European Commission Lobbies, And Gets, One Charger For All Cellphones

Starting in 2011, most cellphones sold in the European Union will have a single charger compatible with most devices. So far 10 major hardware providers including Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Research In Motion, have signed on to a pact that would mean no more proprietary connectors incompatible with other phones. It would appear however that the rest of us will have to wait some time before the companies jump on board in North America and elsewhere. Without the power of government behind such a move the manufacturers are slow to make change happen and 3rd party vendors do not wield enough clout to push for change. The current practice is wasteful and inconvenient and perhaps the Euro experiment will cause the phone manufacturers to see the benefits of a single standard. One can only hope!

Sources: CNN and Europa press release

Geting The Most Game Out Of Your Phone

The Wired How-To Wiki provides some handy hints for gaming on your mobile phone, the regular old un-smart kind. Covered are searching for games, downloading, and playing. Because the site is a Wiki, you can also contribute your 2 cents worth, if you have a tip or two that you'd like to share. Just goes to show that you don't have to drop $600 to have a good time...er, that just didn't come out right but you know what I'm getting at. As for me, I'll find my games in the Android Marketplace.

Check out the How-To Wiki.

Impressive Vodafone Commercial - Wows Geeks

Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture was a master piece but Vodafone has taken it to a whole new level that may just give us geeks a little appreciation for classical music, or at least the technology that went into producing this version!







Kudos to Engadget for this find.

Businesses Spawned From MIT Classrooms Explore Innovative Cellphone Uses In Developing World

Projects developed, by MIT students and former students, both in the classroom and independently are proving the worth of cellphones as useful devices, beyond the obvious, and particularly in developing nations. Software developed as entries to MIT's IDEAS or $100K business competitions, or as part of the MIT Media Lab's NextLab program are being used to help residents of underdeveloped countries to increase their incomes, learn to read, navigate to where they're going and diagnose their ailments. The fact that cellphones are small, relatively cheap in comparison to computers, and increasingly more powerful and connected, makes them ideal for these countries that have little in the way of infrastructure. The MIT News provides details of some of the projects here.

Canadian Carriers Team Up To Offer Money Transfer Through Cellphones

The big 3 Canadian mobile phone carriers, Rogers, Bell, and Telus have collaborated to form a jointly owned company called EnStream LP. “The end vision is you can take your billfold or purse and stick it into your phone,” said David Robinson, vice-president of new business planning at Rogers Wireless.

According to the Globe and Mail, "The first step involves software called Zoompass, which customers can download from EnStream to their phones beginning Monday. It will let them draw up to $1,000 a day from their bank accounts and credit cards and send it to other individuals using the same software. Recipients will have instant access to the money, which will be held in trust by HSBC Bank Canada. Recipients will access funds by moving them to their own bank accounts or using a special MasterCard that will be credited instantaneously."

This type of transaction via mobile phones is not new globally, what appears to be new is the collaborative effort of the carriers which could, in my mind, have it's pro's and con's. Perhaps working together will keep the cost to consumers down, but we are talking about cell phone companies and banks here, neither of which have great reputations in that department...

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.

Nokia and Skype Strike Deal

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is about to get a big boost into the world of cellphones. Starting with the release of the N97 in June, Nokia is going to embed Skype into it's devices allowing users to make VoIP calls either on a 3G network or while connected to WiFi. According to Cnet's Marguerite Reardon "Adding Skype to smartphones is a great benefit for consumers, especially people who travel internationally or have friends and family overseas. While pricing on domestic voice services has been dropping like a brick from a third-story window, international rates have remained high."

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.

First Google Android Phone September 23rd In US

American cellphone provider T-Mobile will unveil the first Google Android phone on September 23rd with the first devices being available some time in October. The offering will put Google head to head with Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry line. The device is manufactured by Taiwan's HTC and operates on Google's Android cellphone platform. This first offering is likely to be followed by devices for others in Google's Open Handset Alliance, including Motorola and Samsung. CBC Story here.

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."

Vital signs collected and transmitted by your cellphone!

Researchers in Edmonton, Alberta are teaming up with cellphone maker LG Electronics to test a new device that can detect a patients temperature, pulse, and blood pressure and transmit the data via cellphone. Plans are to build the device into a cellphone and include further vital signs such as glucose levels and other blood chemistry readings. According to the CBC, "the device could help people with conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, that require frequent home-care monitoring, as well as seniors or patients who live in rural areas." The Province of Alberta is committing $1.5 million to the joint project by LG, Capital Health and the University of Alberta. It just makes good sense to collect this data at home using a single device and the infrastructure that is now in place to support it. The only negative that I see in the remote monitoring of patients is the inability to see physical changes in those being monitored, in particular the elderly. I'm sure regular visits to or by a health professional are also part of the program, it would be a mistake to rely completely on the technology... in my mind.

$85,000 Cellphone bill in a little over a month!

A 22 year old Calgary, Alberta man got the surprise of a lifetime when he found out that he owed Bell Mobility $85,000 in data charges on his new cellphone plan! The Globe and Mail has this story which highlights the need to read the fine print... it seems that Piotr Staniaszek believed he could use his cellphone as a modem with his $10 a month unlimited mobile browser plan when in fact he was being charged by the kilobyte. Bell offered to reduce his bill to $3,243 which reflects the rate that he would have to pay under the terms of their best data plan but Mr. Staniaszek has decided to fight the charge. That's a heck of a lot of bit torrents! Interestingly an unlimited data plan from US carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. would cost about $70.19 a month according to the article.