostly identical to the GSM version already announced, including support for WiFi, GPS, and a memory card. It supports most Sprint services, including Sprint TV, Music Store, Mobile Sync, and picture messaging. Other features include a [...]

Huawei recently posted a Web page on its site stating that it will show a “Smart mobile phone based on ‘Android’ platform and first mobile phone based on ‘one’ single UMTS chipset.” The Android phone from Huawei should be on display starting February 16.

Samsung has licensed technology from SRS Labs that should improve the quality of audio and video playback on its mobile phones. Specifically, Samsung licensed SRS Circle Surround Headphone, SRS WOW HD and SRS VIP+. The licenses will allow Samsung to offer simulated 5.1 surround sound through headphones, as well as better bass response and clarity [...]