Announced today, the Mobile Magic application will improve your visit to Disney World or Disneyland with great features such as attraction and restaurant locations, daily event notifications, and my favorite, updated attraction wait times.  So before your next visit to hang out with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and the rest of the gang, be sure to have the right Verizon Wireless device loaded with the Mobile Magic application. 

Complete details included below in Verizon's press release.

MOBILE MAGIC APPLICATION TRANSFORMS VERIZON WIRELESS PHONES INTO ELECTRONIC TOUR GUIDES TO NAVIGATE DISNEY PARKS
 
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and BURBANK, Calif. – Imagine having a personal tour guide to lead the way around the vacation magic of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.  Now imagine that tour guide is in the palm of your hand and able to point you to a visit with a Disney princess or directly to a Fantasyland attraction.
 
Starting today, Verizon Wireless customers have exclusive access to Mobile Magic, the first Disney-developed mobile application that enables them to easily navigate Disney parks on both coasts, providing helpful and timely information.  With either a swipe of their fingers or the touch of a few keys, guests can access an array of park features on their Verizon Wireless phones, including:

• Updated attraction wait times and FASTPASS return times for the park they are in
• Locations of their favorite attractions, characters and restaurants, with GPS-enabled maps
• Restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks
• Tips on what’s happening in the parks
• Trivia games to play against other parks guests

New content will continue to be added to the Mobile Magic application as the attractions and opportunities at the Disney parks and resorts continue to evolve.
 
Exclusive to Verizon Wireless customers, Mobile Magic is available for download and purchase for $9.99 for a 180-day subscription*.  Customers can find the application in the Media Center/Get It Now® under the Travel and Navigation category.  Verizon Wireless customers can also text MAGIC to 2777 to purchase the application on a wide variety of feature phones.  Download and message charges may apply.  Airtime or megabyte data charges may apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications.
 
Mobile Magic, marking a first in both the travel and mobile industries, is the outgrowth of a new multi-year relationship between Disney Parks and Verizon Wireless aimed at enhancing the park experience.  Verizon Wireless continues to invest in its nationwide wireless network, and the relationship with Disney means Verizon Wireless users will benefit from further enhancements to the Verizon Wireless network in the parks.
 
Guests are currently using Verizon Wireless’ technology with Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, an ultra-interactive attraction at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort.
 
Guests who are not Verizon Wireless customers can access select information, such as park hours, attraction information, entertainment schedules and dining information, through the new m.disneyworld.com and m.disneyland.com mobile Web sites with their browser-enabled phones.
 
*Message and data rates may apply.  Coverage not available everywhere.  Availability subject to handset limitations.  If you’re under 18, get your parent’s permission first.  Valid theme park admission required.

Yep, you read the title correctly - Americans send approximately 4.1 billion text messages on a daily basis.

That works out to 14 text messages per day by every mobile phone user in the United States (keep in mind that this number is an average - the texting teenager is probably sending far more messages than the bank executive).  In the past six months alone, mobile users in the United States have sent over 740 billion text messages.  With numbers like those, we're on the way to passing 2008's record of one trillion text messages sent.

I'm all for dissecting figures like this by using practical examples, so Yahoo! Tech writer Ben Patterson's math shocked me.  Here's an excerpt:

"An SMS has a maximum capacity of 160 characters, so let's say (for the sake of example) that your average text message is about 80 characters long. And let's assume that your average novel contains about 100,000 words, and each word has about five letters.  So ... assuming all that (and keeping in mind that my math is a little shaky), we here in the States are writing the equivalent of about 656,000 books—all via SMS—every 24 hours.  At that rate, we could match the entire catalog of the entire New York Public Library system (which holds about 20.4 million books) in a little over a month."

Other facts from the CTIA study included:

• The average cell phone bill in June 2009 was $49.57, up more than a buck from June 2008 (man, I wish my bill was that cheap).
• The average length of a voice call was just 2.03 minutes, shorter than any other year since the CTIA started keeping records in 1988.
• There are about 276,610,580 wireless subscribers in the U.S., up about 14 million from last year, and more than double the number in 2002.
• The various wireless carriers that reported for the CTIA study raked in $151.2 billion in revenue from June 2009 to June 2008, doubling what they made in 2002.

There you have it.  Text messaging up, voice usage declining (and these figures are just for the US).  Is this something to be concerned about, or is it just the natural evolution of communication?

