• The joint venture of NXP Semiconductor and STMicroelectronics today announced what it says is the first 3G-UMA chip, dubbed the Cellular System Solution 7210. It uses an ARM926 base and enables data speeds of 1 Mb/second over UMA, the company said. The chip is shipping now.

• Sprint announced a Direct Connect version of the Research In Motion BlackBerry Curve 8300 series smartphone. It’s called the 8350i and starts at $149.99.

• RadioShack will sell the Acer Aspire netbook with built-in 3G networking from AT&T. The netbook, available Dec. 24, costs $99.99 when purchased with a 2-year contract starting at $60 per month.

• Mobile broadcast software specialist Roundbox today announced $20 million in financing. Montagu Newhall Associates led the round with additional funding from existing investors Core Capital Partners, Polaris Venture Partners and RRE Ventures. Also included was Japanese strategic investor ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corp.

• Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), the national outdoor gear and apparel retailer, and Zumobi announced the availability of the REI Snow Report, a free application that lets iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users get instant information about conditions at ski resorts and mountains in the United States, Canada, Europe and elsewhere. Available now as a free download, the REI Snow Report also provides 1-touch access to REI’s Website, featuring winter sports products and information on outdoor recreation.