If you want data service on your phone positively, absolutely anywhere you happen to be in the US or Canada, this one's for you: TerreStar just successfully launched its aptly-named TerreStar-1 satellite, which just happens to be the largest commercial satellite ever deployed. This dovetails perfectly with news that the upstart satphone provider is partnering with AT&T to offer service later this year, presumably with a variant of that sweet little Elektrobit WinMo piece we had a chance to check out a few months back. Cost could be a concern, but it should be cheaper than the problem-plagued Iridium back when it launched -- and hybrid HSPA capability is a major win, too.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Upstart Zer01 has been touting its so-called "Veritable Mobile Convergence" technology since early in the year, promising to attach to all sorts of carriers with which it has agreements around the world to bring unlimited data and calling to the masses, and now they've launched -- sort of. It turns out that the company is actually looking for partners that'll resell the service, which focuses on data and uses VoIP to deliver on its promises; what that means to anyone navigating to the site right now to sign up for a new line is that... well, you can't. You'll need to buy service through a distributor, and since Zer01 doesn't have a distributor network yet, that's a little hard to do -- so for all practical purposes, the wait for cheap wireless data nirvana continues.

A few days after blocking PlayStation 3 users, Hulu has yet to respond to questions concerning the change which has only helped to fuel rumors it is related to the Microsoft ad campaign currently featured on the site, but that seems less likely now that we've confirmed it also began blocking the Flash-enabled Skyfire browser on Windows Mobile devices at the same time. Whatever the cause is, if you prefer a homegrown hack over something like PlayOn or TVersity, Eric over at ypass.net has put together a simple enough walkthrough for creating an "unblockable" workaround by setting up a locally connected PC running Linux or Windows with the freely available Squid proxy server software that will make your PS3 look like appear as a PC running a Firefox (or whatever you prefer) browser to any website that asks. Of course, just like the other solutions your computer will need to stay running to keep you connected, but we figure it's a small price to pay for enjoying relatively low res Flash video running on an HDTV.

Read - Got a PS3? Want Hulu Back? Easy enough...
Read - Squid-setup for Windows NT /2k /X

Not that we haven't heard a few miraculous gadgets-saving-lives stories before, but this one is in a league of its own. According to the always-embellishing Sun, one David Fitzherbert is thanking his smartphone after coming entirely too close to falling 700 feet to his death. As the story goes, he got wedged between a pair of rocks after losing control of his skis in the Matterhorn, and while we aren't quite sure why he chose RIM's BlackBerry over -- say, chap-stick, car keys, his wallet or a fattening breakfast -- he credited it with adding just enough width to his person to keep him wedged. Two hours after finding himself between a rock and a hard place, rescue crews arrived and flew him to a hospital where he used the "0.5-inch wide" phone to tell his wife that he had survived a nasty spill. We still say David owes a round of thanks to genetics, luck and Zeus, but hey, what do we know?

In an industry wracked with consolidation and tough economic realities, Ericsson's been an unusually steady force -- probably thanks to the fact that it's a giant in wireless infrastructure -- so we're pretty confident in saying that the departure of CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg to become head honcho over at BP isn't an indication that there's trouble brewing in the ranks. That's especially true considering that Svanberg will stay on as CEO until the end of the year and will remain on Ericsson's board beyond that. Replacing him will be up-and-comer Hans Vestberg, who currently serves as CFO -- so it's not that big of a move, and apparently one that's been expected among Ericsson's watchers for some time. How this'll ultimately affect the dynamic between Ericsson and fellow joint-venture parent Sony is unclear, but if this means we can get a PSP phone faster, we're totally behind ya, Hans.

[Via mocoNews]

If you do a lot of calling to other countries and you're on a budget (or, heck, even if you're not on a budget), it's going to be hard not to sit up and take notice of MetroPCS' ridiculously affordable new option. Subscribers to the regional carrier's $40, $45, and $50 service plans will be able to tack on unlimited international calling for just $5 a month, offering access to "over 100" countries representing "over 1,000" destinations at no additional charge -- they're being coy about the exact numbers, but at any rate, "over 100" countries is a lot by our geographically-impaired count. So, you know, don't be shy about ringing up that buddy in Luxembourg a little more often, alright?

