The new TXU Energy iThermostat mobile website (txu.com/control) is compatible with the latest models of Apple iPhone, Apple iPod touch, Apple iPad, BlackBerry Tour and Android smart phones (all brands).

“Our new mobile website allows our customers to use their smart phone to control their home’s temperatures from virtually anywhere in the world,” said Jennifer Pulliam, director of innovation for TXU Energy. “Customers want more control and information about how they’re using their energy, and our mobile website is one way they can do that.”

With triple-digit temperatures already having arrived in the state, TXU Energy reminds Texans to take advantage of technology designed to give customers more control over their home’s temperature.

The TXU Energy iThermostat is a fully Web-enabled programmable thermostat that lets customers monitor and manage their home’s temperature through the Internet.

The mobile applications allow listeners to tune into their favorite Radio One stations in 15 of America’s largest urban markets from the convenience of their mobile phones. Developed and delivered using both AirKast AirBridge and TuneKast, the Radio One mobile applications let listeners hear live broadcasts on the go as well as view song lyrics, see artist and album information, read reviews, watch videos, listen to station podcasts, hear samples of recently played songs and even buy music through iTunes and Amazon.com. There is no registration required and each application is free to download.

The application features a mobile version of the PestWorld.org pest guide, which is designed to help users easily identify pests that they find in their home or property, as well as learn about pests’ habits and any health or property threats they may pose. Other features include an informative frequently asked questions section and tips for finding a qualified pest professional. Users can also contact a pest professional using the “Find a Pro” zip code search function on the application.

“In today’s fast-paced, knowledge-driven society and with the accessibility we receive from smart phones, we know that when consumers are looking for information, they want it instantaneously,” says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA. “Our new cell phone application allows users to find any information they need about pests like termites, bed bugs, cockroaches, rodents and stinging insects at the touch of a button, from wherever they happen to be. The application is designed to give users information on how to educate themselves about the risks posed by household pests as well as how they can best protect themselves and their families.”

The PestWorld application is currently available exclusively to iPhone users, but will soon be available on Blackberry and Droid phones as well. To download the application, visit here.

The CLEAR Spot 4G and CLEAR Spot 4G+ increasingly faster speeds and 4G connectivity to Wi-Fi enabled laptops, netbooks, smartphones, portable gaming and other connected devices – without the worries or hassles of tiered or capped data usage plans.

CLEAR Spot 4G

The CLEAR Spot 4G is a personal mobile hotspot allowing users to easily and securely share unlimited super fast Internet access anywhere CLEAR has coverage simultaneously with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The CLEAR Spot 4G costs $99.99 or can be leased for $4.99 a month. Monthly CLEAR service plans start at $40 per month.

CLEAR Spot 4G+

The CLEAR Spot 4G+ allows power users and road warriors to stay connected across the U.S. by automatically switching from 4G and connecting to Sprint’s 3G nationwide network outside the 4G coverage area. The CLEAR Spot 4G+ enables users to securely share the connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices at the same time. The CLEAR Spot 4G+ costs $224.99 or can be leased for $5.99 a month. Monthly CLEAR service plans start at $55 per month.

The WhiteSands app will allow a user to input a state, city and/or a specific resort type destination along the US Gulf Coast. The app will then show them whether the beaches are oily or clear and whether any accommodations that they may be interested in visiting are open or closed. The app will also integrate optional vendor input to broaden the information available through the application. In addition, the application can be applied to other coastal and/or disaster areas.

WhiteSands is initially being developed for the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry.

Conducted by BOHAN for its WhyMomsRule.com blog, the survey of almost 600 moms found that among those with text service on their cell phones, 49 percent admit to reading or responding to a message while driving with their kids in the car.

This week talk show host Oprah Winfrey, with the help of several celebrities, launched “Oprah’s No Phone Zone” campaign. So far, more than 350,000 people have pledged to forego texting while driving.

The telephone survey of 1,004 adults conducted in June confirms Americans’ increasing use of smart phone applications is creating new distractions behind the wheel in addition to talking on the phone and texting while driving.

According to a previous DWD survey (conducted for Nationwide by Harris Interactive in April, 2010), among the millions of Americans who download mobile applications for smart phones, more than one in four admit to using those apps while driving.

So what are people doing with their phones behind the wheel? According to the new survey, the cell phone apps most used while driving are ones that allow drivers to access GPS, send and receive email, search the Internet and read and post messages on Facebook and Twitter.

Technological distractions while driving are not just cell phone related. According to the new survey, nearly four out of 10 drivers have vehicles with built-in technology – including DVD player or video monitor (17 percent), music search (14 percent), capability to make phone calls (13 percent), GPS (13 percent) and Internet access (2 percent).

