iPhone costume for dogs

iPhone Halloween costume for your dog too. Photo by Gregory Hull on flickr.

[via Gizmodo]

A Red Stiletto Phone

Those of us who subscribe to Shoewawa's feed have just died and gone to heaven. A Stiletto Phone!

Too bad you can't actually wear them... But a perfect gift for shoe lovers.

[via Shiny Shina]

"Crash" and "Accident" : Road safety campaign

From the Czech Republic a great print campaign to promote road safety.

Don't talk over the phone while you drive.

Crash and Accident, the new fragrances for silly people.

[via Adverblog]

Chinese get the message on texting

E-mail has become the new snail mail for many Chinese as they turn to the immediacy of text messages on cellphones and instant messages on personal computers. The Los Angeles Times reports.

"The most affluent and educated use e-mail, but by and large people here rely much more heavily on the shorter, faster and more conversational methods of electronic communication.

E-mail here is treated with the same disdain as the telephone answering machine, said Guo Liang, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

"You won't have a direct response; you have to wait," he said.

China's mania for messaging -- particularly mobile messaging -- is largely a product of how technology developed here. Like other emerging global markets, rural regions of China lacked phones or even a television as recently as two decades ago. The country modernized just as mobile technology was broadly accessible throughout the world.

China is now the world's largest mobile phone market."

Chefi. Interactive Cell Phone Cooking Guide

One of the phone projects from the europrix nominees.

Chefi:

An Israeli student has developed software on a mobile phone to help you with your cooking woes.

Igor Ginzburg came up with the idea of Chefi after being frustrated by being unable to cook. Fed up with constantly having to call someone to come to his aid in the kitchen, he invented an interactive cooking guide.

The mobile phone speaks to the person cooking, and waits for a response before it speaks its next set of instructions.

Watch the video demo.

nip/tuck personalized voice mail - to ruin someone's day

Have a friend who feels bad about his or her body? Exploit that weakness to comic and/or devasting effect with the latest “Send a personalized message” from TV series nip/tuck.

You pick the part of your friend’s body that needs some work (breasts, butt, calves, ears), and doctors Sean McNamara and Christian Troy will handle the rest in a quick, traumatic phone call.

[via Adfreak]

Life Dress® in TV commercial South-Korea

Ann de Gerse's Life Dress gives its wearer the possibility to instantly create a personal space, in which she/he can seclude her/himself from the chaotic surroundings. Watch commercial o YouTube. [via we-make-money-art.com/del.icio.us.regine]

US reporter sends 21,000 texts in a week; wins $5k

Earlier this month CBS4's entertainment reporter Lisa Petrillo accepted a challenge from phone giant Sprint who was trying to find the "Biggest Texter" in South Florida. The winner would receive a check for $5-thousand for their favorite cause. cbs4.com reports.

... "I texted at work, I texted at play, I texted when I was exercising, doing homework with my daughter, and even cooking dinner," said Petrillo. "Seven days and nights of texting, I wasn't alone, lots of people texted me back, I had a huge support system from viewers, friends, and my colleagues at CBS4."

Over the week period, Petrillo sent and received more than 21-thousand text messages to take first place. Tuesday, Sprint awarded Neighbors 4 Neighbors (Petrillo's favorite cause) a check for $5-thousand thanks to Petrillo's big win."

[via SMS Text News]

A $50 Billion Investment to Blanket Africa With Mobile Phones

At the Connect Africa summit, the GSM Association says that the mobile industry plans to invest more than $50 billion in sub-Saharan Africa over the next five years to provide more than 90% of the population with mobile coverage.

[via Cellular News]

Spongebob Squarepant Phone

Spotted on Coolest Gadgets, a Spongebob Squarepants clam-shell phone (landline). How silly is that?.

Can a Google Phone Connect With Carriers?

According to the WSJ, Google plans to unveil within the next two weeks a proposal to bring Google-powered phones to market by the middle of 2008.

"In a move likely to kick off an intense debate about the future shape of the cellphone industry, Google wants to make it easier for cellphone customers to get a variety of extra services on their phones -- from maps to social-networking features to video-sharing. To get its way, however, the search giant will have to overcome resistance from wireless carriers and deal with potentially thorny security and privacy issues.

Google is trying to loosen the grip wireless carriers have over the software and services consumers can access on cellphones. Carriers have considerable clout, especially in the U.S., where they control distribution of phones to consumers through their retail stores."

Another mobile phone costume

Another halloween costume for the mobile minded. Available from buycostumes.com.

Cellphones recycled into Jewellery

Don't be surprised if the next mobile phone you buy is eventually handed back to you as your wedding ring writes The Sydney Morning Herald.

"That's the message conveyed today by the mobile phone industry, which is auctioning off a range of jewellery made solely out of materials that can be recovered from recycled mobile phones.

Designed by jeweller Nic Cerrone, the six-piece range includes a men's ring and necklace, women's necklace, bracelet, earrings and cufflinks.

Rose Read, manager of the mobile phone industry's national recycling program, MobileMuste, said she hoped the move would encourage more people to recycle their old handsets.

... The value of the jewellery up for auction - made from gold, silver and copper - has been estimated between $1608 for the earrings and $7236 for the women's necklace. The male ring has been valued at $2364."

iPhone with diamonds

Spotted on Let's Go Mobile, an iPhone with diamonds.

This Year's Halloween Must: iPhone Costume

[via Neotorama. Watch the video on YouTube]

Verizon offers support to Calif wildfire victims

Verizon has stepped up and offered support for the victims of the recent California wildfires.

The cell phone company has donated $60,000 to the California Red Cross and have also began offering free calling services for affected customers. The phone service includes calls from cell phones and automatic call-forwarding. In addition to the money and call service they have extra employees working to maintain and restore any problem areas.

[via Gagdetell]

Citizen To Debut Watch With E-Mail Alerts

Citizen Watch Co. will release in late November a wristwatch that notifies users when their mobile phone receives an e-mail. Nikkei.net reports.

"The new watch will vibrate and show a designated icon when the user's mobile phone receives incoming e-mails, and then demonstrate up to 70 characters of the e-mail's subject and text. It will come with a color LCD monitor.

The gadget will also feature a remote control function that presses the shutter button of the user's camera phone and turns off the phone's alarm.

Only works though with three new Softbank handsets that use the Bluetooth short-range wireless connectivity standard."

Smexting: Texting while smoking

From Wired Jargon Watch via MobHappy:

Smexting v. Texting while smoking, often outside a bar.

The phenomenon is being spurred by smoking bans, most recently in the UK.

The British mobile carrier Orange reported a surge in texting when the ban went into effect, but the company claims that people were smexting friends who might help them to quit. What are they smoking?

China Chooses Homegrown Mobile Tech for Olympics

China will put its homegrown 3G (third-generation) mobile technology to use during the 2008 Olympic Games, the country's state-owned broadcaster said in a news report. [via PC World]

"... Trials of TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) will be expanded to include the Olympics, but officials offered no hint of when the country plans to issue licenses for 3G services, CCTV reported.

They also offered no hint of whether other 3G technologies will be in use during the Olympics, CCTV said."

AmaznArts@CCC: College uses text speak for new course

North Carolina's Craven Community College is inviting students and members of the community to explore their artistic sides this academic year.

The college is planning a series of three presentations titled “AmaznArts@CCC” - text messaging shorthand for “Amazing Arts at Craven Community College” — which will show students and community members how artists express themselves through various media.

[via Sun Journal]

shirts that will generate electricity when the wearer moves to power cell phones

Power walking may never be the same again. Australian researchers are developing shirts that will generate electricity whenever the wearer moves. The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

"The shirts would directly power mobile telephones, portable music players and other small electrical appliances.

Dr Best, of the CSIRO's Energy Technology Division, predicted the first power shirts - or flexible integrated energy devices - could be developed within five years.

The secret behind the idea involves piezo electrical materials. "Whenever you bend or deform piezo electrical material it creates an electrical charge."

If a shirt could be woven from the fabric, the constant vibration would "produce electricity as you move".

The power would be fed into flexible batteries that would also be woven into the shirt. Appliances, including mobile phones and palm pilots could then be plugged into the shirt.

The technology could revolutionise appliances such as mobile phones. By adding printed flexible circuit boards, they, too, could be woven into clothing.

"We see no reason why you couldn't do that," said Dr Best, saying the day may not be far off when people could make phone calls simply by talking into their collars.

Foreign Ministry to use mobile phones to warn Japanese travelers of danger overseas

Sparked by the recent kidnapping of a Japanese student in Iran, the Foreign Ministry has decided it will start using mobile phones to send e-mail alerts to travelers about danger in foreign countries, the ministry said, reports the Mainichi Daily News.

"Ministry officials hope to have the system operating by the end of the next fiscal year, once it has sorted out issues such as the handling of private information.

... Officials said they plan to make travelers aware of the system by sticking up posters at major international airports and distributing pamphlets. Registration in the system will be free."

Photo of Japanese tourists, on Váci Streetm Budapest fromBudapest Travel Blog

Travelers leave mobiles behind

Travelers want to go green and stay clean in the next year -- and they don't want mobile phones disturbing their peace, according to an annual survey of travel trends, reports Reuters.

"TripAdvisor, a travel Web site, surveyed more than 2,500 travelers globally, finding the top trends were concerns about germs, the growth of green tourism, and opposition to mobile phone use on planes."

Apple Cracks Down on iPhone Resellers By Restricting Sales

According to a post in TechCrunch, Apple has moved to crack down on the resale of iPhones by restricting iPhone sales to two per customer, and limiting purchases to card only.

