There I was, stopped at a red light on West St. by Ground Zero, doing what I do every morning; sipping coffee, listening to the radio and checking messages on my BlackBerry.
All of a sudden, something - or should I say someone - caught my attention out of the passenger-side window.
There he was, one of New York's Finest, on a motorcycle, looking right at me as I scrolled the screen on my red rubber-sleeved BlackBerry.
I was caught in the NYPD's 24-hour cell phone crackdown. I was texting while driving, even though I was, technically, stopped at a red light. It's one of the newest no-no's in New York State and I'm all for its enforcement.
I looked up, he looked at me, I rolled down my window and said, "I don't know where I can pull over around here." He said, "Don't worry, I can clear a path for you to pull over right there."
I pulled over and parked next to the constuction entrance to Ground Zero.
When he came to my window there was none of those obligatory questions like, "Do you know why I pulled you over?"
It was understood why he pulled me over and I didn't argue. I didn't even try to explain why I was looking at my BlackBerry.
Actually, I was dissappointed in myself for disregarding a law that I know is meant to protect all of us from reckless and distracted drivers.
I never saw myself in that way, but the moment I was caught - BlackBerry in hand, behind the wheel, in rush hour traffic - I became one of those distracted drivers I fear and disdain.
Thankfully he didn't lecture me. That's what you've got to love about New York City cops. He knew I was wrong and he knew that I knew I was wrong.
I handed over my license and registration, sat patiently for a few minutes, then took my lumps without saying a word.
So I'll be handing over $130 to the NYC Finance Department. In addition to serving as a public safety reminder, the cell phone crackdown is a nice little moneymaker for the city.
In 2008, the NYPD issued some 530 cell phone tickets per day.
The March 2009 cell phone crackdown netted a total 8,797 summonses, including one for another unsuspecting Newser, Edgar Sandoval.
Those tickets, worth $120 a pop, added more than $1 million to the city till - a nice chunk of change for one day.
It was the most expensive e-mail check I've ever done, but the $130 ticket will serve its purpose as a lesson learned.
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
China Mobile keen on deals with Taiwan firms
China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier, aims to sign a series of deals with key Taiwanese firms this week, helping them gain access into China's rapidly growing telecoms market.
They include an agreement with smartphone maker HTC to launch at least one model in China this year -- to be called the "Ophone" -- and at least five models in 2010, China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou told reporters at a news conference.
"We're working with HTC to jointly develop smartphones based on our TD-SCDMA technology," Wang said, referring to the company's homegrown 3G standard. "We'll see at least one model this year, and at least five next."
China Mobile is also working with unlisted Foxconn Group, which counts electronics giant Hon Hai and contract cellphone maker Foxconn among its subsidiaries, to jointly develop and manufacture e-books to be sold in China, Wang said.
China Mobile's overtures come amid a thaw in the traditionally frosty relations between the nations on either side of the Taiwan Strait.
In May, analysts said they expect a surge of foreign funds into Taiwan's market to continue amid the belief it will outperform global peers thanks to its growing ties to China's resilient economy.
Wang declined to give shipment targets but said the e-books should be ready for sale by the first half of next year.
The firm is also looking at a deal with Taiwan's top chip designer Mediatek to jointly develop mobile phone chipsets that can run on the company's 3G network.
"The problem we have is not the 3G network, but rather a lack of cellphones that can support it," Wang said, adding that he expects the number of 3G-capable phone models being sold by the firm to quadruple to over 200 by the middle of 2010.
"That's where we're looking for partners."
REGULATORY HICCUP
Wang's visit to Taiwan comes as China Mobile's plans to buy 12 percent of the island's third-largest telecom operator FareasTone remain shackled by local regulators, who continue to keep the sector out of bounds to Chinese investors.
The two states have been administered separately since the Nationalists fled the Chinese mainland after being defeated by the Communists in 1949, and elements of Taiwanese society remain deeply suspicious of any moves they feel may compromise the status quo.
However, Wang and FareasTone Chairman Douglas Hsu said they both remained optimistic that the deal would be eventually approved by the Taiwan authorities.
"We've both done everything according to the regulations, and I'm hopeful that things will proceed as they should," said Wang.
China Mobile posted a 1.6 percent drop in its quarterly profit on Thursday, hit by a slow economy, weak 3G rollout and increasing competition, causing its shares to hit a three-week low on Friday.
Source
They include an agreement with smartphone maker HTC to launch at least one model in China this year -- to be called the "Ophone" -- and at least five models in 2010, China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou told reporters at a news conference.
"We're working with HTC to jointly develop smartphones based on our TD-SCDMA technology," Wang said, referring to the company's homegrown 3G standard. "We'll see at least one model this year, and at least five next."
China Mobile is also working with unlisted Foxconn Group, which counts electronics giant Hon Hai and contract cellphone maker Foxconn among its subsidiaries, to jointly develop and manufacture e-books to be sold in China, Wang said.
China Mobile's overtures come amid a thaw in the traditionally frosty relations between the nations on either side of the Taiwan Strait.
In May, analysts said they expect a surge of foreign funds into Taiwan's market to continue amid the belief it will outperform global peers thanks to its growing ties to China's resilient economy.
Wang declined to give shipment targets but said the e-books should be ready for sale by the first half of next year.
The firm is also looking at a deal with Taiwan's top chip designer Mediatek to jointly develop mobile phone chipsets that can run on the company's 3G network.
"The problem we have is not the 3G network, but rather a lack of cellphones that can support it," Wang said, adding that he expects the number of 3G-capable phone models being sold by the firm to quadruple to over 200 by the middle of 2010.
"That's where we're looking for partners."
REGULATORY HICCUP
Wang's visit to Taiwan comes as China Mobile's plans to buy 12 percent of the island's third-largest telecom operator FareasTone remain shackled by local regulators, who continue to keep the sector out of bounds to Chinese investors.
