Tetris 100 Million Paid Mobile Downloads And Counting

Over 25 years after it's creation Tetris has once again become a video game hit, only this time the platform has changed and the popular puzzle game is selling like crazy. The original Nintendo Gameboy version sold about 35 million copies in 25 years but EA Mobile, who licenses the rights to Tetris from Blue Planet Softare, says the game is available on some 64,000 handsets in 60 countries, according to an Associated Press report.

Source: PCWorld

TV To Your Mobile Device

It seams as though television is not about to roll over and concede defeat to the internet just yet. On Thursday a group called the Open Mobile Video Coalition announced that it had created a standard for carving out a piece of the digital broadband frequencies to allow local television stations to broadcast live to mobile devices. The standard allows both free and for fee broadcasts and has the interest of several electronics makers, including Samsung, LG and Dell, who have all produced prototype devices.

I sure hope that the battery manufacturers and optometrists are ready...

Source: NY Times

Rise Of The Smart Phone

According to Samsung Mobile Display, a Samsung Electronics company, the global smart phone market is anticipated to grow to 500 million units in 2012 up from 170 million in expected this year. The display maker also expects touchscreens to be used in about 50 per cent of major portable devices – mobile phones, digital cameras, navigations and digital media players – to be sold in 2013. This despite an overall slowing of the mobile market globally.

Source: The Globe and Mail.

Study Says 60% Of Worlds Population Has Cell Phones

The International Telecommunication Union estimates that by the end of last year there were 4.1 billion cell phone subscriptions globally, representing 6 out of every 10 people on the planet. According to the Globe and Mail "The Geneva-based agency recorded the sharpest rise in mobile broadband subscriptions. The technology, which allows users to access the web at high speed with mobile devices, was available to 3 per cent of people worldwide, increasing to 14 per cent in developed countries." What affect will the global economic downturn have? “In terms of consumer demand and uptake, there will probably be a little bit of slowdown in the growth, but we are not expecting any decline,” she said. “People who have a mobile phone are unlikely to give up on it.” said Susan Teltscher, the ITU's statistics lead.

Canadians Can Twitter Via Cell Phone... For A Price

Since November Canadians have not been able to receive tweets from Twitter on their cell phones via SMS as Twitter cut the service citing prohibitive costs. Yesterday however Bell announced that it would now allow the SMS tweets but there is a cost. "Because Twitter is a third party service, the messages are considered premium and not covered by our plans. This aligns with industry standards regarding third party premium messaging," said Bell spokeswoman Julie Smithers. Bell will charge users of the service 15 cents for each incoming or outgoing tweet, even if the user has an unlimited texting plan.

Source: CBC

Consumers Turn To Prepaid Phones In Economic Downturn

According to the New York Times more and more consumers are dumping their cellular phone plans for prepaid phones in order to save a few dollars. "Although prepaid phones remain a fraction of the overall mobile phone market, sales of the category grew 13 percent in North America last year, nearly three times faster than traditional cellphone plans, according to Pali Research, an investment advisory firm. For the first time in its history, T-Mobile has been signing up more new prepaid customers than traditional ones." Depending on your calling habits, prepaid phones might very well be the way to go, they certainly take the element of surprise out of the billing and can save you considerable compared to what you'd pay over the life of a phone contract.

Cellular Systems To Take Hit During Inauguration

With throngs of people descending upon the US capital for a chance to see the Inauguration of President Elect Barack Obama, cellphone carriers are urging their customers to go easy on the system by delaying making calls, sending photos or text messages. “If some of these estimates come true, people should anticipate delays with regards to sending text messages or making phone calls or getting onto the Internet,” said Joe Farren, spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. “We can only bend the laws of physics so much,” Mr. Farren said. Sort of sounds like a Scotty remark to Captain Kirk!

Interestingly, Verizon has several mobile units known as COWs and COLTs (for cells on wheels and cells on light trucks) in it's inventory that it plans to deploy to alliviate some of the anticipated strain on it's system. Carriers also have “sat COLTs,” which carry satellite dishes to send signals independent of terrestrial networks and power supplies. “You drive it where it needs to go, park it, push a couple of buttons, the mast will deploy, the dish will deploy and our generator and satellite ensures we’re fully self-contained and independent,” said Tanya Lin, manager of emergency response team operations for Sprint.

