Cellphone Depot, Inc.

Oh, look, it’s another place to buy bite-sized mobile apps, this one courtesy of Samsung. The company isn’t exactly new to the whole application store thing, launching a little outlet for Nokia users earlier this year, but piggy-backing on someone else’s platform and boldly blazing a trail of iFart knockoffs on your own hardware are two very different things. The imaginatively named Samsung Application Store launches on September 14 for British, French, and Italian Omnia and I8910 HD handsets, later coming to the Omnia II and OmniaLITE as well as users in various other nations. Samsung is pledging “over 300″ apps to start, while partners like Electronic Arts, Capcom, Gameloft, and TAITO have signed on for the fun. Omnia BUST-A-MOVE, anyone?

source: engadget.com

Citing people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Casio, Hitachi and NEC have entered into talks with the goal of merging their respective cellphone businesses. The merger would help all three companies take advantage of their individual strengths and better compete with Japanese market leader Sharp. Cell makers in Japan are under increased pressure to turn up profits, and the market has seen drastic changes there in recent quarters. The merger may be complete as early as April 2010. The three companies involved did not comment on the matter directly.

source: phonescoop.com