The two states have been administered separately since the Nationalists fled the Chinese mainland after being defeated by the Communists in 1949, and elements of Taiwanese society remain deeply suspicious of any moves they feel may compromise the status quo.
However, Wang and FareasTone Chairman Douglas Hsu said they both remained optimistic that the deal would be eventually approved by the Taiwan authorities.
"We've both done everything according to the regulations, and I'm hopeful that things will proceed as they should," said Wang.
China Mobile posted a 1.6 percent drop in its quarterly profit on Thursday, hit by a slow economy, weak 3G rollout and increasing competition, causing its shares to hit a three-week low on Friday.
Source
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Microsoft's plan to get back in the phone game
Microsoft's efforts to regain lost ground in the mobile phone business will see the company offering two different versions of its operating system next year.
The company will continue to broadly sell Windows Mobile 6.5 to a large variety of handset makers, while working more closely with several handset makers to sell phones built on a new version of Windows Mobile that has been several years in the making, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.
While Windows Mobile 6.5 is a fairly interim update to the mobile operating system that Microsoft has been selling, Microsoft has also been working on more radical efforts to overhaul the operating system. Both its plans for Windows Mobile 7 and its long-running "Pink" project aim to match the kinds of experiences seen on the iPhone and Android, using more advanced voice and touch interfaces and higher-end hardware.
Microsoft demonstrated Windows Mobile 6.5 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. That interim update to Windows Mobile will start arriving on phones this fall, while a more radical overhaul of Redmond's cell phone OS is due next year.
(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET News)
A Digitimes report this week called the effort a "dual-platform" strategy, although I'm not sure I'd use that term to describe two versions of Windows Mobile being sold at the same time.
What is clear is that Microsoft needs to do something serious if it hopes to live up to its mobile ambitions. For years now, the company has made rather modest updates to the Windows Mobile operating system, which dates back to the days of code powered PDAs and other organizers that were neither phones nor, in some cases, even connected to the Internet.
In that same time, Palm has gone back to the drawing board and reinvented itself with the WebOS-based Pre, while the iPhone and Android have entered the market and even Research In Motion has arguably done more to capture consumer interest than has Microsoft.
Internally, Redmond has shifted a number of its people into the mobile unit. In addition to former server executive Andy Lees, who now runs the phone business, former Mac Business unit chief Roz Ho has been leading a top secret "premium mobile experiences" team responsible for some of the "Pink" work. The company purchased Danger, known for creating the teen-centered T-Mobile Sidekick, and Ho heads that unit as well.
The software maker has also tapped folks from its Tellme unit to help bring improved voice recognition capability into Windows Mobile.
Call waiting
Microsoft has been working on Windows Mobile 7 for what now seems like an eternity, especially in the mobile world. The product was supposed to be in phone makers' hands by early this year, but has suffered a number of delays.
Officially, the company will discuss only Windows Mobile 6.5 and its plan to start using the "Windows Phone" brand.
"We're on track to deliver Windows Phones that will be running Windows Mobile 6.5 this fall," a representative said.
But, in a discussion with reporters earlier this year, Microsoft Entertainment unit president Robbie Bach stressed the importance of new user interfaces, such as touch and voice.
"Independent of specific plans for any specific product, you should just assume over time that that's going to become part of the products that we produce," Bach said, according to a Seattle Times account. "And, you know, specific timing and all those things, I'll leave aside, but it is a huge trend. And once you have something like touch or voice to interact with, you wonder why you did it the old way."
And, although Microsoft has denied it is looking to enter the handset business itself, it has said it thinks it needs to partner more closely with a few companies in order to produce more competitive devices.
"To date, we haven't done as good a job as I would like in building the relationships and getting the right level of integration," Bach said at the company's financial analyst meeting last month. "Obviously phones take time to develop, so that won't happen overnight, but you're going to see a dramatic improvement in the integration between what we do in the software and what our hardware partners do on the hardware side."
The company has also aimed to have its software run on the widest range of devices, resulting in what Lees and Bach have both called a "lowest common denominator" experience.
In a July interview wMicrosoft's efforts to regain lost ground in the mobile phone business will see the company offering two different versions of its operating system next year.
The company will continue to broadly sell Windows Mobile 6.5 to a large variety of handset makers, while working more closely with several handset makers to sell phones built on a new version of Windows Mobile that has been several years in the making, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.
While Windows Mobile 6.5 is a fairly interim update to the mobile operating system that Microsoft has been selling, Microsoft has also been working on more radical efforts to overhaul the operating system. Both its plans for Windows Mobile 7 and its long-running "Pink" project aim to match the kinds of experiences seen on the iPhone and Android, using more advanced voice and touch interfaces and higher-end hardware.
Microsoft demonstrated Windows Mobile 6.5 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. That interim update to Windows Mobile will start arriving on phones this fall, while a more radical overhaul of Redmond's cell phone OS is due next year.
(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET News)
A Digitimes report this week called the effort a "dual-platform" strategy, although I'm not sure I'd use that term to describe two versions of Windows Mobile being sold at the same time.
What is clear is that Microsoft needs to do something serious if it hopes to live up to its mobile ambitions. For years now, the company has made rather modest updates to the Windows Mobile operating system, which dates back to the days of code powered PDAs and other organizers that were neither phones nor, in some cases, even connected to the Internet.
In that same time, Palm has gone back to the drawing board and reinvented itself with the WebOS-based Pre, while the iPhone and Android have entered the market and even Research In Motion has arguably done more to capture consumer interest than has Microsoft.
Internally, Redmond has shifted a number of its people into the mobile unit. In addition to former server executive Andy Lees, who now runs the phone business, former Mac Business unit chief Roz Ho has been leading a top secret "premium mobile experiences" team responsible for some of the "Pink" work. The company purchased Danger, known for creating the teen-centered T-Mobile Sidekick, and Ho heads that unit as well.
