LG announces LG-GD910, the first 3G HSDPA wrist phone ever. The phone features a 1.43” touchscreen LCD, Bluetooth, Text To Speech (TTS) capabilities for easier reading of text messages, MP3 playback, video call option, and voice dialing with speech recognition. Speaking about HSDPA, LG company claims download speed of up to 7.2 Mbps. The new device, which is made both for Korean and European markets, is scheduled for an official debut at the 2009 CES in January. The retail price of the LG-GD910 has not been announced yet.    

  Even in the beginning of November the Touch Diamond and T-Mobile G1 were very profitable for the company. Communicators still are in demand – HTC profit for November increased by 10% in comparison with October. And if we compare the increase with the same period of the previous year, will see that HTC profit has increased by 22%.  

  Chinese government is likely to grant operators permission to launch 3G network. The ministry for industry and information technology plans to grant operators 3G licenses in January of 2009. It is already known that according to one of the conditions of the licenses the three operators (China Mobile China Telecom and China Unicom) must develop the network together and share deployment costs. 3G network is expected to bring $30 billion to the government that will be felt in the economy of the country.    

  Vertu is pleased to announce that they signed a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) deal with NTT DoCoMo to provide communication services to Vertucustomers. In the second quarter of 2009 Vertu will provide a premium membership called Vertu Club through their partnership with NTT DoCoMo. In addition, on 19 February 2009 Vertu will open its first store in Japan called Ginza Flagship Store, where customers will be able to see the whole Vertu collection and pre-orders of handsets will be taken for delivery.  

  Omega Pharma, a Belgian pharmaceutical company, is going to launch a chip reducing the level of cell phone radiation. Representatives of the company state that tests were successful: the chip, which is built in a cell phone, lessens such symptoms as headaches and loss of concentration. The E-waves chip trial consignment of 30 thousand items is already on offer for 38.95 euros per a chip.  

  The Open Handset Alliance announces the membership of 14 new companies ready to support Android open mobile platform and namely to modernize the operating system, develop new mobile devices supporting it, and software applications. The new members of the Open Handset Alliance are Ericsson, Vodafone, Huawei Technologies, Toshiba, AKM Semiconductor Inc., Omron Software Co. Ltd, Softbank Mobile Corporation, Sony Ericsson, ARM, Teleca AB, ASUSTek Computer Inc., Borqs, Atheros Communications and Garmin International Inc.  

  Mobiado announces the Mobiado Professional 105GMT GOLD. The phone  has a unique dual mechanical watch movement. Each Swiss mechanical watch movement is a self-winding automatic mechanism with ball-bearing containing 25 jeweled bearings, performing 28,800 vibrations per hour, and has 28 hours of power reserve. The mechanism case is CNC machined from brass and plated with 24-Carat gold. When the keypad lights up, both movements are illuminated, allowing the watches to be viewed in low light conditions. Each 105GMT GOLD has two 24-Carat gold plated crowns that are inset into the frame of the phone for the setting of time. The DiscoveryTM watch mechanism with the front and back of the watch movements being completely open, allows for the setting of two international time zones. The mechanism is protected with large sapphire plates. Even under the removable sapphire battery cover, the movements, which are attached with a Mobiado 3D shock absording system (patent pending), are protected by a second sapphire plate. The 105GMT Discovery mechanism is available in Diamond Option (26 diamonds), where the watch hours are set diamonds, and a diamond shaped “M” placed between the two watch mechanism becomes illuminated when the keypad lights...

  Western Union and Vodafone are going to test the possibility of sending money to Kenya from Western Union office in Reading. Cell phone users will be able to transfer money to subscribers of Kenyan cell carrier Safaricom. Due to cooperation of Vodafone and Western Union M-Pesa subscribers will be able to make international remittances easily.  

  Recently it became known that Intel is developing sensors to capture energy from body heat and sunlight, the amount of the energy obtained in this way being sufficient for mobile devices to run without recharging. The company already has prototypes of self-powered devices. They are watches powered by body heat and smartphones with displays that double as solar cells.  

  Most probably, Russia and Western Europe will be the first markets for the new smartphone. JT Wang, the company chairman, believes that Acer will be very successful in manufacturing and distribution of its smartphone, and that is why the smartphone division staff is going to be increased to 500 employees by 2009.    

  Portio Research, a research company, suggests that SMS will continue to be popular even during the global economic downturn. In 2008 the whole SMS industry was worth USD 130 billion and in 2013 it is expected to be USD 224 billion. High popularity of SMS can be easily explained. There exists no other cheaper and simpler technology that can be supported by all mobile operators and all kinds of cell phones. Filipinos are the record holders in SMS sending – an average user sends 755 messages each month.