Technology | Fone Arena

Nokia plays key role developing GSM/EDGE Evolution

okia renewed its commitment to GSM EDGE Evolution. Nokia is actively conducting research, driving industry consensus and standardization to define a successful evolution path.

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 30, 2005

Nokia plays key role developing GSM/EDGE Evolution

Most successful mobile technology GSM/EDGE to be further enhanced by GSM/EDGE Evolution

GSM Africa, Cape Town, South Africa – Nokia renewed its commitment to GSM/EDGE (GSM/Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) Evolution. Nokia is actively conducting research, driving industry consensus and standardization to define a successful evolution path. The focus of the GSM/EDGE Evolution work is especially intent on increasing the voice and data spectral efficiency, capacity, coverage, and data rates as well as enhancing 2G-3G service continuity. EDGE offers 3G data applications within the GSM environment.

"Nokia is committed to further develop GSM/EDGE technologies aiming at enhanced cost efficiencies as well as continuity of efficient single (GSM/EDGE) and multimode (GSM/EDGE/WCDMA) network operations", said Ari Lehtoranta, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Radio Networks, Networks, Nokia.

GSM today has the by far largest subscriber base in mobile technologies, and continues to grow. Based on the large GSM footprint, EDGE is expected to be the most widely deployed mobile data technology by the end of the decade. GSM/EDGE technologies are extremely cost efficient providing the lowest Total Cost of Ownership in most environments, and will naturally be even more desirable through GSM/EDGE Evolution, making GSM/EDGE the ideal access technology for new growth markets. In addition, GSM/EDGE Evolution will also enhance the service continuity in multimode GSM/EDGE/WCDMA networks.

The first phase of the GSM/EDGE Evolution standardization is expected to be completed by 3GPP in 2006. The first commercial solutions, which will have an easy upgrade path from current networks, are expected to be available starting 2007-2008.

Nokia already has 51 public EDGE references. Currently, according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), 57 operators are deploying both WCDMA and EDGE. Nokia supplies either or both technologies to over half of the commercially launched WCDMA/EDGE networks.

About Nokia

Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.

Nokia and PLDT cooperate in Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions in the Philippines

Nokia and the leading telecommunications provider in the Philippines, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), have set up a Next Generation Network Laboratory to develop and test end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence services prior to their commercial launch.

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 30, 2005

Nokia and PLDT cooperate in Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions in the Philippines

Espoo, Finland – Nokia and the leading telecommunications provider in the Philippines, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), have set up a Next Generation Network Laboratory to develop and test end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence services prior to their commercial launch. The Next Generation Network Laboratory can leverage PLDT’s current fixed and mobile networks to create converged services for PLDT Group customers.

Nokia has provided the Next Generation Network Laboratory with end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions, comprised of Unified Core and converged access networks as well as Nokia multimedia and VoIP enabled terminals.

"At the PLDT Group our mobile arm Smart Communcations has been a global pioneer in many new GSM services, like m-Commerce and electronic pre-paid top-ups. We see convergence as an opportunity to provide our customers with new innovative services that will drive the future growth of our business," says Don Rae, Chief Operations Adviser, PLDT. "Convergence is an important part of PLDT’s vision, and the Next Generation Network Laboratory provides us with a test bed where we can trial new ideas and services before commercial launches."

"We are delighted to be working with PLDT to address emerging opportunities for combining fixed and mobile networks and services in the Philippines," says Markku Nieminen, Account Director, Networks, Nokia. "Nokia is trialling its converged solutions with many leading operators worldwide, providing powerful solutions for consumers and corporate customers, as well as fixed and mobile networks, in what is shaping up to be a new chapter in this industry."

As an example of the new services development, PLDT and Nokia organized a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) contest for Filipino application developers called the "SIP Challenge". Forum Nokia provides the developers training and assistance, and they can test their IP-based applications at the Next Generation Network Laboratory.

The Nokia Unified Core includes the Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the Nokia VoIP Server, the Nokia MSC Server System (MSS), Nokia Media Gateway (MGW), Nokia Intelligent Service Node (ISN), Nokia Intelligent Content Delivery (ICD) for multi-access control and data services charging and Nokia D500 IP DSLAM.

