The US Census Bureau is getting ready to conduct the most wireless, high-tech census in US history. And, they’ve tapped none other than No. 3 US wireless carrier Sprint (NYSE: S) as the exclusive wireless provider for all their “census-ing” needs. The wirelessly connected Decennial Census will kick off in 2010, and promises to be the most accurate account of the US population in the history of the US Census.

You might recall seeing the HTC Census passing through the FCC, on it’s way to some half million (500,000) Census enumerators. HTC created the HTC Census specifically for the US Census Bureau’s Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) project, which aims to collect and transmit census data back to a central database.

Armed with this EVDO data-only Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC, and integrated GPS, the enumerator’s job of collecting absentee census information will get nice and streamlined. As a high-tech plus, the built-in GPS unit also keeps the enumerator honest.

Makes me wish I had an HTC Census during my stint as a US Census enumerator back in 2000.

[Via: CN]

One more release from the Mobile Money Summit event in Barcelona…

Leader in global roaming and interoperability solutions, California-based Roamware, announced a strategic partnership with Grameen Solutions to develop mobile money applications and services for the unbanked.

So, on one side we have Grameen Solutions which is part of Grameen group that also includes Grameen Bank, the world’s leading micro-finance institution; and on the other, Roamware which ecosystem spans over 375 network operators in 138 countries, reaching more than 1.8 billion mobile users. You see where this goes, right?

The two companies could reach the poor and allow them to use financial services through their mobile phones and that’s a noble cause. Hopefully, we’ll hear some tangible results from either Roamware or Grameen in the near future…

Russia’s MTS and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) announced the signing of the memorandum of understanding on the direct delivery of Nokia devices to MTS’ retail network. The first joint project of the two companies will be the priority sales launch of the Nokia N97, which will start selling with pre-installed software from MTS.

Under the terms of agreement, Nokia will directly supply its products to MTS’ retail network, and will provide a special training program for the carrier’s retail employees. Moreover, the two companies will co-operate in marketing campaigns to promote Nokia’s handsets.

Commenting on the announcement, MTS’ CEO Mikhail Shamolin said: “This partnership agreement with Nokia is a milestone in our development of the MTS proprietary retail network. Teaming up with the world’s leading maker of mobile devices will allow us to further differentiate MTS’ retail network by matching cutting-edge products with tariff plans to enhance customer experience and spur the growth of data usage by our subscribers.

Back to the N97. It’s set to hit MTS stores in Moscow and the Nokia’s flagship store on June 17th, while rest of the population will have to wait for the end of the month…

The Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre is picking up steam as it fuels the media hype machine. As we near the June 6th launch of the Palm Pre on Sprint (NYSE: S), rival carriers are gunning for a chance at the hotly-anticipated smartphone. Not to be outdone by the wireless underdog, both AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless have gone public with their intention to offer the Palm Pre on their respective networks “in the next six months or so” - essentially taking some air out of Sprint’s sails.

Today, Sprint has confirmed that they have an exclusive on the Palm Pre through 2009. That means rival carriers will be looking to offer the Palm Pre a little more than six months from now. Unfortunately, Sprint’s Pre sales numbers could suffer as potential customers wait for the Pre to hit Verizon Wireless or for the GSM Palm Pre to go live on AT&T. The GSM Palm Pre will presumably be capable of simultaneous voice and data service, one-upping the CDMA variant in big way.

Of course, the real winner here is Palm. Palm needs the Pre to be a huge success, and that’s only going to happen with widespread carrier support. If AT&T and Verizon’s plans to carry the Pre are echoed around the world, limited carrier support is no longer an obstacle to the Pre’s success. But, there’s still the issue of manufacturing enough Palm Pre’s to keep up with demand.

Palm is no doubt going to make a good chunk of change with the Pre, but poor Sprint may be left out of the party. If AT&T brings both the Palm Pre and the Palm Eos to market next year, we’re in for some exciting times in the US GSM market.

