TRADITIONAL home phones may become a thing of the past with the launch of monthly internet packages allowing unlimited calls to landlines and some mobiles around the world.
Skype, which boasts more than 300m subscribers globally, is offering free calls to landlines in Britain for a monthly fee of £1.95 – or just £23 a year.
It will allow consumers to bypass BT’s call charges, which can be 4.5p a minute during the day and 1.5p a minute in the evenings, as well as monthly charges of up to £5.95. BT also charges a 6p minimum set-up charge per call.
Users will still need a broadband internet connection to sign up to Skype, which may require a BT line costing a minimum of £10.50 a month, although cable broadband customers with Virgin Media can do away with BT altogether.
Experts said that even with the cost of broadband, Skype would still offer big savings. A typical user would pay £33.99 a month with BT – £7.50 in calls and £26.49 in fees. The same user would pay a total of just £25.22 with Skype, including broadband charges.
Users have to set up Skype on their home computers and attach a microphone and speakers. After doing this, they can make free calls to landlines for as long as they want and at any time.
For a flat rate of £6.95, customers can make free calls to landlines in the US, France, Spain, Australia and other destinations without having to worry about monthly allowances or per minute rates. The package also allows you to make free mobile calls to the US, Canada, Singa-pore and China. There is a £2.95 package for unlimited calls to European countries only.
In contrast, BT will charge up to 17p a minute for calls to US mobiles and landlines.
However, calls to mobiles in the UK are more expensive with Skype. In most cases it will cost you 16p a minute but only 12.5p a minute during the day and 7.5p in the evenings with BT.
Skype currently appeals to frequent travellers or people with relatives abroad who also have Skype, but the new package could put it into the mainstream.
Rob Barnes, mobiles expert at comparison firm Moneysuper-market said: “If you use this package to call landlines and your monthly free minutes to call mobiles, you can save yourself a packet, especially if you find yourself going over your limit regularly.”
Though most Skype users make calls using a home PC and a microphone, it is possible to use the service in conjunction with your mobile tariff so you never have to go over your free usage limits again.
Last week, Skype launched a mobile service, making it even easier to set up internet telephony on your handset.
It will add pressure on traditional mobile operators to reduce or abandon mobile termination charges which telecoms companies charge to allow third parties to connect to their networks.
BT said last week that consumers were being overcharged by up to £1 billion a year because of termination rates.
Mobile phone firm 3, which is campaigning against the charges, suggests mobile-call rates could be cut by up to 50% if the charges were scrapped.
The Skype mobile software is currently being tested but the public can access the software for free from skype.com/go/mobile download and offer feedback.
An official launch of the software is expected this year.
In fact, 3 already has a Skype-phone package that allows unlimited free calls to other Skype users around the world with the push of a button. This costs a minimum of £12 a month.
However, the plan does not offer Skype-Out calls allowing cheap calls to nonSkype users. However, both 3 and Skype last week confirmed plans for a mobile Skype-Out package before the end of the year.
A spokesman for 3 said: “Communication over the internet is becoming ever more popular. It’s only natural that it will become easier for people to use the internet to make calls over their mobile handsets.”
You will need a fast web-ena-bled mobile to make decent-qual-ity internet calls. This usually means handsets with HSDPA technology, otherwise known as broadband mobile. The Nokia N95 has this technology and is available on the above tariffs.
If you are tech-savvy, another way to access Skype on your mobile is to connect to your PC through the internet and use the Skype that is installed on your home computer.
Software such as WebEx PC Now allows the software to be installed at home on a mobile.
Matthew Hancock, 28, a recruitment consultant from London, regularly uses this to call relatives in Switzerland and France.
He said: “Being able to plug into my Skype account via my mobile is a really nice tool. I had a Skype account on my desktop, I just need to make sure I turn my PC on before I make a call.
“With the WebEx Skype access I’ve probably cut my bill by at least £30 a month and I don’t have to be sat staring at my PC while making calls.”
