Seattle Times technology reporter Tricia Duryee posted numerous items for our new Tech Tracks blog while she covered the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The conference ran from Feb. 13 through Feb. 16. Here are items Duryee posted over those days.

Wireless, with a Spanish flair

Posted 07:02 AM, Feb. 13

BARCELONA, Spain — I find myself in this Spanish city with 50,000 of my closest friends.

The reason? 3GSM World Congress, a five-day convention centered on GSM, or global system for mobile communications (see more on abbreviations later).

Sunday marked the day when people registered and got their bearings.

The convention center called Fira is in Montjuic neighborhood, where the 1992 Olympics were held. The event is in more than eight buildings, a startling amount given the size of each one.

The contrast between the old and the new is readily apparent. Banners advertising the latest and sleekest cellphones cover some of the most ornate edifices. Motorola possibly has the largest ad, one that wraps around an abandoned bullring across from the event.

On the opposite side is the stately and very old National Museum of Art, which sits between the event and Olympic Stadium.

Three what?

Posted 08:21 AM, Feb. 13

One thing that sticks out to you when you attend an event like this is the gibberish.

For starters take 3G, which stands for "third generation" cellular technology. In the U.S., the term is hardly advertised, but it is the technology that powers Verizon Wireless' VCast video service, Sprint Nextel's full-track music download service and other broadband hogs. To be technical, there are other ways to put it: WCDMA, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, EV-DO and probably more abbreviations of high-speed cell technology. Don't worry, the terms these abbreviations stand for are hardly more illuminating.

If this alphabet soup gets you down, there's help. Check out the 3GSM World Congress acronym Web site, http://www.3gsm2006.com/acronyms.html. It is for the geek impaired.

Global, sort of

Posted at 09:31 AM, Feb. 13

Is GSM really the global standard?

In 2005, 74 percent of the world used GSM, according to Informa and its World Cellular Information Service. In second place is CDMA, which is used by Sprint and Verizon Wireless in the U.S.

By 2010, it predicts that GSM usage will fall to 61 percent.

Now, the next generation?

Posted at 09:51 AM, Feb. 13

Just when you begin to understand 3G, there will something else to learn.

Perhaps it is a fourth generation Motorola is advertising in Barcelona. One of its billboards features a woman holding out four fingers about waist high. The billboard reads Hellomoto, Motorola's trademark message, followed by Wi4. More to come on exactly what that means.

One Microsoft search ends up in Paris

Posted 11:53 AM, Feb.13

Microsoft is attempting to make a huge splash at 3GSM by announcing something nearly everyday of the show.

Today, it released a bevy of news. One of the most interesting tidbits was that it had acquired a small Paris-based company called MotionBridge. The company develops search technology for the mobile phone and currently has contracts with O2, Sprint, Orange and other carriers.

Unlike traditional search for the computer that combs the entire Internet for information, search for the mobile phone is different. MotionBridge specifically focuses on searching content available on the carrier's deck, or storefront. This kind of search is key because cellphone screens are small and users typically don't have the patience to click through a lot of pages to find what they want.

Brian Arbogast, MSN corporate vice president, said Microsoft will work to integrate MotionBridge into its current search technology. Conceivably, that could mean that when a user searches for, say, U2, the results would include ringtones capable of working on that user's phone and the latest news about the band from the Internet.

"It will be one search experience," Arbogast said. "Customers will be able to get what they want."

Nokia makes a statement

Posted 01:03 PM, Feb. 13

From the Nokia 3GSM press conference this morning:

Chairman and CEO Jorma Ollila said that this year the company expects to sell about 40 million 3G handsets, 80 million devices with music players and more than 150 million devices with FM radio.

One of those devices will be the Nokia 6136, which was also announced today. The device uses — yes another abbreviation — UMA technology, which stands for Unlicensed Mobile Access. That means that phone calls will be able to switch from the cellular network to Wi-Fi networks without a user noticing.

This is important because cellphones sometimes don't work well indoors and, in that situation, a user can switch over to Wi-Fi, either through a personal home network or at a public hotspot, to receive better coverage.

The solution is something that Bellevue-based T-Mobile USA is likely to be interested in. It launched two devices today, the SDA and the MDA, with Wi-Fi capabilities.

