While in today’s world of to-do lists and outstanding appointments, slapping an extra day onto the weekend doesn’t guarantee a rejuvenated new you come Tuesday, mobile applications can promise to reduce your man labor this weekend.

To find out how, check out appolicious’ picks for iPhone and Android, and a safe, happy Labor(-less) Day to all!

That’s right, September 4th marks the commencement of a new calendar year, where weeks revolve around Saturdays and the difference between triumph and heartbreak can boil down to a matter of inches.

Because if it’s September, it’s time for college football. And whether you’re watching your team live between the hedges (shameless plug) or nestled between fellow enthusiasts on your couch, mobile applications are here to make sure you never miss a down.

From apps geared toward specific teams and conferences to Gameday bundles and live game streaming, mobile promises to give you the full college football experience this fall. So before your team kicks-off this Saturday, be sure to pay a visit to your app store so you can be armed and ready all season long.

In the middle seat, it’s just you and your smartphone, and you’re yearning for a sweet release. Well, road-trippers rejoice, because Netflix has just made its way to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Simply flick over to the App Store, download the application (which is free for Netflix subscribers), and immerse yourself in a video oasis with hundreds of titles that download and stream directly to your smartphone.

So while mobile can’t help reconcile your siblings’ tastes with your own, it once again finds a way to cater specifically to yours. Now if only your phone really could pop corn (seriously though, how did they fake that?). Oh well, maybe one day.

New technology—developed by Inkling to turn textbooks digital—is more interactive than platforms offered by traditional screen readers to date, allowing educators to highlight and leave notes for students in the text, administer pop quizzes, and even utilize 3D figures to better explain complex concepts in areas like science and math. Similarly, students can leave commentary for their professors and share notes with peers. And with the iPad maxing out at mere 1.5lbs, a full day of classes is no longer an exercise in manual labor.

While some question the cost of requiring iPads for class—the most basic model still starts around $500—proponents of the technology note the cost of physical texts is surging past $1,100 annually at many U.S. colleges and universities. Additionally, Inkling’s technology allows students to download single chapters at a time (which is extremely cost-effective, especially if teachers want to pull certain chapters from various textbooks to offer the best possible curriculum).

If the price of going digital is comparable to that of paper texts, adopting the iPad for school seems like a logical step. Happy learning!

The program, which will run in the New York region through December, is the latest step in giving consumers a "digital wallet" smartphone option. Here’s how it works: A small radio chip is installed in your phone and coded with your bank account and password. You then “bump” the phone with a scanner at checkout and the sale amount is transferred from your account.

BoA’s move is the latest in the race to develop smartphone payment systems. The banks are moving quickly in this area, but so are companies outside the banking industry. As Reuters notes, “Competition is increasing from outside the banking world.”

Mobile phones have already replaced the wristwatch for many college students and it seems only a matter of time – and not much at that – before it replaces the wallet too.

Shopkick—which just launched for iPhone with Android capabilities not far behind—rewards users simply for walking into participating stores by awarding “kickbacks”, or points, for certain behaviors. Once inside, Shopkick offers a customized shopping experience, directing you to specific bargains and rewarding you for handling items, trying pieces on, and of course, for purchasing. Amass enough points, and you earn store credits, gift cards, and redeemable coupons.

By simply switching on Shopkick and “checking-in,” users can locate deals in their area and even earn points just for their own curiosity without ever even entering a store. And if you’re feeling charitable, the app allows users to opt out of personal benefits to donate to one of 30 participating charities.

Shopkick is currently available in the wider New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco regions, with more locations promised shortly.

For more information, check out the NYT profile of Shopkick here.

From yesterday's Washington Post article by Samantha Henry:

The most ancient traditions of Islam are going high-tech, with a slew of modern offerings for those observing the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week. Cell phone applications such as "iPray" or "iQuran" offer a beeping reminder of requisite prayer times, while the "Find Mecca" and "mosque finder" programs help the Muslim traveler in an unfamiliar city find the nearest place to pray.

In fact, in the whirlwind world of wireless technology, one of the greatest metrics of the industry’s unbridled innovation is that of the booming applications landscape. These days, there’s seemingly an app for everything, which makes it all the more remarkable that developers continue to roll out new applications daily that leave consumers wondering how they ever did without.

