Sony Ericsson has created two new panels for the Xperia X1 smartphone. The first new panel is for Facebook and provides a customized interface for interacting with the social networking site. The panel gives users a new visual representation ...
Beginning Monday, Dec. 1, 2008, first-time Firefly subscribers can choose from two new rate plans: 25 minutes for $9.99 or 150 minutes for $19.99. No contracts or access fees are required and the new plans are available to any new subscriber, regardless of where they purchased their Firefly phone. Firefly is also offering limited edition glowPhone bundles, specially priced at $59.99. Bundles are available in pink or black and include a glowPhone, carabineer and special rubber skin. For individual glowPhone purchases, Firefly is giving away a free headset valued at $15.99.
“Cell phones are high on most kids’ holiday wish lists, and Firefly Mobile wants to make granting those wishes safe and affordable,” said Kyle Cox, President, Firefly Mobile. “Our age-appropriate phones are the perfect gift for children and tweens, offering the features kids want and the control parents need.”
Robust parental control features come standard on all Firefly phones, allowing parents to limit calls and, with the flyPhone, texts to only those numbers they have pre-programmed into the phone. The Firefly network’s monthly and pay-as-you-go plans also let parents keep things affordable — without requiring long-term contracts or activation fees.
Firefly phones are available at U.S. retailers including Wal-Mart, Walmart.com, Target.com, BarnesandNoble.com, as well as regional mobile phone operators and online at Fireflymobile.com.
HTC's TouchPro comes to AT&T with its TouchFLO 3D user interface and a full QWERTY keyboard. It is a capable messaging and multimedia device marred only by Microsoft's Windows Mobile.
Lenovo today announced plans to bring customers a new security defense against unauthorized data access on Lenovo ThinkPad notebooks. The Lenovo Constant Secure Remote Disable feature lets users send a simple text message command via a cell phone to render their PC useless to unauthorized users when the notebook is lost or stolen. Lenovo’s Remote Disable feature will be available on select ThinkPad notebooks equipped with mobile broadband starting in 1Q 2009.
To activate Remote Disable, users create a simple text message command such as “lockdown PC now” or “PC shut off” that can be used if a notebook PC is lost or stolen. A user sends the kill command to the ThinkPad notebook via cell phone to the PC’s onboard mobile broadband service and the computer becomes inoperable. If the PC is turned off when a user sends a kill command, the PC will automatically disable the next time someone turns it on. Users also receive a confirmation text message that validates when the Remote Disable technology has been successfully executed. To reactivate the disabled PC, a user enters his or her pre-set passcode created during notebook startup.
Lenovo’s Remote Disable is included in the price of the notebook at no additional charge. It will be available 1Q 2009 on select ThinkPad notebooks that are enabled for mobile broadband. Remote Disable will be supported worldwide wherever cellular phone systems support GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) SMS (Short Message Service) text message transmission.
PayPal today announced a new way for members to add even more security to their PayPal accounts using their mobile phones. Customers can now choose to receive a unique six-digit security code via text message to their mobile phones prior to logging in to their accounts.
The PayPal SMS Security Key adds another layer of protection to PayPal accounts and uses the same security infrastructure as the PayPal Security Key, which generates a unique security code approximately every 30 seconds on a small electronic token. Members receive this code to their phones or tokens, and use the codes along with their usernames and passwords to sign in to their accounts.
Both the PayPal Security Key token and the SMS security codes are now available to customers in the U.S., Australia, Austria, Canada and Germany. PayPal does not charge for delivery of security codes to a mobile device; however, the mobile provider’s standard text messaging charges will apply. To use the service, customers need a mobile device and wireless service set up to receive SMS text messages.