Monday, 28 April 2008
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Brakes slammed on mobile phone bonanza
Nokia president Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo predicts new products will boost results in the second half of 2008. Photograph: Manu Fernandez/AP Photo
Nokia sent shivers through the technology world on Thursday as the world's largest mobile phone company warned the global mobile phone market was set to suffer its first decline in value as economic recession hit both sides of the Atlantic.
Nokia, which makes about two out of every five mobiles sold worldwide, said it still expected the number of phones sold to increase by 10%, up from 1.14bn phones sold last year, but the overall value of the market in cash terms would be lower than 2007.
"The change from our previous estimate of value growth for this market primarily reflects the negative impact of the recently weakened US dollar, the general economic slowdown in the US, and possibly going forward some economic slowdown in Europe," Nokia said.
About half the company's revenues are in dollars or currencies that are closely linked to it. Shares in the Finnish company dropped 10% and its warning pushed technology and consumer product shares lower across Europe.
Nokia expects the average price of mobile phones to decrease this year because of intense competition in mature markets - as consumers see their spending curtailed by the chilly economic climate - and an increase in sales to developing markets.
Nokia's downbeat trading outlook came as its announced first quarter results. Profits for the three months to the end of March were up 25% on last year to €1.2bn (£962m), but that was less than some analysts had forecast. Sales rose 28% to €12.7bn.
The company sold 115.5m phones over the quarter, more than the combined sales of its three closest rivals, Samsung, Motorola and SonyEricsson. That was up 27% year on year but down 13% compared with the fourth quarter of 2007, including Christmas.
Nokia calculates the overall industry sold 295m phones in the three months to the end of March, representing 17% year-on-year growth but a 12% decrease compared with the fourth quarter of last year.
The average selling price of a Nokia phone in the quarter decreased to €79, from €83 in the last three months of 2007 and €89 in the first quarter of last year. The price drop was more severe than many analysts had predicted.
Overall, Nokia had a 39% share of the global phone market in the first quarter, up from 36% in the same period of 2007 but down on the 40% secured in the run-up to Christmas.
The company has a strong position in some of the world's fastest growing markets such as Latin America, Asia-Pacific and China. Nokia's market share decreased significantly year on year in North America over the first quarter, while its share in Middle East and Africa was maintained at the same level year on year.
Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, the chief executive, said the company was looking to gain market share in the second quarter, not least because of the firm's strong position in emerging markets.
"While we will not have major new products shipping in the second quarter, we expect a number of new products to be shipping and to have a positive impact on our results in the second half of 2008," he added.
Nokia predicted the mobile and fixed infrastructure and related services market will be flat in euro terms in 2008, compared with 2007. The company, however, expects its own infrastructure business to maintain its market share.
"The change from the previous estimate of 'very slight growth' for this market primarily reflects the negative impact of the recently weakened US dollar," Nokia said.
Nokia sent shivers through the technology world on Thursday as the world's largest mobile phone company warned the global mobile phone market was set to suffer its first decline in value as economic recession hit both sides of the Atlantic.
Nokia, which makes about two out of every five mobiles sold worldwide, said it still expected the number of phones sold to increase by 10%, up from 1.14bn phones sold last year, but the overall value of the market in cash terms would be lower than 2007.
"The change from our previous estimate of value growth for this market primarily reflects the negative impact of the recently weakened US dollar, the general economic slowdown in the US, and possibly going forward some economic slowdown in Europe," Nokia said.
About half the company's revenues are in dollars or currencies that are closely linked to it. Shares in the Finnish company dropped 10% and its warning pushed technology and consumer product shares lower across Europe.
Nokia expects the average price of mobile phones to decrease this year because of intense competition in mature markets - as consumers see their spending curtailed by the chilly economic climate - and an increase in sales to developing markets.
Nokia's downbeat trading outlook came as its announced first quarter results. Profits for the three months to the end of March were up 25% on last year to €1.2bn (£962m), but that was less than some analysts had forecast. Sales rose 28% to €12.7bn.
The company sold 115.5m phones over the quarter, more than the combined sales of its three closest rivals, Samsung, Motorola and SonyEricsson. That was up 27% year on year but down 13% compared with the fourth quarter of 2007, including Christmas.