As a nod to apps’ importance and popularity, PC Mag has just released its Top 100 Free Apps of 2010, which profiles this year’s top downloads across six different smartphone operating platforms.

Interestingly, six short months ago, PC Mag released a similar list for 2009 primarily focusing on iPhone applications. But given the mass proliferation of smartphones across multiple platforms, PC Mag has shifted its content to reflect the diversity of the mobile marketplace.

So be sure to check out what apps are hot for you and your mobile device, and happy downloading!

Concerned about getting a call from facebook “friends” you don’t actually know? A call-block feature is set to be added in future updates. Also in the future, Vonage plans to bring the app to Blackberry users and to add an SMS (texting) service!

Additionally, the report digs further into the discrepancies between native born and foreign born Latinos and examines how young Hispanics—the nation’s largest and youngest minority ethnic group—stack up against their counterparts.

With such a sizable portion of America’s young population showing a decided preference for mobile technology, and with no projected end to growth in sight, it’s clear mobile truly is the present and future of communication.

Troy Cross from Vlingo demos audio-to-text messaging on his mobile phone:

Larry Lewis from Flying Blind, LLC shows off an alpha braille controller:

David Pohelman shows off an iPhone that speaks back to the user:

Lisa and Jeffrey Johnson from Grembe Inc. show off iCommunicate:

 (a) It’s named after a Spanish breed of fighting bull.

(b) It goes 0 to 125 mph in 14.3 seconds.

(c) An eBay user bought one this year using a mobile app.

 Actually, it’s “D” – all of the above.

 The mobile app point is one of the more interesting facts from a recent Business Week article on the surge in mobile commerce at eBay. Last year, the business saw about $600 million in commerce done through its mobile app. In 2010, the company projects this to more than double to $1.5 billion.

 The prime mover for the company’s mobile growth is the increase in smartphones and tablets. Also, eBay’s mobile apps (the company has 14 of them) are more than just a driver of commerce. As Business Week puts it:

 “The bottom line: Mobile commerce is booming and still fragmented, so eBay is rapidly introducing shopping apps to stay ahead of Amazon, its main U.S. rival.”

In addition to creating its own content, Disney has also moved into the mobile acquisition market with its recent purchase of Tapulous, the developing engine behind the successful iPhone series Tap Tap Revenge.  With almost $1 million in monthly sales, it’s easy to understand why 30% of iPhone and iPod touch users have downloaded the musical game since its release in 2008.

With new content being developed for the iPad, it is clear that Disney intends to stay relevant as technological advances bring more media into the mobile space. The mobile future looks bright for Disney and its future generations of captivated audiences.

Suffice it to say that if the majority of human relationships were as successful as that of consumers and the wireless industry, the markets for chick-flicks and online dating may cease to exist-- because this romance is nothing short of a fairy tale.

The expansive and swift proliferation of mobile broadband. The shift from feature-based flip phones to smart mobile devices operated over user-friendly interfaces like the touchscreen. The real-time social capabilities offered through new media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The emergence of apps for, well, just about everything.

And thankfully, there is no end in sight for this climate of consumer-driven innovation. We appreciate Mashable for highlighting how wireless continues to serve as a true American success story, and, as always, we look forward to exploring new unchartered horizons in our mobile future.

One bright spot where new tools are being developed to help increase opportunity and independence for those with disabilities is in wireless. With technology leaping forward at warp speed, mobile innovators are developing new products, services and applications to both anticipate and meet evolving consumer demands and particularly the needs of those with disabilities.

For example, a smartphone uses voice activation on a mapping application to guide a visually impaired person walking down the street. Mobile screen readers narrate everything from the day's newspaper stories to email messages. And new mobile tools help distinguish between $5 and $10 dollar bills and cans of peas or corn on the pantry shelf.

Mobile Future's recently released white paper titled, "Mobile Ability: The Transformational Impact of Wireless Innovation for People with Disabilities" takes a closer look at how wireless technology can improve the quality of life and enhance inclusiveness for individuals with disabilities. The report explores how important the intersection of mobile innovation and broadband technology is for people with disabilities in the areas of employment, health care, education and emergency response.

Mobile technology has revolutionized communications worldwide, and in doing so, has reshaped the way society functions as a whole. Robust investment in wireless has allowed innovators to dream big and invent affordable and accessible technologies that provide consumers with advancements and opportunities never dreamed possible.