Via: Yahoo! Tech, AfterDawn

If I seem kind of enthusiastic about CNN Mobile — well, I am. Breaking stories. Live newscasts. These words make me giddy. Generally, mobile phone software labelled “TV” or “news” come up short for me, since they just usually deliver short snippets of old podcasts, vidcasts or text-driven articles. But live newscasts for breaking stories, not to mention on-demand vids for recent news — well, this is what I’ve been waiting for.

Now I’m not saying this is a perfect app. When you pay two dollars (which is a lot in the App Store), you don’t expect ads. But let’s face it: Selling this software isn’t really going to make or break CNN. Like any television network, it’s supported by advertising, so people accessing CNN on their handsets will be subject to them, just like their TV-watching, cable-paying counterparts. But the good news is that mobile phone users won’t be bombarded with them. There are no commercials interrupting the segments, just still ads that pop up while the video loads.

So, if you can put up with the occasional promo, then I think this app is a winner. So much so that I wonder why it took so long for CNN to put this out. NPR, Reuters, Time, Associated Press, New York Times and Financial Times have been all over the iPhone, and with free apps at that. Well, no matter. It is worth the wait and expense. CNN Mobile beats the pants off the competition. And isn’t that what the world of news reporting is about anyway?

To get CNN Mobile, click here to go to the App Store page. (U.S. only, for now).

[via Macworld]

• Two ARM cores integrated into a single chip – a dedicated CPU core and a dedicated modem processor – for an unparalleled level of integration:
  • A 600MHz applications processor with floating point unit and L2 cache
  • A 400MHz modem processor
• In addition to the two ARM cores, features 320MHz application DSP for multimedia supporting full 30 fps WVGA encode/decode, 200MHz hardware-accelerated 3D graphics core supporting OPEN GL 2.0, high-resolution camera, integrated GPS
• Supports both CDMA2000® 1xEV-DO Rev. A and UMTS HSDPA 7.2Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps, and GSM
• 12mm x 12mm footprint
• Optimized power consumption

To clarify, the Palm Pixi recently announced for Sprint is CDMA-only, though the above specifications mean that the chipset will easily support a GSM version of the device (which we're pretty sure will arrive at some point).  Via PreCentral



Google introduces "Fast Flip" service
"One problem with reading news online today is that browsing can be really slow. A media-rich page loads dozens of files and can take as much as 10 seconds to load over broadband, which can be frustrating."  Sadly, Google's comment is true, as we're all so used to obtaining information as quickly as possible.  Enter "Fast Flip," a new service by Google Labs that allows iPhone and Android users to quickly browse the most popular news feeds on the internet.  According to Google, three dozen news organizations have collaborated in the project, including popular publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post.  The project can be found at fastflip.googlelabs.com.  Via The Official Google Blog

Motorola's prerogative: Bring Android to everyone (or at least the national carriers)
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about Motorola and the CLIQ, set to launch on T-Mobile later in the year - why don't they just let them live?  Corny Bobby Brown references aside, we didn't expect Motorola to contain their Android pursuit to just one carrier, and at an analyst conference, CEO Sanjay Jha confirmed our suspicions.  Stating that Motorola was "in talks with all large operators in the US," we'd be willing to guess that Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint are all entertaining discussions with Motorola representatives.  Considering that true Android availability is still limited to a small set of manufacturers, we're happy to hear the news.  Via Engadget Mobile

Sony Ericsson to change the way you listen to music?
Complete with a strange graphic of a kid chugging soda while rockin' his tunes, Sony Ericsson is set to announce a product designed to "see how the way you listen to music changes forever."  Depending on where you look, speculation centers around either a new wireless device or a pair of headphones - but at any rate, we'll know for sure when the company's webcast goes live at 11:00 AM GMT+1 on Monday, September 21st.

In the September, 2009 issue of Fast Company, Mark Borden writes about Nokia's executive vice president of entertainment and communities, Tero Ojanperä, describing him as a cross between an Andy Warhol mystic and a James Bond villain. Borden focuses on Mr. Ojanperä because he is the man who wants to turn Nokia into a media monster. (cont.)

Ojanperä: spearheading Nokia's foray into the music biz

The context of the article is a gala in Tribeca, NYC, where music industry big wigs from Warner, Universal, And the Beatles' Apple Corps are being wined and dined by the extremely popular cell phone manufacturer. But as Borden reminds us, popular may not be an appropriate term to describe Nokia's astounding and enviable position in the mobile game.

The dapper Ojanperä begins to address the music biz elite by holding up an advertisement from the Finnish company's early days: "A tire you can trust... from Nokia," it reads. Drawing the audience back from laughter, he casually strolls through some of Nokia's more impressive hash marks.

