Category Archives: Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches

Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches - NBC12.com-Richmond, VA News, Weather, Traffic & Sports12 Investigates: Police tracking cell phones - (5/10/2012)

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The cops may be monitoring your cell phone, Keeping tabs on who you call. Tracking your every move. all, without your knowledge or even a warrant. And it's happening across the country and here in central Virginia.

Every time you use your cell phone, it connects to a tower, giving your exact location. This creates a map of your whereabouts. the cell phone companies control the information and they're more than willing to give it up for a price.

Anytime, anywhere, any place… If your phone is on, police could track you.

They're not listening in, but they can tell where you've been, who you talked to, where you are right now. Let's take this a step further: where you shop, go to school, even what church you attend.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed what may be the largest Freedom of Information Act request in history. trying to find out how, when and why police departments nationwide are tracking our cell phone locations.

They sent the request to hundreds of police departments. 200 agencies responded and turned over information. Of those 200, 95% track cell phones without a warrant. That's 9 out of 10.

“The overall answers to this FOIA was quite disturbing,” said Kent Willis. He's the Executive Director of the ACLU of Virginia. He argues cell phone tracking violates your right to personal privacy. ”You have a right to make telephone calls when you choose, with whom you choose without the government knowing when you're doing it.”

Police departments argued tracking cell phones without warrants can save lives. they say they do it if they need to solve a crime or if they believe somebody is in danger.

And criminal defense attorney Steven Benjamin said they're not technically breaking the law. “It's not at all clear that a search warrant is necessary in order to obtain cell phone information,” said Benjamin.

However, in January, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark decision which held putting a GPS device on a car without a warrant violated 4th amendment rights from unreasonable government searches.

Rachel asked Benjamin: “In Virginia, right now, police need a warrant to put a tracking device on your car. but, they don't need a search warrant to track your cell phone and where you've been?

“That's correct. the police in Richmond and any of these surrounding jurisdictions can go to any of the wireless carriers and request information,” answered Benjamin.

The cell phone companies are turning over the data — often times for a price. Companies are even sending out catalogs to police with a detailed list of services and prices.

So, are police in central Virginia watching you?

We sent the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act request to Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico County.

Henrico admitted to the practice. the agency sent us the form officers fill out and give to the cell phone companies. It says urgent, and requests information for an Emergency with immediate danger for life or property. But, its not a warrant and no judge needs to sign off.

Both Richmond and Chesterfield County refused to respond, citing an exemption in the law protecting tactical plans, which could jeopardize the safety and security of law enforcement personnel or the general public.

Benjamin and others said cell phone tracking is an instance where our technology has outpaced our laws.

“The more you permit police to use technology and invade our privacy, the more effective law enforcement will be. the question is…. where do we draw the line?” said Benjamin.

Congress may take up the issue. during a congressional hearing last week, the Department of Justice testified requiring a search warrant to obtain location tracking information from cell phones would cripple investigations.

If you're looking for a link to the story, here's a link to the ACLU finding: link

Here is a map of the breakdown from state to state: link

Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches - Think Tank Photo Retrospective 5 Camera Bag Review - (5/10/2012)

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DSLR users as well as users of mirrorless system cameras know that once you start buying more lenses to add to your collection, the more stuff you’ll need to carry around. that means that you’ll need to find yourself a bag of some sort that can carry around all the gear you need. The problem is that although you can find a bag to carry all your stuff, you might not want to actually carry it all and instead only want to carry what you need for a specific shoot. That’s where the the Think Tank Photo Retrospective 5 comes in to play. it is a small shoulder bag, but is large enough to hold a camera and a lens or several lenses.

Interior

In my case, I am using the Retrospective 5 with my Sony NEX-5N and my Olympus PEN E-PL3. These are much smaller cameras then DSLRs but they still have interchangeable lenses that I have to carry around with me from time to time. what makes the Retrospective 5 so ideal though is the fact that the interior of the bag can be customized for any situation thanks to a generous number of padded inserts. it comes with 5 inserts that can be attached any which way thanks to an easy Velcro system. this means I can design my own interior compartments for use with whatever equipment I want to carry on a given day.

For instance, let’s say I wanted to carry my Sony NEX-5N and some my extra lenses and attachments for it. I could easily do it with the Retrospective 5.I was able to fit my NEX-5N with the 18-55mm kit lens attached to it and lens hood, my 16mm pancake lens, an old Sigma UC Zoom 70-210mm lens and the lens adapter for it. After all that, I still had space for some extra cables, memory cards, and the battery charger with room to spare. All of that and the Retrospective 5 was still relatively small and compact.

Now that is just one example of what I could carry. There are other times when I want to to take are 2 or 3 cameras and no lenses because I have each camera set up for different situations. In that case, I was again able to fit my NEX-5N with 18-55mm kit lens, an Olympus PEN E-PL3 with 20mm pancake lens, as well as a few miscellaneous accessories with room to spare for my wallet, iPhone, and keys.