The ADA was a beacon of hope for millions of Americans and led to countless opportunities. But while we celebrate this monumental legislation this week, we must not forget that there is still more policymakers can do.

To help spur even more potential mobile solutions for those with disabilities, we must free up more spectrum to accommodate the looming mobile data crunch. We also need to remove barriers to technology like high taxes and fees on communications services. We must continue to encourage the strong collaboration between innovators and the disability community on mobile technologies. And, finally, policymakers must support efforts to modernize local 911 infrastructures.

As the FCC and Congress move forward to implement the National Broadband Plan, policymakers must strive to keep the goals of the ADA in mind and continue to uphold the wise regulatory policies that fuel innovation, competition and a consumer-driven mobile future for all.

This article was originally published on Huffington Post.

This week, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) unveiled an addition to its mobile site allowing disaster victims to apply for assistance directly from their smartphone. FEMA's rationale is clear: In a life-threatening emergency, seconds count. Residents are more likely to have a mobile phone on their person, or may have just enough time to grab one before heading to safety.

"More and more, I think we are reorienting our focus... to really developing tools that are useful to you in a mobile environment," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told Politico's Morning Tech.

(You can watch him run a demo of the new mobile site on multiple PDAs here.)

Fugate added that FEMA is exploring additional ways to deliver services via mobile and GPS technology. The agency already processes an average of about 40 percent of disaster applications online; this seems like a common-sense way to further streamline FEMA's operations.

Furthermore, FEMA's announcement is a timely reminder of the lifesaving capabilities of mobile communications. Five years ago next month, Hurricane Katrina slammed into Louisiana. The government's disjointed response in assisting the maintenance and repair of mobile communication links contributed significantly to the extended chaos.

Three years later, look at the improvement: During Hurricane Gustav, wireless technology provided real-time communication links vital to the rescue efforts. Among the examples, Tulane University kept more than 10,000 students aware of storm developments through Twitter. Mobile users accessed Gustav-related pages on social network sites such as Ning for real-time news alerts, on-site posts, and videos.

Looking to the future, mobile platforms are already linking voice, video, IM, and other data for first responders at federal, state and local levels. Just think how first responders could use mobile phones and GPS to organize a large-scale rescue operation with a location-based networking application (example: BrightKite), which would allow authorities to divide a region into smaller areas, directing volunteers in each one as necessary.

This would be particularly helpful in the aftermath of a serious earthquake. As reported last week in The Orange County Register, a new early-alert system in the O.C. could give residents up to 70 seconds warning of a major San Andreas earthquake. Through the use of mobile apps, that would be enough time to slow high-speed trains, shut down power plant generators and take other precautionary steps.

The augmented incorporation of mobile technologies into government-led relief efforts is already saving lives and resources. In the five years since the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, wireless has grown up as an industry, with the government recognizing the powerful organizational capabilities immediate access to mobile technology affords Americans stuck in disaster areas. FEMA's recent addition to its mobile site is one of many demonstrations that the government takes seriously the positive ramifications of amplifying its use of mobile devices, which are now inextricably linked with the day-to-day lives of Americans.

This article was orginally published on Huffington Post.

The survey determined that 87 percent of English-speaking Hispanics in the U.S. own a cell phone, compared with 80 percent of whites. And 53 percent of these Hispanics access the Internet from their mobile phones. Hispanics also lead in their use of mobile data applications, including: taking pictures, sending and receiving text messages, accessing the Internet, sending and receiving e-mail, watching videos and using social networking sites.

I am proud our community is leading the way in wireless usage and am excited to see how this adoption can help bolster the community as a whole — from entrepreneurial opportunities and improving health care to educational development and greater public safety.

In fact, the Pew study reinforces many of the findings from a 2009 in-depth report released by the Hispanic Institute and Mobile Future examining mobile broadband's impact on the Hispanic community.

The study, "Hispanic Broadband Access: Making the Most of the Mobile, Connected Future," illustrates how advancements in wireless broadband are democratizing educational and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Hispanics traditionally have lagged behind other groups in adopting broadband connections at home. But that's clearly not the case with wireless. While the Hispanic community is growing at a rapid pace, the wireless sector is evolving just as quickly. With opportunities and products emerging daily, consumers are able to select what's best for them from a vast selection of plans, applications and services.

