Report: Texting hurts Ireland's youths <br /> (Canadian Press)
SHAWN POGATCHNIK
>
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) - Ireland's youth are becoming increasingly poor spellers and writers, and their love of text messaging on cellphones is a major reason why, according to the government's Education Department.
In a report published Wednesday, the department's Examination Commission said cutting-edge communications technology has encouraged poor literacy and a blunt, choppy style at odds with academic rigour.
"Text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing," according to the report, based on national test results in English for about 37,000 students aged 15 and 16.
The report branded today's teens "unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary."
Too many test-takers, it said, were "choosing to answer sparingly, even minimally, rather than seeing questions as invitations to explore the territory they had studied and to express the breadth and depth of their learning and understanding."
Ireland is among the world leaders in cellphone use - in part because of traditionally high costs for conventional phone lines - and surveys indicate that a majority of children have their own mobile phone by age 12, with the most enthusiastic texters sending more than 250 a week.
India mobile phone giant Bharti rings up 98 pct rise in Q4 profit <br /> (AFP)
by Penny MacRae
>
NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's top mobile phone company, Bharti Airtel Ltd, said fourth-quarter net profit nearly doubled as its number of customers rocketed in the world's fastest-growing wireless market.
Net profit for the three months to March grew 98 percent to 13.53 billion rupees (330 million dollars), beating market forecasts, on revenues which climbed 58 percent to 53.93 billion rupees.
"The Indian telecom sector has witnessed unprecedented growth this year, led by the mobile segment," Bharti chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told reporters.
"Demand for telecom services across all segments remains buoyant and we believe the growth momentum can be sustained," said the billionaire telecom tycoon who started out as a small-time manufacturer.
Analysts say India is just at the beginning of a telephone boom.
India, home to more than a billion people, is the world's fastest growing telecoms market with just 15 percent of its population owning mobile phones compared with 36 percent in China.
Bharti, 31 percent owned by Singapore's SingTelNet, said net profit for the year to March jumped 89 percent to 42.57 billion rupees on revenues that increased 59 percent to 185.2 billion rupees.
The profit rise came despite cuts in charges in the intensively competitive mobile sector which has the lowest tariff structure in the world.
During the year, the customer base soared by 86 percent to 39 million -- most of them in the mobile sector.
"Growth is not slowing down, it's accelerating, growth in the mobile sector is phenomenal," said Bharti, adding competition "is as intense as it gets."
The company, part of Bharti Enterprises, signed up 5.3 million new customers in the fourth quarter alone and its market share grew to 22.9 percent, up from 20.4 percent a year earlier.
Mittal dismissed competition from the world's largest mobile company, Vodafone Group, which is buying Hutchison Essar Ltd., India's fourth-biggest wireless operator, saying he was confident Bharti would remain number one.
Right now, India's mobile revolution is mainly confined to the cities, but the real prize for phone companies is the vast rural market where nearly 70 percent of the population lives, analysts say.
Telephone penetration is around 25 per 100 people in urban areas, and as low as 1.6 per 100 in rural areas.
Mittal said the company planned capital expenditure of up to 3.5 billion dollars with much of it earmarked for the rural sector.
"This is one of the big capital expenditure years for Bharti," he said.
Bharti, founded in 1995 as mobile telephony was being introduced in India, is sharing infrastructure with Reliance Communications and other rivals as it seeks to reach more of the population.
"Extensive network sharing will become the norm," Mittal said.
The company now could reach about 60 percent of the population and it aimed to boost coverage to 70 percent in the coming year, he said.
Shares in Bharti, India's most valuable telecom company with market capitalisation of more than 40 billion dollars, fell 35.8 rupees to 826.25 on profit-taking, underperforming an overall weaker market, dealers said.
Horn-Smith steps down at Sage <br /> (FT.com)
By Andrew Jack
>
Sir Julian Horn-Smith, the former deputy chief executive of the mobile phone giant Vodafone, on Friday stepped down unexpectedly as chairman of Sage, the UK's largest software group, less than one year after his appointment, citing "differences in culture and style".
