Nokia gives patents to Linux…Grow penguin grow

Nokia has modified its Patent Statement with an exemption for official releases of the Linux Kernel. For an indefinite period of time, Nokia reserves the right of non-assertion and will effectively turn a blind eye to any new functionality added to the kernel that infringes upon some of its patents.

This is intended to help provide what Nokia refers to as a “framework of certainty” around open source.

Nokia has modified its Patent Statement with an exemption for official releases of the Linux Kernel. For an indefinite period of time, Nokia reserves the right of non-assertion and will effectively turn a blind eye to any new functionality added to the kernel that infringes upon some of its patents.

This is intended to help provide what Nokia refers to as a "framework of certainty" around open source.

Nokia’s stated reason for the move is that the Linux Kernel and other open sources projects contribute to innovation and the creation and rapid deployment of new technologies. In a statement, Nokia challenged other industry leaders to follow suit and take a clear public position on the issue of IP with regard to open source.

For the time being, Nokia’s Patent Statement is limited to official releases of the Linux Kernel, but the company is exploring ways to extend the arrangement to other open source projects that it has taken an active role in.

Source:betanews

Nokia launches new Linux based Internet Tablet product category

The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet enables easy broadband access to the Internet over Wi-Fi

01_770_internet_tablet_lowres.jpg 

New York – Today Nokia introduced its first device in the new Internet Tablet category, the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, at the LinuxWorld Summit in New York. The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet is a dedicated device optimized for convenient Internet browsing and email communications in a sleek pocketsize format. The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet features an impressive high-resolution (800×480) widescreen display with zoom and on-screen keyboard, ideal for viewing online content over Wi-Fi. Aside from Wi-Fi, the device can also connect to the Internet utilizing Bluetooth wireless technology via a compatible mobile phone.

 
"We are very excited to introduce our first Nokia Internet Tablet device to the market. With the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet consumers can access broadband Internet services away from their desktop, for example in the backyard or at a café within a Wi-Fi hotspot", says Janne Jormalainen, Vice President of Convergence Products, Multimedia, Nokia.
 
The device runs on Linux based Nokia Internet Tablet 2005 software edition which includes widely deployed desktop Linux and Open Source technologies. The maemo development platform (www.maemo.org) will provide Open Source developers and innovation houses with the tools and opportunities to collaborate with Nokia on future devices and OS releases in the Internet Tablet category.
 
"Linux is a logical choice for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet as Linux and the Open Source development platform provide us with fast and efficient solutions to build products for this new, Nokia product category. This is the first step in creating an Open Source product for broadband and Internet services. We will be launching regularly updates of the software. The next software release planned for the first half of next year will support more presence based functionalities such as VoIP and Instant Messaging", continues Janne Jormalainen.
 
Additional highlighted applications of the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet with the 2005 software include an Internet Radio, RSS News reader, Image viewer and Media players for selected types of media. The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet is planned to start shipping in the third quarter of 2005 in selected countries in the Americas and Europe.

God now just an SMS away

Mauj Telecom launches a spiritual service that will enable users to offer prayers using a code

Mauj Telecom launches a spiritual service that will enable users to offer prayers using a code 7077.
 
God is now just an SMS away. For those who have no time to visit temples, here’s an opportunity to be in touch with Him. Silent prayers are passe. You can offer flowers, light incense sticks and more while on the move.
 
Mauj Telecom, a wireless content provider, launched a spiritual channel early this week that will enable mobile users to perform elaborate prayers using a short code 7077.
 
The company claims having 500 downloads on the first day of the launch early this week.
 
If a user wants to perform, say a Ganesh puja, all he has to do is download the relevant application from the short code.
 
At the next stage, he will be able to say a prayer in the following manner: Key 1 — light the lamp; key 2 — offer durva (grass); key 3 — offer garland; key 4 — offer modaks (sweet); key 5 — ring bells; and finally, key 6 — rendition of the aarti.

Source:Business Standardvisit mauj

Calls b/w Chennai-TN, Mumbai-Maha, Kolkata-WB made local

In a major benefit to mobile subscribers, Government today said that calls between Chennai and rest of the Tamil Nadu and likewise between Mumbai and Maharashtra, Kolkata and West Bengal, and in the whole of Uttar Pradesh would be treated as local calls.

