Microsoft kicked off the MIX 2010 with a keynote speech that surely got the attention of programmers for the upcoming Windows Phone 7 device.  In their keynote Microsoft revealed many features that will be at the disposal of programmers looking to dive into the Windows Phone 7 Series platform.  Some of these features include:

• Accelerometer support
• Microsoft Location Service to provide developers with a single point of reference to acquire location information
• Microsoft Notification Service for pushing information to the phone, regardless of whether or not an application is running
• Hardware-accelerated video with digital rights management (DRM)
• Internet Information Services Smooth Streaming for the industry’s highest quality content viewing experience
• Multitouch
• Camera and microphone support

To assist developers and get them started quickly Microsoft is offering a suite of free developer tools which include Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone 7 Series, a free add-in to use with Visual Studio 2010 RC, XNA Game Studio 4.0, Windows Phone 7 Series Emulator for application testing, and a version of Expression Blend for Windows Phone.

If you think the app store is going to be a waste of time Microsoft already has a list of big name clients on board to release apps for the new Windows Phone 7 device.  These companies include Associated Press, NAMCO, EA Mobile, Pandora, Sling, Foursquare and Weatherbug to name a few.

PureMobile plans to carry unlocked cell phones built on the Windows Phone 7 Series platform.

Today in a message to congress the FCC unveiled it’s plans to work on a national broadband plan.  The plan details how the FCC will work to bring voice and broadband internet services to as many Americans as possible.  The FCC’s plan includes both wireline and wireless broadband components.

With the wireless side the FCC requested the use of 500MHz of spectrum and hopes to get that much made available in 10 years time.  Currently the FCC has 50MHz of spectrum available and is considering incentives and possible auctions to get current spectrum holders to give up their current allotments.

The FCC is also looking into the ways that infrastructure can help reduce the costs of deploying wireless broadband.  They would like to look into the ways that rooftops, utility poles, and other conduits can be used for cell towers and repeaters that will greatly reduce the costs of rolling out a nationwide broadband service.

The main goal of the FCC and this broadband initiative is to provide every American with access to broadband service of 100Mbps downloads and 50Mbps uploads.  The FCC also feels that the US should lead the world in mobile broadband and should have the largest and fastest network.

If the FCC realizes its goal then this will be very welcomed news for mobile device users that are currently on data plans.  They way it sounds to me is that the FCC wants to have a country wide wireless broadband service that mobile users would be able to access from their unlocked cell phones for free.  Gone could be the days of paying for wireless data plans to stream video content on your mobile device.  This will be an interesting story to keep our eyes on in the coming years to see just how much support the FCC gets from the government.

Droid owners might be in store for the update they have been longing for.  According to the internet rumor mills a customer service rep for the Motorola Droid says that the long awaited Android 2.1 update is set to be released by the end of march.  While the update is already available in places like Spain and Bulgaria users here in North America can expect the 2.1 update to be rolled out very soon.

“Marcelo M.: Hi, my name is Marcelo M.. How may I help you?
Kellen B: Hey Marcelo! Since the Spain Milestone has Android 2.1 and the Bulgarian one launches at the end of this week with 2.1, should Droid users expect it this week as well?
Marcelo M.: Within the next 2-3 weeks
Kellen B: Really? That’s awesome news. So by the end of March?
Marcelo M.: Yes
Kellen B: Very cool! Any details on what will be included in the update?
Marcelo M.: Not at this time Kellen, I am sorry
Kellen B: Ok, well thanks for providing me with a more defined timeline than just “soon”. Greatly appreciated.”

While you can never take a customer service rep’s words as gospel this does sound like some very encouraging news for those of you who have been waiting for the Android 2.1 update to be released.  It will be very exciting to see what new features are included with this update.

For all of you text messaging enthusiast out there AT&T introduced four new phones that might be of interest to you.  These four new phones are the Samsung Strive, Samsung Sunburst, Pantech Link and Pantech Pursuit.

The Samsung cell phone (Strive) will be available March 21st for $19.99 and features a full QWERTY keyboard and 2 megapixel camera.  The Samsung Starburst, also available on March 21st for $39.99, is a candybar touchscreen that features widgets which offer one touch access to frequently used services like SMS and social media sites.

