Nokia is joining a suddenly crowded field of BlackBerry rivals, becoming the first major cell phone maker to weigh into the mobile e-mail market with its own brand and service.
The company said the new application, Nokia Business Center, will join rather than replace the existing lineup of mobile e-mail and productivity options available on Nokia devices. Those include BlackBerry from Research in Motion (RIMM), GoodLink from Good Technology and applications from Seven Networks and Visto.
Much like those players, Nokia (NOK) plans to offer the new service through wireless carriers, as well as sell it directly to businesses, beginning in the fourth quarter.
While at first the service will only be available on six Nokia smart phones running on the Symbian operating system, the company plans to make the application compatible with its entire product line, as well as Java-based handsets made by rivals including Motorola.
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X-Day: The next version of Microsoft's Xbox game console will be available in the United States two days before Thanksgiving, in time for the important holiday shopping season.
The Nov. 22 launch of Xbox 360 in North America will be followed by a Dec. 2 launch in Europe and a Dec. 10 launch in Japan.
The releases will allow the software maker to get a head start over rival Sony's PlayStation 3, which is slated to replace the market-leading PlayStation 2 next spring.
The Japanese unit will cost 37,900 yen, or about $345 -- slightly less than the $400 the company is charging in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Microsoft had previously disclosed the U.S. price, as well as the European price of 400 euros.
Microsoft also is selling a scaled-back version, dubbed "Xbox 360 Core System," for $300 in North America and 300 euros in Europe. But David Reid, director of platform marketing for Xbox, said the company had decided there wouldn't be enough demand to immediately launch that cheaper system in Japan.
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DJ HAL 9000: Volkswagen, Europe's biggest automaker, is making a USB connection an option on its Golf, Golf Plus and Touran models in December and on remaining models next year.
Just plug your MP3 player into a built-in console in the center armrest. The option comes in two varieties, one for the iPod, another for other USB-based players. Up to six of the player's folders will be displayed on the car stereo system, and the radio buttons can be used to scan, search or shuffle your mix.
The setup will cost $240.
Also at the International Auto Show this week, Mazda unveiled its Sassou concept car. Instead of a key, motorists use a special USB drive to lock, unlock or start the car. The drive can also carry your favorite tunes.
Meanwhile, Japan's Denso Corp. has developed a security system that not only honks the horn incessantly when disturbed but also snaps a digital photo of the vehicle's interior and e-mails it to the owner.
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Mash of the titans: Time Warner and Microsoft have been in business discussions over the past several months regarding internet search and advertising networks, but not a joint venture.
Various discussions between the two companies started some two years ago after the two companies settled a long-running antitrust suit that America Online, a unit of Time Warner (TWX), filed against Microsoft (MSFT).
Time Warner has been under pressure to boost its stock price, which has fallen 70 percent over the past five years. Corporate raider Carl Icahn this week said he planned to seek one or more shareholder-nominated board seats at the company to force changes.
Icahn has demanded the company raise its stock buyback to $20 billion, from Time Warner's existing commitments of up to $5 billion, and completely spin off its cable division.
Time Warner and Microsoft were said to be in talks on a joint venture combining AOL with MSN in an unconfirmed report published by the New York Post on Thursday.
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Compiled by Keith Axline. AP and Reuters contributed to this report.