Nokia has been the main GSM network supplier to Smart Communications since 1998.

About PLDT

PLDT is the leading telecommunications provider in the Philippines. Through its three principal business groups – fixed line, wireless and information communications technology – PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications services across the Philippines’ most extensive fiber optic backbone and fixed line, cellular and satellite network.

PLDT is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:TEL) and its American depositary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI) and the Pacific Exchange. PLDT has one of the largest market capitalizations among Philippine listed companies.

Further information can be obtained by visiting the web at www.pldt.com.ph.

About Nokia

Cell phones are safe according to Dutch health council

According to the Dutch health council there is no evidence that radiation from mobile phones and towers is harmful to people. The Dutch Electromagnetic Fields Committee of the council studied research from around the world done between 2003 and 2005 and said the outcome of studies proved either inconclusive or did not meet scientific criteria. The council disagrees with some studies that show a connection between living in the proximity of a base station and the occurrences of cancer or increased risk of leukemia. The Heath council also said that it remains unclear to what extent the long-term use of a mobile phone is related to the occurrences of acoustic neuromas or non-malignant tumors.

Source:
Reuters

Office 12 for Mobiles

As Microsoft pushes the old office suite forward once more. It seems that this new release will also make available versions of applications inside the suite, custom made for mobile devices

Everybody is expecting the release of a new Beta for Office 12 as Microsoft pushes the old office suite forward once more. It seems that this new release will also make available versions of applications inside the suite, custom made for mobile devices.

At the end of last week, Microsoft sent notices to the first group of testers accepted to participate to the Office 12 Beta 1 program. The company let the testers know they should expect to receive the Beta 1 code, documentation
and support sometime in the next two to three weeks.

In addition to the Office 12 desktop suite, Microsoft is also updating the Exchange Server and SharePoint Portal Server products.

Still, the issue of Office 12 for Windows Mobile is not very clear as none of the Microsoft representatives made any official statements on the subject. We are aware of rumors from partners close to Microsoft who said there is another Office 12 suite, designed for Windows Mobile, that will include viewers for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and these applications should be light enough to run on smartphones and PDAs.

Motorola and Bharti Teletech Announce Strategic Alliance

Motorola today announced that it has joined forces with Bharti Teletech Ltd. in a strategic agreement that extends Motorola?s reach across metros, cities and to the smallest towns in India

Motorola and Bharti Teletech Announce Strategic Alliance to Expand Distribution Reach

11/14/2005 8:16:02 AM

Alliance Continues Motorola’s Drive to ‘Connect the Unconnected’ in India; Bharti Teletech to Leverage its Distribution Network for Motorola handsets & accessories

New Delhi, Nov 14, 2005 – Motorola today announced that it has joined forces with Bharti Teletech Ltd. in a strategic agreement that extends Motorola’s reach across metros, cities and to the smallest towns in India. Today’s announcement gives Motorola unprecedented breadth of distribution through one of the widest retail networks for phones in the country.

Bharti Teletech’s access to the burgeoning rural market is a perfect match for Motorola’s efforts to ‘connect the unconnected’ by providing handsets like the new C113a suited to mass-market users. Their broad distribution to urban cities also allows Motorola to reach the growing population of professionals eager for the latest high-end handsets including the award winning RAZR V3.

Motorola’s agreement to extend the availability of its products for consumers in the market through Bharti Teletech’s national distribution presence* underscores Motorola’s continued commitment and focus in India. Combining, ‘Beetel’, one of the strongest brands of Bharti Teletech in India, with Motorola’s internationally recognised brand, opens a world of new opportunity for mobile consumers.

Motorola is committed to delivering on its vision of connecting the unconnected here in India. Together with Bharti Teletech’s outstanding distribution network we will bring even greater reach and choice of mobile communications to consumers in India wherever they are,” said Allen Burnes, Corporate Vice President, High Growth Markets, Mobile Devices Business, Motorola Inc. “Our new and exciting portfolio extends across all tiers and will bring both added value and choice for consumers in India.”

Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Teletech, said, “Our relationship with yet another telecom major, Motorola, is a further endorsement of Bharti’s superior distribution and its quality practices. Bharti has had the privilege of joining with best-in-class, blue chip companies, from around the world that have come and joined hands with Bharti, at different stages, to develop the telecom sector in India. Our understanding of the Indian market, a strong brand presence, distribution reach across India; the experience and expertise of marketing products to the Indian customer should be a perfect match for Motorola’s growth strategy in India. For Bharti, the alliance helps us further widen our product portfolio and also leverage economies of scale.”

“Our new relationship with Bharti Teletech is extremely significant and helps Motorola in its efforts to connect the unconnected,” commented Sudhir Agarwal, Director-Sales, India, Nepal & Sri Lanka, Mobile Devices, Motorola India Private Limited. “We are committed to increasing our presence and investment in the Indian market and this news is a major step towards it.”

Mr. Pawan Kapur, CEO, Bharti Teletech, said “We are happy to be a part of Motorola’s plans in India and our customers can now look forward to a wide range of technologically advanced GSM handsets from our stable. I am confident that the alliance would be mutually beneficial for both the companies and the future would see us growing and further strengthening this strategic alliance”.

Notes

* Bharti Teletech’s national distribution presence constitutes a network of over 250 distributors and more than 11,000 retailers across India

About Motorola

Motorola is a Fortune 100 global communications leader that provides seamless mobility products and solutions across broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks. In your home, auto, workplace and all spaces in between, seamless mobility means you can reach the people, things and information you need, anywhere, anytime. Seamless mobility harnesses the power of technology convergence and enables smarter, faster, cost-effective and flexible communication. Motorola had sales of US $31.3 billion in 2004. For more information: www.motorola.com.

About Bharti Teletech

Bharti Teletech – a Bharti enterprise, is India’s leading telephone instrument manufacturing company and one of the largest in the globe. Established in 1985, the company’s manufacturing operations are spread across ISO-9000 certified plants in Mapusa (Goa) and Ludhiana (Punjab) with an installed capacity of 6 mn telephone units annually upgradable to 10 mn units. An in-house Centre for Excellence with industrial and engineering design capability and equipped with facility for product reliability and life tests ensures a quality standard that compares with the best internationally.

Bharti Teletech produces a comprehensive basket of customer premise equipments, comprising of over 40 models spanning the basic, feature-rich and cordless telephone categories, under the Beetel brand. Beetel commands a market share of over 40% in the retail market, 95% in the PSP business and 60% in the tender market. The company has been in the forefront of growing the open retail market by providing feature-rich and world-class telephone products at affordable prices. Bharti Teletech currently exports to 30 countries in five continents, including the PTT markets. Bharti plans to double its exports in 05-06 over last year.

Bharti Teletech has a tie-up with Atlinks (No.1 in home and office telephony worldwide) for marketing of GE telephones in India and neighbouring countries as well as exports. It’s list of credits also include a contract with France telecom for supplies of our products for their worldwide requirement as well as supplies to Telefonica, Peru.

The new initiatives of the company under the ‘Beetel’ brand include Broadband Products and Set Top Box – a hi-growth market in India. Both are focus areas for the company

Nokia committed to universal access to mobility and new growth markets

Nokia, one of the main sponsors of the ICT 4 All Exhibition, continues to work towards universal access to mobility – the ability of all people to connect to people, information and services – by making mobile communications more affordable and accessible.

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 14, 2005

Nokia highlights its strong commitment to universal access to mobility and new growth markets

Nokia promotes universal access to communications technologies, celebrates two billion mobile subscribers and showcases mobile phones and network solutions for bridging the digital divide at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the ICT 4 All Exhibition in Tunis, Tunisia.

Espoo, Finland / Tunis, Tunisia – Nokia, one of the main sponsors of the ICT 4 All Exhibition, continues to work towards universal access to mobility – the ability of all people to connect to people, information and services – by making mobile communications more affordable and accessible.

Nokia believes the right combination of mobile phones, network solutions, services and a favourable regulatory environment is essential in spreading the benefits of mobility. The key is to reduce the total cost of ownership to the consumer, whilst ensuring a profitable, and thus sustainable, business model for operators and vendors.