[Via: SmartMoney]

It looks like the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre isn’t going to be a Sprint (NYSE: S) exclusive for very long. The Palm Pre is slated to hit Sprint’s network on June 6 in what could be Palm’s final push to remain a viable smartphone manufacturer in a market they essentially helped create. Palm needs to push the Palm Pre to as many pockets as possible - and they can only do that by partnering up with multiple carriers in multiple countries. To that end, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless has announced that they too will carry the Palm Pre sometime in 2009.

Sprint’s stranglehold on the Palm Pre will reportedly be short-lived, as Verizon Wireless Chief Executive Lowell McAdam confirmed that Big Red will indeed be picking up the Palm Pre sometime in “the next six months or so.” McAdam also mentions that the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm 2 and its revamped touchscreen will hit Verizon’s network later this year.

“Over the next six months or so you will see devices like Palm Pre and a second generation Storm,” on the Verizon Wireless network, McAdam said. “You can expect to see us launch a steady stream of new devices from multiple vendors.”

Palm is wise to enlist Verizon Wireless as a partner carrier for the Palm Pre. Verizon Wireless is now the single-largest wireless carrier in the US, and offers a much larger potential customer-base than third-place Sprint. Like Big Yellow, Verizon uses a CDMA-based network that is compatible with the same hardware used in the Sprint Palm Pre, so it wouldn’t be too hard to bring the Pre to VZW.

AT&T (NYSE: T)’s Stephenson recently made it known that AT&T would welcome the Palm Pre with open arms. Given Palm’s dire financial position, it would behoove them to give AT&T a shot at selling the GSM Palm Pre.

[Via: Reuters]

Google’s I/O conference wasn’t just a good place to get your hands on a free HTC Magic, it was a great place to get the down-low on upcoming Android hardware. In it’s first official comment regarding upcoming Android smartphones, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has confirmed that the mobile world will welcome at least 18 new Android OS-powered smartphones by the end of 2009. Google’s senior director for Mobile Platforms, Andy Rubin, noted that we might see upwards of 20 Android phones hitting market by year’s end.

For the eight or nine distinct cellphone manufacturers confirmed to be working on the 18 to 20 new Android handsets for launch later this year, Google will offer three different versions of Android OS: a completely free and generic flavor with no pre-loaded Google applications; a slightly-customized version of Android OS that comes pre-loaded with Google apps like Gmail and Google Calendar; and a completely “Google-fied” Android OS bearing all sorts of Google branding and integration with Google’s services.

We’re told that 12-14 of the upcoming Android phones are expected to use the slightly-customized version of Google’s Android OS. This version of Android will apparently require the manufacturer to agree to a distribution deal with Google that would allow the handsets to come pre-installed with Google-ware.

The remaining 5 or 6 Android phones will come to market completely decked out with “The Google Experience.” These phones will bear the “Google” logo on the handset and will come pre-installed with all sorts of Google apps. Furthermore, these phones will be censor-free - neither the manufacturer or carrier can restrict access to even the most objectionable content on the Android Market. This option carries the risk of forcing carriers and manufacturers to allow access to controversial Android applications - like the Baby Shaker app that landed Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) in some hot water recently.

The 18-20 expected Android phones are limited to handsets that Google has been officially approached with by mobile phone manufacturers. As with all things mobile, expect to see tons of cheaper Chinese-made devices going live with generic Android operating systems. Making cheap off-brand handsets that mimic brand-name devices in form and function is what the Chinese mobile market has become known for.

[Via: Bits]

It looks like the UK’s iPhone 3G carrier is preparing to pit the iPhone 3G against the GSM variant of the Palm Pre. According to the Guardian, O2 (NYSE: TEF) has inked a deal with Palm (NSDQ: PALM) that would give the carrier exclusive rights to sell the Palm Pre in the UK. The report mentions that O2 beat out rivals Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) and Orange in a bid to lock down the hotly anticipated Palm Pre through exclusivity contracts.

