AT&T locks Motorola Backflip to avoid non-market apps (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In order to prevent subscribers from installing non-market apps from unknown sources, the new Android-powered Motorola Backflip smartphone has been locked by telecom operator, AT&T. In the previous Android devices from rival U.S. operators, support for non-market apps as a default option was available.
Earlier, instead of releasing the Backflip with Google’s own search tool, AT&T released it with Yahoo as its default mobile search engine, thus breaking away from Android convention. Google was installed as a default search engine in most and if not all previous Android devices launched in the U.S.
However, Motorola earlier offered Chinese consumers the option to select Baidu as their primary search service.
Google might be replaced by Bing in Apple’s iPhone
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Apple iPhone customers could carry out their search operations on Bing instead of Google, if the negotiation for the deal between Apple and Microsoft works after which Bing will become default search engine on the iPhone.
Currently, the users can use Yahoo instead of Google but have to perform the switch manually. It has also been reported that the talks are underway for weeks and there are chances that the deal might fall apart.
A Bing application for the iPhone has already been created by Microsoft.
Bing becomes the default search engine of Verizon’s Blackberries
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Wikipedia and Google would be replaced by Bing as the default search engine on some of the Blackberry smartphones of Verizon Wireless under a search agreement inked between Verizon and Microsoft in January.
According to Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson, in order to use the search engine of their choice, the subscribers will have to simply type in the URL of the search engine they prefer, mark it as a “favorite” and *SNAP* . The carrier’s action covers several BlackBerry models and the update affects the devices’ Web browser.
The change was first noticed by CrackBerry.com when the users of the site reported Microsoft’s Bing as the only available search provider. However, a cursory test showed that Google and other options as still available.
Earlier, Verizon Wireless in July remotely pushed the Slacker Radio application to subscribers toting the BlackBerry Storm.
Opera Mobile and Opera Mini to use Google as default search engine (USA)
Opera Mobile and Opera Mini to use Google as default search engine
Opera Software has announced that their Opera Mobile and Opera Mini products would now use Google as the default search engine.
This means that Google has managed to snatch away a deal from Yahoo which was previously the default search engine on these two mobile applications.
Incidentally, Google is already the default search engine in the desktop version of Opera since several years now.
Opera said that the change is applicable to all markets except for Russia and the former Soviet Republics.
Jon von Tetzchner, chief executive of Opera added on this deal: Google and Opera have established a valuable relationship over the years and we look forward to continued collaboration on mobile products. With 2008 poised to be the year the mobile Web goes mainstream, Google and Opera are extending this collaboration to give our users immediate access to the quality and convenience of Google’s search results.â€
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