His abrupt departure is a blow for the Newcastle-based group, with a market capitalisation of £3.4bn, which has been strongly acquisitive and has been seen as a potential target for leading players such as Microsoft, SAP and Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL - news).
Sir Julian, who had been part of Vodafone's old guard instrumental in overseeing domestic and international expansion, became a director of Sage in February last year and stepped up to become its part-time non-executive chairman in August, just after he formally retired from Vodafone.
He was already a non-executive director of Lloyds TSB, and has since been appointed a senior advisor to UBS and a member of the international advisory board to Altimo, the telecoms arm of Alfa of Russia, among other commitments.
Tony Hobson, a non-executive director at Sage, will become acting chairman with immediate effect, while the company prepares to hire headhunters to find a long-term replacement.
Sir Julian said: "Sage is a truly outstanding company and it is with great regret that I have decided to leave. After careful consideration the board agreed that the differences in style and culture meant that change was necessary. I felt that the best solution was for me to stand down as chairman"
Sage stressed "there is absolutely no fall out, difference in strategy or over the future of the business."
The group reported pre-tax profits up 14 per cent to £221m last year on sales up 22 per cent to £936m.
India to let foreign cos bid for 3G licenses: paper <br /> (Reuters)
>
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India plans to allow new international
players to bid in auctions for third generation (3G) mobile
licenses, Indian media reported on Thursday.
"We want new international players to come to India and
offer their services," the Mint daily quoted Communications and
Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran as saying.
Last year, Maran said 3G mobile telephone services were
likely to be launched in India in the second half of 2007.
India has 12 telecoms firms which offer fixed-line services
and mobile services on GSM and
CDMA platforms.
"The auction for 3G spectrum will be completely distinct
from the existing mobile licenses and services," the paper
quoted Maran as saying.
In February, Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L), said it would buy
a controlling stake in unlisted Hutchison Essar, India's
fourth-largest cellular operator, from Hutchison
Telecommunications International (2332.HK).
India allows foreign shareholding of up to 74 percent in
telecommunications.
Foreign firms with stakes in Indian mobile services
ventures include SingTel (STEL.SI), which owns 30.8 percent of
top mobile firm Bharti Airtel Ltd (BRTI.BO), and Telekom
Malaysia (TLMM.KL) which has a stake in Spice Communications.
Other firms such as the BT Group Plc (BT.L) and AT&T (NYSE:T - news)
have obtained licenses for international and domestic
long-distance services.
Nokia Taps into Silicon Valley <br /> (PC World)
Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service
>
Looking to merge mobile phones with PCs,
Nokia Corp. has expanded its presence in Silicon Valley and is exploring a wireless network that local developers can use to try out new applications.
At its recently opened Nokia Research Center in Palo Alto, California, the Finnish mobile giant is opening up its local research efforts by bringing in startups and developers to talk about new ideas. Previously, Nokia's work here was focused on supporting the company's internal efforts, said Tero Ojanpera, Nokia's executive vice president and chief technology officer.
Ojanpera and other executives spoke at Nokia's Mobile Mash-Up event on Tuesday in Santa Clara, which brought together venture capitalists, developers and partners to discuss new mobile applications. The world's largest mobile handset maker is reaching beyond phones into handheld data devices such as the N800 Wi-Fi computer and sees mobile platforms at the heart of future computing, they said. Along with that, they want a more open development culture similar to that of the PC industry, in which ideas percolate up from many small startups.
"As long as it touches mobility, we're interested in it," said Bob Iannucci, senior vice president and head of the Nokia Research Center.
The company is studying the possibility of a wireless network on which developers and selected consumers could try out new applications, Iannucci said. The network might use 3G (third-generation) cellular, WiMax, Wi-Fi or a combination of those and other technologies and could be available in several linked areas, such as Palo Alto, Berkeley, California, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Nokia has another development facility, he said. It would initially be limited to a few thousand developers and users, such as university students. The plan is long term, possibly building up to serving 1,000 people within two years, he said.
