iPhone market share at 19 percent in 1Q

According to The Washington Post, the iPhone took 19.2 percent of the U.S. market for "smart" phones in the first quarter of 2008, according to research firm IDC's vendor survey. Not bad.

Usher Becomes Sony Ericsson Spokesman

Billboard announced yesterday Usher has inked a deal with Sony Ericsson to became the spokesman for the company’s new Walkman music phone to be released later this year. Blend Music reports.

"AT&T customers will have “access to exclusive content, contests to meet Usher on a video shoot and the chance to win VIP tickets for the artist's North American tour later this year.” "

What lies beneath

Some gadgets are infected when they leave the factory. Jordan Robertson reports in a scary article for The Sydney Morning Herald.

"From iPods to navigation systems, some of today's hottest gadgets are landing on store shelves with some unwanted extras - pre-installed viruses that steal passwords, open doors for hackers and make computers spew spam.

Recent cases include some of the most widely used tech devices: Apple iPods, digital picture frames and navigation gear.

In most cases, Chinese factories - where many companies have turned to keep prices low - are the source."

China Telecom Market Loses $968 million on Quake

China's telecommunications industry has lost about $968 million because of damages stemming from the country's strongest earthquake in 58 years, a government official said. Bloomberg reports.

"As of 3 p.m. yesterday, eight people working for telecommunications companies died, 69 were injured and 34 are still missing after the earthquake, Zhao Zhiguo, deputy director of the regulatory department at the Ministry of Industry and Information said in an Internet broadcast today.

The earthquake has caused about $29 billion in economic losses for companies operating in the area surrounding Sichuan, according to government estimates. The damage may push up prices of materials needed for reconstruction, threatening to exacerbate inflation, currently near a 12-year ".

Hong Kong joins iPhone rollout

Hutchison Telecommunications has secured the iPhone rights for Hong Kong and Macau, according to The South China Morning Post via MacUser.

Study Shows U.S. Economy Gets Major Boost from Wireless Broadband

CTIA, The Wireless Association released a new study that reveals the massive positive impact wireless broadband technology is having on the United States economy.

The independent report projects the total value of wireless broadband and mobile voice services to exceed $427 billion by the year 2016, and additional benefits to the Gross Domestic Product of $860 billion over the next ten years.

More in Press release.

Christie's Sends Art Auction Alerts

Art auctioneers Christies is using Clickatell's SMS platform to inform customers about soon to be released auction items of interest-such as masterpieces by Picasso and Van Gogh-and pricing updates prior to and during auctions.

Clients can track specific lots that they are interested in, and receive email or text alerts before those items come up for auction, so that they can bid.

[via 160characters.org]

Ringtones.org sells for $ 120,000

Moniker announced details of the auction, which took bids in person and remotely through the SnapNames Live online auction platform,

Overall, 105 domains were sold as the auction brought in an average sale price over $24,000 during the four hour event.

RingTones.org sold for $120000.

[via WHIR]

Inazip targets mobile marketing to restaurants

Inazip.com offers affordable, easy-to-use mobile marketing software that helps businesses increase campaign response and effectiveness.

They mostly target mobile marketing solutions to restaurants. Letting them send VIP offers to their clients, letting patrons use their phone to be notified when their table is ready, or to instantly check how long UNTIL the table is ready, etc.

From one of their clients: We sent 431 people a text message on Tuesday, January 29th and had a total sales day of $3,500.00. The week before, our sales were only $1,500 for the day. Unbelievable!!!" - Mike Cheves, Owner, Kristies Bar and Gril

Fatal bandwidth: 6 cell tower deaths in 5 weeks

There’s a price to pay for the wireless networks we take for granted. Fortune reports.

"... Falls from high towers are not unheard of in this business. But for more than four months — between Dec. 5 and April 11 — the industry was fatality free.

Then in April, as Wireless Estimator president Craig Lekutis notes with alarm, five workers fell to their death from mobile phone towers in the space of 12 days. Guilford’s death in May was the sixth this year.

Accidents like this often come in spurts, says Lekutis, an industry veteran with 27 years experience. There were 10 fatal falls from elevated structures of all kinds (including TV, electrical and water towers) in 2007, and a record 18 in 2006. But tthis year’s concentrated run of cell tower accidents, he says, was extraordinary."

Cellphone sales slide in Western Europe

Mobile phone sales in Western Europe fell more than 16 percent in the first quarter, the first decline since at least 2001, as a troubled economy put a damper on consumer spending, the research company Gartner said Wednesday, reports the IHT.

"European consumers, hurt by a global economic slowdown and higher fuel prices, also spent less when they bought new phones, opting for midpriced devices instead of more expensive ones, Gartner said."

How to Become a Mobile Phone Artist

Dialaphone has a piece on mobile phone art.

"There are all different sorts of mediums for tackling the mobile phone as an art subject; from mobile phone sculptures to paintings that send a message about the mobile phone in society.

But there is also a subsection of the mobile phone art movement which is specifically focused on actually creating art on the mobile phone.

Moreover, there are mobile communities through which you can then share this mobile art.

If you’re interested in being part of the trend (or you just think that the idea of creating and sharing mobile phone art is really cool) the following guide should help you along the path from fledgling cell phone artist to a mobile phone art creator in full bloom."

Mobile Phones Hazzardous to Haircuts?

Are mobile phones hazzardous to haircuts? One barber thinks so and had a special sign made up for his shop.

[via Blackberry Today]

The iPhone has a walk-on in "Sex and the City", the movie

A guilty pleasure, I've just come from a movie in the afternoon.The 1:30 pm showing of "Sex and The City". Why is that relevant to this column, you may ask, well the iPhone has a walk-on, for a second. Carrie needs a phone on her wedding day and as an iPhone is handed to hear, she hands it back saying "I can't work this!

