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Sony Ericsson and Google today announced that they have worked closely together to integrate Google’s Blogger and Web Search features on Sony Ericsson mobile phones. The two companies are the first in the industry to provide a pre-loaded blog application with a tight integration to the mobile camera and intuitive automatic set-up for consumers who do not already have a personal blog. The first Sony Ericsson products to offer the new service are the recently announced K610 UMTS phone and new flagship imaging handsets, the K800 and K790a, announced today and available in Q2 2006.

Integrating Blogger and Google Web Search in the Sony Ericsson handsets will provide a completely new experience for consumers. Icons leading to Google Web Search have been integrated into the phones user interface to provide easy access to the information that Google Web Search can provide.

Additionally, commencing today Google will become the standard search engine for all new Sony Ericsson Internet-capable phones. It has been tightly integrated into the phone’s web experience with multiple intuitive access points. For instance, users can directly activate a Google Web Search option from whichever page they are viewing without the need to launch a new web page to complete a search. With one click, users will be able to quickly and easily access the information they need.

PC Magazine has learned more details on T-Mobile’s upcoming UMA plans. The information comes from Philips, which manufactures the Wi-Fi chipset included in Samsung’s T709. They revealed that subscribers would be able to use the phone to make calls with their home Wi-Fi network for a flat rate of a few dollars per month. Philips was careful not discuss their carrier partner for the T709, but the phone has been shown with T-Mobile branding and appears to be an exclusive for the carrier. The phone will use UMA to seamlessly transfer calls between the cellular network and a compatible Wi-Fi access point. T-Mobile has confirmed its commitment to UMA technology in the past, a re-confirmed it to PC Magazine as well.

Sony Ericsson today announces the M600 phone and messaging device. This is a fully-specified email tool and mobile phone rolled into an extremely stylish, slim device featuring a touch screen and handwriting recognition. M600 is the second Symbian OS 9.1 and UIQ 3.0 enabled phone in the Sony Ericsson portfolio offering users great customisation opportunities and the ability to buy personal productivity and other applications from the Sony Ericsson Application Shop. New push email applications, remote synchronisation and expandable memory give owners a UMTS phone and email connectivity in a device that easily fits in their pocket - at just 15mm thick, it is one of the slimmest business UMTS devices of its kind available.

“Estimates show that there are approximately 650 million business email users around the globe, and the demand for true mobile email is growing rapidly,” says Jan Wareby, Corporate Executive Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing, Sony Ericsson. “While there are some standalone email messaging devices available, many people will welcome fast and easy messaging tools integrated into their mobile phone.”

The software platform and user interface, make multitasking – for example browsing the Internet whilst making a voice call - a reality. M600 also takes full advantage of its UMTS capabilities with fast and easy email handling (even with large attachments) and high bandwidth multimedia downloads. Document handling offers and PowerPoint, Word and Excel editors and an Adobe PDF viewer.

The ergonomic design of the M600 makes it easy to operate with one hand or two and gives versatile options on how to perform messaging tasks. For example the large dual function keyboard makes for easy messaging input and is also the keypad for number buttons. Reading emails and viewing high quality video and graphics content is made easy with the 3-way Jog Dial and a 2.6″ QVGA screen, capable of handling 262K-colors.

The FCC is set to unveil a proposal that will change the rules on small business discounts awarded in some spectrum license auctions. Currently large carriers team with small regional ones to bid on spectrum in auctions. The national carriers do this to take advantage of a 25% discount awarded to small carriers on some licenses. The FCC would like to prevent large carriers from taking advantage of this discount while still offering it to smaller ones. Even if the FCC does change this rule, it has to consider comments on the proposal, and changes may not take effect until after June’s 3G auction, allowing national carriers one last time to buy spectrum at a discount.

The FCC recently approved the Samsung P858, a GSM Clamshell with a 3MP CCD sensor. The P858 is a Chinese version of the P850, which was announced for Europe last year. While it is unlikely the P858 will show up on American shores, a similar P857 model is rumored for Cingular. Sometimes American versions of phones show up with less impressive specs than their European cousins, but the Nokia N80 has recently paved the way for 3 Megapixel phones with TV-out on American Networks. In addition to a high resolution camera with flash, the P858 is a 900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS handset featuring Bluetooth, an MP3 player, MicroSD slot and TV-out. The QVGA screen also flips around in order to hold the phone horizontally and use it as a camera while closed.

Helio has asked Samsung for a handset that is to be available a few months after the MVNO launches. Samsung has not announced what model they will offer, but that it is based on design and features that have proved successful in the US, indicating it will be based on a currently available handset. The first two handsets for Helio’s launch, which is expected in March or April, were earlier revealed as the Pantech Hero and the VK 650c. An SK Telecom official recently said that these models will differ from their Korean counterparts by including Wi-Fi radios. This could be an indication Helio will take advantage of Earthlink’s large hotspot network either for high-speed data or UMA.

Helio has asked Samsung for a handset that is to be available a few months after the MVNO launches. Samsung has not announced what model they will offer, but that it is based on design and features that have proved successful in the US, indicating it will be based on a currently available handset. The first two handsets for Helio’s launch, which is expected in March or April, were earlier revealed as the Pantech Hero and the VK 650c. An SK Telecom official recently said that these models will differ from their Korean counterparts by including Wi-Fi radios. This could be an indication Helio will take advantage of Earthlink’s large hotspot network either for high-speed data or UMA.

Motorola and NTT DoCoMo today announced a jointly-developed prototype HSDPA phone capable of 3.6 Mbps downlink, the maximum possible data rate for current HSDPA networks. The phone is based on the RAZR V3x, Motorola’s new flagship 3G phone which recently started shipping in Europe. DoCoMo today also announced prototype HSDPA phones from Fujitsu and NEC, also supporting the 3.6 Mbps data rate. Initial HSDPA phones expected for Cingular will only support 1.8 Mbps. DoCoMo plans to launch HSDPA in Japan this summer.

Verizon announced VZ Navigator, a new service that will provide directions and locations of nearby services to subscribers using aGPS enabled phones. When a user launches Navigator, the network and GPS satellites will determine his location. That data can then be used to locate nearby businesses such as restaurants or banks, and can also be used to provide turn by turn directions to a destination. The service is initially available on the newly launched Motorola V325; Verizon has not promised the application for additional handsets. Navigator will cost $10 for a month of unlimited use, or $3 for 24 hours. Sprint has already launched a similar service for most of their new handsets.

Verizon Communications, part owner of Verizon Wireless, said this week they would like to increase their stake in the wireless arm. Vodafone, a major European carrier, currently owns 45% of the wireless venture. Vodafone could force Verizon to buy back all of its shares in VZW in the coming year for between $10 and 20 billion, however that is not the only way for Verizon to increase its stake. Verizon is hoping the two companies can come to an agreement for Vodafone to sell some or all of its shares.