Cell Phones

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt R90/15, R85/25, R115/15 - BenzeneInternational

2010-10-10T21:01:00.000+08:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt R90/15, R85/25, R115/15 - BenzeneInternational

Penetration Grade Bitumen, Bitumen Performance - Your Trusted Partner for Generations

2010-09-25T19:39:00.000+08:00

Penetration Grade Bitumen, Bitumen Performance - Your Trusted Partner for Generations

Cationic Emulsions, Quality Asphalt Emulsions, Asphalt Emulsions Suppliers - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T19:13:00.000+08:00

Cationic Emulsions, Quality Asphalt Emulsions, Asphalt Emulsions Suppliers - BenzeneInternational

Cutback Bitumens, Liquid Bitumen - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T19:01:00.000+08:00

Cutback Bitumens, Liquid Bitumen - BenzeneInternational

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T18:39:00.000+08:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

Base Oil, Base Oil SN 150 SN500 - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T18:07:00.000+08:00

Base Oil, Base Oil SN 150 SN500 - BenzeneInternational

Bitumen, Bitumen Services, Bitumen Storage, Bitumen Supplier - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-22T20:51:00.000+08:00

Bitumen, Bitumen Services, Bitumen Storage, Bitumen Supplier - BenzeneInternational

Benzene International Pte Ltd website

2010-09-10T09:30:00.000+08:00

Benzene International Pte Ltd website

Singapore Children Society - 1000 Enterprises For Children-In-Need

2010-09-02T20:16:00.000+08:00

Singapore Children Society - 1000 Enterprises For Children-In-Need

Bitumen - Windows Live

2010-09-02T19:35:00.000+08:00

Bitumen - Windows Live

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

2010-08-29T12:38:00.000+08:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

Recycling of pp

2010-08-29T09:26:00.000+08:00

Why we must Recycle Plastics

An estimated 56% of all plastics waste is used packaging, three-quarters of which is from households. It is estimated that only 7% of total plastic waste arisings are currently being recycled. The production and use of plastics has a range of environmental impacts. Firstly, plastics production requires significant quantities of resources, primarily fossil fuels, both as raw material and to deliver energy for the manufacturing process. It is

Oxidized Bitumen Reviews on APSense RevPage

2010-08-28T09:21:00.000+08:00

Oxidized Bitumen Reviews on APSense RevPage

Bitumen in Drums - Windows Live

2010-08-27T12:43:00.000+08:00

Bitumen in Drums - Windows Live

With challenges, come opportunities

2010-07-01T15:04:00.000+08:00

Link

Bitumen Emulsions

2010-04-08T10:29:00.001+08:00

CATIONIC EMULSIONS

When asphalt is milled into microscopic particles and dispersed in water with a chemical emulsifier, it becomes an asphalt emulsion. The tiny droplets of asphalt remain uniformly suspended until the emulsion is used for its intended purpose. In the emulsion state, the emulsifier molecules orient themselves in and around droplets of asphalt. The chemistry of the emulsifier/asphalt/water system determines the dispersion and the stability of the suspension. When emulsions are used in the field, the water evaporates into the atmosphere, and the chemical emulsifier is retained with the asphalt.

Emulsions were first developed in the early 1900s. It was in the 1920s when emulsions came into general use in pavement applications. Their early use was in spray applications and as dust palliatives. The growth in the use of asphalt emulsions was relatively slow, limited by the type of emulsions available and a lack of knowledge as to how they should be used. Continuing development of new types and grades, coupled with improved construction equipment and practices, now gives a broad range of choices. Virtually any roadway requirement can be met with emulsions. Judicious selection and use can yield significant economic and environmental benefits.Emulsions are less hazardous to use and can be applied in a wider range of conditions.

An asphalt emulsion consists of three basic ingredients: asphalt, water, and an emulsifying agent. On some occasions, the emulsion may contain other additives, such as stabilizers, coating improvers, anti-strips, or break control agents. It is well known that water and asphalt will not mix, except under carefully controlled conditions using highly specialized equipment and chemical additives. The blending of asphalt and water is the same as an auto mechanic trying to wash grease from his hands with only water. Only with a detergent or soapy agent can grease be successfully removed. The soap particles surround the globules of grease, break the surface tension that holds them, and allow them to be washed away.

Anionic, non-ionic and cationic emulsifiers are all available, which will successfully emulsify bitumen and provide storage stable emulsions. Cationic emulsifiers offer additional advantages, which arise from the fact that most naturally occurring aggregates are negatively-charged in aqueous media, and have a capacity to absorb cationic emulsifiers. Choice of emulsifier type, and emulsion formulation enables the rate of breaking of the emulsion to be controlled. The emulsifiers remain in the cured seal and are concentrated at the interface between bitumen and aggregate and act as antis tripping agents.

This is a test Post from multiply.com

Bitumen Emulsions

2010-04-08T10:29:00.000+08:00

CATIONIC EMULSIONS

This is a test Post from multiply.com

2009-07-30T23:23:00.001+08:00

2008-12-23T17:06:00.001+08:00

An interesting and education website for bitumen.

http://ping.fm/wiqzx

Sleep and Cell Phone

2008-06-09T22:56:00.000+08:00

Longer use of cell phones by teens affects their sleep patterns. According to the study when compared to subjects with restricted use of cell phones, young people with excessive use of cell phones (both talking and text messaging) have increased restlessness with more careless lifestyles, more consumption of stimulating beverages, difficulty in falling asleep and disrupted sleep, and more susceptibility to stress and fatigue. They behave more like larks than owls, suggesting a delayed biological clock.

Addiction to cell phone is becoming common. Youngsters feel a group pressure to remain inter-connected and reachable round the clock. Children start to use mobile phones at an early stage of their life. There seem to be a connection between intensive use of cell phones and health compromising behaviour such as smoking, snuffing and use of alcohol,”

Smart Phone

2008-06-06T20:23:00.000+08:00

The sale of SmartPhones has risen by 29%.

Worldwide sales notched 32.2 million units, accounting for 11% of the global mobile device market, the report said.

Nokia cornered a 45% share of the market, with sales up 25% on year.

"Nokia continued to maintain its leadership due to the variety of its smartphone portfolio, which includes a number of both high-end and mid-tier models available at different price points," Gartner said.

Research in Motion was the second-biggest smartphone vendor with 13.4% of the market driven by sales of the BlackBerry Curve and Pearl, while Apple was the third-largest vendor with a 5.3% share in the market.

Smartphones are mobile phones that offer advanced capabilities often like functions in a personal computer.

Source- cellular news

2008-06-04T23:39:00.000+08:00

Nokia's new handset factory in Romania has reached the milestone of producing its first millionth mobile phone, report the local Business Standard newspaper. The factory, situated in the village of Jucu just outside Cluj started production in February and currently has some 700 staff. Plans exist to ramp this up to around 3,500 as the factory reaches full production capacity later this year.

“The start of our production in Romania was a fruitful one, and Nokia clients throughout Europe are pleased. We managed to recruit energetic and dedicated employees, and I am certain that the Cluj factory will become a model of performance in terms of quality products,” said the factory’s General Manager, John Guerry.b

Nokia, which controversially moved production from Germany is not the only company in the Romanian city of Cluj. It has courted Vodafone and Orange and Romanian software developers too. The boom is putting pressure on the city though - as the population has jumped from some 300,000 to over 500,000 in just a few years as technology companies flood into the city. While the city still has capacity for employers, there could be a crunch within a few years if infrastructure is not improved to make commuting easier.

Sony Ericsson HTC

2008-06-04T07:06:00.000+08:00

Rumors are going around the possible take over of HTC by Sony Ericsson.

HTC is best known for its range of smartphones and being an early developer of Windows based smartphones, although the history of how it leapt into that market is controversial. The company, which initially focused on operator branded handsets has been building up its own profile recently and started selling phones directly under the HTC brand name. The company is also reportedly working on an Android-based phone, dubbed the Dream, that will be on the market by the end of 2008.

HTC has denied the rumours, saying that they "have no truth". However, early last year, Peter Chou the company CEO did say that he thought that Sony Ericsson would make for a good partner should an acquisition occur.

Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1 will be manufactured by HTC - and will be the company's first Windows Mobile smartphone. The company has traditionally stuck with Symbian based smartphones.

On the web: Elektronik Tidningen

Brits way of shopping - Mobile

2008-05-19T23:09:00.000+08:00

Lightspeed Research has published the results of its survey of 1000 Britons to evaluate the likely take up of mobile internet shopping. With mobile phone penetration higher than that of PCs, shopping from the mobile phone has the potential to be the next big thing in retail.

Click to enlarge

Would you be willing to buy products or services through your mobile phone?

Which shops would you be willing to shop with through your mobile phone?

The survey results indicated a positive response to the idea, with 17% of respondents saying they would be willing to buy products and services through their phone, and men more in favour of the idea (22% versus 12%). This figure was higher than respondents in France (9%) but lower than in Germany (25%).

As with online retail, which took time to increase in popularity, this research suggests there is a good basis for the growth of shopping through mobiles, especially as more retailers begin to offer the service.

Of those who were receptive to the idea of shopping from their mobile handsets, more than three quarters of respondents said they would shop with well-known high street and online retailers. 'Any company offering great prices' was attractive to only 23% of respondents.

One of the advantages of shopping from a mobile phone is the ability to make purchases at any time and in any place. This benefit is reflected in the types of products and services respondents said they would buy in this way. Two of the top three choices were ‘on the go’ type products with film, theatre and events tickets coming in second and travel tickets the third choice. With many people carrying their mobile phone all the time the ability to order entertainment and travel tickets from their handset offers a significant advantage over PC shopping.

Other products selected by our respondents included DVDs and CDs at the top of the list at 73% and books and travel both at 55%. 48% of our panellists would buy flowers. Clothes, food and toiletries were the least popular choices.

David Day, Lightspeed Research CEO Europe says "This research suggests that the mobile phone could become a viable way for retailers to reach their customers. The 24/7 nature of the mobile phone, a device that many people have with them all the time, and the increase in Internet-ready phones offers a real opportunity for retailers to match their offer to the products and services customers may want to buy in this way."

15 year old girl

2008-05-12T21:20:00.000+08:00

Pls post your views if you are a parent and you shall allow this kind...
Thanks

Sony Ericsson Cannot sell more- blame it on rio

2008-03-31T20:52:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson has this morning said that moderating sales growth of mobile phone units is expected to negatively impact the company's net sales and net income before tax for the first quarter of 2008.

In addition, certain component shortages for popular mid-priced phones have contributed to modest unit sales growth in the first quarter.

"As discussed during our fourth quarter 2007 Media and Analyst Call, the market is proving to be challenging. This has been more pronounced in the mid-to-high end replacement sector of the market in Europe, where Sony Ericsson has stronger than average market share," says Dick Komiyama, President of Sony Ericsson. "For the last year, Sony Ericsson has been focused on expanding the breadth of its portfolio and developing its presence in new markets to lessen its historic reliance on the European high-end sector for growth. This strategy will continue, and our objective remains to become a top three player globally by 2011. As part of this strategy, we have announced fifteen new phones and introduced a new platform to the portfolio, Windows Mobile, this year. We expect to start seeing a positive effect from these announcements during the second half of 2008."

Sony Ericsson now plans to ship approximately 22 million phones during the first quarter of 2008 with an estimated ASP (Average Selling Price) of EUR120 (US$189) - which is down on the EUR125 achieved during 2007. This is expected to generate net sales lower than the first quarter of 2007, and NIBT is estimated to be in the range of EUR150 - 200 million due to increased R&D expenses as a percentage of sales. The increased investments in R&D are in line with the company's strategy to meet future growth ambitions. In addition, Sony Ericsson currently expects gross margin to remain relatively stable for the first quarter of 2008 compared with the first quarter of 2007.

Lots of New Phones

2008-03-25T20:47:00.000+08:00

Thanks Mr.Obama

2008-03-20T19:49:00.001+08:00

Hi

Kudos to your internet campaign.

We wish u all the best and when u become president pls drop us mail.

B.Obama or H.Cliton - Pls save the world

2008-03-07T20:23:00.000+08:00

Profiting from 67% weaker dollar and 342% higher oil
Filed under: Market matters, Oil

The Associated Press reports that oil just hit a record high and the dollar hit a record low. The euro fetched a record $1.5347 this morning -- driving the dollar down 67% since the euro bought 92 cents in January 2001. And oil's record price of $105.97 a barrel is up 342% since its January 2001 price of $24 ($105.97 a barrel according to Bloomberg as Michael Fowlkes blogged). According to the New York Times, when the U.S. president asked OPEC to increase production, OPEC said no -- blaming U.S. mismanagement for the high oil price.

So what? Gasoline prices are rising. And the diving dollar and spiking oil are linked. As the Fed cuts rates further in a futile effort to stop the real estate market -- and its related financing mechanisms -- from collapsing, the dollar drops further. Since oil is traded in dollars, a lower dollar contributes to a higher price.

What to do? As I posted earlier, it's possible to profit from this vicious cycle. In the first two months of 2008, the S&P fell 10% while stocks mentioned in my newsletter rose an average of 9%. They are companies that benefit from the rising price of oil. But why stop there? Commodities such as wheat, copper, gold, silver and platinum are also moving up.

Why not make a bit of profit to offset the cost of filling up your gas tank?

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter.

Sony Ericsson Launches 7 new phones

2008-02-11T22:18:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson, the world's fourth-largest mobile phone maker by sales, Sunday unveiled a range of new phones, including its first phone using Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) software and a rival to Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone.

The handset maker, a joint-venture between Japan's Sony Corp. (SNE) and Telefon AB LM Ericsson (ERIC) of Sweden, launched 7 new phones, including the Xperia phone brand targeting the business market with the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating platform. The Xperia X1 phone, with a 3-inch touchscreen and stylus, is the first phone the company has launched using Microsoft's software, joining rivals Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE) and Motorola Inc. (MOT), which already use the technology.

It also launched the G900 touchscreen phone, with a 5-megapixel camera and WiFi Internet connectivity. The phone also has a 2.4-inch touchscreen, drawing parallels with the iPhone.

"It's very important for us as a growing business to extend the Sony Ericsson brand to new users," said Steve Walker, head of portfolio planning at Sony Ericsson. "These new phones are helping us achieve this."

Lifting the curtain on the Mobile World Congress telephone trade show in Barcelona, Sony Ericsson also launched the G700 model 2.4-inch touchscreen phone and the W980 clamshell-model, with 8-gigabytes of internal memory to store up to 8,000 songs.

Two new Cybershot camera phones were also launched: the C902 12-millimeter thin camera phone with a 5-megapixel camera that can store 700 photos; and the C702 Cybershot splash- and dust-proof phone, with a 3.2-megapixel camera, built- in global positioning system and Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Google Maps.

The Z770 high-speed Internet clamshell phone will also go on sale by this summer, the company said.

Courtesy- Dow Jones

Identity Theft- A Swift Response from FCT

2008-01-19T10:49:00.000+08:00

Further to our earlier post, the compliant made to FTC ( Federal Trade Commission USA)
,We are delighted to get a swift response and the letter is reproduced here .

January 18, 2008
Ellango Narayanan
10 Anson Road
#23-11
Singapore,

Re: FTC Ref. No. 12734925

Dear Ellango Narayanan:

Thank you for contacting the Federal Trade Commission concerning identity theft. We have enclosed a brochure that addresses many of the concerns raised by identity theft and explains in more detail how to respond to specific types of identity theft. Additional information is also available at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, the federal government's central website on identity theft. If you haven't already done so, there are three immediate steps you should take:

1) Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus (telephone numbers are in the enclosed brochure) to place a fraud alert on your credit report. Fraud alerts can help prevent additional accounts from being opened by the identity thief. The credit bureaus will send you copies of your credit reports. You are entitled to receive the report free of charge if your report is inaccurate because of fraud. You should review the credit reports carefully to make sure no additional fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized changes made to your existing accounts.

2) Contact the fraud departments of the banks or companies for any accounts that have been fraudulently accessed or opened. Find out what forms or other documents you will need to send them to dispute the debts. Ask to use the ID Theft Affidavit (in the enclosed brochure) to save time.

3) File a report with your local police, and get a copy of the report in case the bank, credit card company, or others involved need proof of the crime.

In addition, you have certain rights under federal credit laws that can help you undo some of the damage done by identity thieves.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act:
You have the right to dispute errors in your credit report. Once you notify them, the credit bureau and the company that furnished the inaccurate information to the credit bureau must investigate the disputed information. The credit bureau is required to remove incorrect information from your report.
You have the right to get a copy of the application or other business transaction records relating to your identity theft free of charge from the company. These records may help you prove that you are a victim. For example, you may be able to show that the signature on an application is not yours. You must make your request in writing. Companies must provide these records within 30 days of receipt of your request. You also may give permission to any law enforcement agency to get these records.

Under the Truth-In-Lending Act and the Fair Credit Billing Act:
If you report to the credit card issuer that your credit card is lost or stolen, you cannot be held responsible for more than $50 of unauthorized charges.
You have the right to dispute errors on your credit card bill. If you send a written notice to the credit card issuer within 60 days, it must investigate and either correct the error or explain why the bill is believed to be correct within two billing cycles or 90 days, whichever is less.

Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act:
You have the right to dispute errors on your electronic fund transfer account statements. If you send a written notice to the issuing financial institution within 60 days, it must investigate and either correct the error or explain why the account statement is believed to be correct within thirteen business days. In some cases, if the institution needs more time, it may take up to 45 days to complete the investigation.

