You could say that with the help of Verizon, RIM's latest Blackberry is going on world tour. In fact, that's exactly what's going on in the latest word that Verizon Wireless will launch the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 for $200 with a new two-year contract.

The Tour is loaded with multimedia features such as an enhanced media player with 256MB built-in memory, Verizon's VCAST Music with Rhapsody service, a 3.2-megapixel camera with geo-tagging and video recording and social networking with popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

It also offers push-based email, built-in GPS with VZ Navigator for driving directions and high-speed Web browsing. Its main selling-pint however could very well be the fact that it is being sold as a "world phone" meaning voice and data service should work equally well at home or abroad.

Sprint will also be carrying the BlackBerry Tour on its network shortly thereafter.

For full specs, click here.

We often talk about attempts to dethrone the immensely popular iPhone and it looks like consumer electronics giant Sony is about to take a stab at it next.

Sony has released word that it is considering setting up a project team as early as July to make a new device that combines the functions of its portable gaming device (the PSP) with mobile phone features.

An increasing number of game developers including Capcom and Square Enix are now launching software on the iPhone to take advantage of the popularity of Apple's platform, posing a growing threat to Sony's PlayStation Portable and Nintendo's DS portable gaming consoles. This is forcing the video game console producers into considering joining the cellular phone fray, as apparently a dedicated video game portable player simply isn't enough to compete these days.

Specs and pricing on the Sony's converged handset have yet to be finalized.

Tired of worrying about whether or not your cell phone will work when traveling abroad? Verizon understands where you're coming from and, with HTC, are planning on bringing a true global handset to the market.

Set to run Windows Mobile 6.1 this new smartphone will run on both CDMA and GSM worldwide and is being called the Ozone.

The Ozone's claim to fame is its simplified "sliding panel" user interface, one-touch messaging key for quick connection to friends and family and an ergonomic keyboard for more comfortable typing.

Beyond texting, the handset will come equipped with integrated high-speed EV-DO Rev. A Internet, global GSM compatibility, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a microSD expansion slot and a 2.0-megapixel camera.

The HTC Ozone will be available beginning June 29 for $50 after a $70 mail-in rebate with a new two-year contract.

For full specs click here.

AT&T and Motorola are working on a device with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard aimed at consumers looking to use their phones to send text messages and access social networking sites like Facebook.

Calling this new handset the Karma, Motorola says that the design will be especially pleasing to individuals who use their phones for messaging. As such it will feature a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, high-resolution display and access to high-speed HSDPA Internet.

Users will also be able to send instant messages to multiple friends using Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live.

The handset comes equipped with Facebook and MySpace quick launch icons to update profiles, share comments or post photos and videos from its internal 2.0-megapixel camera.

The Motorola Karma will be available on June 28 for $80 after mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement.

For full specs, click here.

T-Mobile's got an ace up their sleeve in the ongoing struggle to dethroning the Apple iPhone coming out this August. Calling it the myTouch 3G, its new Google Android equipped phone is a more equipped version of the popular G1.

It will feature a built-in 3.2-megapixel camera, music player and video capabilities to share photos and videos on sites like YouTube and Picasa.

The smartphone can also be personalized with custom home screen widgets and can also learn user preferences and offer recommendations based on them.

Google's Android software allows users connect to corporate email servers.

The T-Mobile myTouch 3G will be available for pre-order from July 8 onward at a cost of $199 with a two-year contract.

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T-Mobile has apparently stood-by and watched RIM and Apple dominate the market long enough. The company has announced its plans to enter the hotly contested smartphone scene with their Dash 3G, which is set to hit streets next month (July).

T-Mobile says that the Dash 3G, which was designed by Asian-based HTC, will run on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 and feature a full QWERTY keyboard, trackball for easy navigation, Wi-Fi connectivity and 65K-color TFT display.

It will also connect and organize users with voice calling, messaging, support for personal and business email, GPS for location-based services and the ever-handy synchronization with Microsoft Outlook.

Not only is T-Mobile taking on Research in Motion's BlackBerry line and Apple's legendary iPhone with the new Dash G3 but Palm's just-released Pre as well.

Full specs can be found here.

Apple today officially released the iPhone OS 3.0 software, updating 45 software patches to address rare security vulnerabilities in its popular iPhone and iPod Touch mobile devices.

The company said the new features include cut, copy and paste, MMS, and push notifications.

Analysts expect that to change because sales of mobile devices are soaring as the PC industry slumps. Apple's iPhones and iPods are dominant players in the rapidly growing sector.

In the meantime, President Obama asked Congress to repeal a hard-to-enforce tax on the personal use of work cell phones, appeasing the business community, phone makers and users.

A 1989 law requires personal use of a company cell phone to be taxed like other fringe benefits tracking personal use with painstaking documentation of minutes.

The cell phone tax can be a pain for workers who increasingly use mobile devices for texting, emailing and browsing the Internet sometimes for work, sometimes for personal use.

The government now says the law should be scrapped altogether.

Nokia has answered the question on the minds of business users all around the globe today by announced its E72- an updated version of its top-selling E71 business phone.

The company says that the E72 builds on the successful E71; its hot selling QWERTY- equipped smartphone, by adding performance improvements and new features.

Users have the option of setting up instant messaging accounts from the likes of Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk or Ovi directly from the homescreen.

Additionally users are granted a lifetime license for Nokia's mobile email and IM service, Nokia Messaging, and onboard clients for Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler. Conversations are also clearer with active noise cancellation and a torch can be activated with a press of the space bar.

Other features include A-GPS and compass with integrated Maps, new optical navigation key for more intuitive scrolling through menus, emails and fast panning of images and an upgraded camera (5.0-megapixels) and added a standard 3.5 mm audio jack.

Nokia said the E72 will ship late in the third quarter for $485 before taxes and subsidies.

Texters on the Verizon network have reason to celebrate in the form of the Rival from Motorola. Designed specifically for the challenges of texting, the Rival features a 2.2-inch screen and a backlit QWERTY keyboard that lights up either red or green depending on entry mode.

The handset offers an IM-style texting interface that organizes messages by contact and then displays them in a chat-like window. It also has one-touch access to text message composition, emoticons, symbols, IM and email.

Of course the Rival will be optimized to run (and will include) Verizon applications such as VCAST Music with Rhapsody for song downloads, VZ Navigator for turn-by-turn directions and Visual Voice Mail to organize voice mail messages without having to listen.

Additional features include a 2.0-megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack and up to 8GB optional removable memory (microSD card is sold separately).

For full specs, click here.