Nokia sold 472 million cell phones last year. They generated $70 billion in revenue and $7 billion in profit. They have over 1.1 billion customers, sell products in more than 150 countries, and employ an operating system that has been translated into over 180 languages. Simply stated, Nokia is the number one cell phone company in the world. They produce 13 handsets per second.

Transitioning through a brief description of Nokia's Comes With Music Service - a delivery system for over 6 million songs that can be kept for life and are bundled with the cost of some Nokia devices - Ojanperä says that by directly combating non-consumption and piracy, Nokia is revolutionizing the way music is being consumed. Borden observes eyes rolling in the crowd.

The speaker continues, "...we will quickly be the world's biggest entertainment media network." This, of course, is met with scoffs and disbelief by execs who have heard every plan under the Sun for rescucitating the consolodated mass of what used to be record companies. But Ojanperä resonds, "You can laugh and say, 'What is the point? Nokia is a cell-phone company; it will never get into the entertainment business.' That's okay. That's what people did when we said we were going to be the biggest cell-phone company in the wolrd - back when we were making car tires and rubber boots."

It's tempting to dismiss the EVP's grandiose claims. When Nokia's CEO, Olii-Pekka Kallasvuo, spoke about putting the Internet in our pockets in 2001, little was done to bring the dream to fruition. Making an Internet-capable phone in 1996 and announcing Ovi two years before launch seem almost like publicity stunts in hindsight. But to fixate on dreams deferred would be to ignore remarkable accomplishments. To wit, the stats above. But we (should I say, "I?") tend to overlook the importance of Nokia in the American market. 

Here in the U.S., Nokia has only a 7% market share. And while the giant is a lifeline to litteraly hundreds of millions in poverty, it's easy for the more prosperous populations to fall into ethnocentric perspectives. We want countless apps to choose from at a low cost, we want the best music cheap or for nothing, and we want thousands of entertaining videos on demand. But Nokia has a different take: a global one. 

For example, Nokia provides a service for $1.30 a month in India called Life Tools, which provides farmers with weather and agricultural data. This is one example, but Ojanperä could offer many more. And when a company can move technology to 400 million users as rapidly as Nokia can, every dollar means serious business. Nokia defines the term, Big Leagues. Now with that scale in mind, reconsider Nokia's successes, and their future plans. Maybe "music giant" isn't off the table.

At CES 2006, Tero Ojanperä met Dave Stewart, the founder of the Eurythmics - a man who had Bono and Elton john sing at his wedding; a man who has recorded with Tom Petty; a guy who spends free time hanging out on Paul Allen's boat, the Octopus. Tero and Dave connected, became friends, and set out on a mission to revolutionize the entertainment industry. While not a W-2 employee, Stewart now holds the über-hip title, change agent. As image-friendly as it may sound, this not a publicity stunt.

Stewart is currently working with Polyglot Canadian singer, Cindy Gomez, whose career is launching simultaneously via a mobile application called Dance Fabulous, Nokia's online Music Store, the Comes with Music product, and a Nokia-backed European tour. Clearly, it's an all-out affair. (cont.)

Gomez: appearing in a video game near you

Multi-pronged is Dave's personal method of choice as well. While working on Nokia's image, relationships, artist involvement, and content, he's putting together a musical supergroup on the sly. With artists as diverse as Mick Jagger and Joss Stone, it should be an interesting project from the man whose back yard was the birthplace of the Traveling Willburys. And Who do you think is first in line for concert promotions, advertizing agreements, and most likely publishing rights? Nokia. (cont.)

Stewart: sweet dreams are made of this.

I haven't personally owned a Nokia device since a $20-on-contract deal in 2005. Before that, my only Nokia experience was the faux-wood, green-LED-sporting brick from '95 or '96 that followed my first and only pager. I've always thought of Nokia phones as the tight budget option (clearly, I haven't been looking very closely in recent times), and this prejudice has prevented me from giving them much of a chance. Well, that and horrible mistakes like the N97. But I'm interested in this new direction, and will try to meet Nokia with open arms from now on.

Nokia comes from the same land as Linux, and I'm intrigued by their employment of Maemo and investment in oFono. I'm anxious to try out some of their Linux-based offerings. Let's just hope they get on top of a dedicated touch screen UI, and that this whole media leader business comes together faster and with more backing than the "Internet in your pocket."

Read Mark Borden's article here.

–Percentage of cell phone ownership increases with age. Only 52 percent of 12- to 13-year-olds own a mobile, but 82 percent of respondents age 17 own one.

