Boost Mobile Launches the Motorola Clutch i465 with Unlimited Texting

Boost Mobile customers can now take full advantage of the unlimited text messaging service thanks to the new Motorola Clutch i465 phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard and walkie-talkie capabilities. The Motorola, Inc. handset and ‘Monthly Unlimited’ service from Boost Mobile, make a powerful combination for anyone who wants unlimited anytime calling, text messaging, wireless Web and walkie-talkie service for a flat $50 a month rate with no contract, credit check or hidden fees*.



Boost Mobile, the no contract division of Sprint Nextel redefined value for wireless consumers earlier this year with its ‘Monthly Unlimited’ service, offering unlimited anytime calling, text messaging, wireless Web and exclusive Boost Walkie-Talkie service with a national calling area in 17,500 cities throughout the United States on the Nextel National Network for $50 a month – all with no additional telecom taxes, activation, roaming, traveling or long distance fees.

Clutch is the first Motorola device with walkie-talkie capabilities designed for messaging1, providing you with many ways to keep talking and get more done. Motorola Clutch i465

A full QWERTY keyboard with shortcut keys and software upgrades, such as IM-style texting1, makes it easy to respond and follow the message stream. Get the last word in with increased character space and keep your eye on multiple conversations by using the all-in-one homebase view of your incoming and outgoing messages1. If your voice expresses what written words can’t, Motorola’s leading push-to-talk technology is your verbal IM for keeping in constant contact.

With a familiar design and military-tough durability, Motorola Clutch satisfies your messaging needs and paired with the $50 Boost Monthly Unlimited Plan, customers can handle whatever their daily routine dishes out. Boost Mobile offers affordable alternatives to long-term wireless contracts, providing flexible payment options and value for cost-conscious consumers including the Monthly Unlimited no contract plan that includes nationwide talk, text and walkie-talkie for $50 a month.

Motorola Clutch i465 Features:

* Nationwide Boost Walkie-Talkie
* Full QWERTY Keypad
* Unified Messaging and Threaded Messaging1
* Bluetooth
* Camera with 4x Zoom and Video Capture
* GPS Enabled
* Speakerphone with Voice-Activated Dialing
* Wireless Web Enabled
* Availability and Pricing

Motorola Clutch i465 from Boost Mobile is available now at www.boostmobile.com with free shipping for the price of $129.99 with no contract, credit check or hidden fees. Following the online launch, the Clutch i465 will be available through various other Boost Mobile retail and distribution channels.

BestBuy Now Selling the Samsung Exclaim with 2 MP Camera and Full QWERTY

Without any fanfare, Best Buy is now selling the Samsung Exclaim, which comes with a 2.0MP digital camera for snapping high-resolution digital photos for multimedia messaging, a full QWERTY keyboard for easy text messaging and one-touch MySpace and Facebook access.



Samsung Exclaim features:

* Built-in 2.0MP digital camera
* Text and multimedia messaging capability
* Operates on dual-band 800MHz networks
* Color LCD display
* Built-in microSD card slot
* Stereo Bluetooth technology
* Voice dialing capability
* Speed dial function
* Vibration alert
* One-touch access to Facebook and MySpace
* Up to 4.75 hours talk time

For more information visit BestBuy.com.

Jitterbug Announces the Jitterbug J

GreatCall, Inc. today announced the national availability of its new Jitterbug J cell phone and expanded rate plans offering more affordable options to a wider range of consumer needs. The Jitterbug J cell phone is GreatCall’s next generation device that supports the option of expanded easy-to-use services, while maintaining the leadership trademark of wireless simplicity that the Jitterbug brand is known for.



This “best of both worlds” combination is made possible through the Jitterbug J’s unique technical design that allows users to easily turn features on and off as they wish. This approach, paired with a sleek and stylish new handset, makes the Jitterbug J a great companion for people seeking a lifestyle of simplicity. The new Jitterbug J also offers new more affordable rate plans as well as the company’s 24/7 U.S. based customer service and friendly operators who greet callers by name.