The two Pantech phones are also set to be released in the near future.  The Link, which is set to become available in the coming weeks, is described as an “ultra slim and light, full keyboard quick messaging phone” that also has a wide range of social media capabilities.  The Pursuit has both a touchscreen and sliding QWERTY keyboard along with a camera.  The pursuit is set for release this summer.

It is always nice news when mobile device companies are set to come out with a new line of phones.  These new devices are sure to have many upgrades over their older counter parts and shows that these mobile device companies are listening to their consumers and giving them what they want.  I am sure there will be many people who are quite satisfied with these new messaging friendly devices, especially at those price tags!

The latest accessory to lighten the load of your mobile office is the Blackberry Presenter.  Available with a contract or as an unlocked cell phone this device is a wireless presentation tool.  Your bulky laptop can stay home and you can still deliver the one-two punch of a Microsoft Power Point presentation.

The presenter is just about the same size as your Blackberry.  There are two ports to connect directly to your projector.  The ease of operation is surprising, with the touch of your menu button you can press the launch presenter application, find your file, and your Blackberry locates the Power Point presentation that you preloaded into your Blackberry.  You then press the present option on your phone, and the pairing wizard will link your Blackberry up to the presenter and projector you are using.  This is handy in case someone else is also doing a presentation in the same convention hall or meeting space.  When you verify the document and send, the file will transfer and you are ready to begin your presentation.

You can walk around while giving your presentation since the range on the wireless is 10 meters, or 30 feet with Bluetooth connection.  Freeze a frame in your presentation as you expand on the item you are speaking about is easy enough to do by holding down a button on your phone.  Your Blackberry can also hold speaker notes that you can see and the group you are addressing will not.  This hand-held accessory will make you look like a pro and give you the freedom and mobility to relax the group you are addressing thus making your presentation a hit.  You can set the presentation on loop and talk while the slide is operational or just leave the area if it is a convention stand-alone visual presentation.  Leave your laptop behind with a Blackberry Presenter setting up for a meeting just got easier.

Verizon Wireless announced some exciting news on Tuesday after testing the wireless data speeds of their new LTE network, which is primed to replace the current 3G network. The news from Verizon was that the test results were “shocking” and “faster than ever suggested.”  This comes as a great surprise to many as Verizon now expects to beat rival wireless company ATT into the LTE business by 12-18 months.

Field tests were conducted in Boston and Seattle in August and Verizon Wireless now expects to deliver these services to about 25 – 30 markets by the end of 2010.  The test results that have shocked all of the Verizon Wireless engineers have shown an average download rate of 5Mbit/sec to 12Mbit/sec along with an uplink speed of 2Mbit/sec to 5Mbit/sec.  With rates like these Verizon customers could expect to experience the same web surfing speeds as they don on their home computer.

Some other aspects of this announcement that have tech gurus all excited is that Verizon Wireless demonstrated the capacity to perform a live videoconference using this new LTE technology.  This is an amazing feat and really demonstrates the powers that this new wireless network can really have.  Testers were also able to successfully stream a movie in 1080p high definition to a handheld device which is primed to change the way we watch videos on our handheld devices.

Imagine the possibilities this type of technology could lead to.  Soon you may be able to have a live video conference with several friends or colleagues using your unlocked cell phone while watching a movie and checking the stock market.  When something this ground breaking comes along it really makes you start to wonder what could possibly come next.

The NFL and Verizon Wireless announced a new four year deal today that will bring the NFL Mobile programming along with the NFL RedZone channel to Verizon Wireless phones.  While not too much information was given about what phones will have the NFL coverage available this new service is set to start in time so NFL fans can receive coverage of the upcoming NFL Draft which is set to take place April 22-24.  More announcements are schedule for August when the NFL season is drawing near.

Subscribers of the Verizon Wireless network will be able to watch NFL games on Sundays and Thursdays.  Users will also have access to live radio broadcasts of every regular season and playoff game for both the home and away teams.  These features will make this service appealing to just about any NFL fan as they will now never miss any of the exciting action when their favorite team is playing.

Verizon Wireless also used this opportunity to announce how their upcoming 4G network will be a fantastic complement to this NFL package.  The new Verizon 4G network is reported to have download speeds capable of streaming live wireless conferences similar to your home internet connection.  With speeds like that the action will fast and furious come Sundays while you take all of the football action wherever you go.

