Mobile phones and GPS tracking technology have been combined to track the whereabouts of unruly children, as part of a study into the health risks posed to tech teens.
In the study, 15 teenage girls were tracked by their mobile phones for one week. The researchers claim the study wasn’t designed to provide parents with information about where, say, Charlotte actually was when she was supposed to be home for tea.
Instead, the information is being compiled to study the health risks posed to teenagers. As the girls took their phones with them wherever they went, the teenagers’ movements could be accurately plotted on a map.
Dr Sarah Wiehe, who led the research, said that mobile phones and GPS technology help parents to better understand “where adolescents spend their time and what they’re doing”.
She claimed that, by studying teenagers' movements, parents will be able to intervene at points where their kids are most likely to, say, drink alcohol or smoke. Presumably parents will also know when their kids are at Make Out Point or hanging around on street corners, possibly with biker gangs.
Suspicious wives, or husbands, can already use GPS tracking technology to keep tabs on wayward partners. The Social Network Integrated Friend Finder (SNIFF) application can be accessed through Facebook or a mobile phone to provide users with a detailed map of someone’s location, or at least the location of their mobile phone.
SNIFF, created by US firm Useful Networks, can only be used if someone gives their permission for their whereabouts to be tracked. Each GPS tracking request costs 75p (€1/$2).
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
DIY satellite TV installer shoots wife dead
.22 handgun - not the best way to drill through walls
Officials are pondering whether to charge a Missouri DIY satellite TV installer who decided that the best way to punch a hole through the wall was with a .22 calibre handgun, and in so doing accidentally shot and killed his wife.
According to KCTV5.com, Ronald Long was attempting to install said system in the bedroom of his family's Deepwater home last Saturday. After "several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means" he popped two caps into the wall, unaware that his wife, Patsy, was outside the building.
The second round hit her in the chest, and although she was "given CPR by neighbors and family until medics arrived", she was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Sheriff's department spokesman Maj. Robert Hills explained: "He was under the impression that everybody was inside the residence, that he knew where everybody was at."
He added: "Once we complete a diagram of the incident, we will be submitting everything to the prosecuting attorney and let him decide if he wants to press criminal charges."
Hills said that "a person involved in such a case normally would be charged with manslaughter", KCTV5.com notes.
Officials are pondering whether to charge a Missouri DIY satellite TV installer who decided that the best way to punch a hole through the wall was with a .22 calibre handgun, and in so doing accidentally shot and killed his wife.
According to KCTV5.com, Ronald Long was attempting to install said system in the bedroom of his family's Deepwater home last Saturday. After "several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means" he popped two caps into the wall, unaware that his wife, Patsy, was outside the building.
The second round hit her in the chest, and although she was "given CPR by neighbors and family until medics arrived", she was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Sheriff's department spokesman Maj. Robert Hills explained: "He was under the impression that everybody was inside the residence, that he knew where everybody was at."
He added: "Once we complete a diagram of the incident, we will be submitting everything to the prosecuting attorney and let him decide if he wants to press criminal charges."
Hills said that "a person involved in such a case normally would be charged with manslaughter", KCTV5.com notes.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
New HiPath OpenOffice solution from Siemens
OpenOffice is a new unified communications platform from Siemens.
Technology is moving fast and we now have many different forms of communication tools at our fingertips whether it be emails, mobile calls, texts, instant messages, landline calls etc.
Dealing with all these different forms of communications takes up time in the day and there is always the worry that you haven't got the message quick enough to act in time.
Siemens new HiPath OpenOffice unifies all of this mediums creating a communications system that lets you combine your phone calls, voicemail boxes, conferencing, fax, and messaging into a single, unified solution freeing up time for you to get on with your day.
some of the advantages you’ll enjoy with HiPath OpenOffice include:
* Integrate communications with business processes
* See dramatic improvements in workflow
* Increase productivity and profitability
* Reduce organisational frustration and stress
* Share information seamlessly from any location
* Eliminate guessing games and wasted energy
* Reduce operational costs
* Reach team mates or employees the first time, every time
HiPath OpenOffice is a unified communications solution that incorporates the latest in VoIP. It’s designed and priced specifically for small and medium enterprises and because it uses genuine open standards, it integrates seamlessly into your existing IT environment. There’s no need to rip and replace; HiPath OpenOffice is easy to install, use, administer and maintain. What’s more, it can be scaled smoothly from 20 up to 150 users.
The average small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) uses 6.4 types of communication device and 4.8 communications applications such as email, mobile phones, desktop phones and PDA's. Juggling them is almost impossible, especially when your people could be anywhere within your building, on the road, or even on the other side of the world. The end result is inefficient communications with unpredictable costs that can easily get out of control:
* 52% of employees use multiple methods to contact someone on a daily basis
* 36% of the time they fail to get connected
* 22% of deadlines are missed as well as valuable revenue opportunities
So if you can overcome inefficient communications, you will have a distinct competitive advantage.
Quite often in business things can grind to a halt when someone can not be contacted. HiPath OpenOffice makes the frustrating physical and technological barriers to efficient communication a thing of the past. It enables you to achieve new levels of productivity by freeing up bottlenecks, reducing wasted time and speeding up decision making. So you can increase customer and employee satisfaction and improve revenue opportunities - all at a reduced operational cost.
HiPath OpenOffice has been specifically designed to meet the needs of small and medium enterprises with features that make managing diverse communications simple and cost effective. It lets everyone set their availability so you'll know if someone is in a meeting, on a phone call, when they'll become available and the best way to contact them. If you're out of the office you can even update your availability via your phone. HiPath OpenOffice makes it easy to set up conference calls using the 'Conference Management' feature. Schedule your conference calls, create a dial-in or ad-hoc call on the fly by simply dragging and dropping participants from your directory. Remember, there are no conference call charges. It's all handled through HiPath OpenOffice, so costs are reduced and productivity is improved because everyone can get together to make the decisions required to move forward.
Because HiPath OpenOffice integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook™, everyone can access all their communications via a single screen. Email, voicemail, fax and instant messages can be viewed, managed and answered from the application they're most familiar with - the Outlook screen they use everyday. What's more, presence status and voicemail greetings will change dynamically based on events in the Outlook™ calendar, so callers will always get the latest information about staff availability.