Source: NYTimes

LG Introduces Wristwatch Cell Phone At CES

If you are old enough to remember Dick Tracy then you are probably the customer that LG is going after with it's latest gadget, the watch-phone. Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) yesterday, LG chief technology officer Woo Paik says "This is something you expect to see in a 007 movie," With no price point being announced, speculation is that the watch-phone will likely be a luxury device aimed at older, wealthier buyers. The phone works on GSM networks and is capable of detecting it's users voice within 25 centimetres.

Source: CBC News.

Cellphones And Internet Essencial Even In Tough Times

A study conducted last week in Canada and the US by Toronto research firm Solutions Research Group says that North Americans see their cell phones and internet service essential utilities, like water or electricity. "People were saying, 'It's not going to happen - you would have to pry it out of my hands,' that kind of language," said Kaan Yigit head of the research firm. The company has ranked in order the items consumers will be cutting back on in order of most likely to least likely and it shakes out like this:

Ranking consumer targets for cuts:

1. Big-ticket events (eg. concerts, sports)

2. Movie-going

3. DVD buying

4. Magazine subscription renewals/newsstand

5. Cable/satellite TV extras

6. Video game buying

7. Home phone

8. Mobile/wireless phone

9. DVD Rentals

10. Home Internet

Solutions Research Group

Globe and Mail article.

Text Messages Being Sought By Train Wreck Investigators

Federal investigators say they are seeking the cell phone records of two teenagers and the deceased engineer of a commuter train involved in a collision with a freight train on Friday. The accident has left 25 dead and more than 130 passengers injured. The teens, who are train enthusiasts, came forward to say that they had been texting the engineer prior to the collision. "We have been in contact with them and their families. They have been fully cooperative," Kitty Higgins of the National Transportation Safety Board told reporters. "We are going to be obtaining records from their cell phones and of the deceased ... to begin to determine what might have happened and what if any role [cell phones] might have played in this accident." No cell phone was found on or near the dead engineer. CNN Story here.

Air Traffic Controller Uses SMS To Guide Crippled Plane's Pilot

A quick-thinking air traffic controller from Cork, Ireland guided the pilot of a twin-engined Piper that had lost all onboard electrical power, communications and weather radar to a safe landing using only text messages. The pilot of the troubled craft attempted to use his cellphone repeatedly to raise contact with Kerry airport, where he had left, and when unsuccessful he made brief voice contact with air traffic control at Cork. When voice contact was lost the air traffic controller sent text messages to the pilot informing him that he had a radar signal on the aircraft and that Cork would allow them to land. "In this incident the positive and proactive initiative of the ATC controller, who, on realising that mobile audio communication from the pilot was intermittent, quickly switched to texting his instructions instead," said air accident investigator John Hughes. I hope this guy gets a raise! Well done...

Irishtimes.com

Radiation And Your Cell Phone

The jury is still out it seems on the affects of using a cell phone and / or any links that this may have with brain tumors or other ailments. If you are concerned then you may wish to consult this handy reference guide to cell phones and the amounts of radiation that they emit. CNET has compiled a list of phones by 10 Highest US Models, 10 Lowest US Models, and a run down by manufacturer. Fear not, if you are looking for the iPhone on the list it's grouped under Other Manufacturers. Oh, and CNET has the following to say about how you should interpret their publishing of the lists: " It's important to note that in publishing this list are we in no way implying that cell phone use is or isn't harmful to your health. While research abounds and some tests have shown that cell phone radiofrequency (RF) could accelerate cancer in laboratory animals, the studies have not been replicated. Cell phones can affect internal pacemakers, but there is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence that they cause adverse health affects in humans. Conversely, there is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence that they don't cause adverse health affects in humans. So, in short, the jury is still out, research is ongoing, and we will continue to monitor its results."

Call In The Myth Busters Guys - Can Cell Phones Pop Popcorn?

Here is a YouTube video that is making the rounds, well this one and a number of others like it. If you believe the video evidence, it would appear that the signals emitted when 3 or 4 cell phones receive calls, simultaneously and in close proximity, are capable of popping popcorn! I'd like to see a scientific explanation or a reason to debunk the mystery. Perhaps I'll round up a few willing participants at work today and see if we can do a little myth busting our selves... any volunteers? Somehow I think it's just fancy camera work, but I just have to find out for sure. Neat party trick if it works!