As part of its commitment to universal access, Nokia has developed the Nokia Connect GSM solution and new value-added services, such as the Nokia Prepaid Tracker and the Nokia Connect eRefill, to enable operators to profitably bring mobility to low income customer segments. Nokia also offers affordable, high-quality mobile phones like the Nokia 1600 and Nokia 1110 that are designed for new growth markets with special features such as a speaking clock and an iconic phonebook.

"Nokia is truly engaged in bridging the digital divide by offering affordable communications technologies. Mobility improves society’s productivity and social welfare, which are mutual responsibilities of the private and public sectors as well as civil society," says Dr. Walid Moneimne, Senior Vice President, EMEA region, Networks, Nokia. "In addition to our advanced technological solutions, Nokia is visible at the local and global level through several community involvement projects that extend beyond the technology, products and services that the company creates."

In September this year, the global mobile subscription base reached two billion. Nokia celebrates this important milestone with the Nokia 2 Billion Award that will be presented at the World Summit Award Gala by Simon Beresford-Wylie, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Networks, Nokia. The Nokia 2 Billion Award will be presented as recognition for promoting global mobility.

As the number of mobile subscribers is expected to grow to three billion by 2010, the importance of new growth markets continues to increase. Around 20 percent of the next billion subscriptions will come from the Middle East and Africa region.

About WSIS (November 16-18)

The World Summit on the Information Society provides a unique opportunity for all key stakeholders to develop a common vision and understanding and to address the whole range of relevant issues related to the Information Society. The two-phased Summit has been endorsed by the UN General Assembly. The first phase took place in Geneva in December 2003. Organized by the International Telecommunication Union, it will be held under the high patronage of Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General.

The World Summit Award Gala (November 16)

The World Summit Award (WSA) is a global initiative to select and promote the world’s best in e-Content and Creativity, held in the framework of, and in cooperation with, the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The World Summit Award Gala will be held on November 16 at Kram Palexpo, Central Place at 17:30 onwards.

About ICT 4 All (November 15-19)

ICT 4 All aims to contribute to a more effective worldwide use of ICTs and stimulate action between developing and developed countries through the showcasing and presenting of concrete solutions. ICT 4 All Exhibition is a parallel event to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

About Nokia

QUALCOMM Files GSM Patent Infringement Suit Against Nokia

QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) and its wholly owned subsidiary, SnapTrack, Inc., filed suit on November 4 against Nokia Corporation and Nokia Inc. in federal court in San Diego for infringement of eleven of QUALCOMM’s patents and one patent owned by SnapTrack

SAN DIEGO — November 07, 2005 — QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) and its wholly owned subsidiary, SnapTrack, Inc., filed suit on November 4 against Nokia Corporation and Nokia Inc. in federal court in San Diego for infringement of eleven of QUALCOMM’s patents and one patent owned by SnapTrack. QUALCOMM’s lawsuit includes patents that are essential for the manufacture or use of equipment that complies with the GSM, GPRS and EDGE cellular standards (the GSM family of standards) and other patents that are infringed by Nokia’s products. Patents that are essential to a standard are those that must necessarily be infringed to comply with the requirements of the standard. QUALCOMM’s complaint states that Nokia is infringing QUALCOMM’s patents by making or selling products in the United States that comply with the GSM family of standards. QUALCOMM seeks an injunction against Nokia’s continuing sale of infringing products and monetary damages.

"We have been discussing a number of issues with Nokia for some time, including the fact that we have essential GSM patents for which Nokia is not licensed, and we are disappointed that this has resulted in litigation," said Louis M. Lupin, senior vice president and general counsel of QUALCOMM. "Until recently, we had been led to believe that these issues might be resolved cooperatively and amicably. However, it now appears that a cooperative resolution of these issues is quite unlikely and we must move forward with the litigation in order to protect our rights and to get these issues resolved."