Nokia calculates the overall industry sold 295m phones in the three months to the end of March, representing 17% year-on-year growth but a 12% decrease compared with the fourth quarter of last year.
The average selling price of a Nokia phone in the quarter decreased to €79, from €83 in the last three months of 2007 and €89 in the first quarter of last year. The price drop was more severe than many analysts had predicted.
Overall, Nokia had a 39% share of the global phone market in the first quarter, up from 36% in the same period of 2007 but down on the 40% secured in the run-up to Christmas.
The company has a strong position in some of the world's fastest growing markets such as Latin America, Asia-Pacific and China. Nokia's market share decreased significantly year on year in North America over the first quarter, while its share in Middle East and Africa was maintained at the same level year on year.
Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, the chief executive, said the company was looking to gain market share in the second quarter, not least because of the firm's strong position in emerging markets.
"While we will not have major new products shipping in the second quarter, we expect a number of new products to be shipping and to have a positive impact on our results in the second half of 2008," he added.
Nokia predicted the mobile and fixed infrastructure and related services market will be flat in euro terms in 2008, compared with 2007. The company, however, expects its own infrastructure business to maintain its market share.
"The change from the previous estimate of 'very slight growth' for this market primarily reflects the negative impact of the recently weakened US dollar," Nokia said.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
NASA Plans Lunar Mobile Phone Network
If NASA and the British National Space Centre succeed in their 'MoonLite mission' you won't be able to say, "In space no one can hear your ringtone." They plan on building a satellite system/phone network that would provide full four-bar signal coverage for colonists living in the base NASA wants to build at the south pole of the moon after 2020.
UK mobile phone users stuck in 2003
More than half of UK mobile phone users (57 per cent) have not updated the way they use their mobiles in five years, despite handsets becoming more sophisticated. That's according to new research from AppTrigger, a telecom application connectivity firm.
Although three-quarters of those polled said they thought services have improved over the past five years, the majority of mobile phone users were found to still be using their handset for the same things that they did in 2003.
The problem seems to be that many mobile users don’t know what services may be available to them. Nearly half (48 per cent) of the 500 users questioned said that they had never received a sports, retail or entertainment promotion from their mobile operator. Of those who had received promotions, 62 per cent said the occurances were as infrequent as "a few times a year" or "almost never".
New innovative services
“Mobile operators are missing a trick by not combining traditional services with new IP services to create new innovative services” said Patrick Fitzgerald, vice president of marketing at AppTrigger.
Younger people are more likely to use their phones for services beyond "just text and calls", according to the report. Two-thirds of 16 to 24-year-olds (62 per cent) said that they download music or games, while – perhaps surprisingly – 45 to 55-year-olds were most likely to use their phones for checking websites.
‘Young career makers’ said they mostly used their handset as a PDA - primarily the diary, contacts and email apps - while those in the next age group up (35 - 44 years) were more likely to make commercial transactions with their phones.
“The numbers reinforce the message that youths are being bred to use the phone like a mobile device, rather than a stand-in computer as many technologists are trying to push,” Fitzgerald said.
Although three-quarters of those polled said they thought services have improved over the past five years, the majority of mobile phone users were found to still be using their handset for the same things that they did in 2003.
The problem seems to be that many mobile users don’t know what services may be available to them. Nearly half (48 per cent) of the 500 users questioned said that they had never received a sports, retail or entertainment promotion from their mobile operator. Of those who had received promotions, 62 per cent said the occurances were as infrequent as "a few times a year" or "almost never".
New innovative services
“Mobile operators are missing a trick by not combining traditional services with new IP services to create new innovative services” said Patrick Fitzgerald, vice president of marketing at AppTrigger.
Younger people are more likely to use their phones for services beyond "just text and calls", according to the report. Two-thirds of 16 to 24-year-olds (62 per cent) said that they download music or games, while – perhaps surprisingly – 45 to 55-year-olds were most likely to use their phones for checking websites.
