**As published in RCR Wireless News**

NEW YORK — I finally got my big break! I’ve written thousands of articles and columns over the span of at least a decade and all it really took to get noticed was me sitting next to John Oliver.

My family, friends and colleagues don’t really care about what I wrote last week or this column I’m writing now, do they? Television is what matters — I should know that. It turns out, if you’re not on TV or in the movies you’re just another wannabe.

I’m still a wannabe, but at least I can say I was on “The Daily Show.” Read more

**As published in RCR Wireless News**

NEW YORK — It finally happened. Verizon Wireless (VZ) is bringing the iPhone 4 to its network, putting to rest a question that’s plagued the wireless industry for years.

After trumpeting the strengths of the carrier’s recently launched LTE network, Verizon Wireless announced that its first version of Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) hit device would only enjoy 3G speeds on its CDMA network.

Verizon has known for some time that “the company that basically invented the smart phone market would have to have a place on our network,” said Lowell McAdam, president and COO at Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Wireless’ parent company. “Today we are extremely gratified, and I can’t think of a better word, to announce that the iPhone 4″ will be on Verizon’s network. Read more

**As published in RCR Wireless News**

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Looking south over the Los Angeles landscape from a balcony adjoining his top-floor suite, Jamie Foxx says he has some big plans for mobile.

It’s hard not to take him at his word, especially considering the crowd of mobile marketing leaders that were hanging around his press room the day before his keynote at the Mobile Marketing Forum.

After getting his start in comedy in the early ‘90s — think back to LaWanda from his “In Living Color” days — Foxx has gone on to become the quintessential superstar. Read more

**As published in DIGIDAY:DAILY**

I have a folder full of apps that I use to pull up podcasts from a variety of outlets, but most of them are specific to one site. Content overload is a real problem and it’s exactly why millions like me choose to rely on their Twitter feeds and RSS readers for their news. While everyone has their favorites, it’s easy to see why so many great podcasts never get seen or heard simply because I don’t know about them. After spending some time with this new app, I’m hoping that will change a little bit.

As far as I can tell (and it would stand to reason considering the app’s name), AudioPress is purely audio and so far I’ve seen results for everything I’ve searched for. Read more

**As published in RCR Wireless News**

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s been said before that The Ford Motor Co. is trying to remake itself as the Apple Inc. of the auto industry. The company is making a big bet on technology with new touchscreen-based interfaces, a host of wireless connectivity options, voice-based commands and now the space of mobile apps.

Derrick Kuzak, group VP of global product development at Ford, gave a morning keynote hitting on these points today in front of a somewhat sparse crowd on the final day of the CTIA Enterprise & Apps show. He also made sure to ingratiate himself to the wireless industry and ask for it’s help on innovation, standardization, and new business ideas. Read more

**As published in RCR Wireless News**

Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) has launched BlackBerry App World 2.0 three weeks after it opened the latest version up for beta testing.

The BlackBerry maker is hoping to reinvigorate its app appeal with the updated storefront, but there still some key features that are missing from RIM’s offering. Although RIM says it’s working on integrated carrier billing, it hasn’t happened yet. With PayPal, users can at least set up pre-approval so they don’t have to fill out their username and password with every purchase. Read more

**As published in digiday:DAILY**

Publisher: Research In Motion Ltd. Price: free Platform: BlackBerry
Advertising: None
Functionality: A
Fun Factor: B+
Overall: A-

For years now, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd. has been noticeably behind in the mobile entertainment space. Competitor after competitor has leapfrogged the smart phone giant with media offerings that are more in line with what consumers expect online. RIM may be systematically late to the party, but at least it doesn’t flake out entirely. Read more

**As published at DIGIDAY:DAILY**

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios Price: Free Platform: iOS
Advertising: None
Functionality: A
Fun Factor: A
Overall: A

I try not to review many game apps because I wouldn’t call myself a gamer, and there are many other folks that do. But my interest generally piques whenever I see major entertainment studios leverage the mobile app opportunity with a game.

I reviewed The Karate Kid back in late April because it was a major remake, and TRON recently caught me with the same level of interest. When any major studio develops an app for a major title like these there’s likely to be a significant amount of strategy and investment attached to the project. Ho-hum apps need not apply. Read more

**As published at RCR Wireless News**

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Co. is playing catch up on a lot of fronts these days, but one area that it’s putting on its priority list in the midst of all these changes is wireless connectivity and touchscreen interfaces.

The American icon gave media a tour here at its product and development center to showcase some of its forthcoming improvements on Sync and a new MyFord Touch user interface. Ford hopes these new products will bring its brand more in line with the demands of today’s consumers. Read more

**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 more