HoFo Blog

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be taking the wraps off the company's highly anticipated new mobile operating system at an event in New York on October 11th.

Read more at: Yahoo! News - Microsoft pinning mobile hopes on new operating system

BGR is reporting that Verizon Wireless is planning an "interactive" BlackBerry 6 launch on October 14th. This is good news for Verizon Wireless's BlackBerry Bold 9650 and BlackBerry Curve 9330 users.

Source: BGR - Verizon Wireless will have ‘interactive launch’ of BlackBerry 6 on October 14

Mozilla has announced the public launch of Firefox 4 Beta for Mobile. For Mobile uses the same foundation as the desktop client, but is optimized for browsing from your mobile phone. Firefox 4 Mobile allows you to sync your desktop with your mobile phone using Add-ons, Firefox Sync, and the Awesome Bar.


The mobile Beta takes advantage of JavaScript, CSS, HTML5, and pinch to zoom to deliver the best browsing experience to users. You can download Firefox 4 Beta for Mobile for your Android and Maemo powered devices through their respective application stores or by using the link below.

Download here

Read more on Mozilla's blog.

TechBuzz

Verizon Wireless plans to cover 110 million people in 38 major metro areas with its LTE network by the end of this year; Verizon president and chief operating officer Lowell McAdam announced today.

See the planned areas and read more at: Verizon Wireless

It is official! Two unlimited prepaid carriers that were once competitors have now officially been aligned. Pocket Communication’s assets have are now part of Cricket, a Leap Wireless company. The new venture will target markets in McAllen, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville and Harlingen. Pocket customers will now have access to data services and the coverage area of Cricket according to Leap representatives. They will also be able to buy phones currently offered by Cricket.

“Obviously, there’s going to be a big increase in our network,” said Frank Vos, Cricket’s director for Upper Valley operations. “Pocket customers will have nationwide talk and text, which they didn’t have before.”

Cricket currently holds 76% stakes in the joint venture with Pocket holding the other 24. The pocket brand will be phased out in the next 6 to eight months. Customers will start noticing changes by the end of the year but should not see any increase in price.

Visual searching is now available on your iPhone with the Google Goggles app. Visual search technology uses the iPhone camera to take a picture of landmarks, logo, and covers of books, DVDs and games and provide information about that item though Google search. Check out the video above to see Google Goggles in action.

techbuzz

Wal-mart sells everything from caskets to toilet paper. Now they will be adding no-contract wireless to the vast selection of goods and services already offered. The service, Wal-Mart Family Mobile, will run on T-Mobile USA’s network. Pricing can be found in the above image or on Wal-Mart's website. There are already five devices planned for launch this week. Motorola Cliq XT, Samsung Highlight, Samsung T139, Nokia1661, and Samsung T369 will all be sold at any of the 2,500 Wal-Mart's expected to launch the new service Monday.

For more information visit: Wal-Mart Family Mobile

Cricket corporate reps are already in the test phases of this new Android device that I’m being told is currently set to launch in November. Huawei states that the device will retail between $129 - $179 “off-contract” where most require a contract to reach a similar price. The device will be packed with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and rumor has it that 3.0 (Gingerbread) is set for late 2010 to early 2011. Expect to see all of the current features of Android including the mobile hot spot that Froyo currently offers.