Recycle Your Old Phone - Donate to Sprint Project Connect

Got an old phone laying around that you will never use again because it's too large or too out-dated? DON'T THROW IT AWAY! Help the environment and keep kids safe by sending your phone, wireless accessories, batteries, and connection cards to Sprint Project Connect. Send in any device regardless of carrier or condition. Devices from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Alltel, etc. are accepted.

To donate a device, simply drop it off at any Sprint retail store. If you don't want to leave the house, just visit www.sprint.com and print a free, postage-paid mailing label.

Sprint recycles or refurbishes the devices, keeping them out of landfills. 100% of all proceeds from Sprint Project Connect are go to Sprint's 4NetSafety program, a partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the NEA Health Information Network designed to educate children, parents, and educators on Internet Safety.

iPhone is Top Seller at AT&T

The iPhone, launched on June 29th, has been AT&T's best selling handset since that day. According to projections, Apple and AT&T have sold over 1.325 million handsets, representing 13% of AT&T's handset sales.

The early adopters of the iPhone have been categorized as young, affluent males. Still 25% of buyers were between the ages of 50 and 60. Sales are expected to increase, as Apple expects to gain a broader audience with its recent price drop.

The launch of the iPhone was expected to take business from its main competitors. Those most hurt by the iPhone have been Treo users along with Alltel and T-Mobile subscribers. Research in Motion (RIM), Sprint, and Verizon, although affected, have been able to limit their losses. RIM has been able to hold off the iPhone by offering media capable devices to its business customers. Sprint and Verizon have used their 3G networks and support for over-the-air (OTA) music downloads, two features the iPhone does not have, to keep subscribers.

Sprint Announces LG Rumor

Sprint announced the LG Rumor will be available online later this month and in retail stores on November 4th. The LG Rumor will give Sprint a low to mid end device with a Qwerty keyboard, providing consumers with an affordable device developed for messaging. The Qwerty keyboard will make sending text and email messages easier. Every time the Qwerty keyboard slides out, the messaging menu on the phone automatically appears.

The LG Rumor measures 4.3 x 2.0 x 0.7 inches and weighs 4.13 ounces. It comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, MP3 player, and a MicroSD slot. It supports IM apps like AIM, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger and provides quick access to social networking sites like Xanga and Facebook.

Sprint will offer the device for $79.99 with a new service agreements and rebates. It will be available in two colors - black with blue interior and white with silver interior.

Sign up for notification alerts at www.sprint.com/rumor.

Sprint Announces New BlackBerry Pearl 8130

Sprint is planning to launch its first multimedia BlackBerry handset with the new BlackBerry Pearl 8130, an upgraded version of the original BlackBerry Pearl announced in September of 2006. This will be the first Sprint BlackBerry device with an integrated camera.

The device is 4.2 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches and weighs 3.4 ounces. Some of the upgraded features include access to Sprint's high-speed Mobile Broadband network (EV-DO) for faster internet access, a 2.0 megapixels camera, stereo Bluetooth support, added GPS functionality, and access to Sprint's PowerVision services such as Sprint's Music Store, Sprint TV, OnDemand, and Sprint Navigation.

The phone will be available next month. You can sign up for alerts on device availability by going to www.sprint.com/pearl.

Stop Listening to Voicemail...READ IT Instead

How many people out there are like me when it comes to checking voicemail? I cannot stand it! In today’s world, where we are used to instant communication, it just seems archaic to have to dial into your voicemail and listen to your messages. Don’t forget to have a pen and pad nearby just in case you have to write something down, which is kind of hard to do while driving!

Well, if you are like me, there is now a solution from Simulscribe. They’ve created a cool new service that actually takes your voicemail messages, transcribes them into text and sends it to you via email or text message. I’ve been using the service for the past month and I love it! I have not dialed into voicemail since setting it up.

It’s easy to sign up for, just visit here. Simulscribe will set aside a new voicemail box number for you. You must contact your carrier to forward all calls that you don’t answer to this new number. You then elect to receive your transcribed messages via text or email or you can do like I do, and elect to receive both. If you just like to hear someone’s voice every now and then, the service is still for you. When you elect to receive an email message, the message will come with the transcribed message along with a .wav file of the actual message.

This is a great convenience tool. You no longer have to waste time dialing into and listening to voicemail. You also don’t have to worry about writing down information like a person’s name, callback number, or directions. You’ll get it all in the transcribed message. Another feature is you have a paper trail just in case you get into one of those “Well, you said” matches.

Simulscribe is available from most carriers. SimulScribe’s basic service is $9.95 per month for 40 transcribed voicemail messages and $.25 per message thereafter. SimulScribe also offers a monthly $29.95 unlimited plan (for a limited time only).

It’s easy to sign up. Just go here. If you sign up through this site, you will receive a free 30 day trial.

Stop listening to voicemail; READ IT! Free Trial at www.SimulScribe.com

Sprint Announces the Palm Centro

Sprint announced the newest product offering from Palm, the Centro. This is Palm's first device geared for the consumer versus the business user. Following in RIM's footsteps, Palm is looking to regain some of the market share it has lost over the past year by going after the consumer market. The Palm Centro will be available in mid-October at all Sprint Sales channels and Palm retail stores. It will also be available online at www.sprint.com and www.palm.com/centro. After promotions and rebates, the phone will sell for only $99.99.

The Centro is the smaller and thinner than the traditional Treo models. Its measures 2.1"x4.2"x0.7" and weighs only 4.2 ounces. It features a full QWERTY keyboard along with a five-way navigation button. Although smaller than the Treo, it still packs a 312 MHz processor, 128 MB of ROM and 64 MB RAM, EVDO, a 1.3 megapixels camera, Bluetooth, a full color touch screen, and a MicroSD slot for extra memory. The device will also feature Palm OS 5.4.9 and supports Phone as Modem, allowing users to connect to the Internet from their laptop or desktop computer by via the device. The Centro also supports Data Transfer Mode (DTM), notifying users of incoming calls even when they are in an active data session versus just sending the calls to voicemail.

The device will be available in Onyx Black and Ruby Red. It will be exclusive to Sprint for 90 days. You can sign up to receive alerts on the availability of this device at www.sprint.com/centro.

Preview the Palm Centro (w/ video) at PhoneScoop.com.

Sprint and Microsoft Offers Mobile Searches Based on GPS

Sprint and Microsoft are combining to offer a first of its kind service. The first fully integrated GPS location-aware mobile search service is now available from Sprint at no additional cost to Sprint data subscribers.

Using the existing search function on Sprint GPS enabled phones, users can simply type in a keyword like "gas station" and a listing of nearby gas stations will be listed based on GPS coordinates. No address information is needed, not even a zip code. The service takes it a step further by offering driving directions by clicking on a link or calling the business directly from the search screen. Users also have the option to send directions to a friend who may need directions to the same destination, like a restaurant.

Voice search capabilities are also available allowing users to simply say the word "gas station" versus typing it in. This service requires users to download a client to their phones and is only available on certain phones.