HiPath OpenOffice is a total solution package that comes with a whole host of cool features. Just think how convenient they could be for your business:
* Have all your contacts in just ONE directory so you don't have to search for numbers in multiple places
* Access, change, and manage your key contacts with handy favorites lists
* Route all mobile and desk phone messages to ONE voice message box
* Receive and respond to faxes as easily as an email with a fax message box
* Know who you've called and who has called you with your personal call journal
* Forward all your calls to ONE number with intelligent call management
* Get immediate notifications when you are away from your desk and a key message or fax arrives
* Give your callers options to reach you or someone else with personal autoattendant
* Connect callers to available staff the first time and see the presence status of everyone in your organisation with Attendant Console
* Dial a number from any desktop application to contact someone immediately
* Never misunderstand a customer instruction or action item again with live call recording
* Instant message a contact who is already on another line to let them know another call is waiting or their attention is needed for another matter
* Take advantage of your negotiated call rates and call packages with different mobility capabilities
Article written about Siemens HiPath OpenOffice by Daniel of Datasharp Telecom
Technology is moving fast and we now have many different forms of communication tools at our fingertips whether it be emails, mobile calls, texts, instant messages, landline calls etc.
Dealing with all these different forms of communications takes up time in the day and there is always the worry that you haven't got the message quick enough to act in time.
Siemens new HiPath OpenOffice unifies all of this mediums creating a communications system that lets you combine your phone calls, voicemail boxes, conferencing, fax, and messaging into a single, unified solution freeing up time for you to get on with your day.
some of the advantages you’ll enjoy with HiPath OpenOffice include:
* Integrate communications with business processes
* See dramatic improvements in workflow
* Increase productivity and profitability
* Reduce organisational frustration and stress
* Share information seamlessly from any location
* Eliminate guessing games and wasted energy
* Reduce operational costs
* Reach team mates or employees the first time, every time
HiPath OpenOffice is a unified communications solution that incorporates the latest in VoIP. It’s designed and priced specifically for small and medium enterprises and because it uses genuine open standards, it integrates seamlessly into your existing IT environment. There’s no need to rip and replace; HiPath OpenOffice is easy to install, use, administer and maintain. What’s more, it can be scaled smoothly from 20 up to 150 users.
The average small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) uses 6.4 types of communication device and 4.8 communications applications such as email, mobile phones, desktop phones and PDA's. Juggling them is almost impossible, especially when your people could be anywhere within your building, on the road, or even on the other side of the world. The end result is inefficient communications with unpredictable costs that can easily get out of control:
* 52% of employees use multiple methods to contact someone on a daily basis
* 36% of the time they fail to get connected
* 22% of deadlines are missed as well as valuable revenue opportunities
So if you can overcome inefficient communications, you will have a distinct competitive advantage.
Quite often in business things can grind to a halt when someone can not be contacted. HiPath OpenOffice makes the frustrating physical and technological barriers to efficient communication a thing of the past. It enables you to achieve new levels of productivity by freeing up bottlenecks, reducing wasted time and speeding up decision making. So you can increase customer and employee satisfaction and improve revenue opportunities - all at a reduced operational cost.
HiPath OpenOffice has been specifically designed to meet the needs of small and medium enterprises with features that make managing diverse communications simple and cost effective. It lets everyone set their availability so you'll know if someone is in a meeting, on a phone call, when they'll become available and the best way to contact them. If you're out of the office you can even update your availability via your phone. HiPath OpenOffice makes it easy to set up conference calls using the 'Conference Management' feature. Schedule your conference calls, create a dial-in or ad-hoc call on the fly by simply dragging and dropping participants from your directory. Remember, there are no conference call charges. It's all handled through HiPath OpenOffice, so costs are reduced and productivity is improved because everyone can get together to make the decisions required to move forward.
Because HiPath OpenOffice integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook™, everyone can access all their communications via a single screen. Email, voicemail, fax and instant messages can be viewed, managed and answered from the application they're most familiar with - the Outlook screen they use everyday. What's more, presence status and voicemail greetings will change dynamically based on events in the Outlook™ calendar, so callers will always get the latest information about staff availability.
HiPath OpenOffice is a total solution package that comes with a whole host of cool features. Just think how convenient they could be for your business:
* Have all your contacts in just ONE directory so you don't have to search for numbers in multiple places
* Access, change, and manage your key contacts with handy favorites lists
* Route all mobile and desk phone messages to ONE voice message box
* Receive and respond to faxes as easily as an email with a fax message box
* Know who you've called and who has called you with your personal call journal
* Forward all your calls to ONE number with intelligent call management
* Get immediate notifications when you are away from your desk and a key message or fax arrives
* Give your callers options to reach you or someone else with personal autoattendant
* Connect callers to available staff the first time and see the presence status of everyone in your organisation with Attendant Console
* Dial a number from any desktop application to contact someone immediately
* Never misunderstand a customer instruction or action item again with live call recording
* Instant message a contact who is already on another line to let them know another call is waiting or their attention is needed for another matter
* Take advantage of your negotiated call rates and call packages with different mobility capabilities
Article written about Siemens HiPath OpenOffice by Daniel of Datasharp Telecom
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Teen-mum flick gets filmgoers hungry for hamburger phone
Companies like Apple and Sony have known for years that movie product placement translates into big bucks. The latest such placement is...a hamburger phone, which features in new teens-up-the-duff movie Juno.
Statistics floating around online, which have been attributed to eBay, claim that sales of the retro handset jumped 759 per cent in the month after the film’s US release. The average sales price for the corded handset on the auction site is around $15 (£8/€11).
Quite why people would want to talk into something that’s been around for decades, rather than a state of the art wireless Dect handset is beyond us. However, that hasn’t stopped numerous companies cashing on the sales wave, while it lasts.
Hong Kong-based online retailer Cellphonefocus.com has already announced that it's stocking the fast-food phone. It's also trying to super-size its sales by selling French fry phones.
Film studio Fox Searchlight hasn’t commented on the hamburger phone’s popularity, but it’s rumoured the company gave some of the phones to reviewers as part of the film’s publicity campaign.
At least one thing’s for sure, Del Boy and Rodders will be upping their prices for hamburger handsets down Peckham market this week.
Written by a erstwhile stripper Diablo Cody, Juno has taken more than $78m in the US and garnered four Oscar nominations, including best director (for Jason Reitman), best actress (Ellen Page), best film and best script.
The Hamburger Phone is available from Cellphonefocus.com now for $16 (£9/€12). A European price hasn’t been served-up yet.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Fans beseige Shilpa Shetty's mobe
Bollywood babe Shilpa Shetty has described herself as "extremely perturbed" after a Indian fan got hold of her mobile number and emailed it to all and sundry, with inevitable results.
According to AP, the 32-year-old thespo "was swamped with hundreds of calls" and SMS messages following the leak. Her publicist Dale Bhagwagar said: "Some want to date her, some want to just listen to her voice, some want to inquire if her musical Miss Bollywood is doing fine and some call just to check if they are speaking to the real Shilpa Shetty."
