March 1 - 5:05pm EST   i-Mate's office in Redmond, Washington has been almost completely dissolved, with the company laying off almost its entire workforce, while others left on their own volition. According to Engadget, the Dubai-based company ran into problems with US distribution of its Ultimate line of communication devices. This led to i-Mate laying off almost its entire US operations team, including the engineering, quality assurance, and technical writing departments. [full story]

February 12 - 9:30am EST   Cellphone designer i-mate today included itself in the round of announcements at Mobile World Congress by finally launching its two highest-end Ultimate smartphones. Originally announced for the end of last year, the range-topping Ultimate 9502 is now set to launch with HSUPA Internet access rather than the original HSDPA; on supporting networks, the new technology will allow it to upload videos and other data much faster than possible with the older format. The Windows Mobile 6 phone is dominated by its touchscreen and continues to support GPS navigation, Wi-Fi, and a rare video-out feature for presentations or other large-screen functions. [full story]

January 18 - 2:10pm EST   Increasingly larger cellphone producer HTC is taking control of making smartphones for a few of its larger challengers, a report in Taiwan's Commercial Times says. Without naming specific models, the trade paper says that Palm, MWG, and Dubai-based i-mate are all pushing their assembly orders back to HTC after previously turning to other contractors or their own factories. The reversal is not explained but should help HTC's manufacturing for others account for over 10 percent of the firm's bottom line, representing a significant boost for a company increasingly known for its own devices. [full story]