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) In a major benefit to mobile subscribers, Government today said that calls between Chennai and rest of the Tamil Nadu and likewise between Mumbai and Maharashtra, Kolkata and West Bengal, and in the whole of Uttar Pradesh would be treated as local calls. This would result in saving roaming and long distance (STD) charges for consumers, Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran said, adding that service providers would continue to operate in the same manner based on telecom circles. The minister said the facility would be only for calls terminating in the mobile network. This means calls from mobile to mobile and fixed to mobile within the states would be considered local. Till now the three metros — Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai and the rest of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra — were treated as two separate telecom circles. Similarly in Uttar Pradesh, which has been bifurcated into two telecom circles for licence purposes, the consumers in UP (East) and UP (West) would be able to connect as local calls now. The new policy comes into effect from May 25, the minister said. PTI

Car tires send alert to driver by bluetooth

Mobile|blog.it, which by the way is my latest favorite blog to find great cell phone news (and I don’t speak Italian- you don’t need to speak Italian to find great links here), reports on a new product manufactured by Pirelli, to launch on the market next October, which is a tire cap which could send alert messages to the driver’s cell phone via Bluetooth.

Mobile|blog.it, which by the way is my latest favorite blog to find great cell phone news (and I don’t speak Italian- you don’t need to speak Italian to find great links here), reports on a new product manufactured by Pirelli, to launch on the market next October, which is a tire cap which could send alert messages to the driver’s cell phone via Bluetooth.

But according to Marco Magnocavallo, over at Mobile|blog.it, the strange thing it’s that on the Pirelli Xpressure site there’s nothing about Cellphones, Bluetooth, etc. They only speak about an "Electronical device"…

And two Italian newspapers picked up on the bluetooth side of the story, Repubblica yesterday and the Corriere della Sera wrote about it today.

So Marco wonders who’s right? Pirelli Xpressure website or the newspapers?"

Source:textually

Chinese send 750 million SMS daily

The spread of Short Messaging Service continues unabated in China with its volume increasing by 39 per cent in the first quarter of the year to 67.21 billion messages, the state media reported via The Hindustan Times.

The spread of Short Messaging Service continues unabated in China with its volume increasing by 39 per cent in the first quarter of the year to 67.21 billion messages, the state media reported via The Hindustan Times.

"According to the Ministry of Information Industry, China’s telephone subscriber base has touched 674 million, including 325 million fixed line phones and 349 million cellular phones, both occupying first place in the world, China News Service reported.

In the first quarter, more than 30 new telecom services were introduced.
Source:textually.org

Nokias New N-Gage?

Well after the great flop known as the N-Gage, Nokia announced at E3 that they were expanding the N-Gage line to more phones that would be compatible.

Well after the great flop known as the N-Gage, Nokia announced at E3 that they were expanding the N-Gage line to more phones that would be ?compatible?. Well this is a step further and while yes these are heavily Photoshopped they do offer a unique concept that may prove more poular than the original N-Gage.ngagenew.JPG
Source:Mobileslash via mobileburn

The New Vertu Ascent Pink

Vertu the world’s first and only manufacturer of handcrafted, luxury unveils a new exuberant colour variant: Vertu Ascent Pink.

Ultra feminine, ultra classy, ultra sexy, the Vertu Ascent Pink is set to become the hottest accessory of 2005.

Vertu the world?s first and only manufacturer of handcrafted, luxury unveils a new exuberant colour variant: Vertu Ascent Pink. Ultra feminine, ultra classy, ultra sexy, the Vertu Ascent Pink is set to become the hottest accessory of 2005.

The Vertu Ascent Pink is visually stunning featuring beautifully embossed leather in crocodile print, has a strip of polished keys on the front of the phone and matching ceramic pillow. Soft pink backlighting adds a touch of femininity to the sapphire crystal screen while maintaining the bold styling of its second line of luxury phones ? Vertu Ascent. So why introduce the Vertu Ascent Pink?

“The new Vertu Ascent Pink is the ideal accessory for women wishing to make a stunning personal statement without compromising on the quality and craft of a luxury product. This is a phone for women who are modern, confident and like to show their feminine side,” explained Giles Rees, Vice-President, Global Sales for Vertu. “It is perfect for men who are looking for something different – the ideal gift for that special person in their life,” he enthused.

Available in stores this spring/summer 2005, the special edition Vertu Ascent Pink handset is packaged with its own matching pink holster, and in a special pink package. To ensure exclusivity, the Pink Special Edition will have restricted availability in each region at launch.

The Vertu Ascent Pink is tri-band (GSM 900,1800 and 1900). It has Bluetooth and voice dialling capabilities, additional Vertu ring tones, supports GPRS, multimedia messaging (MMS) and concatenated short messaging (SMS).

Vertu Ascent Pink contrasts the feel of soft, hand-stitched leather with hard, custom-developed Liquidmetal? alloy ? a durable, scratch-resistant material with twice the hardness of Stainless Steel and two times more resilient than other metals, including titanium.

All Vertu phones are handcrafted in Vertu?s workshop. True to Vertu?s DNA of obsessive craft, the Vertu Ascent Pink has 240 individual components. The flat panel keypad alone contains over 150 different parts whose design is patented. Each key is manufactured by injecting a stainless steel mixture at high temperature and pressure into an oversize mould. As it cools, the key shrinks by 14% to produce the bevelled keypad design. The keys are then each set on two jewel bearings, to create the unique pivoting action and to guide each key?s movement.For more information please visit: www.vertu.com

Source:esato.com

Guy sends 182,689 SMS in one month

A gentleman from Ludhiana (India) found a unique way for getting his name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. He sent 182,689 SMS in one month.
That makes 6000 text messages a day.

