BlackBerry Bold now available -- in Chile?

Movistar's Chilean outpost has now become -- somewhat surprisingly, may we add -- the very first carrier in the world to launch the BlackBerry Bold and put it into subscribers' hands. The carrier's making sure everyone knows what a coup they've managed to pull off, too, proudly proclaiming "FIRST ONES IN THE WORLD" with a red banner draped across the Bold's image on Movistar's site. Pricing seems a little high at 299,990 Chilean pesos (about $588) on a two-year contract, but hey, you've gotta pay to play; just how badly do you want to be one of the first people on the face of the planet (John Mayer notably excepted) to put this thing to use?

--Article written by Chris Ziegler of Engadget.com

Mobile TV Olympics

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Every one of us stood at attention during grade school and focused on our nation’s flag while we recited our pledge of allegiance to our country. This includes every athlete who is about to represent the United States’ pride in the 2008 Olympic Games. About now you’re probably asking, “What do the Olympic Games and cell phones have to do with each other?” The answer to that pressing question is A LOT!

The MediaFLO Network is proud to be an official sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. This means that on 8/8/2008 the NBC2GO channel of the AT&T Mobile TV Network will begin its’ 24/7 coverage of the Olympics. This coverage is exclusive to the MediaFLO Network and therefore will not be aired on any other Mobile Video Network. Kudos to all of you proud Mobile TV subscribers :o)

If you are interested in watching this coverage, you will need a Mobile TV ready phone, Mobile Internet and the Mobile TV subscription feature. All of these can be provided for you at your local Car-Tel Communications store. Also, check out www.car-tel.com/Videos.php to see a brand new commercial featuring an extremely supportive Michael Phelps fan.

GO U.S.A. !!!!!

What a Vu!!!

Recently I was handed every cell phone enthusiast’s dream responsibility in the form of the LG Vu. My mission, since I chose to accept, was to personally discover the ins and outs of LG’s newest touch phone and compare them to that of the released information on the 3G iPhone. This was no small task, but now all of you special people can reap the benefits of my research in your upcoming purchases. For this I am happy :o) Anyway, back to the comparison at hand.

First, we’ll begin with the LG Vu. It’s easier this way because it’s sitting in front of me. The Vu is an extremely impressive phone. The picture quality and touch response on the 3” screen are very good. This makes watching the Mobile TV network, browsing the internet, viewing movies, and navigating the menu simple and enjoyable. A major test for most internet capable phones is the use of YouTube Mobile, and the Vu handles it just fine on the 3G Network. Oh wait, I forgot to mention you can do all of these, along with calling, simultaneously.

The Vu’s capabilities are very impressive and the Mobile TV is flawless! Music can be uploaded via USB by syncing to Windows Media Player 10 (or above) and simply dragging them to a built in sync panel. Once saved to the Vu, all music is searchable and played through the AT&T Music Player. The built in player is equipped with the ability to sort music by Artist, Album or Genre, can produce playlists, and also has a built in equalizer for playback options. Although, what's audio without video? Mobile TV offers 12 channels of streaming television programming from names such as: ESPN, Nickelodeon, CNN, Fox, and more. Every channel comes in just as good if not better than basic cable on the 3G Network. Differences between the LG Vu and the 3G iPhone are pretty extensive, but anyone interested in upgrading should know at least a select few.

The 2008 iPhone does utilize the same 3G network for fast internet speeds and data transfer. Although, the iPhone does not have a replaceable battery to solve charge memory issues, a removable SDcard to open space for saved data, the ability to take videos, or the ability to send picture and video messages. On top of having the ability to actually DO all of this, the LG Vu has 12 channels of streaming quality television. If you ask me, this is a no brainer.

We Want To Help Save You Money (and Trees)!

Today I came across an article on PCMAG.com about a popular trend in Southern Korea that could potentially be a great way to not only immediately save customers money, but save a few trees as well. What is this trend? Coupons, or I should say “mobile” coupons.

Customers have a bar code sent to their phone (similar to the plane ticket concept I wrote about a few months back) via text message and have it scanned at the register. It saves paper and also keeps customers’ wallets full.

When I stumbled upon this article, it reminded me of our website. Although our coupons don’t reach our customers via text message, we still give the option to print out coupons and bring them into our stores. Plus, Car-Tel believes in being green and knowing we save a few trees by having our coupons online puts a smile on our faces.

