To coincide with the launch of the Samsung UpStage Sprint is today announcing some improvements to its music services.

From next week the Sprint Music Store will be offering all its 1.5 million tracks for just 99 cents each. The new per-song rate is available to Sprint customers with any Sprint Power Vision data plan.

New Music-Inclusive Data Plans

Sprint will soon begin offering two Power Vision data plans that focus particularly on music. The new Power Vision Access Pack will be available for $15 and will provide:

• 10 commercial-free radio channels from Sprint Radio, powered by mSpot,
• exclusive video programming from Sprint Power View, including a weekly top-song countdown, breaking music news, tour information and artist interviews and performances and
• songs at $ 0.99 each from the Sprint Music Store.

In addition to what the Power Vision Access Pack provides, the Power Vision Music Pack will cost an extra $5 (for a total of $20) and will offer:

• another 40 channels of commercial-free radio channels from Sprint Radio (for a total of 50),
• a channel from Sprint TV that features music videos, powered by MobiTV, including hip-hop, rock and alternative as well as flashbacks from the 80s and 90s and
• songs at $ 0.99 each from the Sprint Music Store.

Both data plans will be available to Sprint customers in early April and will include unlimited data usage. The plans will also include unlimited use of several other non-music applications such as web browsing, Picture Mail and mobile email (casual usage charges would apply for access to these applications without a data plan).

M:Metrics has just released some fascinating statistics on how music phones have penetrated the market in the UK.

According to a study of all 220 mobile phones that play music in the UK, ten key models account for almost half of mobile music consumption. Unsurprisingly the Sony Ericsson Walkman phones are dominating the marketplace with the W810i and W850i being used by over a million users in the UK.

Jen Wu, analyst, M:Metrics, said:

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.K. mobile subscribers. Data based on three month moving average for period ending 31 January, 2007, n= 15,225

The Eastern Management group, a leading telecoms research and analyst company, has released their list of the World’s 50 Largest Telecommunications Service Providers for 2006.

Top of the list is Japanese company NTT with revenues of $95 billion and Wind Telecomunicazioni trails in 50th place with a tiny $6 billion in revenue last year. The combined revenue for the Top 50 was $1.2 trillion.

John Malone, CEO of The Eastern Management Group, commented:

50 Largest Service Providers for 2006

• 1. NTT
• 2. Verizon Communications
• 3. AT&T Inc.
• 4. Deutsche Telekom
• 5. Telefonica
• 6. France Telecom
• 7. Vodafone Group
• 8. NTT DoCoMo
• 9. Sprint Nextel Corporation
• 10. Telecom Italia
• 11. China Mobile (HK) Ltd
• 12. BellSouth Corp.
• 13. BT Group
• 14. KDDI
• 15. China Telecom
• 16. America Telecom SA de CV
• 17. America Movil
• 18. Telstra Corporation Limited
• 19. BCE Inc.
• 20. Telefonos de Mexico
• 21. Carso Global Telecom
• 22. KPN Telecom
• 23. Telenor
• 24. Qwest Communications
• 25. KT Corp.
• 26. TeliaSonera
• 27. China Unicom Ltd.
• 28. China Netcom Corporation
• 29. SK Telecom
• 30. Softbank Telecom
• 31. Portugal Telecom
• 32. TDC Denmark
• 33. Rogers Communications Inc.
• 34. Telemar Norte Leste
• 35. Singapore Telecom
• 36. Alltel Corp.
• 37. Telkom SA
• 38. Swisscom
• 39. TELUS Corporation
• 40. Belgacom
• 41. Tele Norte Leste Participacoes ON
• 42. Telkom
• 43. OTE
• 44. MTN Group Ltd
• 45. KTF
• 46. Tele2
• 47. Telesp Fixed ON
• 48. Embarq Corp
• 49. MTS
• 50. Wind Telecomunicazioni

Samsung Mobile has announced this week that Beyonce Knowles is the new spokesmodel for the Ultra Music F300 cellphone and MP3 player.

