The largest carrier in the US (that's AT&T now, not Verizon, remember?) is offering a pair of applications from developer Code Factory to help out folks with limited vision in the use of their handsets. Of course, dialing numbers is one thing, and that all can probably be accomplished without the assistance of accessibility software in most cases -- but Code Factory aims to bring full smartphone functionality to the table with its Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier packages. The functions of both can pretty much deduced by their names, but the real story here might be the fact that they're being made available through AT&T for both Windows Mobile and S60-based devices; specifically, AT&T's Nokia N75 and E62, Cingular 3125, Samsung BlackJack, and Pantech Duo are currently supported. We're a little shocked at the pricing -- a stiff $89 per app -- but at least they're good enough to offer a 30 day trial.

Strike up the band! Rogers, Canada's preeminent GSM provider -- and only, considering that they own Fido -- has launched its first HSDPA handset: the Samsung A706. While the actual live network is still tiny -- covering only a small portion of one province -- the implications are far larger; the fact that handsets are now on sale may point to growth of said network in the near term. The SYNC-ish A706 rolls out the gate with quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE support, dual-band 850 / 1900 HSDPA connectivity, typical lush Samsung screen at 320 x 240 pixels, and a 2 megapixel cam. This marketing focus for this handset will be tying it into Rogers' Vision plans, whereby users can stream TV at a fairly decent 1.8 Mbps. Cost on a 3-year plan is $85 CDN, and if you are quick to get in line, Rogers is throwing in unlimited video calling for the length of the contract.

[Thanks, Treatz and JP]

For those anxiously awaiting that beloved kickoff in September, Sprint-Nextel has put together an excellent off-season deal that will save you $5.99/month. For those in the know -- and those still curious about this pigskin obsession -- NFL Mobile has not been bundled in with the Vision and Power Vision data plans in the past. All that changes for the 2006-2007 season as any normal data customer can now access all the functions previously reserved for paying fans. You'll get (almost) up-to-the-second updates of scores, stats, injuries, game-changing alerts, and even video highlights from in-game and post-game content. If you're an NFL fan and aren't tied up in one of those pesky multi-year contracts with some other provider, now would probably be a good time to break off a couple defenders -- like your significant other, for starters -- and take advantage of the signing bonus.

[Via MobileTracker]

Some of us have had it up to here with RAZR variants, accessories, and knockoffs, but it appears slim flips are here to stay regardless of what a few grumbling Engadget editors have to say on the matter. Sprint customers looking to get in on the action without breaking the bank might look toward the Sanyo Katana, which has just been put through PC Magazine's tests and emerged with a 3.5 / 5. The reviewer digs the Katana's QVGA display, rated 4 hours of talk time, and strong reception, but takes a hit for serving up distorted sound at high volumes. Personally we'd be lost without 3G, but if the prospect of an EV-DOless Sprint phone doesn't send you running, the Katana can be yours now for a song on contract.

As if we weren't already worried enough about our cellphone causing Blackberry thumb, certain indecisiveness, and, of course, brain cancer, the WSJ is now reporting that according to some leading opticians, portables, especially with small screens and smaller fonts, could be causing irreversible eye strain and damage to our vision. Apparently the action of focusing for long periods of time on small spacial areas held relatively closely to the body -- especially displays with poor contrast ratios, and bad glare -- tends to overwork the eye's ciliary muscles, and might be causing deteriorated vision in the same young group of patients now visiting doctors for other technologically related ailments, like portable audio related hearing loss -- a group far too young to be coming in for their annual eyes, ears, and artificial hip-bone checkup.

[Via TechDirt]