One example of mobile innovation that Nokia showed off at the event was Point&Find, based on technology the company acquired along with a startup called Picto. Point&Find lets people point a camera phone at an object or picture and find out more about it, or buy it, just by clicking once when its name comes up on the screen. It works by linking a set of image properties with a URL (uniform resource locator) for information about what's in the image. When a user points the phone's camera at something, the system compares what the viewfinder sees with sets of image properties in a database. Also taking into consideration the user's location, it then delivers useful information about what the user is looking at.
For example, pointing the phone at a movie poster and pressing a key could make a page pop up that offers an ad for the movie and a way to buy a ticket at the theater nearest the user. Pointing the phone at the street might bring up a contact page for a local cab company. The system could give retailers, transit agencies, manufacturers and others the chance to reach consumers while making it easier and more intuitive for consumers to find things, Nokia said. Point&Find was demonstrated at Mobile Mash-Up but is still under development.
Mobile phones represent next frontier for search <br /> (Reuters)
By Daisuke Wakabayashi
>
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - "Mobile, mobile, mobile" were the
words of Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt this week
when asked what technologies are most intriguing to the
computer Web search leader.
Google, which generates billions of dollars from online
advertising, is racing to bring consumer services like search
to the phone. Its rivals in this field include Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news),
which has made strides in the fast-emerging mobile Web market,
and Microsoft Corp., which bought voice-recognition technology
company Tellme Networks Inc. last month.
"The biggest growth areas are clearly within the mobile
space," Schmidt said during a question-and-answer session at
the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco.
Pay-per-click advertising tied to Web search results
erupted into a multibillion-dollar industry within a few years,
and Internet companies hope mobile phone services will follow a
similar growth trajectory.
ABI Research forecast global mobile marketing and
advertising to increase sixfold to $19 billion by 2011 from an
estimated $3 billion by the end of 2007.
Google, which controls nearly 50 percent of the U.S. Web
search market, is not necessarily a lock to carry over its
success on the computer screen to the mobile phone.
"One of the big game changers is mobile," said Tim
O'Reilly, founder of O'Reilly Media, a publisher of several
popular lines of technology manuals for software programmers.
"Google's dominance in search is dependent on this idea
that we sit, typing away at a keyboard to look up information,"
he said, "but we are in for some huge disruptive upsets."
Improved voice-recognition technology and the inclusion of
global positioning system chips into mobile phones open the
door for new applications to help users find relevant
information wherever they find themselves.
In addition, improvements in handset technology make
today's cell phone capable of doing almost as much as computers
of a decade ago.
NEXT-GENERATION COMPUTING
Last month, Yahoo introduced a new Internet search system
to deliver locally relevant answers to mobile phone users'
questions in fewer steps than Google. Subjects include news
headlines, business listings, local weather and links to other
Web sites.
Yahoo has signed deals to feature its software on four of
the world's top five mobile handset makers.
Tellme Chief Executive Mike McCue said the pace of
innovations on the mobile phone was five to 10 times faster
than the computer.
"There are incredible breakthroughs happening," McCue said
in an interview. "The phone is a place-holder name for the
next-generation computing device."
Microsoft bought Tellme in a deal sources say is valued at
more than $800 million, its largest acquisition in five years.
At the heart of Tellme's appeal is a voice-recognition
database that allows the company to predict what information
callers are seeking and decipher many different accents and
dialects.
Initially, mobile search will serve as an alternative to
411 directory assistance service, which costs as much as $1.85
for every call.
Earlier this month, Google also began offering
voice-activated directory assistance. At the time, O'Reilly
speculated in his blog that Google started the free service at
least in part to build its own speech database.
Industry watchers and company executives recognize the
inherent difference between search on a computer and on a
mobile phone. Search on a computer can be a browsing activity
for research, while mobile search is more about finding
information and then acting on it.
"We are in the very earliest days of this," said McCue.
"It's not about taking the existing PC model and way of
thinking and moving it over to the phone."
