Cisco and Adobe Systems announced today that Cisco’s Content Delivery System (CDS) now supports Adobe Flash streaming capabilities in addition to traditional progressive delivery. Using the Cisco CDS, service providers will be able to deliver Adobe Flash Player compatible video to PCs and TVs using Adobe Flash streaming capabilities, building on Cisco and Adobe’s shared vision of delivering “any stream to any screen.”

By Sarah Reedy

Verizon Wireless and has finally settled disputes in Missouri over tax rates charged to wireless carriers by agreeing to pay back taxes of nearly $30 million to several hundred municipal governments throughout the state. Several carriers have been arguing that city governments were trying to implement a new tax, which under state law requires the approval of the people, but local authorities have argued that the fees they are trying to charge carriers are the same taxes long paid by wired phone companies.

By Teresa von Fuchs

Verizon Wireless’ $30 million wireless tax settlement with a number of Missouri municipalities could mark the start of a broader trend in the state, with other top mobile-phone carriers potentially facing far greater financial liability if a state judge next week grants class-action status to the municipalities’ six-year-old lawsuit.

Cellular operators oppose being saddled with gross receipts taxes previously applied to landline telephone companies, but nonetheless have paid them—under protest—in recent years. The push to extend municipal utility taxes to wireless carriers has mushroomed into a messy, complex controversy encompassing hundreds of lawsuits and a key ruling by the Missouri state supreme court that trumped a legislative effort to cap local wireless taxes. Twenty three Missouri cities have sued Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp., AT&T Inc., T-Mobile USA Inc., U.S. Cellular Corp. and Alltel Corp. Wireless carriers, for their part, have brought legal action against various Missouri cities.

By Jeffrey Silva

Microsoft releases Silverlight, a new browser plug-in supporting streaming audio, video and graphics. Silverlight is Microsoft’s direct response to Adobe Flash, which is the dominant vehicle for delivering animation and video on the Web. In addition to offering a browser plug-in, Silverlight includes tools for enabling developers to create interactive, browser-based applications.

By Rich Karpinski

Apple today announced it is cutting prices on the 8-gigabyte iPhone by $200 and discontinuing the 4-gigabyte model. The price cut is intended to encourage holiday gift-givers to think of Apple. The company also introduced an iPhone look-alike, iPod Touch, the latest media player that has wireless Internet access and other iPhone features.

By Sarah Reedy

NBC Universal announced that it will sell episodes of its new TV shows on Amazon.com's Unbox digital download service. NBC was in negotiation with Apple but failed to reach an agreement with them.

New episodes of shows like "The Office" and "Heroes" will be available for $1.99 on Unbox the day after they air. Free pilot episodes of new fall shows, such as "Bionic Woman" will also be available on Amazon.com starting Sept. 10.

By Teresa von Fuchs

Nokia announced plans to integrate social networking technology from Twango into its S60 platform. Nokia announced plans to acquire Twango in July. The company said the move will enable it to bring community-based applications to a wider range of mobile phones faster. Stephen Johnston, senior business development manager at Nokia stated that the role of social networking and community-based applications will be an underlying theme in everything going forward.

By Teresa von Fuchs

AT&T announced that it is launching a Web-based parental control service, allowing parents to place restrictions on children's phones' talk time, text messages and downloads. The service also allows parents to control what times of day the phone can used, which numbers children can call and how often. Since the program is Web-based, parents can go online at any time and modify the limits set for each phone.

By Wireless Week Staff

Google has filed for a patent that would let users send mobile payments via SMS text message. The patent describes a “Text Message Payment” system using a mobile phone that Google calls GPay. The application includes a detailed description of the would-be service as well as usage scenarios, such as consumers making on-the-spot text payments at a farmer’s market.

By Rich Karpinski

Verizon Wireless launched the Coupe handset along with a rate plan aimed at the senior, older crowd’s yearning for simplicity, safety and economy. The Coupe handset will sell at the carrier for $20 with a two-year agreement. The carrier also launched its America’s Choice 65 Plus Calling Plans alongside the phone.

By Phil Carson