New York Times offered for mobile devices

NEW YORK -- NYTimes.com is partnering with Vindigo Studios, a developer and publisher of consumer information and entertainment applications for mobile devices, to launch NYTimes.com Mobile News with Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless service provider in the USA.

The new subscription service, priced at $3.75 monthly access, is available to Verizon Wireless customers with select Get It Now-capable phones. These customers can now download The New York Times's award-winning news coverage in an easy-to-read format, to read on their phones via a fast and flexible interface.

Updated hourly, NYTimes.com Mobile News provides full text of most of each day's newspaper, including: top headlines, business news, national and international news, technology news, movie reviews, sports updates, editorial and op-ed columns, and photo galleries depicting the day's top stories. 

Subscribers can also e-mail articles to friends and download New York Times color photos to use as wallpaper on their phones. An overview and instructions on how to download the application are available at NYTimes.com.

Full-length articles

"Our application's format and speed make it possible to read full-length news articles on a phone," said Jason Devitt, chief executive officer of Vindigo Studios. "We were selected to bring The New York Times's content to next-generation phones as a result of our proprietary technology, which will allow us to launch NYTimes.com Mobile News on multiple models of phones simultaneously." 

"We are pleased to expand our long-term partnership with Vindigo Studios to offer our high-quality news and analysis to Verizon Get It Now customers," said Ira Silberstein, director of business development, New York Times Digital. "We know there is a demand from our readers to access NYTimes.com on the go, and we are committed to providing New York Times content in whatever platform our readers want to access it."

Vindigo Studios, a developer and publisher of consumer applications for mobile phones, has announced the availability of several popular entertainment applications for U.S. Cellular customers. The applications Vindigo city guide, MovieGoer, MapQuest Mobile, powered by Vindigo, NYTimes.com Mobile News, powered by Vindigo, and the newly developed and exclusive application for U.S. Cellular (MetroMix, powered by Vindigo) based on the Tribune Interactive city guide. 

"We selected Vindigo Studios as a partner to develop Metromix for us because of their excellent skills to develop applications with a superb user experience," said Len Landi, U.S. Cellular director of business development and strategic planning for wireless data. "Vindigo Studios has created an exciting and useful application that our customers will certainly value."

Based on Chicago guide

Exclusive to U.S. Cellular customers for six months, Vindigo Studios adapted and developed MetroMix Mobile, Chicago's award-winning city guide that offers Chicagoans a complete menu of weekly entertainment and events, nightlife and dining options at the touch of a button.

Landi added that U.S. Cellular will continue to develop more exclusive and unique applications to create additional value and experiences for its customers. 

U.S. Cellular Corporation, the nation's eighth largest wireless service carrier, provides wireless service to more than 4.3 million customers in 152 markets throughout 26 states. 

Vindigo Studios reports more than one million consumers have downloaded a Vindigo Studios application, helping the company achieve recognition as a Deloitte and Touche "Rising Star." 

NYTimes.com Mobile News is currently available to Verizon Wireless customers on select LG and Audiovox mobile phones and will soon be accessible through select Samsung and Motorola models. Verizon Wireless customers can download a free one-day trial of NYTimes.com Mobile News by going to the "Download Shop" on their handsets, selecting the getGOING category, then selecting "The New York Times" option. 

New York Times Digital has partnered with Vindigo since March 2000 to provide PDA users with restaurant, nightlife and film reviews from NYTimes.com and Boston.com. NYTimes.com Mobile News is the latest offering in the Web site's premium suite that includes Times News Tracker, a highly customizable e-mail notification service; Premium Crosswords, the exclusive online source for the daily Times crossword and 2,000 archived crosswords; and paid archives of articles more than seven days old.