Shetty has filed a police complaint, and Mumbai cops are investigating. Officer Sushil Joshi noted that the fan responsible "could face a six-month jail term for harassment and illegally using the internet to publicise a private phone".
The offending number has now been cut off. Doubtless it will be reassigned shortly to some unfortunate who'll have to field calls for Richard Gere's favourite sub-continental snogging partner.
According to AP, the 32-year-old thespo "was swamped with hundreds of calls" and SMS messages following the leak. Her publicist Dale Bhagwagar said: "Some want to date her, some want to just listen to her voice, some want to inquire if her musical Miss Bollywood is doing fine and some call just to check if they are speaking to the real Shilpa Shetty."
Shetty has filed a police complaint, and Mumbai cops are investigating. Officer Sushil Joshi noted that the fan responsible "could face a six-month jail term for harassment and illegally using the internet to publicise a private phone".
The offending number has now been cut off. Doubtless it will be reassigned shortly to some unfortunate who'll have to field calls for Richard Gere's favourite sub-continental snogging partner.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Mum sends stripper to teenage son's school
A Nottinghamshire lad had a "birthday to remember" after a stripper turned up at his school, burst into his drama class and proceeded to flaunt herself like a two-buck hussy as shocked teacher and students looked on.
According to the Telegraph, the clothes-shedding strumpet was dispatched to Nottingham's Arnold Hill School and Technology College at the behest of the boy's mum, who also asked his teacher to film the event.
The stripper entered the classroom halfway through the lesson, and then, as a fellow pupil recounted to the Daily Mail: "She asked the lad to stand up, which he did, and told him he had been a very naughty boy because he hadn't been doing his homework. Then she put on some Britney Spears music and got out a collar and lead from her bag and told him to put them on.
"No one could believe it. Next she ordered him to get on all fours, led him around the classroom and hit him 16 times - once for each year - on the bottom with her whip. Then she took off some clothes until she was down to her bra and pants, pulled out some cream, put it on her buttocks and told him to rub it in.
"To be fair to the teacher, you could tell she was just stunned - and when the cream came out she told the stripper 'That's it. That's enough'."
It apparently was enough for the honoured guest of this show, since he "ran out of the classroom while the stripper calmly packed her bag and left".
A spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire County Council said no one had been suspended and the police were not involved. She added: "We and the school are investigating into the situation."
And in case you're wondering what kind of parent would subject their offspring to this kind of humiliation, the mother in question told the school she'd actually ordered a gorilla "through an agency", but got the cream-loving dog-handler instead.
According to the Telegraph, the clothes-shedding strumpet was dispatched to Nottingham's Arnold Hill School and Technology College at the behest of the boy's mum, who also asked his teacher to film the event.
The stripper entered the classroom halfway through the lesson, and then, as a fellow pupil recounted to the Daily Mail: "She asked the lad to stand up, which he did, and told him he had been a very naughty boy because he hadn't been doing his homework. Then she put on some Britney Spears music and got out a collar and lead from her bag and told him to put them on.
"No one could believe it. Next she ordered him to get on all fours, led him around the classroom and hit him 16 times - once for each year - on the bottom with her whip. Then she took off some clothes until she was down to her bra and pants, pulled out some cream, put it on her buttocks and told him to rub it in.
"To be fair to the teacher, you could tell she was just stunned - and when the cream came out she told the stripper 'That's it. That's enough'."
It apparently was enough for the honoured guest of this show, since he "ran out of the classroom while the stripper calmly packed her bag and left".
A spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire County Council said no one had been suspended and the police were not involved. She added: "We and the school are investigating into the situation."
And in case you're wondering what kind of parent would subject their offspring to this kind of humiliation, the mother in question told the school she'd actually ordered a gorilla "through an agency", but got the cream-loving dog-handler instead.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Siemens' New OpenStage Family of SIP Phones
Siemens' New OpenStage Family of SIP Phones features Extraordinary Design and Newest Technical Standards
Siemens Enterprise Communications has announced OpenStage™, a new line of stylish IP telephones that bring an open communications hardware platform to the desktop for the first time. With four different models ranging from basic to advanced, OpenStage phones feature a revolutionary new design that combines ease-of-use with PC functionality. In addition, OpenStage phones utilize Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to integrate wired, wireless and IP communications to invoke new conferencing and call features such as “push to conference,” desktop call management, “presence” based calling, and more. The phones also support compatible third-party applications through standards-based technology such as Java, HTML, WML and XML so that they can become a key interface for everyday enterprise business applications.
OpenStage introduces a touch sensitive wheel, called TouchGuide™ that allows easy access to the menu-driven user interface. The TouchSlider™ controls the volume of the handset, ringer and speaker phone, and there are touch sensitive pre-set and programmable keys that provide easy access to frequently used applications and features, such as address books, voicemail, conferencing, and speed dial. OpenStage also lets you dial using hands-free voice commands or a conventional keypad. It also features a high-quality speaker phone that has been specially designed for conference calls, and can operate multiple connections from the same desktop.
“End-users in business environments are faced with an ever-increasing variety of communications capabilities, devices, interfaces and modes. Efforts to streamline and integrate these capabilities, and to make the most of the latest in navigation techniques, are welcome and will get the attention of buyers,” said Jerry Caron, Vice President, Current Analysis. “Innovative systems, such as the Siemens Enterprise Communications Open Stage portfolio, make access to sophisticated capabilities easier and more intuitive, thus inherently raising the relevance of the capabilities themselves.”
Built-in Bluetooth support also lets you use a Bluetooth headset with the OpenStage deskphone for hands-free operation. A V.Card exchange even allows you to transfer contacts between compatible mobile phones and the desk phone. A USB port is available to backup data, such as personal contacts, as well as to connect to a wireless LAN using a WLAN dongle. With network support, you can readily access a corporate phone directory using an LDAP client, or gain public phone directory access using XML to look up new contacts.
“OpenStage is the missing link that integrates cellular, the Internet and the wired desktop,” said Thomas Zimmermann, Chief Operating Officer of Siemens Enterprise Communications. “We designed OpenStage to deliver mobile convenience in a fixed device, providing instant access that is always available and easy to drive. And this line of IP telephones offer a new, rich communications experience that combines style elements with the convenience of a mobile phone.”
OpenStage is designed to help organizations improve productivity and streamline workflow by integrating system-wide communications into the most-used office device, the telephone handset. Since it is an open application platform, OpenStage gives IS departments and third party developers more flexibility to write and deploy a wide range of value-added applications that can make the phone a key interface for enterprise applications and that can speed communications and workflow.
