Remember how BenQ Mobile went down in flames after parent company BenQ pulled the cash-flow plug on the ailing BenQ-Siemens venture? Sure you do. Well, it looks like they’ve re-emerged as BenQ with its parent company renaming itself as Qisda. The new BenQ is expecting annual sales growth of 25-30% and will be concentrating mainly…
MetroPCS puts in buy-offer to acquire Leap Wireless for $5.12 billion
Ahead of the upcoming 700Mhz frequency spectrum auction in January, MetroPCS has today put in an offer to buy-out rival Leap Wireless for $5.12 bilion. The offer would give Leap Wireless 2.75 shares for every share of Leap Wireless and would bring along $2 billion in debt. MetroPCS has been rumored to be a strong…
Apple, Volkswagen discussing partnership; VW vehicles to come with iPod/iPhone docks?
Everyone wants to ride the iPhone wave these days to grab the piece of the free publicity that comes with relating to Apple and their products. Latest in the pipeline is the German automaker Volkswagen. Apparently, the two companies are discussing partnership that could even result in a Apple-designed car. While this is still speculative,…
Not so new news: T-Mobile Germany confirms ongoing negotiations with Apple for iPhone exclusivity
This isn’t going to come as much of a shock to most, but T-Mobile Germany has confirmed that they have indeed been in talks with Apple over the upcoming European (specifically, German) release of the iPhone. Hamid Akhavan, CEO of T-Mobile Germany, said that they “have held talks with Apple but have nothing more to…
Samsung signs on to build WiMAX network for Sprint in New York Metropolitan area
In a double-whammy announcement from Sprint. The New York Metropolitan area has been added to the list of markets slated for the rollout of the Sprint WiMAX network. And, to build-out that WiMAX market, Sprint has tapped Samsung for a little infrastructure help. The Washington Post reports that Samsung will be building the NYC network,…
Matsushita will cover the cost of Nokia’s battery recall
We love it when the big boys decide to play nice and actually do the right thing (cough, Qualcomm, cough). Matsushita is owning up to their fleet of faulty BL-5C batteries and covering the cost of Nokia’s entire battery recall. The 46 million Nokia phones that require battery replacement will run Matsushita anywhere between ¥10…
Epocware becomes a Symbian Platinum Partner
What? I thought they were already Platinum Partner. Apparently, I was wrong… Anyway, one of the most productive software developers for the Symbian platform — if not THE most productive — will now work even more tightly with the leading mobile OS maker to bring us even more apps. Epocware is best known for its…
Qualcomm may be getting into Mobile TV industry with Taiwanese joint venture partners
Qualcomm’s chip-set business is troubled, to say the least. These guys are getting hit from all sides with more lawsuits and trade bans than their head legal counsel can deal with. So, what’s an embattled patent-monger to do? Well, if you’re Qualcomm, you get into a new industry – maybe. Word on the street has…
Rogers Wireless adds MySpace Mobile
Rogers Wireless decided to spice-up its offering by adding that nowadays important Web 2.0 element, hence they’ve signed a deal with MySpace to provide its users with quick and easy access to their MySpace accounts directly from their handsets. Under the agreement, Rogers will be the exclusive provider of MySpace Mobile service in Canada, and…
O2 set to sell BBC mobile content through O2 Active mobile portal
Everybody wants a piece of the burgeoning mobile video market, and O2 is the newest wireless carrier to jump on the bandwagon. The German, UK, and Irish wireless carrier recently inked a deal with BBC Worldwide to distribute its mobile content through the O2 Active mobile portal. The deal will allow O2 to sell the…