Via a brief blog post, Google has announced the availability of in-app billing for Android Market applications. The new feature will allow application makers to publish apps that can facilitate future payments via Google’s Checkout system. “In-app Billing gives you more ways to monetize your apps with try-and-buy, virtual goods, upgrades, and other billing models,” writes Google. “If you aren’t yet familiar with In-app Billing, we encourage you to learn more about it.” The company notes that several applications, including Tap Tap Revenge and WSOP3, are already utilizing the service. Developers interested in taking in-app payments can find detailed documentation here.

Read

Following word that the release of Nokia’s E7 smartphone has been delayed, some uplifting Nokia news comes from Beijing Tuesday morning. IDG reporter Mikael Ricknäs is in attendance at the 2010 International Mobile Internet Conference, and he has relayed some tasty tidbits from the show. First, Nokia apparently has some big things in store for the Symbian OS in 2011. The somewhat stale UI will be a primary focus, which is of course great news for Symbian users. Of course we’ve known that the Symbian UI would be overhauled in 2011 for quite some time now — Symbian^3 was intended to be a major behind-the-scenes update, while Symbian^4 and S^5 would address more user-facing issues. The only difference now is that the S^4 and S^5 monikers have wisely been dropped.

Getting into specifics, an update in Q1 2011 will include more than 50 enhancements, such as an overhauled Web browser UI. Second and third quarter updates will bring “a new look and feel for the user interface, a more flexible home screen, an updated HTML5 browser and an easier software update experience.” Nokia will also issue more powerful hardware next year as it reportedly prepares to release 1GHz and dual-core devices. Finally, Nokia is planning to release hardware with “true zoom camera” technology in late 2011 or early 2012. While Nokia did not clarify what this new camera technology is, it could very well bring optical zoom to Nokia’s smartphones.

Read

U.S. Cellular has had a teaser-site for their “Belief Project” up for just over a week, but now, the company is starting to detail just what the program entails. “We noticed wireless customers shared some common frustrations, and we wanted to fix them,” said Mary N. Dillon, the company’s president and CEO. Starting tomorrow, U.S. Cellular will begin offering “One and Done” contracts, which allow customers who have completed a two-year contract to move to a month-by-month post-paid offering. “Belief Rewards,” which — from what we gather — will work like credit card points; the longer you are a customer the more points you earn. Points can be used towards early phone upgrades, additional lines, ringtones, etc. Other features of the Belief Project include: $100 phone replacements for lost and stolen phones, overage cap warnings, and 5% bill discounts for auto-pay. Sounds pretty nice, although, we’re interested to see the fine print. Hit the jump to check out the brief synopsis the company just sent us.

U.S. CELLULAR LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-FIRST PROGRAMS THAT ELEVATE THE WIRELESS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, REWARD LOYALTY

The Belief Project^SM Offers “One and Done” Contracts, Rewards Program

To Get Earlier Phone Upgrades, Overage Caps

CHICAGO – [September 30, 2010] – Today, United States Cellular Corporation [NYSE: USM] took its strategy of delighting customers with innovative services to a whole new level with its launch of The Belief Project. The carrier announced an array of industry-first initiatives designed to give potential customers several compelling reasons to switch to U.S. Cellular and reward loyal customers.

The company will offer wireless customers the benefits they want including “One and Done” contracts, a robust rewards program with points that never expire for active accounts, simplified national rate plans, protection against “bill shock” with overage protection, caps and forgiveness; the industry’s only phone replacement program, and savings of up to 5 percent on their monthly bills for setting up auto pay and paperless billing.

“We noticed wireless customers shared some common frustrations, and we wanted to fix them,” said Mary N. Dillon, president and CEO of U.S. Cellular. “With The Belief Project, we’re elevating the customer experience by emphasizing a human relationship with our customers, not a contractual one. We believe our customers will stay with us because they want to, not because they have to, and that potential customers will want to be a part of something better.”

In a recent Weinstein and Associates survey, 1,000 wireless consumers revealed strong feelings about some of their biggest frustrations.

- 90 percent said wireless providers should earn their loyalty, not require it by having to sign a contract.
- 87 percent said they shouldn’t have to sign a service contract just to stay with their current wireless carrier.
- 84 percent said 24 months is too long to wait to get a good deal on a new cell phone.
- 80 percent said wireless providers should do something about overages and the big bills that come from them.
Dillon added that enhancing U.S. Cellular’s customer-centric strategy will further solidify the carrier’s reputation as a company that cares.

“Wireless customers deserve something better,” Dillon said. “And they’re getting it from       U.S. Cellular – especially with the new offerings we announced today. But as excited as we are about The Belief Project, this is not the final chapter. We’ll continue to innovate and find new ways to upgrade the customer experience by demonstrating to both current and potential customers that U.S. Cellular puts their needs first.”

No Contract After the First One
With new “One and Done” contracts, new customers who fulfill an initial two-year commitment with U.S. Cellular never have to sign a contract again. Existing customers can simply finish the remainder of their current contract on one of the company’s National Single Line or Family Belief Plans without extending it. After that, customers are free to enjoy benefits without signing a new contract – like a new phone at promotional prices every 18 months that can be accelerated with points. Customers who have previously completed a two-year commitment and are currently on a month-to-month plan can easily switch to a Belief Plan without signing a new contract.