‘Young career makers’ said they mostly used their handset as a PDA - primarily the diary, contacts and email apps - while those in the next age group up (35 - 44 years) were more likely to make commercial transactions with their phones.
“The numbers reinforce the message that youths are being bred to use the phone like a mobile device, rather than a stand-in computer as many technologists are trying to push,” Fitzgerald said.
Monday, 18 February 2008
Samsung Armani - Giorgio Armani Phone by Samsung Released UK
The new Samsung Armani phone by Giorgio Armani has just been launched on the UK, we take a look at the features and design of this new designer phone and review the benefits of the Samsung Giorgio Armani phone.
Today fashion has expanded to encompass our way of life, not just how we dress, but how we design our home, the hotels we stay in, the car we drive and the technology we buy. In fact, we make as much of a personal statement with the mobile phones that we carry or the televisions we have in our living rooms as we do with the shoes and bags we wear or the furnishings we chose to place in our homes.
These are all lifestyle decisions, where design and performance are the criteria. Samsung has successfully anticipated the growing role for consumer electronics in our lives, while recognising the importance of self-expression in the development of its products.
In collaboration with one of the World's Leading Fashion Designer's, Samsung and Giorgio Armani have come up with this little beauty.
Although the Manufacturer's title is the Samsung P520, it looks as though this has been dropped in favour of being called the 'Giorgio Armani-Samsung Mobile'.
Packed with features it's hard to know where exactly to start with the Samsung SGH-P520.
The sexy design of the Giorgio Armani-Samsung P520 is a definite winner and the 2.6 inch QVGA touch screen only adds to its appeal but looking further you will find an array of features making this not just a handset but a crucial and vital part of the everyday managment and success of your life and business.
In terms of a business tool, the Bluetooth wireless with A2DP Stereo support, USB connectivity, miroSD memory expansion, web browser, email and a document viewer enabling access to word, excel, powerpoint and pdf files.
Today fashion has expanded to encompass our way of life, not just how we dress, but how we design our home, the hotels we stay in, the car we drive and the technology we buy. In fact, we make as much of a personal statement with the mobile phones that we carry or the televisions we have in our living rooms as we do with the shoes and bags we wear or the furnishings we chose to place in our homes.
These are all lifestyle decisions, where design and performance are the criteria. Samsung has successfully anticipated the growing role for consumer electronics in our lives, while recognising the importance of self-expression in the development of its products.
In collaboration with one of the World's Leading Fashion Designer's, Samsung and Giorgio Armani have come up with this little beauty.
Although the Manufacturer's title is the Samsung P520, it looks as though this has been dropped in favour of being called the 'Giorgio Armani-Samsung Mobile'.
Packed with features it's hard to know where exactly to start with the Samsung SGH-P520.
The sexy design of the Giorgio Armani-Samsung P520 is a definite winner and the 2.6 inch QVGA touch screen only adds to its appeal but looking further you will find an array of features making this not just a handset but a crucial and vital part of the everyday managment and success of your life and business.
In terms of a business tool, the Bluetooth wireless with A2DP Stereo support, USB connectivity, miroSD memory expansion, web browser, email and a document viewer enabling access to word, excel, powerpoint and pdf files.
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Cell Phone Use Linked To Increased Cancer Risk
A recent study says frequent cell phone users face a 50% greater risk of developing tumors of the parotid gland than those who don't use cell phones.
Frequent cell phone users face a 50% greater risk of developing tumors of the parotid gland than those who don't use cell phones, according to a recently published study.
The parotid gland is the largest human salivary gland; it's located near the jaw and ear, where cell phones are typically held.
The reported annual incidence of salivary gland tumors is one to three per 100,000 people, according a 2006 article by Mark Kidd in Ear, Nose and Throat Journal. Based on that data, a 50% increase would raise one's theoretical high-end risk of developing a tumor in the head from 0.003% per year to 0.0045% per year.
To put the possible danger into perspective, consider that the annual incidence of death by car crash in the United States is about 14 per 100,000 people, according to Department of Transportation statistics.