For example, Java applications that run on a PC, mobile phone, or PDA can now be readily ported to run on the OpenStage phone. Using HTML, the phones can be used as an interface for hosted applications, such as timesheets, calendars, or public phone books. WML support makes it compatible with applications developed for mobile phones, such as access to traffic news. Support for XML also makes it easy to customize OpenStage for any number of users, such as interfaces for building control systems, responses to incoming calls or to create “tell me when” applications that monitor for specific conditions. OpenStage is part of LifeWorks, Siemens’ vision for open communications and seamless collaboration across multiple protocols, networks, and devices.
Siemens Enterprise Communications has announced OpenStage™, a new line of stylish IP telephones that bring an open communications hardware platform to the desktop for the first time. With four different models ranging from basic to advanced, OpenStage phones feature a revolutionary new design that combines ease-of-use with PC functionality. In addition, OpenStage phones utilize Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to integrate wired, wireless and IP communications to invoke new conferencing and call features such as “push to conference,” desktop call management, “presence” based calling, and more. The phones also support compatible third-party applications through standards-based technology such as Java, HTML, WML and XML so that they can become a key interface for everyday enterprise business applications.
OpenStage introduces a touch sensitive wheel, called TouchGuide™ that allows easy access to the menu-driven user interface. The TouchSlider™ controls the volume of the handset, ringer and speaker phone, and there are touch sensitive pre-set and programmable keys that provide easy access to frequently used applications and features, such as address books, voicemail, conferencing, and speed dial. OpenStage also lets you dial using hands-free voice commands or a conventional keypad. It also features a high-quality speaker phone that has been specially designed for conference calls, and can operate multiple connections from the same desktop.
“End-users in business environments are faced with an ever-increasing variety of communications capabilities, devices, interfaces and modes. Efforts to streamline and integrate these capabilities, and to make the most of the latest in navigation techniques, are welcome and will get the attention of buyers,” said Jerry Caron, Vice President, Current Analysis. “Innovative systems, such as the Siemens Enterprise Communications Open Stage portfolio, make access to sophisticated capabilities easier and more intuitive, thus inherently raising the relevance of the capabilities themselves.”
Built-in Bluetooth support also lets you use a Bluetooth headset with the OpenStage deskphone for hands-free operation. A V.Card exchange even allows you to transfer contacts between compatible mobile phones and the desk phone. A USB port is available to backup data, such as personal contacts, as well as to connect to a wireless LAN using a WLAN dongle. With network support, you can readily access a corporate phone directory using an LDAP client, or gain public phone directory access using XML to look up new contacts.
“OpenStage is the missing link that integrates cellular, the Internet and the wired desktop,” said Thomas Zimmermann, Chief Operating Officer of Siemens Enterprise Communications. “We designed OpenStage to deliver mobile convenience in a fixed device, providing instant access that is always available and easy to drive. And this line of IP telephones offer a new, rich communications experience that combines style elements with the convenience of a mobile phone.”
OpenStage is designed to help organizations improve productivity and streamline workflow by integrating system-wide communications into the most-used office device, the telephone handset. Since it is an open application platform, OpenStage gives IS departments and third party developers more flexibility to write and deploy a wide range of value-added applications that can make the phone a key interface for enterprise applications and that can speed communications and workflow.
For example, Java applications that run on a PC, mobile phone, or PDA can now be readily ported to run on the OpenStage phone. Using HTML, the phones can be used as an interface for hosted applications, such as timesheets, calendars, or public phone books. WML support makes it compatible with applications developed for mobile phones, such as access to traffic news. Support for XML also makes it easy to customize OpenStage for any number of users, such as interfaces for building control systems, responses to incoming calls or to create “tell me when” applications that monitor for specific conditions. OpenStage is part of LifeWorks, Siemens’ vision for open communications and seamless collaboration across multiple protocols, networks, and devices.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Ofcom fights to save mobile-mast website
Ofcom is appealing to the courts against a decision by the Information Tribunal, on 4 September, which ruled that the data on a website which gives details on all the mobile-phone masts in the UK should be released in a comprehensive and searchable form. This upheld an earlier ruling by the information commissioner in September 2006.
Media watchdog Ofcom has provided the Sitefinder website since December 2003 after an independent expert group recommended the government set up a national database to provide the public with details of where base stations were located and their emissions.
Until last year the data uploaded to the website was provided voluntarily by the mobile-network operators. But they stopped providing data last year after the information commissioner ordered Ofcom to release information considered to be "commercially sensitive" about each mobile-phone base station and their grid references to Health Protection Scotland (HPS).
Ofcom had previously refused to disclose the information following a freedom-of-information request from HPS, applicable under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Ofcom argued that disclosing the requested information would contravene the intellectual-property rights of the mobile-network operators. It told the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that making the raw data available would give competitors the ability to work out how each operator's 2G or 3G radio networks were designed.
Ofcom also said that publication of a searchable national data set would compromise the security of the police and emergency service radio network. People would then be able to target and close down specific geographic areas by identifying key locations vital to the police communication infrastructure.
Ruling against Ofcom, the ICO decided that a determined terrorist or criminal could obtain information about the location of Tetra masts by manually searching for each base station on Sitefinder. It therefore deemed that publication of the requested information would not present an adverse risk to public safety over and above the present situation.
Ofcom also failed to demonstrate that any actual harm to the mobile operators, such as a loss of return on their investment in creating the database, would arise from disclosure.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ofcom confirmed that it was appealing against the tribunal's decision on how the public interest, "in balancing the public right to information and the protection of sensitive business information", should be assessed.
"Because much of the underlying data is considered by the mobile-network operators as commercially sensitive, and as a whole its disclosure could lead to malicious or criminal damage to the networks, the mobile-network operators told Ofcom that they would be reluctant to continue providing it for the Sitefinder database if it was released publicly," the statement read.
Ofcom remains confident that it will be able to persuade mobile-network operators to provide updated information for the website in the future, but admits that failure to do so would mean Sitefinder "would cease to be a valuable information tool for the public".
A date for the court hearing has yet to be set.
Link to Sitefinder website
Media watchdog Ofcom has provided the Sitefinder website since December 2003 after an independent expert group recommended the government set up a national database to provide the public with details of where base stations were located and their emissions.
Until last year the data uploaded to the website was provided voluntarily by the mobile-network operators. But they stopped providing data last year after the information commissioner ordered Ofcom to release information considered to be "commercially sensitive" about each mobile-phone base station and their grid references to Health Protection Scotland (HPS).
Ofcom had previously refused to disclose the information following a freedom-of-information request from HPS, applicable under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Ofcom argued that disclosing the requested information would contravene the intellectual-property rights of the mobile-network operators. It told the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that making the raw data available would give competitors the ability to work out how each operator's 2G or 3G radio networks were designed.