But this didn't happen by accident. The wireless sector has grown tremendously in a short period of time because policy makers wisely set a light touch framework that put consumers in charge of the market and encouraged investment, innovation and growth. This led to increased research and development for cutting-edge wireless services and vibrant wireless networks connecting countless communities like ours that otherwise might have been left behind.

This year, the Federal Communications Commission released an ambitious National Broadband Plan to help ensure that no one ends up on the wrong side of the digital divide. The FCC set a terrific goal, but in order to meet its objectives, regulators must avoid imposing any rules that could deter the growth and innovation we see in wireless, including trying to regulate the Internet through so-called Net neutrality rules or attempting to micro-manage the highly competitive wireless sector.

By maintaining the current light-touch regulatory approach, wireless technology investors and innovators will continue to be spurred by robust market opportunities and healthy competition.

The result? A consumer-driven industry that is narrowing the gap by offering new cutting-edge products and services to millions of mobile subscribers.

Today's wireless sector is connecting American consumers in ways we never dreamed possible. But putting rules in place that could stifle this vibrant sector would be counterproductive, and in today's challenging economy, this is a gamble that neither Main Street nor Wall Street can afford to lose.

The article was orginially published in The Statesman.

And according to a briefing this week from NBC, millions of you were watching this on the tiny screen.

Alan Wurtzel, president of research and media development of NBC Universal, told a conference on the mobile Internet that mobile viewership of the Olympics surged between the 2008 Beijing Games and Vancouver. During the Beijing summer games, NBC reported that 15 percent of viewers watched events through their mobile devices.

Just 18 months later in Vancouver, that number almost doubled to 27 percent. About 1.2 million mobile users used a Winter Olympics mobile app, also a large increase from 2008.

NBC's figures are in keeping with other evidence of the boom in mobile web usage. Nielsen estimates cited by Wurtzel peg the growth of mobile web users during the same period at nearly 50 percent (49 million users to 72 million).

So the mobile revolution accelerates. And to think: The London Olympics begin on July 27, 2012, or almost exactly two years from today.

This past May, a team from Ford drove AJ from Ann Arbor, Michigan all the way to California, with the car tweeting independently throughout the trip. The messages included real-time traffic updates and weather information gathered through an app deemed the “Auto”matic Blog, which “tap[s] into all the available data on the car, including telemetry information, like location, speed, acceleration and braking,” and, “glean[s] information from the windshield wipers, steering input, GPS data and correlate[s] it with live information culled from the Web,” according to the New York Times.

For more on AJ, as well as some information surrounding how Ford will integrate smartphone apps into its vehicles in the near future, check out the full NYT article here.

To read more about Ericcson's findings, click here.

Planning a summer trip? Check the latest safety guidelines with the TSA app.  Head in the clouds? Go on a space odyssey with NASA’s application.  All eighteen apps are free and available now to help you get engaged!

Over the past year, the number of Americans connecting wirelessly to the Internet is up 8 percentage points, with six out of 10 Americans now using their smartphone or laptop to access the Internet. In fact, more Americans now use their mobile device to connect to the Internet (38%) than play a game on their device (34%). And, it’s not just young millennials gravitating to the nexus of wireless and the Internet. Their parents—folks in the 30 to 49 year old age bracket—are now leading the growth.

African Americans and Latinos also continue to lead in mobile connectivity. Two-thirds of both communities are wireless Internet users. And, African Americans and Latinos continue to outpace whites when it comes to cell phone ownership (87% versus 80%).

These insights illuminate the wireless debate at a pivotal moment, coming on the heels of President Obama’s Executive Order announcing his Administration’s intention to increase the amount of spectrum available to meet consumers’ fast-growing mobile needs. Pew’s methodical documentation of a steep adoption and usage growth trajectory—cutting broadly across the U.S. population—powerfully illustrates the profound importance of these spectrum allocation efforts and the equally essential need to safeguard policies that encourage the billions of dollars in investment needed to get this spectrum into use across the country. This process can take six to 10 years to complete, from the announcement of auctions to the deployment of actual networks, so we need to get started now.

Unfortunately as temperatures rise in Washington (both literally and metaphorically), it seems no debate is safe from the partisan pull of election-year politics. Even U.S. wireless policy, which has enjoyed bipartisan support for a light-tough regulatory framework through both Republican and Democratic administrations, is getting dragged into the pro-regulation and heated rhetorical fray.

