September 7, 2008
Family Racks Up $19,370 Cell Phone Bill
A Portland family racked up nearly $20,000 in charges on their AT&T bill after their son headed north to Vancouver and used a laptop with an AirCard twenty-one times to send photos and e-mails back home. The family said they wished they would have received some kind of warning before receiving their chock-full-of-international-fees 200-page bill in the mail for $19,370.
[Slashdot via wftv.com 9]
It could have been (much) worse:
-- Shock at $85k mobile phone bill
-- $62,000 Cell Phone Bill: Data charges for downloading Prison Break abroad
-- $22,000 bill for downloading 4 episoes of "Friends" via Vodafone UK
September 6, 2008
Brave New World of Digital Intimacy
Clive Thompson's article for The New York Times titled "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy" is a must read.
Thompson describes the experience of using Facebook and Twitter and explores several theories about the impact of continuous sharing of daily details, the incessant online contact - what scientist are calling “ambient awareness.
"... Each little update — each individual bit of social information — is insignificant on its own, even supremely mundane. But taken together, over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated portrait of your friends’ and family members’ lives, like thousands of dots making a pointillist painting. This was never before possible, because in the real world, no friend would bother to call you up and detail the sandwiches she was eating. The ambient information becomes like “a type of E.S.P.,” as Haley, a 39-year-old documentation specialist for a software firm who lives in Seattle described it to me, an invisible dimension floating over everyday life"
... The ultimate effect of the new awareness brings back the dynamics of small-town life, where everybody knows your business.
... Psychologists and sociologists spent years wondering how humanity would adjust to the anonymity of life in the city, the wrenching upheavals of mobile immigrant labor — a world of lonely people ripped from their social ties. We now have precisely the opposite problem. Indeed, our modern awareness tools reverse the original conceit of the Internet. When cyberspace came along in the early ’90s, it was celebrated as a place where you could reinvent your identity — become someone new.
“If anything, it’s identity-constraining now,” Zeynep Tufekci, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County told me. >“You can’t play with your identity if your audience is always checking up on you."
[via Smart Mobs]
September 5, 2008
Nokia Sees Market Share Slipping in Third Quarter
Nokia lowered its third-quarter market-share outlook, citing the weak global economy and management's decision to stay out of a handset price war. The company's stock tumbled.
[via WSJ]
Apple rejects fart joke app
According to Pocket-Lint, Apple has rejected a recent iPhone application due to it being of "limited utility to the broad iPhone and iPod touch user community."
"The application, created by Sam at Air-o-Matic.com, was a fart simulator that worked on the classic, never-gets-old "pull my finger" gag.
The developer is currently taking email addresses via the site for those who would like to get hold of the app unofficially:
If you’d like to be the envy of your friends by being one of the only people in the world to be able to summon bodily noises from your iPhone, send us an email and we’ll drop you a line if we figure out a simple ad-hoc delivery method.
You can also join the campaign by clicking on a green button to get Apple to reconsider.
mobile charger pen for mobile phones
A new mobile charger, released by Gadget4all, can add around 100 minutes of charge time. The mobile device, in the shape of a pen - which does work - holds a single AA battery (standard type or rechargeable). The device can then be plugged into a mobile phone when you are on the move, to recharge the handset while you wait.
The device also arrives with five different adaptors to cover most popular mobiles such as Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.
[via Mobile Choice]
KDDI and Kyocera team to release color therapy mobile phone
KDDI and Kyocera have announced the W64SA, a phone that is designed to offer "color therapy" to users via embedded LEDs.
"The light is available in five colors, red, blue, pink, yellow and green. Users can select two colors for illumination, which is displayed when the handset is folded, opened or recharged, etc. The handset is also illuminated when the handset is quickly shaken because the illumination function works in concert with an acceleration sensor."
September 4, 2008
Nobel laureate Yunus blasts Telenor ethics in Bangladesh
Norwegian telecom operator Telenor, which recently tightened ethical procedures in Bangladesh, still has sub-contractors there using child labour, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus charged on Thursday. Channel NewsAsia reports.
"Telenor was forced to review and strengthen its ethical guidelines after Norwegian media last May revealed deplorable conditions for workers, including children as young as 13, who supply antenna towers to GrameenPhone, one of the Norwegian company's subsidiaries in Bangladesh.
"They promised that now it's cleaned up ... So you had hoped that after this lesson they would be very careful ... to make sure that it doesn't happen again, but it happened again," Yunus told the news station TV2 Nyhetskanal.
"They are not showing the kind of efficiency you'd be expecting from a company like Telenor," he added.
Theyre back! Peter Rojas and Ryan Block launch gdgt
gdgt is the new consumer electronics site by Peter Rojas and Ryan Block -- the guys behind Engadget and Gizmodo.
The site is not yet finalized, but in the meantime, you can listen to a weekly podcast.
In their own words: : gdgt weekly, will will run on Fridays. We'll be discussing the goings on of the gadget world, our thoughts on products, listener feedback and questions, and maybe even sharing the occasional tidbit on gdgt as we continue to work toward launch. Listeners of our old show should feel right at home, but we're still looking for your feedback on how to improve it, so feel free to hit us up.
[via engadget]
Mobile phones 'boost school standards'
Schoolchildren should be allowed to use mobile phones in the classroom to boost education standards, according to researchers, reports The Telelgraph.
"Despite fears that mobiles and MP3 players are a huge distraction, it is claimed schools can get the most out of pupils by giving them full-time access to the latest gadgets.
Academics said mobiles could be used for a wide range of educational purposes, including creating short movies, setting homework reminders, recording a teacher reading a poem and timing science experiments.
New-style "smartphones", which can connect to the internet, also allowed pupils to access revision websites, log into the school email system, or transfer electronic files between school and home.
Employing them as part of day-to-day lessons boosts pupils' motivation levels, it was claimed.
The conclusions comes despite high-profile calls from teaching unions for an all-out ban on the use of mobiles in schools."
Related: - 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
Cellphone Tales From Around the World
Cyriac Roeding, a mobile technology expert and enthusiast -- took a 'round-the-world odyssey to see how the rest of the world uses cellphones.
He saw parking meters that talk to phones in New Zealand, teenage text-messaging monks in a Himalayan monastery and cellphone charging stations along the Ganges River in India, right next to a raging funeral pyre.
... Roeding's take on his circumnavigation: "I have known how important mobile is for some time now, but I've got to tell you, I was personally surprised and sometimes shocked at how far the use of mobile goes," he said. "It actually surprised me that mobile is reaching to the very edges of the world."
Full story in The Washington Post.
Beyond the Mobile Hype In Election '08
Following the hoopla about the "first ever VP announcement by SMS" launched by the Democratic party, here's an interesting and thoughtful article by Justin Oberman for techPresident reminding us how mobile phones have been used politically before with a far greater viral reach and, in the end, impact.
Oberman begins with text book case of "the Second People Power Revolution" that occurred in the Philippines in 2001 - whereby the people's text messaging toppled a a government - and follows up with other examples from around the world. And you can find even more examples in this blog's " SMS and Politics" category which has been following the impact of politics and text messaging for nearly ten years.
I'm glad he Justin wrote this paper, I too was irritated by e-mails from marketing managers suggesting I schedule a talk time with their company president to discuss how Obama's text messaging idea was unique and how in the future SMS was to become "a new wave of communications for the political sphere". Sometimes, US marketers lack perspective and a knowledge of history.
September 3, 2008
Apple, AT&T sued for over-saturating 3G network with iPhones
According to Apple Insider, a San Diego-based lawsuit filed late last week alleges that Apple and its carrier partner AT&T have knowingly oversold iPhone 3G, promising fast speeds only to see a glut of customers bog down the network with devices that themselves are flawed.
"...The plaintiff claims that the handset has required too much power. In tandem with the "high volume" of iPhones sold, the sheer signal demand has bombarded AT&T and in many cases kicks users down to the EDGE-based 2G network even when 3G coverage is guaranteed, according to the lawsuit.
... Neither Apple nor AT&T has publicly commented on the lawsuit, which is the second lawsuit in as many weeks concerning the same performance hiccups."
[via Techmeme]
AT&T wireless outage in East - affects mostly iPhones
AT&T Inc.'s wireless data network was down Wednesday morning in parts of the eastern U.S., according to user reports and the company. [via The Washington Times]
"AT&T spokesman Michael Coe said the company was looking into the problem, but could not describe its extent.
Users on various online forums reported outages in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and Missouri.
Voice calls were still possible, but Web surfing and e-mail were not. Most of the outage reports came from iPhone users."
Anjelica Huston stars in latest Orange Spot ad
The latest Orange commercial, starring Anjelica Huston is set in a dimly lit restauraunt, where Huston pitches a movie to the familiar Orange Film Board executives. Brand Republic reports.
"Huston wants to create a film based on the depression suffered by a funeral director's wife.
However, the Orange executives suggest the movie could be made more upbeat by giving people phones to text their friends funny photos of dead people.
Huston joins plethora of Hollywood stars who have starred the Orange Spot series, including Rob Lowe, Snoop Dogg, Ewan McGregor, Steven Seagal, Darryl Hannah, Carrie Fisher and even Darth Vader.
The ad will run in cinemas across the UK from this week and has been designed to remind people to turn their phones off while in the cinema."
EU to cut SMS Roaming Fees by more than 60%
European Union regulators proposed cutting mobile phone text-messaging fees charged when customers travel abroad by more than 60 percent. Bloomberg reports.
"The European Commission will propose that the retail charges for SMS should be capped at 11 euro cents ($0.16), down from an average price of 29 euro cents in the 27- member EU, according to a document obtained by Bloomberg News. Wholesale charges will be capped at 4 cents, the document said. "
September 2, 2008
Republicans, Obama ask supporters to text hurricane relief
Republican National Convention leaders have asked convention attendees to pledge donations to hurricane relief funds via text to the code 2HELP, using the keyword GIVE.
... Barack Obama's campaign could not leave it up to the Republican camp to harness technology for the betterment of the Gulf Coast. The Democratic presidential candidate contacted his cadre of supporters who receive text messages from the campaign, with a text that read, "Barack asks that you give to the Red Cross: give 5 dollars by texting GIVE to 24357 or give more by calling 1-800-435-7669 or at redcross.org/donate. Please fwd."
[via News.com]
Olympics Water Cube Phone
Spotted on Fashion Funky, the Water Cube cell phone inspired by the Water cube building at the Beijing Olympics where Michael Phelps broke all records.
September 1, 2008
Cell Phone Carriers More Prepared for Gustav Than Katrina
The nation’s cell phone carriers said this week they’re more prepared for Hurricane Gustav than they were for Hurricane Katrina. [via About]
"Following Katrina, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless both said this week that they have spent about $140 million in the Gulf Coast states. While AT&T didn’t specify an exact figure, a spokesman for the carrier said the company has spent “hundreds of millions” of dollars in the Gulf area.
Sprint Nextel says it had trucks that doubled as cell phone towers “caravaning down military style” on Friday to various Gulf Coast areas.
Verizon Wireless says it has invested in its emergency preparedness by doubling its switching capacity to manage the flood of calls that light up the networks amid an emergency.
The cell phone carriers have also issued tips for phone users to use surrounding a disaster."
Image from The Huffington Post.
Seven Prisoners Hospitalised After Hiding Mobile Phones in Their Bodies
Pakistan's Prisons Department has carried out a series of sweeps of prisoners at Camp Jail using metal detectors and seized 30 mobile phones which had been hidden in their rectums. Seven of the prisoners had to have medical intervention to remove the phones.
"... The phenomena of prisoners and prison visitors concealing phones and other forbidden items inside their body is fairly commonplace. Hiding phones inside the body is not without its dangers though - and last June, a UK prisoner was admitted to hospital after he hid a mobile phone inside his body and was unable to expel it later. He had to have over 200 internal stitches and the doctors had to remove part of his bladder."
