Bono on your Blackberry. Could there be a cooler combination?

If you’re a U2 fanatic, today is an exciting day. Research In Motion is reportedly teaming with superstar recording group U2 for the release of a new mobile album.

For now, all reports are light on details. A blurb on BlackBerry.com, however, gives a quick synopsis of what appears to be a “U2 App” with music, photos, tour info and a few other morsels of insider information. As soon as more details are made available, you will be among the first to know if you sign up for an email notification on the status of the project.

Earlier this year, U2’s band manager Paul McGuiness foreshadowed “new and innovative ways to enhance the mobile music experience on the BlackBerry platform for U2 fans.”

The comments heightened speculation that a mobile album was in the works and we can now confirm the accuracy of those earlier suspicions.

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Just in time for the benchmark holiday of summer, Independence Day, Verizon Wireless is getting patriotic.

And we can join in the fun thanks to their patriotic ringtone and ringback jukebox. Verizon Wireless unveiled the two new ringback jukebox bundles this week, which will be available through the operator’s VZW Tones Deluxe service.

Customers can now choose from hundreds of patriotic, customizable tracks to prepare for whomever may ring for the Fourth of July:

· “American Pie,” by Don McLean
· “R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.,” by John Mellencamp
· “Born In The U.S.A.,” by Bruce Springsteen
· “American Girl,” by Taylor Swift
· “Summertime,” by Herbie Hancock
· “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” by U.S. Military Academy Band
· “American Soldier,” by Toby Keith
· “Only In America,” by Brooks & Dunn
· “Good Vibrations,” by The Beach Boys
· “God Bless The U.S.A.,” by Neal E. Boyd
· “Star Spangled Banner,” by Jimi Hendrix
· “1812 Overture,” by U.S. Air Force Band
· “The Star Spangled Banner,” by Beyonce

Ringtones are available for $2.99 per ringtone, while individual ringback tones are available for an annual fee of $1.99.

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Microsoft is gearing up for the launch of its Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store later this year, and some new details have emerged as to how it will all play out.

Coinciding with the launch of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5 OS, the new Marketplace for Mobile will debut with over 600 apps available from day one.  Although there are thousands of Windows Mobile-based applications already available, Microsoft says only a small percentage have made it through the selection process to be available via the Marketplace at launch.

Like other app stores, the Windows Marketplace will feature both paid and free apps, but in addition to offering credit card payments for premium apps, operator-based billing will also be offered- meaning users can purchase apps and pay for them on their cell phone bill.  Users will also have the option of returning the app within 24 hours of purchase if they’re not satisfied, a feature that will likely find its way into other app stores in the future.

According to Microsoft, Windows Marketplace for Mobile will debut in 29 countries at first.  The storefront promises developers 70 percent of all revenues as well as transparency throughout the certification process.  Developers will also have the option to set their own prices in each market, enabling them to maximize their revenues based on targeted pricing strategies.  Microsoft is slated to begin accepting Windows Marketplace for Mobile application submissions later this summer, with the initial launch of the marketplace slated for this Fall.

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Barnes & Noble has unveiled a new B&N Bookstore application for the Apple iPhone.

Providing access to millions of books now at the touch of your finger, Barnes & Noble worked with software partners Evryx Technologies and Spotlight Mobile to design, customize, and launch the new app, which is a red-hot download so far this week.

The app lets users take a photo of a book cover and, seconds later, the user gets all the information his or her heart could possibly desire about the title, author, publisher, etc.

More importantly from a business standpoint, however, consumers can use the app to purchase or reserve a copy of their desired title directly from the application.

The decision to plunge into the mobile realm isn’t new for the book giant. B&N recently bought digital book retailer Fictionwise for close to sixteen million dollars.

Given that Barnes & Noble operates nearly eight hundred bookstores in all 50 states, there is huge potential for this seemingly long-overdue app.

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To quote Heath Ledger as the Joker: “if you’re good at something, never do it for free.”

That seems to be the thinking of late around the corporate towers of the New York Times.

And the “joke” could very well end up on lovers of the original mobile content provided by the venerable but financially struggling newspaper.

At some point soon, it is likely that the New York Times will begin charging users to access its news coverage on mobile devices.

Until now, the popular service has been free.

Citing lost revenue opportunities, the company is eager to move forward with aggressive plans to improve the service for which they will now charge.

“Mobile offers a better opportunity for paid content,” says a NY Times executive to Bloomberg News. “For publishers to offer their content for free in the mobile platform forever without getting paid very much money, I don’t think it’s going to be tenable.”

For now at least, The New York Times mobile content is available free of charge on the Apple iPhone.

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A major lawsuit is rocking the mobile world.

ASCAP, a performance rights organization abbreviated for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, isn’t happy with AT&T.

The organization claims that the ringtones supported by AT&T violates performance and copyright law when they are played in public.

As a result, ASCAP has filed suit against AT&T.

Although mobile carriers and content providers pay songwriters and music copyright owners a license fee to carry the downloadable ringtones, ASCAP contends it isn’t enough and that additional royalties are due.

Now.

The legal eagles are weighing in on both sides at this hour. And while it isn’t clear exactly what will happen, it’s unlikely that consumers will be deprived of their beloved ring tones as a result of the suit.

After all, if we want to listen to “Ice Ice Baby” when we’re in the middle of grocery shopping and our mom calls, that’s our prerogative entirely.

Not that I would know anything about that.

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Nothing says international travel like National Geographic.

Without question, the recent announcement from the venerable brand is likely a welcome development for cosmopolitan country-hoppers.

National Geographic is rolling out what has been dubbed “the National Geographic Duet Travel Phone,” which is designed specifically for “the needs of the international traveler.”

According to the announcement, the new handset supports two SIM cards and offers additional features useful for travelers: Bluetooth, a camera, FM radio, television and 1GB storage card.

As expected, the Duet comes packed with National Geographic content like ringtones, wallpapers and travel-related videos from the National Geographic Channel.

In case you were wondering, the Duet also includes National Geographic’s pay-as-you-go National Geographic Travel SIM card, allowing affordable calling in 185 countries, free incoming calls in more than 80 countries and 30 minutes of outgoing call credit (for most countries). Users have the option of inserting another SIM card in the phone and having a secondary number and service.

There’s no question that the Duet is cool and convenient. But will a National Geographic product catch on with most young travelers who don’t equate National Geographic with much of anything considered “cool”?

Only time will tell.

For now, the National Geographic Travel Phone is available online through CellularAbroad.com, Amazon.com, Expansys-usa.com and other select retailers.

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