Daily Marauder

WIRELESS

Never mind a price that is one-half the original model: Apple’s new 3G iPhone’s profitability will outstrip its entire iPod line, according to a study from iSuppli, a research firm. ISuppli cited the reduced costs of components and subsidies from wireless carriers as major forces behind the gains. (ClipSyndicate/Bloomberg 6/25, Yahoo!/Reuters 6/25)

Virgin Mobile USA plans to acquire SK Telecom’s Helio phone service and fold it into the pay-as-you-go Virgin Mobile USA brand, according to the Financial Times. That’s good news for Helio’s 200,000 some odd users as rumors have been swirling that the socially-oriented MVNO was about to pack it in. (Cynopsis 6/26)

Sony will introduce a mobile phone by the 2009 holiday season that will carry the PlayStation brand and incorporate features from its PlayStation Portable, according to reports in a U.K. trade publication. (MarketingWeek 6/25)

Global gaming revenue from mobile devices should reach $4.5 billion this year, a 16.1% increase from 2007, the consultancy Gartner predicts. Despite its sluggish growth, mobile gaming carries plenty of upside because of its potential popularity across all of the industry’s user base and its viability in emerging markets as a low-cost alternative to PCs and console platforms. (mocoNews.net 6/25)

If any city needs this it’s LA. NBC4 in Burbank partnered with 3rd Dimension to launch a new Traffic Cam service for mobile phone users, providing live feeds of trouble spots from a network of over 270 roadside cameras in LA and San Bernardino County. To download the application, commuters can enter their mobile number by clicking on the NBC Los Angeles Traffic Cam link at KNBC.com or by calling 1-877-NBC-LA04 (1-877-622-5204). (Cynopsis 6/26)