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:
If a debt collector contacts you about a debt that you believe you do not owe, you have the right to file a dispute with the debt collector. If you do so in writing within thirty days of the collector's initial contact with you, the collector is required to stop all collection efforts until the debt is verified and the verification is sent to you.

Finally, a number of states have passed identity theft laws. You may want to check with your state Attorney General's office to find out if you have any additional protections or remedies.

The FTC has entered your identity theft complaint into our data clearinghouse. Although we have no criminal authority to investigate identity theft, we share data from this clearinghouse with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and private entities to assist them in their investigation of identity theft. We also can use your information to investigate companies for violations of laws which we enforce. To learn more about the FTC's Privacy Policy, visit www.ftc.gov. If you don't have access to the Internet, you can call the FTC toll-free 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TDD: 202-326-2502; or write: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.

Thank you for providing us with your identity theft complaint. Our identity theft tracking and case referral program wouldn't be successful without your information. Please call us toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) at any time to update your complaint with new information.

Sincerely,
Identity Theft Clearinghouse

Enclosures:
1. Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft (CRE-02)

Name and Identity Theft- Benzene International

2008-01-18T06:36:00.000+08:00

A very Important Announcement from Benzene International - Singapore

Pls beware of a company called Etelgsm, a Florida based company with whom we have no relationship of any kind. We have received complaints from various parts of the world that these guys are asking to send money through western union and ship no merchandise.

A customer from Swiss has to say this

Message - 01/15/2008 at 03:21:59
Country: Switzerland
-----------------------------------------------
Comment:
Just to let you know that there's a fake company who make business on your company's name www.etelgsm.com, they ask money by Western union and they send nothing, the name of the receiver is : James M Walter, 3551 Metro Parkway, Fort Myers, Florida, 33902 USA
-----------------------------------------------

Benzene International- Singapore already made a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, USA.

Beware of this type of scams.

Thanks

Perks or Pets that makes Google

2008-01-17T21:29:00.000+08:00

It's amazing that Google employees can get any work done.

Between the three daily catered meals, on-site massage therapist, free gym membership and game room (complete with air hockey, darts and Foosball), Google's new development center in Fremont boasts amenities that rival some resorts.

Just in case there aren't enough entertainment options, kayaks are available so staffers can go for a midday paddle on the nearby Lake Washington Ship Canal. There's even a "quiet room" -- complete with lava lamp, massage chair and wonderful views of the water -- where Google employees can presumably dream up the next great Internet application while their muscles relax.

Google opened the Seattle development center in October and has already hired about 75 people to work there. It will focus on systems development, the back-end infrastructure that makes the company's applications hum, but also has projects going on in Web-site testing and mapping.

Google employees had a hand in the design of the development center, which features spaces such as this colorful lounge area.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based Internet search giant, which also has a sales office in Fremont and a development center in Kirkland, pulled back the covers on the new Seattle office to the media and members of the technology industry Tuesday.

The message was clear. Google, which is aggressively competing with Amazon.com, Microsoft Corp. and hundreds of startups for smart people, wants to portray itself as a fun place to work that does things a little differently. In the lexicon of the Internet company, that new approach to business is called "Googley" -- a word that was uttered throughout the tour and demonstration.

The war for talent was on the minds of Google executives. Brian Bershad, the University of Washington computer science professor who was picked to lead the new Seattle office about three months ago, avoided the topic when asked how the company competes against Microsoft and others.

"We have a tremendous number of really strong people who have come out of UW ... who are here at Google today. Where else they may have chosen to go, I have not had that conversation."

But Shiva Shivakumar, vice president of engineering at Google, quickly followed up on that comment. "We have not lost too many to other companies in the area," Shivakumar said to laughs from the crowd.

"People come to Google. We don't so much take from other employers," he said.

The executives declined to say how many people they plan to hire in the Seattle area in the coming years, though the company has quickly grown from two people four years ago to more than 450 people today.

"In the case of Kirkland and Seattle, the growth rate has been astounding, because we have been able to find some really, really talented people," said Alan Eustace, senior vice president of engineering and research. "That has fueled, I think, one of the highest growth rates we have had worldwide, and I expect we will continue to try to grow as we find the best people."

"I think ultimately it is a cycle of people," said Alberg, a founding partner of Madrona Venture Group. "They will attract people, those people will do interesting work and then they will go do their own thing. Overall, it is extremely positive that Google is here."

For years, Alberg said, economic development officials talked about ways to attract corporate headquarters or manufacturing plants to the region. But what has really proved successful for the region is building "intellectual centers" around companies such as Google, RealNetworks and Amazon.com "We tend to think of them as companies, but they are really research centers," he said.

Ed Lazowska, a computer science professor at the UW who has been encouraging Google to open a Seattle office for years, said the company could become one of the anchors for the tech cluster popping up in Fremont. He notes that more than a half-dozen companies -- ranging from Adobe to startups such as All Star Directories -- have offices on North 34th Street.

"Having these guys here makes an enormous difference," Lazowska said when asked about Google. "The tech industry has this network effect." Furthermore, the Ballard resident, echoing the thoughts of many commuters, noted that "getting to Kirkland is a schlep."

Like other Google offices, the new 60,000-square-foot space boasts giant white boards, colorful bouncy balls, plenty of lava lamps and free snacks. Dogs are welcome, with a pet center complete with treats and toys near the coffee station.

Employees had a hand in designing the layout and decor of the office, previously occupied by Getty Images. In the spirit of Fremont's arts community, some employees contributed the paintings that hang on the walls.

"When you spend so much time at work, you should have some input on what it is like," said Peter Wilson, engineering director and director of the Kirkland office. "That is the Google way. Things are not top-down."

Sorry- I forgot the source....

Google on Iphone

2008-01-13T10:34:00.000+08:00

Spotted by Google Operating System is a new iPhone specific interface for Google’s personalized webpage product iGoogle. The page can accessed directly from http://google.com/ig/i, although iPhone users should be immediately redirected to this page when trying to access iGoogle.

The new iPhone interface is a step up from Google’s previous offering of a mobile specific page at google.com/m (our review here) which only offered limited customization options.

iGoogle for iPhone will compete with Netvibes, who launched their one iPhone specific version in August 2007.

FBI Faulters

2008-01-11T20:29:00.000+08:00

An interesting Article ... how the Boss Works....

Just in case you thought our public officials were doing a decent job, here's some more evidence that they're not: a Justice Department audit released today found that FBI wiretaps set up to eavesdrop on suspected criminals are sometimes cut off by the phone companies because the agency doesn't pay its phone bills on time.

This is our Federal Bureau of Investigation -- I can't even imagine what kind of gaffes happen at other agencies. According to the Associated Press: "In at least one case, a wiretap used in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigation 'was halted due to untimely payment,' the audit found. FISA wiretaps are used in the government's most sensitive and secretive criminal investigations, and allow eavesdropping on suspected terrorists or spies."

Great -- the agency's failure to pay bills results in lost evidence, and sometimes prohibits us from learning about terrorist activities. There was even one FBI employee who stole money that was supposed to be used to pay for wiretaps.

This is indicative of some internal controls problems in Washington, and as politicians talk tough about keeping tabs on terrorist activities, remember -- it's all just talk if they don't pay the phone bills.

Iphones Battle in Europe

2007-11-22T06:23:00.000+08:00

T-Mobile unit is shifting gears in its bid to offer Apple’s iPhone only with a customer contract in the German market.

The move comes one day after a court t injunction was issued following a legal challenge from Vodafone (News - Alert) regarding the exclusive “lock” on the device. Now, instead of having exclusive rights to the German iPhone market, T-Mobile will start selling the phone without a contract for $1,480 and continue to offer it at a much lower price when purchased with a two-year commitment, the company said in a news release.

T-Mobile (News - Alert) had originally required customers in Germany to sign a two-year contract to buy the device, but now the "unlocked" phone will function on networks other than T-Mobile's.

After protest from telecom rival Vodafone over the “exclusive rights” package T-Mobile had worked out — the company claimed the deal breached local competition laws — a Hamburg state court decided to issue a temporary injunction.

The move follows several other high profile bouts in the European market over limiting consumer choice in terms of picking a telecom network.

Similar deals were stuck in Brittan and France but have also faced backlash. Under a deal, the European mobile carrier Orange will remain the exclusive source for theiPhone ( News - Alert) in the French market, but were forced to offer both a locked version for its French net for about $560 and an unlocked version for a higher, but undisclosed price.

Orange, which is owned by France Telecom (News - Alert) initially won the exclusive rights as the sole provider to offer the iPhone, giving it the same agreement Apple has used with other service carriers.

However, the deal with Orange quickly stalled and negotiations with the French telco ran aground because of public and government opposition to lock-ins deal.

In the United States, AT&T is the exclusive provider of the iPhone and in the United Kingdom it is O2. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company recently announced it selected-Mobile in Germany to carry the phone.

Google Offers US$10 Million to Android Mobile OS Developers

2007-11-15T20:30:00.000+08:00

Google has announced a project to provide US$10 million for developers who work on its new mobile OS, Android. The Challenge is designed to support the developer community and spark innovation on the Android platform by awarding cash prizes ranging from $25,000 to $275,000 to developers whose applications are picked by a panel of judges.

SDK Emulator 3
"We've built some interesting applications for Android but the best applications are not here yet and that's because they're going to be written by developers," said Sergey Brin, Co-founder and President, Technology, Google. "We'd like to reward these developers and recognize them as much as possible."

"We believe that the Android platform offers developers a unique opportunity to create truly innovative mobile software," said Andy Rubin, Google's director of mobile platforms. "We're challenging developers to stretch their imaginations and skills to leverage the full capabilities of this new platform and to create something amazing."

Android was announced on November 5 by the Open Handset Alliance, a group of more than 30 mobile firms.

The $10 million total in the Android Developer Challenge will be distributed equally between the Android Developer Challenge I and II. Submissions for Challenge I will be accepted from January 2 through March 3, 2008, and the 50 most promising entries will be recognized by end of March with each receiving $25,000 awards to fund further development. These 50 entries will then be eligible for even greater recognition by applying by May 1, 2008 for ten awards worth $275,000 each and another ten worth $100,000 each.

Recognition for the top apps among those entries will be announced by end of May 2008. Challenge II will launch after the first handsets built on the platform become available in the second half of 2008.

A panel of technology and mobile experts selected from the Open Handset Alliance member organizations and the industry in general will judge all qualifying entries.

Source- Cellular News

Skype Launches Its Mobile Phone Overseas

2007-10-30T20:54:00.000+08:00

Skype’s anticipated mobile phone is now official. Britain’s mobile carrier 3 will start selling it on November 2 in the UK, and later this year in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macau and Sweden. This will be the first mobile phone with Skype built in, meaning that calls to other Skype members are free. The phone will cost about $100 with a pay-as-you-go plan (for the non-Skype calls), or free with a monthly contract.

This is an enlightened move on the part of 3. If people are going to start bypassing the mobile carriers with free Internet calls, the carriers might as well get in front of the trend and start cannibalizing themselves. At least this way, 3 captures the non-Skype calls and wins loyalty points among its Skype-using subscribers. Anything that reduces customer churn is worth a try in the eyes of the carriers.

[For more on this story see TechCrunch UK]

Slide2

2007-10-23T18:00:00.000+08:00

Top 10 Phones

2007-09-05T22:07:00.000+08:00

Krusell - The Top-10 Selling Phones in August 2007

The Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, Krusell, has released their "Top 10"-list for August 2007. The list is based upon the number of pieces of model specific mobile and smart phone cases that have been ordered from Krusell during August 2007. Krusell's list is unique due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones on six continents and in more than 50 countries around the globe.

1. (1) Nokia 6300
2. (2) Sony Ericsson K790i/K800i/K810i
3. (3) Nokia N95
4. (4) Nokia N73
5. (5) Sony Ericsson W880i
6. (-) Apple iphone
7. (-) Sony Ericsson P1
8. (6) Blackberry RIM 8300 Curve
9. (-) Nokia E90
10. (8) Nokia 6233/6234

() = Last month's position.

Courtesy- Cellular News

SMS and Iphone.. not a good blend

2007-08-16T22:25:00.000+08:00

Chicago-based usability consultancy User Centric says that it has conducted tests on the iPhone's touch keyboard compared with conventional QWERTY and numeric phone keyboards. Earlier, User Centric had identified texting as potentially problematic for new iPhone customers. The goal of their current study was to determine how easy it was for conventional mobile phone users to text using the iPhone.

User Centric tested the iPhone's texting features with frequent texters to see how rapidly they could adapt to the iPhone's touch keyboard. All 20 participants sent at least 15 messages per week. Ten participants owned phones with a full QWERTY keypad and 10 owned phones with a numeric keyboard. None of the participants owned an iPhone. Each participant typed six fixed-length text messages on their own phone and six on an iPhone.

It took QWERTY users almost twice as long to create the same message on the iPhone as it did on their QWERTY phone. While there was improvement over time, the difference persisted even after using the iPhone for 30 minutes.

"For QWERTY users, texting was fast and accurate. But when they switched to the iPhone, they were frustrated with the touch sensitive keyboard," said Jen Allen, Usability Specialist, User Centric.

In contrast to QWERTY users, numeric users used the "multitap" method of entering text messages on their phones. They pressed individual number keys multiple times to get a desired letter or character to appear. Although multitap is inherently inefficient, numeric phone users took nearly as long to create a message on the iPhone as they did on their numeric phones. There was no increase in efficiency despite the iPhone's corrective text approach.

When using the iPhone's touch keyboard, all participants frequently selected keys that they had not intended. Participants usually corrected these errors by using the backspace key to erase one character at a time. Only 7 participants figured out how to use the corrective text feature on their own.

User Centric says that it was aware that participants? prior familiarity with their own phones meant that there would likely be a learning curve associated with text messaging on the iPhone. (None of the participants had used an iPhone prior to the study). Although participants were given one minute to familiarize themselves with the iPhone's touch keyboard, their texting abilities on the iPhone were still at the novice level. Throughout the study, we did notice limited improvements in keyboard comfort as users progressed through the tasks on the iPhone. Overall, the findings in the study can be taken as a good representation of what iPhone text messaging is like for a customer who has just bought an iPhone and is using it for the first time.

"It's important to consider the changes a person has to make when they switch to the iPhone," said Gavin Lew, Managing Director at User Centric. "It should be easy for people to do common tasks, such as text messaging, using the iPhone's less traditional touch interface."

The complete summary of this study is available at http://www.usercentric.com/iPhoneTextEntry.html

One in Four is Fake in China

2007-08-15T21:45:00.001+08:00

Over a quarter of mobile phones sold in China in the first half of this year, reports ChinaTechNews citing a report in the Chinese language Sohu.com. The news report claims that the sales volume of illegal mobile phones reached a total of 23.34 million in the first six months of this year.

CECT CEO Li Dewei has told local media that based on the production and sales patterns of illegal mobile phone manufacturers, CECT is working to report all available information to the government supervision departments, providing clues on various fake mobile phones vendors.

Zhu Xiaofeng from BenQ China says that mobile phone enterprises are now focusing more on improving the techniques and quality of their products in a bid to make them unique and difficult to copy

Source Cellular News

Cloning - The Chinese Way

2007-08-14T20:01:00.000+08:00

How to Clone Anything

The easiest way to clone a product is to use a "ghost shift": A factory contracted to make legitimate goods moves to 24-hour operation, churning out copies—some made with inferior materials, and others exactly the same, designed to be sold on the black market—from midnight to morning.

The only problem with ghost shifts is that they can't run full time. In the mid-'90s, developers began to build shadow factories—identical plants, often constructed from the same blueprints legitimate manufacturers used to launch their ventures. Sometimes the plans were sold by managers at the genuine facilities. Other times, local officials and organized crime conspired to create a second set of blueprints.

As technology companies became aware of the extent of the cloning problem, many began to use selective outsourcing. Less-secret components would be built in China, while more proprietary items, like circuit boards, might be manufactured domestically. Even so, sometimes a company's products are cloned even if it has no working relationship with China at all. The Thomas G. Faria Corporation, an American company that builds dashboard gauges for boats and military Humvees, discovered an entire plant in China dedicated to cloning its product, even though it had never done any manufacturing overseas, or even outside of Connecticut, where it is based. The clones were found all over the world, and although they worked poorly, they looked the part. "These clones bear our name and address," David Blackburn, the company's CEO, told the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission. "The label . . . contains our catalog part number and the initials of a calibrator, as well as a final tester."

Cloners look for opportunity first, and manufacturers often give it to them, often in the form of a hot product that is released in a limited number of markets. Desire spreads worldwide, and the cloners are ready to fill any gaps that emerge in supply or distribution. (That's what's happening now with the iPhone, which for nearly a year will be sold in North America only.)

In November 2005, LG Electronics, a Korean company that is the world's third-largest mobile-phone maker, released a device that in many parts of the world was as anticipated as the iPhone was here. The "Chocolate" features a slide-out keypad, a large color screen and a very Apple-like navigation wheel; it plays music as readily as it makes calls and sends text messages. LG has sold 10 million of them worldwide—the same quantity Steve Jobs has set as the initial iPhone goal.

LG's phone began to sell out as soon as it was released, but it took four months for the Korean electronics giant to release a version for China. By then, it was too late: A doppelgänger Chocolate had hit the market first, and had become the preferred choice for Chinese shoppers. Quality wasn't an issue. The fake phone was "exactly like the real one in design," a company spokesperson told Chosun Ilbo, Korea's largest daily newspaper. "Chinese people think it's LG electronics that manufactures the fakes."