Ofcom also said that publication of a searchable national data set would compromise the security of the police and emergency service radio network. People would then be able to target and close down specific geographic areas by identifying key locations vital to the police communication infrastructure.
Ruling against Ofcom, the ICO decided that a determined terrorist or criminal could obtain information about the location of Tetra masts by manually searching for each base station on Sitefinder. It therefore deemed that publication of the requested information would not present an adverse risk to public safety over and above the present situation.
Ofcom also failed to demonstrate that any actual harm to the mobile operators, such as a loss of return on their investment in creating the database, would arise from disclosure.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ofcom confirmed that it was appealing against the tribunal's decision on how the public interest, "in balancing the public right to information and the protection of sensitive business information", should be assessed.
"Because much of the underlying data is considered by the mobile-network operators as commercially sensitive, and as a whole its disclosure could lead to malicious or criminal damage to the networks, the mobile-network operators told Ofcom that they would be reluctant to continue providing it for the Sitefinder database if it was released publicly," the statement read.
Ofcom remains confident that it will be able to persuade mobile-network operators to provide updated information for the website in the future, but admits that failure to do so would mean Sitefinder "would cease to be a valuable information tool for the public".
A date for the court hearing has yet to be set.
Link to Sitefinder website
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Dwarf superglues todger to hoover
'The most embarrassing moment of my life'
Staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh battled for an hour to disconnect the penis of Captain Dan The Demon Dwarf from a hoover after the diminutive Fringe performer inadvertantly superglued it to the vacuum cleaner's "attachment".
According to the Evening Standard, the hoover forms part of Captain Dan's Circus Of Horrors act, in which he inexplicably pulls the device across the stage with his todger. On this occasion, however, "the attachment came loose before a performance so he tried to glue it back on".
The 42-year-old misread the superglue instructions and, having allowed the adhesive a mere 20 seconds to dry rather than the required 20 minutes, duly found himself semi-permanently docked after attempting a premature test.
Of his hospital ordeal, a shaken Captain Dan recounted: "It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. When I got wheeled into a packed A&E on a wheelchair with a hoover attached to my willie, I just wished the ground could swallow me up."
Staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh battled for an hour to disconnect the penis of Captain Dan The Demon Dwarf from a hoover after the diminutive Fringe performer inadvertantly superglued it to the vacuum cleaner's "attachment".
According to the Evening Standard, the hoover forms part of Captain Dan's Circus Of Horrors act, in which he inexplicably pulls the device across the stage with his todger. On this occasion, however, "the attachment came loose before a performance so he tried to glue it back on".
The 42-year-old misread the superglue instructions and, having allowed the adhesive a mere 20 seconds to dry rather than the required 20 minutes, duly found himself semi-permanently docked after attempting a premature test.
Of his hospital ordeal, a shaken Captain Dan recounted: "It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. When I got wheeled into a packed A&E on a wheelchair with a hoover attached to my willie, I just wished the ground could swallow me up."
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Hosted IP Telephony
There’s now another alternative to the traditional PBX telephone system sitting on the wall in the back office gathering dust. The answer? Don’t have a physical system at all.
With Hosted IP telephony the user will have a pre-programmed IP telephone or some type of device connected via an analogue adaptor that is connected to any available broadband connection. The central system resides in a secure data centre and the user then connects to the functionality of this via internet protocol and can make and receive calls from any available broadband connection in the world assuming that it has adequate quality. To access the features of the system for reporting or programming the user will log onto a web portal using the user’s telephone number (which incidentally can be any type of geographical number and does not need to be changed when you move offices) and a password. The web portal includes features such as the internal phonebook, voicemail, conference call scheduling, call handling. It also has a dial out facility which means that you can click on a contacts record and it automatically dials out from the user’s handset.
Benefits of a hosted solution include a low monthly user cost which covers maintenance, upgrades and seat rental. No more concerns about systems going out of date as hosted technology is constantly evolving with the benefits being passed onto the user as part of the monthly rental. Free calls between any user on the same network regardless of country location. Disaster resiliant as there is no physical equipment other than the handset itself.
Overall, this is a very exciting new development for the telecoms arena which gives more flexibility and userbility in a fast paced and ever changing sector.
Article written by Daniel Bevan of Datasharp Telecom (Chiltern)
www.dstelecom.co.uk
www.ds-telecom.co.uk
www.voipphone-systems.co.uk
With Hosted IP telephony the user will have a pre-programmed IP telephone or some type of device connected via an analogue adaptor that is connected to any available broadband connection. The central system resides in a secure data centre and the user then connects to the functionality of this via internet protocol and can make and receive calls from any available broadband connection in the world assuming that it has adequate quality. To access the features of the system for reporting or programming the user will log onto a web portal using the user’s telephone number (which incidentally can be any type of geographical number and does not need to be changed when you move offices) and a password. The web portal includes features such as the internal phonebook, voicemail, conference call scheduling, call handling. It also has a dial out facility which means that you can click on a contacts record and it automatically dials out from the user’s handset.
Benefits of a hosted solution include a low monthly user cost which covers maintenance, upgrades and seat rental. No more concerns about systems going out of date as hosted technology is constantly evolving with the benefits being passed onto the user as part of the monthly rental. Free calls between any user on the same network regardless of country location. Disaster resiliant as there is no physical equipment other than the handset itself.
Overall, this is a very exciting new development for the telecoms arena which gives more flexibility and userbility in a fast paced and ever changing sector.
Article written by Daniel Bevan of Datasharp Telecom (Chiltern)
www.dstelecom.co.uk
www.ds-telecom.co.uk
www.voipphone-systems.co.uk
Monday, August 06, 2007
VoIP for Business
As technology moves along at breakneck speed, the telecoms industry welcomes the arrival of VoIP or voice over internet protocol. This is the process of translating normal voice into packets of data which travels down an internet connection and then reforms as voice again upon its destination.
One of the single most important landmarks in the evolution of this format has been the worldwide phenomenon known as Skype. Two Danish chaps, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, sat down one day and created this destructive technological behemoth which has changed the face of voice communications as we know it for ever. Better still they have made it possible for two or several (via conference call) people to download a piece of free software onto their PC's and talk for absolutely free for any amount of time at any destination in the world.
In the meantime, the business world has been following behind on its coat-tails seeking ways of making this work for business telephone systems based structure. You can now have your system hosted remotely using VoIP to access the system and make inter-office calls for free or break out to worldwide destinations for a fraction of the cost of a normal BT call - and all over any available broadband connection. Whilst before, the quality of the call was down to the copper wire, it is now squarely based around adequate bandwidth and un-contended interference. Other options include using VoIP adaptors, SIP trunking via a VoIP phone system with new products coming onto the market all the time.
