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Lawsuits over patented technologies are nothing new in the mobile industry. And, with frivolous lawsuits popping up left and right, it’s hard to keep a straight face whenever we hear of patent-holding firms suing industry big-wigs. Except this time, there’s some serious precedent in favor of the plaintiff.

Verizon Wireless recently introduced their own Visual Voicemail solution on the refreshed LG Voyager, bringing Verizon’s voicemail offering up to speed with AT&T’s Visual Voicemail system available on the iPhone and iPhone 3G. And, that’s where Verizon and LG’s troubles began.

Klausner Technologies rose to litigation-fame as the patent-holding firm with the tenacity to go after the likes of AT&T and Apple, not to mention Sprint and SimulScribe, for infringing on patents related to Visual Voicemail technologies. It seems Verizon Wireless and LG didn’t take note of the much-publicized lawsuit when it decided to launch their own Visual Voicemail system.

Klausner has announced that it has filed suit against Verizon Wireless and LG for using Visual Voicemail technologies on the newly refreshed LG Voyager for Verizon. All defendants from the previous lawsuit have already settled with Klausner - which set up a licensing precedent that isn’t going to help Verizon of LG’s case.

We should see a settlement and subsequent licensing agreement in short order - if Verizon and LG know what’s good for them.

[Via: Businesswire]

I’m not sure whether it’s the popularity of the LG Voyager itself or the idea to promote the new Visual Voice Mail service that prompted Verizon to release the new model in other color, but “it is what it is” and the CDMA carriers has announced the device in Titanium.

Specs wise, the LG phone remains the same, sporting both a huge touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard. The LG Voyager is perfect for music and video playback, hence it will sing along V CAST Music with Rhapsody service, which you can add on your plan for $14.99 a month. In addition — and as we reported earlier — it’s the first device that works with Verizon’s Visual Voice Mail, which additionally adds $2.99 on top of users’ monthly bills. That’s the price per line, plus airtime or megabyte charges and messaging fees, depending on a customer’s plan…

Interested? The Voyager in Titanium is available for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year contract.

Full release is available on PRNewswire.

Just when we reported the AT&T Tilt aka HTC TyTN II is getting the Windows Mobile 6.1 update, we have the same news to report for another device. This time it’s the UTStarcom-made Verizon XV6800.

Unfortunately, Verizon keeps locking some of the phone’s functionalities, hence even with the update if you need to use any location-based service, you’ll have to rely on the carrier’s VZ Navigator. Other third-party solutions just won’t work. Or that’s at least if you don’t go one step beyond what’s officially permitted and hack the hell out of your smartphone. Afterwards Garmin, TomTom, and others wait at your disposal…

Anyway, the update is well worth, as you’ll have more stable device, better mobile browser, and more.

[Via: WMExperts]

MediaFLO USA has announced the expansion of its news coverage to include three new 24/7 news channels to its mobile TV service: CNBC, MSNBC, and FOX News. The new channels will be available to both AT&T and Verizon Wireless mobile TV subscribers and will launch in time for the political party convention season.

All three channels will offer simulcast programming and will give consumers on-the-go access to many of the most popular news shows on cable TV — including “Squawk Box,” “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” and “Power Lunch” on CNBC; “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and “Morning Joe” on MSNBC; and “FOX & Friends,” “The O’Reilly Factor with Bill O’Reilly” and “Hannity & Colmes” on FOX News.

In addition to the new channels, MediaFLO USA’s mobile TV service provides consumers with news programming from CBS News on CBS Mobile; NBC News on NBC 2GO, and AT&T Mobile TV customers have access to a full-time CNN Mobile channel.

[Via: slashphone]

Three weeks ago we reported Verizon will be launching the Pantech-made Blitz phone. The moment has come and we’re sure heavy texters among the carrier’s potential and existing customers are rejoicing as we speak. The reason is simple — the Blitz is relatively low-cost phone with full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, allowing users to type SMSes as quickly as humanly possible with their thumbs.

In addition, the Blitz also sports a 1.3 megapixel camera, 2.2″ 220×176 pixels screen, Bluetooth support, music player (compatible with V CAST Music with Rhapsody), mobile email & IM support, VZ Navigator, and a microSD memory card slot. As for the size, it measures 3.5×2.6×0.7 inches and has a weight of 5.1 ounces… In a nutshell, it’s a simple feature phone that differentiates itself with a keyboard.

The Verizon Wireless Blitz is available for $69.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract.

Verizon Wireless has recently unveiled Usage Controls, an easy-to-use online service providing customers and their children the ability to better manage and control how they use their mobile phones.

The new service expands and enhances features first introduced last year with Parental Controls, allowing customers to:

• Set thresholds for voice minutes;
• Set specific limits for text, picture, instant and video messaging as part of pay-as-you-go or message bundle plans;
• Set time of day restrictions for data use and messaging;
• Create lists of “trusted” and “blocked” numbers; and
• Employ content filters.