What you learn in schmoozing

Posted 03:29 PM, Feb. 13

One of the nice things about a big international event like 3GSM is the different perspectives you can get.While cramped in a small hallway, waiting for a Nokia press conference to begin early today, I met two companies that develop content for the Nokia platform: Green Tomato from China and Kamera from Stockholm.

On the topic of mobile music, Kamera CEO Henrik Eklund said that in Europe ringtones are still more popular than full-track music, even though they are more expensive. Arthur Chang, Green Tomato's CEO, said that surprised him — the opposite is true in Asia. He said the ringtone market has started to cool as full-track songs have become more popular.

In the U.S., the jury is still out. Full-track music services have only begun to emerge with Sprint and Verizon Wireless both launching services. Sprint, which launched first, sells songs for $2.50 each. At that price, it far outweighs the cost of a song purchased on a computer, making it difficult for mass adoption.

Sprint Chief Operating Officer Len Lauer said recently that Sprint is looking at a subscription model where users would be able to download songs at a fixed monthly price.

Perhaps the U.S. has hope yet.

Less than silky smooth

Posted at 04:05 PM, Feb. 13

Lucky for Action Engine, it landed one of the most high profile locations of the 3GSM conference: a trailer in the center plaza of all the buildings. And to grab additional attention, the Bellevue company hired a squad of cheerleaders wearing Action Engine outfits to help give away a cellphones.

But even with all the hype, Mother Nature has her say. The company's CEO, Scott Silk, was caught in the East Coast snow storm and can't fly out until Tuesday, the second day of the four-day conference. All of his appointments had to be canceled.

That didn't stop the company, which builds software to deliver content to mobile phones.

Still, Action Engine announced the release today of the company's Signature Solutions of 2006. The focuses are on mobile search, mobile advertising and mobile entertainment. It also released the Action Engine Software Development Kit to encourage the development of applications for its platform.

Time out for a tech review

Posted at 06:19 PM, Feb. 13

One thing with traveling abroad is you never know how well your technology will work. So far, so good. Three out of my four devices have worked in both London and Barcelona.

The first device is my computer. Wireless Internet has been available in both places I've stayed and worked perfectly. At a moderately priced hotel in London, it was 10 pounds for 24 hours. At my budget accommodations in Barcelona, it is free.

The second device is a BlackBerry, the 8700c from Cingular Wireless. The device is enabled with EDGE, which is a 2.5G technology and makes loading a Web site the difference between excruciatingly painful and manageable. This device has roamed seamlessly in both London and Barcelona, bouncing around to various service providers, most notably Vodafone and Amena.

The third is the T-Mobile USA phone called the SDA, which is officially launching this week. It too is capable of EDGE speeds and has Wi-Fi capability. It is roaming on the MoviStar network. Without Wi-Fi or EDGE, it can be cumbersome to send large files, but it still works.

The odd thing is that the two devices I bring with me are EDGE-enabled and yet I have traveled to the two countries in Europe that don't support EDGE.

A map provided in some of the press materials show that EDGE is rolled out worldwide, except for a few large areas, such as Africa. And, if my geography is correct, also the United Kingdom, Germany, and — you guessed it — Spain and Portugal. Oh well ...

My fourth device is a Cingular wireless laptop card. It has not worked in London or Barcelona. It does attempt to roam on to another network, but each time, it fails. I don't know what the cause is, but it almost appears the local networks don't want me using it. Perhaps they don't want a foreigner using all their bandwidth? Just a thought.

Because the card is enabled with HSDPA, a higher speed 3G that only Cingular has launched commercially worldwide, it drops back to 2G, or practically dial-up. That makes Wi-Fi a more preferable option anyway.

Microsoft pours it on at 3GSM

Posted at 05:16 AM, Feb. 14

With more than 100 Microsoft employees from the company's seven business divisions at 3GSM, the software giant is determined to show deep commitment to the wireless industry.

Now comes word from the top — CEO Steve Ballmer is delivering a keynote speech to the gathering in which he's outlining new partnerships and releases on top ofl announcements the company has already made at the show.

"By Steve being here, it is a testament," said Karen Carter, director of marketing with the mobile and embedded devices division. "This is where deals are done. That's why we have such a big presence here."

