Storm in my phone? Latest by JAVA

Handy Weather by Paragon Software is an application to get weather forecasts directly on your mobile phone.

Handy Weather brings the advantages of a full-value weather tracker, previously available only for PDAs,- to the mobile phone. With weather news and forecasts for more than 40,000 preset cities worldwide.... get the story at : http://java-phones.com/internet/handy-weather-for-mobile-phone#more-850

Cheaper minute no 5

Another offer from Mobitel to celebrate the season!

3G Daily Delight by Mobitel

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel announced the launch of two new features named 3G Daily Delight 50 and 3G Daily Delight 25 on its Pre Paid suite of services recently. The options, which will be available to all SMART subscribers by default, will come as convenient bundles of the key features in the 3G suite of services. The option 3G Daily Delight 25 will enable a subscriber to enjoy 50 MBs of data, while 3G Daily Delight 50 will provide 100 MBs of data, 100 Minutes of Video Calls and 100 SMSs within the day he or she wishes to subscribe.

More on the cool website http://mobitel.lk/about/news_press_releases/news_press_2008_mobitel_launches_3g_delight.html

Get Tariffs at http://mobitel.lk/broadband/3g_delight.html

Here comes India

Bharti Airtel to launch Sri Lanka operations in December 2008

Opera Mini 4.2 for mobile phones - final version

Opera Software released the final version of its much-anticipated Opera Mini 4.2 for mobile phones. Since the launch of the beta version of Opera Mini 4.2, speed trials have shown that this version gives more than 30% speed improvements for users in the US, due to the addition of a new Opera Mini server park in the United States.

more info here http://java-phones.com/freeware/operamini-v42-final#more-705

M3 Cafe at the HQ

Hilton Colombo the country's premier hospitality giant entered into an innovative partnership with the largest local mobile telecommunication provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, to launch the first ever M3 Café in Sri Lanka.

Services available
free use of Wi-Fi (provided on a fair use policy)
broadband internet facility

Open from 8.00am to 8.00pm daily

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel Flagship storeat the Head Office,

W.A.D Ramanayake Mawatha, Colombo 2

The place seems ok. Ofcourse Hilton food is super but bit expensive I would say. Swanky design with what I think to be phone museum in background with colour changing lighting effect. But it is a bit too open to customer center where people can see you gobbling up your food. The drinks are brilliant. But you tend to feel a bit 'exposed'. You can go check it out.

Winners Of 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition

The GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade group for the mobile industry, today announced the winners of the APAC leg of the 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition. The winners were announced at the GSMA’s Mobile Asia Congress, Asia’s leading mobile communications event, that’s taken place in Macau, China this week.

The Mobile Innovation Marketplace at the Mobile Asia Congress is a unique platform for top innovators competing for the Mobile Innovation Global Award Championship title. During this event 15 emerging growth companies from around the world competed in five categories and their innovative products and services were reviewed by senior executives from mobile operators, industry suppliers and venture capital organisations.

List on http://newsreleases.upstreamasia.com/news/2008/11/20/gsma-announces-winners-of-2009-mobile-innovation-global-award-competition-apac-tourn

Smartphone adoption and mobile search

Smartphones are rapidly gaining popularity, now that mobile phone producers such as Blackberry, HTC and Google/T-Mobile are introducing interesting alternatives to the Apple iPhone on the market.Research firm The Kelsey Group says that currently one fifth of the US population uses a smartphone and half of all consumers considering switching to a smartphone within the next two years.

This increasing smartphone adoption stimulates mobile search activities. Some interesting figures:

get the data on http://blog.mobileweb.be/2008/11/20/smartphone-adoption-stimulates-mobile-search/

Airtel to launch in November?

Leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel will launch operations in Sri Lanka in December, a top official announced on Monday.
“We will roll out the services next month as all formalities are done and issues relating to inter-connectivity have been sorted out,” Bharti Enterprises vice-chairman and managing director Rajan Mittal told reporters in New Delhi.

The telecom giant had been facing problems of inter-connection, with local carriers not willing to give inter-connections to the company.
Source: Hindustan Times, Nov 04

img from http://itvoir.com/portal/boxx/modules/resources/Piczoom.asp?type=news&id=2894

Nokia E63 Launched Today!

The new E-series phone. Swanky with Querty pad. Wonder what will be said about this phone in time to come.
Sleek and easy on the hand.

Faxes to your mobile from Mobitel

Get your own fax number and send, receive, store and forward faxes from wherever you are!
How it worksAn SMS alert will notify you with sender's number, date and timeForward your faxes to any email address or fax machine direct from your Mobitel phone.