The software maker has also tapped folks from its Tellme unit to help bring improved voice recognition capability into Windows Mobile.
Call waiting
Microsoft has been working on Windows Mobile 7 for what now seems like an eternity, especially in the mobile world. The product was supposed to be in phone makers' hands by early this year, but has suffered a number of delays.
Officially, the company will discuss only Windows Mobile 6.5 and its plan to start using the "Windows Phone" brand.
"We're on track to deliver Windows Phones that will be running Windows Mobile 6.5 this fall," a representative said.
But, in a discussion with reporters earlier this year, Microsoft Entertainment unit president Robbie Bach stressed the importance of new user interfaces, such as touch and voice.
"Independent of specific plans for any specific product, you should just assume over time that that's going to become part of the products that we produce," Bach said, according to a Seattle Times account. "And, you know, specific timing and all those things, I'll leave aside, but it is a huge trend. And once you have something like touch or voice to interact with, you wonder why you did it the old way."
And, although Microsoft has denied it is looking to enter the handset business itself, it has said it thinks it needs to partner more closely with a few companies in order to produce more competitive devices.
"To date, we haven't done as good a job as I would like in building the relationships and getting the right level of integration," Bach said at the company's financial analyst meeting last month. "Obviously phones take time to develop, so that won't happen overnight, but you're going to see a dramatic improvement in the integration between what we do in the software and what our hardware partners do on the hardware side."
The company has also aimed to have its software run on the widest range of devices, resulting in what Lees and Bach have both called a "lowest common denominator" experience.
In a July interview with CNET News, Bach acknowledged that Microsoft also just needs to pick up the pace.
"If your point is we haven't advanced Windows Mobile as fast as we like, I think the answer is that's true," Bach said. "You are going to see that change."
However, Bach didn't say much more about where Microsoft is headed, other than to point out that the company has made a lot of changes to the team working on the product over the last year.
"My view on these topics is talk is cheap," he said. "The next thing we are going to show people is Windows Mobile 6.5. There's plenty of innovation in the pipeline."ith CNET News, Bach acknowledged that Microsoft also just needs to pick up the pace.
"If your point is we haven't advanced Windows Mobile as fast as we like, I think the answer is that's true," Bach said. "You are going to see that change."
However, Bach didn't say much more about where Microsoft is headed, other than to point out that the company has made a lot of changes to the team working on the product over the last year.
"My view on these topics is talk is cheap," he said. "The next thing we are going to show people is Windows Mobile 6.5. There's plenty of innovation in the pipeline."
Source
The company will continue to broadly sell Windows Mobile 6.5 to a large variety of handset makers, while working more closely with several handset makers to sell phones built on a new version of Windows Mobile that has been several years in the making, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.
While Windows Mobile 6.5 is a fairly interim update to the mobile operating system that Microsoft has been selling, Microsoft has also been working on more radical efforts to overhaul the operating system. Both its plans for Windows Mobile 7 and its long-running "Pink" project aim to match the kinds of experiences seen on the iPhone and Android, using more advanced voice and touch interfaces and higher-end hardware.
Microsoft demonstrated Windows Mobile 6.5 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. That interim update to Windows Mobile will start arriving on phones this fall, while a more radical overhaul of Redmond's cell phone OS is due next year.
(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET News)
A Digitimes report this week called the effort a "dual-platform" strategy, although I'm not sure I'd use that term to describe two versions of Windows Mobile being sold at the same time.
What is clear is that Microsoft needs to do something serious if it hopes to live up to its mobile ambitions. For years now, the company has made rather modest updates to the Windows Mobile operating system, which dates back to the days of code powered PDAs and other organizers that were neither phones nor, in some cases, even connected to the Internet.
In that same time, Palm has gone back to the drawing board and reinvented itself with the WebOS-based Pre, while the iPhone and Android have entered the market and even Research In Motion has arguably done more to capture consumer interest than has Microsoft.
Internally, Redmond has shifted a number of its people into the mobile unit. In addition to former server executive Andy Lees, who now runs the phone business, former Mac Business unit chief Roz Ho has been leading a top secret "premium mobile experiences" team responsible for some of the "Pink" work. The company purchased Danger, known for creating the teen-centered T-Mobile Sidekick, and Ho heads that unit as well.
The software maker has also tapped folks from its Tellme unit to help bring improved voice recognition capability into Windows Mobile.
Call waiting
Microsoft has been working on Windows Mobile 7 for what now seems like an eternity, especially in the mobile world. The product was supposed to be in phone makers' hands by early this year, but has suffered a number of delays.
Officially, the company will discuss only Windows Mobile 6.5 and its plan to start using the "Windows Phone" brand.
"We're on track to deliver Windows Phones that will be running Windows Mobile 6.5 this fall," a representative said.
But, in a discussion with reporters earlier this year, Microsoft Entertainment unit president Robbie Bach stressed the importance of new user interfaces, such as touch and voice.
"Independent of specific plans for any specific product, you should just assume over time that that's going to become part of the products that we produce," Bach said, according to a Seattle Times account. "And, you know, specific timing and all those things, I'll leave aside, but it is a huge trend. And once you have something like touch or voice to interact with, you wonder why you did it the old way."
And, although Microsoft has denied it is looking to enter the handset business itself, it has said it thinks it needs to partner more closely with a few companies in order to produce more competitive devices.
"To date, we haven't done as good a job as I would like in building the relationships and getting the right level of integration," Bach said at the company's financial analyst meeting last month. "Obviously phones take time to develop, so that won't happen overnight, but you're going to see a dramatic improvement in the integration between what we do in the software and what our hardware partners do on the hardware side."
The company has also aimed to have its software run on the widest range of devices, resulting in what Lees and Bach have both called a "lowest common denominator" experience.
In a July interview wMicrosoft's efforts to regain lost ground in the mobile phone business will see the company offering two different versions of its operating system next year.