[Via Phone Scoop]

The world's two most visually engaging smartphones -- the iPhone and the Pre -- share very similar cores based on ARM's Cortex A8 architecture, and with the newer, more advanced Cortex A9 in the pipeline, you can't help but let your mind wander a bit as you envision what twice as much computational power could bring to a handset. The A9 employs more advanced instruction pipelining than its predecessor, but the biggest news has to be the fact that it can pack two or more cores -- and ARM fully expects dual-core A9-based phones to hit in 2010. Of course, power consumption is the biggest constraint when it comes to this category of device, and while the company says that peak drain will exceed that on today's crop of devices, average consumption will actually drop thanks largely to a move from 65nm to 45nm manufacturing processes. Add in 1080p video promised by TI's next-gen OMAP4 silicon wrapped around an A9 core, and you've basically got a home theater in your pocket that's ready to rock for a few hours on a charge. That and Snoop Dogg, of course.

This one goes back a little ways, but a U.S. District Court in Seattle has now given the go ahead to a class action lawsuit brought by former AT&T Wireless subscribers, who have complained that their service went downhill after the company was bought by Cingular and ultimately became the new AT&T. They're also not too happy that they were forced to pay to get new Cingular phones, and they're now asking that AT&T pay back all those extra charges, plus the usual damages, of course. For its part, AT&T isn't saying anything more than that it "respectfully" disagrees with the court's decision, and that it's now studying the ruling and considering its options.

Where's the fail whale when you need it, right? Early yesterday morning, Nokia flipped the switch on its Ovi Store, claiming that it's app market would potentially reach some 50 million users around the world. Unfortunately for Nokia, it seems as if all 50 million attempted to check things out at the same time. Web-wide, users were griping that things just weren't working out, and we're not talking about small packets of flustered users. In fact, Nokia was forced to admit that "shortly after launching, it began experiencing extraordinarily high spikes of traffic that resulted in some performance issues," and judging by reactions, we'd say "some" is now a front-runner for understatement of the year. Have things smoothed over for you today? Are you even bothering to check?

Update: Nokia has apologized for the gaff and has reportedly added server capacity to handle the demand. Question is: is the fix working?

Timely, no? Just a month after Sharp aided in producing the planet's first waterproof solar cellphone, the aforementioned outfit has just announced the industry's thinnest solar module for handsets. Checking in at just 0.8 millimeters thick, the LR0GC02 shouldn't take up too much space on your daughter's great-granddaughter's smartphone, and while Sharp isn't handing over too many details just yet, we figure it'll pretty much do what it says. You know -- charge the handset it's integrated into whenever sunlight is available. As for when we'll see these in cellphones everywhere? Take a wild guess, tree-hugger.

[Via Akihabara News]

Mmm, the sweet smell of mobile data burning up the pipes in the morning. Gets us every time. Evidently, the same aroma does something to the brains of Ericsson and TeliaSonera, who have taken their January agreement to the next level by introducing the planet's first commercial Long-Term Evolution (LTE) site in Stockholm, Sweden. Mind you, we've seen lots of trial runs over the past year and change, but this one's no test. Rather, this site will become part of a commercial network scheduled to go live in 2010, bringing wicked fast mobile transfers to Stockholmers everywhere. Now, let's hope these American carriers get jealous, and fast.

In case you weren't already convinced of a certain model of Nokia 1100's hackability by the exponential surge in its aftermarket value, fraud investigation firm Ultrascan has successfully recreated a virtual bank heist by reprogramming one of the devices to receive another phone number's text messages. Using this trick, shady characters in fancy suits can get your mobile transaction authentication number -- provided you live in a country like Germany or Holland that use mTANs -- and use it to get into your bank account and transfer funds. They'd also need your account name and password, mind you, but obtaining that data isn't nearly as complex when there's plenty of people clicking on the wrong emails and signing into fake website with all those deets and the associated digits. It all sounds a bit like the stuff of crime novels, doesn't it? And before you go running to eBay with that 1100 you stashed away in a drawer years ago, please note that it only works if the candybar was produced at a very specific plant in Bochum, Germany.