More info at http://mobitel.lk/mfax/index.html

Stolen Mobiles to Self Destruct in the Future

A UK firm has developed new technology that causes mobile phones to effectively self-destruct in the hands of thieves. BackStopp Mobile from Virtuity allows mobile phone users to communicate with their handsets if they are lost or stolen.

Once their mobile has been electronically traced, the technology then deletes all data from the phone, preventing would-be fraudsters from misusing it. A report is then sent back to the owner giving them information on what was erased from their handset and when, as well as details about the location of the phone. Virtuity claims its technology is particularly useful in today's mobile environment, where consumers often have sensitive data stored on their phone.

Research carried out recently by BT, the University of Glamorgan and Edith Cowan University revealed that at least one in five second-hand mobile phones still contains personal information, including bank account and personal medical details.

source : http://www.uswitch.com/

3990

Low cost Phone for the budget user.

Mobitel is giving away a phone for 3990 apparently.

I suppose for the not so tech savvy, not much of a show off guy, this deal is perfect.

Goes to show that there are choices in the world.

Why do some care about the money and looks of a phone.

All you need to do is make a 'call' MOST OF THE TIME!

Asia Pacific Telecom

The Asia-Pacific region is the world's largest broadband market with 39 percent of the total, the largest mobile phone market with 1,4 billion subscribers and claims 42 percent of the world's Internet users, a UN report has revealed. By mid-2008, China and India alone had over 600 and 280 million mobile phone subscribers respectively....

more on IOL technology

map from http://www.apacrs.org/

Itchy Call

'The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) said people may develop rashes on their cheek or ear due to the nickel contained in some mobile phones......
.........US doctors tested for nickel in 22 popular handsets from eight different manufacturers for a study published earlier this year and found nickel in 10 of them'

So says the Guardien online of UK

So if you get that itching feeling..... on your Face.....better check your phone.

ID Please

Britons to present photo ID when they buy a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) mobile phone. "Of course there is a balance between privacy and our liberty which is why we have said we will be consulting on this and seeking a political consensus". said the home office according to this website, the register.

The Times UK had this to say 'Everyone who buys a mobile telephone will be forced to register their identity on a national database under government plans to extend massively the powers of state surveillance. '

It worked fine in Sri Lanka for SIMs. So should be ok in the UK for Phones?

Technology gives to Growth in Global Telecom Equipement Industry

'Factors playing an instrumental role in the development of the Telecom Equipment industry include capital expenditure plans of telecom carriers and operators, trends in IT expenditure, and growing consumer demand for high-speed access broadband service, among others.'

A comprehensive and informative article under 'Technology Developments Sustain Growth in the World Telecom Equipment Industry, According to a New Report by Global Industry Analysts' at NewGuide.us

Personal carbon calculator

They can see you. Well.. kind of, if you choose to.

Weather you are walking, driving or flying, they will tell you of your CO2 emission - carbon footprint.

So if you are at least a bit concerned about your CO2 contribution to global warming you can install this software and keep track of it.

More on BBC or Clean Technica

Img from Clean technica

War of the Telecom Service Providers

UPAHARA or Blaster?

VS

The story continues on Elekiri

also

the comparisons are as such,a friend passed on to me... pls correct me if am wrong:

Free Minutes Outgoing: 1000 each

Incoming : Free on both

Mobitel Free Minutes to : Mobitel, SLT, Suntel LankaBell, Dialog CDMA

Dialog Free Minutes: Only Dialog GSM

After 1000 : Mobitel its 0.50 and Dialog its 2.00

After 1000 to Other fixed : Mobitel its 0.50 and Dialog its 3.00

After 1000 to Other Mobile: Mobitel its 3.00 and Dialog its 3.00

Connection Fee : 1500 on both

Monthly Rental : Mobitel its 240 and Dialog its 300

Underrated vs Overrated

Marketing plays a major role in selling equipment. So do reviews.

And reviews are written by human beings. Do these writeups really do justice to the product.

Darren Gladstone of PC World discusses the overrated and underrated tech gadgets here.


T-Mobile's QWERTY keyboard Underrated?











i Phone 3G Overrated?






