” Virgin Mobile USA announced plans for a program called SugarMama that lets customers talk for free, as long as they agree to watch commercials and answer questions about what they’ve seen. Customers earn one free minute on their mobile phones for every 30-second commercial they watch. The commercials are either displayed on a computer or sent by text message to their phones. Customer must then answer questions on the commercial that they’ve just seen. Customers can earn up to 75 minutes of free talk time per month. So far, three advertisers have agreed to participate in the SugarMama program: Pepsi, Xbox video game console and Truth, an antismoking campaign aimed at youth. SugarMama is scheduled to be available in the United States on June 14.” via dmeurope.com
Opera browser 8.6 now available for Pocket PC
“Opera has released a final version of its mobile browser for Pocket PC devices.The new Opera Mobile 8.6 for Windows Mobile takes full advantage of the larger screen and higher resolution of Pocket PC devices by offering tabbed browsing and surfing in horizontal landscape mode. Features in Opera Mobile 8.6 for Pocket PC include: Tabs Landscape/Portrait Mode Web address auto-complete Zoom Download Full screen Fit-to-screen Pop-up handler Pad-lock icon on secure sites, and many more”Pocket PC owners are typically advanced users who expect the best and actively seek out better software for their devices,” says Roger Carlhammar, EVP Mobile, Opera Software. “Opera’s mission is to provide the best Internet experience on any device, and we are very happy to now offer this on Windows Mobile Pocket PCs.”Opera Mobile for Pocket PC is available from www.opera.com/mobile and comes with a free 30-day trial. It is based on Opera’s newest core code and runs on Windows Mobile 5 and 2003 SE. Opera Mobile for Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphones will be available shortly.” via pdalive.com
Always Connected with P525 Quad Band PDA Phone
Taipei, Taiwan; May 29th, 2006 – ASUSTeK Computer Inc. today introduced the P525 quad-band PDA phone, which incorporated Push E-mail, Wi-Fi support and built-in numeric keypad to deliver a complete mobile business solution. Users can now stay connected no matter where they are.
“Business Anywhere” is the design concept behind the P525. As enterprises continue to globalize, business professionals should no longer be confined by their office desks or even wireless hotspots.
E-mail, Instant Message and Skype Anytime The P525 leveraged Push E-mail functions to deliver real-time synchronization with email, phonebooks and calendar items as changes occur on the Exchange account through continuous connection with a mobile operator between the P525 and a server.
Supporting Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system, the ASUS PDA phone supports office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint Viewer etc., permitting completion of everyday tasks even on the road.
With both Wi-Fi and GPRS support built in, the P525 provides wireless online connection for research and instant messaging even when wireless hotspots are not available. Skype-in and Skype-out functions further reduce costs on long distance phone calls. Combined with Bluetooth wireless technology for quick file sharing without the tangling cables, the P525 delivers true mobile office.
Business Card Recognition The 2M-pixel digital camera also acts as a business card recognition device. Simply take a picture of a business card, the P525 will automatically convert information on the card into Outlook’s contact list. In two steps, organizing business cards collected from conventions and conferences is no longer such as hassle. 
Easy Input and Menu Navigation The 5-way joystick enables one-hand menu navigation for accessing and managing the various powerful functions. The smart PDA phone also comes equipped with a numeric keypad for easy input. For those who prefer using a stylus, the 2.8″ display is a touch screen as well.
Information Security For sensitive information, the P525 offers MySecret. Whether it’s word documents, spreadsheets, videos or photos, users can save them in MySecret files and protect them from unauthorized personnel.
Specifications Summary: Processor: 416MHz Intel XScale Communication: Quad band, GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS Class B, multi-slot Class 10 Memory : 128MB Flash ROM and 64MB SDRAM Display : 2.8″, 240 x 320 pixels, 65,000 TFT Battery : 1300 mAh Li-ion Talk Time : 3.5 hrs * Standby Time : 150-200 hrs * Camera : 2M-pixel camera with auto focus and flash light Connectivity : WLAN 802.11b, Bluetooth Version 2.0, IrDa(SIR), USB 1.1 Expanda bility : min iSD card slot Stereo Headse t : 2.5mm Audio Jack Dimensions : 116.8 x 59 x 19 mm , 159.5g Operating System : Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition Video : MPEG4, 3gp video recording Voice recognition : Text to Speech; Speaker Independent For more information on the P525 and other ASUS handheld solutions, please visit the company homepage at www.asus.com.