Demand from cell phone users for data services and multimedia features has been growing dramatically since the advent of second-generation (2G) cellular technologies. The ability to provide better data performance is one of the primary reasons that the wireless industry has selected CDMA technology for nearly all third-generation (3G) cellular standards and systems. Faced with this demand and spurred by competition from CDMA systems, 2G standards, such as GSM, have been evolved to support improved data capabilities. These evolutions of GSM—first GPRS and later EDGE—have adopted patented innovations developed by QUALCOMM originally for use in CDMA systems to: achieve higher data rates, increase spectral efficiency, enhance capacity, improve resistance to interference, permit access to packet switched networks, and facilitate multimedia distribution. Nokia’s GSM, GPRS and EDGE standards-compliant products unavoidably infringe QUALCOMM’s patents surrounding these inventions that have become essential to the GSM family of standards. Six of the patents in QUALCOMM’s complaint against Nokia were also asserted in the complaint that QUALCOMM filed against Broadcom Corporation on July 11, 2005.

QUALCOMM’s extensive patent portfolio includes more than 4,000 United States patents and patent applications and more than 20,000 patents and applications around the globe. QUALCOMM has entered into more than 130 royalty-bearing license agreements with the world’s leading telecommunications equipment makers and consumer electronics manufacturers. QUALCOMM’s extensive licensing program has fostered the widespread adoption of leading-edge technologies and promoted vibrant competition throughout the wireless industry, encouraging innovation and technological advancement. QUALCOMM is prepared to offer licenses under its essential GSM/GPRS/EDGE patents on fair and reasonable terms free from unfair discrimination to any company that requests one.

QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2005 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol QCOM.

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QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Memory Stick Micro (M2) format

SanDisk and Sony announce the Memory Stick Micro format to address the high storage and smaller size form factor requirements of enhanced multimedia mobile phones

Sunnyvale, CA — SanDisk and Sony Corporation today announced the development of the "Memory Stick Micro" format, an ultra-small IC recording media designed to meet the growing storage needs of highly compact, multifunctional mobile phones. Licensing for the development of "Memory Stick Micro" compatible hardware will begin October 3, 2005.

"Memory Stick Micro" media is approximately one-quarter the size of "Memory Stick PRO Duo" media, yet only about 1.2 mm thick. The media’s edges are slotted lengthwise to allow for more slim-line designed connectors to reduce space in host devices. As dual-voltage media, Memory Stick Micro supports devices operating at 3.3 volts and 1.8 volts.

Memory Stick Micro is designed as an externally removable media with a controlled eject function to prevent users losing the media. Users will be able to insert Memory Stick Micro into an adapter for exchanging data to a Memory Stick PRO compatible product.

Dr. Eli Harari, president and chief executive officer of SanDisk Corporation, said, "Sony and SanDisk recognize the rapidly growing market opportunity for memory cards with multimedia mobile phones, and are joining forces to develop the ultra-small Memory Stick Micro format to foster development of extremely compact multimedia mobile phones."

Akira Kubota, President of Micro Systems Network Company, Sony Corporation, said, "Sony’s collaboration with SanDisk Corporation has continued to develop since our initial announcement of the joint Memory Stick PRO format development in 2003. Today’s joint announcement of the Memory Stick Micro format provides a new, versatile IC recording media for mobile products such as mobile phones for sharing entertainment and data."

The Memory Stick Micro media will be made available in the first half of 2006.

MTV Loveline On Mobile Phones

Coruscant Tec, a leading mobile solutions company that specialises in mobile content and commerce, today announced the launch of a new mobile social software called MTV Loveline in association with MTV India. The MTV Loveline will be available to subscribers on the Airtel, Hutch, RPG Cellular, BSNL, BPL and Tata Tele networks

Mumbai : Coruscant Tec, a leading mobile solutions company that specialises in mobile content and commerce, today announced the launch of a new mobile social software called MTV Loveline in association with MTV India. The MTV Loveline will be available to subscribers on the Airtel, Hutch, RPG Cellular, BSNL, BPL and Tata Tele networks.

The MTV Loveline platform is currently available over SMS and as a JAVA download over GPRS. All users need to do is SMS "love" to 6882 to access the MTV Loveline. The JAVA download version also allows the user to create and choose between different mobile chatrooms along with several other interactive features.

The company has ensured that elaborate security filters which include up to four levels of auto-monitoring and keyword searches filtering objectionable content are available.

In the words of Ajay Adiseshann, managing director, Coruscant Tec, "Social Software is the next killer enabler that everyone has been waiting for. MTV Loveline will set a trend in itself and Coruscant is proud to be a pioneer in this space".