Last year, fed up with a torrent of bootleg cellphones that was costing the company a billion dollars a year, Samsung hired investigators to trace the phones back, through multiple supply channels, to their manufacturers. The results of that investigation, along with analysis done by independent researchers, uncovered some of the technical strategies undertaken by reverse-engineering operations.

The cloners start by deciding what phones would be most profitable to clone. They then learn everything they can about the device. They attend trade shows, furiously snapping photos of not-yet-released products until someone notices and shoos them away. They will be first in line to buy the new product whenever it hits stores. And they will look for shortcuts, such as a patent filed in China that can act as the beginning of an actual production guide.

The cloners hire a team of between 20 and 40 engineers to begin decoding the circuit boards. At the same time, coders start to develop an operating system for the phone with a similar feature set. (The typical cloner either uses off-the-shelf code, writes something entirely new, or modifies a publicly available Linux-based system.) Both processes take about a month. By then, ancillary items—plastic casings, accessories, manuals and packaging—are ready as well. Full production begins at another factory, one that is already building phones, within about eight weeks from the time the engineers are hired. After a run of about 30,000 units, the cloners move the operation to a new facility in order to avoid detection.

Samsung was impressed by the efficiency of the cloners, so much so that the company offered them jobs. The cloners said no. Earning about $1.25 per phone, the cloners said, they found it easier and more profitable to make fakes. The only known result of the investigation? Samsung now takes care to release products in China shortly after they come out in Korea. Its only defense is to give cloners a smaller window of opportunity.

Source - Popsci.com

Bluetooth and Automobiles

2007-08-14T12:45:00.000+08:00

Bluetooth has many untapped use cases; the potential for using its functionality in automotive devices is large; however, its primary role is still handsfree calling. To some extent one is not surprised; the incorporation of Bluetooth for handsfree calling has been 'unhurried' in automotive products and in the OEM market, the adoption of Bluetooth has been even slower. Especially when we consider its desirability by consumers, the adoption of Bluetooth by mobile makers and legislative measures preventing drivers from using their mobile phones while driving.

However IMS believes this is set to change. Although many of its potential applications are still 'unrealised', finally Bluetooth is starting to be used for music streaming as well as handsfree calling.

The launch of new infotainment platforms by car manufacturers such as Ford and Fiat has been well documented and the inclusion of wireless audio streaming in aftermarket products has increased significantly during the last 12 months.

Many in the market were astonished when Apple, the makers of the long anticipated iPhone, did not include Bluetooth audio streaming to the specification. Was this an oversight by Apple or a sign that the hype surrounding audio streaming is somewhat premature? Regardless, other device manufacturers feel very optimistic about the promise of A2DP in cars and see this as just the beginning. Video streaming is the next big Bluetooth opportunity open to exploration by manufacturers in the not too distant future. However, we?ll have to wait for Bluetooth Version 3.0 before that can be realised.

Source - Cellular News

Mobile Production base shifting to India

2007-07-23T19:56:00.000+08:00

India is emerging as a handset super-power as more manufacturers set up base in the country. India is expected to register a handset production of over 51 million units this year to record the highest growth in the Asia-Pacific region, technology research firm Gartner has predicted.

India produced nearly 31 million mobile phones in 2006 worth about $5 billion. This represented the largest contribution to overall electronics production revenue and to the total available market for semiconductors. For 2007, it has forecast that handset production will increase by 68% in units and 65% in value terms. “Looking ahead, we expect production volumes to reach nearly 95 million units and to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25% between 2006 and 2011, the report said.

We are starting from a small base and in the next five years, we will see high growth. Over six million users are being added every month and there is a captive local market for mobile manufacturers,Gartner Group principal research analyst Ganesh Ramamoorthy, who authored the study, told ET.

Low mobile penetration and favourable government policies are driving mobile phone original equipment manufacturers to set up manufacturing facilities in India. Nokia started its unit in Chennai in January 2006 and produced a record 25 million handsets in the first year of operation. The vendor is also exporting mobiles from India to Sri Lanka. Motorola and electronics manufacturing service vendors (EMS) like Foxconn and Flextronics have also set up plants in India.

Gartner said though the world’s top five handset makers will retain a major share of production volume, it expects local manufacturers to capture up to a fifth of India’s overall mobile phone production volume by the end of 2011. “We believe that growing demand for low-cost and ultra-low-cost mobile phones and the need for EMS vendors to reduce their revenue exposure to Nokia, Motorola and Sony Ericsson, for whom they are now manufacturing in India, will contribute to the growth of local-brand mobile phones in the Indian market,” said the report.

However, Mr Ramamoorthy had a word of caution. “Most of the components are imported today. For local handset manufacturing to continue to grow, you need to have local component manufacturing,” he said.

Another key challenge will be to keep handset prices low, as Indian consumers are very price sensitive. This will be achievable by gaining access to low-cost, feature-rich and local-specific chip designs, as well as a strong distribution network. Key stakeholders in the mobile phone industry value chain can provide this, so local manufacturers must look to form alliances and partnerships with them in order to succeed, it said.

Source: IBEF
Date: 27 June 2007

nice one

2007-07-22T22:28:00.000+08:00

Blackberry in Black Market

2007-07-20T17:06:00.000+08:00

It is being reported that Bermudans who leave the island on trips face having their BlackBerry's confiscated if they cannot prove that the devices were purchased before they left the country. Customs can require that owners of BlackBerrys carry a "yellow slip" proving that they are the owner of the device and that it was not purchased outside the country - otherwise they face being hit with an import tax, or even confiscation.

The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce reported the problem in Issue 33 of its Newsline newsletter: "The Chamber has been advised by the Bermuda Customs Department that they will confiscate any Blackberry device found on any persons reentering the country that do not have the relevant registered paperwork. M3Wireless has already had two customers experience this over the last 5 days."

The local Royal Gazette newspaper says that all electronic devices must be registered with Customs if they are arriving on the Island for the first time or have been purchased in Bermuda, otherwise the owner faces paying tax on the item each time they bring it back onto the Island. Blackberrys and mobile phones are no exception.

Samung presents Gold Phone to Beijing Olympics

2007-07-19T22:58:00.000+08:00

Samsung will make a special 18-carat gold-plated mobile phone to mark next year's Olympics in Beijing.

The sleek-looking phone, dubbed the P318, is mostly deep black in color, with the gold placed in the trim along the sides and covering the bottom half of its back.

A price or launch date has yet to be set, Samsung spokeswoman Lee Soo-jeong said.

"This is going to be strictly sold and launched to the Chinese market," she said. "It's basically a phone to commemorate and celebrate the Beijing Olympics."

Source: AP News

Blackberry Complements iphone.?

2007-07-18T22:56:00.000+08:00

Research In Motion announced a new BlackBerry model Tuesday that will provide wireless voice and data access over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks.

RIM President and Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis also said the attention Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs and Apple's iPhone have brought to the sector has benefited RIM.

We all knew the smartphone market was growing. Some of us believe that eventually all phones will be smartphones. I think what the iPhone announcement did was that it just accelerated the public's awareness and acceptance of a smartphone."

RIM's latest product launch comes as it competes in the United States with Apple's heavily hyped iPhone, which began selling in the U.S. last month.

Waterloo-based RIM has been targeting the consumer market after enjoying success in the corporate market for years. RIM's push e-mail software allows customers to access their e-mail on their wireless devices in real time.

The new BlackBerry 8820 will be RIM's first dual-mode smartphone and its thinnest with a full keyboard. It will be available through AT&T Inc. in the U.S. later this summer.

"The BlackBerry 8820 complements our carrier partners' cellular networks with the added ability to stay connected via Wi-Fi at home, through hotspots and corporate campuses," Lazaridis said.

The 8820 also features GPS satellite navigation _ allowing it to pinpoint its location and give directions. It also plays music and videos.

RIM announced last month that its BlackBerry subscriber accounts grew by about 1.2 million during the first quarter for a total of 9.2 million.

The company's stock has surged 39 percent since June 28, when the company announced that first-quarter earnings grew 73 percent thanks to increased sales and subscriber additions _ many of them international subscribers. The stock closed up $3.53 to $230.07 on Tuesday.

RIM's market capitalization of $42.8 billion is now bigger than that of mobile giant Motorola Inc.

Source - Cellular News

Iphone Improves Video Content

2007-07-17T21:50:00.000+08:00

iPhone Could Impact the Mobile Video Market - report

Interpret, the media research firm says that the iPhone has the potential to be a catalyst for growth in mobile video usage, among both iPhone owners and owners of regular cell phones.

Despite owning their new iPhones for a short period of time, 63% of iPhone owners have already used the widescreen-enabled device to watch video (compared to only 28% of regular cell phone owners). Half of iPhone owners (51%) have watched a YouTube video on their phone, while 46% have watched a music video, 34% watched the news, and 32% have already watched a movie trailer.

The study shows that it's not the consumers who are different, it's the iPhone ? prior to buying the iPhone, few owners had watched video on their cell phone (only 17% had seen YouTube clips, 21% had watched a music video, 16% had seen the news, and only 15% had watched a movie trailer on a phone).

Apple has already made a name for itself as a top destination for music and video on-the-go, and consumers expect the iPhone to deliver on that reputation," said Jason Kramer, Chief Strategy Officer, Interpret. "Consumers want to watch video on their cell phones, but they have high expectations for the experience. The iPhone shows consumers that the potential is there to meet or exceed their expectations for mobile video.

The study also shows how the iPhone could have a "halo effect" for mobile video, even among non-owners.

Only 28% of non-iPhone owners have ever watched video on their cell phone, and interest in watching video on their current phone is not strong. One-quarter or fewer are interested in watching music videos (25%), TV shows (25%), movies (24%) or video clips like on YouTube (24%). However, after seeing a 2-minute video about watching video on the iPhone, nearly three-quarters (73%) of non-owners say they are interested in watching video on an iPhone, and 42% say they are "extremely" or "very" interested. Further, widescreen video is a compelling selling point for the iPhone ? half (50%) of non-owners who are open to buying the device say that seeing the iPhone's video capabilities makes them more interested in buying one.

"What's surprising is how wide open the market for mobile video is right now," added Kramer. "The iPhone is definitely raising consumer awareness, but there are other players to watch, like Verizon and LG's VX9400 Mobile TV phone. Consumers are remarkably open to who delivers mobile content to them." A majority of both iPhone owners and non-owners consider carriers, broadcast and cable networks, movie studios, and Internet portals appropriate sources for mobile video. iPhone owners and non-owners have some different expectations as to who will provide their mobile entertainment ? 73% of iPhone users expect to get it from iTunes (compared to 43% of non-owners), and 46% of non-owners expect to get it from their cable or satellite company (compared to 37% of iPhone owners).

The survey was conducted online among a representative sample of 1,000 cell phone users, including 200 iPhone owners and 800 non-owners.

Source - Cellular news

Vodafone still Hungrly

2007-07-16T22:52:00.000+08:00

Vodafone Group has been considering a US$160 billion bid for USA partner Verizon Communications , it was rebuffed immediately, the Financial Times reports on its Alphaville Web site Monday.

Vodafone was not immediately available for comment.

The deal would be aimed at putting an end to criticism around Vodafone's 45% stake in U.S. mobile phone firm Verizon Wireless, currently under the spotlight after a small group of shareholder activists called for Vodafone to deliver better value from the unit, says the FT Web site.

The plan has been discussed in recent weeks as Vodafone has considered whether to trigger a little-known put option it holds over part of its stake in Verizon Wireless - a move that, accompanied by an asset revaluation at the American company, could allow it to suck up to $20 billion out of Verizon and distribute this to its shareholders, FT Alphaville said.

The Web site says such a deal would create a business capitalized at around $300 billion - bigger than AT&T, currently the world's largest telecoms business.

BSNL- Ploy of NRI

2007-07-15T00:35:00.000+08:00

Former Cabinet Minister Mr. Dayanidhi has written to the Indian Prime Minister that an NRI is destabilzing the tender process to delay BSNL ahead of other private carriers.

India's state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) may call for fresh bids or shrink a $4.87 billion contract it was earlier planning to give to Sweden's Ericsson and Finland-based Nokia, a senior company executive said Friday.

This is likely to bring US-based equipment Motorola and China-based ZTE back into the fray for the contract, tipped to be the largest ever from India, local media reported earlier.

Other companies that earlier bid for the contract to lay 45.5 million GSM lines include Germany's Siemens.

"We are considering different options. We are seeing whether it is legally possible to cancel the tender fully or partially," BSNL's Director of Finance S.D. Saxena told reporters after a meeting of the company's management committee.

In April, telecom equipment maker Ericsson emerged as the lowest bidder, quoting a price of $107 per line, and was to execute 60% of the project, and Nokia as the second-lowest bidder was to execute the remaining 40% at the same price.

However, the project stalled in May as India's new Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja wanted the telecom services provider to re-negotiate the price to bring it down to below $100 per line, on grounds that similar equipment was earlier supplied to other operators in India at a much lower price.

Saxena said BSNL's board will meet Monday to decide on the company's future course of action, including an option to remove the more expensive 3G component, which comprises 25% of the project, to bring down the overall cost.

"We are also considering whether the 3G communications portion should be there," said Saxena. If the 3G portion is dropped, the contract size will shrink to about 34 million lines.

BSNL is the fourth-largest mobile service operator by the number of subscribers, but is falling behind its competitors due to a lack of capacity to add more users. India is adding about seven million mobile phone users each month.

BSNL has already awarded a separate contract to India's state-run equipment-maker ITI, for 18 million GSM lines as part of its overall plan to add 63.5 million lines.

ITI has teamed up with French equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent and has already started work on the project.

iPhone and Wi-Fi

2007-07-13T22:04:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- The Apple iPhone, which has generated more than enough buzz for itself, is also corralling a lot of attention for wireless fidelity, or wi-fi, networks.

Already in iPhone's short life span, carriers are reporting greater demands on wi-fi as consumers seek a faster connection to the Web. The technology is a double-edged sword for carriers: It provides a short-term benefit by reducing the strain on their cellular networks, but could potentially wrest away their control over Internet service as networks expand. Sporadic availability and an unclear business model have kept consumer adoption muted, but that is poised to change.

"The iPhone is giving the industry a big shot in the arm in terms of imagination over different business plans," said Ron Sege, chief executive of network equipment maker Tropos Networks Inc.

More than laptops - the primary device used to connect to the wi-fi network - cellphones will be the primary driver for the adoption of citywide wi-fi networks. Some devices, like the iPhone, use the wi-fi hotspots as a means to access the Internet, but other true dual-band handsets are designed to make voice calls that can be seamlessly switched between the wi-fi and cellular networks.

So far, only a few devices boast that capability - around 1.9 million around the world - but that total should grow to 186 million by 2010, according to ABI Research analyst Philip Solis.

As more municipalities push for blanket wi-fi coverage - going beyond the hotspots offered by local business - the debate over their deployments gets increasingly tangled by a messy mixture of government, corporate and consumer interests. Local governments see wi-fi as a way to generate revenue while ensuring poor areas receive access to a high-speed Internet connection. Internet providers such as the telecommunications and cable companies view it as a potential threat.

Yet deployments are happening in the face of this conflict. Small towns across the country have installed municipal wi-fi networks that can be accessed anywhere.

"They say that a mayor can't get elected without a wi-fi strategy," said Karen Hanley, senior director of marketing for trade group Wi-Fi Alliance.

On a larger scale, Philadelphia is working with EarthLink Inc. (ELNK) to build a citywide network. But both it and San Francisco have faced delays in their rollouts. Some towns, meanwhile, have found that its wi-fi network has drawn disappointingly low interest, and have struggled to achieve a return on their investment.

Local governments hope that both residents and visitors alike will be more inclined to pay for wi-fi once dual-band handsets become more prevalent. Their portability brings true mobile Internet access compared with laptops, which are relatively stationary.

Some carriers and cable providers have felt threatened by the prospect that cities would offer their own access to the Web. Some have leveled criticism over the economics of such a business model.

"We're still looking at those networks," said Dan Yost, head of product management for Qwest Communications International Inc. (Q). "We haven't yet found an opportunity that makes sense for us to get involved in."

But things are changing. Yost said he doesn't consider city wi-fi networks a threat, since a physical line connection will always be faster and more reliable. On Monday, AT&T Inc. (T) waded into the business with a 3-square-mile deployment of wi-fi coverage to Riverside, Calif.

Near-Term Benefits

For now, wi-fi coverage is primarily accessed through "hotspots" of limited ranges and are used by hotels, restaurants and coffee shops as a way to retain customers. Many of the wi-fi hotspots are supported by big carriers such as AT&T and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA, as well as smaller private companies such as Wayport and Boingo Wireless. They typically deal with the upkeep of the networks and take most of the revenue.

Last year, the worldwide hotspot business generated $1.49 billion in revenue, and should more than double by 2012, according to Solis.

The iPhone's slick browsing capabilities have people wandering around town looking for hotspots. Tropos' Sege said that in the week and a half since the iPhone hit the market, an estimated 10,000 unique devices have accessed wi-fi networks his company supports. "People are finding those networks with the iPhone," he said.

T-Mobile has been aggressive in pushing wi-fi as an alternative network for handsets. The company, which supports 8,500 hotspots across the U.S., last month unveiled a service to bring those access points into the home.