Img: www.techdigest.tv and http://www.topnews.in/files/apple-iphone.jpg

Buying parking tickets with mobile phones

Mobile phones could soon be used to buy Pay and Display parking tickets under a new initiative launched by the government.It is hoped that the new scheme will reduce the number of parking fines that are imposed on consumers as well as making life easier for the transport industry, South Yorkshire newspaper the Star reports.

more on

http://www.mobileshop.com/news/index.php/2008/october/buying-parking-tickets-with-mobile-phones

Broadband Device Offers

Zoom 1024 package -

Free bundled data 1.5 GB
Downlink Speed upto 1 Mbps
Subscription Rs 1,500 / =
Refundable deposit of Rs. 5000/=

• Bundled Offer With Huawei E220 USB Modem (One-off payment of Rs 16,500/=, or as a 12 month equal installment plan of Rs 1,590/= for Credit Card Holders)


• Bundled Offer With Bandluxe C120 USB Modem (A Bundled offer priced at Rs 17,000/= or payable as Rs. 1,650/= X 12 installments for Credit Card Holders)

Zoom 512 package
Free bundled data 250 MB
Downlink Speed upto 512 kbps
Subscription Rs 400 / =
Refundable deposit of Rs. 2000/=

• Bundled Offer With Huawei E220 USB Modem ( a one-off payment of Rs 16,500/=, or as a 12 month equal installment plan of Rs 1,590/= for Credit Card Holders)


• Bundled Offer With Bandluxe C120 USB Modem (a one-off payment of Rs 17,000/-, or as a 12 month equal installment plan of Rs 1,650/= for Credit Card Holders)

Not bad Mobitel, rate seems reasonable.... you can buy online on the new swanky flash cart

Need to check out other service providers before I make a decision. Hope this is a good offer!

Bank transfers go mobile

Customers of Loyds TSB bank in the UK can transfer funds between accounts within the same bank via their mobile.

Will be a while till its available in Sri Lanka for sure.


'This new development will allow consumers to download some simple software to phones with internet access and a colour screen. They will then enter a six-digit security code before they can view their balance or transfer money between their own Lloyds TSB accounts.'

But an expert has said that "Industry innovation is unlikely to be at the top of banks' agendas at the moment,".

For the Reason and more info check out BBC website.

Powered by Google's open-source Android software

The first mobile device to be powered by Google's open-source Android software - G1 for T Mobile

• TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen
• One-touch access to Android Market and download applications wirelessly
• High-speed 3G network

Sri Lanka telecom provider Mobitel's 3.5 G service should work amazingly well with this phone.

Due to be out in 4th quarter of 2008, wonder how I should get my hands on this beauty.

Check the specs out here.

the Manual has Leaked! get the details - G1 user manual

Health-promoting Mobile Phone

HappyWakeup!

A smart alarm clock for mobile phones called HappyWakeUp has been developed by two Finnish universities, Tampere University of Technology and the University of Helsinki.

The smart alarm clock gives an alarm signal in the morning just before the ultimate alarm time, if the sleeping subject is awake or "almost awake" due to the natural sleep rhythms.

'The appropriate almost-awake moments are detected by using a microphone and statistical analysis of voices. During the last 20 minutes before the ultimate alarm time, the analysis is activated to give a soft alarm signal, if there are movements indicating that the sleeping subject is awake or "almost awake'

Health consicouse? read more on redOrbit

IPTV and Mobile TV

The Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Group is now offering Mobile TV in addition to other emerging media such as internet and IPTV.

SLT's IPTV service currently offers the channels Rupavahini, Channel Eye, ITN, Max, HBO, HBO Signature, HBO Hits, HBO Family, CNN, BBC World, NDTV 24X7, Al Jazeera, Ujala, Peace TV, Spacetoons, Colors, DD Sports, VH1, MTV, Nickolodean, STC, B4U Music, NDTV Good Times, Ceebies BBC, Zee Music and a few other Hindi channels. IPTV is the delivery of digital TV services over a broadband network rather than other forms of digital broadcasting.

The SLT IPTV facilities:

• TV service
• VoD
• Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
• Network Personal Video Recorder (NPVR)
• Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
• Information Services
• Interactive TV Interactive Applications
• Broadband Application

check it out!

UPAHARA Package by Mobitel

It's a super communications package for State sector employees and pensioners by a Sri Lankan Mobile Service provider.

UPAHARA by Mobitel will be benefitting those in Sri Lanka government service and those retired.