Taxi fare payment via SMS in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi residents will soon have the option to pay for taxis by sending an SMS from their mobile phones under a new e-payment system, reported Gulf News.

The system, called 'Q-cash', will be rolled out by the end of August or September this year. It is hoped that all taxis in the emirate will eventually offer it to their customers.

[via AMEinfo]

SMS firing triggers suicide. Union faces payout

A man committed suicide the day after being fired by SMS, an Australian court has heard, reports Scopical.au. While Tony Cecere was suffering from some other mental aguish - including separation from his children - the court agreed that the SMS pushed him over the edge.

His family is now expected to receive a payment of up to $300,000 following the suicide death.

Rumor. The iPhone to come in 3 colors

Shiny Shiny has picked up on a short lived leak reportedly on the Swisscom site, offering the iPhone in 3 different colors.

Texting and hiding in a back room, a woman contributes to the arrest of 3 armed men

The Portland Tribune reports that a woman, text-messaging while hiding in the back room of a Damascus dwelling under siege by three armed men, contributed to their arrest.

"During the ordeal, the woman sent text messages from her cell phone to her mother, who notified sheriff’s deputies."

Rugged iPhone case

Spotted on Fashionfunky, a rugged iPone case. Made with unobtanium®.

[via FreshPilot]

TeliaSonera to sell iPhone in the Nordic and Baltic markets

Telecom provider TeliaSonera said it has signed an agreement with Apple giving it the rights to sell the iPhone to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Sales are expected to commence later this year.

[via AFX News]

Lliteracy Plus, Published

Those of you who like your mobile phone related research in print may want to peruse Handbook of Mobile Communication Studies edited by James E. Katz.

The book contains 32 chapters in sections covering: digital divides and social mobility; sociality and co-presence; politics and social change; and culture and imagination.

Jan Chipchase is a contributor in a chapter titled Understanding Illiteracy as a Barrier to Mobile Phone Communication.

[via Jan Chipchase blog Future Perfect]

Phone Giant in Germany Stirs a Furor

Deutsche Telekom surreptitiously tracked thousands of phone calls to identify the source of leaks to the news media about its internal affairs. The New York Times reports.

"The disclosure, which was prompted by a report on Saturday on the Web site of the news magazine Der Spiegel set off a storm of protest from privacy advocates, journalists, and labor representatives at the company."

UK Theme Park to Ban Smartphones

This is wild. UK theme park resort, Alton Towers is piloting a "PDA Free Zone" during the May school holiday, to encourage parents to disconnect from the office and reconnect fully with their families. Cellular News reports.

There's more. "PDA police will be onsite to enforce the ban and any adult caught using a PDA whilst at the Resort will be asked to report to one of five "PDA Drop Off Zones" where they can safely leave their smartphones for the day."

Japan panel urges limit on mobile phone use by children

A Japanese government panel called on parents and schools Monday to help limit the use of mobile phones by children to prevent them from accessing "harmful" information on websites.

The advisory council on education made the proposal to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as children become more prone to crimes involving dating websites and bullying on Internet school bulletin boards.

It called for limiting mobile phone use just to calls.

[via AFP]

iPhone vs Nokia. I miss my Nokia

This is a hard thing to admit, but I miss my Nokia. I love the camera feature on my new iPhone, being able to sync data with to my MacBook Pro and accessing the Internet is out of this world, but the phone features are not up to what I am used to. And I don't think it's because I have an unlocked version.

- I can't upload pictures to my computer or send them to another phone by bluetooth
- Switching to a French operator when I cross over to the border - a block away - is a manual procedure and slow
- No music for ringtones - and it's not working downloading them from iTunes because I can't check the feature that allows me to see the bell ringtone symbol. It's just not there. I know there are plans in the works for more ringtones.
- No caller ID by name. Just by number, but who remembers peoples' numbers
- I can't forward pictures by MMS, only by e-mail

HTC Touch Diamond Hands On Mobile Video Review

The HTC Touch Diamond hands on video review from the launch event in Soho, London courtesy of Mobileburn.

[via Phone Reviews]

Shake-up for Chinese phone sector

According to the BBC, China is overhauling its telecoms industry in an effort to make it more competitive and pave the way for the launch of third-generation services.

"The radical restructuring of the state-owned sector will result in a series of mergers and asset swaps.

Beijing wants more competition for dominant provider China Mobile and the proposed changes led to an 8% fall in the firm's shares in Hong Kong trade.

China is the world's largest mobile phone market, with 520 million users."

iPhone Super Grip case

Spotted on IntoMobile, a good looking super grip iPhone case. From Moble.Brando.com.hk

Harry Potter actor stabbed to death over a cell phone

This is really heartbreaking and shocking news from The Telegraph. Robert Knox, 18, who acted a minor role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was killed in London over a cell phone.

"Mr Knox, a grammar school boy, is understood to have been fatally stabbed after trying to save his 16-year-old brother, Jamie, from a man armed with two knives.

Russell Wood, 21 at the scene said: "This guy started accusing everybody of nicking his mobile phone... The next thing we knew this chap was outside with about five of his mates. Everybody just tried to get the knife off him and in the process, it seemed, too many people got stabbed."

Mobile phone users top 3.3 billion

The number of mobile phone users worldwide soared to over 3.3 billion by the end of 2007, equivalent to a penetration rate of 49 per cent, the International Telecommunications Union said in a report this week.

Africa showed the strongest gains over the past two years and more than two thirds of all mobile subscribers were from developing countries by the end of 2007, the ITU said.

India and China added 154 million and 143 million new subscribers respectively.

The global annual average growth rate stood at 22 per cent, the ITU said.

[via The Sydney Morning Herald]