The service, called HotSpot @Home, allows for dual-band cellphones to switch networks, so customers wouldn't burn "anytime" minutes while at home. T-Mobile benefits through additional revenue and the chance to move some of its call traffic off of its cellular network and onto the wi-fi one, which is powered by the subscriber's separate Internet service provider.

By reducing the cellular traffic, T-Mobile can reduce the cost of running its network, which is among the higher expenses for a wireless carrier.

"The more they are using wi-fi, the less they are using the cellular network," Solis said. "That reduces congestion on the cellular base stations, and allows them to put off adding capacity until a later date."

AT&T, meanwhile, is using its wi-fi network as another arrow in its quiver of services used to protect its customer base. Last week, AT&T said it would offer free access to its 10,000 hotspots to customers who subscribe to either of the top two tiers of its high-speed Internet service.

Not everyone is jumping on the wi-fi bandwagon. Verizon Communications shut down its New York area hotspots in 2005 due to little interest and the need for costly upgrades.

"We concluded it wasn't getting a lot of use," said Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe. "Putting money up for an upgrade wasn't justified."

The company may have been a victim of bad timing - wi-fi was just getting its legs when the network was taken down.

-By Roger Cheng, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-928-2020; roger.cheng@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Sony Ericsson Rings Aloud

2007-07-13T00:42:00.000+08:00

Mobile telephone maker Sony Ericsson on Thursday reported increased net profits and sales of handsets for second quarter 2007 compared with the corresponding business period in 2006.

The joint venture between Japan's Sony and Sweden's Ericsson said net income for the quarter was 220 million euros (300 million dollars), up from 143 million euros for the second quarter 2006.

Group turnover increased 37 per cent year-on-year to 3.11 billion euros.

Sony Ericsson said it sold 24.9 million handsets during second quarter 2007, compared to 15.7 million units in the corresponding business period 2006.

In the first quarter 2007 it sold 21.8 million units.

The group said that the average selling price of its mobile devices in the second quarter 2007 was 125 euros, down from 134 euros in the first quarter 2007 and 145 euros in the second quarter 2006.

The lower average selling price was "in line with Sony Ericsson expectations," the group said, noting the increase in its sales of low and mid-tier priced phones in Latin America, Western Europe as well as Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"Sony Ericsson has continued to capture market share in a more competitive market," Sony Ericsson Chief Executive, Miles Flint, said in a statement.

Sony Ericsson estimated that its share of the global handset market in the second quarter was 9 per cent.

Flint added that the group expected "the market in 2007 to remain competitive."

In its outlook, the group said it estimated that global handset sales in 2007 would top 1.1 billion units.

The group recently unveiled plans to establish a research and development unit in Chennai, India later this year.

Sony Ericsson was formed in October 2001 in an effort to challenge industry leaders Nokia and Motorola. dpa lsm pr

Source: dpa - International News Service in English

2007-07-09T22:15:00.001+08:00

Mobile Payments to be Adopted by 204 Million Mobile Phone Users

Juniper Research predicts that P2P fund transfers and mobile payments in the developing world, together with the commercialization in 2009 of NFC (Near Field Communications) based mPayments will generate transactions worth approximately $22bn.

There is much to be positive about with mPayments; the ecosystem is evolving into one where cooperation between the major stakeholders is creating an atmosphere that is incubating intelligent ways in which we can use the mobile phone for payment.

There is still much to do, resolving the business model and the revenue share issues are a priority; but much of the technology is available and there is a genuine willingness from the major stakeholders to resolve their differences and cooperate.

Greater availability of NFC devices, for physical mobile payments, coupled with secure and easy-to-use applications, backed by the large credit card organisations and financial institutions, will create the foundation for a healthy alternative to cash and other mainstream payment applications.

Report author Alan Goode said: "The technology is available now to enable secure and fast payments to be initiated on the mobile phone. The business model stills needs some work but there are positive signals emanating from the industry that will create considerable revenue for all parts of the ecosystem. I am cautiously optimistic for the future success of mPayments."

Source - Cellular News

3G Femtocells

2007-07-09T21:05:00.000+08:00

Nokia Siemens Joins with Thomson to Develop 3G Femtocells

Thomson and Nokia Siemens Networks have announced a collaboration in developing a 3G femto cell home access solution. Trials of the 3G Femto Home Access solution including Thomson's residential gateway will start at the beginning of 2008, and commercial deployments are planned for the third quarter of 2008. While the femto market is still in its early stages of development and consequently difficult to forecast, market research firms ABI Research and Ovum respectively estimate this market could reach ten to twelve million units by 2010.

"Our collaboration with Nokia Siemens Networks brings together two of the strongest players in their respective fields to enable operators realise the full potential of fixed-mobile convergence," said Bruno Fabre, Vice President of Thomson's Premises Systems Business Unit. "Committed to providing our clients with the latest innovations, we are very excited by the possibilities that femto cell technology offers us to further enhance our solutions portfolio for operators who wish to deploy new services," he continues.

"We are driving a network solution with standard and open interfaces which will boost the femto cell ecosystem. Thomson is expanding the scope of its role as a leading supplier of CPE to operators in incorporating femto technology in its residential gateway portfolio," says Timo Hypp? heading Indoor Solutions Product Line in Nokia Siemens Networks. "The novel approach enabled by our Femto Home Access Solution combined with Thomson's market-leading DSL technology will greatly benefit operators who seek to launch new and innovative services and will open up new markets for both companies."

Source - Cellular news

Iphone Battery- Secondary Market Apple wants to Keep

2007-07-07T19:47:00.000+08:00

A consumer advocacy group has expressed outrage over Apple's battery replacement program for the iPhone, while developers and hackers are trying to figure out ways they could expand the capabilities of the hot new gadget.

The hybrid cell phone, iPod media player and wireless Web-browsing device launched to much fanfare on June 29. On the same day, the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights fired off a letter to Apple and AT&T, the cell phone's exclusive carrier, complaining that customers were being left in the dark about the procedure and cost of replacing the gadget's battery.

The iPhone's battery is apparently soldered on inside the device and cannot be swapped out by the owner like most other cell phones.

Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Hakes said Thursday the company posted the battery replacement details on its Web site last Friday after the product went on sale.

Users would have to submit their iPhone to Apple for battery service. The service will cost users $79, plus $6.95 for shipping, and will take three business days.

The procedure is similar to the one it has for the company's best-selling iPod players, but because some users will not want to live without their cell phones, Apple is also offering a loaner iPhone for $29 while the gadget is under repair.

Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the Santa Monica, Calif.-based consumer watchdog group that wrote the letter last week, contends the iPhone's battery and repair costs should have been clearly disclosed earlier. The company outlined its cellular service rates and many other features of the iPhone in advance of its launch, which drew snaking lines around stores across the country.

"Some of them might be waking up now," Rosenfield said, "wondering who they got in bed with."

Apple did not have an immediate comment on the consumer group's concerns.

Rosenfield said he didn't detect the battery information, which is located under several layers of links on Apple's support page on its Web site, until earlier this week. Technology blogs also started reporting their discoveries of it this week while one of the questions Wall Street Journal tech columnist Walt Mossberg fielded Thursday from his readers was about what happens when the iPhone battery dies.

"The cell phone industry is notorious for not being consumer-friendly while Apple has a fairly good reputation, so for Apple to stand on a technicality of a hidden disclosure that's going to cost the user as much as 20% of the purchase price I think will prove to be a colossal mistake," Rosenfield said.

The iPhone costs $499 or $599, depending on the model, and requires a minimum two-year $60-a-month service plan with AT&T.

The consumer and taxpayer organization has gone to court over these kinds of issues in the past. It is embroiled in a pending lawsuit against Cingular, now part of AT&T, over its service termination fees, and is also one of the plaintiffs in a pending lawsuit against Apple over an early model iPod Nano that was allegedly defective because it scratched easily.

In addition, Rosenfield said, replacing the iPhone battery should be free to begin with while the product is under its one-year warranty.

He also questioned why Apple chose to go against the norm of what cell phone users are accustomed to - swapping out their own batteries and generally at a cost that is less than half of what Apple is charging now for the iPhone.

"I'm just surprised at Apple's decision to defy the common practice of allowing people to purchase replacement batteries," he said. "And the fact that the information is buried is just not appropriate."

Apple has not disclosed how many iPhones were available at launch, though analysts have speculated the amount was 500,000 or more. AT&T said the gadget had sold out at most of its stores on the night of the launch while many Apple stores ran out of stock by early this week. Those ordering the iPhone online through Apple's Web site on Thursday were being promised delivery would be in two to four weeks.

Meanwhile, software developers anxious to find ways they could introduce applications tailored for the iPhone's Web browser were preparing to get together in Silicon Valley this weekend at an ad hoc conference called iPhoneDevCamp.

Also, a tech-savvy audience cheered the latest work this week of a hacker known for cracking copy-protection technology and creating workarounds of Apple products. Jon Lech Johansen, also known as "DVD Jon," posted on his blog Tuesday a method for people to turn on the iPod and Wi-Fi features - but not the cell phone functions - of the iPhone without going through the required activation process and service fees of AT&T.

Johansen did not respond Thursday to emails seeking comment

Souce - Cellular News

Google Phone

2007-07-04T22:10:00.000+08:00

LG Electronics, the world's fifth-largest cell phone maker, unveiled a new model Wednesday, which offers the full services of Google, the global No. 1 search engine.

LG said the handset, dubbed LG-KU580, will hit European markets including Italy and France this week with a price tag of somewhere between $300 and $400.

Google's strong search services are just one click away with our phone as we put a hot key that directs users to Google services in a fraction of a second,'' LG official Choi Je-wook said.

In addition, the phone provides other Google services such as e-mail (G-Mail) and map-viewing (Google Map). We hope this will be a grand slam,'' Choi said.

Google's applications have been embedded into cell phones before but this is the first time its big three features _ search, e-mail and mapping _ have all been incorporated into one.

The three services, originally designed for desktops and laptops, were transformed to be compatible with a cell phone with a 2-inch screen.

We know Google services are not good for all cell phones due to screens being too small in comparison to a PC monitor, and mobile data transmission is too expensive,'' Choi said.

``However, Google provides a mobile-specific service lineup. As a result, handset users will be able to enjoy a decent service,'' he said.

On top of the Google applications, the LG handset enables people to place or receive a phone call while seeing the face of the user on the other end because it is based on the third-generation W-CDMA system.

Short for wideband code division multiple access, W-CDMA is the next-generation mobile telephony platform that is catching on across the world.

The phone boasts other peripheral devices such as a 2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player and Bluetooth technology.

Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between a cell phone and a headset through short-range radio frequencies.

It allows different devices to talk to each other and is based on low-cost transceiver microchips in a cell phone for communication with a headset.

Accordingly, users of Bluetooth handsets can talk on a cell phone or listen to music via a phone-incorporated MP3 player through a wireless headset.

International Migration

2007-07-03T06:52:00.000+08:00

International migration, the movement of people across international boundaries, has enormous implications for growth and welfare in both origin and destination countries.

Nearly 200 million people live outside their country of birth. Future pressure for international migration will be great, driven by differences in demographics and real incomes between countries. The major issues are how to adapt to large-scale international migration and improve its development impact.

2006 was the “Year of Migration and Development,” culminating in a September High Level Dialogue at the UN General assembly meeting in New York.

Because of political sensitivities and lack of reliable statistics, migration has been under-researched by economists. The Bank, through its own work on economic migration and in partnership with other institutions, is now creating knowledge in this overlooked area to guide policy choices.

Research suggests the economic gains for developed and developing countries are significant even for relatively small increases in the workforce through migration of workers into OECD countries, and that relative gains are much higher for developing-country households than rich-country households.

Massive migration of highly-skilled citizens—the so-called “brain drain”—poses troubling dilemmas for many smaller low-income countries.In Haiti and Jamaica for example, 8 out of 10 graduates live abroad.

*
Recorded remittance flows to developing countries in 2006 are estimated at $204 billion.The true size including unrecorded flows through formal and informal channels is believed to be significantly larger.

*
Remittance flows are now twice as large as total development aid and represent the largest source of foreign exchange for some countries.

*
Because remittances are private transaction they should not be thought of as a substitute for foreign direct investments, debt, or aid flows. Governments should treat remittances like any other source of private income.

*
Reducing the cost of remittance transfers would benefit families and countries. In addition to raising consumption levels in the migrants' families, the steady stream of foreign exchange that remittances deliver can improve a country's creditworthiness for external borrowing.

* Bank efforts to improve data in this area include the recent publication of the most comprehensive database on skilled migration to date, based on census and survey data from OECD countries.

Overview

Migration has attracted increased interest among policymakers, both due to the recent growth in remittance flows as well as to migration-related concerns in both developed and developing countries.

Insights that have emerged on migration and remittances include:

*
Income differentials, as well as political and demographic forces, determine economic migration patterns. Where permitted, migration is a major equilibrating mechanism.
*
International migration boosts world incomes. By allowing workers to move to where they are more productive, migration results in an increase in aggregate output and income.
*
Remittance rates tend to vary with the transaction cost of remitting as well as with the extent of need, that is, the income gap between family members in the host and home countries.
*
Remittances generally reduce the level and severity of poverty and alter the distribution of income.
*
Remittances frequently lead to higher human capital accumulation, educational expenditure, investment, and entrepreneurship.
* Migration affects household health decisions over and above the effect through remittances.
*
The brain drain exhibits significant regional differences and dynamics, with more serious implications for smaller low-income countries.

World Bank Initiatives on Migration and Remittances

The Bank’s migration effort considers the determinants of migration; the impact of migration and remittances on development; brain drain; temporary movements of people; the link between trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), and migration; social protection issues; and governance.

A Bank research program on migration includes extensive data-gathering and analysis on the development impact of migration, so as to identify migration policies, regulations and institutional reforms by developed and developing countries that will lead to improved development outcomes. This is complemented by an active work program on international remittances that covers improving remittances data, reducing costs and strengthening financial infrastructure, understanding the development impact of remittances, and enhancing the integrity of money transfer systems.

The World Bank has been actively engaged in the attempt to gain global policy coherence on the treatment of migration via greater partnerships and coordination. It co-chaired (with the Bank for International Settlements) a taskforce for international coordination of remittance payment systems. Along with several other international organizations, the Bank is a member of the Global Migration Group. It has also provided technical inputs to the G-20’s Study Group on Labor Mobility and Demographics. It is working closely with the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the first meeting of which will be held in Brussels in July 2007.

Economic and sector work on migration and remittances has been undertaken in several regions, including a study on Europe and Central Asia, prospective diagnostic studies on good practices and the capacities of governments to manage migration, and country assistance strategies in Nepal and Tajikistan, among others, which consider remittances.

International Migration, Economic Development & Policy (forthcoming June 2007) presents a global database on bilateral migration; four studies of the effects of migration and remittances on El Salvador, Pakistan, twelve Latin American countries, and on Morocco, Egypt and Turkey; an examination of examining host country migration policies in Switzerland and New Zealand and their impact on migrants; and studies on return and circular migration.

Middle East and North Africa Migration: Stakes, Outcomes and Prospects is a forthcoming regional study. Its main objective is to contribute to the on-going policy dialogue on the management of labor migration in Europe and MENA countries. It addresses the extent and nature of current migratory flows between Europe and MENA; the characteristics of Europe's demand for foreign labor and MENA's supply of labor migrants; and the impact of policies on current labor migrants' outcomes. Looking forward, the report analyzes the impact of demographic developments on labor migration and the degree to which current migration policies facilitate the matching process between demand and supply.

Migration and Remittances in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, 2006, identifies patterns of migration over the past 15 years in the region. A key focus is on finding a way to match supply and demand in international labor. The authors explore such issues as circular migration, the brain drain, and the relation between demographics and migration.

Global Economic Prospects 2006: Economic implications of Remittances and Migration (November 2005), focuses on the flow of international migrant remittances and improving their development impact. The report presents evidence that an increase in migrants that would raise the work force in high-income countries by three percent by 2025 could increase global real income by 0.6 percent, or $356 billion. To achieve these gains (higher for developing-country households), the report proposes that developing countries seek agreements with countries to which their nationals migrate, to improve the conditions under which they cross borders, seek and maintain employment, and send a part of their earnings home. It recommends increasing access by poor migrants and their families to formal financial services for sending and receiving remittances.

A research study entitled International Migration, Remittances and the Brain Drain was published in October 2005. Three country cases on Mexico, Guatemala and the Philippines presented in this volume show that remittances reduce poverty and increase spending on education, health and investment. Further studies are under way to see if these effects apply in other countries. A more complex picture emerges when the study’s focus shifts to the “brain drain” of educated migrants from developing countries. Smaller low-income countries (such as Haiti and Jamaica, where eight out of ten graduates live abroad) tend to suffer greater brain drain than larger countries like India and China

The Development Impact of Remittances in Latin America , published 2006. Remittances to this region represent 70 percent of foreign direct investment, and are five times larger than official development assistance. This report reviews recent trends in remittances flows to the region, explores the profile of recipients, and analyzes the impact of these flows on poverty, inequality, economic growth, household behavior, financial development and competitiveness. The report discusses the various challenges faced by policy makers in their attempts to maximize the development impact of remittances.

Source - World Bank

Apple says iPhone battery better than originally expected

2007-06-20T01:17:00.000+08:00

The company said Monday the battery also supports 7 hours of video playback, 6 hours of Internet use, 24 hours of music playback, and it will feature up to 10 days of standby time before requiring a recharge.