The business model of search on a mobile phone will also
differ from the pay-per-click model of a computer, he said.
Users may be willing to be billed for a subscription for
unlimited search.
(Additional reporting by Eric Auchard)
New attack puts routers, cell phones at risk <br /> (InfoWorld)
Robert McMillan
>
San Francisco (IDGNS) - A security researcher at Juniper Networks has developed
a new form of attack that can be used to run unauthorized software on a wide range of computing devices, including routers and mobile phones.
In a demonstration set to take place at the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver Thursday, Juniper's Barnaby Jack says he will show how this technique could be used to take control of a router and then inject malicious software on virtually every machine on the network.
Jack says he has discovered a way to turn a common type of computing error -- called a null pointer dereferencing error -- into something far more dangerous than previously thought. Researchers have known for years how to create these flaws, which occur when the computer tells a program that the part of memory that it's looking for is invalid, or "null."
Until now, null pointer errors had not been considered particularly devastating. They typically cause the affected computer to crash but cause no more serious damage.
On Thursday, however, Jack will show how these flaws can be used to run unauthorized software on certain types of devices. This new technique, is "100 percent reliable, and it results in code execution on the device," he said.
Jack's null pointer exploit is effective on the Arm and xScale processors that are widely used in embedded devices, but it does not work on Intel architecture processors used by PCs.
In his demonstration, Jack plans to show how his attack could be used to make changes to the firmware of a router so that it injects a malicious code into any executable files downloaded from the Internet. This technique could be used to turn legitimate software updates -- Microsoft's monthly software patches, for example -- into an avenue of attack.
Jack bills his technique as a more reliable alternative to hacker techniques like buffer overflow attacks, which attempt to trick the processor into running code that is sneaked into the computer's memory.
If Jack's claims prove to be accurate, this attack will certainly come as a surprise to the companies that use Arm and xScale processors in their devices, said Russ Cooper, a senior information security analyst at Cybertrust. "The Arm processor is supposed to be a secure environment, so that this flaw exists represents a bigger problem."
The discovery would be much more significant, however, if it worked on the x86 processors used by most PCs, he added.
Chip makers could correct the problem in future systems by making a simple change to the processor, but systems that have already shipped are vulnerable to the attack, Jack said.
Trends & Innovations - Wednesday <br /> (Investor's Business Daily)
Investor's Business Daily
>
Phone designed for watching TV
Handset makers are racing to develop better mobile phone screens to meet expected demand for watching TV on the devices. In Japan, where TV on phones already is becoming commonplace, Sharp announced a fall release of phones featuring 2.2-inch screens that offer contrasts of 2,000:1, about 4 times greater than current top screens. The new phones also will be capable of receiving digital TV broadcasts, significantly expanding their capabilities since most phones are only able to show video downloaded from the Internet.
Web 2.0 not as big as thought
The next generation of Web sites that aim to get visitors to interact by adding their own pictures, video or other content to the site are attracting attention, but relatively few participants. A study by Hitwise found that less than 1% of visitors to "Web 2.0" sites, like YouTube or Flickr, actually add material themselves. Rather, most just come to look at what's there. Still, such sites have surged 688% in 2 years and account for 12% of all Web traffic.
The benefit of antidepressants for children and teens outweighs the risk of suicide, a study by the Univ. of Pittsburgh showed. The FDA introduced black-box warnings on the antidepressants in 2004. The study showed an increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts, but suggested the size of effect was smaller than in the FDA report.
While ethanol is promoted as an eco-friendly fuel for cars, its widespread use could increase the number of respiratory-related deaths, a study by Stanford Univ. found, HealthDay News reported. A blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline would likely increase the number of asthma-related emergency room visits in the U.S. by 770 a year, the study suggested. Ex-astronaut Buzz Aldrin is promoting an out-of-this-world idea: a space-flight lottery. The venture, called SpaceStakes, would give average Americans a chance to experience space travel, Aldrin told a Wall Street gathering. Details were sketchy and the legality of such a venture unclear. Currently, only 5 multimillionaires have been able to buy their way aboard Russian space flights.
Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom eyes China 3G market: report <br /> (AFP)
>
TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan's leading telephone operator Chunghwa Telecom is looking to China's third-generation mobile phone market despite strict government restrictions on such investments, a report said Tuesday.
The Financial Times quoted Chunghwa Telecom chairman Hochen Tan as saying that the company plans to team up with China Telecom and China Netcom once they obtain 3G licences.
"Although the Taiwan market is much smaller than China's, there are similarities in our habits, our language, our stories," he told the newspaper.
The company expects Chinese-language data content to be the engine of future growth, it said.
Currently, Chunghwa Telecom has 1.03 million 3G subscribers and 7.5 million 2G users. It expects its 3G subscribers to rise to 2.2 million by the end of 2007 from 850,000 last year.
Hochen said he had started to lobby the government to amend regulations banning local telecom companies from investing in the industry in China or to offer services there.
"It will be a window. Once it closes, there will be no other big good opportunities," he said of the Chinese market.
Chunghwa Telecom also plans to take an indirect stake in a small mainland telecoe company through a third-country holding, as well as to invest in telecom operators in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia, he said.
The government's stake in Chunghwa Telecom has been reduced to 34.76 percent following its privatisation in August 2005.
Taiwan and China separated in 1949 at the end of a civil war between the Nationalists and Communists. While economic ties have grown in recent years, Taipei remains cautious about any investment on the mainland, especially by high-tech companies.
Separately, Chief Telecom Inc, a subsidiary of Chunghwa Telecom, said Tuesday it has obtained the island's first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) license.
"We have won the first such VoIP license ... and we will provide VoIP services from the second half (of the year)," a Chief Telecom official said.
"We are awaiting phone numbers to be granted ... while we need to decide on products and to form an alliance with telecom firms before we can kick off such services," the official said.
Analog cell service nears the finish line <br /> (USATODAY.com)
By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
>
Regulators are poised to send the crackling and bulky analog cellphone to the scrap heap next February, denying a last-ditch appeal from a business group.
The shutdown of analog wireless networks Feb. 18 will mean lost service or disruptions for 500,000 GM car owners with OnStar emergency wireless service, up to 1 million alarm customers and a few million diehards who refuse to trade in their analog phones.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is recommending the agency deny a petition by the alarm industry to delay the shutdown two years, FCC officials say. The industry says providers need more time to convert analog customers to digital. Most commissioners are likely to support Martin, officials say, noting alarm firms have had five years to upgrade subscriber equipment. They requested anonymity because commissioners have not voted on the matter.
In 2002, the FCC permitted cellphone carriers to turn off their analog networks by 2008. AT&T and Verizon, the only two national carriers with analog systems, say less than 1% of their combined subscriber bases, or about 1 million people, still use analog handsets.
Wireless carriers say it would cost several hundred million dollars to maintain the systems two more years, and the airwaves can be better used to improve digital coverage.
Tell that to subscribers of OnStar, a General Motors subsidiary. About 500,000 OnStar customers have analog systems that can't be converted due to their cars' electrical designs, says Bill Ball, OnStar's public policy chief. Most are in 2002 or earlier GM models. OnStar features include emergency services, remote door unlocking and vehicle diagnostics.
The company is offering a second free year of service to affected customers who buy an OnStar-equipped car. But that's little solace to Bob De Vries of Queens, N.Y., whose 2005 Buick Park Avenue will lose service Dec. 31.
"A safety feature is supposed to be good for the life of the car," says De Vries, 68.
A Pennsylvania couple are seeking class-action status for their lawsuit against GM.
Others affected:
Alarm customers: A million homes and businesses have analog wireless alarm systems. Some 135,000 are primary security systems, while the rest are back-ups for landline-based alarms, says Phillip McVey, head of business operations for ADT, the No. 1 provider. McVey says ADT is switching over customers, but digital gear wasn't available until several months ago. He says a "significant portion" of customers could lose service Feb. 18.