–Wealthier families are more likely to have mobile phones:

• 62 percent of households earning less than $30,000 owned a cell phone, while
• 79 percent of households earning more than $75,000 owned a cell phone

–The most popular cellular activity for teens is messaging:

• 24 percent use IM on a daily basis
• 26 percent send messages daily through social networks like Facebook
• 38 percent send texts daily
• 29 percent spend time with their friends in person

–How often kids use their phones varies by age. Percentage of kids who communicate with friends daily on their cells:

• 70 percent of 17-year-olds (talking)
• 28 percent of 12-year-olds (talking)
• 51 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds (text)
• 25 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds (text)

–Texting is bigger with girls (42 percent) than boys (34 percent)  

Maybe none of this comes as any surprise, but it’s still interesting to see the numbers. More teens seem to be using more phones, more often, than ever before.

This probably reads like bad news for certain people — like the Aussie university professor who contends that texting makes kids impatient and impulsive, or school administrators who seem to hate the technology (at least on school grounds). But really, isn’t it time to make peace with mobile phones and figure out how to improve the human experience with them instead of nitpicking these gadgets to death?

As far as I’m concerned, mobile phones (especially smartphones) shouldn’t be vilified. They are simply tools, and like any other tool, their worth is shaped by how they’re used. I have faith that even the naysayers will eventually get this concept, and work with them toward beneficial ends. They’ll have to — because it looks like teens with cell phones are here to stay.

[Pew Internet & American Life Project via PCMag]

Steph seems to have the hang of mobile livecasting, though it's unclear if he's rocking Ustream mobile via smartphone or a 3G-connected laptop. Either way, this clip from yesterday's cast - which I found on Inside Hoops - shows Steph broadcasting from the backseat of his car as the car gets into an accident of some sort. What was hit and what exactly happened here isn't clear, but for my money this is as sure a sign as any that Starbury needs to log off, put down the mobile device, and stop with the mobile broadcasting for a spell. If nothing else, this clip plays to me like evidence of leaving the scene of an accident (I'm not saying they should arrest the dude, I'm just sayin' you should think twice before incriminating yourself and your driver via mobile video).

Those of you who are really interested should check out the very bizarre, emotionally torturous livecast Steph posted earlier in the week. I've never been much of a fan of Steph, honestly, but I'm worried about the guy. Whatever demons are plaguing you, Stephon, I hope you get some help with them soon.  And everyone else out there, just remember that there is such a thing as oversharing. Put down the cameraphone and step away from the live stream of yourself before it's too late, m'kay?

"As an avid T-Mobile customer, I'm delighted once again to help T-Mobile carry its message to millions of Americans about the great value they deliver.  The Mobile Makeover campaign is a smart way to show consumers that they could save some serious money."

What a smart move on T-Mobile's part; bringing back national advertising icons such as this is what will allow customers to connect with the product.  Big hint to Sprint: bring back the "Trenchcoat Guy!"

Source: T-Mobile and TmoNews

I don't even own an iPhone (although I do steal my fiance's often to play Scrabble and Monkey Ball), but when I see a screen like the Kindle, I still instinctively touch the screen to get started...the buttons on the Kindle II feel very old school for a second generation device. I am excited for the additional battery life (which is still a problem for the iPhone when you are connected and running apps) and other updates made by Amazon. The Kindle II was easy to set up and able to download quicker than the iPhone loads, but getting to the place where I wanted to was painful - tabbing over page by page or location by location is much easier on the iPhone.

The other drawback to the iPhone, of course, is it's size - for a book like Pillars of the Earth - it's a long one, meaning a LONG time to be reading such small print. And, yes - you do have the ability to enlarge the screen, but it's never going to be as big or comfortable as the Kindle II.

Regardless, whether you decide to splurge for the Kindle II or are content to read on your iPhone, it's a huge luxury to not have to lug around Pillars of the Earth in your bag. Your shoulder will thank you for reading the more portable package either way. One of the nice features is that when you register Kindle for iPhone, you have immediate access to your book list on your Kindle. So, if you want the best of both worlds, you can bookworm where ever you want and bookmark your spot to pick up where you left off no matter which device you have handy.

iPhone Kindle App Pros

1. Much less expensive
2. No need for another device
   
3. Integrates with your Amazon.com store and your Kindle account if you already have one
4. Way better than having to carry the book or run to the store everytime you need a new read
   

iPhone Kindle App Cons

1. Drain on battery life
2. Very small writing for reading for long periods of time
3. If you don't have wifi handy or a fast 3G network, downloading can take a while