It’s hard to justify given the frenetic pace of competition across the mobile landscape. Verizon and Google recently have gone public with their ambitions to challenge the AT&T/Apple iPad alliance. HP, Dell and others also are in hot pursuit. Cox is becoming the first U.S. cable company to directly offer wireless services. Regional players like Leap Wireless and MetroPCS are thriving. And, the Palm Pre was recently offered to consumers for the jaw-dropping price of a single cent. Consumer choices of service providers, plans, devices and applications abound.

All of this, of course, only further fuels the leaps and bounds we’re now seeing in mobile Internet adoption and usage. The arrival of dispassionate, data-driven reports like this Pew contribution are essential to constructive policy conversation that benefit consumers and innovators alike.

The data also clearly illustrates just how deeply mobile connectivity is working its way into our lives, and just how enthusiastically consumers are responding to the profound innovation it is making possible.

As the Federal Communications Commission takes a closer look at wireless, it’s important that it consider how consumers are actually embracing mobile connectivity in their diverse lives. And, it is imperative that the FCC acknowledge that all of this progress we celebrate now has taken place in—and been made possible in no small part by—the current light-touch regulatory framework.

The proof is in the numbers. As the mercury rises in the nation’s capital, it’s important that cooler heads prevail when it comes to the flexibility and dynamism that have truly connected the nation to the opportunities and innovation made possible by the mobile Internet.

This article was orginially published on Huffington Post.

But perhaps what is most exciting is that the price of today’s most basic iPhone is not the floor as far as smartphones are concerned. In fact, manufacturers are rolling out smart devices for as low as $70—a far cry from the $599 number that seemed justifiable in the industry such a short time ago.

For example, last week Qualcomm focused a sizable portion of its Uplinq annual developer conference on Brew MP software designed to proliferate mass-market smartphones. Qualcomm anticipates the technology will have massive implications in both domestic and international markets, driving the cost of multiple smartphones well below $100 when models running on Brew MP software are released either later this year or by early 2011.

These models will join other newcomers—like Nokia’s Nuron and E73 Model, which are available through T-Mobile and cost around $70 each—in a new family of smartphones that reach broader demographics and bring these devices’ life-changing capabilities to an increased number of consumers. For more information, check out “The Race to the $70 Smartphone” in Forbes.

Aching for some day-to-day wisdom from a Founding Father? Always a pioneer, it seems George Washington has found a way to Tweet. Follow him today and arm yourself with the perfect inspirational line to toast America’s birthday.

And with that, happy Fourth of July!

Frugal-minded parents rejoice! Just in time for summer vacation and in advance of the back to school blitz, Best Buy is now offering discounted, WiiMAX enabled laptops that can connect to the Clearwire® mobile internet service.  Summer road trips will never be the same.

Responding to this measure, Mobile Future Chairman Jonathan Spalter issued the following statement:

“We appreciate President Obama’s leadership and foresight in paving the way to efficiently and responsibly make more spectrum available to keep pace with wireless innovation and consumer demand. Today’s presidential memorandum sets the course for the next wave of mobile opportunities that will lead to economic growth and continued job creation. This announcement is a step in the right direction and it’s critical that the Obama Administration remains focused on spurring growth rather than imposing restrictive regulations that could paralyze the economic recovery, job growth and investment we see in today’s thriving wireless sector.”

If you answered 'yes' to this question, you are not alone. Media outlets today have been blanketed with the images of long queues as impatient Apple fanboys and fangirls are paying the opportunity cost and at least $200 (with 2yr activation) to get their hands on the latest must-have device. With such tantalizing features as video-conferencing, multi-tasking, and 720p video recording, it is no wonder that people are forming endless lines outside Apple stores-- similar to those you might see outside a certain vampire themed movie premiere.

With as many as 600,000 preorders, Apple's current supplies can only appease those launch day customers showing up to AT&T stores that actually ordered the device in advance. All Johnny-come-latelies must wait until June 29th to be able to buy an iPhone4 at AT&T stores.

Has the love affair with your iPhone3 come to an abrupt end? Don't trash it, learn how to recycle it and other phones here.

The FBI story contains some important reminders about the secure and appropriate disclosure of information online, while providing important resources for those with further questions or who may have experienced such an attack.