SkyTerra's Mobile Satellite Ventures, ICO Global Communications and Qualcomm have jointly announced today a partnership that could have far-reaching implications in the mobile realm. In short, the trio has agreed to "integrate satellite and cellular communication technology in select multi-mode mobile baseband chips," which will essentially enable handsets to have "ubiquitous mobile communications coverage from anywhere in North America, including areas where traditional cellular service is currently unavailable or unreliable." The release proclaims that this hookup will lead to satellite connectivity being in mass-market devices, but only time will tell how long it takes for compatible handsets to get adopted by carriers. Unfortunately, we do know it won't happen prior to 2010, as that's the planned ship date for the newfangled chips. Thanks for the heads-up, guys -- but oh, how the tease hurts us.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Update: Images provided are of Mobile Satellite Ventures' design concepts.

Not that the Big N hasn't snubbed the vast majority of the world before with these channel releases, but folks holed up everywhere save for Japan have yet another one they can only look longingly at from afar. Thanks to a new partnership between Nintendo and Fujifilm, the Wii Digicam Print Channel is immediately available for Japanese Wii consoles to access, which essentially gives owners the ability to upload images from SD cards and receive customized prints, photo books, business cards, etc. in the mail. We're not totally at all sure why someone would choose to handle this on a gaming console rather than, say, an actual computer, but hey -- who are we to judge? Oh, and for you folks in North America, Europe and beyond, expect the service to roll your way sometime in the future.

[Via DigitalCameraInfo]

MSI has been pretty successful with the Wind, wouldn't you say? Yeah, so would LG. Reportedly, LG is hoping to solicit MSI's services in order to craft its own X110 netbook. The mini laptop will purportedly boast an 8.9-inch panel, 120GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM and Windows XP runnin' the show. Interestingly, the price is expected to hover between $625 and $790 as it focuses on "design and material quality" rather than low cost. Anxious to see how that move plays out, aren't you?

Be still, our hearts! After watching the wireless HD / HDMI sector fumble along for years on end, a team of mega-corps have finally agreed to push their self-interests aside and collaborate on a standard. WHDI creator AMIMON has joined forces with Motorola, Samsung, Sony and Sharp in order to form "a special interest group to develop a comprehensive new industry standard for multi-room audio, video and control connectivity" utilizing the aforementioned Wireless Home Digital Interface technology. Reportedly, the group will have a standard completed before 2009 dawns, but we all know how easily these things can get pushed under the rug. Nevertheless, the overriding goal here is to "enhance the current WHDI technology to enable wireless streaming of uncompressed HD video and audio between CE devices such as LCD and plasma HDTVs, multimedia projectors, AV receivers, DVD and BD players, set-top-boxes, game consoles and PCs." A tall order, sure, but one we're elated to see taken on. Full release (and promo spot) after the break.

Unless you've been camped out under a Rhode Island-sized boulder for the past few weeks, you know that Verizon has announced its intentions to acquire Alltel. During a recent interview with CEO Scott Ford, Talk Business host Roby Brock was able to get a few talking points out of the exec that didn't involve the most recent transaction. More specifically, Mr. Ford noted that prior to Alltel becoming a private company, it had "tried to buy Sprint three times, tried to buy AT&T Wireless [and] tried to buy T-Mobile." He continued by saying that "some of those times it went with partners, [while] some of those times it didn't." Essentially, Alltel was "doing everything it could to get to a national platform." Believe it or not, those quotes really are just the tip of the iceberg, but the full spill is entirely too detailed for this space. If you're curious to know what might have been, break out the reading glasses and hit the link below.

[Via mocoNews]

Oh sure, GalleryPlayer enables your HDTV to instantly turn into an art display, but it doesn't even pretend to be anything classier than a multifaceted television. Samsung, however, is looking to change the game by partnering with Thomas Kinkade on a new 46-inch prototype Digital Masterworks Art-TV. The unit was recently showcased to news media, and it's said to be "housed n a Thomas Kinkade frame designed to accentuate the fine art theme." From what we can gather, it's being aimed at folks who'd love a nice piece of art sitting above their mantel, but when the time comes, they can switch off the paintings and throw on a day's worth of NFL in HD. The wild thing here is how important the actual art aspect is to the display, with hidden touch controls planned to enable viewers to flip through artworks and zoom in / out as they please. Heck, there's even integrated WiFi, a 40GB hard drive, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 8ms response time and 500 nits of brightness. The set is due out exclusively through Thomas Kinkade's Signature Gallery later this year, with iffy plans to release it to other retailers in 2H 2009.

[Via CNET]

For those with ridiculously sharp memories, you'll easily recall that DuPont has been dabbling in OLED technology for years. Now, however, the company famous for showcasing the miracles of science has formed a strategic alliance with Dainippon Screen Manufacturing to "develop integrated manufacturing equipment for printed OLED displays." Furthermore, the duo has agreed to "bring together the elements needed -- materials, technology and equipment -- to mass produce OLED displays." In essence, the two are hoping to produce higher-quality units at a lower cost than what's currently available, and we can happily say we hope they succeed. Now, if only we knew when some product would emerge from this here wedding...