The study, led by Tel Aviv University epidemiologist Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, appeared last December in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Sadetzki's findings are sure to add to confusion surrounding the already contentious debate about the health effects of cell phone radiation. Many other studies in recent years have found no increased risk of cancer due to mobile phone use, but a few have stopped short of ruling the possibility out and a few have said increased risk of cancer is small but real.
The U.K. Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme last year "found no association between short term mobile phone use and brain cancer," and noted that "the situation for longer term exposure is less clear."
Professor Kjell Mild of Sweden's Orebro University, however, also published a study last year and found that using a cell phone over a period of more than 10 years raises the risk of brain cancer and that children are particularly susceptible to this risk because of their developing skulls.
In 2006, the American Journal of Epidemiology published a Swedish salivary gland study, "Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Parotid Gland Tumor," and the authors found no increased risk of tumors caused by cell phone use.
One area where the two parotid gland studies differ is in the number of participants. The 2006 Swedish study included 172 people with benign and malignant tumors, and 681 health control subjects. Sadetzki's study included nearly 500 people with benign or malignant tumors and about 1,300 healthy control subjects.
Sadetzki says that the Israelis were early cell phone adopters and heavy users of the technology, a tendency that suggests higher radio frequency exposure than other populations. Her study found an increased risk of cancer for frequent cell phone users in rural areas, which may be attributable to the increased radiation output required when phones try to communicate in areas with fewer antennas. She believes that frequent mobile phone users and children face the largest increased risk of health effects.
"While I think this technology is here to stay, I believe precautions should be taken in order to diminish the exposure and lower the risk for health hazards," Sadetzki said in a statement. She recommends the use of hands-free devices at all times, holding the phone away from one's body, and making shorter, less frequent calls. She also advises that parents limit the amount of time children can talk on mobile phones.
And if you really want to protect your health, buckle up and drive with care.
Frequent cell phone users face a 50% greater risk of developing tumors of the parotid gland than those who don't use cell phones, according to a recently published study.
The parotid gland is the largest human salivary gland; it's located near the jaw and ear, where cell phones are typically held.
The reported annual incidence of salivary gland tumors is one to three per 100,000 people, according a 2006 article by Mark Kidd in Ear, Nose and Throat Journal. Based on that data, a 50% increase would raise one's theoretical high-end risk of developing a tumor in the head from 0.003% per year to 0.0045% per year.
To put the possible danger into perspective, consider that the annual incidence of death by car crash in the United States is about 14 per 100,000 people, according to Department of Transportation statistics.
The study, led by Tel Aviv University epidemiologist Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, appeared last December in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Sadetzki's findings are sure to add to confusion surrounding the already contentious debate about the health effects of cell phone radiation. Many other studies in recent years have found no increased risk of cancer due to mobile phone use, but a few have stopped short of ruling the possibility out and a few have said increased risk of cancer is small but real.
The U.K. Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme last year "found no association between short term mobile phone use and brain cancer," and noted that "the situation for longer term exposure is less clear."
Professor Kjell Mild of Sweden's Orebro University, however, also published a study last year and found that using a cell phone over a period of more than 10 years raises the risk of brain cancer and that children are particularly susceptible to this risk because of their developing skulls.
In 2006, the American Journal of Epidemiology published a Swedish salivary gland study, "Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Parotid Gland Tumor," and the authors found no increased risk of tumors caused by cell phone use.
One area where the two parotid gland studies differ is in the number of participants. The 2006 Swedish study included 172 people with benign and malignant tumors, and 681 health control subjects. Sadetzki's study included nearly 500 people with benign or malignant tumors and about 1,300 healthy control subjects.
Sadetzki says that the Israelis were early cell phone adopters and heavy users of the technology, a tendency that suggests higher radio frequency exposure than other populations. Her study found an increased risk of cancer for frequent cell phone users in rural areas, which may be attributable to the increased radiation output required when phones try to communicate in areas with fewer antennas. She believes that frequent mobile phone users and children face the largest increased risk of health effects.