The company will continue to broadly sell Windows Mobile 6.5 to a large variety of handset makers, while working more closely with several handset makers to sell phones built on a new version of Windows Mobile that has been several years in the making, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.
While Windows Mobile 6.5 is a fairly interim update to the mobile operating system that Microsoft has been selling, Microsoft has also been working on more radical efforts to overhaul the operating system. Both its plans for Windows Mobile 7 and its long-running "Pink" project aim to match the kinds of experiences seen on the iPhone and Android, using more advanced voice and touch interfaces and higher-end hardware.
Microsoft demonstrated Windows Mobile 6.5 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. That interim update to Windows Mobile will start arriving on phones this fall, while a more radical overhaul of Redmond's cell phone OS is due next year.
(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET News)
A Digitimes report this week called the effort a "dual-platform" strategy, although I'm not sure I'd use that term to describe two versions of Windows Mobile being sold at the same time.
What is clear is that Microsoft needs to do something serious if it hopes to live up to its mobile ambitions. For years now, the company has made rather modest updates to the Windows Mobile operating system, which dates back to the days of code powered PDAs and other organizers that were neither phones nor, in some cases, even connected to the Internet.
In that same time, Palm has gone back to the drawing board and reinvented itself with the WebOS-based Pre, while the iPhone and Android have entered the market and even Research In Motion has arguably done more to capture consumer interest than has Microsoft.
Internally, Redmond has shifted a number of its people into the mobile unit. In addition to former server executive Andy Lees, who now runs the phone business, former Mac Business unit chief Roz Ho has been leading a top secret "premium mobile experiences" team responsible for some of the "Pink" work. The company purchased Danger, known for creating the teen-centered T-Mobile Sidekick, and Ho heads that unit as well.
The software maker has also tapped folks from its Tellme unit to help bring improved voice recognition capability into Windows Mobile.
Call waiting
Microsoft has been working on Windows Mobile 7 for what now seems like an eternity, especially in the mobile world. The product was supposed to be in phone makers' hands by early this year, but has suffered a number of delays.
Officially, the company will discuss only Windows Mobile 6.5 and its plan to start using the "Windows Phone" brand.
"We're on track to deliver Windows Phones that will be running Windows Mobile 6.5 this fall," a representative said.
But, in a discussion with reporters earlier this year, Microsoft Entertainment unit president Robbie Bach stressed the importance of new user interfaces, such as touch and voice.
"Independent of specific plans for any specific product, you should just assume over time that that's going to become part of the products that we produce," Bach said, according to a Seattle Times account. "And, you know, specific timing and all those things, I'll leave aside, but it is a huge trend. And once you have something like touch or voice to interact with, you wonder why you did it the old way."
And, although Microsoft has denied it is looking to enter the handset business itself, it has said it thinks it needs to partner more closely with a few companies in order to produce more competitive devices.
"To date, we haven't done as good a job as I would like in building the relationships and getting the right level of integration," Bach said at the company's financial analyst meeting last month. "Obviously phones take time to develop, so that won't happen overnight, but you're going to see a dramatic improvement in the integration between what we do in the software and what our hardware partners do on the hardware side."
The company has also aimed to have its software run on the widest range of devices, resulting in what Lees and Bach have both called a "lowest common denominator" experience.
In a July interview with CNET News, Bach acknowledged that Microsoft also just needs to pick up the pace.
"If your point is we haven't advanced Windows Mobile as fast as we like, I think the answer is that's true," Bach said. "You are going to see that change."
However, Bach didn't say much more about where Microsoft is headed, other than to point out that the company has made a lot of changes to the team working on the product over the last year.
"My view on these topics is talk is cheap," he said. "The next thing we are going to show people is Windows Mobile 6.5. There's plenty of innovation in the pipeline."ith CNET News, Bach acknowledged that Microsoft also just needs to pick up the pace.
"If your point is we haven't advanced Windows Mobile as fast as we like, I think the answer is that's true," Bach said. "You are going to see that change."
However, Bach didn't say much more about where Microsoft is headed, other than to point out that the company has made a lot of changes to the team working on the product over the last year.
"My view on these topics is talk is cheap," he said. "The next thing we are going to show people is Windows Mobile 6.5. There's plenty of innovation in the pipeline."
Source
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sony Ericsson W518a Walkman Cell Phone (AT&T)
The W518a offers one must-have feature for the teenage set: instant Facebook access. Unfortunately, the app doesn't quite make the grade. Pressing the Shortcut key updates the screen with your News Feed info (status updates, Wall postings, and so on). From there you can update your own status, configure the Facebook app to show your friends' status updates on the phone's home screen, and...well, that's about it. Anything else requires you to use the mediocre built-in WAP browser to go to Facebook Mobile, just as on any other phone.
The app is useful if you just want to see the last 30 minutes or so of your News Feed, but considering that Facebook access is one of the W518a's huge selling points, Sony really should have included a full-featured program instead of an anemic accessory. If you're a Facebook addict, you'll appreciate the ability to upload pictures directly from the phone to your profile, but you might not want to share the subpar snapshots from the phone's 3.2-megapixel camera.
Music is the W518a's second specialty. The phone's built-in Walkman app handles all of the music functions. The interface looks kind of like a brushed-metal version of the PlayStation 3's menus, matching the W518a's brushed-chrome-and-silver hardware. Through the interface you can access your music collection as well as the built-in XM Radio ($9 to buy the app, though you'll need a data plan as well), FM Radio, Shop Music, and other miscellaneous music apps.
This is where some of the W518a's flaws show: It doesn't have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and worse, it doesn't come with a headset, so you'll have to shell out some extra cash for a compatible headset or an adapter. Until you get one, you won't be able to use the FM radio application (because it uses the headphone cord as an antenna), and to listen to music at all you'll have to use the phone's built-in speakers, which, while an improvement over earlier Walkman phones like the W580i, aren't an ideal solution.