Currently, we have our "Refer a Friend and Receive $20" coupon on our homepage. Just have your friend print it out, have them fill in your name (if you referred them to us) and then have them bring it to any of our seven convenient locations. When we check our system and see your name listed as a referral, we will send you $20 as a thank you.

We want to know what kind of coupons you would be interested for using in our stores. Comment on here or write us at contact@car-tel.com and let us know what kind of awesome deals you want to receive.

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Third World Countries Receive Emergency Services Via Free Mobile Services

Technology has slowly been increasing in Third World countries with the help of charities (such as One Laptop Per Child, which happens to be part of our Project P.H.O.N.E. donations), but what about companies with profit motive? Ericsson, one of the top Telecommunications providers in the world, has teamed up with Zain (Kuwait-based wireless carrier), Sony Ericsson and the Millennium Villages Project at Columbia’s Earth Institute to bring toll-free mobile service to remote areas in Africa.

These toll-free services are intended to save lives of these African citizens in order to provide emergency services, such as medical care. Up to 5,000 citizens in Dertu, Kenya that have been given temporary mobile services so far, a first for the region.

According to Richard Martin’s article “The Next Billion: Mobile Technology Saves Lives In Sub-Saharan Africa” on Information Week’s blog OvertheAir, the project intends to provide a solar-powered network to approximately 400,000 citizens in 10 countries.

Although these services will not make a dramatic decease of Africa’s impoverished conditions, I believe it will make a positive difference in mortality rates. Having mobile connectivity to emergency services and health personnel could potentially save lives and help maintain a higher population density for these countries.

How do you feel about this wireless service project? Do you think it will help these countries in any way?

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Spring Into May with Car-Tel Communications!

May is here—the flowers have bloomed, the trees are green, the weather is beautiful and Car-Tel Communications already has quite an active month.

To start off the month, we have two new phones from AT&T to add to our variety of devices—the LG Vu and the Sony Ericsson Z750a (comes in gray, pink and purple).

The LG Vu is very similar to the iPhone—very attractive, interactive touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and video record, affordable and much more. If you’ve been dreaming about the iPhone, but aren’t able to afford it, I recommend the LG Vu. It’s literally the iPhone’s long-lost twin and won’t hurt your wallet.

The Sony Ericsson Z750a also has a very tasteful design, easy-to-navigate and a great battery life. I just purchased the Z750a (in purple) and love it. I think it’s one of the best phones I’ve owned yet (and I’ve owned a lot of phones). If you’re looking for a very practical and easy-to-use, yet unique device, I recommend the Z750a.

I also would like to congratulate our Marketing Manager, Toni Verdi, and our Broomall Store Manager, Hooman Mobasser on winning Most Informative Booth at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo!

Hooman is also featured as the Spotlight Member in the Delaware Chamber of Commerce’s May/June issue of Business Connects, check it out!

Be sure to visit your Car-Tel Communications this month for awesome deals and excellent service. We hope to “connect” with you soon!

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Uncle Sam Wants You to Text

It seems like texting your vote has become quite commonplace with television shows, such as American Idol. When you see your favorite Idol on the screen, you open up your phone, text “7” to “1234” and your vote is tallied. Simple, right?

What if the same concept was used for voting in the Presidential Elections? According to Eric Zeman’s article, “People Would Use Cell Phones to Vote For President If They Could” on Information Week’s OvertheAir Blog, a poll taken by Samsung proved this idea to be very popular among its participants.

While I see this as an easy solution for voters who can’t make it to the polls on time (let’s face it, many of us have a long commute these days), I just don’t see it working. There are several sections on the ballot in which the citizens vote for (state, county, city, ect.) and text messaging would either overlook these sections or cause a huge mess. There are several other questions that lead me to believe text-voting for the Presidential Election is not a fool proof plan. How would they tally these votes? Also, how would they identify that citizen?

This concept seems like a lot of work and if it were to appear in our lives, it wouldn’t be for several years. If it did exist, I don’t think I’d do it. I prefer to go inside a booth, review my choices and vote, knowing that I did my job as a citizen of this country.

What do you think about voting for President via text message? Would you do it? Do you think it will work?

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant