2012)

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

The mobile gift-giving app Karma announced Friday it has been acquired by Facebook. the announcement came shortly after the markets closed on Facebook’s first day as a publicly traded company.

Mobile & Home Phones - UK Police Adopt New System to Extract Data from Phones - (5/20/2012)

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Police in London have adopted a new system that will allow them to quickly extract data from suspects’ phones.

The Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom has started the roll out of a new system that’s capable of extracting data from mobile phones extremely quickly. the technology comes from Radio Tactics and is called ACESO. the data extraction solution will be used across 16 boroughs in the capital. ACESO allows police to quickly extra data from the mobile phones (even SIM locked phones) of suspects while they’re in custody.

The Metropolitan Police will be using the ACESO Kiosk, which is a touchscreen desktop set-up. Deputy Assistant Commission of the Metropolitan Police Service, Stephen Kavanagh, explained that it will be used when a suspect is arrested and found with a phone that police suspect may have been used in crime. Kavanagh said traditional methods of data extraction involve sending the phone to the lab for analysis while the new system will give officers immediate access to the phone’s data while the suspect is still in custody.

“Mobile phones and other devices are increasingly being used in all levels of criminal activity,” Stephen Kavanagh, Deputy Assistant Commission of the Metropolitan Police Service,” said in a statement. “Our ability to act on forensically-sound, time-critical information, from SMS to images contained on a device quickly gives us an advantage in combating crime, notably in terms of identifying people of interest quickly and progressing cases more efficiently,” he later added.

As many as 300 Met personnel will be trained on the system.

Follow @JaneMcEntegart on Twitter.

Mobile & Home Phones - Man Sought in Violent Cellphone Robberies at Cal Poly Pomona - (5/20/2012)

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Police are asking for the public’s help to find a man believed responsible for at least two violent cellphone robberies at Cal Poly Pomona.

The attacks sparked fear among students, prompting some students to change the way they get around campus.

"it kind of scares me because he could steal my cell phone and it’s kind of expensive. it has everything on it," said student Trista Demuth, who now drives to all of her classes.

Police released a composite sketch of the of the suspect: a white man in his 20s, about 5-foot-9, with a thin build and blond hair.

"He hasn’t used any weapons, this is strong-armed robberies so we’re encouraging our campus community to keep their eyes peeled," said Cal Poly Spokeswoman Uyen Mai.

The first incident happened April 30, when a white male in his early 20s asked to use a student’s cell phone, then punched him in the face and ran away.

The attack happened as the student was walking between the track at Kellogg Field and Scolinos Field near Parking Lot B, officials said.

The second incident happened May 3, when a male approached a student who was walking through Parking Lot K toward the bus stop at Temple Avenue and South Campus Drive.

"After demanding to see the student’s phone, the man punched him in the face, took the cell phone and ran," campus officials reported.

University police are warning students, faculty and staff "to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious-looking people or situations immediately."

"with the smart phones they’re just becoming more expensive and with most providers going, they’re easily unlocked," said student Jeremy Schiff.

To reach University Police, use a Code Blue Box or call (909) 869-3070.

Anonymous tips may be reported by leaving a voicemail at (909) 869-3399.

Officials offered the following safety tips:

Be alert and aware of your surroundings.
Avoid talking on your cell phone or texting while in transit.
Travel with others when practical.
Call for a Safety Escort during hours of darkness at (909) 869-3070.
Notify University Police immediately of suspicious persons/situations.
Program the University Police number, (909) 869-3070, into your cell phone.

Mobile & Home Phones - Is Google Readying a ‘Nexus’ Android Invasion? - (5/18/2012)

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Tired of bending to the will of wireless carriers, Google reportedly wants to sell more contract-free Android phones directly to consumers.

The phones would be part of Google’s “Nexus” line, built in cooperation with phone makers like Samsung, HTC and Motorola, according to the Wall Street Journal’s unnamed sources. Google would then sell the phones unlocked and contract-free through its website, or through some retailers. To get cell service, users would then have to buy a SIM card from a wireless carrier.

Currently, Google doesn’t have much say in the development of Android phones. Google builds the operating system and licenses the use of its Google Play Store and apps such as Gmail, but phone makers and wireless carriers are free to tweak the software.

(MORE: The 12 best Android Widgets for 2012)

Usually, they modify the interface so a Samsung Android phone doesn’t act quite like an LG Android phone, and then they pre-load a bunch of software on the device–much of it uninstallable. When Google updates Android, phone makers and wireless carriers must make the update work with their own modifications. Assuming they decide to update their phones at all, the process can take a very long time.

Google has tried to disrupt this system before. In 2010, the company sold unlocked Nexus one phones through its website for $600, along with a $200 T-Mobile version subsidized by a two-year contract. it received the latest updates from Google, and was untainted by bloatware. but the Nexus one was a commercial failure, in large part because people would rather go to a store, try some phones themselves and agree to a contract in exchange for a lower price. a few months later, Google swore off selling phones directly.

Last month, Google changed course. it began selling its Galaxy Nexus phone directly to U.S. consumers, unlocked and contract-free, for $400. If the Journal’s sources are correct, Google wants to continue this initiative with a whole line of Android phones, running the next version of Android (possibly code named Jelly Bean).

Google likely wants its own services, such as Google Play Music and Google Wallet, to be front-and-center on the next version of Android, but it can’t do that when phone makers and wireless carriers are meddling with the software. Selling phones directly would be a way to regain control.

But it would also be a risky bet. Wireless carriers won’t be happy with Google’s attempts to bypass them, and unless Google gets support from retailers, it’ll have a hard time marketing its phones to the masses. these Nexus phones will also have to be price-competitive with subsidized handsets. The existing Galaxy Nexus is not.

Google does need to regain control over Android, but if direct sales fail, the company would have no choice but to go crawling back to wireless carriers. no wonder some of those carriers have taken a sudden liking to Windows Phone.

MORE: Google’s Galaxy Nexus: Unlocked and Contract-Free for $399

Mobile & Home Phones - U.S. phone subscribers hang up on contracts - (5/15/2012)

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. consumers have had their fill of expensive, contract-based phone plans.

Figures from T-Mobile USA on Thursday, added to earlier reports from other companies, indicate that the U.S. wireless industry lost subscribers from contract-based plans for the first time in the first quarter. Contract-based plans are the most lucrative ones for phone companies. the industry default over the past several decades, they account for the vast majority of revenue at the big phone companies.

The seven largest U.S. phone companies, representing more than 95 percent of the market, lost a combined 52,000 subscribers from contract-based plans in the January to March period, according to a tally by the Associated Press.

Since nearly every adult, and many children and teenagers, already have phones, there’s little room for growth anymore. but subscribers are also flowing to cheaper, no-contract plans, which showed an increase of at least 2 million. that figure, however, is down from more than 5 million in the same quarter a year ago.

The industry is also adding millions of non-phone devices, like smart energy meters. these so-called “machine-to-machine” connections usually carry very low monthly fees, on the order of a few dollars per month.

For example, AT&T subscribers on contract-based plans pay an average of $64.46 per month, while other AT&T customers pay an average of $11.52 per month.

T-Mobile’s report comes on the last day of the U.S. cellphone industry’s annual trade show in New Orleans. at the show, companies talked about various ways of boosting their business outside phones. for instance, AT&T launched a home security and automation business, and the head of its wireless business, Ralph de la Vega, said the company is getting closer to launching family data plans, which would allow the sharing of one “bucket” of data among various devices and family members. that could encourage people who already have a smartphone to get a tablet with data service as well. Verizon Wireless has already announced that it is introducing such plans this summer.

The first quarter is a seasonally weak one for contract-based plans, and the industry is likely to show some subscriber additions for the whole of the year. but the gains will be spread unevenly over the phone companies. for the last year and half, the four nationwide phone companies have added or lost subscribers in order of size: Verizon Wireless, the largest, has gained the most, followed by AT&T inc. Sprint Nextel Corp., No. 3 in size, has mostly lost subscribers, while No. 4 T-Mobile has done so consistently. that poses a conundrum for regulators who want to preserve vibrant competition in the industry.

AT&T launched a major bid to consolidate the industry last year by striking a deal to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion, but the project was scuttled by regulators who said it would reduce competition and raise prices for consumers.

The AP’s tally of subscribers excludes some contract-based machine-to-machine connections reported by T-Mobile. the company also added 435,000 prepaying subscribers of all kinds in the quarter, which was the best result in more than two years for that category. T-Mobile credits its new prepaid monthly plans with fast “4G” data service for the increase.

Overall revenue at T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG of Germany, fell 2 percent from a year ago.

Mobile & Home Phones - Vuclip Appoints Seasoned Mobile Expert Scott Miller to Vice President of Products - (5/4/2012)

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Miller to Be Integral Part of Team as Company Focuses on Brand Advertising and Freemium Model for Mobile Video may 03, 2012 —

MILPITAS, CA — (Marketwire) — 05/03/12 — Vuclip, the world's largest independent mobile video service, today announces that Scott Miller is the newest addition to the Vuclip team, appointed to the position of vice president of products. Reporting to CTO and Co-founder Zhigang Chen, Miller will be responsible for leading Vuclip's product management team and the overall planning, launching and supporting of Vuclip mobile services.

Miller brings to Vuclip deep experience defining and launching new mobile wireless products and services in fast-moving environments. Prior to Vuclip, he served as director of product management at Sybase subsidiary Sybase365 where he was the product lead for the company's enterprise-facing mobile commerce portfolio, including mobile payments, customer engagement tools, mobile POS, and user interfaces for SMS, mobile web, and smartphone apps. Before Sybase, Miller cofounded The Faultline Group, which provides services focused on delivering successful mobile applications and products. Additionally, Miller spent time as a group marketing manager at Sun Microsystems, as vice president at C.E. Unteberg, Towbin and as a principal analyst for the Gartner Group. He has a B.S. and M.E from Cornell University.

“With the accelerating pace of innovation combined with the rapid decline in prices both in devices and data pricing, mobile video is taking off in a big way. And our growth has shown that we are a vital part of this ecosystem,” said Nickhil Jakatdar, CEO of Vuclip. “With stints in the mobile space at Sybase as well as experience at places like Sun and the Gartner group, Scott has had some very relevant experience that should serve us in good stead.”

About Vuclip for millions of people around the world, Vuclip is an essential part of their daily lives. Vuclip is the world's largest independent mobile video service, serving video on-the-fly, on any device, and in any country; providing unparalleled reach for its partners. Vuclip is headquartered in Milpitas, California with offices in Los Angeles, Mumbai, Singapore, Shenzhen and Beijing. Check out Vuclip on your phone: m.vuclip.com.

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Contact: Melissa Sheridan

Vodafone’s bid for Cable & Wireless in doubt

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Vodafone’s £1 billion play for ailing telecoms group Cable & Wireless Worldwide was cast into doubt today after the target’s biggest shareholder refused to back the deal.

The FTSE 100 company will become the UK’s second biggest telecoms operator, behind BT, if its 38p a share offer is approved by 75% of CWW’s shareholders.

But international fund manager Orbis, the largest single CWW shareholder with a 19% stake, said the offer undervalued the firm, despite it being a 92% premium to the closing price on the day before the talks were unveiled.

A spokesperson for Orbis said: "Although we believe the CWW management team has handled the bid process responsibly, we have declined to give an irrevocable undertaking or letter of intent to support the transaction."

CWW, which saw its shares rise 14% to 36.5p after the offer was unveiled, provides high-speed telecoms services to companies including Tesco and will help Vodafone boost its corporate arm at a time of slow consumer growth.

CWW chairman John Barton said the deal was an "exciting opportunity" for CWW’s stakeholders.

He said it would "enable shareholders to crystallise a value, in cash, that represents a significant premium to recent trading levels and avoid exposure to the risks inevitably presented by executing a medium-term improvement strategy".

The agreement comes after Indian rival Tata Communications walked away from discussions last week, leaving FTSE 100-listed Vodafone as the sole runner.

Vodafone said a reduction in headcount and office locations in places where the two firms overlap was likely but specific numbers are yet to be determined.

Andy Kerr, Communication Workers Union deputy general secretary, said: "We hope that Vodafone don’t intend to asset-strip further at the expense of our members – their staff. However, in our experience, whenever there’s a takeover there are job losses and staff in CWW in particular will be feeling concerned right now."

Vodafone said CWW’s UK fibre network – which runs some 12,738 miles (20,500km) – fits well with the location of Vodafone Group’s UK base stations and will provide fast data traffic at a lower cost to the wider market as demand for mobile data continues to grow.

Vodafone is understood to be planning to hive off CWW’s 260,000 miles (418,430km) of undersea cables, with potential buyers including American groups AT&T and Verizon. This reportedly has the potential to fetch about £500 million.

Vodafone said CWW’s historic tax losses and capital allowances – claims that help lower taxes – were not "key to the rationale" underpinning the offer.

It added that it did not believe it can use CWW’s tax losses and it has not pinned any value to the possibility of using CWW’s capital allowances against Vodafone Group’s existing UK operations.

Vodafone Group chief executive Vittorio Colao said: "the acquisition of Cable & Wireless Worldwide creates a leading integrated player in the enterprise segment of the UK communications market and brings attractive cost savings to our UK and international operations."

The interest in Cable was spurred by the collapse in its share price since it split from Cable & Wireless’s Caribbean-based telecoms arm in 2010.

The company has been affected by the squeeze on Government spending and the weak economy, leading it to report heavy losses for the six months to September 30 and warn of no dividend payments to bolster its balance sheet.

Jonathan Jackson, head of equities at Killik & Co, said: "Vodafone is paying a reasonable price for a business that will strengthen its enterprise business in the UK and internationally, and presents attractive network and other cost-saving opportunities."

Mobile & Home Phones - Inmates cell phone use nearing end? - (4/24/2012)

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

SACRAMENTO-The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today announced a “groundbreaking and momentous” contract awarded to Global Tel*Link (GTL) designed to eliminate the contraband cell phone use by inmates.

Under the contract, GTL will also provide the Inmate/Ward Telephone System (IWTS) for inmates to make domestic and international calls from an authorized phone network.

“Inmates have used cell phones to commit more crimes, organize assaults on staff, and terrorize victims,” CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said. “This groundbreaking and momentous technology will enable CDCR to crack down on the potentially dangerous communications by inmates.”

Managed Access technology uses a secure cellular umbrella over a specified area blocking unauthorized cellular communication transmissions, such as e-mails, texts, phone calls, or Internet access.

Implementation of the Managed Access System will come at no cost to taxpayers. GTL is responsible for all implementation costs, including new installation of equipment and services, as well as the costs of operating this technology at CDCR institutions. GTL, in return, receives the revenue generated from the ITWS services.

CDCR anticipates the Managed Access System to be operational at its first institution by the end of the year with other institutions to follow.

The Federal Communications Commission supports Managed Access technology as a lawful means to effectively stop the use of contraband cell phones in prisons.

In October 2011, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed Senate bill (SB) 26 (Padilla) into law. under SB 26 it is a misdemeanor, with a possible fine of up to $5,000 per device, for possessing or attempting to introduce an unauthorized cell phone in a prison. the misdemeanor prosecution and fines apply to staff, contractors and visitors. Penalties for inmates include up to 90 days loss of good-time credits.

SB 26 prohibited the company from raising rates for collect calls on the Inmate/Ward Telephone System. in fact, called parties will realize a reduced rate under the new contract. the new IWTS will provide additional enhancements including multiple payment options for inmates and their families. the California Technology Agency, which owns and administers the contract, will monitor service to ensure there are no additional charges applied to calls.

In 2011, CDCR tested the Managed Access technology at two institutions. the test was conducted over an 11-day period for approximately eight hours a day. During the test, the equipment detected a total of 2,593 unique wireless devices. the equipment blocked more than 25,000 unauthorized communication attempts, such as calls, texts, emails, and efforts to log on to the Internet from a smart phone.

In 2007, CDCR staff discovered nearly 1,400 contraband cell phones. in 2008, it was 2,800; in 2009, 6,995; in 2010, approximately 10,760; in 2011, more than 15,000; and to date this year, 2,181 contraband cell phones have been discovered in prisons and Conservation Camps.

For more information about managed-access technology and other efforts by CDCR to reduce contraband cell phones inside California’s prisons, visit CDCR’s Contraband Cell Phone webpage here: cdcr.ca.gov/Contraband-Cell-Phones/index.html

Mobile & Home Phones - Smartphone owners are not birds of a feather - (4/22/2012)

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

As of February 2012, 88% of U.S. adults owned a mobile phone, up from 85% in September 2010; 57% owned a laptop, up from 52%; 19% owned an e-book reader, up from 5%; and 19% owned a tablet computer, up from 4%, according to “Digital Differences,” a new study of 2,260 U.S. adults from the Pew Research Center. 63% of those consumers go online wirelessly with one of those devices.