Topping the list of partnerships is one with Virgin Mobile. Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group is joining Ballmer by video message broadcast on stage, showing off what's said to be the world's first broadcast phone.The phone enables Virgin to be the first European carrier to have live digital TV on the phone. The service, called BT Movio broadcast, was built with Microsoft Media technology.

The phone, called Trilogy, was developed by Taiwan handset maker HTC and will come loaded with Windows Mobile 5.0 in a cute red form factor, Carter said.

The phone's release is notable because typically Microsoft targets enterprise customers. This phone does not have a full keyboard,and it is associated with Virgin Mobile, known for having a hip, youth oriented demographic. Of course, it's not all about the looks. Because it works on Windows Mobile, It will still be capable of running Outlook or other Microsoft Office products. No word yet on what the phone or service will cost when it launches this summer.

Piggybacking on the consumer focus, Ballmer is showing plans today for Windows Live on mobile devices. The online service, part of the company's push into so-calle Web services, will include a local search function that will, for example, allow a user to find pizza locations within a Zip code.

On the enterprise side, Ballmer announced the availability of Communicator Mobile, which extends the Live Communications Server to the mobile phone. The Communications Server allows workers to track down people and determine the best way to interact with them, given where or what that person may be doing at the time. That idea of "presence" will now be on the mobile phone, as well.

Finally, Ballmer is discussing how Windows Vista, the new operating system expected by year's end, will address mobility. Currently, Windows devices communicate with computers through a program called ActiveSync. With Vista, it will be called the Mobile Device Center, which will better tie the two devices together.

Stay tuned for an update after the keynote for more.

Pound for pound

Posted at 07:29 AM, Feb. 14

The U.S. industry's CTIA show had Puff Daddy, and CES had U2.

3GSM has Craig David.

David is described as a British music sensation and mobile enthusiast who has sold 13 million records and received two Grammy nominations. David will not only perform one of his hits on Wednesday, he will also talk about his thoughts on the opportunities to deliver entertainment over the mobile phone.

Not surprisingly, he can also be found online.uk selling ringtones for 3 pounds a pop.

No wonder he is a mobile technology enthusiast.

Microsoft pours it on at 3GSM, Part 2

Posted at 10:52 AM, Feb. 14

As expected, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's keynote at 3GSM today was a litany of announcements. Like the Energizer bunny, he kept going and going and going. Just when you thought the announcements were going to stop, he would say something more.

In addition to what was mentioned in an earlier post, Ballmer detailed some of the attributes expected in Windows Vista, the operating system expected by year's end. One of them, he said, will enable you to take your media collection on the road. If you have recorded or downloaded a TV show on to your home computer, you will be able to now view it on the mobile phone. "If I'm in Barcelona, and I recorded my favorite news program or sports game on my PC, I can view it or check it quickly on mobile device. That works," he said.

He also discussed some developments such as Blue Rendezvous, a software program written by Microsoft Research. It allows two Bluetooth devices to easily communicate with each other; right now, it can often be difficult to pair the two together.

Another item he mentioned was the "near field" communications ability of a Vodafone phone. Near field allows a device to receive a lot of information from another near-field device. For instance, you might see an Xbox advertisement for a new game. You go near the ad and download information about the game, including the price and a preview. From there you can decide whether to buy it or not.

Ballmer explained that the range of devices and applications are so wide, it can easily fulfill both people's personal lives and professional lives, two things that he didn't see as separate entities.

"You can get a sense of the range of innovation in which we are working — my personal life, my professional life, my entertainment interests are all integrated in one place will all kinds of end user experiences," he said.

The message is opportunity

Posted at 12:15 PM, Feb. 14

Not too long ago, you couldn't conveniently send a text message or a photo to a friend who used a different wireless carrier. Today, U.S. carriers have opened up their networks and the number of messages sent has soared.

The GSM Association and 15 wireless carriers, mostly in Europe, agreed to do the same thing for instant messaging on Monday.

Together, they said the carriers will create an instant messaging service that will be rolled out to allow messages to be sent across many networks. In all, the network will reach more than 700 million people. As part of the initiative, the association said users will play only to send, not receive, messagies so that they can easily control spending and minimize spam.

