The Marmota was designed by Michele Zanin, Claudio Andreatta and Paul Chippendale, researchers at the Technologies of Vision Unit (TeV) in the Information Technology Centre of Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in Trento, Italy. “The system integrates technologies and findings from different disciplines, spanning cartography to computer graphics, and sophisticated machine vision algorithms,” said Zanin. “Each pixel of the image is associated with information such as altitude, latitude, longitude and distance from the observer”.

Marmota locates itself with a built-in GPS, then sends that information via the Internet to the central Marmota server at FBK. Once those coordinates have been processed by that server, a data package of about 50 to 120 KB is sent back to the device, and displayed as a high-resolution 360-degree augmented onscreen overlay. The device itself reportedly only uses a small amount of memory, letting the server do the majority of the processing.

The Marmota can also provide things like the names and locations of counties, roads, hiking trails, rivers and lakes, and will draw these items onto the screen to highlight them. It limits itself to what’s visible from the user’s point of view, so as not to create confusion with an overabundance of information.

Technologies of Vision Unit has been working on the project since 2007. The Android-based Marmota currently works anywhere in the world between 60 degrees latitude north and 60 degrees south. “User testing will follow in the immediate future and will involve volunteers from outside FBK and will hopefully identify critical points in the system, thus helping us to transform the current ‘prototype’ into an application that can be enjoyed by the general public” said Zanin.

U-verse Mobile replaces the popular Mobile Remote Access for iPhone app and incorporates the ability to browse the U-verse TV program guide, view program descriptions, schedule and manage your DVR recordings, while adding the ability to download available episodes over any Wi-Fi connection, and watch them in full-screen mode on your iPhone from anywhere.

Customers have to be subscribed to the U-Verse U300 package or higher, which starts at around $82 per month (and doesn’t include HD). Here’s the release…..

AT&T Launches U-verse Mobile App to Let Customers Record and Watch TV Shows from iPhones

First TV Provider to Offer iPhone App with DVR Management and Ability to Download and Watch TV Content While on the Go

The U-verse Mobile app gives U-verse subscribers the ability to download and watch popular TV content on their iPhone so they can take their U-verse TV experience with them, wherever they go. AT&T is the first TV provider to offer an integrated mobile app that allows you to both manage your DVR and download and watch select shows. The app is another example of how AT&T delivers more value to U-verse TV customers with continued service enhancements and innovative apps.

U-verse Mobile replaces the popular Mobile Remote Access for iPhone app and incorporates the ability to browse the U-verse TV program guide, view program descriptions, schedule and manage your DVR recordings, while adding the ability to download available episodes over any Wi-Fi connection, and watch them in full-screen mode on your iPhone from anywhere. U-verse TV customers already enjoy the flexibility of remote DVR management. More than 100,000 U-verse TV customers use the Web and Mobile Remote Access apps every month.

“We’re making it possible for you to watch TV shows on your iPhone at no extra charge. It’s just one more valuable and innovative feature available on U-verse TV,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Our U-verse multi-screen promise is now a reality for millions of U-verse TV customers, with content available on U-verse TV, U-verse Online, and today, U-verse Mobile. No cable provider comes close to matching the cross-platform experience we’re delivering today, and we’ll continue to add unique features that further integrate these screens.”

All U-verse TV customers can download the app to manage their DVR, and the ability to download and watch content is available for customers that subscribe to the U300 package or higher. U-verse customers can upgrade their TV packages at any time at www.att.com/u-verse. New U-verse TV customers and iPhone owners that order AT&T U-verse U300 or U450 will receive a $75 iTunes gift card.

You can browse or search a library of downloadable shows, and select which series or specific episode you want to download. The content is downloaded to iPhone over a Wi-Fi connection. All AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet customers have home Wi-Fi installed as part of their service and get access to AT&T’s U.S. Wi-Fi network at no additional cost.

The U-verse Mobile App includes TV shows from several popular networks and AT&T will continue to add more content on an ongoing basis.

U-verse Mobile is the latest way that AT&T is mobilizing everything that’s important to customers — their favorite content, apps, entertainment and social networks. AT&T today delivers the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network as well as the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network, giving customers the best combination of speed and coverage.

The U-verse Mobile App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

AT&T U-verse offers numerous features and apps that enhance your entertainment experience, including many ways that TV and wireless services work together — a benefit that cable providers don’t offer. In addition to U-verse Mobile, you can check your wireless and U-verse Voice messages from a single voice mailbox; use the YP.COM TV app to search for local business information and send the call to your home or wireless phone with the click of your remote; and more.

AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and feature-rich services available today. AT&T U-verse TV ranked “Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the South and West Regions Two Years in a Row,” according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction StudiesSM. For additional information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in your area — visit www.att.com/u-verse.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Twenty four of the worlds largest mobile phone operators have teamed up to form the Wholesale Applications Community, which according to them is designed to make it easier for developers to build and sell applications on any device and technology.

The alliance includes some of the worlds largest mobile phone operators including Vodafone, Sprint and China Mobile, AT&T, Deutsche Telecom and many more.

The Wholesale Applications community has said that it intends to develop a standard for the applications over the next twelve months.

Verizon Wireless and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced the availability of Motorola DEVOUR™ in March. Motorola DEVOUR will be the first Verizon Wireless phone to feature MOTOBLUR™, Motorola’s unique Android™-powered content delivery service created to make wireless phones more personal and customizable.

MOTOBLUR is the first solution to sync contacts from work and personal e-mail services, including Gmail™, with posts, messages, photos and more from popular sites such as Facebook®, MySpace and Twitter. With MOTOBLUR, content is automatically delivered to the home screen and fed into easy-to-manage streams.

Key features:

• Touch-sensitive navigation pad
• 3.1” capacitive touch screen
• Pre-loaded applications such as Gmail, Google Talk™, YouTube™, Google Search™ and Google Maps™ with Google Maps Navigation.
• Android Market™ gives users access to more than 20,000 applications.
• Happenings Widget – MOTOBLUR automatically pushes status updates, wall posts and photo updates from popular social networking sites to the Happenings Widget on the home screen. Customers can flick through the latest updates and fire back responses using the slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.
• Universal Inbox – MOTOBLUR gathers texts, social network messages and e-mails into one home screen widget for quick response.
• Back-Up and Security – Contacts, log-in information, home screen customizations, e-mail and social network messages are backed up automatically on the secure MOTOBLUR portal. The portal also allows customers to use the phone’s fully integrated aGPS to help locate the phone if misplaced. Remote wipe easily clears information from a lost device.
• 8 GB microSD™ card pre-installed
• Bluetooth® profiles supported: A2DP, HID, HSP, HFP, AVRCP and GAP

Service plans:

• To get the most from Motorola DEVOUR, customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide Talk or Nationwide Talk & Text plan and a Data Package for smartphones. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access, and Nationwide Talk & Text plans begin at $59.99 monthly access. A Data Package for smartphones is $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.

(www.verizonwireless.com)