New and Improved: Jitterbug J Appeals to Any Generation
Jitterbug customers are most interested in services that help them stay in touch with friends and family, increase productivity in their fast-paced lives and that help them manage their health and well-being.


Unlike current mass cellular offerings, each Jitterbug J function comes with a complete service component. In addition, the new Jitterbug J is based on a dynamic over-the-air system that allows customers to easily access new applications for their phone from “MyJitterbug.com” – the company’s personal and easy-to-use services management website. All new applications will be supported with a collection of customer care and online services and will be easily accessible through Jitterbug’s new
services store.

For example, “MyCalendar” is a new service that Jitterbug will launch this summer which can be turned on and kept up to date by either using MyJitterbug.com or by simply calling one of the friendly Jitterbug operators. No complicated navigation or key tapping. Such “high touch” service gives customers as much independence or “always on” personalized operator assistance as they want.

Key Features of the New Jitterbug J:

* Updated, slim and sleek design while still being comfortable in the hand yet retaining all of the great features like the noise reduction ear piece, dial tone, comfortable keypad with larger acklit buttons and easy to read text
* Wireless headset, hands free and other wireless accessories are enabled by Bluetooth technology, with simple step by step instructions
* Improved and even easier-to-use screen navigation
* Ability to personalize ring tones and screen colors; with special emphasis on providing audible tones for those with hearing loss
* Upfront speakerphone button makes activation very friendly
* Call waiting
* 30% longer battery life on stand-by

Key Services with the New Jitterbug J:

* MyCalendar -- customers already call the Jitterbug operators or go to MyJitterbug.com to enter and manage their phone book – now they can manage their calendar too! All entries can be done online (by the customer or a family member) or the operator can enter appointments for them, and the phone is updated over-the-air to provide a view and reminder.
* SimpleText -- helps customers keep in touch with text messaging; using messages from a unique prewritten “message library” or typical word entry for a more personal message.
* LiveNurse -- provides customers with unlimited access to a registered nurse 24/7 as well as access to a health information library featuring up to date information on hundreds of health related topics.
* Jitterbug Complete Care -- a services package that includes Jitterbug Roadside Assistance, “No questions asked” handset replacement, and the Jitterbug LiveNurse. All this for a combined price of only $9/month.

A new suite of more affordable service plans are also now available – offering monthly service without contracts that will appeal to those who like to stay in touch more often as well as to those who want a little less. For those who want to share their minutes with family and friends, Jitterbug offers SimplyShare™ plans, which include unlimited Jitterbug-to-Jitterbug calling amongst the growing number of customers. Additional details on the Jitterbug service plans can be reviewed at http://www.jitterbug.com/RatePlans/. The new Jitterbug J will retail for $147 and includes a free car charger. To purchase the new Jitterbug J call directly at 1-800-918-8543, online at jitterbug.com or at select retailers including Sears, Radio Shack,CVS and ShopKo. Visit our store locator online to find a retailer near you.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert release for iPhone soon?

Here’s the lovely iPhone game rumor of the week, although to be fair it looks like more than just a rumor.



The gist is that the massively popular Command & Conquer real-time strategy game series is coming to the iPhone soon – according to Planet Command & Conquer:

“Apoc has just confirmed on his Twitter page that “Command & Conquer Red Alert for iPhone will be at E3. Obviously, that doesn’t clarify whether it’s a port, a spin-off, a tie-in, a mix of all three RA games, or something else entirely. It also doesn’t make any mention of pricing details or a release schedule, but at least now we know that something set in the Red Alert universe is heading to iPhone.”

Apoc is a “communtity commander” for the game and is well know in the C&C world, so this seems like a lot more than a rumor. Big name games continue to march onto the iPhone, a good indication of the iPhone’s gaming fortunes in the future.

New Belkin iPod/iPhone dock plays music and acts as speakerphone for iPhone in your car

Belkin, and others, have been making similar car docks for a while now so your probably know how this new model works.