On the future on mobile data applications, he added, "With voice being commoditised, the need for newer data applications is being increasingly felt. Coruscant’s vision is to identify these areas and empower users by empowering their mobiles." (See: Shop till your cell drops!)

Industry insiders predict that by 2008 there will be 16.3 million users of mobile chat and entertainment services, with a cumulative annual growth rate to 76.3 percent. Social software on mobiles is set to become one of the pillars in the mobile entertainment space alongside ringtones, wall papers etc.

Source:http://www.domain-b.com/infotech/itnews/2005/20050928_launches.html

Sony Ericsson Introduces Bluetooth Auto-Pairing Devices

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications today announced the introduction of Auto pairing, a unique proprietary solution, that makes it quicker and easier to connect Bluetooth equipped headsets to Sony Ericsson mobile phones. The company demonstrated this new functionality at a press event arranged by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group in Stockholm today.

When the phone and headset are in close proximity and the Bluetooth function is turned on, the Auto pairing equipped Bluetooth headset automatically searches and finds the user’s Bluetooth enabled Sony Ericsson mobile phone. The user only has to confirm the connection for the device pairing to be initiated and doesn’t have to use a PIN code to authorize the connection.

The new feature has been developed through close cooperation within Sony Ericsson between the design and development of mobile phones and headsets in order to create a more integrated and seamless user experience that eliminates the necessity of physical PIN in-put. Auto pairing will be implemented first in an updated version of the Bluetooth Headset HBH-610, called HBH-610a.

"Sony Ericsson continually strives to enhance the user experience, making it easy and intuitive so the technology platform supporting the device fades into the background and the user just enjoys the benefits and convenience of well designed products. Auto pairing is a great example of how we as a company continue to enhance consumer benefits by making our products easy to use straight out of the box." says Rikard Nilsson, Global Marketing Manager, Product Business Unit Accessories.

Auto pairing will only be available in Sony Ericsson mobile phones and headsets. However, Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headsets will continue to be compatible with Bluetooth-equipped mobile phones from other phone brands by following the regular procedure for device pairing when Auto pairing is not available.

The first Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headset with Auto pairing device connectivity, the HBH-610a, will be available in Q4, 2005.

Source:http://www.mobiledia.com/news/37112.html

ROKR 100 Tunes Limit Warning

Steve Jobs announced that the ROKR would play up to 100 tracks (including songs and podcasts), yet that figure doesn?t jibe with the size of a standard Flash memory chip. By Apple?s calculations, 100 songs takes up approximately 400MB of memory. Is someone producing a 400MB Flash chip now

A possibly annoying limitation to the recent Apple iTunes mobile phone, the ROKR from Motorola has been discovered.

It was reported over at playlistmag.com:

Steve Jobs announced that the ROKR would play up to 100 tracks (including songs and podcasts), yet that figure doesn’t jibe with the size of a standard Flash memory chip. By Apple’s calculations, 100 songs takes up approximately 400MB of memory. Is someone producing a 400MB Flash chip now?

Nope. The phone includes a removable 512MB Flash memory chip (found under the battery in the back of the phone). This chip will hold up to 100 tracks but the number of songs it holds isn’t dependant strictly on the size of the chip (though it obviously can’t contain more than 512MB of data). Rather, the 100 track limitation is part of a DRM scheme that prevents the phone from playing more than 100 tracks.

iTunes 5 keeps track of the number of tracks authorized for playback on the phone so even if your 100 tracks have used only 350MB of the card’s capacity, you can’t add more. Similarly, although you can swap in a new card that contains new tracks, those tracks won’t play until they’ve been approved for playback by iTunes.

source: GadgetSpy

Mobiles catch Cabir virus at world athletics

Visitors to the world athletics championships in Finland have had to brave wind and rain, and officials say they now face the possibility of catching the world’s first mobile phone virus.

Officials in mobile-mad Finland, home to the world’s largest mobile phone maker, Nokia, said there had been outbreaks of the Cabir virus at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium.

Jarmo Koski, a security official at telecoms firm TeliaSonera, said: "At most we are speaking about dozens of infections but during a short period and in one spot this is a huge number."