Belief Rewards
Loyal customers often feel new customers get the best deals. At U.S. Cellular, all postpaid customers on Belief Plans can earn points simply for being a customer. The Belief Points can be redeemed for things customers actually want, like earlier phone upgrades at promotional prices, additional lines, phones, accessories, ringtones and forgiveness of overage charges. Customers are automatically enrolled and start receiving points when they sign up for any U.S. Cellular Belief Plan. Belief Points are earned based on a customer’s monthly service plan, the number of lines on the account and how long they’ve been a customer. There are no membership or enrollment fees, or blackout or expiration dates for active accounts, and points are easy to redeem in stores, online or by calling customer service.

Belief Plans
U.S. Cellular’s new simplified National Single Line and Family Belief Plans are designed to be easy and affordable for a wide range of customers. Whether customers use their phones a little or a lot, the Basic, Unlimited Basic, Essential, Essential Plus, Premium and Premium Plus plans offer simple bundles of voice, text and data with built-in value. Select plans include U.S. Cellular’s industry-leading Overage Cap and Phone Replacement programs. In addition, postpaid customers automatically receive Belief Points with all Belief Plans.

Phone Replacement
Phone Replacement allows customers on Premium or Premium Plus Belief Plans to get a replacement phone if something goes wrong with their handset. Customers who bring in their accidentally broken or malfunctioning phone can get a replacement of the same or a similar model – even if the phone is no longer under warranty. And, if a customer’s phone is lost or stolen, they can receive the same or similar replacement phone for $100 – far less than the typical cost of a phone. Phone Replacement is available at U.S. Cellular retail locations and through customer service. If a replacement phone isn’t available in store, it will be shipped to the customer to arrive the next business day.

Overage Cap, Forgiveness and Protection
With Overage Cap, U.S. Cellular customers don’t need to worry about excessive overage charges. The service prevents voice overage charges from exceeding $50 for a National Single Line Belief Plan or $150 for a Family Belief Plan, and customers have the option to use points for overage forgiveness to eliminate overage charges. U.S. Cellular also has its customers’ backs with Overage Protection, which sends customers a text message when they reach 75 percent of their allotted minutes or text messages, and again at 100 percent, so there isn’t a surprise when the bill arrives.

Earlier Phone Upgrades
For years, one of the most common frustrations for wireless customers has been waiting two years to upgrade to the latest handsets, like U.S. Cellular’s Android-powered devices. The standard phone upgrade time under a Belief Plan is only 18 months. U.S. Cellular customers can upgrade a phone as early as every 10 to11 months depending on their plan by redeeming their Belief Points.

Save Up To 5 Percent Using Auto Pay and Paperless Billing
U.S. Cellular is the first wireless carrier to offer monthly service discounts to customers who use both paperless billing and auto pay. Customers who sign up for both with a debit or credit card get a 3 percent discount on their monthly bill. Customers who sign up for both and use their checking or savings account will receive a 5 percent discount.

Even More to Believe In
The Belief Project complements U.S. Cellular’s other free, innovative offerings like Battery Swap, My Contacts Backup and Free Incoming Calls, Texts and Pix.

Starting Oct. 1, you can visit uscellular.com for more information about The Belief Project.

Read

According to a new email blast AT&T is currently in the midst of sending out, the company has been hard at work in 2008 and through Q1 2009 improving its service in the New York metro area. In fact according to the email, the carrier added 75 new cell sites across New Jersey, New York and Long Island during the 15-month period. Specifically, AT&T lists the following areas as key improvements in 2008:

• Along I-78 in Hunterdon County west of Exit 11 and between Exit 33 and I-287 in NJ
• Aong the West Side Highway from 7th Avenue to West 10th Street in Manhattan
• The Sprain Brook Parkway from Route 100C to 100 and I-684 near Goldens Bridge in Valhalla, NY
• The Long Island Expressway near Exit 51 in Huntington Station, NY
• Perrineville, Prospect Plains, Union Valley & Applegarth Roads all in Monroe Township in Middlesex County, NJ
• Main Street and Ocean Avenue in Northport, NY
• The Southern State and Sagtikos Parkways in Bayshore, NY

A few more areas are also listed as recipients of even more recent coverage improvements:

• The NJ Transit line in Glen Rock, NJ
• Todt Hill Road in Staten Island
• Howells Road and the Sunrise Highway in Bayshore, NY
• Greenwich Village from Washington Square Park to East 12th Street, Central Park South
• The Upper East Side from East 82nd to East 91st Street in Manhattan

While we applaud AT&T’s continued efforts in the region, we’re still hearing from an unending stream of readers, colleagues and friends wondering what is going on with AT&T’s service in the NYC area. Of course people love to complain much more than they do praise so to be fair, we also talk to plenty of people in the area who live and die by AT&T’s service and seemingly have no problems at all. Consider this an informal third party survey — those of you with AT&T service in and around New York… How’s it hanging?

Hit the jump to see the full email and then hit the comments section to be heard.