"Apple has claimed that the move is related to supply, with an Apple spokesman quoted by AP saying that the move was to “ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift.”

The suggestion that there may be supply problems with the iPhone coming up to the peak holiday shopping season may spook the market, however the move is more likely related to the rampant practice of unlocking and exporting the iPhone to countries outside of the United States where the phone is not currently available.

... Apple has sold 1.4 million iPhones to date."

Sprint Caves In, Agrees To Unlock Phones

As part of a proposed settlement to a class-action suit Sprint Nextel has agreed to provide customers with the code necessary to unlock their phones, after they’ve finished the service and paid their bills, reports mocoNews.net.

Sprint won’t have to pay financial damages under the terms of the settlement.

The settlement, which is awaiting final approval by a Superior Court judge in Alameda County, CA, would allow the phones to operate on any CDMA network, including Verizon and Alltel in U.S.

... The company will also add information about the unlocking codes as part of the terms and conditions of service given to new customers and will instruct its customer service representatives on connecting a non-Sprint phone to the Sprint network."

When using a mobile can cost your life

Mobile telephony is a way of life for us - but reports that North Korean officials are stepping up their clampdown on mobile phones put things in perspective. The Guardian reports.

"With the levels of mobile phone ownership at record highs in the UK, most of us take ownership of a phone for granted. Even when you travel around less wealthy places around the world, the mobile is everywhere - and much more important to many people than computers or internet access.

But some places are still a dead zone for the mobile. We've seen recently how the Burmese junta closed down communications, but one prime example is North Korea, where the repressive regime bans mobiles and sends teams to patrol the border with China and catch those who try to use phones illegally.

Many North Koreans who use mobiles to contact the outside world bury them near the border and make calls at prearranged times (here's an illuminating piece from a couple of years ago). It's sobering stuff."

98 Percent of UK Stolen Phones are Blocked by Networks Within 48 Hours

According to a new report published by the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF), "Across all networks, 98 per cent of mobile phones reported stolen are blocked within 48 hours". Wired reports.

"This is achieved by the UK practice of using a phone's unique IMEI number to block it from all networks when reported stolen. The only alternatives for a thief are to sell quickly (in which case the buyer gets shafted) or move the merchandise across the English Channel to Europe. "

According to a new report published by the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF), "Across all networks, 98 per cent of mobile phones reported stolen are blocked within 48 hours". Wired reports.

"This is achieved by the UK practice of using a phone's unique IMEI number to block it from all networks when reported stolen. The only alternatives for a thief are to sell quickly (in which case the buyer gets shafted) or move the merchandise across the English Channel to Europe. "

Mobile phone firms plan to find out what you’re talking about . . . and tell advertisers

The Times Online claims that mobile phone companies have drawn up plans to monitor text messages and voice calls and pass the information to advertisers.

"Companies such as Motorola have developed technology to scan messages for information about where customers are and what they are doing.

They claim that the service would be used only with customers’ consent. But privacy groups had deep concerns about the technology and the potential for phone companies to abuse it.

Under the Motorola plans, software would be installed on mobile phones to search for related words in text messages. If the words “hungry” and “food” were picked up, for example, an advertisement for a local restaurant could be sent to that user.

... The technology is still under development and is currently based around searching text messages, but could also be applied to voice calls, Mr Keller said. Motorola has already started discussions with partners.

To avoid privacy issues the application would be based on an “opt-in” model in which a consumer could sign up in return for cheaper calls."

Hearing on Content Discrimination

The term "network neutrality" never came up in their letter, but Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) called on Senate Commerce Committee chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) to hold a hearing on possible "service discrimination" by cable and telco providers. Broadcasting & Cable reports.

"That came after a number of recent criticisms of Comcast, Verizon Communications and AT&T of how they are managing their networks.

The pair said in a letter to Inouye Friday that the committee needs to determine whether the various actions -- blocking access to text messages and anti-Bush lyrics, for example -- "were based on legitimage business and network-management policies or part of practices that would be deemed unfair and anticompetitive."

Content discrimination was one of the chief concerns of proponents of legislation to mandate so-called network neutrality, which is nondiscrimination by networks against Internet software or services."

Nokia's Flagship Store in China Opening Oct 27

Nokia has announced the grand opening of the first Nokia Flagship Store in Mainland China for October 27. I4U reports.

"This is the first Nokia Flagship store in China and is located in Shanghai. Nokia signed up chinese celebrities for the opening: Hu Yan Bing, VJ Li Chen, An Yu Xuan, Du Cong, and Lian Du.

Located on Nanjing East Road in the most prestigious fashion district and business center of Shanghai, the Nokia Shanghai Flagship Store is front-line attraction, allowing the more than 500,000 consumers who pass by every day to experience the future of mobile life.

More in Press release. flickr Photo via Shangaiist.