Bono Asks Fans to Text Message

Bono, lead singer of U2 is using text messaging during his concerts to get U2 fans involved in his One Campaign. The rockstar asks fans to take out their wireless phones and urges them to text message their names to the One Campaign's number. Shortly after, the names appear like movie credits on the stage's big screen.
(Source: Washington Post)

Ringtone Reaffirms Teenagers' Spending Habits

According to the University of Birmingham, the success of The Crazy Frog's Axel F ringtone validates findings that teenagers spend more money on ringtones and computer games than music alone. The Crazy Frog Axel F is set to be the first wireless ringtone to top the charts, according to a BBC News report.
(Source: BBC News)

E! Signs Wireless Phone DealSmart

Video Technologies and E! Entertainment Television announced an agreement to provide entertainment content for wireless phones. The service will feature clips from E! Entertainment's shows E! News, The Awful Truth, Wild On! and red carpet interviews.
Source: Los Angeles Business Journal

Young Wireless Users are Most Interested in Music

According to a survey conducted by the Network Management Group, commercial-free radio on wireless phones and the ability to download music to phones are the two most interesting advanced services to young adults. About 40% of 1,000 wireless users between 13 and 34 years old are interested in commercial-free radio on their wireless devices. Nearly 35% of those surveyed showed an interest in wireless music downloads, according to the report.
Source: Reuters

Game Developers Look to Expand on Wireless Phones

Some of the gaming industry's largest developers, including THQ, Namco and Sega, demonstrated wireless phone games at the Electronic Entertainment Expo video game trade show. According to research firm The Yankee Group, revenue from wireless gaming totaled an estimated $173 million in 2004 and will reach nearly $1 billion in 2008. (Source: Reuters )

California Legislation Bans Political Text Messages

Under new legislation approved by the California Assembly, politicians would be barred from sending unwanted campaign ads via text message to wireless phones and pagers. The bill, which now goes to the state Senate, would protect wireless subscribers from paying for unwanted political messages on their wireless phones. (Source: Associated Press)

Con Hacked Into Hilton's Sidekick

The hackers who obtained photos of Paris Hilton from her wireless phone used "social engineering" instead of technical hacking, according to a Washington Post report. According to the report, a 16-year-old received access to celebrity accounts by convincing a T-Mobile employee to give him confidential information. The hacker was part of a group that discovered a security glitch in T-Mobile Sidekicks when passwords are pre-programmed. According to T-Mobile, it has since invested millions of dollars to protect customers' information and continues to reinforce their systems to address the security needs of their subscribers. (Source: Washington Post)