In January, Apple said it would support up to 5 hours of ''talk/video/browsing'' and up to 16 hours of audio playback. Competitors' phones -- such as Palm Inc.'s Treo and Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry Curve -- tout about 4 hours of talk time.

In another change, the iPhone's touch-sensitive screen will be made out of optical-quality glass, instead of plastic. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the change will create ''superior scratch resistance and clarity.''

The combo cell phone, media player and wireless Web device will only be sold at stores owned by Apple Inc. and AT&T Inc., which has an exclusive deal to offer service for the device when it goes on sale in the U.S. on June 29. It will also be available at Apple's Web site.

The iPhone will be available in two configurations, $500 (euro373) for a 4 gigabyte model and $600 (euro448) for one with 8 gigabytes of storage.

Omnifone brings MusicStation, a rival to Apple's iPhone, to Europe

2007-06-15T18:11:00.000+08:00

British mobile music company Omnifone unveiled its cell phone-based music subscription service MusicStation on Thursday, going live in Sweden with other European markets set to follow in the coming weeks.

The move is part of the British company's plan to take a major piece of the market before Apple Inc. brings its sought-after iPhone to market in Europe and elsewhere.

''They will be in stores on a wide variety of handsets -- Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung -- giving European consumers the ability to access their music from anywhere,'' Omnifone Chief Executive Rob Lewis told The Associated Press. ''We've got to market first and ahead of the iPhone by many, many months.''

Scandinavian provider Telenor launched the service with a weekly subscription price of 25 kronor (euro2.67; US$3.55). Cell phones pre-loaded with the software are being released in stores there Thursday.

''Telenor has always focused on delivering cutting edge services to its subscribers and with MusicStation we can deliver a truly next-generation music experience, giving our consumers the freedom to download an unlimited amount of music, wherever they are, for a small weekly fee,'' said Johan Lindgren, Telenor's chief executive.

The service works by letting users search, download and play music on their cell phones and sync it with their personal computer to create playlists that can be shared with other MusicStation users.

The iPhone is not due to be released in the U.S. until June and a European launch is scheduled for the autumn. So far Cingular, the new AT&T, is the only major operator with a deal to distribute the phone, which marries the form and function of an iPod with touch-screen and cell phone capabilities.

MusicStation is an ''all you can eat'' platform that will let subscribers download new songs from several major music labels at a weekly cost of euro2.99 (US$3.97), including the cost of sending the music to the handset.

The first rollout of the service is in Sweden, followed Britain, France, Germany and several other countries in Europe ''which will be launching or rolling out in the coming weeks,'' Lewis said, adding that a similar launch in Asia will come in about 60 days.

Omnifone has partnerships with providers to bring MusicStation to Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.

''We're taking an old-style approach and announcing the rollout the day it's available to the consumer in the store,'' he said. ''Every time it goes live, it will be available in store.''

Lewis said MusicStation had also signed international licensing deals with Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, EMI Music and Warner Music International, to provide their international and local digital music catalogs to MusicStation users.

''Its hard to imagine a more compelling music experience on mobile than MusicStation. It works on almost any phone, giving consumers the freedom to choose whatever device they want,'' said Rob Wells, senior vice president, digital, at Universal Music Group. ''It allows downloads wherever those consumers are, providing the freedom to access music whenever they want. And it gives users unlimited access to our and other labels catalogues, all for a fixed weekly fee that includes data.''

Unlike the iPhone, Lewis said the service downloads music over the air across a data network, meaning users can have instant access to new music despite their location. He said the service was designed for 2.5- and third-generation networks, which are prevalent across Europe and Asia and expanding in North America.

The tracks will include digital rights management to limit unauthorized copying and be delivered in enhanced advanced audio coding format, or eAAC+.

Songs downloaded through MusicStation, along with users' playlists, are stored centrally, meaning that if a mobile phone is lost or stolen, the content is not and can be downloaded to a new phone, Lewis said.

He said the company anticipates a high demand for the service, and said the company is targeting 100 million subscribers by June 2008.

Customized Cell-Phone Service

2007-06-15T18:03:00.000+08:00

Verizon, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, and the other big players in the U.S. mobile-phone business may not quake with fear when they hear names like ODK Mobile, Farthing Wireless, and Long Island Ducks Mobile. But these tiny do-it-yourself cellular networks are part of a trend that could remake the market for mobile-phone service--perhaps fracturing it into thousands or millions of pieces in the same way that the profusion of small Internet service providers decimated big companies like Compuserve, Prodigy, and AOL.

One company counting on this trend is Sonopia, based in Menlo Park, CA. CEO Juha Christensen, the originator of the Symbian mobile operating system, says he and his fellow wireless engineers had spent decades building extremely sophisticated devices--essentially, small multimedia computers--only to see carriers limit the number of software applications available to their customers. (Most new cell phones, for example, include location-finding technology such as a Global Positioning System receiver to meet requirements for emergency 911 dialing, but until recently, only one U.S. wireless operator--Nextel--allowed customers to load third-party software that taps into this technology for uses such as navigation.)

The dearth of creative applications, in turn, discouraged customers from using the devices as anything but phones. "We asked ourselves, what will make people take real advantage of the technology?" says Christensen. "That's when we looked at the service side of the industry and realized that people just aren't excited about the one-size-fits-all situation with the major carriers."

In April, Sonopia launched a service that makes it easy for any individual, family, or group to bypass the big carriers entirely and become their own mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). More than 2,400 individuals and organizations have signed up as MVNOs.

Sonopia's customers include TBF Wireless, which operates a cellular network for members of the Bass Federation, a nonprofit grassroots group promoting sport fishing and conservation. By operating a branded cell-phone network through Sonopia, groups and families can not only provide their members with an important service, but they can also keep a share of the revenues from users' monthly mobile-phone bills. "You know that you're going to pay somebody a cell-phone bill every month," says Robert Cartlidge, president and CEO of the federation. "This way, at least you feel good knowing it's going to support what you enjoy doing."

The "virtual" part of the network means the operator doesn't have to own cell towers, switching stations, or even a license to use certain wireless frequencies. All those infrastructure details are outsourced to a real network operator, while the MVNO takes responsibility for functions such as branding, marketing, hardware selection, billing, and customer service.

These virtual networks have been luring subscribers away from traditional wireless carriers for almost a decade; one of the best known, United Kingdom-based Virgin Mobile, signed up its first million members in just 19 months after its 1999 launch. But while it's far easier to start an MVNO than to build the next Nextel, the barriers to entering the MVNO market have been high. To date, the companies offering the virtual networks have still had to supply much of their own expertise in the area of cellular network operations. They've had to spend millions setting up billing procedures, signing up customers, ensuring responsive customer care, and the like. And once an MVNO is set up, companies have had to deal with uncertainty over demand.

Nokia to Supply 2.5bln worth of handsets to China

2007-05-12T12:24:00.000+08:00

Nokia has signed an agreement to sell some US$2.5 billion worth of handsets to the Chinese retail chain, China Postel. In addition, both parties have agreed to deepen strategic ties, especially with regard to network channel development, as the two companies make significant bilateral resource investments.

"I believe that our partnership will continue to bring new energy to the Chinese mobile phone market," said Mr. David Tang, Vice President of Nokia, expressing his confidence in the agreement.

Mr. Tan Xinhui, President of China Postel, said, "Over the past few years, we have been pursuing new ways of working with operators, mobile phone manufacturers, and consumers in order to enhance our competitiveness. We hope to have a fundamental role in the development of the Chinese mobile phone market."

As a subsidiary company of China P&T Appliances, China Postel is China's largest retailer of mobile phones, with a market share of over 30% in 2006. Since the collaboration between Nokia and China Postel began in 1998, China Postel has distributed over 37 million Nokia mobile phones across China.

S.E.C. Moves Against Spam That Pushes Hot Stocks

2007-03-10T17:32:00.000+08:00

Article Tools Sponsored By
By BRAD STONE
Published: March 9, 2007

The Securities and Exchange Commission has taken a step toward combating stock spam, the unsolicited bulk e-mail message that promotes cheap stocks for quick profits, which usually prove illusory.

Starting an enforcement effort it is calling Operation Spamalot, the S.E.C. suspended trading in 35 stocks that had been promoted in recent spam campaigns. The suspensions will last for 10 days. The S.E.C. said that further investigation could lead to arrests.

Spam over all has swelled during the last six months, and now accounts for more than 90 percent of all e-mail messages, according to the Internet security firm Secure Computing. Stock spam has been a significant contributor to that growth and now accounts for 30 percent of all spam, the company said.

The e-mail messages seek to persuade recipients to buy shares in a company, generally one that has few shares available to the public. The spammers buy shares before they send out their e-mail messages, then sell when the price rises. The victims who buy the stock typically see the value of their shares fall drastically.

The S.E.C. said 100 million of these e-mail messages were being sent each week, and that stock spam was responsible for hundreds of millions in investor losses.

“When spam clogs our mailboxes, it’s annoying. When it rips off investors, it’s illegal and destructive,” the commission chairman, Christopher Cox, said in a statement. “Today’s trading suspensions, and actions that will follow, should send a clear message to spammers: the S.E.C. will hold you accountable.”

The suspensions, which originated from the S.E.C.’s New York office, are the first indication that some of the companies named in stock spam may be complicit in the scheme. In its release announcing the suspension, the S.E.C. questioned the “adequacy and accuracy of information” that the companies make public.

A closer look at many of the companies on the S.E.C. list does raise questions. For example, according to regulatory filings, one company on the list, Red Truck Entertainment, a music and film company based in Scottsdale, Ariz., was previously named Montana Oil and Gas and had offices in Vancouver, British Columbia. Before that, the company’s name was Sierra Kitchen Galleries.

Jim LeCrone, president of Red Truck, said that he had merged his business with an energy company but now releases country music and makes films. Mr. LeCrone said that he had no knowledge that his company was being used in spam campaigns until he received a call from the S.E.C. yesterday, notifying him of the suspension.

“It’s a black cloud, there’s no question about it,” Mr. LeCrone said. “Why are they punishing innocent people? They should go after the spammers.”

The S.E.C. would not comment on whether any executives at the 35 companies were under investigation. Many of the companies listed have, or had, offices in western Canada. In its public statement, the S.E.C. said it appreciated the assistance of two Canadian regulatory agencies and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Secure Computing, which maintains its own list of the companies most commonly promoted in stock spam, said that the S.E.C. had gone after the right targets.

“I think the S.E.C. did a good job selecting worst offenders,” said Paul Henry, the company’s vice president for technology. “I don’t want to point fingers, but you have to assume there is someone on the inside that is making money at this stuff.”

Hi Can you hear Me

2007-02-20T19:33:00.000+08:00

US FCC has mandated to ensure that hearing aid users are provided with compatible mobile phones, the USA's telecoms regulator, the digital wireless phones which are manufactured or imported for use in the United States meet the requirements of the current ANSI C63.19:2006 standard.

The next upcoming deadline set by the FCC concerns the number of Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) handsets that manufacturers and network operators must make available to the public in the US. Accordingly, digital wireless service providers as well as manufacturers have to ensure that at least 50% of all handsets marketed meet the ANSI U3 or M3 (RF Emissions) hearing aid-compatibility requirements for each air interface offered.

The deadline to comply with these requirements is February 18, 2008.

Current FCC HAC requirements for tier 1 service providers state that they must offer four handsets or 25% of the total number of digital wireless handset models offered nationwide which have been tested for RF Emissions with a performance rating of at least ANSI U3 or M3. Additionally they must also provide five handsets or 25% of the total number of digital wireless handset models offered nationwide which have been tested for both RF Emissions and Telecoil Magnetic Coupling with a performance rating of at least ANSI U3T or M3T. Manufacturers of digital wireless devices must provide the same as tier 1 providers; however the required offering is a minimum of two mobiles.

"Although HAC is currently a requirement for wireless digital devices manufactured or imported into the US, we expect Europe and other regions to follow suit as the benefit to individuals with hearing impairment becomes apparent", says Jean-Louis Evans, Managing Director of TUV Product Service. To support manufacturers, network operators and regulators in fulfilling the requirements set out by the FCC, TUV Product Services provides HAC test services covering Radio Frequency (RF) emissions testing as well as telecoil / magnetic coupling testing using the Index SAR HACSAR Test System.

More hearing aid users will need to gain access to HAC devices. About one in ten of the world population has some degree of hearing loss. This number is also on the increase as a result of the noise levels to which people are exposed and the demographic aging.

Cell Phone growth to slow down

2007-02-13T11:07:00.000+08:00

ell-phone carriers and handset makers could be in for a bumpy ride.

After rising by an average of 25% in the last three years, global mobile-phone subscriber growth is set for a significant slowdown, says industry research firm iSuppli.

Cell-phone subscriber growth worldwide could decelerate to 12.8% this year -- nearly half what the industry posted in each of the last three years.

What's more, subscriber growth could further drop to 9.6% in 2008, to 7% in 2009 and to 5.7% in 2010, forecasts iSuppli.

North America, Japan and South Korea are reaching near saturation of mobile-phone subscribers, the firm says. In 2006, North America achieved a 93.2% penetration of the population, with South Korea at 83.2% and Japan at 74.2%

That means carriers have to figure out new ways to maintain revenue growth with fewer new mobile-phone subscribers.

"The slowdown in new subscriber growth and the deceleration in mobile-phone sales translates directly into deteriorating market conditions for wireless carriers," says Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for iSuppli.

With fewer new subscribers, carriers need a mix of strategies, including squeezing more revenue out of their existing customers in developed regions, and going aggressively after customers in emerging markets, suggests iSuppli.

One way to increase the average revenue per user in the bigger markets could be to offer value-added services such as Internet access, mobile television and music playback capability, all of which command a higher average revenue per user than just basic voice communication

Brightstar Secures Global Motorola Handset Deal

2007-01-30T21:28:00.000+08:00

As Carl Ihan, who owns 1.4% of Motorola shares is seeking a nomination to the Board of Motorola , things are again looking better for MOT.

Motorola has announced a global distribution agreement with the handset distributor, Brightstar. The agreement establishes a framework for the companies' expanding relationship around the world and outlines the process for Brightstar to sell, distribute and support Motorola mobile devices in key markets.

"Motorola is working aggressively to build our brand strength, as well as our distribution reach, in markets throughout the world," said Ron Garriques, executive vice president of Motorola and president of the Motorola Mobile Devices business. "Brightstar's expertise is proven, and they bring rapidly expanding capabilities that can help us seize and capitalize on market opportunities."

Motorola and Brightstar have a long-standing relationship, which began in June of 2001 when Motorola named Brightstar as its authorized master services distributor for Latin America. This agreement was further strengthened when the companies signed a multi-year agreement to support the Motorola brand in the United States in 2001. In 2005, Brightstar began the sales and distribution of Motorola devices into Australia through its strategic sourcing agreement with Telstra. Also in 2005, Brightstar began to sell Motorola devices in other regions of the world.

As part of its strategic growth plan, Brightstar has expanded its infrastructure in many markets to support network operators with comprehensive supply-chain solutions and distribution services, including the sale and support of Motorola mobile devices. In the past 12 months, Brightstar has opened facilities and established a number of distribution hubs in Hong Kong, the Middle East & Africa and Southeast Asia

275 million LatAm mobile phone users at end-2006

2007-01-28T02:28:00.000+08:00

There were 275 million registered mobile phone users in Latin America at end-2006 compared to 130 million a year ago, Brazilian trade press reported, citing a study called the Brazilian Atlas of Telecommunications.

The number of mobile phone customers far outstrips the 95 million fixed lines reported at end-2006, the report said.

The research also identified 65 mobile telecoms operators in Latin America, with the largest being Mexico's América Móvil, Spain's Telefónica mobile arm Movistar and Telecom Italia.

Brazil had the largest number of mobile phones in use at almost 100 million for a population of 182 million at the end of 2006. The leader in terms of penetration was Chile with 72% or 11.4 million mobile phone users.

The Brazilian Atlas of Telecommunications 2007 is published by local company Converge, which compiles data from Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel, the ministry of communications and private operators.

Ponzi scheme

2007-01-28T02:07:00.000+08:00

This article is from Wikipedia and felt compelling to reprduce here,in the times, where your e- mail is filled up with various stock schemes, offers and telemarketing calls.

The scheme named after the notorious Pioneer Charles Ponzi is still effective for those lazy ones to make a quick buck . Pls read and stay away from such offers..

Overview

A Ponzi scheme usually offers abnormally high short-term returns in order to entice new investors. The high returns that a Ponzi scheme advertises (and pays) require an ever-increasing flow of money from investors in order to keep the scheme going.

The system is doomed to collapse because there are little or no underlying earnings from the money received by the promoter. However, the scheme is often interrupted by legal authorities before it collapses, because a Ponzi scheme is suspected and/or because the promoter is selling unregistered securities. (As more and more investors become involved, the likelihood of the scheme coming to the attention of authorities will continue to increase.)

The scheme is named after Charles Ponzi, who became notorious for using the technique after emigrating from Italy to the United States in 1903. Ponzi was not the first to invent such a scheme, but his operation took in such a large amount of money that it was the first to become known throughout the United States. Today's schemes are often considerably more sophisticated than Ponzi's, although the underlying formula is quite similar and the principle behind every Ponzi scheme is to exploit lapses in judgment arising out of greed.

Hypothetical example

An advertisement is placed promising extraordinary returns on an investment – for example 20% for a 30 day contract. The precise mechanism for this incredible return can be attributed to anything that sounds good but is not specific: "global currency arbitrage", "hedge futures trading", "high yield investment programs", or similar.

A mugshot of Charles Ponzi

With no proven track record for the investors, only a few investors are tempted, usually for smaller sums (say $5,000). Sure enough, 30 days later, the investor receives $6,000 – the original capital plus the 20% return ($1,000). At this point, greed starts to overcome reason: the investor will put in more money, and, as word begins to spread, other investors grab the "opportunity" to participate. More and more people invest, and see their investments return the promised large returns.

The reality of the scheme is that the "return" to the initial investors is being paid out of the new, incoming investment money, not out of profits. There is no "global currency arbitrage", "hedge futures trading", or "high yield investment programs" actually taking place. Instead, when Investor D puts in money, that money becomes available to pay out "profits" to investors A, B, and C. When investors X, Y, and Z put in money, that money is available to pay "profits" to investors A through W.

One reason that the scheme works so well is that early investors – those who actually got paid the large returns – quite commonly reinvest (keep) their money in the scheme (it does, after all, pay out much better than any alternative investment). Thus those running the scheme don't actually have to pay out very much (net) – they simply have to send statements to investors that show how much the investors have earned by keeping the money in what looks like a great place to get a high return.

The catch is that at some point one of three things will happen: (a) the promoters will vanish, taking all the investment money (less payouts) with them; (b) the scheme will collapse of its own weight, as investment slows and the promoters start having problems paying out the promised returns (and when they start having problems, the word spreads, and more people start asking for their money); or (c) the scheme is exposed, because when legal authorities begin examining accounting records of the so-called enterprise, they find that much of the "assets" that should exist, do not.

What is and is not a Ponzi scheme

A pyramid scheme is a form of fraud similar in some ways to a Ponzi scheme, relying as it does on a disbelief in financial reality, including the hope of an extremely high rate of return. However, several characteristics distinguish pyramid schemes from Ponzi schemes:
In a Ponzi scheme, the schemer acts as a “hub” for the victims, interacting with all of them directly. In a pyramid scheme, those who recruit additional participants benefit directly (in fact, failure to recruit typically means no investment return).

A Ponzi scheme relies on some esoteric investment approach, insider connections, etc., and often attracts well-to-do investors; pyramid schemes explicitly claim that new money will be the source of payout for the initial investments.

A pyramid scheme is bound to collapse a lot faster, simply because of the demand for exponential increases in participants to sustain it (Ponzi schemes can survive simply by getting most participants to "reinvest" their money, with a relatively small number of new participants).

Worldcom and other financial frauds. Worldcom did not pay out high returns (that is, high dividends). Worldcom was a publicly traded company which used expectations from the internet/dotcom boom and various fraudulent accounting schemes to inflate publicly reported profits to keep its stock high. Investors were free to sell at any time; when they did, the company wasn't the one paying the investor -- it was the person buying the stock who paid, and took the risk at that point.

A bubble. A bubble relies on suspension of disbelief and an expectation of large profits, but it is not the same as a Ponzi scheme. A bubble involves ever-rising (and unsustainable) prices in an open market (be that shares of a stock, housing prices, the price of tulip bulbs, or anything else). As long as buyers are willing to pay ever-increasing prices, sellers can get out with a profit. And there doesn't need to be a schemer behind a bubble. (In fact, a bubble can arise without any fraud at all - for example, housing prices in a local market that rise sharply but eventually drop sharply because of overbuilding.)

Robbing Peter to pay Paul. When debts are due and the money to pay them is lacking, whether because of bad luck or deliberate theft, debtors often make their payments by borrowing or stealing from other monies they have. It does not follow that this is a Ponzi scheme. From the basic facts set out, it is not, because there is no indication that the lenders were promised unrealistically high rates of return via claims of unusual financial investments. Nor (from these basic facts) is there any indication that the borrower (banker) is progressively increasing the amount of borrowing ("investing") to cover payments to initial investors (as, again, Ponzi was not the first to do.)

Notable Ponzi schemes

Highest dollar schemes

The eponymous scheme was orchestrated by Charles Ponzi, who went from anonymity to being a well-known Boston millionaire in six months using such a scheme in 1920. Profits were supposed to come from exchanging international postal reply coupons. He promised 50% interest (return) on investments in forty five days or “double your money” in ninety days. About 40,000 people invested about $15 million all together (roughly $150 million in 2006 dollars); in the end, only a third of that money was returned to them.

Besides the Ponzi scheme other similar historic schemes include:

Prior to Ponzi, in 1899 William "520 Percent" Miller opened for business as the "Franklin Syndicate" in Brooklyn, New York. Miller promised 10 percent a week interest, and exploited some of the main themes of Ponzi schemes such as customers reinvesting the interest they made. He defrauded buyers of $1 million and was sentenced to jail for ten years. When he was pardoned he opened a grocery store on Long Island. During the Ponzi investigation, Miller was interviewed by the Boston Post to compare his scheme to Ponzi's-- the interviewer found them remarkably similar, but Ponzi's became more famous for taking in seven times as much money.^[1]

Between 1970 and 1984 in Portugal, a woman known as Dona Branca maintained a scheme that paid ten percent monthly interest. In 1988 she was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She always claimed that she was only trying to help the poor, but in her trial it was proven that she had received 85 million EUR.^[2]^[3]

In the fall of 1994, the European Kings Club collapsed, causing a damage of about $1.1 billion. This scam was led by Damara Bertges and Hans Günther Spachtholz. In the Swiss cantons Uri and Glarus about every tenth adult invested into the EKC. The scam involved buying "letters" valued at 1400 francs which entitled to receive twelve monthly payments of 200 francs. The organisation was based in Gelnhausen, Germany.^[4]

In May 1995, Pennsylvania's attorney general moved to freeze the assets of the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy and its chairman, John G. Bennett, Jr. The organization had raised over $500 million from 1,100 donors. Participants, including the Red Cross, had believed they were participating in a matching-gifts program through New Era, but in fact it was simply a Ponzi scheme; losses amounted to $135 million.

In early 1996, the SEC filed a civil action against Bennett Funding Group, its chief financial officer, Patrick R. Bennett, and other companies Bennett controlled, in connection with a massive Ponzi scheme. The companies fraudulently raised hundreds of millions of dollars, purportedly to purchase assignments of equipment leases and promissory notes. [1]

In 1997 the government of Albania officially endorsed a series of pyramid investment funds. When the inevitable end came, the people of Albania, who had lost $1.2 billion, took their protest to the streets in a revolt that toppled the government.

In 2000, a Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Scientology minister Reed Slatkin came unravelled when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regulators became aware that Slatkin was not a licensed investment advisor. Slatkin had raised some $600 million from over 500 wealthy investors, mostly Hollywood celebrities.

In December 2005, in Los Angeles, California, Larry Toshio Osaki, who ran a gigantic Ponzi scheme and continued to offer bogus investments in accounts receivable “factoring” after being ordered to stop by a federal judge, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. In addition to the prison term, Judge Stephen V. Wilson ordered Osaki to pay more than $145 million in restitution to victims.

Other notable schemes

Other notable (but lesser dollar) Ponzi schemes include:

Sarah Howe, who in 1880 opened up a "Ladies Deposit" in Boston promising eight percent interest, although she had no method of making profits. This unique scheme was billed as "for women only". Howe disappeared with the money from her scam.^[1]

The novel Chance by Joseph Conrad depicted a Ponzi scheme in 1914 before Ponzi himself had hit the scene. Conrad's scammer "de Barral" offered ten percent interest on deposits in his operation "without system, plan, foresight, or judgement".

On March 22, 2000, four people were indicted in the Northern District of Ohio, on charges including conspiracy to commit and committing mail and wire fraud. A company with which the defendants were affiliated allegedly collected more than $26 million from "investors" without selling any product or service, and paid older investors with the proceeds of the money collected from the newer investors. [2]

In late 2003, a scheme by Bill Hickman, Sr., and his son, Bill Jr., was shut down. He had been selling unregistered securities that promised yields of up to 20 percent; more than $8 million was defrauded from dozens of residents of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, along with investors from as far away as California. [3] Hickman was sentenced to 160 years in state prison.

In December 2004, Mark Drucker pleaded guilty to a Ponzi scheme in which he told investors that he would use their funds to buy and sell securities through a brokerage account. He claimed that he was making significant profits on his day trades and that he had opportunities to invest in select IPOs that were likely to turn a substantial profit in a short period of time. He promised guaranteed returns of up to fifty (50%) percent in 90 days or less. In less than two years of trading, Drucker actually lost more than $850,000 in day trading and had no special access to IPOs. He paid out more than $3.6 million to investors while taking in $6.3 million. [4] [5]

In June 2005, in Los Angeles, California, John C. Jeffers was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in federal prison and ordered to pay $26 million in restitution to more than 80 victims. Jeffers and his confederate John Minderhout ran what they said was a high-yield investment program they called the “Short Term Financing Transaction.” The funds were collected from investors around the world from 1996 through 2000. Some investors were told that proceeds would be used to finance humanitarian projects around the globe, such as low-cost housing for the poor in developing nations. Jeffers sent letters to some victims that falsely claimed the program had been licensed by the Federal Reserve and the program had a relationship with the International Monetary Fund and the United States Treasury. Jeffers and Minderhout promised investors profits of up to 4,000 percent. Most of the money collected in the scheme went to Jeffers to pay commissions to salespeople, to make payments to investors to keep the scheme going, and to pay his own personal expenses. [6]

In February 2006, Edmundo Rubi pleaded guilty to bilking hundreds of middle and low-income investors out of more than $24 million between 1999 and 2001, when he fled the U.S. after becoming aware that he was under suspicion. The investors in the scheme, called “Knight Express”, were told that their funds would be used to purchase and resell Federal Reserve notes, and were promised a six percent monthly return. Most of those bilked were part of the Filipino community in San Diego. [7]

On May 10, 2006, Spanish police arrested 9 people associated with Forum Filatelico and Afinsa Bienes Tangibles in an apparent Ponzi scheme that affected 250,000 investors from 1998 to 2001. Investors were promised huge returns from investments in a stamp fund. [8]

12DailyPro was a version of what is commonly known as a "paid autosurf" program where "investors" deposited money and received an extremely high profit (44%) within a short period (12 days). Charis Johnson created what authorities considered one of the largest modern day versions of the Ponzi scheme. She accumulated a total of over US$1.9 million from the program. More than 300,000 people joined over the course of 8 months, spending over $500 million[9]. When a federal investigation of 12DailyPro took place, its main payment processor, Stormpay, froze all funds related to it. Stormpay has since refused to return any of these funds. On February 24, 2006, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered 12DailyPro and its parent company to cease and desist all operations. On February 28, a Los Angeles judge ordered all company assets and records to be turned over to an appointed receiver for investigation. Charis F. Johnson now faces criminal and civil suits from both local and federal agencies.

In the last few years dozens of Ponzi schemes have appeared all over the internet and have used attractive website interfaces to milk millions of dollars out of unwary investors. The Ponzi “Freeland Opps” appeared in early 2004 and grew to a membership of over 10,000 before disappearing by the year's end.

Nokia N800- Are you waiting for this.?

2007-01-21T23:56:00.000+08:00

The competition with the announcement of Apple's iPhone and the LG's touchscreen Prada Phone, Nokia needs to come out with this sooner..

As a result the first images and device stats hit the net from other sources while I sat helplessly cursing the guys at Comp USA that opened their packages early. But alas, I can take some solace in knowing that the review I’m about to post is the only one based upon real world daily, hard core this-is-my-main-portable-device use.

The prior model, the 770 Internet Tablet had put that to a good two month’s serious use prior to getting my hands on the N800. During that time I upgraded the Linux installation using Nokia’s “flasher” utility, added half a dozen applications including Maemo Mapper and traveled extensively both with the device and a laptop as well as without a laptop. I’ll discuss my feelings about that a bit later.

The initial impression I had upon seeing the N800 was a combination of excitement and disappointment. Clearly the device is far more polished and much sexier than the somewhat rough and blocky 770. It definitely fits in the N-Series line-up now whereas with the 770 that would have been a stretch.

N800 vs. N770 Differences More than Cosmetic
However, the 770 sported the very cool (and very practical) aluminum slide on cover which both turned the device off AND protected the large screen from all the stupid things that we accidentally do to our sexy toys. I immediately commented on what I felt was a serious reduction in the utility of the device and was told that the issue was manufacturing related. In essence Nokia couldn’t make the covers fast enough to keep up with the production of the new devices. I was promised that another protective screen cover would be forthcoming rapidly and as of yesterday it turns out this was in fact true. While not as robust as the aluminum hard case that swaddles the 770, it is certainly a more elegant solution in keeping with the more refined lines of the N800.

From an appearance perspective, the N800 is much nicer. It also sports much larger (and stereo) speakers on the front of the device and a cleaner and more symmetrical distribution of buttons on the face of the device as well along the top. The dual tone casing is also very nice, the integrated stand in the back can also double as a loop over grip to help you keep from dropping your N800. The new Stylus is vastly improved and in fact is one of the first styli that I have ever used that felt half way decent in my hand.

Overall, from a “hand feel” and appearance perspective the N800 beats the 770 hands down. The only exception I’ve noticed is that the buttons on the top of the N800 are a tad bit cramped and thus aren’t quite as easy to use as those on the 770 but this is a trivial issue as you don’t really use those buttons all that much anyway.

Both devices sport an identical (and beautiful) 800 by 480 color display. If you want oohs and ahh’s fire up the media player application and show off a little video for your friends and family. The pixel density on the display is amazing - in fact the quality of this display is nothing short of remarkable. I haven’t seen the iPhone up close yet but I would be straight up surprised if the quality of that display was even equal to that of either Internet tablet.

The N800 also supports the use of two different removable memory cards. Best of all you can use Micro SD, MMC, SD and Mini SD in either slot. The N800 materials state that the device supports cards of up to two gigabytes however users report that it will read and write to the four gig cards as well, meaning that it’s possible to add up to eight gigabytes of additional storage which - except for multimedia means that you have all the onboard storage you could want. It’s a simple matter to have extra SD cards with your additional media (say movies, for example). I suspect that in a next iteration the device would have substantially more memory and storage which would place in on par with even the standard Video iPod’s that have large hard disc drives.

The other major difference between the N800 and 770 is the speed of the processor. The N800 is dramatically faster and this difference is apparent in how it handles video, large files or email accounts with several hundred messages. The N800 will play video from YouTube and Google Video out of the box whereas the 770 requires an upgrade to its flash player to accomplish this task.
One of the principal issues that pundits site as a concern as it relates to the iPhone is battery life. With a closed body like an iPod, there will be no changing of batteries between charges with the iPhone. This leaves you with an expensive brick if you’re out and about (say doing international travel) and won’t be near a charger for 24 hours or so.

So Battery Life
The N800 (and the 770 for that matter) both have removable batteries and work with the same chargers as the rest of the N-Series line. Battery life is basically all day using the device on a sporadic basis; say to craft an email here and there, read a PDF, browse some websites, place a video call or two; basically what I would call typical use for the average executive. For hard core solid uninterrupted use with WiFi on and connected you’re looking at 5 to 6 hours of uptime before you need a plug, a spare battery or an external battery. In other words, all but the most intensive use will fall well within the battery capacity of the N800.

What’s it For? (some use cases)
One thing that I feel Nokia did poorly with respect to the 770 was the way in which it was marketed. The idea that this device is useful for browsing the Internet from my sofa strikes me as a little ridiculous. Most likely if I feel that way than other people do too. At home I have more computing power than some small countries, but when I’m out and about browsing the web-even just to check movie listings or pull up a map is a much better experience on the N800 than on even the best phone-based web browser.

The “instant-on” capability of the device makes it ideal for ad-hoc, spontaneous use whereas even resuming a lap-top from stand-by seems to take a lifetime by comparison. This difference is readily apparent when you board an aircraft, take your seat and have just a couple minutes while waiting for the plane to pull away from the gate in which you can do something productive. With a laptop you have just about enough time to boot up before you have to shut down. With the N800 you can be into your third or fourth email response before the flight attendant comes and asks you what sort of device you’re using. (they’re too curious about your “tiny computer” to tell you to turn it off).

In fact, every time that I’ve pulled the N800 out on an aircraft the person adjacent to me wants to know what I’m using. This is one of the things that has convinced me that with the right software suite on the device it is really the ideal stand-in for the laptop for short trips. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that the N800 can completely replace a laptop and even a trip of four or five days (for me at least) would be a stretch with just the N800 but since starting to use it I have found that while traveling I don’t pull my PC and during a number of conferences I have used the N800 for note-taking, liveblogging and keeping myself entertained during boring presentations.

…and the Software? Can you say “open source”?
The base software installation is a bit on the meager side but that’s easily remedied by paying a visit to Maemo.org the site that is the central enclave for developers and the repository for the software that is being developed for the platform at a near feverish pace.

This is definitely something to love about the whole platform. Based on the Linux 2.6 kernel, and with a platform called Maemo and a development environment that they’re aggressively promoting, the device is totally open and Nokia is absolutely committed to supporting this community both with internal resources that are developing software and with the various websites that offer support, discussion and a “garage” for projects in process.

The company has also made a major commitment to future hardware development and while I have no specific knowledge of the nature of the improvements planned for the future, I am aware that the third generation device is already under development. Of course the open nature of the device means that as the software improves what you’ll get out of the N800 will continue to increase and new functionality and new utility will be a consistent theme for people that choose to adopt this new platform which I would argue is the real UMPC.