[via Cellular News]
Wireless industry takes on bird-slaughtering cell towers
Up to five million birds a year may die by crashing into cell phone towers at night. After a court order, the wireless industry has been meeting with the FCC to work out the least painful rules for making new transmitter towers avian friendly.
[via ars technica]
August 31, 2008
UN Calls for SMS Campaign on the International Day of Peace
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a call for a worldwide SMS campaign to mark the International Day of Peace, to be observed on 21 September. This year, the International Day of Peace takes on special meaning, as it is also the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
To mobilize people around the world, the United Nations is launching a text messaging campaign
[via Cellular News]
Stuffed Teddy Bear Concept Phone
Spotted on Trends in Japan, a concept phone in the shape of a stuffed teddy bear -that holds a SIM card and enables you to make and receive calls.
It was shown off at the Good Design Expo by mobile provider Willcom.
Ofcom seeks help on mobile rules
The BBC reports that UK Telecom regulator Ofcom "wants help from consumers and industry on areas that need more regulation or where the rules can be loosened.
It is also looking for ideas on how best to extend mobile networks across the entire nation.
The consultation has been prompted by the rising number of complaints lodged with Ofcom about mobile services. "
Zambians use SMS to mourn president's death
A number of SMS codes were set up at radio and television stations in Zambia to allow thousands of people to send text messages mourning the death of President Levy Mwanawasa last August 19. NetworkWorld reports.
"... Mourners were able to send their text messages of condolence to radio and television stations. As stations suspended regular programming to feature reflections on Mwanawasa's life, the messages from mourners ran across television screens and were read aloud on radio."
The Twiller. Using Twitter to write a thriller
Matt Richtel for Bits Blog explains wonderfully how he's using Twitter to write a novel.
"... Recently, a handful of creators (present company included) have scrapped pen and paper for mobile phone and keypad, and started texting their novels — in real time, just a few characters at a time. Our medium is Twitter, a service that lets you broadcast bursts of 140 characters at a time to be read by people who subscribe to get your updates.... The appearance of my story on this new medium has apparently confused some people. But many of my newspaper colleagues write novels. I’ve already published one. This is just an experiment in a new medium.
Plus, it’s a short story with a proverbial long tail — albeit a short, long tail. Only about 400 people are reading the story — a few get added every few days. It’s whatever is the opposite of mass market."
I don’t know if the story will catch much attention, but, then again, it doesn’t require much attention at all."
August 28, 2008
UK telephone booths could be saved by adoption scheme
Thousands of red telephone booths could be "adopted" by local councils after BT reviewed its policy of removing them from the streets, reports The Telegraph.
"They will be able to keep the boxes to maintain the character of the area even if the telephone itself is removed.
BT is offering two schemes to the local authorities. One is the adopt-a-kiosk, where councils can pay £1 for the red boxes to be maintained, although they will no longer have phone equipment inside them.
Another is sponsor-a-kiosk, where the councils will be charged a fee of £500 annually towards the running and maintenance of the phone boxes. This applies to all phone boxes, not just the classic red design."
Daily Mail tries to lure users with free international texts
Following the launch of their MailTXT texting service earlier this year, UK's Daily Mailhas now announced that new users will get 50 free international SMS messages to any phone when they sign up.
The intention of the scheme is to ‘build a more interactive relationship with its readers’, a press release said.
[via Journalism.co.uk]
Italians to get SMS guide to cheaper food
Italian consumers struggling to make ends meet will get help from their mobile phones next month when he government starts sending text messages to tell them where to buy cheap food. [via Reuters]
"The Agriculture Ministry has joined forces with a number of Italian consumer groups to set up a free-of-charge SMS service to provide information about prices of 84 food products and nearby farmers markets.
With the new service, shoppers could send a text message with a single word, for example "bread", to a free number to get information about prices, the ministry said."