The report studies the demographic differences of mobile device ownership, which retailers can examine to compare to the demographics of their own mobile customers. 49% of U.S. adult men in February 2012 owned a smartphone, up from 39% in May 2011, Pew finds. 44% of women were smartphone users in February 2012, compared with 31% in May 2011.

Numbers are jumping by race, too. the figures for February 2012 versus May 2011 for whites are 45% and 30%, for blacks 49% and 44%, and for Hispanics 49% and 44%.

The differences in the percentages for smartphone ownership by age are stark. 66% of U.S. adults age 19-29 owned a smartphone in February 2012 compared with 52% in May 2011, Pew finds. 59% age 30-49 used a smartphone in February 2012 compared with 45% in May 2011. 34% age 50-64 owned a smartphone in February 2012 compared with 24% in May 2011. and 13% age 65 and older used a smartphone in February 2012 compared with 11% in May 2012.

There is also a significant difference in smartphone ownership when it comes to household income. 34% of U.S. adults in a household with less than $30,000 in annual income owned a smartphone in February 2012, up from 22% in May 2011, Pew says. 46% in a household with an annual income between $30,000 and $49,000 owned a smartphone, up from 40% in May 2011. 49% in a household with an annual income between $50,000 and $74,000 owned a smartphone in February 2012, up from 38%. and 68% in a household with an annual income of $75,000 or more owned a smartphone in February 2012, up from 59% in May 2011.

“the rise of mobile is changing the story,” the “Digital Differences” report says. “Groups that have traditionally been on the other side of the digital divide in basic Internet access are using wireless connections to go online. among smartphone owners, young adults, minorities and those with lower household income levels are more likely than other groups to say that their phone is their main source of Internet access.”

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Mobile & Home Phones - Free Chinese Ringtones - (4/21/2012)

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

The telecom revolution in China has brought in a lot of entertainment options for the young Chinese. Ringtones have become almost an identity factor for people, as opposed to simple phone customization. Ringtones vary from the latest western songs to traditional Chinese chants. With the language not being a barrier any more, ringtones are in great demand in China. Users can simply download your favorite tones or compose one for yourself. The most popular Chinese ringtones are made from the latest Chinese pop songs.

Today, Jay Chou has become a rage among Chinese youngsters and his R B songs have become popular as ringtones. The other popular artists include Lee Hom, Karen Mok, Nicolas Teo and a Mei. The most popular types are R&B and soul songs, which are used as caller ringtones. For the more traditional and patriotic mobile users, the Chinese national anthem is a favorite ringtone. At the same time, the development of an extensive broadband network in China’s cities and growing levels of PC ownership among the emerging urban elite are also resulting in high levels of music downloading for use as ringtones. MP3 downloading is particularly common among university students and young professionals.

Chinese Internet search engines such as baidu.com and emule provide fast, free, easy music downloading. From these Web sites, users can download you favorite songs and use them as ringtones. China has experienced enormous growth in mobile phone uptake over the past five years. each month about 5 million people sign up for mobile services for the first time. Mobile phones and ringtones are already providing an important revenue stream for Chinese record labels. many record industry players see mobile content as key to the future of China’s music industry. Visitors can also mix and match footage from select artists to produce their own mobile video clips The most popular form of mobile music in China are ring-back tones.

cheapcontractmobiles.co.uk

Category Archives: Mobile & Home Phones

Mobile & Home Phones - Facebook Buys Mobile E-commerce App Karma - (5/20/2012)

Mobile & Home Phones - UK Police Adopt New System to Extract Data from Phones - (5/20/2012)

Mobile & Home Phones - Man Sought in Violent Cellphone Robberies at Cal Poly Pomona - (5/20/2012)

Mobile & Home Phones - Is Google Readying a ‘Nexus’ Android Invasion? - (5/18/2012)

Mobile & Home Phones - U.S. phone subscribers hang up on contracts - (5/15/2012)

Vodafone’s bid for Cable & Wireless in doubt

Mobile & Home Phones - Inmates cell phone use nearing end? - (4/24/2012)

Mobile & Home Phones - Smartphone owners are not birds of a feather - (4/22/2012)

Mobile & Home Phones - Free Chinese Ringtones - (4/21/2012)