For any football fan this is a nice development as the Verizon network appears to be much more capable than the Sprint network, which used to be the home of this NFL package, of handling the necessary download speeds to have an enjoyable experience streaming NFL games on your mobile device.  I know I am looking forward to not being tied to my couch every Sunday for fear of missing some of the football battles.

Well I am sure you all expected this at some point.  AT&T announced plans to start selling their first android service.  AT&T is set to sell the Motorola Backflip unlocked and join the other mobile phone companies in the Android race.  The Backflip is a full QWERTY keyboard device that runs Android with Motoblur UI.

The unique aspect about this phone, aside from being the first Android phone on the AT&T network, is the way the QWERTY keyboard is set up.  As you might guess from the name the keyboard is actually upside down when you flip up the phone’s face.  When you want to type using this QWERTY keyboard you will need to make the phone do a “backflip” so that the keys are in the position you are accustomed to.  Pretty clever by those fellows over at AT&T eh?

Aside from the quirky keyboard the Backflip is your pretty standard Android phone.  Sporting a 3.1” HVGA touchscreen, 528 MHz CPU and 5MP camera the Backflip provides you with enough power to handle all over your mobile device needs.  The Backflip also comes standard with Wi-Fi access, Bluetooth technology and GPS capability.  These features make this device a really nice start for AT&T’s entrance into the Android market.

AT&T does not plan to stop with just the Motorola Backflip.  AT&T also plans to release a Dell and HTC Android phone but the models are unknown at this time.  Either way this is some exciting news for AT&T customers who are looking for an app friendly phone and do not want to purchase the iPhone.

American Airlines has announced today that they will now accept mobile ticketing at another 19 airports.  This now brings the total to 27 airports around the country that will accept boarding passes that are displayed on your mobile device.  It will work on mobile phones like the Sony Ericsson Aspen as well as Pads and will display a two-dimensional barcode.  Now, you will not have to worry about printing out a boarding pass or getting one at the airport.  This may also help you get to the security area a little bit quicker.

It is very easy to use in that you merely choose the option to have an e-mail correctly to your phone, like the Nokia 5300 unlocked cell phone or PDA and American Airlines will send the boarding pass to your e-mail and then you can get it right off of your mobile device.  The new airports that were announced include Albuquerque, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Jacksonville, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, Little Rock and Phoenix.

These are, in addition to the first ones that include Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Minneapolis.  You can visit the American airline's website to get further details about how the process works.  This is just one more application that will make travelers lives a lot easier.  Now, you will not have to worry about whether or not you printed out your boarding pass before you get to the airport, as you will just simply need to show your mobile device and the barcode.  Now all you will have to worry about is whether or not your luggage will get lost on the way to your destination.

The NFL has just signed an agreement with Verizon wireless for a four year deal that will bring NFL Mobile to Verizon users.  This comes after Sprint decided that the price to carry the NFL sponsorship did not seem to be cost effective.  It should be online, right before the NFL draft that will be happening in April.  In conjunction with the deal, Verizon wireless will become the official NFL wireless provider.  This new app will enable users to keep track of their favorite teams no matter where they are especially on their BlackBerry Curve 8520 unlocked cell phone device.

One of the favorites is going to be the NFL RedZone channel that will give you a look at all of the key plays and touchdowns from the Sunday games.  You will be able to watch live video from the Friday night and Thursday night football games from NBC.  You also get the NFL network channel that operates 365 days and 24 hours per day to get all of your football news and scores.  You also be able to get game highlights, as well as being able to check out some of the NFL films.  You will have live broadcasts on the radio for every game including the playoffs.  For all of you fantasy football enthusiasts, you will have access to unlimited information as well as news and player statistics.

No NFL program would be complete without being able to get signature ring tones, graphics and getting NFL alerts that you have customized.  You can kick off this new program for Verizon by taking advantage of it for the upcoming draft.  You will not miss any of the exciting news of the draft because the program will give you a live feed of the draft as it happens right on your BlackBerry Storm 2 or other unlocked cell phone.  It will also have tons of news; lots of blogs that will let you keep track of everyone that is picked moment by moment.  No pricing has been released yet, but it should be available very soon.