Taptu has grown up quite a lot since I last played with their service. In my September 2007 review I said:

“If you’re adapt at Google (NSDQ: GOOG) (NSDQ: GOOG) than Taptu may or may not be useful to you. Simply adding words such as “wiki” or “lyrics” after a search query usually makes Google get an idea of what it is you’re trying to find.”

With the release of their Android application today, things are looking mighty different from the original, almost laughable, user interface. They’ve put a filter on web results so you only see content optimized for mobile devices. Whether or not that is a good thing is debatable. Would you prefer more search results or fewer search results optimized for your screen? They’ve also integrated the “OneRiot” service which aggregates what people are talking about at this very second on Twitter, Digg, and other social networking sites, and present those terms to you as queries you may want to plug into the Taptu service. Chances are you open a search application to find an answer to a question in your mind, not to see what the world is talking about. Then again, there may be a few of you out there who are concerned with appearing to be “in the loop” as Malcolm Tucker from “The Thick of It” would say. If you’re one of those people, then Taptu rocks.

Look, is it smart for a company like Taptu to compete with Google? Yes and No. Yes, it’s nice to see something different than the usual list of 10 links Google’s mobile optimized search engine provides. No, it’s stupid to pour resources into what is nothing more than a fancy front end, which Google can copy, to a search engine that crawls a very small subset of the internet.

Give the Taptu application a go on your Android device and let me know in the comments what you think about it.

They’ve also got an iPhone application.

ZTE is working on the MTV-branded handset, or at least the FCC filing suggests so. It’s marked as the F870E, and it boasts a touchscreen along with a sliding QWERTY keyboard.

From the phone’s user manual, we see that it’s heading to Vodafone (NYSE: VOD), as it provides access to Vodafone’s MTV Music and the Vodafone Pass MTV websites. That makes me wonder – if it’s a Vodafone device, why on Earth does it need to get an FCC approval? Go figure.

Anyway, rest of the specs include a 3-megapixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth, email client and so on.

We don’t know the release date nor how much will the F870E cost once it’s released. We do, however, think it will also be launched in China by China Unicom, as some screenshots indicate. As soon as we hear something new, you’ll be the first to know…

[Via: Unwired View]

Here’s a piece of software that should’ve come pre-installed with every Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre. It’s called Precorder and as you can guess from its name, it brings video recording to the webOS platform. Still in alpha, Precorder is a homebrew app that lets users capture 480×320-pixel video at 30fps in H.264/AVC format. Moreover, it allows controlling of the built-in LED light so you could continue your clip even in the low-light conditions. Audio can also be recorded, but that’s not a big deal.

On the downside, there’s no video preview presented while recording, but I assume that will be changed as soon as Precorder hits beta. Plus, the app is free, so we shouldn’t ask for too much… Search for it in the Palm App Catalog and let us know what you think.

[Via: Engadget]

I’m not sure whether to call an end of the mobile coupon services, but when Google (NSDQ: GOOG) enters your market, you know there’s a reason to worry. On that note, the search giant is bringing coupons to the mobile local search, just in time for the holiday season.

So, if a business adds a mobile coupon to its Google Local Business Center listing, you’ll be able to access it from your mobile phone. When you search for local stuff and land on some “Place Page,” you’ll see any coupon or discount that might be available at that place. Then, when you’re in the store, simply show it (right from the phone – no need for printing) to redeem the offer. It’s that easy and unfortunately a U.S. thing only at the moment, though I’m sure that will change during 2010…

[Via: Google Mobile Blog]

Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) is trying hard, really hard, to rid themselves of the reputation they have as a patent whore. When they reached an agreement with Nokia (NYSE: NOK) at the start of this year, and then patched things up with Samsung earlier this month to the tune of $1.3 billion, people began to notice that the tides are turning. This is a new Qualcomm. Well today their image just got a little bit shinier after the EU decided to drop a 4 year old investigation that started after Nokia, Broadcom (NSDQ: BRCM), Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), Ericsson, and two other parties filed a complaint to the EU because of Qualcomm’s patent rates.

“All complainants have now withdrawn or indicated their intention to withdraw their complaints,” said the European Commission in a statement today. “In view of this, the commission doesn’t consider it appropriate to invest further resources in this case.”

The patents in question are mainly related to 3G standards. Getting these feuds over with help accelerate the deployment of 3G and 3.5G networks and help establish the relationships that will prove necessary once everyone sits down at the round table and start discussing 4G technology. In a recent report released by ABI Research, they say that Qualcomm owns roughly 1 in 4 patents relating to LTE technology. When those new high speed networks start going up at the end of next year, and en masse in 2011/2012, Qualcomm is going to see a lot of money.

