**As published at digiday:DAILY**

Publisher: Rdio Price: $9.99 for unlimited web and mobile, $4.99 for unlimited web
Platform: iOS and BlackBerry
Advertising: None
Functionality: B+
Fun Factor: B
Overall: B+

Music has turned out to be a rather tough proposition on mobile. While apps like Pandora have soared in both popularity and revenue-generation capabilities, other apps like RealNetworks’ Rhapsody have garnered less favorable reviews and market penetration.

Still, there are a growing number of free and subscription-based streaming services to choose from, which makes the “music on mobile” market all the more compelling to participate in. Case in point: The Rdio app. Read the full story

**As published at RCR Wireless News**

Nokia Corp. continues to buckle under the increasing might and will of its competitors in the smartphone space.

In a note to investors , the company downgraded the financial outlook for its devices and services division for the second (current) quarter and full year of 2010. The company said “multiple factors are negatively impacting Nokia’s business to a greater extent than previously expected.” While that may be true, it would be difficult to conclude that most of these “factors” have come as a surprise to the world’s largest manufacturer of cellphones. Read the full story

**As published in RCR Wireless News**

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. – For all the momentum Google’s Android operating system is enjoying of late, there are some key areas that many executives believe Apple has it beat on with the iPhone OS. These differentiating features – billing, user interface, development ease and scale (for at least the time being) — are nothing to scoff at either.

Now, with the iPad already surpassing 1 million units sold in as many months, there’s a reinvigorated sense of interest and easy-to-understand business reasons for placing more focus and investment in Apple’s mobile flavor.

A crowded panel of eight representing big media and publishers at Digital Hollywood yesterday spent considerable time heaping praise and wonder on Apple’s latest gadget. Later on, the OS offerings from BlackBerry, Google, Microsoft and HP-Palm got their fair shake, but Apple kept cropping up as the main draw. Read the full story

**As published at digiday:DAILY**

Publisher: Foursquare Price: Free Platform: BlackBerry
Advertising: None as of yet
Functionality: B-
Fun Factor: B+
Overall: B+

Not exactly a new social networking phenomenon, but new to BlackBerry, foursquare is one of the best location-based services available to BlackBerry owners. That said, there are still some kinks that need to be worked out — which is likely why it’s still in beta (version 1.5.5).

After a couple weeks of use the app hasn’t lost its sense of cool. I held out against foursquare for what seemed like an eternity, but I still find myself wanting to “check-in” just as much as I did when I finally made the leap. The service has been making the high-profile rounds for at least a year, and with the BlackBerry capability finally on board, it’s sure to gain new users like me who held out until it reached their primary device of choice. Read the full story

I’ve been using the BlackBerry Storm2 for almost two weeks now and I’m beginning to see a greater future ahead for Research In Motion as it branches further into the non-physical keyboard space.

It seems odd, almost counterintuitive, for a BlackBerry to have no actual keyboard. BlackBerry keyboards are one of the greatest features to come out of RIM, and it plays a large part in why so many customers remain loyal to their BlackBerry devices. Sure, BlackBerry is notorious for rolling out incremental upgrades in their device lineup, but you can almost always count on a solid keyboard.

That said, I’m beginning to wonder if a keyboard is really all that important anymore. I’ve used all the iterations of the iPhone and got by fine without a keyboard before, but I’ve convinced myself that when it comes to churning out an e-mail or anything longer than 140 characters, a physical QWERTY keyboard is a must. Maybe not. Read the full story

I have serious commitment issues when it comes to my mobile phone. Early termination fees don’t scare me as much as a phone that’s just gotten plain old boring for me. And believe me, I always find a way out.

It might be dropped calls, crap voice quality and pathetic download speeds that drive me to the edge one time. The next time, I might just get sick of the color or maybe I don’t like the way it looks at me or fits in my pocket. Either way, I’m bound to jump and run — it’s just a matter of when. Materialistic? Sure. Overindulgence? You bet.

Like any commitment-phobe, I’m all about multiples. Whether it’s the carrier(s) I do business with or the mobile device(s) I carry, I just can’t settle down and tie the knot with one or the other. I’m one of those types who has two phones usually. Although I try to keep them from knowing about each other — work and personal don’t always belong together — they inevitably cross paths. Read the full story

Once I saw the BlackBerry Tour for Verizon selling for $99 at Best Buy, there was no turning back. I’ve been using an unlocked BlackBerry 8900 on T-Mobile for almost a year and it was time for a change. I wasn’t even using minutes on T-Mobile. Instead, my BlackBerry had become a data-only device.

Only $50 to cancel the remainder of my 1-year contract with T-Mobile? Done. Did I mention that I’ve been using an unlocked device (purchased elsewhere) and never should have been forced to sign a contract with T-Mobile to begin with? Oh well, that’s how carriers roll here. So long as they know dinosaurs will always die … someday.

Anyway, this was my first time purchasing a phone under carrier contract at a third-party store. After a couple hiccups, everything went pretty smoothly. All in all, the entire process took 45 minutes and most of that time was spent training my customer service rep. Read the full story

Generally, it isn’t kind to kick someone when they’re down, but AT&T and Apple deserve it in this case. Word came out today via TechCrunch that Apple has pulled a pair of third-party Google Voice-enabled applications from the App Store. Apple also blocked Google’s official Google Voice app from ever seeing the light that is App Store glory.

After waiting probably two years for my GrandCentral invite request to come through, I was finally green-lighted for a new and improved Google Voice account earlier this month. I’ve been toying around with the service for a few weeks now and it is remarkable.

For starters, it begs the question: Why pay AT&T $5 a month for 200 text messages when I can receive unlimited SMS for free on Google Voice via the monthly $30 data plan I also pay for on my iPhone 3G S. I’m all about getting more for less these days. And I sure as hell don’t like paying for duplicate services. SMS is data no matter how you slice it and I want it included in my data plan. That’s why I was so thrilled to see Google Voice applications launched for BlackBerry and Android earlier this month. That paired with talk of an iPhone app in the works was all I needed to hear. Read the full story