Carriers are eager for a joint platform because of this kind of opportunity. They'll make money each time someone sends a message. An association study estimates that this could be a huge market. Today, there are 29 million mobile instant messenger users worldwide. In 2009, there will be 189.

As with text messaging and picture messaging, the U.S. took longer to open up their networks. It will be interesting to see how long it will take this time for the U.S.

Back at ya, Ballmer

Posted at 10:47 AM, Feb. 15

Microsoft pulled out all the stops Tuesday when Steve Ballmer took the stage and said in an hourlong keynote during 3GSM that the company wanted to play a large role in the wireless industry.

But the plea fell on deaf ears at its largest mobile operating system competitor, London-based Symbian, which currently dominates the high-end cell phone market.

David Wood, Symbian's executive vice president working on research for acclerating time to market, said Microsoft's announcements were typical smoke and mirrors.

He said Symbian sold more than 34 million phones loaded with its operating system last year, and is expecting a 136 percent growth rate this year. In comparison, Microsoft said it shipped more than 6 million WIndows Mobile-based connected devices last year and expects the market to grow signficantly.Wood said that although Microsoft sells way fewer devices ,it gets more attention because it has a better marketing machine than Symbian.

"Every year at 3GSM, people come over and say you've got to see what Microsoft is announcing. They are so good at PR," he said. "We spend our money on research and not on PR. The best marketing tools are the phones."

Still, he said he doesn't seen Microsoft as all bad. There are some benefits.

"Microsoft and Symbian are on the same side," he said. "It's great that they are pushing for operators to roll out advanced services." Sidenote: For those sitting in the front row during Ballmer's keynote, it was easy to see he had a handful on his mind. The Microsoft CEO had written a series of notes on the back of his hand in ink. From 15 feet away, there was no telling what it said, but it makes us wonder, did he run out of room on his Pocket PC?

Fashion sense

Posted at 01:45 PM, Feb. 15

The second and third day of 3GSM have been more packed and crowded than the first and one of the most noticeable things about the show is the people attending it.The attendees, by far made up mostly of European men, have proved to be a fashionable crowd, despite what one might expect for someone working in the technology field.

Although, almost no one has ventured beyond the black suit, it doesn't stop them from adding a bit of flare. En masse, the ties have are often stripped and multi-colored and much larger than average.

But what makes an even bolder statement is that the shirts, too, are equally fashionable. Frequently, a striped tie is paired with a checkered shirt. And vice versa. It's a nice change — and a far cry — from the Seattle standard: khakis and polo shirt.

Gorillaz-style mobile game

Posted at 02:30 PM, Feb. 15

The Grammy-winning act known as the Gorillaz consists of a bunch of characters. Really.

The group, perhaps best known for its hit Feel Good Inc., uses illustrations to represent the four band members. And now the band is going digital by having its own mobile video game.

RealNetworks announced the game at 3GSM after it reported it reported fourth quarter financial results in the U.S. The game reflects the Gorillaz, which prides itself in having a retro illustrative image. Called "Gorillaz Entertainment System," it is an exclusive arcade title for Mr. Goodliving, a RealNetworks subsidiary based in Helsinki, Finland. The title is expected to be available on phones in April.

"Gorilliaz Entertainment System" plays off the four band members: Noodle on guitar, 2-D on vocals, Murdoc Nicalls on bass and Russel Hobbs on drums. There is a corresponding game for each character.Gunnar Larsen, RealNetworks director of mobile games in Europe, said the games are "easy to play and quick to learn, which is ideal for a mobile space." Because of that, they can also be addicting, he added.

Text behind the scenes

Posted at 03:21 PM, Feb. 15

You've probably used it and you don't even know it.

It's called T9 and it's the "predictive text" software on your cellphone that guesses what you are trying to say based on the numbers you have typed on your keypad.

T9 is a brainchild of Seattle-based Tegic, now a division of America Online, which made several announcements this week at 3GSM. One announcement was that the latest version of T9, called XT9, will be first used by Samsung Electronics.

Eric Collins, vice president of sales at T9, said Samsung will ship the device starting in the second half of the year.