If you have decided that a VOIP phone system is the right step for your company, you may need to determine which of your existing telephone equipment you are able to keep. The potential cost savings that can be made through using any existing digital equipment are huge. Many digital phone systems can be IP enabled using minor hardware additions and software upgrades.
When shopping around for potential systems you need to be certain of the features they provide as standard and which are optional cost extras. You also need to be certain of exactly what is included with the system.
You will also need to enquire about the compatibility of existing equipment. The technology used in many VOIP systems may affect the implementation of any existing telephone hardware.
You will also need to ensure that any devices such as fax machines, credit card processors, and security systems etc can be integrated into your new VOIP phone system. You should make any potential vendor aware of such devices so they can provide you with a suitable phone system for your requirements.
Finally, do not try to save money by buying used VOIP phone systems. Remember VOIP is a new technology, so even last years equipment is outdated. Also the installation cost will still apply whether the system is new or second hand, and the service costs may even be higher due to reliability issues. To put it simply it just isn?t worth the hassle, the higher secondary costs will wipe out any potential saving.
One of the single most important landmarks in the evolution of this format has been the worldwide phenomenon known as Skype. Two Danish chaps, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, sat down one day and created this destructive technological behemoth which has changed the face of voice communications as we know it for ever. Better still they have made it possible for two or several (via conference call) people to download a piece of free software onto their PC's and talk for absolutely free for any amount of time at any destination in the world.
In the meantime, the business world has been following behind on its coat-tails seeking ways of making this work for business telephone systems based structure. You can now have your system hosted remotely using VoIP to access the system and make inter-office calls for free or break out to worldwide destinations for a fraction of the cost of a normal BT call - and all over any available broadband connection. Whilst before, the quality of the call was down to the copper wire, it is now squarely based around adequate bandwidth and un-contended interference. Other options include using VoIP adaptors, SIP trunking via a VoIP phone system with new products coming onto the market all the time.
If you have decided that a VOIP phone system is the right step for your company, you may need to determine which of your existing telephone equipment you are able to keep. The potential cost savings that can be made through using any existing digital equipment are huge. Many digital phone systems can be IP enabled using minor hardware additions and software upgrades.
When shopping around for potential systems you need to be certain of the features they provide as standard and which are optional cost extras. You also need to be certain of exactly what is included with the system.
You will also need to enquire about the compatibility of existing equipment. The technology used in many VOIP systems may affect the implementation of any existing telephone hardware.
You will also need to ensure that any devices such as fax machines, credit card processors, and security systems etc can be integrated into your new VOIP phone system. You should make any potential vendor aware of such devices so they can provide you with a suitable phone system for your requirements.
Finally, do not try to save money by buying used VOIP phone systems. Remember VOIP is a new technology, so even last years equipment is outdated. Also the installation cost will still apply whether the system is new or second hand, and the service costs may even be higher due to reliability issues. To put it simply it just isn?t worth the hassle, the higher secondary costs will wipe out any potential saving.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Romanian cops cuff drunk, naked, handless driver
No licence, naturally
Romanian traffic cops in the seaside town of Constanta were rather surprised to discover that the driver of a BMW they pulled for zigzagging across the road had no licence, no hands, no clothes, and was figuratively legless, evz.ro reports.
Aurel Olteanu, 23, tested positive for twice the drink-drive limit, and put his lack of clothes down to a trip to a local nudist beach, which he'd left in a bit of a hurry.
The reason for Olteanu's amputated hands is not noted, but the Beemer was an automatic, which must have made things a bit easier for him.
According to Ananova, police sub-inspector Marius Ghita said: "He had no licence, but told us he had developed his own special way of driving."
Olteanu has been charged with drunk driving and driving without a licence, having apparently avoided a public decency rap.
Romanian traffic cops in the seaside town of Constanta were rather surprised to discover that the driver of a BMW they pulled for zigzagging across the road had no licence, no hands, no clothes, and was figuratively legless, evz.ro reports.
Aurel Olteanu, 23, tested positive for twice the drink-drive limit, and put his lack of clothes down to a trip to a local nudist beach, which he'd left in a bit of a hurry.
The reason for Olteanu's amputated hands is not noted, but the Beemer was an automatic, which must have made things a bit easier for him.
According to Ananova, police sub-inspector Marius Ghita said: "He had no licence, but told us he had developed his own special way of driving."
Olteanu has been charged with drunk driving and driving without a licence, having apparently avoided a public decency rap.
eBayer mails UK lad £44,000
Got more than the PS2 he was expecting
A 16-year-old Norfolk lad got more than he bargained for when he successfully bid £95 for a PS2 on eBay - the console plus €65,400 (£44k) in cash, the BBC reports.
Police are currently holding the wonga - which arrived with the games console at the teen's Norfolk home back in March and was reported by his parents - under the Proceeds of Crime Act. According to the BBC, magistrates gave Norfolk cops until September to trace the owner, at which time the case will return to court.
The family could then apply to claim the funds under the Police Property Act, although the powers-that-be can obtain a further order to hang onto the booty pending further investigation.
An eBay spokesman said: "We know that eBay is a great place to pick up a bargain, although in this case, we agree that the contents of the parcel were somewhat unusual and we will assist with any inquiries the police may wish to make."
A 16-year-old Norfolk lad got more than he bargained for when he successfully bid £95 for a PS2 on eBay - the console plus €65,400 (£44k) in cash, the BBC reports.
Police are currently holding the wonga - which arrived with the games console at the teen's Norfolk home back in March and was reported by his parents - under the Proceeds of Crime Act. According to the BBC, magistrates gave Norfolk cops until September to trace the owner, at which time the case will return to court.
The family could then apply to claim the funds under the Police Property Act, although the powers-that-be can obtain a further order to hang onto the booty pending further investigation.
An eBay spokesman said: "We know that eBay is a great place to pick up a bargain, although in this case, we agree that the contents of the parcel were somewhat unusual and we will assist with any inquiries the police may wish to make."
German hurls computer from apartment block
'Who hasn't felt like doing that?' admit police
A German chap who demonstrated his frustration with his PC by throwing it out of the window escaped a fine when police oficers decided they rather sympathised with his actions.
According to the Evening Standard, Hanover cops were alerted in the middle of night by neighbours who reported a "loud crash" outside their apartment block. Officers duly attended the scene, finding the pavement strewn with electronic debris.
The unnamed 51-year-old perp explained he'd "got annoyed" with his machine, which struck a chord with the police officer who admitted: "Who hasn't felt like doing that?"
Accordingly, he was not sanctioned for disturbing the peace, but was made to clear up the mess. The make of computer and offending OS are not noted.