"While I think this technology is here to stay, I believe precautions should be taken in order to diminish the exposure and lower the risk for health hazards," Sadetzki said in a statement. She recommends the use of hands-free devices at all times, holding the phone away from one's body, and making shorter, less frequent calls. She also advises that parents limit the amount of time children can talk on mobile phones.
And if you really want to protect your health, buckle up and drive with care.
Think! switch off mobiles before you drive off
A new THINK! campaign to highlight the dangers of using a mobile phone when driving was launched today by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick.
The £1.5m campaign, featuring a new radio advert as well as the hard-hitting television advert launched last year, will remind drivers to switch off before getting behind the wheel. It is timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the introduction of tougher penalties for using a mobile phone when driving.
Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"Talking on a mobile phone when driving is distracting and affects your ability to react to dangerous situations, making you four times more likely to have a crash.
"That is why we increased the penalty for illegally using a mobile when driving to three penalty points and a £60 fine. Our latest research shows the message is getting through to drivers but some people are still needlessly risking their own lives and putting others in danger for the sake of a phone call. I urge all drivers to switch off or go to voicemail before they drive off."
Recent research showed a 40 per cent reduction in the number of car drivers seen using hand-held mobiles at the wheel between September 2006 and August 2007. Just one per cent of car drivers were observed using a hand-held mobile while driving, compared with 1.7 per cent in 2006.
Chairman of Road Safety Officers for the North West Steve Whitehouse said: " The latest figures show that most people are taking heed of the message but there are still some who think it's ok to use their phones while driving. "Research has shown that using a mobile at the wheel, whether hand held or hands free, can have more of an effect on you than drink driving.
"It can make driver reaction times up to half a second slower. That means If you're travelling at 70mph it would take you an extra 46 feet to stop. "The penalties have been increased as a deterrent, which has helped, but people really should be thinking about their own safety and that of others when they get behind the wheel.
"No call can be so important that you have to put lives at risk."
Inspector Andrew Hudson, from Greater Manchester Police's Traffic Network Section said:
"Talking on a mobile phone can distract motorists from the most important thing - driving their car safely.
"Our latest figures show that motorists are starting to take notice of the new legislation and since its introduction we have seen a significant decrease in prosecutions.
"However these numbers are still far too high. GMP takes this issue very seriously and we will take tough action against those who continue to flout the law."
The £1.5m campaign, featuring a new radio advert as well as the hard-hitting television advert launched last year, will remind drivers to switch off before getting behind the wheel. It is timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the introduction of tougher penalties for using a mobile phone when driving.
Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"Talking on a mobile phone when driving is distracting and affects your ability to react to dangerous situations, making you four times more likely to have a crash.
"That is why we increased the penalty for illegally using a mobile when driving to three penalty points and a £60 fine. Our latest research shows the message is getting through to drivers but some people are still needlessly risking their own lives and putting others in danger for the sake of a phone call. I urge all drivers to switch off or go to voicemail before they drive off."
Recent research showed a 40 per cent reduction in the number of car drivers seen using hand-held mobiles at the wheel between September 2006 and August 2007. Just one per cent of car drivers were observed using a hand-held mobile while driving, compared with 1.7 per cent in 2006.
Chairman of Road Safety Officers for the North West Steve Whitehouse said: " The latest figures show that most people are taking heed of the message but there are still some who think it's ok to use their phones while driving. "Research has shown that using a mobile at the wheel, whether hand held or hands free, can have more of an effect on you than drink driving.
"It can make driver reaction times up to half a second slower. That means If you're travelling at 70mph it would take you an extra 46 feet to stop. "The penalties have been increased as a deterrent, which has helped, but people really should be thinking about their own safety and that of others when they get behind the wheel.
"No call can be so important that you have to put lives at risk."
Inspector Andrew Hudson, from Greater Manchester Police's Traffic Network Section said:
"Talking on a mobile phone can distract motorists from the most important thing - driving their car safely.
"Our latest figures show that motorists are starting to take notice of the new legislation and since its introduction we have seen a significant decrease in prosecutions.
"However these numbers are still far too high. GMP takes this issue very seriously and we will take tough action against those who continue to flout the law."
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