Think you're good at turning down the upsell? Try saying no to adding WiMAX to your home internet service for the low, low price of whatever Comcast wants to charge. Thanks to a multi-billion dollar tie-up with Clearwire, Comcast has been offering WiMAX-based internet services in a few markets, but now that On Demand Online is a go, it makes sense to think that the operator would use that as leverage to get people hooked. For those unaware, ODO enables Comcast pay-TV subscribers to watch a vast array of programming from any internet connection, which of course means that any ole 3G / 4G data connection would work just as well as Comcast's own. Oh, and while mobile TV is pretty good -- and we're going to let Comcast finish -- watching HDTV at home with a DVR is definitely the best scenario of all time.

Update: Just to be clear, this service won't deliver TV straight to phones.

Here's something that should help Trent reach a level of moderate contentment. Although we already knew that Apple was expanding its parental controls with iPhone OS 3.0 into the realm of TV shows, movies and App Store apps, a report today about the rejection of Makayama's Newspaper(s) app provides a good example at the ramifications of such alterations. According to iLounge, it was rejected due to a picture of a topless woman under the section for UK-based tabloid The Sun. The accompanying letter suggested a resubmission once 3.0 (and subsequently the parental controls) go public, which we take to mean that the questionable content will suddenly be okay for the App Store once it's behind the appropriate age gate. We won't know for sure until everything falls into place, but sounds like this is one part of the submission approval process that'll soon end up much less frustrating for developers.

[Via 9 to 5 Mac]

Upon first glance, we almost flipped a lid at the mere mention of "high-definition mobile TV." Turns out, that's probably a misconstrued way of saying "high-resolution," or, "a higher quality than usual." At any rate, Orange is making the final touches on its mobile TV service, which will deliver 60 channels (20 with unlimited access) on the company's 3G+ UMA platform. Reportedly, the first handset to take advantage will be the LG Secret KF757, which will be the first mobile to boast the Orange TV Player -- an application that enables users to "flick from one channel to another and to consult a guide to programs showing on each channel." Sounds pretty sweet, but be sure and give us a call when you really have high-def content to share and a phone to take advantage.

[Image courtesy of DirectNews]

Amp'd's virtual network may be dead and gone (not really, it got acquired; you know what we mean), but the MVNO had arguably one of the better exclusive content packages out there. Ironically, we've heard that Amp'd ultimately spent only a very small fraction of its once-$400 million fortune on the content itself, but hey, maybe they spent that money somewhat wisely. Anyhoo, it seems Peter Adderton and his jolly gang have been shopping themselves around as a one-stop-shop package deal of content, and fixed wireless provider Clearwire may be getting ready to bite. Details are slim at this point, but the synergy is pretty obvious: the former Amp'd crew can concentrate on what it does best -- produce entertaining content -- and let Clearwire worry about the infrastructure. Lil' Bush wouldn't look half bad over WiMAX, yeah?

Nokia appears to be making some interesting moves as of late. Following rumors that the company will hazard a foray into the world of digital music sales, the Finnish mobile manufacturer has signed a deal with Microsoft to utilize its PlayReady DRM scheme. The technology, which is file-format-independent, is specifically targeted for use with mobile devices, and is intended to strengthen "security" on a wide variety of content such as music, videos, games, ringtones, and images. The DRM is backwards compatible with the existing Windows Media 10 file management, and will be implemented on upcoming S60 and Series 40 Nokia devices beginning in 2008. It seems at least somewhat possible that this arrangement could be related to the recent whisperings of Nokia's iTunes-esque plans, as DRM has already been hinted at for the supposed forthcoming service. Perhaps on August 29th all will be revealed -- but only Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo knows for sure.

Borne of Microsoft Research, newly-announced ZenZui is coming out of stealth mode at CTIA this week to introduce what we think is a fairly novel approach to mobile content browsing -- a concept ZenZui calls the "Zooming User Interface" (hence the "Zui" part of the name). The concept sorta has to be seen to be fully appreciated (we intend to do a full hands-on from the show floor here before too long), but essentially, ZenZui uses an array of extremely easy to browse content "tiles" that can be zoomed in and out using numeric keypad presses. The tiles themselves -- which can be anything from news, to traffic, to mini-games, to whatever -- are developed with an open API, encouraging developers large and small to get involved. They can be sent and received in a "viral" fashion from other ZenZui users, and since everyone's getting paid based on the ad revenue their tiles generate, it's a pretty happy ecosystem (theoretically, anyway). Since it's coming outta Redmond, Windows Mobile is obviously the initial target, though other platforms are in the works. Expect a beta later this year with availability directly from ZenZui and its content partners.

While consumers' love affair with mobile TV has been debatable, that hasn't stopped a number of firms from teaming up to deliver all sorts of multimedia to our diminutive LCDs, and now MTV Networks and Amp'd are partnering to bring exclusive, original made-for-mobile content to Amp'd users. Hoping to give customers (pre-teens, at least) something to actually get amped up about, the two firms announced at CES that they would be developing unique content, such as an elusive "episodic series," that would end up appearing on both MTV and Amp'd Live. It was also stated that MTV would "retain the rights to develop and cross-program the projects for television and other platforms," possibly suggesting that the content could leak over to other networks if the price was right. Although a "comedy" series -- Lil' Bush: Resident of the United States -- was recent ported from mobile to TV, this marks the first time that an Amp'd production will have the hefty wallet of MTV Networks / Viacom backing it, which essentially means that future content rolling out of Amp'd Live will hardly be suitable for marginally mature adults. Laguna Beach fuheva!

[Via mocoNews]

Nickelodeon just announced their new Nick Mobile deal for Sprint TV subscribers. The new service, presumably pumped out by MobiTV, delivers more of those two minute video clips Sprint TV subscribers are accustomed to, only now from the Nick Jr. library which features kid faves such as Dora the Explorer, Blue's Clues, SpongeBob, and so on. So at least your little'ns will be entertained, albeit for a mere two minutes at a time, should you need to hunt 'em down.