XT9 has all the benefts of T9, but also allows users to easily message in other languages, including in French, Spanish and Italian, complete with accents. It also improves prediction. For example, if a user inavertently types in m-o-o-b, XT9 will present the word "moon" because it knows "b" is one key away from the "n."

The function is great for a user who has big thumbs or a phone with small keys.Tegic also introduced a new output function that allows words to be put in bold or italic. It also more serious things, such as enabling 25 languages. "Emerging markets are a huge opportunity," Collins said.

Making phone fixes a snap

Posted at 03:30 PM, Feb. 15

Bellevue-based SNAPin Software said today Orange, the global wireless giant, has deployed its software as part of a customer trial in the United Kingdom.

SNAPin's software helps eliminate phone calls to a mobile operator's customer care center by helping users solve their own problems, which has become an increasing concern as phones become more complicated and more services start to roll out.The savings can be significant, SNAPin said. It said Orange U.K. customers will be able to solve problems on their own handset that normally would have cost the carrier's customer care department $20 to $60 to resolve.

New ways to sell Britney Spears

Posted at 04:12 PM, Feb. 15

One of the interesting things about attending an international event like 3GSM is you get to see what services may be in America's future.

One was 3united Mobile Solutions, a company based in Vienna, Austria, that VeriSign purchased Monday for 55 million euros. 3united, founded in 1999, gave a short presentation to media and analysts today to explain what it did (and possibly justify that large of a price tag).

It said in a recent promotion with a Vienna radio station, it helped sell 10 percent of the tickets for a Britney Spears concert by mobile phone. But that's not all. After the concert, it sent a text message to all the mobile ticket holders offering Britney Spears ringtones and other content. The promotion worked, and 85 percent of those who received the message, bought something.

Updates from 3GSM

Posted at 10:51 AM, Feb. 16

Updates on a couple of earlier posts.

— Bellevue-based Action Engine had a pretty high-profile presence here, but its CEO, Scott Silk, had a difficult time getting to it. Silk finally made it to the show Tuesday after being snowed in on the East Coast.

His arrrival came just in time to be accosted by hundreds of attendees who wanted a free phone the company was giving out. The gimmick worked almost too well. One man was so determined that Silk finally relented and said that he would send him a phone in the mail if his ticket was drawn and he wasn't present.

— I earlier recounted my use of technology on this trip — what worked and what didn't. At 3GSM, most reporters filed into the media center to write their stories or update their blogs, but the technology was not up to speed.

The media center provided both Ethernet lines and Wi-Fi connections, but service was intermittent at best. Of the 30 Wi-Fi networks available, not one of them worked, the apparent result of interference. Now I understand the critics who say that metropolitan Wi-Fi may not work. But at a telecom conference, I would expect a little more.

Cingulared out

Posted at 11:19 AM, Feb. 16

Cingular Wireless said today that it has chosen Ericsson to be the major supplier and integrator to build out its 3G wireless network, called HSDPA. With the contract expansion, Ericsson will provide Cingular with UMTS (a 3G technology), HSDPA packet core and radio network equipment. Cingular was the first carrier in the world to have a commercially launched HSDPA network.

The Atlanta company, the largest carrier in the U.S., has already rolled out service in several markets and started to sell a PC data card. But it has not started selling handsets that use the new networks. Despite that, Samsung has made a big production at 3GSM about being the first to sell HSDPA phones (before they've been sold).

A look at the phones at Samsung's booth give a peek at what's to come. The SGH-ZX20 is small flip phone and easily fits in your hand. On the outside a screen displays an analog clock. The SGH-2560 is even fancier. The flip-phone has a 2 megapixel camera and TV output, so that it can be linked to a projector or a TV. Why would you want to do that? Maybe for a PowerPoint presentation from your phone,Cingular said the ZX20 will come out later this year following the launch of the ZX10 — which runs on the slightly slower UMTS network.

Motorola mania

Posted at 12:40 PM, Feb. 16

Motorola by far had the most advertising at the show. Even in the women's bathrooms, it had installed TV screens that played video loops of Motorola products. But the products at its booth backed up the hype.

I got a glimpse of the new Rokr E2, which does not come loaded with iTunes and, therefore, isn't limited to loading only 100 songs. The phone comes with Bluetooth Class 1, which allows users to use a Bluetooth headset.