[Via: Bloomberg]

Onebox — a service that brings voice, fax, email and conference calling together into a suite of communications services — is mobilizing its offering with dedicated apps for the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) and iPhone platforms. These applications are designed to extend the functionality of Onebox’s web-based interface for mobile users, adding “Message Center” access, voicemail search/display/playback, voice-to-text transcription display, and Click-to-Call via SpeedDial list or phone-based contact lists.

However, only BlackBerry app is available at the moment, but the iPhone app will be released in the near future (till the end of the year).

In addition to mobile apps, OneBox also announced new optional features (Call Record and Web Conferencing) and a new 5,000 minute/20-extension phone service plan which costs $99.99/month. Moreover, existing $79.99/month and $49.99/month plans have been restructured and now include 3,000 and 2,000 minutes, respectively.

Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is acquiring iDEN business from RadioFrame Networks, which is known as a provider of lower cost, power efficient iDEN technology. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but we do know RadioFrame Networks’ stuff will be integrated into Motorola’s Home & Networks Mobility business.

According to the official press release, RadioFrame’s iDEN products will “further enhance Motorola’s portfolio for multi-channel base stations optimized to support non-contiguous spectrum allocations in the special mobile radio (SMR) business that are especially common outside North America.”

Moreover, Motorola says that with this acquisition, it can further enhance its push-to-talk technology roadmap plans for “strengthened operational capability, end-user functionality and cost-effective expansion.”

I’m not sure I agree with Moto’s strategy to invest in iDEN technology with LTE rollouts already being planned around the world. Any thoughts?

And the latest GPS device maker to release its own iPhone app is Magellan. They’ve announced Magellan RoadMate turn-by-turn navigation application, alongside a “new innovative vehicle mounting cradle for the iPhone and iPod touch devices” that will be available later in December.

RoadMate app features include preloaded maps (U.S. and Canada), text-to-speech, tons of POIs, 3D landmarks, big on-screen keyboard with QuickSpell, highway lane assistance, pedestrian mode, find your car feature, and so on. In addition, you can control your music without leaving the app, and also access your iPhone’s Contacts for destination picks. Navteq provided the maps.

As for the mentioned car kit (it’s called Premium Car Kit), it’s designed to keep your iPhone/iPod Touch well mounted, while also providing some extra juice to your beloved device. Furthermore, it adds a GPS receiver for improved navigation accuracy, along with an amplified speaker for louder directions and enhanced phone call clarity.

The Magellan RoadMate app is available for an introductory price of $79.99, whereas the car kit will cost $129.99, once released.

GSMA and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have announced the Green Power for Mobile (GPM) project, targeting operators in developing markets which may operate in some areas in the off-grid environment. So far, these operators relied on diesel aggregators for powering their cellular stations in remote areas that don’t have access to the power grid. In that sense, GSMA and IFC propose development and utilizing of clean energy resources and technologies, which would provide power to those stations.

The GSMA aims its efforts at 118,000 off-grid renewable energy base stations that will be installed by 2012. Under this program, not only CO2 emissions will be reduced, but the manufacturing capacity of renewable energy industry will also be increased.

However, according to ABI Research, there is more opportunity in the on-grid cellular station market, which could get energy from wind or solar technologies. More than 200,000 of these stations is expected to be installed by 2013. This is not to say there’s no business in the off-grid market — quite the contrary, carriers could cut their costs by replacing diesel aggregators with renewable energy technologies.

Hopefully, GSMA’s and IFC’s idea will spread around the globe and soon enough we’ll have more leaner and cleaner mobile operators offering their services even in remotest parts of the planet.

[Via: renewbl]

The PeopleFinders Network unveiled two iPhone apps – “Stud Or Dud” and “Are They Really Single,” along with accompanying websites. Both apps are touted to provide singles with easy-to-view reports that can help them make important decisions about potential love interests. These reports are based on background information including age, marriage and divorce records, criminal history, business ownership, property ownership, evictions and more.

To conduct a search with “Stud Or Dud,” users simply enter a name, age, date of birth, phone number, email address, city or state. The application then performs an extensive search through PeopleFinders’ database of public records and publicly available information, and formulates a comprehensive profile on the person of interest. Based on a number of criteria, it helps users determine whether the person might be a “stud” or “dud.”

As for the “Are They Really Single,” it helps users confirm that a potential love interest is, in fact, single. Again, you should enter a name, age, date of birth, city or state. The service then searches through information pertaining to marriage, divorce, spousal and other domestic relationships, and creates a list of people who have or had long-term relationships with the person.

Each app costs a buck, which is not much considering the usefulness of information generated. Plus “Are They Really Single” is also available in free, lite version, though I’m not sure about the differences…