Cabir, first reported in June last year, uses Bluetooth short range wireless signals to jump between mobile phones.

Source:silicon

Mobile video is a tough sell – report

With the emerging availability of mobile video, a recent In-Stat U.S. mobile phone subscriber survey revealed that one in eight respondents indicated they were interested in purchasing mobile video services from their wireless carrier. However, two-thirds of mobile phone subscribers are not yet ready for video services on their handsets, a number that is nearly unchanged from the previous year’s survey, the high-tech market research firm says.

"Though mobile video does not yet appear to have widespread appeal, In-Stat believes that there is enough interest for it to generate some significant revenue for carriers in the near term," said David Chamberlain, In-Stat senior analyst. The number of subscribers purchasing mobile video content in the United States will increase from an estimated 1.1 million in 2005 to more than 30 million in 2010, In-Stat forecasts.

A recent report by In-Stat found the following:

— The most desirable customers (long-term loyal customers who are satisfied with their service and unlikely to churn to other carriers) are the least interested in purchasing mobile video.

— In-Stat’s analysis of the consumer survey provides some pricing guidelines that maximize carrier revenue.

— Between now and 2010, the greatest year-on-year growth will come in the 2005-2006 period as deployment of high-bandwidth networks become more widespread in the United States. It will also be a period of expanded carrier marketing of video services increases and broader availability of video-capable handsets.

Source:cellular-news

Vodafone Trials 3G Service In Sydney

Vodafone has recently started external 3G trials in Sydney, Australia. They are giving 180 customers the ability to use and test drive the 3G network for three weeks. The testers will be given 3G enabled phones, and data cards for usage with their notebooks, and etc. In the last week, they�re gonna have to report to Vodafone stores to talk about their experiences, usage problems

Vodafone has recently started external 3G trials in Sydney, Australia. They are giving 180 customers the ability to use and test drive the 3G network for three weeks. The testers will be given 3G enabled phones, and data cards for usage with their notebooks, and etc. In the last week, they’re gonna have to report to Vodafone stores to talk about their experiences, usage problems, etc…

During this task, they’ll be assigned tasks such as downloading MP3 tracks, videos, and 3D games – why? To see how well the 3G network operates and stands up. These results in the stores are going to be used to properly train Vodafone staff for the full network launch later on.

Vodafone has assigned sets of tasks for users to complete during the trial. Mobile handset users will be asked to download specific Vodafone live! content, such as the latest music tracks, sports action and 3D games. Business customers will use the VMC with 3G data cards to test mobile email with attachments, internet access and wireless working using various enterprise applications.

“We want to evaluate the customer experience across all areas of content and delivery so we’ve deliberately set objectives for users, but beyond that it’s up to them to decide how and what they want to explore,” said John Casey, Chief Marketing Officer at Vodafone Australia. “We’ll use feedback from the trial to give future 3G customers an unbeatable mobile experience.”

“At Vodafone, an unbeatable experience means much more than how the technology performs; it’s about how successfully we meet and exceed customer expectations on service and support and how effectively our products and content fires imagination, “ added Casey.

The external trial follows a three-month internal test programme, which evaluated the functionality of the Vodafone 3G network, handset and data card provisioning and support systems. The internal trial involved more than 100 Vodafone employees in Sydney.

“Our Australian customers will benefit from everything that Vodafone has learned in rolling out new 3G networks in 14 other countries around the world,” said Casey.

source:Cellular-News

Bluetooth security flaw found

Cryptographers have found a security flaw in Bluetooth that allows unauthorized pairing between (among other things) mobile phones. Pairing is the process that Bluetooth devices go through to make sure the owner of each device is aware of the connection. During pairing, the same PIN has to be entered on both devices.

The new flaw allows a malicious user to pair without the other device alerting its owner. It masquerades as another device that’s currently paired with the target:

Avishai Wool and Yaniv Shaked [of Tel Aviv University in Israel] have managed to force pairing by pretending to be one of the two devices and sending a message to the other claiming to have forgotten the link key. This prompts the other device to discard the link key and the two then begin a new pairing session, which the hacker can then use

Source:MobileTracker