Via english.chosun.com via textually

After the Zune Phone and the iPhone certain bloggers are predicting a Creative Zen phone today after a Creative document apparently showed a Zen phone like device.

epiZENter.net and even engadget are reporting on the Zen Phone but it just looks like a Nokia flip phone to me.

Anybody care to guess what it is?

A new software application for your mobile phone hopes to offer Napster like functionality for just £1.99 per week.

MusicStation, from a UK company called Omnifone, will be promoted in partnership with music labels and mobile networks around the world. Apparently deals have already been signed with 23 networks representing 690 million subscribers around the world.

Rob Lewis, CEO of Omnifone, commented:

The software enables users to search for and download music as well as store and play tracks on over 75% of mobile phones. Playlists can also be synchronised with a PC of Mac and even shared with the MusicStation community.

The only drawback is that tracks won’t be transferable from the device.

Via Pocket Lint

When mobile phones were first fitted with cameras, the reviews were rather mixed. Many customers were happy but looked upon this new ability as nothing more than a novelty, something that would come in handy on a night out or a party. Many thought that it was just silly to add this feature to a phone citing concerns about battery life and compromising the primary use of a phone, communication.

In 2006, things changed remarkably. Mobile phones perform a wide variety of functions and the list is ever increasing. We listen to music, record songs, send messages, log onto the internet and of course take photos. Again, the reviews of this feature remain mixed. Some love having quick and easy access to photos but others hate the idea of being able to be photographed at anytime, all of the time. Sceptics of this feature were put straight when investigations into several of the world’s most horrible crimes and disasters were aided by mobile phone photographs.

In July of 2005 the London Underground and bus system were the victim of one of the worst terrorist attacks since the twin towers incident in 2001. 5 of London’s busiest stations were attacked and nearly destroyed by suicide bombers just after 9 am on July the 7th 2005. A bus was also one of the targets. The entire top half of the bus was destroyed and nearly half of the passengers killed. These attacks resulted in bringing one of the worlds most vibrant cities to a complete standstill, thousands of serious injuries and the deaths of 51 innocent people.

The investigations into who was behind this disaster began soon after. One of the key and most helpful pieces of evidence gathered was photographs taken from mobile phones. It was through one of these photographs that the identity of one of the suicide bombers was established. It also helped in piecing together the events of that day which eventually led to the discovery of who was responsible. They also helped family members identify and put to rest those that were killed, were injured or were missing for a time on that day. The metropolitan police put out an appeal for photos and they were inundated. Once they were all viewed and sorted, they were credited with many key aspects of solving the mystery behind that day.

Mobile phone photos have helped with other incidences as well. Many times they are the photos used when an accident occurs. Nearly everyone has a mobile phone on them, so snapping a quick photograph for evidence or just claim purposes is now quick and easy. Again, they can be used as evidence to piece together what happened, and are accepted by most insurance companies for damage claims. Mobile phone photographs have also been able to help the police solve crimes. Robberies and other infractions can be caught on camera many times with out the offender knowing. The quality of some of these cameras makes identification much easier than from CCTV footage.

When mobile phone photography first was introduced, many laughed. Many thought it would be a nice novelty or fun feature to have on ones phone. This feature, most likely intended purely for entertainment purposes has proven its usefulness in a multitude of situations. Nearly everyone owns a mobile phone and most now have a camera built in, making it one of the cheapest and most widely available tools for aiding investigations. Its ease in use means that criminals are more likely to be photographed and caught than ever before. There are still those few people who hate this feature. They believe that phones are for talking and dislike the idea of being photographed with no warning. However, with all that mobile phone photography has accomplished, it is highly unlikely that this feature is going to be removed any time soon.

Mobile banking will arrive in the UK during 2007 courtesy of a new service from Alliance & Leicester.

Customers have been promised access to current accounts with mini statements and balance checks among the main features.

Access will be given via a pass code and all passwords will be removed from the phone after use.

Ian Tandy, director of ecommerce at Alliance & Leicester said: