Posts tagged mobile
Pre-paid mobile phone service extended in Kashmir, northeast
Apr 2nd
Pre-paid mobile phone service extended in Kashmir, northeast
New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) The government has extended the pre-paid mobile phone service in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and other northeastern telecom service areas for two years.
The extension of service which has come into effect from April 1, will be valid till March 31, 2013.
‘The said permission for continuance of pre-paid mobile services, for a period of two years with effect from April 1, is subject to the condition that the existing security condition already stipulated by licensor shall continue to remain in place,’ the department of telecommunications (DoT) said in a statement.
The DoT has also mentioned that no telecom company will be allowed to offer services after March 31, 2013, on the basis of the permission now given.
Related news:
- Now switch mobile phone operator, but keep your number
- Get ready to pay for mobile banking service from April 2011
- Rediff introduces mobile email service
- Mobile phone firms go all out to woo other’s customers
- TRAI seeks opinion on controlling mobile phone theft
From www.inewsone.com
Ringing endorsement for mobile shopping
Apr 2nd
Retailers must answer the call to make mobile shopping easier and more engaging or they risk getting disconnected from the majority of mobile device users.
While 89.7 per cent of the United States population aged 18 to 64 have mobile phones, only 49.1 per cent are using their phones to shop, according to Arc Worldwide, the marketing services arm of advertising agency Leo Burnett.
Mobile shoppers are using phone-friendly versions of websites and apps to compare prices, read reviews, check out product features, download coupons and make purchases.
Shoppers who used to research big purchases for days can now look up information in a matter of minutes on their phones, while impulsive purchases, such as buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks, can become more considered if people use apps to find a shop, check nutrition data or pay by phone.
“It’s going to be hard to find a category that is not impacted by mobile shopping,” said William Rosen, president and chief creative officer of Arc Worldwide.
The company surveyed 1,800 U.S. mobile shoppers and found 80 per cent are “light” mobile shoppers, who use their phones less often than the 20 per cent of “heavy” users that many apps are geared toward.
“If these light mobile shoppers really start engaging and evolve into heavier mobile shoppers, that’s going to increase the mobile shopping population by 50 per cent,” said Molly Garris, digital strategy manager at Arc Worldwide.
Increasing sales of smartphones have implications for retailers ranging from sites such as Amazon.com to more traditional outlets such as Macy’s, said Rosen.
“The idea of a single path to purchase is dead,” he said. “There are many paths to purchase, and mobile technology is enabling people to shop in different ways, (and) take different routes to a transaction, than we’ve ever seen before.”
According to Arc Worldwide, retailers and manufacturers should promote their mobile presence in traditional media and in stores to keep shoppers from heading elsewhere.
“There is the risk of them using someone else’s app and literally getting snatched out of the aisle,” Rosen said.
Fifty-one per cent of shoppers are more likely to buy from retailers with mobilespecific websites, yet only 4.8 per cent of retailers had them, according to a November report from Brand Anywhere and Luth Research.
Some retailers already do a great job by offering creative apps that heavy users of mobile technology download to their phones, and mobile versions of websites for light users, Garris said.
Plus, as smartphones become more popular, the 40.6 per cent of adults with mobile phones who do not yet use them for shopping are a huge group that retailers can target.
From www.thestarphoenix.com
New twist in mobile phone masts campaign
Apr 2nd
an angry councillor has slammed the companies behind plans for mobile phone masts in Belper in a new twist to the controversial saga.
Amber Valley borough councillor Peter Makin, who is also a Derbyshire county councillor, has rubbished claims from a representative of O2 that councillors and residents did not respond to letters telling them about the proposals.
Many residents have been up in arms at plans to erect 13.8-metre-high 3G mobile phone masts around Belper.
One of their main gripes is that they claim they have been completely bypassed in the consultation process by Higham & Co, the agents acting on behalf of Vodafone and O2.
The mobile phone giants want to improve 3G coverage in Belper, which they say is currently almost non-existent.
Jim Stevenson, of O2, claimed in last week’s Belper News that the proper protocol had been followed by Highams and that no responses had been received from councillors, residents or the school.
But Cllr Makin, who spoke out strongly against the erection of a mast at the junction of Marsh Lane and Laund Nook when it went before the borough council’s planning board, said: “After reading Jim Stevenson’s comments, I thought the facts should be published.
“When this application was first promoted I contacted Highams to suggest an alternative site, such as the hill overlooking Far Laund, where there is already a mast.
“The company came back to state that as the proposed mast was low-powered, the site would be too far away to be of any use.”
Cllr Makin also cited a meeting with residents on February 8, where another site was suggested.
He said: “It was decided to suggest Coronation Gardens as it was much nearer, was not used as a play area, and was in direct line with Marsh Lane.
“Highams did not reply, even after several phone calls, but they had contacted borough council officers to state that the height of the trees would interfere with the signals.
“As St John’s Primary School had expressed no comments, the planning board had no option but to allow the application, but with reluctance.”
- Email to a friend
- Print this page
From www.belpernews.co.uk
Mobile phones with laptop capability can dethrone iPad
Apr 2nd
LONDON, UK: A mobile phone doubling up as a laptop is being hailed as the gadget that could end iPad’s supremacy in the market.
The Motorola Atrix phone can be turned into a proper laptop by attaching a screen and keyboard, both of which have to be bought separately.
It has so impressed gadget experts since it debuted at technology fairs earlier this year that it has been dubbed a ‘laptop killer’, the Daily Mail reports.
Technology magazine T3 has even snubbed the iPad 2 – Apple’s latest version of its tablet device – to hand the Atrix the ‘hottest gadget’ accolade.
T3 editor Luke Peters said: “This wasn’t about products that have been hyped, but about products that really disrupt the market. We see the iPad 2 as more of an evolution than a revolution.”
“The Atrix can really reshape how we think about mobile phones. It’s incredibly powerful and versatile, and for us it really showed that you can do something different with a mobile phone.”
“It is also a warning to Apple that mobile phones like the Atrix that run Google’s Android software are really making a big impact.”
Although the iPad came second in the poll, Apple still sold out the 399-pound gadget in many stores within three days, and is warning online buyers they face a wait of three to four weeks
From www.ciol.com
Verizon iPhone most popular US mobile phone in February
Apr 1st
By Daniel Eran Dilger
Published: 06:00 PM EST
Apple’s CDMA iPhone sold by Verizon Wireless in the US was the nation’s top mobile phone sold during the month of February, according to market research firm comScore.
The firm reported that of the top five phone makers, Apple grew its share of mobile subscribers the most in the last quarter, edging up 0.9 percentage points to hit a 7.5 percent share of the American mobile phone market (not just smartphones).
While four makers are ahead of Apple in the US mobile market, only first place Samsung was able to similarly increase its its share of the market, by 0.3 percentage points, to 24.8 percent.
LG remained flat at 20.9 percent, while Motorola shrunk by 0.9 percentage points to a 16.1 percent share, and RIM fell by 0.2 points to achieve an 8.6 percent share of all mobiles sold during the three month period ending in February.
In terms of smartphone platforms, Android was up 7 percentage points to take 33 percent of the smartphone market, while Apple’s iOS was the only other smartphone platform to register growth, up 0.2 points to a 25.2 percent share of smartphones.
RIM remained ahead of Apple, with 28.9 percent share, but was down 4.6 points compared to three months ago. Microsoft slipped another 1.3 points despite the release of Windows Phone 7, setting down to a 7.7 share, while HP’s Palm webOS platform shrank by 1.1 points to take 2.8 percent share of the smartphone market.
The popularity of Apple’s Verizon iPhone, which comScore called “the most acquired handset in the month of February,” refutes anecdotal figures advertised by BTIG Research analyst Walter Piecyk, who recently claimed that Verizon was selling more HTC Thunderbolt phones than Apple iPhones, based on conversations with retail staff.
Verizon itself claimed the iPhone was its biggest phone launch ever, but has made no similar claim about the Android-based HTC Thunderbolt, which boasts 4G data service via Verizon’s new LTE network.
From www.appleinsider.com
comScore Reports February 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share
Apr 1st
.gif)
RESTON, Va., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending February 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 24.8 percent market share. Google Android led among smartphone platforms with 33.0 percent market share.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)
OEM Market Share
For the three month average period ending in February, 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 24.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, up 0.3 percentage points from the three month period ending in November. LG ranked second with 20.9 percent share, followed by Motorola (16.1 percent) and RIM (8.6 percent). Apple saw the strongest gain, up 0.9 percentage points to account for 7.5 percent of subscribers, on momentum from the release of the Verizon iPhone, the most acquired handset in the month of February.
