Stun gun disguised as cellphone

According to Stuff, Police investigating reports of a drunken youth in Melbourne's west uncovered a stun gun disguised as a cellphone.

Police say the device, found last Thursday and acquired from overseas, looked like a cellphone but had a stun gun attached to it. The phone/stun gun, branded as the Immobiliser, can be bought online for US$51 (NZ$78) but the manufacturer warns that they are illegal in Australia. The weapons is a 900k-volt stun gun in the shape of mobile.

Previously: - A Cell Phone Stun Gun permalink (July 21st, 2009)

iPhone apps glamorise gun culture

The BangBang application which turns the Apple iPhone into a toy gun has caused outrage among UK anti-gun campaigners, reports Metro.

The app enables any iPhone or iPod Touch user to transform their handset into a mock firearm. Makers of the app boast it allows users to "experience the sweet release you can only get from a finely crafted firearm – a firearm so smooth and well-balanced it feels like an extension of your own hand". Apple is said to have no immediate plans to withdraw the applications, although the company did agree to remove the Slasher game last year after consumer pressure. Slasher mimicked a stabbing sequence, using a knife in a similar way to the guns on the Bang Bang series.

It's actually scary how many gun apps are available from the app store. A "gun" search in iGoApps yields 118 answers - nearly 100 of them are gun sounds. Three of which were added only yesterday. Above, from left to right: Bang! Bang! ActionSound Armory Gun Fight iSounds Machine Gunes & Rifles permalink (April 1st, 2009)

Bang! Bang! turns your iPhone into a gun

The Bang! Bang! iPhone app recreates the sound of a single firearm using authentic Hollywood special effects from Oscar-winning sound designers. You even hold it like a real gun. But before shooting, disengage the weapon safety swtich. In their own words: Bang!Bang! - Like Cops and Robbers...with style. [via Gizmodo] permalink (March 2nd, 2009)

A Nokia Gun Phone. Maybe.

A Nokia gun phone. Maybe. [via The Raw Feed] Related links to other cell phone guns permalink (December 26th, 2008)

Cell Phone Gun Appears On FOX News

As reported on Fox News, an talian police officer recently seized a cell phone gun, which "can hold four bullets and is powerful enough to kill somebody." [via TecheBlog] permalink (November 25th, 2008)

Man makes cell-phone activated stun gun to punish bike thieves

boingboing has posted a video of "a shirtless inventor who explains how he made a cell-phone activated stun gun to administer a shock to bike thieves". permalink (July 16th, 2008)

The (toy) phone gun

Spotted on Just Another Mobile Phone Blog, a toy phone gun. Listen and talk by placing the gun to your head. Good grief. permalink (June 8th, 2008)

SMS Alert Used In NY College Following Gunman Arrest

Students at John's University in New York were warned about a man walking onto the campus with a loaded rifle 16 minutes after he had done so. "Without the university’s effective planning and its community’s cooperation, this situation could have concluded quite differently,” said New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. The first alert was sent after the gunman was apprehended, so it’s unlikely the outcome would have been very different. However, it does demonstrate the usefulness of SMS as a mass communication tool, and the main benefit would have been to keep people informed and prevent rumors running riot in the campus. The number of students enrolled in the alert program more than tripled from 2100 to 6,500, out of 20,000 students, following the incident." [via MocoNews] permalink (October 1st, 2007)

Phones, Guns and Photocopies

A poster for a store which sells phones, guns and makes photocopies. How weird is that? A Flickr post spotted on Tom Hume permalink (August 24th, 2007)

Cell Phone Stun Gun

Not all cell phones are used for calling, texting or taking pictures. This one does none of the above, but can shock someone silly. The Cell Phone stun gun is a powerful self defense weapon. Designed to accurately resemble an actual cell phone but, emits a powerful 800K volts with the press of a button. [via UneasySilence Other Defender Phones: -- Retro Cell Phone Stun Gun -- TBO-Tech's Cell Phone Stun Gun -- The Defenderfone permalink (April 3rd, 2007)

Retro Cell Phone Stun Gun

We've written about cellphone stun guns before, but this one is a retro model. It made TechEBlog's Top 10 Strangest Retro-Styled Gadgets list. [via digg] Related: -- A Cell Phone Stun Gun -- The Defenderfone permalink (July 4th, 2006)

