Just yesterday it was spotted that the Palm Pre is now selling for $99 with a 2-year contract on Sprint. Today, we get confirmation that Verizon will in fact be selling Palm’s newest handset for their service early next year.

This news comes to use from an investor conference call that went down earlier today where they also announced that most of their earnings are up compared to last year.

However, the call wasn’t all good news as Verizon has stated that due to a 21% drop in profits they are going to cut close to 8,000 workers. Bummer.

Read (Verizon)

Tags: Business, Cell Phones, conference call, economy, exclusivity, investor, Mobile News, Palm, Palm Pre, recession, T-Mobile, Verizon, workforce

Finally, iPhone app developers get a big break as far as the programming they want to do regarding compatibility with the iPhone. Smartphone app development has been somehow slowed down, particularly due to the framework issues and of course coding problems. To give you an idea, HTML programming compatibility has become a problem for most developers, hindering the progress for the release of new apps for smartphones.

But now, Rhomobile addresses this area, releasing a “write once and run on many” framework allows developers of all levels to utilize their HTML skills to create robust native applications for the new iPhone 3G S without the need for starting from scratch to make them compatible with other phone platforms.

“Rhodes is a very easy way to make an application for the iPhone,” said Adam Blum, CEO of Rhomobile. “The Rhodes framework enables anyone, from enterprise developers who want to mobilize their workforce to a consumer who wants to build fun and clever apps, to build powerful mobile applications with about twenty percent of the code used in iPhone apps today.”

Features:

• Makes developers five times more productive for even a single smartphone OS
• Allows developers to write apps in HTML and simultaneously build for all smartphones
• Supports iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android
• Full access to device capabilities: GPS, PIM contacts, camera
• Allows users to work with synced local data for rapid access and ease of operation when disconnected or offline
• Available as open source realtime on public repositories

(Source) Press

Tags: app development, Apple, apps, BlackBerry, Cell Phones, device capabilities, framework issues, html skills, iPhone, iPhone, mobile applications, Mobile Software, native applications, programming compatibility, public repositories, rapid access, realtime, rhodes, smartphones, starting from scratch, symbian, Windows Mobile, workforce

At the moment, the ongoing negotiations between AT&T and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have expired and there is nothing definite on what to expect. And if there is a victim that will be caught in between these developments, it would be Apple’s widely popular iPhone.

Talks between the two sides turned for the worse as the telecom giant, which earned $12.8 billion in profits last year, threatened major cuts to employee health care. The union balked at the new contract proposal and is now mobilizing its 90,000+ strong workforce for a strike. If a workers strike hampers or shuts down service it will effect all iPhone users.

Apple has an exclusive arrangement with AT&T who serves as the only service provider for the iPhone. If a strike comes to fruition iPhone service could be severely degraded. If the strike lasts for an extended period it could steer many customers to other telecoms.

Trapped by their exclusive contract Apple could watch the strike derail iPhone sales as customers coming off contract turn to other services and, by default, other mobile phones.

(Source) MP3NewsWire

Tags: Apple, Apple, At&T, Business, Communications Workers of America, contract proposal, employee health care, iPhone, iPhone, mobile phones, negotiations, new contract, profits, service provider, telecom giant, telecoms, workforce

Sony Ericsson may be laying off another potential 2,000 workers some time soon in an effort to restore profitability at the troubled mobile phone maker. The move to axe 2,000 staff and contractors in 2009 from the 10,000-strong workforce follows hard on the heels of last year’s removal of 2,000 jobs. It underlines how Dick Komiyama, Sony Ericsson’s president, is developing a reputation as an aggressive cost-cutter.

The handset maker owned by Japan’s Sony and Sweden’s Ericsson on Friday reported a net loss of €293m ($381m) for the first three months of 2009, because consumers are buying fewer mobile phones in the global recession.

Mr Komiyama last year set out plans to reduce Sony Ericsson’s annual operating expenses by €480m, partly by cutting 2,000 jobs, or 17 per cent of the workforce. All the world’s leading handset makers are braced for falling sales in 2009, but Sony Ericsson is feeling more pain than larger rivals such as Nokia, Samsung and LG.

Sony Ericsson is experiencing a deeper unit sales decline than Nokia partly because it does not make cheap mobiles. Consumers are “trading down” to low-priced mobiles . Sony Ericsson is also suffering because it has a weak range of smartphones – mobiles that double up as mini computers – compared with traditional rivals and new entrants such as Apple.

Sony Ericsson reported revenue of €1.7bn for the three months to March 31, down 36 per cent on the same period last year. The net loss of €293m compared with a net profit of €133m in the first quarter of 2008.

(Source) FT.com

Tags: axe 2, Business, Cell Phones, consumers, decline, dick, First Quarter, first three months, global recession, handset makers, hard on the heels, mini computers, mobile phone maker, mobile phones, net profit, operating expenses, profitability, reputation, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sony Ericsson, traditional rivals, workforce