The phone's physical design complements its musical functions nicely. When closed, the face of the W518a shows the artist and the title of the current track. Three playback buttons (rewind, skip ahead, and pause/play) sit below the track display, while the volume controls reside on the right edge, giving you easy access to them while the phone is in your pocket. Oddly enough, while the face buttons look like regular buttons, they're actually touch-sensitive spots that don't depress, which was hard for me to get used to. If you don't want to fiddle with the face buttons, you can hold down the pause/play button and shake the phone to change tracks instead. However, this is not only awkward (shake left for the previous track, shake right to skip ahead, shake wildly to shuffle) and potentially dangerous (I almost flung the thing across the office), but it's also pointless considering the minimal effort required to press the next-track button.
Along the same lines, the W518a introduces a few new control gimmicks that probably shouldn't have left the drawing board. Supposedly you can set your alarm on snooze, or silence incoming calls, by waving your hand in front of the camera. It didn't work too well, though: I tried a casual wave, a deliberate wave, even the Obi-Wan Kenobi "These aren't the droids you're looking for" wave, and had no luck with any of them. I did get the W518a to shut up one time by holding my thumb over the camera as soon as the call came in, but frankly it's less efficient than pushing a button. The volume controls on the side of the phone let you do the same thing without opening the phone up, and they're easier to find than the camera if you're holding the phone in your pocket.
Though the phone's physical design is undeniably attractive, most of the buttons are downright annoying. Besides the face-button problems mentioned earlier, the phone's menu buttons and numeric pad have sizable gaps between them, and my hands got tired quickly.
Other than the Facebook app, the music functions, and the gimmicky controls, the W518a is a fairly run-of-the-mill flip phone. The call quality was clear (nothing stunning), and it was reliable (I didn't have any dropped calls while I was testing it). The battery life was fairly standard for a flip phone, too. AT&T advertises the phone's battery life at 10 hours talk time and 400 hours standby, and I found that with my everyday-use patterns (Internet browsing, music playback, and about 30 minutes of phone calls a day) I had to recharge the W518a only every four or five days, which was nice.
Ultimately, the Sony Ericsson W518a is an incremental update to the Walkman phone line. At the low price point, the W518a isn't a bad choice if you're looking for a basic flip phone with a few extra features. However, for a device that claims to be a socially connected music phone, it lacks an awful lot--namely a full-featured Facebook app, headphones, and a standard headphone jack, all of which you can find in a refurbished iPhone 3G if you don't mind that handset's larger size.
Source
The app is useful if you just want to see the last 30 minutes or so of your News Feed, but considering that Facebook access is one of the W518a's huge selling points, Sony really should have included a full-featured program instead of an anemic accessory. If you're a Facebook addict, you'll appreciate the ability to upload pictures directly from the phone to your profile, but you might not want to share the subpar snapshots from the phone's 3.2-megapixel camera.
Music is the W518a's second specialty. The phone's built-in Walkman app handles all of the music functions. The interface looks kind of like a brushed-metal version of the PlayStation 3's menus, matching the W518a's brushed-chrome-and-silver hardware. Through the interface you can access your music collection as well as the built-in XM Radio ($9 to buy the app, though you'll need a data plan as well), FM Radio, Shop Music, and other miscellaneous music apps.
This is where some of the W518a's flaws show: It doesn't have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and worse, it doesn't come with a headset, so you'll have to shell out some extra cash for a compatible headset or an adapter. Until you get one, you won't be able to use the FM radio application (because it uses the headphone cord as an antenna), and to listen to music at all you'll have to use the phone's built-in speakers, which, while an improvement over earlier Walkman phones like the W580i, aren't an ideal solution.
The phone's physical design complements its musical functions nicely. When closed, the face of the W518a shows the artist and the title of the current track. Three playback buttons (rewind, skip ahead, and pause/play) sit below the track display, while the volume controls reside on the right edge, giving you easy access to them while the phone is in your pocket. Oddly enough, while the face buttons look like regular buttons, they're actually touch-sensitive spots that don't depress, which was hard for me to get used to. If you don't want to fiddle with the face buttons, you can hold down the pause/play button and shake the phone to change tracks instead. However, this is not only awkward (shake left for the previous track, shake right to skip ahead, shake wildly to shuffle) and potentially dangerous (I almost flung the thing across the office), but it's also pointless considering the minimal effort required to press the next-track button.
Along the same lines, the W518a introduces a few new control gimmicks that probably shouldn't have left the drawing board. Supposedly you can set your alarm on snooze, or silence incoming calls, by waving your hand in front of the camera. It didn't work too well, though: I tried a casual wave, a deliberate wave, even the Obi-Wan Kenobi "These aren't the droids you're looking for" wave, and had no luck with any of them. I did get the W518a to shut up one time by holding my thumb over the camera as soon as the call came in, but frankly it's less efficient than pushing a button. The volume controls on the side of the phone let you do the same thing without opening the phone up, and they're easier to find than the camera if you're holding the phone in your pocket.
Though the phone's physical design is undeniably attractive, most of the buttons are downright annoying. Besides the face-button problems mentioned earlier, the phone's menu buttons and numeric pad have sizable gaps between them, and my hands got tired quickly.
Other than the Facebook app, the music functions, and the gimmicky controls, the W518a is a fairly run-of-the-mill flip phone. The call quality was clear (nothing stunning), and it was reliable (I didn't have any dropped calls while I was testing it). The battery life was fairly standard for a flip phone, too. AT&T advertises the phone's battery life at 10 hours talk time and 400 hours standby, and I found that with my everyday-use patterns (Internet browsing, music playback, and about 30 minutes of phone calls a day) I had to recharge the W518a only every four or five days, which was nice.
Ultimately, the Sony Ericsson W518a is an incremental update to the Walkman phone line. At the low price point, the W518a isn't a bad choice if you're looking for a basic flip phone with a few extra features. However, for a device that claims to be a socially connected music phone, it lacks an awful lot--namely a full-featured Facebook app, headphones, and a standard headphone jack, all of which you can find in a refurbished iPhone 3G if you don't mind that handset's larger size.