Top Mobile OEMs ————— 3 Month Avg. Ending Feb. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Nov. 2010 ———————————————- Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ ————————————– Source: comScore MobiLens ————————- Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers ——————- Point Nov-10 Feb-11 Change —— —— —— Total Mobile Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% N/A ———— —– —– — Samsung 24.5% 24.8% 0.3 ——- —- —- — LG 20.9% 20.9% 0.0 — —- —- — Motorola 17.0% 16.1% -0.9 ——– —- —- —- RIM 8.8% 8.6% -0.2 — — — —- Apple 6.6% 7.5% 0.9 —– — — —Smartphone Platform Market Share
69.5 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in February 2011, up 13 percent from the preceding three-month period. Google Android grew 7.0 percentage points since November, strengthening its #1 position with 33.0 percent market share. RIM ranked second with 28.9 percent market share, followed by Apple with 25.2 percent. Microsoft (7.7 percent) and Palm (2.8 percent) rounded out the top five.
Top Smartphone Platforms ———————— 3 Month Avg. Ending Feb. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Nov. 2010 ———————————————- Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+ —————————————— Source: comScore MobiLens ————————- Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers ———————– Point Nov-10 Feb-11 Change —— —— —— Total Smartphone Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% N/A —————- —– —– — Google 26.0% 33.0% 7.0 —— —- —- — RIM 33.5% 28.9% -4.6 — —- —- —- Apple 25.0% 25.2% 0.2 —– —- —- — Microsoft 9.0% 7.7% -1.3 ——— — — —- Palm 3.9% 2.8% -1.1 —- — — —-Mobile Content Usage
In February, 68.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device. Browsers were used by 38.4 percent of subscribers (up 3.1 percentage points), while downloaded applications were used by 36.6 percent of the mobile audience (up 3.2 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 3.3 percentage points, representing 26.8 percent of mobile subscribers. Playing games represented 24.6 percent of the mobile audience, while listening to music represented 17.5 percent.
Mobile Content Usage ——————– 3 Month Avg. Ending Feb. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Nov. 2010 ———————————————- Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ ————————————– Source: comScore MobiLens ————————- Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers ——————– Point Nov-10 Feb-11 Change —— —— —— Total Mobile Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% N/A ———— —– —– — Sent text message to another phone 67.1% 68.8% 1.7 ——————– —- —- — Used browser 35.3% 38.4% 3.1 ———— —- —- — Used downloaded apps 33.4% 36.6% 3.2 ——————– —- —- — Accessed social networking site or blog 23.5% 26.8% 3.3 ——————- —- —- — Played Games 22.6% 24.6% 2.0 ———— —- —- — Listened to music on mobile phone 15.0% 17.5% 2.5 ——————– —- —- —About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
Follow Us on Twitter
twitter.com/comScore
twitter.com/m_abraham
twitter.com/gfulgoni
SOURCE comScore, Inc.
From www.sys-con.com
The net neutrality threat of the T-Mobile merger with AT&T
Apr 1st
Last Sunday, on the eve the wireless industry’s largest tradeshow in Orlando, AT&T announced its plan to buy rival mobile service provider T-Mobile USA for $39bn. Were this merger allowed to proceed, AT&T would control more than 40% of all US wireless subscribers. (By way of comparison, the combined T-Mobile UK and Orange will control 37% of the UK mobile market.) Together, AT&T and Verizon Wireless would be an effective wireless duopoly, controlling nearly 80% of the market.
The significance of this type of consolidation can hardly be overstated: in a society where policymakers prefer to rely on competition – rather than regulation – to protect consumers, AT&T’s proposed merger with T-Mobile could have serious ramifications for mobile phone users. Consumers’ pocketbooks will likely be the hardest hit. T-Mobile caters to more price-sensitive customers; with its affordable monthly plans out of the picture, AT&T and Verizon will feel less pressure to compete on price with the far smaller Sprint, a company that the Wall Street Journal noted would be “a marginal No 3 player”.