Interestingly, O2 is also Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s partner carrier for the iPhone 3G. And, if tradition holds, O2 will also be Apple’s UK partner for the upcoming iPhone 2009. Should that happen, O2 will be the carrier to watch - as Apple and Palm go head to head with the new iPhone and Palm Pre duking it out over GSM customers. Forget “Pre v. iPhone” polls, O2’s sales figures might just have the final say on the UK’s preference between the two multi-touch smartphones.

[Via: Guardian]

Mobile payments and billing solutions provider Billing Revolution has recently announced a partnership with advertising network MoVoxx, which as a result will be able to “commerce enable” ad placements on mobile phones. As a result, MoVoxx advertisers can add payment functionality from SMS ads, “generating more frequent transactions from mobile users.”

Just imagine - you get a promo SMS and right from the bat you can act, no matter what kind of a device you have, as long as it can send and receive text messages. This opens a great opportunities for both legit companies, but unfortunately for spammers as well.

We’ll see how this will go. In the meantime, here are the words of MoVoxx’s CEO Alec Andronikov: “We are excited to add a mobile commerce billing ad unit that makes it very simple for consumers to purchase products on their cell phones. This is a perfect way for consumer brands, especially within the CPG sector, to not only precisely target different consumer segments but also generate direct sales ROI from mobile media placements.”

While the American educational system continues to falter, Japanese educators are pushing for high-tech educational tools. A university in Japan is using the popularity of the iPhone to help keep track of their faculty and student body.

About 550 students and staff at Japan’s Aoyama Gakuin University will be getting free iPhones through SoftBank (OTCPK: SFTBF) as part of the school’s Mobile & Net Society Education and Training program. Aoyama Gakuin University will use the iPhone’s GPS hardware to help administrators determine if a student is on campus and whether or not they’ve actually been going to class. Because, you know, paper and pencil roll-call is so last decade.

Now, before you start spouting off about “Big Brother” and all that jazz, know that the Japanese university is also planning to send low-level tests and homework assignments through the iPhone. Although, it’s not clear if the school will have access to their fleet of iPhones’ location data when not physically on campus.

The program is slated to go into full-swing this Fall.

There really has to be a better way to take attendance…

[Via: MainichiDailyNews]

Nokia has just made itself one of the most socially responsible corporations in the mobile space, maybe even in the tech industry as a whole. In a move aimed at boosting the local Finnish economy, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has announced that they’ll be making available their hoard of unused patents to select technology companies in Finland. As a joint venture between Nokia, Technopolis and Tekes, the Nokia Technopolis Innovation Mill will hand over unused patents to tech companies over the next three years. The Nokia Technopolis Innovation Mill will also provide a total of 8 million Euros in public and private funding to the companies selected to pursue Nokia’s dusty ideas.

Nokia, like many big tech corporations, patent a lot of ideas as a way to keep their war-chest of ideas safe from the competition. Unfortunately, a lot of these ideas never make it beyond the drawing board due to cost or time considerations. Nokia has patents ranging from energy solutions, location based technologies, mobile security and healthcare technologies, among others, that just sit in Nokia’s patent portfolio gathering dust.

It’s these ideas that Nokia is looking to bestow on Finnish tech companies in the hopes that they’ll have the focus to run with the idea and possibly change the world. Tekes, a Finnish agency tasked with doling out tech funds, is putting up a good deal of the public funds for the Nokia Technopolis Innovation Mill. Technolopolis will use its experience in managing its technology business parks across Europe to help coordinate the initiative and find more funding.

“We feel it’s important to support the birth and growth of Finnish companies that base their offering on technology and service innovations and aim to build internationally competitive businesses,” said Mr. Esko Aho, Nokia’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations and Responsibility. “As we will not take all of the innovations generated by our R&D into production, we are happy to give other competent companies the opportunity to turn these innovations into success stories.”

Global corporations always talk about giving back to society, but rarely do we see them actually make such an unselfish move. Well done, Nokia.

[Via: SymbianOne]