Of those who have these devices, 82 percent of drivers use the music search feature, 85 percent use the DVD/video monitor, 91 percent use GPS and 68 percent use the phone capability.

IMDb’s New Android App

IMDb’s Movies & TV App for Android-powered devices is custom-made for the Android platform, optimizing the user interface based on the capabilities of the platform. Functionality includes voice search, sharing, option menus and much more. As with IMDb’s other leading apps, users can search and browse the web’s largest entertainment database, look up local movie show times and TV listings, watch trailers, shop, share and much more.

Mobile Momentum:

• In just six months, the IMDb’s Movies & TV app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad has been installed by millions of users worldwide and is being downloaded at a rate of nearly 1 million per month.
• IMDb’s Movies & TV App for iPad, which gives customers mobile access to the most comprehensive movie and TV database on the web as well as high-resolution video, is frequently ranked in the Top 10 on the iTunes Top Free Apps chart within the Entertainment category.

Social Momentum:

• IMDb’s new “Like” and “Share” buttons further expand the IMDb experience, making it easy and fun for users to indicate their favorite movies, TV shows and celebrities and then publish their preferences on Facebook and Twitter.
• In response to positive customer feedback, “Like” and “Share” buttons have just been added to all movie trailers, character pages and news stories on IMDb, with deeper integrations to come.
• IMDb recently launched an interactive Twitter page. Fans can tweet a question about a celebrity name or film, and the relevant information is tweeted back (follow @imdbbot or visit http://twitter.com/imdbbot). IMDb’s main Twitter account (@imdb) has more than 86,000 followers.

Amazon announced that the 70 percent royalty option that enables authors and publishers who use the Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP) to earn a larger share of revenue from each Kindle book they sell is now available. For each book sold from the Kindle Store for Kindle, Kindle DX, or one of the Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, PC, Mac and Android phones, authors and publishers who choose the new 70 percent royalty option will receive 70 percent of the list price, net of delivery costs.

Delivery costs are based on file size, and pricing is set at $0.15/MB. At today’s median DTP file size of 368KB, delivery costs would be less than $0.06 per unit sold. For example, on an $8.99 book an author would make $3.15 with the standard option and $6.25 with the new 70 percent option. This new option, first announced in January 2010, will be in addition to and will not replace the existing DTP standard royalty option.

In addition to the 70 percent royalty option, Amazon also announced improvements in DTP such as a more intuitive “Bookshelf” feature and a simplified two-step process for publishing. These features make it more convenient for authors and publishers to publish using DTP.

“We’re excited about the launch of the 70 percent royalty option and user experience enhancements in DTP because they enable authors and publishers to conveniently offer more content to Kindle customers and to make more money from the books they sell,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content.

DTP authors and publishers are now able to select the royalty option that best meets their needs. Books from authors and publishers who choose the 70 percent royalty option will have access to all the same features and be subject to all the same requirements as books receiving the standard royalty rate. In addition, to qualify for the 70 percent royalty option, books must satisfy the following set of requirements:

• The author or publisher-supplied list price must be between $2.99 and $9.99.
• The list price must be at least 20 percent below the lowest list price for the physical book.
• The title is made available for sale in all geographies for which the author or publisher has rights.
• The title will be included in a broad set of features in the Kindle Store, such as text-to-speech. This list of features will grow over time as Amazon continues to add more functionality to Kindle and the Kindle Store.
• Under this royalty option, books must be offered at or below price parity with competition, including physical book prices.

The 70 percent royalty option is for in-copyright works and is unavailable for works published before 1923 (a.k.a. public domain books). The 70 percent royalty option is currently only available for books sold to United States customers.

The combination gives HP significant headway into one of technology’s fastest-growth segments with Palm’s innovative webOS platform and family of smartphones, plus a rich portfolio of intellectual property from the smartphone pioneer.

HP’s global scale and financial strength plus Palm’s award-winning webOS experience, as well as its acclaimed Pre and Pixi smartphone product lines, enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the highly profitable, $100 billion smartphone and connected mobile device markets.

“With webOS, HP will deliver its customers a unique and compelling experience across smartphones and other mobility products,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “This allows us the opportunity to fully engage in growing our smartphone family offering and the footprint of webOS.”

Under Jon Rubinstein, former Palm chairman and chief executive officer, the Palm global business unit will report to Bradley. Palm will be responsible for webOS software development and webOS based hardware products, from a robust smartphone roadmap to future slate PCs and netbooks.

“With HP’s full backing and global strengths, I’m confident that webOS will be able to reach its full potential,” said Rubinstein. ”This agreement will accelerate the development of this incredible platform with new resources, scale and support from a world-respected brand.”