So how would I improve the device?
Having used the device so much I do have some pretty strong feelings about what I would like to see next. First, it needs to be able to connect with other N800’s the same way it bonds to mobile phones. Users should be able to wirelessly swap content any time they’re in proximity. The beautiful screen needs to support a portrait mode in addition to the landscape and full-screen modes currently available. I don’t think it needs the “kitschy” accelerometer of the iPhone and in fact think that people may end up finding that feature annoying as they move around and their screen jumps from portrait to landscape unintentionally. A “multi-touch” screen would be nice but there’s nothing it does that you can’t do dragging a corner or striking one of the zooming keys on the N800.

Perhaps the biggest deficiencies relate to the complete lack of a decent personal information management system for the device. Their simply isn’t one available; yet. Synching should also be better supported. The one program that does allow you to synch the device leaves so much to be desired that it isn’t worth the space on the machine that it requires. This too needs to change or a productivity solution needs to be developed that includes this functionality as part of its attributes.

I’d also like to see some kind of office suite ported to the device. While I wouldn’t want to put together a big spreadsheet on the N800, doing an expense report would be a perfect use and one that I wish it had currently.

As far as gaming I’m sure that experienced gamers will have lots of opinions and most of them won’t be thrilled- this is NOT a PlayStation Portable. Multimedia is quite nice and someone could do well to begin to pre-format movies for the dimensions of the display as I think that the N800 will begin to get a decent following as people realize that for the same price as the sorely limited iPod video you can get a device that is for all intents and purposes a tiny computer that is capable of supporting all the but most demanding things that one would normally do in the course of a workday.

Final Thoughts
All in all I love this device. I love the convenience, I love the size, I love the instant on/off capability. I think it does many things well and the excitement that I feel when engaged with the development community that has gravitated to this platform has convinced me that the best is certainly yet to come and dramatic innovations in software are on the horizon. Couple that with the knowledge that Nokia is already looking towards the future of this hardware platform and I am convinced that we “ain’t seen nothing yet”. Believe me though, I’ll be first in line to test the N-whatever when Nokia takes the wraps off some time early next year. And hopefully, this time, Nokia won’t keep me gagged behind an NDA while someone that has a buddy at CompUSA gets the scoop on a device that hasn’t even been charged while I read that blog post from my hard used prototype…time, as always will tell.

RSS Feeds

2007-01-20T22:38:00.000+08:00

Steve Ballmer laughs at Steve Job"s iPhone

2007-01-20T22:28:00.000+08:00

The battle is getting uglier once again.. Mircrosoft which has Zune to launch soon is scoffing at Apple's Iphone and it's new man at the helm, Steve Balmer is complaining about it's user friendliness.

He further says it is “the most expensive phone in the world” — even after being fully subsidized (with the Cingular plan) — and that it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a keyboard.

How vulnerable the iPhone looks, now that the hype dies down — even without Ballmer chiming in.

No wonder, Apple's stock slides more than 5% and MSFT is climbing up steady. Will Steve Jobs can counter this 300 billion Giant..

iPHONE - Is the Pricing right

2007-01-15T00:22:00.000+08:00

Here is the serious discussion by Eric Savitz of Barron on the pricing and the take-up rate of the proposed iPhone by Apple and some of his points merits attention as Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung is battling out in India, the highest mobile phone growth in the world for the last 3 quarters and projetcted to add atleast 4 million subscribers per month for a few cents profit.

Some excertpts

Sacconaghi walks through some interesting numbers on the current phone market, which I have compiled into a Harper’s Index-style list:

Number of phones from the four major U.S. wireless carriers which are now priced above $400: none.
Percentage of phones in 2006 which sold for more than $300 at wholesale: 5%.
Estimated number of phones Cingular sold last year that cost more than $300 at retail: about 500,000.
Estimated number of such phones that sold globally last year: “perhaps 10 million units.”
Number of iPhones Apple thinks it can sell in fiscal 2008: 10 million.
Estimated number of Blackberry handhelds that Research in Motion sold over the last 12 months: about 5.5 million.
Likely reaction on the Street if Apple sold 5.5 million iPhones in fiscal 2008: huge disappointment.
Estimated monthly cost of operating an iPhone, given likely requirement of data plan in addition to a voice plan: $80.
Total estimated cost of operating an iPhone for the first two years: $2,500.
Percentage of global cellular users in the U.S.: about 10%.
Percentage of total handheld sales represented by the U.S.: about 15%.
Number of Cingular wireless customers:about 60 million.
Number of handsets Cingular sells a year: about 40 million.
Cost to buy the LG Chocolate music phone: about $100 through Verizon.
Cost for the Sony Ericsson w810i music phone: about $79 from Cingular.

Sacconaghi says there is also a risk that the decision to base the phone on EDGE technology, rather than faster 3G networks, could result in a disappointing user experience in terms of connectivity. He also thinks the touch screen could prove frustrating for heavy e-mail users.

BenQ fired 310 employees at Manaus plant

2007-01-09T08:49:00.000+08:00

German handset manufacturer BenQ Mobile fired 310 employees at its Manaus plant in northern Brazil in September and October last year, newspaper Valor Econômico reported Valdemir Santana, president of a local trade union, as saying.

The news is fueling speculation that BenQ might close the Manaus plant, particularly as the dismissals occurred just when BenQ Mobile applied for bankruptcy protection in Germany, where it is based. The Taiwanese parent company BenQ entered the mobile handset business in 2005 when it took over the handheld division of Germany's Siemens. However, in light of the bankruptcy proceedings the Manaus operation now reports directly to the parent company in Taipei.

Santana nevertheless believes the factory is capable of continuing operations since BenQ recently succeeded in renegotiating contracts with suppliers in Brazil. "If we continue at the current pace of production, I don't believe the Manaus unit will close," he said.

Huge potential' for Apple iPod phone

2007-01-04T21:34:00.000+08:00

If Apple Computer were to release an iPod-based cell phone device with features in line with recent rumors, it would hold the potential to increase the company's customer footprint substantially, a new study has revealed.
According to market research results released by Solutions Research Group on Tuesday, 16 percent of Americans over the age of 12 -- an approximate 40 million people -- responded to a survey saying they thought an iPod phone would be a "great idea" for them personally.

The study, which polled over 2,600 people between June and October 2006, also found that just over 20 percent of Americans currently own an Apple product. However, it implies that Apple's footprint could grow to over 30 percent of Americans within 18 months of an iPod phone release.

Based on the study's findings, 53 percent of likely iPhone buyers would be female and 47 percent male. The average buyer would be 35 years of age and pull an income 10 percent higher than the national average.

In a summary of the results, Solutions said the Sprint/Nextel and T-mobile customers responded most enthusiastically to the idea of an iPod phone. Meanwhile, African-Americans and Hispanics were the two ethnicities that expressed "above average interest" in the device.

"Potential buyers are above average music and movie downloaders, suggesting significant incremental revenue opportunities -- for example, 29 percent of likely iPod phone buyers paid for music in the past month from a site such as iTunes or Napster compared to an average of 12 percent of the US online population," the firm said.

Apple's iPod image and user experience were reportedly significant appeal drivers in the cell phone study. Overall, participants waged as their primary concern the impact on battery life entertainment capabilities would have on such a device.

Wireless Electronics Spending Growth to Slow

2007-01-04T21:10:00.000+08:00

The global market for all types of electronic equipment will essentially maintain its rate of revenue growth in 2007, propelled by accelerated expansions in the data processing, consumer electronics and wired communications segments, predicts iSuppli.

Following a rise of 6.6 percent in 2006, global revenue for all electronic equipment will grow by 6.7 percent to reach $1.47 trillion in 2007, up from $1.37 trillion the year before.

"The electronic equipment market will hit on all six cylinders for the year, with all major segments of the industry - data processing, wired communications, wireless communications, consumer, automotive and industrial - expanding in 2007," said Gary Grandbois, principal analyst with iSuppli. "This will underpin the broad-based growth in the market."

The fastest-growing segment of the market in 2007 will be data processing, which is also the largest single part of the industry, representing 28.8 percent of total electronic equipment revenue for the year. Data processing revenue will rise to $421.7 billion in 2007, up 9.1 percent from $386.6 billion in 2006.

The second-fastest growing segment will be wired communications, which will expand to $101.4 billion in 2007, up 7.2 percent from $94.6 billion in 2006. Consumer electronics will come in third, with its revenue increasing to $327.2 billion, up 6.4 percent from $307.6 billion in 2006.

The primary factor behind the accelerated growth of the data processing market will be a rise in unit shipments and Average Selling Prices (ASPs) for the segment's primary product: PCs.

PC shipments will increase to 262.9 million units in 2007, up 10.2 percent from 238.5 million in 2006. iSuppli believes 2007 will see a higher growth rate than 2006 due to the increased penetration of dual-core microprocessors and the availability of a Microsoft Corp.'s new Vista operating system.

Of all electronic equipment segments, the biggest positive swing in growth between 2006 and 2007 will come in the wired communications segment. Revenue growth will amount to 7.2 percent in 2007, a 3.4 percentage point swing from the 3.7 percent rise in 2006, when accounting for rounding.

A significant contributor to the accelerated expansion of the wired communications gear market is the continued strong growth of broadband and broadband services, driven by spending on wired communications infrastructure equipment by service providers that want to offer triple-play services, i.e. suites of multimedia offerings consisting of video, voice communications and broadband Internet access.

Growth in the consumer-electronics market will accelerate in 2007 due to the arrival of compelling products, including Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii video-game consoles and Apple.'s Internet Television (iTV).

The introduction of the two next-generation products will drive video-game console unit shipments up by 20.6 percent in 2007 to reach 35.4 million units for the year. This compares to 10.7 percent growth in 2006.

Meanwhile, the other three segments will suffer decelerated growth compared to 2006.

The wireless communications segment will cool considerably, growing by only 4.9 percent in 2007, after the 8.7 percent expansion of 2006. Automotive and industrial will grow by 4.5 and 5.7 percent respectively, down slightly from 4.8 and 7.5 percent in 2006.

Dual Screen Phones

2007-01-03T21:08:00.000+08:00

Seok Hong Jeong, a Korean individual inventor, revealed 'dual LCD mobile phone' at Seoul International Invention Fair 2006, which is specifically designed to optimize mobile internet services for a wide-ranging variety of multimedia contents.

He already applied for a patent in overseas market and has been waiting for the result. He said that his goal was to develop a next generation device and commercialize it with cooperation with mobile manufacturing companies and service providers in the future.

NEC Starts Delivery of New 3G Node-B Series

2007-01-03T20:40:00.000+08:00

NEC says that it has started delivery of a new 3G (W-CDMA) Node B series 'RS381, RS880.' The new series features Remote Radio Head (RRH) architecture, which divides the Node B into a main controller and a compact RRH outdoor unit. This allows flexible installation as the RRH outdoor unit can be installed within several dozen kilometers of the site, enabling response to a variety of situations and conditions.

The new series also allows flexible configuration as the RRH and main controller can be connected by optical fiber. Typical configuration incorporates installation of main controllers with a central switching system and RRHs are then deployed in each of the service areas. Another method consists of several small RRHs being separated from the main controller and installed indoors and at other locations where radio coverage is weak in order to secure stable coverage. NEC's new 3G Node B series overcomes this issue of difficult configuration, realizing smooth and swift deployment of Node Bs, in turn expanding 3G coverage areas. Moreover, it reduces installation time to one quarter that of typical installation methods. The new Node B products have been developed jointly by NEC and Siemens.

G Mail - is this is the new way for E mails

2006-12-30T17:56:00.000+08:00

Lot of people including organizations recently started swithching to G mail from the traditional Outlook for the ease of this feature.

You'll find the mail fetcher in Settings / Accounts.

You can add up to 5 accounts.

It's a good idea to not leave a copy on the original server, if your POP3 account has a small storage. You can label all the messages and archive them without manually creating a filter. Gmail will also offer to let you send mail from the new address.

After adding the account, Gmail will fetch your mail every 3-4 minutes and show you a small status and a log of the last 5 actions.

Gmail's spam filter will put some order in your POP3 mail, although the filter is not perfect.

Cell Phone and the Brain- Another school of thought

2006-12-22T20:17:00.000+08:00

Mobile Phones to Boost Memory Storage

Although so far the researchers are worried about the brain damage by the cell phones to the users, this reports seems to be bit releived for the users of the ubiquitious cell phones, which become part of our daily life.

Embedded & removable memory capacity demands for cellular handsets showed a dramatic increase in 2006 reports IMS Research, primarily driven by consumer interest in music-enabled handsets. Manufacturers are offering several solutions to meet this demand including micro hard disks, embedded NAND flash memory and removable NAND flash memory cards.

Despite several prominent announcements regarding handsets with large capacity micro hard-disks in 2006, the overall trend in the handset market has been a continued move towards flash storage. NAND flash is viewed as a better alternative for handsets for several reasons, the most important being its superior shock resistance, and lower battery drain. These traits are especially beneficial in cellular handsets since they are handled frequently and cycle power almost constantly.

Rapidly falling prices for NAND flash coupled with dramatic improvements in available capacity has encouraged manufacturers generally to adopt both embedded and removable NAND flash solutions for most requirements. Although large amounts of embedded memory continues to be standard for smartphones, feature phones tend to offer removable storage options in the form of microSD cards. First introduced in March of 2005 with a maximum capacity of 128MB, 2006 saw the first 2GB microSD cards become available to consumers.

Removable flash storage is seen as a possible solution to the DRM issues that surround multimedia playback on handsets. It is believed that a secured flash card could allow consumers to transfer music easily from a handset to a PC, portable media player , or home-entertainment system while preserving the DRM. It is too soon to tell if this will be a viable solution, however, as there are still significant hurdles to overcome regarding DRM.

NAND flash memory will continue to be the dominant data storage technology for cellular handsets with micro hard disks accounting for less than 10% of new handsets through 2011". Handsets that utilize the micro hard disks will be a mixture of smartphones and high-end feature phones specifically targeted multimedia applications such as music, video and photography.

The majority of the handset market will continue to rely on NAND flash for memory & storage. It is expected that the amount of embedded memory in the handset will increase to around 128MB, with external storage in the form of removable SD cards addressing consumer needs for additional capacity for multimedia files.

iPhone But from Cisco

2006-12-22T19:54:00.000+08:00

Cisco Systems has launched the much expected iPhone handset( on the right hand side), and surprised many by owning the trademark to a brand-name many had expected Apple , on the much touted ( the 2nd Photo) to use for their expected range of mobile phones.

'As the next generation of handheld devices, Linksys iPhone voice solutions and products are changing the way people communicate with their friends, family and colleagues. They enable compelling internet services, allow consumers to know when their contacts are available for calls, and offer access to personal content like music, movies and live video cameras.' said Mike Pocock, Linksys senior vice president and general manager. 'The development of the iPhone family demonstrates our flexibility in selecting the right partnerships, feature sets, and product designs to exceed the demands of even our most connected customers to whom the Internet is no longer a destination, but an inextricable part of their lives.'

Voice applications are at the core of the iPhone family. However, with iPhone handheld devices, consumers can do more than just dial a phone number and wait to see if someone answers on the other end.

Literacy and Text Messaging

2006-12-21T19:06:00.000+08:00

In the age of text messaging, where words are reduced to nonstandard abbreviations and symbols, many people question the future of literacy.

But experts point out that, in fact, technology has put new emphasis on reading and writing.

A generation ago, a teen who couldn't read well could still participate pretty fully in the social conversation among peers,' says Timothy Shanahan, president of the International Reading Association. 'But with so much written chatter, being able to read and write have become definite social advantages. There is simply much more pressure to know how to read than in the past when it comes to conversation, shopping, or work.'

Shanahan points to the more than 30 billion e-mail messages and 5 billion text messages that are exchanged every day as evidence of how technology 'is raising the value of reading in our society, both as an economic and as a social activity.'

Experts also say that technology has added new layers to our understanding of what it means to be literate.

'In coming years literacy will mean knowing how to choose between print, image, video, sound, and all the potential combinations they could create to make a particular point with a specific audience,' says Bronwyn Williams, associate professor of English at the University of Louisville.

European Market Penetration

2006-12-21T09:04:00.000+08:00

Lithuania and Luxembourg remain at the top of the penetration league table at the end of Q3 2006, both markets now over 150% penetrated. Italy remains third with a ratio of mobile connections to population of 131.6%, whilst Greece and Estonia remain fourth and fifth respectively, unchanged from Q2 2006.

No fewer than 17 other markets in Europe had penetration rates in excess of 100% at the end of September, with Denmark, Bulgaria and Montenegro having joined the club in the quarter - albeit that this last country may only be a temporary member due to pronounced seasonal effects.

A further ten markets are between 90% and 100% penetrated, and another eight ended Q3 2006 with mobile ownership rates also in the fourth quartile - that is, between 75% and 90%. At the bottom of the league table there are another ten markets, with penetration rates ranging from Kosovo's 25% to Serbia's 74.8%.

This article was extracted from The Mobile World Briefing, the weekly newsletter from The Mobile World. To download a sample issue of the Briefing in PDF format, please click here. For more information including full subscription pricing, please visit The Mobile World "

Movistar partners with Microsoft to offer MSN messenger service

2006-12-19T20:26:00.000+08:00

Argentine mobile operator Movistar has partnered with IT giant Microsoft to offer its MSN messenger and hotmail email services, Movistar said in a statement.