Rogers Unveils Hybrid Phone

Rogers Communications Inc. is rolling out new phones to Canadians that are aimed squarely at freeing them from the land lines. The new dual mode phones "function as a regular cellphone outside the home, but also connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi when in range of the customer's home router" according to the CBC. Rogers chief marketing officer John Boynton tells CBCNews.ca that "It's a way for them to have just one phone period," and "This is one phone, one phone number, one voice mail, one caller ID." According to Statistics Canada about 6.4% of Canadians have already ditched land lines in favour of cell phones, a figure that lags behind other developed nations. The launch of this new product will likely help drive that figure up, at least this is what Rogers is counting on.

And You Thought The iPhone Was Cool!

Just look at what the folks at Nokia have conceived! The "Morph" is a concept phone that, once built, would use Nanotechnology to allow the device to be folded and bent, resist dirt, have chameleon like properties, and of course function as a telephone! The brainchild of Nokia and the University of Cambridge in England, Morph is still but a concept with "bits and pieces" having been developed to date. The promotional video is pretty impressive just the same.

RIM opens BlackBerry Store

Research In Motion has opened it's first BlackBerry branded store in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The Waterloo Ontario based cellphone producers plans to sell BlackBerry handsets, accessories and software, as well as service plans from all the major U.S. providers. The move is not unique to the industry but it's a growing trend that has the providers taking notice. "If you're Verizon and you're carrying the BlackBerry today, when you see one of these exclusive stores, obviously you're not going to be too thrilled about that," said retail consultant David Ian Gray in a National Post interview. According to the CBC "RIM is said to be earning around $10 per BlackBerry customer from Canadian cellphone providers" perhaps this is why the move was made in the US and not home in Canada?

Japanese cellphone maker targets kids & parents with alarm and phone home features

Japanese cellphone maker NTT DoCoMo has developed a cellphone that features an alarm and location identification that will alert a parent, or whomever, that a child is in trouble and will forward the location of the phone via messaging. According to the CBC "The FOMA F801i produces two types of alternating noises when its alarm function is switched on, as well as emitting a bright light that is visible to nearby onlookers. The phone can be set to notify loved ones when the alarm is set off, as well as provide the handset's location, DoCoMo said Monday." It appears as though there are mixed feelings about such a device in Japan... one reviewer asks "Are you seriously thinking of the well-being of our kids, like my daughter, with this kind of product, or are you just trying hard to generate more money..."

Europeans dropping the land lines, many homes use mobile phone only

According to this report on the BBC News site article, Europeans are shedding their land lines in favour of their cell phones. The statistics are quite interesting, in particular the number of cell phones per 100 persons... the EU average is 95 but Luxembourg leads the way with 158 mobile subscriptions per 100 people! "Lithuania heads the nations who have turned against landlines with 48% of households replacing a fixed phone with a mobile. Finland was second with 47%." I'd really be interested to see what the numbers look like in Asia! I'll bet they are even more in favour of the mobile, on a trip to Hong Kong in 2000 I was amazed by how many people I saw carrying two cell phones!

RBC and Visa testing cell phones as electronic wallets

The RBC and Visa announced yesterday that they are launching a joint Ontario-based pilot project that would allow consumers to simply swipe their phone in front of a scanner to make purchases. The project will begin with laboratory testing followed by a trial for RBC employees and another, later next year, with consumers. Bank spokeswoman Anne Koski is quoted in a CBC web posting as saying "You pull out your phone at the checkout, wave it in front of the reader, and the payment is made for you, there is no pin, and typically you don't even get a receipt — it's that easy,". The program will only allow purchases of up to $25 and you will be required to contact the company if your phone is misplaced or stolen, similar to how you deal with your credit card in such circumstances. As big of a geek as I am, I just don't think this is a great idea. Convenient, yes, but I have an issue with the fact that no signature or PIN is required... I have the same issue with the new tap and go credit cards and key chains. There just seems to be a little greater measure of protection that is in place when I am required to sign or authenticate with my PIN. I guess, as long as the credit card company / bank is willing to take the risk with any number of $25 purchases that might take place between the time that I lose my phone and I report it missing, I shouldn't care. However, as consumers we all pay for these charges in the exorbitant rates that we are charged by the banks and their credit card companies.

Making a better parking meter

Photo Violation Technologies of Vancouver has partnered with IBM for a $1 million trial of a new parking meter that allows you to pay via your credit card, calls your cell phone when your time is up allowing you to top up your minutes, and snaps a picture of your license if you fail to pay... good news for municipalities and drivers who are inclined to pay. Those who typically take their chances are not going to like it!