Mobile working Toolkit

Highlights from Mobile World Congress 2009

Staff ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 18 Feb 2009 16:21 GMT

Highlights from Mobile World Congress 2009

This year's Mobile World Congress is all about Android, app stores and ARM. Netbooks are taking laptop PCs into the mobile sphere, and mobile Linux — sneered at just a year or two ago — is fast becoming standard.

In a year when the business phone no longer has to be the consumer phone's ugly cousin, ZDNet UK is in Barcelona to cover the most interesting announcements, comments and desirable handsets.

Verizon's CTO looks to a 4G future

Chief technology officer Dick Lynch discusses Verizon's plan to build its next-generation wireless networks and how much longer 3G can hold out [23 Feb 2009]

Android lays low at Mobile World Congress

Google's leader for Android says that the OS didn't miss a trick at the mobile industry's conference in Barcelona, and that it's right on track for where the company wants it to be [20 Feb 2009]

Verizon expects 4G launch next year

Verizon's CTO has provided details on the company's 4G wireless network, which is due to go live in 2010. [20 Feb 2009]

LG shows off Watch Phone

At Mobile World Congress, LG demonstrated video-calling on its wristwatch-style mobile phone for the first time, in a call to Steve Ballmer [19 Feb 2009]

2 Talkbacks

Palm: We still work for the enterprise

The handset maker explains how its new strategy should still appeal to business users and the developers of enterprise applications [18 Feb 2009]

Accenture launches mobile-service framework

Enterprise mobile services and cloud connectivity are on the menu for Accenture customers [18 Feb 2009]

Truphone gives roaming phones a local number

The service will enable international travellers to use a single phone and SIM card to make calls in many countries while avoiding roaming rates [18 Feb 2009]

Yahoo revamps, consolidates mobile offerings

The company plans to roll up several of its applications into one tool that will be available on multiple devices [18 Feb 2009]

Vodafone reveals plans for 'Magic' Android phone

The mobile operator has announced plans for the world's second phone based on Google's software platform, which will be made by HTC [18 Feb 2009]

2 Talkbacks

Alcatel-Lucent aims to lead 4G consortium

The telecoms company pulls together manufacturers and developers in an attempt to steer the creation of 4G wireless devices, applications and content [17 Feb 2009]

Skype stakes a place on Nokia smartphones

Skype will embed its internet calling software and service onto Nokia phones, starting with the high-end N97 device [17 Feb 2009]

Single charger coming for mobile phones

Mobile-industry leaders agree to use Micro-USB as a single standard for phone chargers, promising to reduce the number of chargers shipped and the number needed by users to revive their handsets [17 Feb 2009]

1 Talkback

Cisco adds web conferencing to more smartphones

Smartphone users will soon be able to join WebEx conferences from their handsets, and Cisco has added the capability for BlackBerry devices [17 Feb 2009]

Huawei to begin selling Android phones

The Chinese phone maker says handsets with the Google-sponsored OS will arrive this year, and adds that it is considering phones using other operating systems too [17 Feb 2009]

Windows Mobile 6.5: a first look

Microsoft's updated mobile OS brings a handful of enhancements, including an application store, a backup and restore service, and an improved mobile web browser [17 Feb 2009]

SanDisk enlists mobile carriers in memory-card drive

The flash-memory maker aims to boost the sales of memory cards on mobile phones by tailoring cards to highlight the offerings of individual network operators [17 Feb 2009]

Photos: Windows Mobile 6.5

Microsoft has shown off Windows Mobile 6.5 at Mobile World Congress, although new devices will not appear until the second half of 2009. Check out its look and feel here. [17 Feb 2009]

SpinVox opens up its API for new apps

The speech-to-text conversion company hopes its open application programming interface will allow developers to create new, as-yet-unthought-of applications for the technology [17 Feb 2009]

Nokia slides out E75 and E55 smartphones

A look at two new E-series smartphones, both with slide-out keyboard, introduced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona [16 Feb 2009]

Microsoft launches Windows Mobile 6.5

The company has also announced a mobile-application marketplace and an online back-up and management service, and said that handsets using its OS are now to be known as 'Windows phones' [16 Feb 2009]

HTC adds two Touch smartphones

The handset maker has released two new models to refresh its touchscreen smartphone line, both set to arrive by summer this year [16 Feb 2009]

Nokia announces Ovi application store

The mobile-phone maker has joined Apple and other smartphone makers in launching a new marketplace for mobile-phone applications, but Nokia says its store is different [16 Feb 2009]

ARM shows off 32nm mobile processor

ARM's 32nm processors displayed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona promise cheaper, more powerful smartphones [16 Feb 2009]

Sony Ericsson pins hopes on 'entertainment' strategy

Sony Ericsson is building a new strategy around entertainment that will allow users to share content across multiple platforms [16 Feb 2009]

LG devices to use Intel Moorestown processor

Intel and LG will team up to build the first mobile internet devices using the new Intel chip [16 Feb 2009]

Freescale adds Android, Xandros netbook support

The chip manufacturer says ARM-based architecture could eventually seize up to half of the netbook market from its x86-based rival [16 Feb 2009]

1 Talkback

What to expect from Mobile World Congress 2009

On 16 February, the majority of the mobile industry will gather in Barcelona — expect announcements about netbooks, Android, Windows Mobile, widgets and web standards [13 Feb 2009]