Latest phones and cell review

Tele Atlas today announced that Google has signed a long term license agreement with the company that gives Google access to Tele Atlas maps and dynamic content in more than 200 countries around the world.

The agreement spans Google’s current and future map-based services and navigation offerings across mobile, online and desktop environments. These include the Google Maps and Google Earth services and mobile applications such as Google Maps for Mobile. The agreement also gives Tele Atlas access to edits for its maps from Google’s community of users, whose suggested changes can help the company further increase the quality and richness of Tele Atlas maps.

“Geospatial data enhances global search significantly by organizing data and delivering results based on location,” said John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Google Maps. “Tele Atlas’ map quality and the company’s innovative approach to business were the key drivers for our decision.” 

Verizon Wireless has teamed up with Rhapsody to deliver unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers, for about the cost of a single CD. In addition, customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.

With V CAST Music with Rhapsody, Verizon Wireless customers are still able to purchase songs over-the-air within the V CAST coverage area for $1.99 and get two copies of the song: the first for their phones, the second for their PCs in the DRM-free MP3 format. When customers download the V CAST Music with Rhapsody Software to their PCs and sign up for the monthly subscription, they have the ultimate music management service, including:

• Unlimited subscription syncing with access to more than 5 million songs
• Creating and accessing playlists, viewing playlists of other users, including celebrities
• Burning, importing and converting CDs to play anywhere
• Managing an existing digital music collection for free and syncing it to their mobile phones
• Buying non-protected MP3s of songs on the PC for 99 cents per song
• Buying songs on the phone, over-the-air get two copies of the song for $1.99 (one is over-the-air, the second master copy is the file customers download onto their PCs)

V CAST Music with Rhapsody also provides them with an award-winning desktop music application, allowing them to sync their favorite music quickly and easily, directly to their mobile phones. V CAST Music with Rhapsody will be available on the marquee V CAST Music with Rhapsody device, the LG Chocolate 3, when the phone becomes available in July; the service is also available today on select phones, including the LG Decoy and LG Dare; MOTO W755; Samsung SCH-u550, Samsung Glyde and Samsung Juke. Customers using the MOTORIZR Z6tv, MOTORAZR V9m or LG VX8700 may bring their phones into a Verizon Wireless Communications Store to receive a free software upgrade on their phones to access the service. 

Today Google announced that it has signed a 5-year licensing agreement with Tele Atlas. Tele Atlas will provide Google Maps for Mobile and other Google map services with mapping information.

Starting July 15, users of Windows Mobile smartphones will be able to download a beta version of Opera Mobile 9.5, which brings a lot of features from the desktop version of 9.5 to the mobile phone.

Telstra and Apple today announced that the iPhone 3G will be available to Telstra’s Australian customers on July 11. iPhone 3G will be available from Telstra on July 11 with a range of specially designed Next G iPhone 3G plans that meet the needs of any customer. The Next G iPhone 3G plans start at $30 per month with an upfront cost of $279 for the 8GB model and $399 for the 16GB model. Customers will receive the 8GB iPhone 3G model at no cost with the $80 plan and either the 8GB or the 16GB model at no cost with plans starting at $100 per month. All plans include free Wi-Fi access at Telstra hotspots and require a 24-month contract.

Customers can find further information and register their interest in iPhone 3G by visiting a nearby Telstra Shop, calling 1800iPhone or going to www.telstra.com/iphone.