"The Associated Press has an article about new generation of US consumers, who shun the mobile devices packed with features in favor of simpler devices that get the job done. One would think that as cell phones evolve into cameras, e-mail readers, Web browser and music players, mobile users would be happy with the device that fulfills their digital needs, but according to AP, 'a J.D. Power & Associates survey last year found consumer satisfaction with their mobile devices has declined since 2003, with some of the largest drops linked to user interface for Internet and e-mail services.'" (from SlashDot)

A Universal Chip for Cell Phones. Today's cell phones can contain up to six wireless radio chips, which send and receive information in the form of electromagnetic waves. Research out of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has shown that a single wireless chip -- call it the "universal" chip -- could be in cell phones, as well as other wireless gadgets, in as few as three years, extending their battery life, allowing for sleeker designs, and permitting them to access features beyond Wi-Fi, GPS, global phone service, and Bluetooth. Read this article on Technology Review (an MIT Enterprise).

From PRNewswire. The growing popularity of next- generation mobile content services is increasingly highlighting the benefits of mobile digital rights management (DRM). Despite this, a lack of clarity about royalty rates is restraining the implementation of open standards for DRM, which may indirectly result in market fragmentation. This could force mobile operators to take a short-term approach toward DRM. Read comments on Frost & Sullivan report on PRNewswire.

More likely to have a mobile, use the net, listen to radio and read papers: it's the girl. After one of the most comprehensive studies of the effect on children of the explosion in media choices of the past 15 years, the regulator Ofcom said girls aged 12 to 15 are more likely than boys to have a mobile phone, use the internet, listen to the radio and read newspapers or magazines. Only when it comes to playing computer and console games do boys overtake girls. The report also warned of dangers thrown up by those between eight and 15 racing into the digital future. Reat it on Guardian Unlimited|Technology.

Nokia Phones Go to Natural Language Class. Nokia and MIT researchers are teaching cell phones to take commands in natural language. As part of a research collaboration with MIT computer scientists, the Nokia Research Center Cambridge, in Cambridge MA, is developing cell phones that can understand and respond to written commands typed in English. Read it on Technology Review (an MIT Enterprise).

From Technology Review (an MIT Enterprise). A Universal Chip for Cell Phones. Research out of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has shown that a single wireless chip -- call it the "universal" chip -- could be in cell phones, as well as other wireless gadgets, in as few as three years, extending their battery life, allowing for sleeker designs, and permitting them to access features beyond Wi-Fi, GPS, global phone service, and Bluetooth.