Source
Monday, September 28, 2009
Cell phone caller alerts police erratic driver
Hingham Police Officer Daniel Leary was informed by dispatch on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 10:13 p.m. that a cell phone caller had reported an erratic operator on Main Street. The caller reported that at the traffic lights at routes 53 and 228, the operator of a pickup truck had been flashing its high beams at the cell caller, who wouldn’t go right on red [which is not allowed for traffic taking a right onto Main Street].
“Once the light turned green and both vehicles were headed down Main Street, the pickup truck passed the cell caller on the wrong side of the road,” Hingham Police Spokesperson Lt. Michael Peraino said. “Once she passed the vehicle, the driver immediately slowed down to 10 mph. At that point the cell phone caller pulled over to the side of the road and called the Hingham police to report the plate number.”
Officer Thomas Ford, who was waiting at the 600 block of Main Street for the vehicle to approach, observed the pickup truck heading toward him and noticed that the truck had crossed a solid yellow line on Main Street. “The vehicle took a left onto Friend Street and another left onto High Street, again crossing over to the wrong side of the road,” Peraino said.
Ford stopped the vehicle at the intersection of High Street and Whitcomb Avenue. The operator was identified as Andrea B. Ward, 21, 16 U.S. Bates Road, Hingham. “While Ford was talking with her, he detected a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. He asked if she had been drinking and she replied yes,” Peraino said. “He also noticed that her speech was slurred.”
Ford asked her to step from the vehicle to take field sobriety tests, which she agreed to, according to Peraino. “Upon completion of the tests, Officer Ford determined that she was operating under the influence of alcohol,” Peraino said. Ward was placed under arrest and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol and also cited for marked lanes violation.
Source
“Once the light turned green and both vehicles were headed down Main Street, the pickup truck passed the cell caller on the wrong side of the road,” Hingham Police Spokesperson Lt. Michael Peraino said. “Once she passed the vehicle, the driver immediately slowed down to 10 mph. At that point the cell phone caller pulled over to the side of the road and called the Hingham police to report the plate number.”
Officer Thomas Ford, who was waiting at the 600 block of Main Street for the vehicle to approach, observed the pickup truck heading toward him and noticed that the truck had crossed a solid yellow line on Main Street. “The vehicle took a left onto Friend Street and another left onto High Street, again crossing over to the wrong side of the road,” Peraino said.
Ford stopped the vehicle at the intersection of High Street and Whitcomb Avenue. The operator was identified as Andrea B. Ward, 21, 16 U.S. Bates Road, Hingham. “While Ford was talking with her, he detected a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. He asked if she had been drinking and she replied yes,” Peraino said. “He also noticed that her speech was slurred.”
Ford asked her to step from the vehicle to take field sobriety tests, which she agreed to, according to Peraino. “Upon completion of the tests, Officer Ford determined that she was operating under the influence of alcohol,” Peraino said. Ward was placed under arrest and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol and also cited for marked lanes violation.
Source
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Calling all spies: Has cell phone spy tech got your number?
When BlackBerry users in the United Arab Emirates received a text message from their service provider on July 8 instructing them to install an upgrade on their handsets, they had no idea the application also contained software that, according to BlackBerry's maker, would enable third parties to peek at private information on their phones.
Cell phone surveillance software can take contorl of your smart phone.
Etisalat, the Abu Dhabi-based mobile carrier that deployed the update, has reportedly denied the software was spyware. In a statement issued last month, Etisalat said the upgrade was necessary for "service enhancements'.
But Canadian BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. said in a statement that "independent sources have concluded that it is possible that the installed software could enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the user's smartphone."
Etisalat did not respond to CNN's request for an interview.
The UAE incident unleashed a wave of outrage among BlackBerry users in the country as well as brought to light what experts say is growing concern that as mobile phones become more sophisticated, they are also becoming increasingly vulnerable to technological espionage.
"When no one was paying attention, their phones turned into a computer," cyber security expert Charlie Miller told CNN. "These phones have bugs in them and bad guys can take advantage of them and you have to be aware there is a risk here."
At the Black Hat information security conference held last month in Las Vegas, Miller and fellow computer security researcher Collin Mulliner shocked audiences when they revealed how a series of simple text messages can allow someone to hijack Apple's iPhone as well as several other smartphone models with neither the handset's owner or network provider ever knowing.
The virus allows outsiders to send text messages, access web sites, make phone calls as well as turn on a device's camera and microphone, he explained.
"Anything you could do with your phone I could do," said Miller. "And you could be staring at your phone the whole time and nothing happens. It is pretty dangerous."
Within 24 hours of the demonstration, Apple issued a patch to fix the vulnerability. The company also issued a statement noting, "contrary to what's been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit."
Miller warns that as smartphones and applications to run on them flood the marketplace, new and creative ways to hack into them could soon emerge.
"Who is going to find the next one?" asked Miller. "And are they going to report it? That is the question."
In July a mobile phone worm called "Sexy Space" compromised mobile phones using Symbian software, reportedly enabling hackers to steal phone and network information from devices by luring in victims through a web site that promised pornography.
Security experts have labeled the technology behind the breach as the first step towards a botnet, or group of infected machines, for mobile devices. Almost one out of every 63 smartphones running on Symbian are infected with some form of malware, according to a study from SMobile Systems, a mobile phone security solutions provider.
James Johns, founder of Arizona-based Retina-X Studios, says business has already been on the increase for the cell phone monitoring software his company makes.
The software, which can be purchased and downloaded to a handset directly from the Internet, allows individuals to remotely monitor the text messages, calls and location of the person using the device on which it has been installed.
"It is becoming very popular," Johns told CNN. "The main reason is that most people have smartphones that can be monitored unlike a regular cell phone, which can't really run programs."