Some of the benefits from the UPAHARA phone plan:

• FREE Outgoing Calls to All local fixed lines ( 00.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs
• Outgoing calls to Any Mobitel number (Voice/Video) ( 00.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs)
• SMS to any Mobitel number all day is 25 cents
• SMS to any fixed line or any other mobile network is Rs.2/-
• Out going calls (Voice/Video) to any other mobile network all day is Rs.3/- per minute
• Out going calls (Voice/Video) to Mobitel numbers and local
  fixed lines between 18.00 hrs and 00.00 hrs will be charged at
  50 cents per minute

Too bad I aint in the government service. Sigh..... If you are interested in upahara package details check mobitel website UPAHARA package page

Sign language over a mobile phone

Deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans have been given hope to use sign language over a mobile phone, using American Sign Language. Apparently it's already working in Sweden and Japan with their own sign lanugage.


img from uni of washington website

A software developed by a team at University of Washington. It used video calling: a standard video compression tool to stay within the data transmission limit. Future versions with better quality are planned.

video is posted at youtube

more info at Uni of Washington website, Emerging technologyat ZDnet and at Physorg

Mobile Phones give birth to Robots

Motors normally used to vibrate mobile phones makes it possible to make it low cost robots. This 'Swarm robotics 'platforms are used for the investigation of emergent behaviour

Applied for 'swarm behaviour by physical simulation: providing real world constraints and experimental scope unattainable in software simulation alone.
Long-term possible applications for swarm robotics are in earthquake scenarios, environmental monitoring, and the field of space science.'

Get more on this webpage..click here

Re Register yourself and phone with Mobitel

Mobitel has gone with reregistering in style...... the website sports a cool element with flash (I think) on the registering process. All in 4 simple steps! SUPER!

And its catered for all 3 major languages...... AND shown centers where we can go get our mugshots!

GO MOBITEL... wonder if I can get some extre mugshots ;)

High debate on the reregistering process in Sri Lanka

These sites give a good idea of situation

• Sri Lanka tightens mobile phone use to fight terrorism
• Sri Lanka: BIG BROTHER wants a photo of every mobile user!

Cell phone electromagnetic fields - potential human health risk

It is official - Mobile phones can be dangrouse to health.

point one: Electromagnetic fields from cell phones are estimated to penetrate the brain especially in children.

point two: Living tissue is vulnerable to electromagnetic fields within the frequency bands used by cell phones (from 800 to 2200 MHz)

For more details of this study by the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and advice on precautions: check mindfully.org here

img http://tap.gallaudet.edu

Read your paper on your phone!

You can now save the local paper by making it mobile. The publishers can create mobile Web sites, and readers can read on their phones! Verve Wireless (the creaters of this) or the newspaper then sell ads on those sites.

The Associated Press, McClatchy, and the New York Times Regional Media Group are already in the game.

Will that be made available in Sri Lanka?

Read more on NYT

Mobile Phone Use in Sri Lanka

“Everyone is carrying hand phones these days,” he complained. “The plumber, door-to-door salesmen — and even the paan kaaraya.” Nalaka Gunawardene

Get the story on mobile phone usage, technologies and developments as well as regulations by Nalaka Gunawardena, a respected commentator on ICTs, media and development in Sri lanka

img: lightmillenium.org

Mobile Phones and the Travel Industry

"Corporate travel managers are aware that mobile tecnnology is the future of business travel yet few have done anything about it. The travel technology company interviewed 72 travel managers across the world for its Upwardly Mobile survey, 100% of whom said that the “tracking and communication of travellers for security purposes” was the major advantage of mobile phones.

Some 98% said the mobile was an important tool to tell travelling staff of security alerts in times of crisis and 92% said they liked the fact that the technology allowed travellers to get GPS directions. A further 88% said they appreciated that mobiles could now allow staff to make and amend travel plans on the move, boosting compliance levels. "

More on http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1130029.php

How many sri lankan uses are on Roaming...? Is it affordable... I think so. With the point schemes availble you could go buy LOADS of stuff after your trip!

SMART Freedom for Sri Lanka

The latest deal by Mobitel : free M2M voice calls, free M2M video calls and free M2M SMS’s.

Can this be real? God sent? er... guess its Mobitel sent.....

SMART FREEDOM tariff options:

1) Daily Rental for ‘ 1 Day of M2M Freedom ‘ is Rs. 50/- + applicable taxes & levies

2) Weekly Rental for ‘ 7 Days of M2M Freedom ‘ is Rs. 270/- + applicable taxes & levies

During the time period that SMART Freedom is activated, the following M2M benefits will apply:
FREE (24 hours of the day) outgoing & incoming M2M voice calls*
FREE (24 hours of the day) outgoing & incoming M2M video calls*
FREE (24 hours of the day) outgoing M2M SMS*
FREE (24 hours of the day) incoming calls from any network*

HMMM not bad at all. Think I'll get one and check it out....