And this merger could lead to even greater price hikes for visitors to the US from abroad and Americans who travel frequently. Since T-Mobile and AT&T are the only major US carriers that use the GSM standard – the most popular mobile standard worldwide – AT&T could soon find itself with virtually no competition for these two classes of users. Overall, mobile phone users can expect higher bills, longer contracts and more hidden and confusing fees, if this merger comes to pass.
But the harms to consumers wouldn’t just be monetary. In addition to its lower prices, T-Mobile is also known for its more user-friendly data policies. Unlike AT&T, which caps monthly data use, T-Mobile offers unlimited data plans to its users. What’s more, AT&T’s most generous data plan, which allows for 4GB of usage a month (roughly 12-24 hours of streaming video), will cost you one-and-a-half-times what T-Mobile’s unlimited plan will. And while T-Mobile has never prevented its users from accessing the sites and services of their choice over its network, AT&T has, blocking access to Skype, Slingbox and Google Voice at various points during the last few years.
This last point could prove especially harmful given the current state of net neutrality in the United States. The phrase “net neutrality” refers to the idea that all internet traffic should be treated equally and that service providers should not be allowed to block, slow or degrade traffic based on its type, point of origin or destination. Though net neutrality has many vocal supporters in the US, including Minnesota Senator Al Franken, thus far, policy solutions that would write the principle of net neutrality into law have excluded mobile data providers from the rules. A lack of competition in the wireless marketplace, combined with a lack of strong net neutrality rules, could allow AT&T to block popular, high-bandwidth services like Netflix.
Still, even as AT&T works to cultivate an air of inevitability around this proposed merger, the company’s acquisition of T-Mobile is anything but a fait accompli. Unlike the last large communications merger in the US, that of Comcast and NBC Universal, AT&T’s merger with T-Mobile would be a “horizontal” merger – that is to say, a merger of two companies that compete to provide the same types of services. The New York Times and the Washington Post have already expressed scepticism about the merger and the Economist – a publication known for it market-friendly views – advocates that it be blocked. Historically speaking, it is horizontal mergers that have attracted the most scrutiny from the federal government.
It remains to be seen whether the department of justice, the Federal Communications Commission and the Obama administration possess the political will to deny this merger, but if they are to keep the best interests of wireless consumers in mind, then they should.
From www.guardian.co.uk
LG Mobile phones Intorduces Revolutionary Wireless Charging Solution
Apr 1st
Posted by SuzieDowning 31 minutes ago () View profile
Category: Consumer | Tags: LG Electronics
(NewDesignWorld Press Center) – LG Electronics (LG) announced today the LG Wireless Charging Pad (WCP-700). Featuring a sleek and sharp design, LG Wireless Charging Pad is poised to revolutionize wireless charging as we know it. With inductive coils built into the battery doors and internal contacts, advanced wireless charging technology allows for a cord-free power source – alleviating the need for external connections that limit the phones usability.
LG Wireless Charging Pad provides industry leading wireless charging and ergonomics. For easy and intuitive use, LG Wireless Charging Pad features audible and tactile feedback when a phone is placed on the pad, as well as multi-colored LED lights to indicate charging status. Taking the hassle out of charging your wireless devices, LG Wireless Charging Pad also sports a compact, sleek design to easily accommodate an on-the-go lifestyle.
Key Features:
• Visual, audible and tactile feedback – allows user to see, feel and hear when the phone is placed
properly on the pad
o Power LED – Blue = Plugged in
o Battery LED – Orange = Ready to Charge
o Battery LED – Flashing Green = Phone is Charging Correctly
o Battery LED – Solid Green = Phone is Fully Charged
• Slim and sleek design – allows for convenient storage, taking up minimal space
• Effective Range – 7mm from center of placement guide
• Dimensions – 6.29”x3.54”x0.39”
Discuss Bury
From www.newdesignworld.com
Connect to optic fibre cable for better services, mobile phone firms advised
Apr 1st
Deputy Minister for Communication, Science and Technology Charles Kitwanga has said that the ongoing installation of an optic fibre cable will improve telecommunications in the country.
Kitwanga made the remarks in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday during his visit to Airtel Tanzania as part of his familiarisation tour of mobile phone service providers in the country.
He said through the information and communication backbone, mobile phone subscribers across the country will benefit from better services.
“Mobile phone service companies should connect to the optic fibre to improve their services, in realizing its important to the companies,” the minister noted.
He said it was very important to connect to the communication backbone now that more people were using mobile phone services even in remote areas where a few years ago there was none.
For his part, Airtel managing director Sam Elangalloor congratulated the government for its decision to support installation of the optic fibre cable.
“Tanzania is among a few countries with the information, communication and technology broadband backbone. We are proud of the government for sponsoring the project for the benefit of its people,” he said.
Early this year, a senior government official said that installation of the optic fibre cable would be completed at the end of this year.
The project was launched in 2008 and is expected to cost about 251bn/- upon its completion.
Phase 1 came on stream in July 2010 and covers the northern ring of the network with ten Points of Presence (PoP), which includes Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Singida, Iringa, Babati, Arusha, Namanga, Moshi and Tanga.
Phase 2 of the rollout is expected to be completed by December 2011, and will provide operational PoPs at Lindi, Mtwara, Tunduru, Songea, Sumbawanga, Tabora, Kigoma and Manyovu.
From www.ippmedia.com
Mobile Phone, Cloud Security Issues can Impact IT -says IBM
Apr 1st
- CIO.in
- News
- Mobile Phone, Cloud Security Issues can Impact IT -says IBM
Businesses should know that who figure out how to gain root access to mobile phones are causing trouble. While some phone owners want this type of access so the phones can support manufacturers didn’t intend them to, attackers benefit from jailbreaking toolkits. Attackers can modify the code into a tool to gain unauthorized root access, according to a new report from IBM’s security watchers, “IBM X-Force 2010 Trend and Risk Report.”
OTHER CONCERNS:
“We aren’t seeing a lot of widespread attack activity targeting these vulnerabilities today,” the report says, “because mobile devices likely do not represent the same kind of financial opportunity that desktop machines do for the sort of individuals who create large Internet botnets.”
Even so, individual phones may contain enough valuable information to warrant a targeted attack. “Malicious software on the devices can be used to spy on users, access sensitive information on the phones, and reach back into corporate networks. Therefore, enterprises should take the risk of targeted malware on phones seriously,” the report says.
IBM X-Force recommends a bare minimum of security measures including a firewall, anti-malware, strong passwords, lock-out and data removal after multiple failed logins, use of gateways between devices and the enterprise network, and configuring Bluetooth so devices link only to other safe devices.
Businesses should also consider encryption of sensitive data as it sits on mobile devices. Not all data need be encrypted, but valuable corporate data should, the report says.
A powerful potential source of smartphone malware is legitimate application stores. Without the resources to fully vet all submitted apps, these stores may sell applications that are actually malware. “It is likely that malicious behaviors in what appear to be trustworthy applications may provide an easy vector,” the report says.
Corporations seeking to secure could benefit from technology that allows encapsulating all business-related data and applications separate from personal data and applications within the same phone. Users prefer to carry just one device, and encapsulating business content would support personal use while protecting business data, IBM says.
The report also targets cloud services and notes that cloud security is the greatest hindrance to adopting them, but businesses are increasingly adopting them anyway for at least some of their data and applications. Security need not be foolproof if the risks associated with using the cloud are acceptable. “The question for organizations is not whether the cloud as a whole is secure, but whether the organization is comfortable placing their workload on the cloud,” IBM X-Force says.
Customers naturally need to trust the security offered by cloud providers, but equally understandably the providers are reluctant to give away a blueprint for attackers by revealing what measures are in place. Customers need to trust the providers, but there is no foolproof way to do so, IBM X-Force says.
It is feasible that cloud providers could offer better security than customers could provide themselves due to a lack of resources and expertise. And security services provided from the cloud could help protect corporate networks better than they do themselves, the report says.
At least in the short term, customers need to work out what tolerance they have for risk associated with cloud services and act appropriately, the report says.
Related News
- Security Will Rescue Cloud Computing
- HP Joins the Cloud, But Others Are Ahead
- Forrester: Cloud is Test Bed for Collaboration
- Symantec to Release End-to-End Cloud Management Software
- Google to Let Apps Admins Put the Brakes on Upgrades
Latest News
- 10 Lessons From Angry Birds That Can Make You a Better CIO
- Tighter Security Available to .com sites
- Phishing Attacks Down Dramatically in 2010, says IBM
- Google Adds New Access, Analysis to Web Performance Tool
- IEEE Approves Next WiMax Standard 802.16m
From www.cio.in