Likewise, I also saw the Razr V3, which is just like the other popular slim devices except that it has iTunes. It, of course, can have only 100 songs at a time.Other interesting phones at the booth were the Razr V3x. It comes enabled for UMTS, a higher speed network. That extra chipset makes it slightly bulkier than the normal Razr, but it still maintains the sleek design in a nice package. The highly anticipated Motorola Q was also on display. The BlackBerry-like device has Windows Mobile and is expected to be available in the U.S. in the second quarter on a CDMA carrier (that means either Verizon Wireless or Sprint). Unlike a lot of Windows Mobile devices, the Q does not have a touch screen.

Nokia knows how to party

Posted at 12:47 PM, Feb. 16

Last night, Nokia threw a huge party down by the marina. Housed in a huge tent, there were two separate rooms — one for the band and another for networking.

The room containing the band and stage was alive with dancing. The band, rumored by good sources to be made up of all Nokia employees, had at least 11 members. They sang covers, including hits by Madonna, Jimi Hendrix and other unrecognizable tones (probably Finnish).

Although the band was impressive for a bunch of Nokia workers, you couldn't get the geek out of the crowd. The dancers — completely enthralled in a tune — would not even flinch at pulling out their devices and sending a text message or read e-mail. One person, front and center, head-banged while holding his device in front of his face with both hands. What was even more impressive was the number of camera phones there were taking shots and videos of the whole scene.

Pico presence

Posted at 01:30 PM, Feb. 16

Earlier this week — the days all blend together here — I ran into Mazin and Zeyad Ramadan, brothers and founders of Seattle-based Picostation.

The company is building a mobile software product called PicoBlogger, which embraces the idea of moblogs. Moblogs are what you get when a bunch of photos taken by a camera phone are posted on a blog online or sent to others' phones. On top of that, Picostation is developing features to allow communities to be formed based on location.

The Ramadans, who were frequent visitors to 3GSM when the show was in Cannes, France, said they are a little disappointed in this year's show in Barcelona. While attendence was way up — about 50,000 attended this year — it seemed there were fewer people from wireless carriers, Picostation's core customers, Mazin said.

Lots of people were talking about the pluses and minuses of Cannes vs. Barcelona. I heard many say it was nice to have more space because Cannes was so cramped, but that it also makes it more difficult to get around. Although my first trip to 3GSM, I found that to be true. Out of the eight or more buildings that were at the event, I never ventured into at least three of them.

Accommodating CEOs

Posted at 02:36 PM, Feb. 16

The place I stayed in Barcelona fit all my requirements for covering a convention: walking distance to the event, free Wi-Fi, laundry, kitchen and more.

What's more, it was cheap. I spent about $50 a night. That compares with the $300 or more a night most people paid for a cramped European hotel room 20 minutes or more away from the center.

What if I told you it was a hostel? And that my "roommate" was a CEO? Of a company still trying to get off the ground?

Nilesh Parikh is CEO of Condor Networks, a company in Plano, Texas, trying to bring biometrics to the mobile phone. You can see his passion for the business, working tirelessly. He was up at 7 to hit the center and up until 3 a.m. having late night conversations over Skype with his development team in India. And with an hour to spare before leaving for the airport, he went to find a Valentine's Day gift for his wife.

He thinks 3GSM probably landed him a couple of sweet deals. If it didn't, he at least walked away with a stack of cards three inches tall.

Wanna know more? Check out Condor.

Goodbye Barcelona, goodbye 3GSM

Posted at 04:41 PM, Feb. 16

As wIth all good things, 3GSM also had to come to an end.

Tthe conference shut down today and everyone started to leave. What was impressive was the number of people who were trying to squeeze in one more meeting. The booths were packed. Not just with the people running in to see what free items were still available, but for questions and follow-up.

The final attendence did hit the expected 50,000 mark. On Feb. 13, the first day of the show, 34,900 people had attended, 40 percent higher than last year's first day. In fact, day-one attendance in Barcelona was greater than the total attendance for 2005, held in Cannes, France.

Let's begin the countdown: 365 days to go before 3GSM World Congress 2007.

Better rest those feet.

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