ShoZu Inc. has added support for a number of WiFi (News - Alert)-equipped phones to its media service for mobile phones. The move enables customers to reduce the cost of sending and receiving photos, video and other files from their mobile devices. The support for WiFi is part of an upgrade to ShoZu’s one-click “Share-It” image uploading and direct-to-the-handset ZuCast media delivery services.

 

The service now supports the Nokia (News - Alert) Series 60v3 handsets as well as other WiFi-equipped phones. It enables users who do not have flat-rate mobile data plans to save money by sending and receiving multimedia files through their home, office or hotspot WiFi connection rather than using a cellular network.

 

ShoZu has also added a least-cost routing feature, enabling users to request ShoZu attempt to upload images using WiFi connectivity instead of transmitting data over mobile operators’ networks. When users choose this option, ShoZu will only select a cellular network if WiFi connectivity is unavailable.

 

Additional new features of the service include the ability to select preferred image upload sites and ZuCasts from the handset, which eliminates the need to visit the ShoZu web site to configure preferences. The service also enables uses to specify any web destination for one-click image upload, and users may designate a different one-click destination site for photo and video transfers.

 

Users may also utilize two-way messaging through Flickr, enabling them to receive comments about photos posted to the Flickr community on their handsets and to also reply using their phones. Additional upgrades include easier access to ShoZu’s contact backup service for automated backup of users’ mobile contact lists, and streamlined activation of the ShoZu application from any handset.

 

The ZuCast service enables media files from a number of sources to be downloaded invisibly without opening a mobile phone browser, interrupting phone calls, or requiring sync to a PC or Mac. The Share-It image uploading service enables images to be shared from camera phones more quickly and easily, at a higher resolution and with more Web destinations than alternative methods.

 

In addition to the Nokia Symbian series, the ShoZu features are available for the Microsoft (News - Alert) Smartphone 2003 and Microsoft Windows Mobile phone-type devices, including the Motorola (News - Alert) Q. A version supporting Java-based handsets is expected later this year.

 

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