Usage Controls is available for $4.99 per line per month. Customers must have a Nationwide Calling Plan, either Family Share or single line.

Read the full article

The aging Palm Treo 700 platform has apparently gotten some ROM-update love on the down-low. Palm has pushed out two new ROM updates to its Verizon Palm Treo 700p and Alltel Palm Treo 700wx devices with nary a peep.
The Palm OS-powered Palm Treo 700p for Verizon gets a radio ROM update that is said to fix “”…a phone reset issue that occurs under certain specific and rare conditions.” The Palm Treo 700p’s v1.11 ROM can only be applied to handsets that are already running the v1.10 ROM - so all you nostalgic Treo users out there will want to update your Palm Treo 700p’s 1.06 ROM to the 1.10 ROM before applying the 1.11 update. Find the Verizon Palm Treo 700p 1.11 ROM here.

On the Windows Mobile side of things, we’re seeing Palm pushing out an update for its Alltel Palm Treo 700wx. The Palm Treo 700wx 1.12 ROM will fix a “… a phone reset issue that occurs under certain specific and rare conditions,” much like the new ROM for the Verizon Palm Treo 700p. Find  the Alltel Palm Trep 700wx’s 1.12 ROM download here.

 Verizon Palm Treo 700p v1.11 ROM update
 Alltel Palm Treo 700wx v1.12 ROM update

[Via: PalmInfoCenter]

We’ve talked about it few days ago, and now Verizon has issued the official release announcing that its Visual Voice Mail service is readily available for the owners of the LG Voyager.

From the press release:

Visual Voice Mail allows customers to see a list of all of their voice mail messages with important information, such as date and time of receipt, as well as message duration, in order to prioritize and efficiently manage their voice mail messages directly from their phones. When a caller leaves a new voice mail message, the Visual Voice Mail application pops up, alerting the customer that a new voice mail message has been received. From the phone display, customers can select from a number of options, including call back, reply, forward, add to contacts, and archive message (to internal or external memory).

Users can store up to 40 messages for 40 days — double the storage capacity and nearly double the retention time of Basic Voice Mail. Additionally, customers can create up to 10 greetings, as well as up to 20 distribution lists and 50 distribution members to receive messages.

LG Voyager owners can find the Visual Voice Mail app on the “Messaging” menu under option 6 on their phones. The service costs $2.99 per month per line, plus airtime or megabyte charges and messaging fees.

Alcatel-Lucent and Comverse are providing the technology for the service.

It’s not just AT&T and the Rural Cellular Association that are asking the FCC to help muck-up competing wireless carriers’ merger deals. Leap Wireless has asked the FCC to block the $28.1 billion Verizon-Alltel merger deal that would have Verizon becoming the top wireless provider in the US.

The merger between Sprint and Clearwire would give Sprint the necessary infrastructure and WiMAX-expertise to launch their nationwide WiMAX-based XOHM wireless broadband data network. And, it’s understandable that other wireless carriers, with their own 4G data networks at least 3 years out (or not even on the roadmap at this point), would move to keep Sprint from becoming the data-centric provider to be reckoned with in the US.

Likewise, Leap doesn’t want Verizon and Alltel to become an even larger force in the US wireless market. The Verizon and Alltel merger would drastically reduce competition in the US wireless industry. The merger would also, they claim, make it harder for Leap to negotiate wireless roaming deals in the US. Leap has roaming deals with both Verizon Wireless and Alltel, and claims that if the FCC doesn’t block the merger or start regulating wireless roaming deals, Leap would be left without wireless coverage in some parts of the country. Leap claims that this would leave some of their customer base without service.

Verizon, for their part, said it would honor any roaming deals that Alltel currently holds.

[Via: Reuters]

ESPN and MediaFLO USA have announced that they will bring NASCAR live to the users of AT&T’s and Verizon Wireless’ mobile TV services.

Under the agreement, MediaFLO USA and ESPN will air live race coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as well as six Sprint Cup Series races on ESPN Mobile TV.

Upcoming Sprint Cup races include (all times Eastern on ESPN Mobile TV):

• Centurion Boats at the Glen (Watkins Glen International) - 1 p.m., Sunday, August 10
• 3M Performance 400 (Michigan International Speedway) - 1 p.m., Sunday, August 17
• Sharpie 500 (Bristol Motor Speedway) - 7 p.m., Saturday, August 23
• Pepsi 500 (Auto Club Speedway) - 7 p.m., Sunday, August 31

Upcoming Nationwide Series races include (all times Eastern on ESPN Mobile TV):

• Carfax 250 (Michigan International Speedway) - 3 p.m., Saturday, August 16
• Food City 250 (Bristol Motor Speedway) - 7:30 p.m., Friday, August 22

Complete NASCAR programming schedules are available on flotv.com.

Interested? You’ll have to sign-up for either AT&T Mobile TV with FLO or for Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Mobile TV.