Police warn officers about cell phone guns

The New York Police Department has warned officers to watch out for a type of rare custom-made pistol, disguised as a cell phone, according to a news flash from Staten Island's silive.com. "Federal authorities have been issuing warnings about the specially made .22 caliber handgun since at least 2000, when several were recovered by law enforcement authorities in Europe. The weapons, which use a spring-wound percussion system to fire up to four .22 caliber bullets, have continued to surface occasionally overseas. Apparently, a video of the pistol in action has circulated widely on the Internet. You can view video here. Previous post in 2004. Time magazine reported that cell-phone guns were a security threat at airports in U.S. Related, sort of: -- Pepper Spray gun disguised as cell phone -- A Cell Phone Stun Gun permalink (May 18th, 2006)

Gunmetal Motorola PEBL Given to Oscar Nominees

mobiledia has the scoop on this year's Motorola cell phone gift to the Oscar nominees. "A special-edition PEBL phone in a gunmetal color finish. Recipients will also receive Motorola's new H700 Bluetooth headset and three months of T-Mobile wireless service. Click here for a picture of the phone, sort of. Last year Motorola gave nominees the Black RAZR." permalink (February 15th, 2006)

'Gunfight' text message brings police to school

A student initiated a text message at a Tempe High School in Arizona, reporting a rumor or of a gunfire to break out on campus; "If you have friends at Marcos, tell them to be safe Friday. . . . A gunfight may break out, and some people may die.". The message spread like wildfire from there. Police are not pursuing any criminal charges against the student, Masters said, though school officials say he faces 10 days of suspension to expulsion. [via the Arizona Republic] permalink (December 16th, 2005)

Pepper Spray gun disguised as cell phone

A Korean company has come up with a pepper spray gunshaped like cell phone. "Just pull off the antenna and press the button after holding the handset in the correct position and you will have sprayed the attacker with the spray. Additionally the user can also set the device to emit a loud ringing panic alarm to get help". [via Aving.net via Phoneyworld] permalink (October 31st, 2005)

A Cell Phone Stun Gun

Cellphones are carried by almost everyone these days. No one will think that yours is actually a non lethal self defense weapon. Made by TBO-Tech. [via pasta & vinegar] In their own words: The Cell Phone Stun Gun incorporates its unique design to give you a tactical advantage. Personal Alarm and 180,000 volt stungun with case. Choose from either navy blue or pearl silver and the cell phone stun gun comes with a free genuine leather carrying case. It also has a safety switch to prevent accidental discharge. Uniquely designed right into a regular cellphone body so there's no question of how it looks. It's authentic! Just don't let anyone make a phone call!" permalink (April 25th, 2005)

Man jailed for 'mobile phone' gun

A man has been jailed for five years in the UK after firing live rounds from a gun disguised as a mobile phone. [via itv.com] permalink (March 11th, 2005)

Maoists shun gun for mobiles in Nepal poll campaign

For 10 years, Nepal's Maoist guerrillas waged a bitter "people's war." Now they are waging an election battle -- with mobile phones. Reuters reports. " With a peace deal in place and elections planned next month, Maoists say they have started using text messages to win voters after the election commission enforced a ban on putting up posters, banners and slogans in public places. The Apr. 10 elections are a key part of the 2006 peace deal which ended a decade-long Maoist civil war that killed more than 13,000 people. .. Maoist activist Deep Sikha said he had already sent about 5,000 text messages to prospective voters requesting for their support for his party. "Nepal now has about 2.5 million mobile connections among its 26 million people. SMS are being sent to voters by other members throughout the country," Sikha said." permalink (March 27th, 2008)

Cellphone Deflects Gunshot - Saves Life

A man survived a shooting earlier this week in Coloroda, thanks in part to his cellphone - which slowed and deflected the bullet when it struck him. "Despite being shot in the chest Tuesday, the hospital released him, saying he was in good condition. "It hit me in the cell phone, went through the cell phone, and projected down and grazed me," said Baxter. Baxter had the phone in his left shirt pocket, over his heart. Police say the two people involved in the shooting of were 14 and 15 years old." [9News.com via Cellular News] permalink (May 31st, 2007)

Politics, Iraqi Style: Slick TV Ads, Text Messaging and Gunfire

It is democracy, but in a distinctly Iraqi style. This country is in the final days of a campaign that is at once more ruthless and more sophisticated than anything yet seen here. NYTimes reports. "Candidates have been killed, even as slick television spots run throughout the day, showing office-seekers who soberly promise to defeat terrorism and revive the economy. Cellphone users routinely get unexpected text messages advertising one candidate or another. permalink (December 11th, 2005)

Mobile phones to turn into golf clubs and toy guns in Japan

Following South Korea's Pantech launch of what was advertised as the world's first motion-recognition mobile phone, now subway commuters could get more energetic in Japan through a new motion-sensitive mobile telephone equipped with games that will let people on the move practise their golf swings or shoot up monsters, reports the AFP. "The local branch of British mobile giant Vodafone on Monday unveiled the V603SH, billed as the first phone in Japan to respond to movements, which will let users perform basic mobile functions through programmed shakes and jerks. The handset can be used as a golf club. Users look back at the screen to see how well they putted." The V603SH also lets users watch television on a liquid crystal display screen that can rotate 180 degrees. Related article: -- Cell phone gaming: Shake the Phone . KTF announced January the launch of a Motion Pack service that enables users to play mobile games by shaking the phone, without manipulating a keypad. -- Japanese Phone Responds to Shakes. Tired of pushing all those buttons on your cell phone? Japanese handsets slated to hit stores next month are designed to solve that problem: They respond to shakes, tilts and jiggles.without manipulating a keypad. The sensor, made by Aichi Steel Corp., not only detects the direction toward which the cell phone is moving but also the speed and force with which it's being jerked around. This makes for new kinds of gaming fun. (AP) permalink (January 31st, 2005)

The secrets on your smartphone

Hang on to your handset ... smartphones are a goldmine of information for thieves, writes The Sydney Morning Herald.

... While many mobile-phone SIM cards might contain contacts and texts deleted from years ago, experts agree that it is the vastly improved data and storage capacity of the new generation of smartphones that presents the most potent risk to their owners. ... “It may not be what's recoverable from the phone that is valuable but what can be further discovered online, by ringing around and using the easily accessible information,” Kim Khor, director of Khor Wills & Associates says. Mobile phone forensics comprise an important part of crime detection and corporate security, but they are increasingly playing a role for private detectives investigating marital or work disputes.

Read full article. Related: -- Mobile forensics turns up heat on suspects - How forensic science is developping new tools to investigate cell phone data - even when deleted - and solve crimes. -- Fighting Crime With Cellphones' Clues - Extracting clues and leads from mobile electronics is no cakewalk. -- Cellphone Forensics at Crime Scenes - Logicube has developed a portable kit which can extract data from over 160 handset when needed by the police and forensic staff. --Digital evidence is increasingly crucial to criminal investigations - Cell phones have become the new "smoking gun" for prosecutors and police in the Twin Cities and around the world. -- UK police making Gil Grissom jealous... - The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has developed a mobile laboratory which will travel to crime scenes and carry out real-time forensic investigation and analysis. -- The field of Cell Phone Forensics - Modern detectives are now using cell phone forensics to capture more and more criminals. -- Police turn forensic skills on handhelds - Handhelds are likelier to lead to handcuffs for techie criminals following the release of a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. -- Mobile phone forensics 'hole' reported - Police investigations are being hindered by the use of proprietary mobile phone technologies, say forensics experts permalink (November 21st, 2009)

India. Most Indians buy cars based on mobile phone advertisements

Car makers like Maruti, Hyundai, Tata Motors and others have begun advertising heavily through cellphones which is generating higher buying decisions among Indians this year compared to global buyers. The Economic Times reports.

The mobile phone advertisements constitute 31% of buying decisions among Indians while globally this is only 8% according to the latest estimates from Carsonline.

permalink (November 14th, 2009)

Palm invites app proposals ahead of store launch

Handset manufacturer Palm is to launch its app store in September and has begun accepting submissions from developers, reports NMA.

Palm, which has signed an exclusive deal with O2 to distribute its flagship Palm Pre phone later this year, has called for both free and paid-for apps to be submitted for consideration. The Palm App Catalog will go head to head with rival app stores including Apple’s App Store and Nokia’s Ovi.

permalink (August 21st, 2009)

"Exploding" iPhones in Europe prompt Apple-led investigation

Following various reports of exploding iPhones and iPod touches, Apple has reportedly informed the European Commission that it has begun a probe into the matter. [via Apple Insider] permalink (August 18th, 2009)

Police seeking texters' tips

More than 100 Police Department and law enforcement agencies accross the nation accept anonymous tips by text message, reports The Chicago Tribune.

... Authorities stress that emergencies should be reported by calling 911, but from Boston to Los Angeles, police departments and other agencies have begun taking tips via text message. Chicago residents have been text-messaging tips to police since September. This year, police have received 341 tips that led to eight arrests, according to Officer Michael Fitzpatrick.

Read full article. permalink (July 19th, 2009)

For Uganda's poor, a cellular connection

More than a third of Uganda's population, about 10 million people own a cell phone - a counry where only 10 percent of the population has electricity - and many more have access to these phones through family members and neighbors. Cell phones can be found in every desolate corner of the countryside, where 85 percent of the country's residents live. With the dire need to be connected, people go to great lengths to use cell phones, charging them with car batteries or solar chargers. Several nonprofits have begun thinking that the best way to reach the country's poor and get them much needed information is through their phones.

Read full article in Cnet news. permalink (July 14th, 2009)

Mobile Phone Thieves Have Hand and Foot Amputated by Court Order

In Somalia's capital, the radical Islamist al-Shabab militia amputated a hand and a foot each from four young men accused of stealing guns and mobile phones. [via Cellular News].

In front of a crowd of hundreds at an al-Shabab camp in the north of Mogadishu, militiamen cut off the right hand and left foot of the four suspected thieves. An al-Shabab leader, Ali Mohamed Hussein, spoke at the scene of the punishment. "The four men had already been sentenced," he said. "Each had his right hand and left foot cut off. We are implementing sharia law. We sentenced these men after confirming that they robbed people in Mogadishu."

permalink (June 26th, 2009)

Twitter used for DoS Attacks in Iran

Over the past few days, news media reports have described how Twitter is being used by ordinary Iranians to receive and broadcast real-time information on the political unrest in the country after recent elections. The New York Times reports.

But a still developing and less benign use of Twitter in Iran has been its application in denial-of-service attacks against key government officials, including those affiliated with President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. ... Tweets have begun circulating that allow users to target a Web site that will eventually be overcome by simply clicking on the embedded URL in the message. As soon as a user hits the page, as many as 24 frames open up simultaneously and refresh continuously, causing a DoS attack against the 24 separate Web sites. A Cyberwar guide for Iran elections reposted on BoingBoing exhorts would-be cyber warriors to be careful about using Twitter to launch such DoS attacks.

Read full article. permalink (June 22nd, 2009)

Well-dressed bank robbery suspect foiled by text

A man wearing a suit and driving a BMW tried to rob a Boston-area bank at gunpoint but was foiled when an employee texted another branch for help, police said Tuesday, reports Cellular News.

Delroy George Henry, 34, of Boston, walked into a Citizens Bank just as it opened Tuesday and pulled a pellet gun on employees. Henry pretended to be withdrawing money from an ATM then forced his way in the bank when an employee walked inside and ordered employees to try to open the locked vault, Nedder said. In the confusion, one of the workers sent a text message to the manager at the nearby Norwood branch, who alerted police. Officers working a road detail just 100 yards away responded within seconds and arrested Henry as he left the bank.

permalink (June 17th, 2009)

China take steps to deal with SMS spam messages

China will limit the number of messages that a mobile number can send per day to battle rampant spam messages clogging cell phones, state media said on Friday. Reuters reports.

Spam messages, largely consisting of real estate offers, ads for English lessons, fake tax receipts and other frauds have grown very quickly in China in recent years. It is not unusual to receive dozens of messages a day, including the odd gun ad. One mobile number cannot send more than 200 messages per hour or 1,000 per day on weekdays, according to the agreement. On holidays, 500 messages per hour and 2,000 per day may originate from one number.

Image from Media Shift PBS. permalink (June 12th, 2009)

North Korea launches Internet mobile phone service

North Korea has begun a limited State Internet service for mobile phone users, a state website reported Friday, five months after the secretive communist state launched a third-generation network. Information available is news from the official Korean Central News Agency and other content. [via Yahoo Tech. Image from Radio Free Asia] permalink (May 25th, 2009)

Daughter Uses Cellphone GPS to Find Mother Cheating, Father Kills All Kids

A man and his oldest daughter used the GPS locator feature on the wife's phone to track her down and discovered she was cheating. That night, the man shot his five kids ages 7 to 16, most of them in their beds, then turned the gun on himself. [via Gizmodo] permalink (April 8th, 2009)

The iPhone gold rush

Another iPhone developer success story from The New York Times.

Ethan Nicholas who worked on the Java development team at Sun came with "iShoot" which was released into the app store on October 19. When he checked his account with Apple to see how many copies the game had sold, Nicholas's jaw dropped: On its first day, iShoot sold enough copies at $4.99 each to net him $1,000. He and Nicole were practically "dancing in the street," he said. The second day, his portion of the day's sales was about $2,000. On the third day, the figure slid down to $50, where it hovered for the next several weeks. "That's nothing to sneeze at, but I wondered if we could do better," Nicholas said. In January, he released a free version of the game with fewer features, hoping to spark sales of the paid version. It worked: iShoot Lite has been downloaded more than 2 million times, and many people have upgraded to the paid version, which now costs $2.99. On its peak day--Jan. 11--iShoot sold nearly 17,000 copies, which meant a $35,000 day's take for Nicholas. "That's when I called my boss and said, ?We need to talk,' " Nicholas said. "And I quit my job." ... But for every iShoot, which earned Nicholas $800,000 in five months, "there are hundreds or thousands who put all their efforts into creating something, and it just gets ignored in the store," said Erica Sadun, a programmer and the author of "The iPhone Developer's Cookbook."

Read full article. Related: -- iPhone apps glamorise gun culture and anger UK anti-gun campaigners -- Bang! Bang! turns your iPhone into a gun -- App Store millionaires share their secrets permalink (April 6th, 2009)

Google shows off Gmail mobile Web app

Google is planning mobile app versions of its Web-based e-mail service, Gmail. Vic Gundotra, who leads Google's mobile software and developer relations efforts, showed a version running on an iPhone and on a phone using Google's Android operating system. [via News.com] permalink (April 6th, 2009)

Citizens Advised to Delete Walmart Hoax Text Message

According to MSNBC, law enforcement authorities in Arkansas and around the country are urging residents to relax - to pay no attention to a phony text message that has recently begun to resurface across the southeastern United States.

The text message claims that there will be a gang initiation at aWal-Mart store sometime this week that may possibly involve a shooting or other serious criminal activity. The message states that it is from "police" and is a warning for "women." ... Anyone receiving such a message should simply delete it. Individuals are discouraged from forwarding such misinformation to others.

permalink (March 22nd, 2009)

Google advertising appearing in iPhone applications

VentureBeat has spotted Google Ads on iPhone applications. Specifically on restaurant review app and Urbanspoon and they believe in another application, Backgrounds.

Urbanspoon creator Ethan Lowry confirmed that his company and Google have just begun testing these ads. It's still too early to say how Google's offering compares to those of other mobile application developers, but Lowry says that integration was relatively easy. When you click on an ad, you’re directed to a webkit view of information about the advertiser within the application. Then you can go to the advertiser’s web page. In the screenshot, you can see an ad for a Mediterranean restaurant. The ads don’t seem to be working very well, though. They’re not targeted to the right city in some instances we’ve seen.

permalink (March 18th, 2009)

Somalia’s Text Message Insurgency

Somalia’s Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab is a fiercely secretive and ruthless organisation with alleged links to al-Qaeda. The Somalian Press reports.

The leaders of the group - which has taken over swathes of central and southern Somalia - are unknown to their subordinates. The middle lieutenants get their orders through text messages, or phone calls from recognised voices, giving them proof the instructions are coming from the right person. The emirs are said to use text messaging systems daily. The mid-ranking emirs and foot soldiers are given prepaid phone cards to carry out their day-to-day operations. Text messages are also used to threaten those al-Shabab believes oppose them. Anyone who ignores these warnings is likely to receive a visit from the gunmen.

permalink (March 17th, 2009)

Twitterer catches home invader with his pants down

When a stranger broke into Silicon Valley executive David Prager's house yesterday, he did not call police or reach for a gun - he logged on to Twitter and set up a live video stream. The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Prager, co-founder of internet TV start-up Revision3, tweeted at 3am that a "random dude just walked into my bathroom and I can't believe I haven't freaked out". He wrote that he suspected the man was in his 20s and was either homeless, drunk or sleepwalking - or all three. The smell of body odour confirmed Prager's suspicions. Prager wrote 15 Twitter posts over about an hour before finally deciding to confront the man. He put on his shoes and picked up a weapon. "Debating calling cops but just feel it's not needed for some reason," he wrote. In true geeky web 2.0 style, Prager set up a live video stream via Ustream.tv and his followers watched while he dragged the man - who had passed out - from his bathroom. The video, which has now been published on YouTube in two parts (aprt one, part twp), shows Prager escorting the man, who by then was not wearing pants, out of his apartment. But before they reached the door the man collapsed on Prager's bed.

permalink (March 15th, 2009)

Weekly round up of iPhone apps featured in textually blogs

A round up of iPhone apps featured this week in textually blogs: TEXTUALLY ELIZA AI is your virtual chatbot therapist. Amazon’s Kindle App went live this week. Use your iPhone to hail a cab An 'emotional networking' drawing App to share with the world. Making your iphone sound like a gun. The Ralph Lauren app updates to version 2.0 with new collections. Some useful of apps for knitting. WATCHING TV ONLINE Watchmen app launched in time for movie release. permalink (March 6th, 2009)

111 texts on the way in New Zealand

According to stuff, New Zealand police could soon let people text in an emergency instead of calling 111.

A new system which police have asked suppliers to provide costings on could also be used to send mass emergency messages, such as warning of a gunman on the loose, or find a person by tracking the source of their cellphone signal. Police spokeswoman Philippa Sargent said it was not always practical for people to dial 111 for help, such as when a person was unable to hear, or in a situation where speaking would put them in danger. Other features could include the ability to automatically analyse messages and prompt the sender for additional information such as their location, and the ability to assist with interpretation of text language. The public could also send texts or pictures to police in non-emergency situations, including "for the purposes of reporting crime in an anonymous or tipoff way, or because it is more convenient".

permalink (March 1st, 2009)

Student Arrested For Classroom Texting

A 14-year-old Wisconsin girl who refused to stop texting during a high school math class was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, according to police. The student was issued a criminal citation for disorderly conduct, which carried "a bail of $298," and had her phone confiscated. [The Smoking Gun via Gizmodo] permalink (February 18th, 2009)

UK Police make new mobile checks

UK Police forces are being equipped with a new generation of data extraction devices to accelerate the downloading of pictures, personal information and numbers from seized mobile phones. The Guardian reports.

The hand-held machines can override password protection systems and are increasingly being used by hi-tech crime units and intelligence agencies. Their spread, however, has raised concern from the human rights groups Liberty about the potential for intrusive searches and prompted the Information Commssioner's Office to warn about the need for appropriate security safeguards. Drug dealers and paedophiles have used untraceable handsets to disguise trading. Terrorists have used them to detonate bombs remotely. ... The Information Commissioner's Office said it was not opposed to the use of such equipment for the detection and prevention of crime. but warned that "proper safeguards" should be in place to ensure that information was not abused.

Related: -- Mobile forensics turns up heat on suspects - Forensic science is developping new tools to investigate cell phone data - even when deleted - and solve crimes. -- Fighting Crime With Cellphones' Clues - Extracting clues and leads from mobile electronics is no cakewalk. -- Cellphone Forensics at Crime Scenes - Logicube has developed a portable kit which can extract data from over 160 handset when needed by the police and forensic staff. --Digital evidence is increasingly crucial to criminal investigations - Cell phones have become the new "smoking gun" for prosecutors and police in the Twin Cities and around the world. -- UK police making Gil Grissom jealous... - The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has developed a mobile laboratory which will travel to crime scenes and carry out real-time forensic investigation and analysis. -- The field of Cell Phone Forensics - Modern detectives are now using cell phone forensics to capture more and more criminals. -- Police turn forensic skills on handhelds - Handhelds are likelier to lead to handcuffs for techie criminals following the release of a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. -- Mobile phone forensics 'hole' reported - Police investigations are being hindered by the use of proprietary mobile phone technologies, say forensics experts. permalink (February 10th, 2009)

Bling campaign targets criminals

In a scheme that from a distance sounds like innocent people could get hurt from ill intended denunciations, a police campaign targeting people living lavish lifestyles has begun in Sussex. The premise is to catch people who live on the proceeds of crime and money laundering. The BBC reports.

Crimestoppers and Sussex Police joined forces for the campaign called "Too Much Bling, Give Us a Ring". People are urged to report their suspicions about apparently wealthy people with no legitimate income. ... Police's money laundering investigation team, said: "Members of the public are sick and tired of seeing people with no legitimate income living a lavish lifestyle and this is their opportunity to do something about it."

permalink (January 19th, 2009)

Apple Allows 3rd Party Web Browsers into App Store

Over the past 24 hours, Apple has begun to approve 3rd party web browsing applications for the iPhone. A number of new web browsing apps have suddenly appeared with original submission dates ranging as far back as October. [MacRumors via TechMeme]

While Apple has made no official acknowledgements, it appears these applications were likely in a special queue awaiting for approval. We had seen a similar "group" delays with other categories of apps. The most notable example involved flatulence applications such as Pull My Finger and iFart Mobile. Once Apple decided to allow the category within the App Store, a backlog of apps quickly appeared.

permalink (January 14th, 2009)

Mobile phones jammed near bank ATM

A Tokyo area bank has begun installing devices that jam cell phone signals in order to prevent elderly citizens from becoming victims of phone fraud. Swindlers have been targeting seniors, telling them to go to the bank and all the while stay on the line while withdrawing money at cash dispensers. Now a Chiba prefecture bank is the first to use mobile-phone signal blockers near its ATMs. [via Digital World Tokyo] permalink (December 10th, 2008)

Can You Hear Me Now?

Do you remember the controversy a while back when British shopkeepers started using a "teen repellent" to deter loiterers with an unbearable, piercing sound audible only to those under the age of 20? Well, that technology is back. Only this time it's in the hands of the younguns. Or, at least, it will be if the folks at Fanta are successful with their latest campaign. YPulse reports.

Over in the UK the Coca-Cola owned soft-drink brand is launching a mobile app that uses the same high-pitched frequencies issued by the so-called "Mosquito," only in this application the sounds are supposed to create a teen language with wolf whistles,"pssts," and warnings that are tagged to words or phrases such as "cool," "uncool" and ""let’s get out of here."

permalink (December 5th, 2008)

SMS Revenues To Decline In Western Europe

SMS was Western Europe's biggest mobile data services revenue generator in 2007 raking in 16.42 billion, writes Moco News, but operators are keen to push MMS and mobile instant messaging, as SMS revenues begin to decline. "According to research group Frost and Sullivan, SMS revenues have already begun falling, and will continue to drop 2.9 percent from 2007-2011, bringing in 14.59 billion in revenue. In comparison, MMS and other data applications generated 7.40 billion in revenues in 2007, but is predicted to grow to 24.28 billion in 2011. The growth, though, will depend on whether European operators can resolve interconnectivity issues, as well as cutting MMS charges." permalink (September 30th, 2008)

Other Headlines From Textually Blogs

Latest headlines from around the Web: WatchingTVOnline.net -- Mad Men Illustrated -- Finland College. 'YouTube' gunman kills 10 in shooting spree -- Study: Series TV showing more gays, lesbians Picturephoning.com -- 9 Megapixel Module for Cameraphones Launched -- Chinavasion Projector Phone -- CBS Turns iPhones Into Newsgathering Devices Ringtonia.com -- Grooves in musical road sing tune -- Large Hadron Collider Rap Ringtone A Big Hit permalink (September 23rd, 2008)

Phone a friend in exams

A Sydney girls' school is redefining the concept of cheating by allowing students to "phone a friend" and use the internet and i-Pods during exams. The Sydney Morning Herald reports. "Presbyterian Ladies' College at Croydon is giving the assessment method a trial run with year 9 English students and plans to expand it to all subjects by the end of the year. ... An English teacher, Dierdre Coleman said her students were being encouraged to access information from the internet, their mobile phones and podcasts played on mp3s as part of a series of 40-minute tasks. But to discourage plagiarism, they are required to cite all sources they use. "In terms of preparing them for the world, we need to redefine our attitudes towards traditional ideas of 'cheating'," Ms Coleman said. "Unless the students have a conceptual understanding of the topic or what they are working on, they can't access bits and pieces of information to support them in a task effectively. "In their working lives they will never need to carry enormous amounts of information around in their heads. What they will need to do is access information from all their sources quickly and they will need to check the reliability of their information." ... International education consultant, Marc Prensky threw out the following challenge to educators in a British Educational Communications and Technology Agency publication: "What if we allowed the use of mobile phones and instant messaging to collect information during exams, redefining such activity from 'cheating' to 'using our tools and including the world in our knowledge base'? "Our kids already see this on television. 'You can use a lifeline to win $1 million,' said one. 'Why not to pass a stupid test?' I have begun advocating the use of open phone tests ... Being able to find and apply the right information becomes more important than having it all in your head." permalink (August 20th, 2008)