A German chap who demonstrated his frustration with his PC by throwing it out of the window escaped a fine when police oficers decided they rather sympathised with his actions.
According to the Evening Standard, Hanover cops were alerted in the middle of night by neighbours who reported a "loud crash" outside their apartment block. Officers duly attended the scene, finding the pavement strewn with electronic debris.
The unnamed 51-year-old perp explained he'd "got annoyed" with his machine, which struck a chord with the police officer who admitted: "Who hasn't felt like doing that?"
Accordingly, he was not sanctioned for disturbing the peace, but was made to clear up the mess. The make of computer and offending OS are not noted.
Mobile-mast danger is all in your head
'If you believe something's going to harm you, it will'
Researchers investigating the health effects of mobile phone masts have found that sufferers report symptoms regardless of whether the equipment is actually on or off.
The academic investigators were led by Professor Elaine Fox of the University of Essex, and their report was published by Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal run by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
During the study, 56 people who said they suffered adverse health effects from mobile mast transmissions were compared with 120 controls. Twelve of the professedly mast-sensitive individuals dropped out after the "open" testing, in which subjects were told whether or not a transmission was actually happening, as did five controls.
The remaining 44 mast-sensitives and 115 controls were then put through "double-blind" tests in which neither they nor the researchers knew whether the equipment was transmitting. The trials employed both GSM and UMTS transmissions.
A few of the subjects correctly guessed the answer every time, but the report authors said that was to be expected.
"Participant performance for each group did not differ from chance," they wrote.
There was an apparent correlation at first between UMTS signals and the sensitive group's reports of "arousal", but the scientists said this was caused by the fact that the random test equipment happened to generate a lot of UMTS transmissions during early stages, when the subjects were anxious.
According to the researchers, the trial results showed that "exposure from mobile phone technology is not related to levels of well-being or physical symptoms in [mast-sensitive] individuals".
"Furthermore, [mast-sensitive] individuals are unable to detect the presence of [transmissions] under double-blind conditions. It remains the case however, that [mast-sensitive] individuals present with a range of distressing and serious symptoms and often have a very poor quality of life."
It seems that the presence of mobile phone masts can indeed make people severely ill, but this has nothing to with radio waves - and probably everything to do with the fact that the sufferers expect to be harmed.
Professor Fox told the BBC that "belief is a very powerful thing .. If you really believe something is going to do you some harm, it will."
So now we only need to worry about the dangers of Wi-Fi...
Researchers investigating the health effects of mobile phone masts have found that sufferers report symptoms regardless of whether the equipment is actually on or off.
The academic investigators were led by Professor Elaine Fox of the University of Essex, and their report was published by Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal run by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
During the study, 56 people who said they suffered adverse health effects from mobile mast transmissions were compared with 120 controls. Twelve of the professedly mast-sensitive individuals dropped out after the "open" testing, in which subjects were told whether or not a transmission was actually happening, as did five controls.
The remaining 44 mast-sensitives and 115 controls were then put through "double-blind" tests in which neither they nor the researchers knew whether the equipment was transmitting. The trials employed both GSM and UMTS transmissions.
A few of the subjects correctly guessed the answer every time, but the report authors said that was to be expected.
"Participant performance for each group did not differ from chance," they wrote.
There was an apparent correlation at first between UMTS signals and the sensitive group's reports of "arousal", but the scientists said this was caused by the fact that the random test equipment happened to generate a lot of UMTS transmissions during early stages, when the subjects were anxious.
According to the researchers, the trial results showed that "exposure from mobile phone technology is not related to levels of well-being or physical symptoms in [mast-sensitive] individuals".
"Furthermore, [mast-sensitive] individuals are unable to detect the presence of [transmissions] under double-blind conditions. It remains the case however, that [mast-sensitive] individuals present with a range of distressing and serious symptoms and often have a very poor quality of life."
It seems that the presence of mobile phone masts can indeed make people severely ill, but this has nothing to with radio waves - and probably everything to do with the fact that the sufferers expect to be harmed.
Professor Fox told the BBC that "belief is a very powerful thing .. If you really believe something is going to do you some harm, it will."
So now we only need to worry about the dangers of Wi-Fi...
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Killer Wi-Fi panics London's chattering classes
Recent revelations that Wi-Fi may provoke spontaneous abortions in cattle, raise storms and tempests, curdle milk and fry children's brains have had the desired effect among London's chattering classes, with panicked parents mobilising to contain the wireless menace.
According to The Independent, London-based Scooter Computer's call-out service has recently received "hundreds" of calls from concerned users in the wake of a chilling Panorama special last month which highlighted the possible risks of going wires-free.
The company's Will Foot explained: "I have never seen such a reaction. It's completely out of the blue. More than 50 per cent of enquiries were from people worried about Wi-Fi access."
Foot said Scooter Computer had already sent in tinfoil-clad suppression units to remove 25 systems, amid a flurry of Wi-Fi-busting vigilante action.
Nicola Hart, of north London's Dartmouth Park, was apparently "so concerned about the radiation emitted from the systems that she removed Wi-Fi from her home, and persuaded her neighbours and her daughter's school to do the same".
She claimed to have suffered "a lot of funny symptoms" at the hands of Wi-Fi, which she put down to "an early menopause". She explained: "We put the system in about four months ago because my 17-year-old son wanted to have access to the internet at the same time as us. I did not really think about any effects it might have."
Once the Wi-Fi was shown the door, Hart "began sleeping and feeling better", and this prompted her to persuade her six-year-old daughter's school in leafy Belsize Park to can its system. She noted: "A lot of the parents were very pleased, and a lot of my friends are very keen to have it taken out of their children's schools."
Sinead Griffiths, a researcher from Walthamstow, likewise binned Wi-Fi, mainly "to protect her children", although she admitted to suffering "headaches and lethargy". She said: "There is not enough information available on the subject. I don't want to take any risks. You just don't know what all this technology in the home is doing to us."
And to reinforce just how Wi-Fi might upset your ying-yang balance and provoke inauspicious feng shui, "The Independent's Green Goddess columnist Julia Stephenson reported last week that she too had disconnected her Wi-Fi, on the advice of her naturopath".
According to The Independent, London-based Scooter Computer's call-out service has recently received "hundreds" of calls from concerned users in the wake of a chilling Panorama special last month which highlighted the possible risks of going wires-free.
The company's Will Foot explained: "I have never seen such a reaction. It's completely out of the blue. More than 50 per cent of enquiries were from people worried about Wi-Fi access."
Foot said Scooter Computer had already sent in tinfoil-clad suppression units to remove 25 systems, amid a flurry of Wi-Fi-busting vigilante action.