After a good bit of hand-shaking and check-writing to close out last year, Vonage has managed to remain out of the press for the majority of 2008. Now, however, the firm is sneaking back out from its cocoon in order to announce a partnership with Covad Communications. In essence, it seems that Vonage has inked an agreement to resell broadband packages using Covad's nationwide DSL network. Jeffrey Citron, Chairman, Chief Strategist, and Interim CEO even went so far as to say that the newly coined Vonage Broadband would enable the firm to "respond to the demand it hears from customers who prefer the Vonage brand." Really? You've got folks who prefer the Vonage brand? Maybe we missed the comeback.

The ever-boastful MTI Micro is back again, just days after showing off a fuel cell-powered GPS prototype in Atlanta. This go 'round, the company is announcing a newfound partnership with an elusive Japanese developer of digicams in order to "evaluate the feasibility, development and production" of Mobion products. The love affair will enable the two to work together in evaluating and adapting the aforesaid technology for use in "various precision imaging applications, including digital cameras." Best of all, work is apparently already ongoing, and MTI Micro is expected to deliver prototypes later this month. Going from prototype form to the store shelf, however, will be the hard part.

Well, what do you know? Sometimes even the most repetitive of rumors finally comes true. Barely 12 hours after the Wall Street Journal reported that a deal between Sprint, Clearwire (and just about everyone) else was dangerously close to going down, it seems as if the bottom lines have indeed been signed. Details are pretty light at the moment, but we definitively know that Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. will be merging their "next-generation wireless broadband businesses to form a new wireless communications company." Quite simply, the new WiMAX-pushing outfit will be called Clearwire, even though Sprint will hold around 51-percent of the firm, while existing Clearwire shareholders will own 27-percent and the new investors will hold 22-percent. New investors? Ah yes, Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks will collectively invest $3.2 billion in the new company, but that figure is "based on a target price of $20 a share of Clearwire's common stock, and is subject to a post-closing adjustment."

[Via CNN]

Here's your heartwarming story for the day. Microsoft has teamed up with Companions in Courage in order to bring "hundreds" of Xbox 360 kiosks to children's hospitals across the nation, and the gaming stations have already been installed at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children's Hospital of Orange County, California. The customized units are "hospital-friendly" and come pre-loaded with a variety of E and E10+ rated games, Y-rated television programs, G-rated movies and the Xbox Live headset / Vision camera in order for gamers to play online. Speaking of, each kiosk is wired to a private Live network which "allows hospitalized children across the country to play games and chat" with each other. There's no word on where the stations are slated to arrive outside of the three venues already mentioned, but those interested in broadening the reach of the endeavor can feel free to donate to the cause.

[Via OhGizmo]

Immersion, the same folks responsible for adding haptic technology (force feedback from touch panels, pretty much) in a fleet of Nokia handsets, could be looking to do the same with Cupertino's one and only. While VibeTonz isn't specifically mentioned by name, a recent report (which should certainly be filed as a rumor for the time being) is suggesting that bigwigs from both outfits are in ongoing meetings "over licensing and implementation issues of iPhone haptics." Interestingly enough, this news is flowing hot on the heels of Immersion appointing Clent Richardson as president and CEO; if that name rings a bell, he previously spent five years pretty high up the ladder at Apple. Of course, all the signs pointing to yes doesn't mean anything in and of itself, so we'll just twiddle our thumbs a bit longer and hope to have some feedback for 'em soon enough.

[Thanks, Chris]

Read - Rumors of Immersion bringing haptics to iPhone
Read - Clent Richardson becomes president / CEO of Immersion

Remember that WiFi pact brewed up between AT&T and Starbucks earlier this year? How could you forget, right? As if it wasn't official enough already, the two have announced that the rollout has begun at company-operated Starbucks locations, and the nationwide effort will continue throughout 2008. Effective May 1st, qualifying AT&T high-speed internet / WiFi customers -- that's those who subscribe to one of the three higher-speed residential broadband packages, a small business broadband package or a U-verse offering with high-speed internet -- will have free WiFi access at over 7,000 coffeehouses across the US. Unfortunately, we're not given any real insight into what kinds of potential deals are in the works for AT&T wireless customers (if any at all), but here's to hoping you all can get a little love, too.

We knew it! There was just no way a single WiFi router was going to provide coverage from Mercury to Pluto. In order to ensure that all intergalactic beings are given fair and equal access to the intarwebz (and to build a "constellation" that'll act as a space-based network for communication, data storage and Earth observations, too), NASA is syncing up with m2mi. Of course, these two entities have worked together on occasion before, but this go 'round, they're looking to craft (relatively) minuscule nanosats that weigh between 11 and 110-pounds and could be placed in low Earth orbit in order to create a new telecommunications and networking system. As expected, nary a launch date is even hinted at, but while we lowly Earthlings worry over the eventual rollout of 4G services, these two hotshots will be focusing on 5G -- which incorporates VoIP, video, data, wireless and an integrated machine-to-machine intelligence layer. Far out.

[Via CNET]

Nothing shows your complete and unwavering devotion to a handset maker like buying an ultra-rare vehicle with its logos on there, wouldn't you agree? Those vigorously nodding up and down (well, those vigorously nodding up and down in Brazil) can get set to grab a limited edition Renault Sandero, which will come "fully equipped with Nokia's navigation system and [undisclosed] car add-ons." The super-special Sandero will come stocked with an N95 and cost around €17,650 ($27,693), but you'd better hurry, as only 1,000 of these niche motorcars are being built. It's like Nokia heard your cries for letting the chance to nab one of those co-branded Twingos slip through your too-busy-texting thumbs or something.