The man in purple has announced that his first new single, “Guitar” from the upcoming “Planet Earth” album, has arrived. Fans can get the single starting today when they use Verizon Wireless’ free new V CAST Song ID to identify the single. To get the track you’ll have to download the Song ID app to a V Cast Music-enable phones, then from your PC go to the Verizon Wireless music site where you play the interactive video and hold the phone to the speaker. This will identify the song, which you can then download for free. Yes, this sounds like a lot of work… but it’s music fit for a king, make that from Prince.

Verizon Wireless Music

FreeRange Communications has just released FreeRanger WebReader; a new downloadable app that provides news, blogs, stock prices and other information for mobile consumption, and runs in the background, pulling down quick bites of information or full stories. Internet information is tracked and downloaded automatically for reading at a later time, so the content can be browsed even when there is no signal or if the device is in “wireless off” mode. WebReader is available for Blackberry, Symbian and a variety of J2ME phones. A free version will support up to 10 sites, while an advanced version offers unlimited Web feed capability for $39.95 per year.

FreeRange WebReader

Remember those “save a buck or two” commercials? With MOBIVOX you won’t just save a dollar, you can actually earn bucks too. The Mobile VoIP service, which works from just about any cellular phone, is running a viral promotion where users get $1 of MOBIVOX credit for each friend they get to sign up. OK, this might not be the same thing as a dollar in your pocket, but it will pay for some of the long distance calls you make. This VoIP service bypasses the PC, and works with almost any phone in usage today. The basic service is free, and international rates outside of the MOBIVOX community are what the company calls “competitive.” But if you earn free bucks, those calls won’t cost you anything either.

MOBIVOX

Are ads going to pay for mobile content? That’s the analysis coming from Red Orbit, which reports that the UK mobile network market has taken its first fully-fledged steps towards the ad-funded model. And other European carriers, such as Blyk, a pan-European network, will soon offer free mobile phone calls and text messaging services for free in return for accepting advertising on handsets. This business model is being aimed at the 16 to 24-year old market, one that has less disposable income for making calls, but one that still tends to gab it up considerably. According to Red Orbit, Blyk will work closely with advertisers to pioneer more creative ads, and further track these ads in real time to allow the advertisers to view and adjust their ads accordingly.

Ad-Funding Looms for Mobile Realm [Red Orbit]

A new report from Visant Strategies finds that the market for legacy mobile switching vendors will remain strong, even as there is a move to I/P-based switching. The report suggests the continued deployment of CDMA EV-DO, WCDMA/HSDPA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE base stations will lead to a market for all mobile network components at an ever-increasing rate. Global softswitch sales could reach more than $6 billion in 2011, while IP-based and IMS-based gear could see revenues nearly double that amount in the same year.

Visant Strategies

Who has the best mobile game load process? According to Strategy Analytics Wireless Media Lab the honor goes to Verizon Wireless, beating rivals AT&T/Cingular, Helio and Sprint. This new study found that Cingular — we mean AT&T – received the lowest rating in four categories including: ease of task completion, process logic, time take, and ease of task duplication. Hopefully with the name change AT&T can do better next time.

This year Verizon Wireless scored an impressive 91/100 overall. So if you’re going to get in the game with a mobile device Verizon Wireless is the arena of choice.

Report: Verizon Wireless Offers Best Game Download Experience [Via Games on Deck]

Sega of America has appointed former Electronic Arts veteran Linda Chaplin to lead the company’s mobile gaming expansion in North America reports GameDaily today. Sega is looking to “become a serious player” in the mobile arena in the West, as the company already has a large mobile gaming business in Japan and Korea. In the last year Sega’s console software business has shifted toward a greater focus on Western markets. Chaplin will serve as vice president of Sega Mobile, and oversee operations for North, Central and South America, including the management of operations that were previously directed by Sega of Japan. These include product development, sales and marketing of existing and future mobile content.

Sega Expands Mobile Focus in West, Appoints Linda Chaplin VP of Mobile [GameDaily]

Smoking might not be the only reason for long bathroom breaks in the UK. Cellular News is reporting that many Brits are using their handsets in toilets to bypass office rules on Internet usage. The nationwide study by T-Mobile found that more than one quarter of the UK’s workforce is still deprived of Web access and are turning to the Internet on their mobile phone. The study also found that 23% of employees were subject to bans from social network sites and 11% were banned from using Web-based e-mail.

In response T-Mobile has begun a “Set the Internet Free” campaign that is encouraging customers to try the Web’n’Walk Service. And while the study suggests that 25% of consumers were aware that they had an Internet service on their handsets but didn’t know how to use it. That could mean a line for the bathroom once they figure it out.

Brits Using Mobile Phones in Toilets to Bypass Office Internet Restrictions [Cellular News]

Japan’s two biggest mobile operators, NTT DoCoMo and KDDI, have announced that they are working on an advanced quake warning system reports AFP. This system would notify customers of an earthquake before it even strikes. This system is expected to go into operation within a few months, and will pass on information from the Japanese meteorological agency. No word has been announced on which type of messaging will be used, but it has been suggested that e-mail could overwhelm the mobile networks.

Japanese mobile users to get advance quake warnings [AFP]

Cooperation is the buzzword of the day with the UK video game industry. Mobile Entertainment is reporting that a new era of cooperation in the mobile game sector is beginning as EA, Glu Mobile, Gameloft and I-play have agreed to release individual games simultaneously across all five UK operators. The deal came together thanks to the efforts of the industry trade body the ELSPA (Entertainment Leisure Software Publishers Association), and should resolve the ad hoc releases and exclusive deals. Four games including Glu Mobile’s Transformers, Gameloft’s Guitar Legend, EA Mobile’s FIFA 08 and a fourth unannounced title will be published simultaneously on the major carriers including 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone beginning in June.

ELSPA unites UK mobile games sector [Mobile Entertainment]