Interested? Get it at SMART Freedom

3G to raise user number to 1.7 billion by 2013

img credits: Martin from Cartoon Stock

The number of subscribers using mobile Internet services will rise from 577 million currently, to top 1.7bn by 2013

This is apparently due to : 'an open environment in which users are able to share, collaborate and exploit content/information without any one party controlling the value chain'.

3G rocks!?!?

more...

A Green Phone!!!!

No its not colured GREEN

Its an eco friendly phone- as in -energy efficient charging via solar power!

How cool is that?


This phone has a chemical based solar panel that automatically charges phone when exposed to light.

For more info look at Eclipse intuit concept phone

Say No to GPS !!!!????

Dude! No More GPS on the phone for Sri Lanka?

Is this for real?

Apparently the big guys are quiet about it... I've not really heard anything yet...

Check it out on Lanka Dissent

Environmental Activism via Mobile Phones

From Greenpeace to environmental research, mobile phones are being used for activist purposes to bring attention to the needs of the environment.

Used as global positioning systems (GPS) and for sending out messages to registered mobile list to successfully lobby for important environmental legislation mobile phones are becoming important for propaganda and studies.

read the story at Global Voices online

Encrypting of mobile phone calls

Its time for technology that prevents people snooping on calls from fixed-line and mobile phones including those made from abroad! The future is here already!

It encrypts calls that using voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology. The company allows users to make secure VoIP calls by installing software on their mobile phone

Get the information on guardian.co.uk

Mobile banking for the poor

'With the right market conditions, mobile banking could reach large numbers of poor people who are outside the formal financial system' - CGAP

Apparently fewer than one in ten mobile phone banking customers are poor, new to banking, or doing anything more than payments and transfers: in the world.

And in the Phillipines, a transaction on a cell phone or at an ATM costs one fifth that of a traditional visit to a bank branch

According to the website, the challenges to the growth of branchless banking include a reluctance on the part of banks to get involved, as well as outdated or inadequate regulations.

more info on CGAP website

Unlock Your Phone with SIMable

An ultra thin chip, that when attached to a simcard immediately fools most mobile phones into thinking that they have been unlocked! OMG! Well we wont need this in Sri Lanka as our phones are not locked. Thank God.

Note: Whilst mobile phone unlocking is not illegal, it will in most cases invalidate the handset’s warranty.

More details at siliconecaribe

Your Phone as a Marketing Tool

What does almost every working adult have? A Mobile Phone.

Is it not a tool that you can make use of to market your product?

Would you like to learn about

• The mobile phone as an advertising channel
• Using text messaging and the mobile Web to drive traffic

how?

Mobile TV and Advertising Platform

"NextWave Wireless announced the launch of MXtv, a breakthrough mobile multicast and broadcast technology that enables WiMAX operators to deliver a broad range of rich and personalized multimedia services including mobile TV, interactive media services, and digital audio without having to invest in new spectrum or additional radio access network equipment."

That says it all.

Got the stuff from 3G.co.uk

Don't ask me what I am doing up this early.

ANDROIDS helping Humans

Android, by Google, an open mobile operating system is being used to power a new generation of devices under the Open Handset Alliance, a group which involves firms like HTC and chip designer ARM.

"What it enables is agility and rapid innovation and the same kind of innovation that happens on the internet." Andy Rubin, Google's director of mobile platforms.

Cool stuff here

Mobile Phone Caller ID on Contact Lens?

Its all about being High tech dude!

Electronic circuits, LEDs and solar poser cells with your contact lens.... you would love to have that now wouldn't you? Developed by a bunch of brilliant engineers from the University of Washington... this could be part of the future.....

Bit like a scifi movie now aint it?

Read more on Health Jockey

American and GPS, Sri Lankans and HUH?

Americans want GPS on their cell phones more than they want Internet access on the phones. It looks like GPS-enabled devices are being widely used by the middle-aged and elderly in the States.

My unlce in Sri Lanka is a bit afraid of the mobile phone. He uses it to answer and make calls only. But HEY it is widely used in Sri Lanka.. for 3G stuff and downloading tunes and all that VAS as you call it.

There are so many service providers in Sri Lanka. Apparently a 5th one is trying to get his foot in to the same old subscriber base. Hmmmm what do Sri Lankans want ? Americans seem to kow what they like.

Get the low down on what americans want on their phone... er.. here