Legitimate software open to abuse
While Johns says most of his customers are either parents who want to know more about their children's cell phone activities or spouses hoping to catch a cheating husband or wife, there is always a risk that it could be used for malicious purposes.
"It is up to the user of the software to make sure they follow all laws," said Johns.
"Any technology can be abused. We don't make our software for those intentions, and if we find out that someone is abusing our software, we will work with the police as we have in the past."
Yet despite the growing demand for consumer mobile phone surveillance technology and high profile examples of mobile security breaches via spyware installed by remote sources, other analysts say the there is no need to panic just yet.
"Mobile security threats are real, but they are rare," Jan Volkze, head of global marketing for McAfee Mobile Security, told CNN.
According to Volkze, the risk of handset hacking still remains relatively low mainly because when it comes to cracking mobile phones, the return on investment is simply not worth it.
"This is a huge barrier," said Volkze. "On the PC side it is very easy to extort money from people. It is a multi-billion dollar business. Hackers will only move to the mobile side if they can get more out of it compared to what they have done before."
However as more people start to store more information from their lives on mobile devices, more measures need to be taken to make sure the data is kept secure.
"People should apply the same level of paranoia on their cell phone that they would on their personal computer," said Volkze. "
Source
Cell phone surveillance software can take contorl of your smart phone.
Etisalat, the Abu Dhabi-based mobile carrier that deployed the update, has reportedly denied the software was spyware. In a statement issued last month, Etisalat said the upgrade was necessary for "service enhancements'.
But Canadian BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. said in a statement that "independent sources have concluded that it is possible that the installed software could enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the user's smartphone."
Etisalat did not respond to CNN's request for an interview.
The UAE incident unleashed a wave of outrage among BlackBerry users in the country as well as brought to light what experts say is growing concern that as mobile phones become more sophisticated, they are also becoming increasingly vulnerable to technological espionage.
"When no one was paying attention, their phones turned into a computer," cyber security expert Charlie Miller told CNN. "These phones have bugs in them and bad guys can take advantage of them and you have to be aware there is a risk here."
At the Black Hat information security conference held last month in Las Vegas, Miller and fellow computer security researcher Collin Mulliner shocked audiences when they revealed how a series of simple text messages can allow someone to hijack Apple's iPhone as well as several other smartphone models with neither the handset's owner or network provider ever knowing.
The virus allows outsiders to send text messages, access web sites, make phone calls as well as turn on a device's camera and microphone, he explained.
"Anything you could do with your phone I could do," said Miller. "And you could be staring at your phone the whole time and nothing happens. It is pretty dangerous."
Within 24 hours of the demonstration, Apple issued a patch to fix the vulnerability. The company also issued a statement noting, "contrary to what's been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit."
Miller warns that as smartphones and applications to run on them flood the marketplace, new and creative ways to hack into them could soon emerge.
"Who is going to find the next one?" asked Miller. "And are they going to report it? That is the question."
In July a mobile phone worm called "Sexy Space" compromised mobile phones using Symbian software, reportedly enabling hackers to steal phone and network information from devices by luring in victims through a web site that promised pornography.
Security experts have labeled the technology behind the breach as the first step towards a botnet, or group of infected machines, for mobile devices. Almost one out of every 63 smartphones running on Symbian are infected with some form of malware, according to a study from SMobile Systems, a mobile phone security solutions provider.
James Johns, founder of Arizona-based Retina-X Studios, says business has already been on the increase for the cell phone monitoring software his company makes.
The software, which can be purchased and downloaded to a handset directly from the Internet, allows individuals to remotely monitor the text messages, calls and location of the person using the device on which it has been installed.
"It is becoming very popular," Johns told CNN. "The main reason is that most people have smartphones that can be monitored unlike a regular cell phone, which can't really run programs."
Legitimate software open to abuse
While Johns says most of his customers are either parents who want to know more about their children's cell phone activities or spouses hoping to catch a cheating husband or wife, there is always a risk that it could be used for malicious purposes.
"It is up to the user of the software to make sure they follow all laws," said Johns.
"Any technology can be abused. We don't make our software for those intentions, and if we find out that someone is abusing our software, we will work with the police as we have in the past."
Yet despite the growing demand for consumer mobile phone surveillance technology and high profile examples of mobile security breaches via spyware installed by remote sources, other analysts say the there is no need to panic just yet.
"Mobile security threats are real, but they are rare," Jan Volkze, head of global marketing for McAfee Mobile Security, told CNN.
According to Volkze, the risk of handset hacking still remains relatively low mainly because when it comes to cracking mobile phones, the return on investment is simply not worth it.
"This is a huge barrier," said Volkze. "On the PC side it is very easy to extort money from people. It is a multi-billion dollar business. Hackers will only move to the mobile side if they can get more out of it compared to what they have done before."
However as more people start to store more information from their lives on mobile devices, more measures need to be taken to make sure the data is kept secure.
"People should apply the same level of paranoia on their cell phone that they would on their personal computer," said Volkze. "
Source
Friday, May 8, 2009
Nokia 3220 VS Nokia 7610
Nokia 3220
Technical specifications
Key features
* Integrated VGA camera and Video Recorder
* Xpress-on™ grips
* Downloadable themes: wallpaper, screensaver, and ringing tone, animated MMS
* Cut-out covers
* XHTML browser
* Polyphonic ringing tones
* Java™ games and applications
* User memory area 4 MB
Operating frequency
* Tri-band EGSM 900, GSM 1800, and GSM 1900 networks in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific
* GSM 850/1800/1900 for North America, and South America where these networks are supported.