'The company continues to be at the vanguard of Argentina's technology revolution offering better and advanced solutions for its clients,' Movistar Argentina's marketing director Darío Fainguersch said.

The service will be free until the end of 2006, Movistar said, adding that it had already got 30,000 users of the new service.

Movistar Argentina, a unit of Spanish giant Telefónica, has nearly 10.5 million subscribers. The company plans to invest 753mn pesos (US$246mn) in 2007 compared to 500mn pesos this year.

Russia's mobile handsets sales up to 32 mln units 2008

2006-12-16T11:36:00.000+08:00

Annual mobile handset sales in Russia are expected to increase to 32 million units in 2008 after the introduction of 3G mobile telecommunication services, Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, said Thursday at an industry conference called Mobile Retail 2006.

In 2006 and 2007, annual mobile handsets sales in Russia are projected at between 28 million and 29 million units worth between US$5.5 billion and US$6 billion, he said.

According to Russia's largest mobile handset retailer Euroset, Russia's mobile handset sales were at 33.5 million units worth $5.5 billion in 2005.

Murtazin attributed the stagnation on the mobile handset market to slowing growth of the mobile subscriber base in Russia, growing average retail handset prices, and an extended average lifetime of handsets.

An average retail price of a mobile handset has increased by 30% to $158 while the average lifetime of handsets has increase to 18-19 months from 14 months, he said without providing a specific timeframes.

The four largest mobile handset suppliers to the Russian market, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola and SonyEricsson, accounted for 85% of the market in July-September, he said.

Music Enabled CellPhones - Fast Growth in China

2006-12-16T11:31:00.000+08:00

The Chinese market for cellular handsets has grown significantly in the last few years and is forecast to increase to around 199 million units in 2011 says IMS Research. At the same time, the penetration rate of music enabled handset is forecast to grow to 68% by 2011. Cellular handset manufacturers have seen the success of camera enabled cellular handsets in China and they believe that they can duplicate that success with music enabled cellular handsets.

In 2004, less than 5% of the cellular handsets shipped in China were music enabled. This percentage is forecast to grow to about 24% in 2006. More and more users operate cellular handsets as portable players; and they are able to transfer their music files between PCs and handsets. The launch of 3G in China will also encourage subscribers to use handsets to download audio and video programmes.

IMS Research Market Research Analyst, Jackey Wang commented: 'The success of the ringtone market has proven that consumers are willing to pay for music on their handsets. Huge storage capacity, abundant audio and video content, decreasing cost and high data transmission rates are the main drivers that will lead to fast market growth.'

Apple Iphones to hit soon

2006-12-15T06:48:00.000+08:00

Morgan Stanley on Wednesday increased its price target on shares of Apple Computer to $110 from $90, saying it expects the stock will trade higher once again by year-end 2007.

In a note to clients, analyst Rebecca Runkle said near-term product introductions and less exposure to any disruption from rival Microsoft's Vista operating system launch could help reduce seasonal risk to Apple shares.

"In the intermediate term, an expanding product portfolio, growing distribution engine and market share opportunities all keep us Overweight Apple with an increased priced target of $110," she wrote.

Runkle said proprietary supply-chain checks give her high conviction that Apple will launch its much anticipated iPhone device during the first half of 2007.

"We expect Steve Jobs to announce the iPhone at Macworld or early next year," she told clients. "To-date, we've found two models that began initial production this month -- a 4-gig and 8-gig version with capacity plans to build up to 12 million total units in 2007.

The analyst told clients she is remaining conservative on iPhone, including in her current model expectations that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company will sell just 6 million units during the year.

Siemens Hires Outside Lawyer As Nokia Venture Theatened

2006-12-15T06:21:00.000+08:00

LONDON (Dow Jones) -- Siemens on Monday said it's hired the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton to review its compliance system, amid concern that bribery allegations could disrupt its planned networks joint venture with Nokia. Munich prosecutors are looking into allegations that officials at Siemens' telecommunications arm diverted at least 200 million euros ($265 million) to a slush fund for use to pay bribes, according to several press reports. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung over the weekend reported that Siemens executives fear that Nokia may withdraw from its planned 50-50 venture.

Siemens said it's hired Debevoise & Plimpton to conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation of its compliance and control systems. Its auditor, KPMG, will assist the law firm, Siemens said.

"We are employing the knowledge and experience of external and independent experts to track down specific cases of misconduct and gaps in Siemens' regulations, structures and processes and to make our compliance system absolutely watertight," said CEO Klaus Kleinfeld in a statement.

It's also added the co-founder of Transparency International, Michael. J. Hershman, as a compliance auditor. The anti-corruption organization has threatened to terminate Siemens' membership in the group.

Per Lindberg, an analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort with a sell rating on Nokia, said the two companies already are essentially acting as a single company in networks.

"Such a turnaround would most likely cause considerable 'frictional losses' as both parties already have acted internally and externally as if the deal were complete. Otherwise, Siemens may have won a large slice of T-Mobile USA (contract)," he said in a note to clients.

Nokia and Ericsson in late November won a contract to provide third-generation mobile phone infrastructure to T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom.

Lindberg expects that Nokia will negotiate a clause forcing Siemens to pay any further costs related to the bribery allegations.

Prada Launching a Mobile Phone

2006-12-13T21:32:00.000+08:00

LG Electronics and the fashion house, Prada have announced an exclusive partnership to develop an innovative and iconic mobile phone. Leveraging on their respective expertise and know how, Prada and LG have jointly explored and developed all aspects of this new product. The collaboration focused on the key elements inside the phone, such as software, user interface and music as well as its look, for example design and packaging. The result is a unique, sophisticated and elegant phone, with an advanced touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad.

The 'press photo' supplied by Prada, which does so much to show of what the phone looks like

The initial launch is planned for early 2007, with distribution starting in Europe (firstly in Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany), followed by countries in Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. The Korean version of the phone is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2007.

'Here at LG, we are very excited by this partnership,' says Mr. Mun-Hwa Park, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. He continues, 'Prada's legacy for classic and sophisticated design meant they were the perfect partner to develop this shared vision of innovative technology and ultimate style. We are passionate about developing exclusive phones "

Cell phone exports expected to rise 22% in 2006

2006-12-13T09:47:00.000+08:00

Exports of Brazilian-produced mobile phones are forecast to rise 22% to US$2.9bn this year compared to 2005, according to data from the country's electronic goods association Abinee.

Mobile phones were the items most exported in the electronics sector, Abinee said.

Handset production is expected to reach 74 million by year-end, with approximately 54% going to the Brazilian market and 46% for export.

Mobile telephone exports could have been higher this year if it had not been for Finnish company Nokia transferring its Brazil factory to Mexico, Castelo Branco, director of Abinee's telecoms section, said.

Workers poisoned in Nokia and Motorola factories

2006-12-12T20:34:00.000+08:00

Workers poisoned in Nokia and Motorola factories

A new report from SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations) is claiming that there are systematic abuses in Chinese, Thai, Philippine and Indian factories of the five largest mobile telephone companies: Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG. Workers in factories producing parts for Nokia and Motorola work without proper protection and are exposed to chemicals that cause chronic illnesses and serious physical harm.

SOMO researcher Joseph Wilde explains: "Particularly in the Chinese and Thai factories, where components for mobile telephones are made, a number of international labour and health and safety standards are violated. Employee initiatives to improve working conditions are thwarted by the factory owners."

The research shows that remuneration is often below the minimum wage and that holiday and sick leave are not paid. Employees frequently work between two and five hours of overtime a day, six or seven days a week without proper compensation. Health and safety measures in many factories are inadequate: there is not enough protection from hazardous chemicals nor do workers receive training for working with these toxic substances. This leads to chronic physical complaints from workers. Although, on paper, the companies do have codes of conduct and requirements for suppliers, these are often not followed, especially among sub-tier suppliers, and the major companies do not sufficiently control for compliance.

In a factory in China producing lenses for Motorola phones, researchers encountered nine workers who had been poisoned through unprotected contact with toxic chemicals used in making telephone parts. One of the women was pregnant and had to undergo an abortion because of complications caused by the poisoning. The management of the factory initially refused to provide medical treatment, prolonging the workers' suffering.

In a factory in Thailand making motors for Nokia phones, employees work with lead solder and have to buy their own protective masks and gloves because the company wants to save on 'overhead'. Lead solder contains 40% lead and is so dangerous that it has been banned from electronics by several European regulations. Instead of protective equipment, the workers are given milk to filter the toxins from their blood. Several sick workers were hospitalised and diagnosed with dangerous levels of lead poisoning.

You can download the full report (pdf file, 119 pages) from the SOMO website.

EU Telecom Need More Power To Open Mkts

2006-12-11T23:07:00.000+08:00

EU Telecom Regs Need More Power To Open Mkts -
Europe must arm national telecoms regulators with far more teeth than they currently have if it hopes to make the industry globally competitive by 2010, a report released Monday by the European Competitive Telecommunications Association and Brussels law firm Jones Day said.

The report 'scores' seventeen European countries on how far they've gone in rolling out the EU's 2002 rules meant to open their national telecoms markets to competition.

'More than three years after the existing European Framework for Telecoms Regulatory came into force, it has not yet been fully implemented in many countries,' laments the report.

The document comes as the European Commission revises its rules on the reform of national telecom markets. In recent weeks, Telecom Commissioner Viviane Reding has raised the battle cry to strengthen the rules and make the industry competitive by forcing 'functional separation' - requiring that telecom companies create separate businesses for their different services and make it easier for regulators to ensure that the providers treat operators equally. Reding has also called for a single European telecom regulator. The updated rules aren't expected to be finalized until 2008.

The report chides Poland as the biggest sinner, citing low implementation of the E.U. laws, weak national regulation and discrimination against newcomers to the mark"

Microsoft Enters The Municipal Wi-Fi Realm

2006-11-16T00:47:00.000+08:00

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft is partnering with MetroFi Inc., a Mountain View, Calif., company now building a wireless network in Portland, Ore.

Microsoft's role in Portland is to provide a key element: advertisements that will appear across the top of the Internet browsers of people using the network. Revenue from the ads will fund the network's operations.

Microsoft will also provide the Web page greeting users at log on. It will be packed with Microsoft's Internet features, such as localized search and mapping.

The Portland network, which is also to offer a $20-a-month ad free service, is widely considered a dry run for Microsoft's metro wireless network ambitions

Handset Market Growth

2006-11-13T21:32:00.000+08:00

India and China to Drive Handset Market Growth

Merrill Lynch's recent Global Handset Industry Update reports that the analysts expect market growth will be driven by India and China where they are expecting a combined handset volume growth of 21% CAGR from 2005 to 2010. They expect combined India and China will account for 26% of the overall handset market in 2007 and 28% in 2010, up from 16% in 2005 - implying nearly 332 million handset units in 2010 (129 million in 2005).

They believe mobile penetration in India is set to ramp and will reach 35% by 2010, up from just 7% as of 2005. This implies Indian mobile subscribers will reach 411 million by 2010, up from just 76 million as of 2005, a 5-yr growth CAGR of 40%.

In comparison, China's penetration rate should reach just over 50% in 2010, up from 29% in 2005. This results in approximately 682 million Chinese mobile subscriber by 2010, up from 374 million in 2005, a growth CAGR of 13%.

Who buys PDA /Smartphone

2006-10-11T20:04:00.000+08:00

In Japan, smartphone shipments grew 153% in the first half of the year, despite a decline of 22% in the second quarter of 2006. Japanese smartphone shipments totaled 11.6 million units in the first half of 2006. This allowed Japan to capture the global lead from EMEA, which grew 26.3%. EMEA accounted for 30% of the worldwide smartphone market, down from 42% in the first half of 2005.

The Asia Pacific region overall remained very strong during the first half of 2006, accounting for 29% of the worldwide market. Shipments in North America grew 104% in the first half of 2006, however, its share of the global smartphone market remained fairly stable at 6.3%.

North America remained the only region where PDAs continue to outsell smartphones. In the first half of 2006, the region accounted for 45% of worldwide PDA shipments, slightly up from the same period in 2005. In the first half of 2006, the EMEA and the North America regions accounted for 85% of the PDA market.

Vendor Perspective

Nokia accounted for 42% of the combined PDA and smartphone market in the first half of 2006 and commanded half of the global smartphone market. "The company's strategic focus remains on the consumer smartphone segment, so more favourable seasonal trends in the second half of the year and the introduction of new models should help Nokia achieve higher shipments of its basic smartphones," said Ms Cozza.

Motorola accounted for 5.3% in the combined PDA and smartphone market. Motorola' smartphone shipments grew 103.5% in the first half of 2006, which represented the highest year on year growth among the top 5 vendors. This performance was driven by the success of Motorola's Linux-based devices in China. However, Motorola is not making significant progress with its Microsoft and Symbian-based smartphones and shipments of the Motorola Q have been hampered by the minimum US$80 monthly service plan offered by Verizon.

In the first half of 2006, RIM accounted for 6.5% of the combined PDA and smartphone market, with shipments up 60% year on year. RIM smartphone shipments represent 36% of all BlackBerry mobile devices, up from 9% in the same period last year. The company retained its leadership position in the global PDA market in the first half of 2006, with an increase of 13.5% from the same period last year.

"As mobile email expands beyond the executive segment, RIM is responding with a new hardware strategy in the form of their new Pearl device to tackle prosumer (professional consumer) and consumer markets for wireless email," Mr. Kort, principal analyst in Gartner's computing platform worldwide group.

In the first half of 2006, Palm accounted for 5% of the combined PDA and smartphone market, down from 8% in the first half of 2005. Palm saw a decrease of 26% in the first half of 2006.

"Palm's PDA business continues to decline as the company shifted its focus on sales of its Treo smartphones, which accounted for 57 percent of Palm's mobile device shipments in the first half of 2006," Mr. Kort added.

Visual Treat and Online Help for Interiors

2006-10-06T20:41:00.000+08:00

A Revolution in Software Visualisation
Visualistic has revolutionised the area of image manipulation, answering the prayers of marketeers and designers, in a new, innovative and cost effective way

Visualistic is the second generation of award winning visualisation software from the guys (n girls) at Getme Ltd. With its advanced patented technology, Visualistic is the first of its kind to offer a product to a non-technical audience. Even the best graphic artists find altering real images frustrating and time consuming, now Visualistic has changed all that, by providing a blisteringly quick product with real time savings, combined with total realism.

"Out of the box" thinking created Visualistic to perform like no other image manipulation product, by combining the virtues of both 2D and 3D, the development approached the problem from a different perspective, creating a brand new concept and innovative idea to tackling the problems of seamlessly interchanging and altering images.

Textures, shading, lighting and reflections all remain from the original image ensuring the created image is undetectable from the original, only intentional changes are apparent. Output images created with Visualistic are high resolution, print quality allowing direct image to print capabilities and provision for web content and interactivity, providing true flexibility.

Visual Treat and Online Help for Interiors

2006-10-06T20:36:00.000+08:00

Blogs on your Mobile Phone

2006-10-06T20:24:00.000+08:00

4 simple steps to create mobile access to your blog:

Sign up to WidSets and install the Widsets client
Pick a widget template from the Studio-section
Insert your picture or logo and your blog's feed URL
Publish it for others and promote the mobile reader on your blog

Mona Lisa - A new twist

2006-10-05T21:01:00.000+08:00

A very important piece of news when the some parts of the world is suffering from under nutrtion and Bush refused to sign the " Right to Food for everyone in Earth" becuase he will simply supply ammunition to Afghan and the rest of the world rather than food for the starving for keeping America a Safe Country..

Pls read on..

Mona Lisa, the mysterious woman immortalized in Leonardo da Vinci's 16th century masterpiece, had just given birth to her second son when she sat for the painting, a French art expert said Tuesday.

The discovery was made by a team of Canadian scientists who used special infrared and three-dimensional technology to peer through hitherto impenetrable paint layers on the work, which now sits in the Louvre museum in Paris.

Bruno Mottin of the French Museums' Center for Research and Restoration said that on very close examination of the painting it became clear that the Mona Lisa's dress was covered in a thin transparent gauze veil.

"This type of gauze dress ... was typical of the kind worn in early 16th century Italy by women who were pregnant or who had just given birth. This is something that had never been seen up to now because the painting was always judged to be dark and difficult to examine," he told a news conference.

"We can now say that this painting by Leonardo da Vinci was painted to commemorate the birth of the second son of the Mona Lisa, which helps us to date it more precisely to around 1503."

Phone Sales will Slow from Next Year

2006-10-05T20:54:00.000+08:00

Phone Sales to Slow from Next Year: "The rate of overall worldwide mobile handset growth will slow dramatically from 2007, according to Informa Telecoms & Media. The latest Informa report reveals that saturation in developed markets will start to balance out the booming growth in emerging regions.

Informa predicts the number of handsets shipped will still rise from 814.4 million at the end of 2005 to 1.255 billion by 2011.

'Handset manufacturers have enjoyed a fantastic time of it in recent years, but they're really going to struggle to sell as many handsets and sustain the same levels of profitability,' commented Dave McQueen, Principal Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media. 'The growth in developing markets such as India, China and Latin America is impressive but we are not seeing the same levels of phone take-up per capita. With handset sales in saturated developed markets being much slower and reliant on replacement of old models, the net effect is a major slowdown in overall rate of growth from next year.'"