It looks like we have a new record here, close to 200’000 text messages sent in a single month.

A gentleman from Ludhiana (India) found a unique way for getting his name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. He sent 182,689 SMS in one month.

That makes 6000 text messages a day.

Deepak Sharma aims to increase the number to 300,000 in the coming month.

Deepak sends messages to all his relatives and friends, who fortunately, fully support in his endeavour.

His wireless operator, Airtel, sent him a 1,411 page bill.

Source:Webindia

Bill Gates Holding a Samsung Cellular Phone

Bill Gates is holding two mobile devices using Windows operating
system before his opening speech at the “Microsoft Mobile and Embedded
DevCon 2005

Bill Gates is holding two mobile devices using Windows operating system before his opening speech at the “Microsoft Mobile and Embedded DevCon 2005” held in Las Vegas, reports The Dong-A Ilbo.

"The mobile device held on Gates’ left hand is the Samsung’s i300 cellular phone with an embedded hard disk drive.

The device held on his right hand is a cell phone from Taiwanese company HTC’s Universal model."

More on Windows Mobile 5.0 on Engadget and a related article from from Telecoms Korea about Korean carriers and handset makers adopting MS Windows Mobile 5.0.
Source:textually.org

Wind-Powered Cell Phones

Students at the Indian Institute of Technology have developed a pocket-sized turbine that attaches to your cellphone to charge it. Best suited for use in costal areas with near-constant wind flow or long talks with your mother, the device can also be used during travel as long as you set it up against the wind. The idea is to allow mobile users to charge and continue using their phone when they’re away from electricity, which is fine idea, but does the turbine give off a Pine-Fresh scent, or Cool Mountain Breeze? Because if not I can think of a way to overclock this thing.

Students at the Indian Institute of Technology have developed a pocket-sized turbine that attaches to your cellphone to charge it. Best suited for use in costal areas with near-constant wind flow or long talks with your mother, the device can also be used during travel as long as you set it up against the wind. The idea is to allow mobile users to charge and continue using their phone when they’re away from electricity, which is fine idea, but does the turbine give off a Pine-Fresh scent, or Cool Mountain Breeze? Because if not I can think of a way to overclock this thing.

Source:rediff
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Call to Protect

Call to Protect is a charity campaign that collects cast-off mobile phones to put in the hands of victims of domestic violence. They also sell the phones (although it’s not clear where, exactly), using the proceeds to fund similar organizations. If you’ve got an old phone you’d like to get rid of, it’s a nice alternative to trying to sell it for a few dollars.

Call to Protect is a charity campaign that collects cast-off mobile phones to put in the hands of victims of domestic violence. They also sell the phones (although it’s not clear where, exactly), using the proceeds to fund similar organizations. If you’ve got an old phone you’d like to get rid of, it’s a nice alternative to trying to sell it for a few dollars. Campaign Page [WirelessFoundation via TreeHugger]

Microsoft Launches Windows Mobile 5.0

New version of software provides partners with improved integration of technologies to deliver a more intuitive mobile device experience.

Microsoft today simultaneously launched new version of their Pocket PC and Smartphone operating systems. The new versions are more similar than ever featuring a new unified one-handed interface, but Pocket PC still maintains a touch screen interface and offers extra software like Office applications – now including a Powerpoint viewer. Windows Mobile 5 offers more options for fast data on handsets, adding support for newer 3G networks, and supporting Wi-Fi on both Pocket PC and Smartphone. It expands storage options, adding support for hard drives and speeding data transfer with USB 2.0. The new OS also offers greater carrier and manufacturer customization, allowing them to add features like Push-To-Talk, video calling and even additional media format playback like AAC. Read More
Source:Microsoft

School Reduces Suspension Over Iraq Call

School Reduces Suspension Over Iraq Call
Following yesterday’s story about a student suspended from school because he wouldn’t give up his cell phone while talking to his mom – a sergeant on duty in Iraq – during his lunch break, has been granted a reduced suspension, thanks to the power of the press.

Following yesterday’s story about a student suspended from school because he wouldn’t give up his cell phone while talking to his mom – a sergeant on duty in Iraq – during his lunch break, has been granted a reduced suspension, thanks to the power of the press.
According to the Associated Press, "on Friday, the school district reduced the suspension to three days, which will allow Francois to return to school Monday. School officials received many calls about the incident, said assistant principal Wendell Turner. People are fussing at us, calling us names," Turner said. "We are the school that serves Fort Benning," Turner said. "We’re well aware of students with parents overseas."