Dimensions
* Weight: 86 g (with battery)
* Length: 104.5 mm
* Width: 44.2 mm
* Thickness (max): 18.7 mm
Display
* 65,536 colors 128 x 128 pixels display
User interface
* Keymat with 5-way navigation key
Imaging
* Integrated VGA camera
* Video recorder
* Camera self timer with light effects
* Download and upload images and video sequences
Messaging
* Multimedia Messaging : MMS for creating, receiving, editing, and sending videos and pictures with AMR voice clips and SMIL
* Email : Sending and receiving emails
* Text Messaging : Sending and receiving instant messaging
* Flash Messaging : Send and receive flash messages that appear promptly on the phone screen
Browsing
* XHTML browser
Games
* Survivor Game, Club Pinball, Dance Delight, Phantom Spider
* Multiplayer Gaming over infrared or Bluetooth between compatible phones
Java™ Applications
* MIDP Java™ pre-installed games and applications
Connectivity
* Local synchronization with PC using PC Suite
Data Transfer
* EDGE: Class B, multislot class 10 (UL/DL = 59.2/177.6 kbps)
* GPRS up to 80 kbps
* HSCSD up to 43.2 kbps
Other Features
* New silver version with monoblock design
* Comfortable new Xpress-on™ grips
* Downloadable Themes: Wallpaper, Screensaver
* Internal antenna
* Color schemes, Background images, Ringing tones
Sales Package Contents
* Nokia 3220 Phone
* DC charger plug
* Nokia Battery BL-5B
Power management
Battery Talk time* Standby time*
BL-5B Up to 3 hrs Up to 350 hrs
Nokia 7610
Technical specifications
Key features
* Integrated megapixel (1152 x 864 pixels) camera with 4x digital zoom for quality prints
* Integrated video recorder with audio function and 4x digital zoom for video clips up to 10 minutes long
* RealOne Player
* Standard and night camera modes and self-timer
* Movie Director - Combine video clips, add music, or change styles
* Created and downloaded digital content (images, sounds, videos) with Gallery storage
* Welcome Demo for a quick start as well as a Help application that guides you through your phone's many features.
* 65,536 color-display, 176 x 208 pixels
* Bluetooth wireless technology and USB connectivity
* MMS, email, and Instant Messaging
* Advanced XHTML browser
* Personalized user interface themes
* Nokia Xpress-on™ Style Packs
Tri-band operation
* Tri-band coverage on up to five continents (GSM 900/1800/1900 or GSM 850/1800/1900)
* Automatic switching between bands
Size
* Weight: 118 g
* Dimensions: 108.6 mm x 53 mm x 18.7 mm, 93.5 cc
Display and user interface
* Bright active matrix TFT color display
* 65,536 colors
* 176 x 208 pixel resolution
* Graphical user interface with selectable themes
* 5-way navigation key
* Symbian operating system 7.0s
* S60 software on Symbian OS
Integrated digital megapixel camera
* Resolution 1152 x 864 pixels
* 4x digital zoom
* Picture modes: Standard, night
* Self timer
* Displayed formats: JPEG, GIF87a/89a, EXIF, DCF, WBMP, BMP, MBM, PNG
Video recorder
* Resolution: 128 x 96 or 174 x 144 pixels (Sub QCIF or QCIF)
* Time: Up to 10 minutes
* 4x digital zoom
* Recorded formats (encoding): .3gp file format, H.263 video and AMR radio
RealOne player
* Download and play multimedia files (video + music)
* Stream media files through any supported media portals
* Played formats (decoding): .3gp and .mp4 file formats, MPEG-4 video, H.263 video and AMR audio, RealMedia (Real Video and Real Audio), MP3 and AAC
Memory functions
* 8 MB internal dynamic memory for contacts, text messages, multimedia messages, ringing tones, images, video clips, calendar notes, to-do list, and applications
* 64 MB Reduced Size MultiMediaCard (MMC)
Messaging
* Multimedia messaging: Combine image, video, text and voice clip and send as MMS to compatible phone or PC; use MMS to tell your story with a multi-slide presentation
* Automatic resizing of your megapixel image to accommodate fit MMS. (max. 100 KB attachment size)
* Email: Access email accounts whether work or personal; supports SMTP, POP3, and IMAP4 protocols
* Text messaging: Supports concatenated SMS; picture messaging; SMS distribution list
* Predictive text input: Support for all major languages in Europe and Asia-Pacific
Presence
* Instant Messaging
* Presence-enhanced contacts
Connectivity
* Bluetooth wireless technology
* USB with Pop-Port™
* Local synchronization of contacts & calendar to compatible PC using PC Suite
* Remote over-the-air synchronization with SyncML
* Send and receive images, video clips, graphics and business cards
Browsing
* Support for HTML, XHTML and WML
* Full-screen mode
* OMA DRM - Forward lock for content protection
* Wallet: Convenient online use and storage of your numbers and passwords
Data transfer
* Up to 40.3 kbps in GPRS networks
Call management
* Contacts: Advanced contacts database with support for multiple phone and email details per entry, also supports thumbnail picture and groups
* Speed dialing
* Logs: Keeps lists of your dialed, received, and missed calls
* Automatic redial
* Automatic answer (works with compatible headset or car kit only)
* Supports Fixed Dialing Number, which allows calls only to predefined numbers
* Conference call
Java™ applications
* Downloadable Java™ MIDP 2.0 applications
Voice features
* Voice dialing
* Voice commands
* Voice recorder
* Integrated handsfree speaker
Digital services
* Symbian applications available from Nokia Software Market
* Graphics, icons, animations, logos
* Games: Possibility to download new games
* Ringing tones: True Tones, polyphonic tones
* Themes: Possibility to download new themes
Sales package contents
* Nokia 7610 imaging phone
* 64 MB Reduced Size MMC
* Adapter for MMC
* Li-ion Battery Cell (BL-5C)
* Travel Charger (ACP-12)
* USB Connectivity cable (DKU-2)
* Wrist strap
* CD-ROM
* User's Guide
Power management
Battery Capacity Talk time Standby
BL-5C 900 mAh Li-lon Up to 180 min. Up to 10.4 days
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