Daily Marauder

WIRELESS

Web telephony start-up Kadoink launched a new publishing platform allowing music acts such as Death Cab For Cutie and Third Eye Blind to distribute songs as voicemails or through mobile channels. Artists can use the platform, which includes widgets embeddable on social networking sites, to update fans on upcoming tours and releases.

(Below) It’s simple and efficient but like all Safari-based applications, annoying when not in Wi-Fi range.

Google is releasing a new application for Apple’s iPhone that combines the Web giant’s services such as e-mail, search and calendar into a single interface. Google says it is also working to develop new mobile technologies that are faster, easier to use and available on more devices. (http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN0561278320071205  12/5)

Bravo partnered with LimeLife Inc. to launch the Top Chef Challenge mobile game, available as a download or monthly subscription from multiple carriers today. The game poses culinary-themed reflex, memory and trivia challenges to users, peppered with commentary by Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi. 

In another sign that the mobile Web is going mainstream, the Drudge Report is launching a mobile version, called iDrudge Report. Matt Drudge’s Web site has been credited with accelerating numerous online media trends, including online content aggregation and blogging. (http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/12/drudge_report_g.html  12/5)

Nokia’s chief technology officer predicts that the video quality on mobile phones will improve greatly over the next few years to the point of reaching HD levels. The company this year began selling phones that can record video with quality equal to television. (Yahoo!/Reuters 12/5)