There are two versions coming: the TuneBase FM has a FM modulator and the TuneBase Direct outputs via a 3.5mm jack. Both will get your iPod/iPhone hooked up to your car’s speakers while charging it and providing a speakerphone for the iPhone at the same time.

It even includes a feature called ClearScan, which searches for the clearest FM station to play music on automatically (no more searching around trying to find a station that works).

Basically, when a call comes in, hit any button on the TuneBase and the iPhone’s call will be routed through the vehicle’s speakers. Expect to pay $89.99 for the FM model when it launches in mid-July, and $69 for the 3.5mm in June.

Very cool gift for the iPhone user frequently on the run.

More Gaming: Turbo Subs released for the iPhone

Today happens to be a very gaming centric day for our iPhone reporting, it seems. I-Play has announced the release of Turbo Subs, a strategy/action casual title for the iPhone.



Here’s the details from the creators’ web site:

“I-Play, Oberon Media’s publishing division and the world’s leading multi-platform casual games publisher, today announced the launch of Turbo Subs for iPhone™ and iPod® touch. Based on the best-selling PC game with over 1.5 million downloads, Turbo Subs is now available in the Apple® App Store.

Turbo Subs brings the Big Apple into the palms of players’ hands as they embark on a tasty adventure in New York City. Players manage Rebecca and Robert as they attempt to create successful sandwich shops by satisfying impatient customers and fending off villainous thieves in peculiar sites all around New York City.

Serving hungry customers has never been more fun with gameplay perfectly tuned for the iPhone’s flawless touch screen controls. Players open up shop in whimsical locations all around New York City throughout 60 challenging levels. Sub shop masters can fire up the kitchen hustle and unlock expert objectives in each level to keep the challenge alive and the sandwiches supplied.”

It’s available for immediate download in the App Store for $1.99.

Download

Best Buy warns of low iPhone supply; issues note to staff

Best Buy over the weekend became the latest Apple partner to warn staffers of dwindling iPhone supply that could leave some of its stores without product to sell for a few weeks later this month.



In a memo from its corporate division, the Richfield, Minnesota-based specialty electronics retailer told mobile sales employees that the iPhone 3G is now in constraint, noting that inventory of the touch-screen handsets will be light over the coming weeks and that some locations are likely to run out all together.

The advisory is similar to one issued roughly a week ago by Brightpoint, an Australian distributor supplying Vodafone Australia and others in the region with iPhone 3Gs.

“We have just been notified that the following devices are End Of Life and that there is only a few weeks stock available from Brightpoint,” the carrier said in reference to the 16GB iPhone 3G. “This is an opportunity to take advantage of these devices whilst they’re still available.”

None of this should be shocking, as the current iPhone is seen as an end of life product, and companies aren’t actively restocking them.

Quickoffice Updates Mobile Office Suite Application for iPhone

Quickoffice today released additional features for its iPhone application, increasing Microsoft Office functionality while on the go. Quickoffice’s latest 1.2.0 update adds important capabilities to all four of its applications, which include Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite, Quicksheet, Quickword and Quickoffice Files.



Quicksheet enables users to view and edit Excel documents. The increased functionality now allows landscape editing, direct double-tap cell editing in both landscape and portrait mode, copy and paste columns, rows and cells, faster and easier ways to build formulas, as well as the ability to add a new sheet within a worksheet. The Word editor, Quickword, adds auto-correct, auto-capitalization, find text, adjusting indentation level of bulleted/numbered lists and paragraphs, and double tapping space bar to enter a period. New features for Quickoffice Files include slideshow viewing of images in remote and local directories and the ability to bookmark last viewed position in documents.

Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite, Quickoffice Files, Quicksheet and Quickword will each receive the same applicable free updates. This allows consumers the ability to choose an individual functionality with the same feature set as the full suite. The updates to the separate applications were submitted to the App Store and are expected to be available soon.