Nicola Hart, of north London's Dartmouth Park, was apparently "so concerned about the radiation emitted from the systems that she removed Wi-Fi from her home, and persuaded her neighbours and her daughter's school to do the same".
She claimed to have suffered "a lot of funny symptoms" at the hands of Wi-Fi, which she put down to "an early menopause". She explained: "We put the system in about four months ago because my 17-year-old son wanted to have access to the internet at the same time as us. I did not really think about any effects it might have."
Once the Wi-Fi was shown the door, Hart "began sleeping and feeling better", and this prompted her to persuade her six-year-old daughter's school in leafy Belsize Park to can its system. She noted: "A lot of the parents were very pleased, and a lot of my friends are very keen to have it taken out of their children's schools."
Sinead Griffiths, a researcher from Walthamstow, likewise binned Wi-Fi, mainly "to protect her children", although she admitted to suffering "headaches and lethargy". She said: "There is not enough information available on the subject. I don't want to take any risks. You just don't know what all this technology in the home is doing to us."
And to reinforce just how Wi-Fi might upset your ying-yang balance and provoke inauspicious feng shui, "The Independent's Green Goddess columnist Julia Stephenson reported last week that she too had disconnected her Wi-Fi, on the advice of her naturopath".
Friday, May 11, 2007
Mobile phones no longer used for calls
Too mundane for 21st century
Mobile phone call volumes have dropped for the first time in 10 years, according to the annual JD Power survey.
The survey, of nearly 3,000 UK mobile phone users, found that pre-paid customers are making an average of 10 calls a week, falling from 14 last year. Contract customers average 27, down from 35 in 2006, but those customers are now sending 46 text messages every week, up from 32.
Click here to find out more!
A lot of this is down to the wider adoption of text messaging for communications - once the preserve of the youth, people of all ages are now learning to abuse the English language in pursuit of squeezing meaning into 160 characters.
More worrying for the network operators is the amount customers are saving by using text. A pre-pay customer is now spending an average of £12.35 per month, down from £19.29 last year, and even contract customers have seen a 20 per cent drop in their bill (from £40.44 to £32.45).
Among pre-paid customers, those with O2 are spending the most, averaging £13.95 every month, while Virgin customers are only spending £10.90. Orange has the most spendthrift contract customers, averaging £37 a month, while Virgin is again the home of the cost-conscious at £26.50.
Despite falling incomes, the networks are still desperate to reduce churn rates. Forty-six per cent of contract customers have received some form of bribe for their loyalty, generally handset upgrades for those with contracts, and free credit for the pre-paid.
The survey notes that modern handsets offer such a range of entertainment there's little time to make phone calls - users are busy playing games, watching videos, and checking on their eBay
Mobile phone call volumes have dropped for the first time in 10 years, according to the annual JD Power survey.
The survey, of nearly 3,000 UK mobile phone users, found that pre-paid customers are making an average of 10 calls a week, falling from 14 last year. Contract customers average 27, down from 35 in 2006, but those customers are now sending 46 text messages every week, up from 32.
Click here to find out more!
A lot of this is down to the wider adoption of text messaging for communications - once the preserve of the youth, people of all ages are now learning to abuse the English language in pursuit of squeezing meaning into 160 characters.
More worrying for the network operators is the amount customers are saving by using text. A pre-pay customer is now spending an average of £12.35 per month, down from £19.29 last year, and even contract customers have seen a 20 per cent drop in their bill (from £40.44 to £32.45).
Among pre-paid customers, those with O2 are spending the most, averaging £13.95 every month, while Virgin customers are only spending £10.90. Orange has the most spendthrift contract customers, averaging £37 a month, while Virgin is again the home of the cost-conscious at £26.50.
Despite falling incomes, the networks are still desperate to reduce churn rates. Forty-six per cent of contract customers have received some form of bribe for their loyalty, generally handset upgrades for those with contracts, and free credit for the pre-paid.
The survey notes that modern handsets offer such a range of entertainment there's little time to make phone calls - users are busy playing games, watching videos, and checking on their eBay
Friday, April 27, 2007
TALKING AND DRIVING MORE DANGEROUS IF YOU'RE ALONE
Mobile phone use twice as dangerous as talking to passengers
A new study published in the latest edition of Accident Analysis & Prevention has found that talking to passengers in the car is less dangerous than talking on a hands-free phone.
The study is a follow-up to one published two years ago that established that drivers chatting on the phone were more than four times more likely to have an accident than those driving in silence - but that study made no comparison with talking to passengers in the car.
Now researchers at The George Institute for International Health, Sydney Australia, have filled that gap by talking to 274 drivers attending hospital in Perth, and asking them what they were doing just before their accident.
The results show that driving with two or more passengers more than doubles the chances of having an accident, but using a mobile phone increases the chances of having an accident by a factor of more than four.
The effect of trying to get directions on the phone while being screamed at by two children wasn't established, but it's probably worth taking extra care over the weekend.
A new study published in the latest edition of Accident Analysis & Prevention has found that talking to passengers in the car is less dangerous than talking on a hands-free phone.
The study is a follow-up to one published two years ago that established that drivers chatting on the phone were more than four times more likely to have an accident than those driving in silence - but that study made no comparison with talking to passengers in the car.
Now researchers at The George Institute for International Health, Sydney Australia, have filled that gap by talking to 274 drivers attending hospital in Perth, and asking them what they were doing just before their accident.
The results show that driving with two or more passengers more than doubles the chances of having an accident, but using a mobile phone increases the chances of having an accident by a factor of more than four.
The effect of trying to get directions on the phone while being screamed at by two children wasn't established, but it's probably worth taking extra care over the weekend.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
PROXIMITY BASED DISCOUNTS VIA MOBILE TEXT
Volunteers sign up for adverts
Mobile advertising can work. In a trial with 1,000 volunteer customers, Singapore operator M1 has launched a location-based marketing drive. Having opted-in, a user walking along Orchard Road, a main shopping street in the city- state, receives messages offering discounts in stores or restaurants as they approach them.
Shopkeepers, who are typically cutting 10 per cent off prices, capture customers who might otherwise have passed them by. Restaurants can offer discounts to attract early and late diners, extending their full-capacity hours.
Mobile advertising can work. In a trial with 1,000 volunteer customers, Singapore operator M1 has launched a location-based marketing drive. Having opted-in, a user walking along Orchard Road, a main shopping street in the city- state, receives messages offering discounts in stores or restaurants as they approach them.
Shopkeepers, who are typically cutting 10 per cent off prices, capture customers who might otherwise have passed them by. Restaurants can offer discounts to attract early and late diners, extending their full-capacity hours.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