Rural areas: Analog cellphone systems are more vital there, as they can cover remote reaches. "There's still a lot of places where it's analog or nothing," says Tony Clark of the North Dakota Public Service Commission.
The hearing-impaired: Digital phones create a buzz in hearing aids. FCC-mandated noise-free models are being phased in.
Sun buys mobile phone software maker SavaJe <br /> (InfoWorld)
Robert Mullins
>
San Francisco (IDGNS) - Sun said Thursday it plans to acquire the intellectual property of SavaJe Technologies, a provider of Mobile Java application development tools.
SavaJe offers the SavaJe Mobile Platform, an open Java platform that wireless service providers and handset makers can use to brand and add features to mobile phones.
Sun created the Java programming language and recently released the code to the open-source community for development of more Java applications.
Sun did not disclose how much it is paying for the privately-held SavaJe, but said it was a small enough amount that it need not be disclosed to shareholders of the publicly-traded Sun.
Sun promised more details about its plans for SavaJe at the JavaOne Conference scheduled for May 8-11 in San Francisco.
Sun said it expects to close the SavaJe asset acquisition by the end of June.
Vodafone signs deal with Ericsson to manage part of its European networks <br /> (Canadian Press)
>
LONDON (AP) - Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone company, said Tuesday it has signed a multimillion-dollar deal with equipment group Ericsson to manage part of its European networks.
Britain-based Vodafone Group PLC said Sweden-based LM Ericsson will manage the supply and distribution of spare parts to countries, including Germany, Spain and Portugal, as part of Vodafone's initiative to cut overheads in Europe.
Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone operator by revenue, declined to provide further financial details.
Under the managed services agreement, Ericsson will be responsible for running the logistics, warehousing, repair and replacement of network equipment, including kit from rival equipment-makers.
Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin said last May that the company was targeting major cost savings by consolidating and better managing operating and capital costs.
Vodafone shares rose 1.1 per cent to close at 138.20 pence (US$2.71) on the London Stock Exchange.
Icahn ups Motorola stake to 2.9 pct from 2.7 pct <br /> (Reuters)
>
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Carl Icahn, who is pressing for a
board seat and changes at Motorola Inc. (NYSE:
MOT -
news), has raised his
stake of the struggling mobile phone maker's shares to 2.9
percent from 2.7 percent, according to a regulatory filing on
Monday.
The billionaire investor said in January he would seek a
board seat to push the No. 2 maker of mobile phones into using
some of its $11.3 billion cash pile to buy back more shares.
Icahn, who has agitated for change at many companies and is
also seeking board seats at WCI Communities Inc. (NYSE:WCI - news) and
Temple-Inland Inc. (NYSE:TIN - news), has lobbied for shareholders to
vote him to the board at Motorola's annual meeting on May 7.
Motorola, which has lost about a third of its market value,
or $22 billion, in the last five months due to a sharp fall in
phone prices and stiff competition, has urged shareholders not
to support Icahn.
KDDI to enter US mobile phone market <br /> (AFP)
Sun Apr 8, 4:32 PM ET
TOKYO (AFP) - KDDI Corp. will become the first Japanese mobile carrier to start its brand in the US market by renting a network from a US company, reports said Sunday.
Japan's second-largest mobile provider will offer the service under the name "KDDI Mobile" by renting a wireless communications network from Sprint Nextel, Kyodo News said, quoting company officials.
KDDI plans to target Japanese customers in the United States by offering Japanese-language data input, as well as display and ring melodies familiar to them, it said.
The service could be running as early as June, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said.
Japan's largest mobile phone service provider NTT DoCoMo Inc. has also been expanding overseas, mostly by licensing agreements for its popular "i-mode" Internet-capable mobile phone service.
NTT DoCoMo has also made capital investments in European and US telecom firms, but has scrapped most of them after losses.
KDDI's overseas expansion comes amid growing competition at home since October, when Japan began allowing mobile subscribers to switch carriers without changing their numbers.
Immediate confirmation of the report was not available.