Interior Specs - Removable closed cell foam inserts with PE board stiffener, 210D silver-toned nylon, PU backed velex, 2x PU coated nylon 210T seam-sealed taffeta rain cover, 3-ply bonded nylon thread.

With the Retrospective 5, you don’t have to worry about minor bumps and everyday usage damaging any of your photo equipment as the entire interior of the bag is padded. Equipment stays secure and safe and the included dividers keep things from rubbing up against each other. Inside, you’ll also find a large zippered pocket, two smaller side Velcro pockets, as well as a larger Velcro compartment that features accessory pockets for things like memory cards, filters, or remotes. in total, there are 4 generous interior pockets to hold almost anything you want.

Exterior

What I like about the Retrospective 5 is how inconspicuous the bag looks. From the outside, it just looks like a regular shoulder bag or messenger bag that someone might carry on an everyday basis. There is very little on the outside that screams camera bag which is great because that’s the last thing you want to draw attention to. The bag I was sent was black which also helps with concealing what the bag’s real purpose is meant for. The black also optically makes the bag looks slimmer than it really is.

On the outside of that bag, on the backside there is a zippered pocket that is actually quite large. It’s not quite large enough to fit something like an iPad, but you could easily fit a small book or any manuals you might have. on either side of the bag are also 2 pockets. I’m not sure what you could fit in these however as they are kind of tight but you could probably fit some pens you might have or even some business cards or a small notepad or your mobile phone. above these pockets sits webbing loops on both sides as well. These allow you to hook items such as carabiners or some of the modular components that Think Tank Photo sells as well.

Exterior Specs - All fabric exterior treated with DWR while fabric underside is coated with PU for superior water resistance, sand-washed 100% cotton canvas, antique nickel plated metal hardware, YKK® RC Fuse (abrasion resistant) zippers, nylon webbing, 3-ply bonded nylon thread.

The Retrospective 5 has a huge flap that covers most of the entire front of the bag. it is held shut by Velcro strips that can also be silenced by covering them up the sound silencer system. that it does is allows you to cover up the portion that is on the flap so that it no longer hooks to the opposite part on the bag. this lets you open and shut the bag without it making any noises, but it also doesn’t allow you to secure the bag shut anymore. Basically with this method, gravity is doing the job of keeping it shut. I do admit though that it’s a clever idea and is quite helpful in a situation where you want to stay as quite as possible, especially if you have to go into your bag often.

When you open the flap, you’ll also notice that there is yet another pocket on the front of the bag. this is an expandable pocket that is held shut by a Velcro tab as well. this is probably the largest of the available pockets on the bag and is large enough to hold a standard DSLR body. However, for this review, the pocket included a detachable rain cover which is used to cover the bag and your gear in case of rain. It’s a neat little accessory and one that certainly comes in handy where I live since it rains here often.

Like most shoulder bags, the Retrospective 5 is carried using its built in shoulder strap. It’s made out of the same material as the webbing loops and is built to withstand some heavy usage. unlike some other bags, it also includes a really nice non-slip shoulder pad that really helps with comfort.

You’ll also find that the bag includes a carrying handle as well which allows you to carry it with your hand. it has a decent hand grip and is adjustable as well as removable if you don’t want to use it or have no need for it.

Other than that, a very stealthy bag that doesn’t draw attention to itself and does what it needs to do which is to keep your equipment safe.

Final Thoughts

I’m loving the Think Tank Photo Retrospective 5. Those looking for a bag to hold all of their gear should look elsewhere and maybe look at the Retrospective 10 or 20 or maybe into a backpack instead. For me however, the Retrospective 5 is perfect for everyday use especially if you are just roaming the town and want to keep your camera handy. I don’t need to carry all of my gear and usually just need one of my cameras and a backup lens which makes the Retrospective 5 the perfect size.

I love all the extra pockets this bag has too which allows me to carry a few little extras with me which I couldn’t do with my other bag, I’m able to carry some usual camera accessories like filters, a card reader, and my charger as well as non photo equipment like my mobile phone, mp3 player, business cards, and some pens. I also love all the little extras included like the extra separators, the sound silencer system, and the included rain cover.

Overall, the Retrospective 5 is a solid bag that is made well, feels like a very high quality bag, and it’s something I don’t mind carrying around with me all the time as it doesn’t make me look like a tourist out on vacation. you can pick up a Retrospective 5 for $137.50 in 3 different colors – Slate Blue, Pinestone, and Black. The Slate Blue and Pinestone are made out of canvas while the Black is made out of polyspun nylon. The bag isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for and in this case, I believe you are getting more than your monies worth.

Shop Links

Think Tank Photo Retrospective 5 (black)

Think Tank Photo Retrospective 5 (blue slate)

Think Tank Photo Retrospective 5 (pinestone)

Please note that if you use the links above, you’ll be eligible to receive a free gift with your purchase at checkout.

Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches - Razor Cell Phones With Plenty of Applications - (5/10/2012)

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Razor (RAZR) cell phones come with entertainment, and the option of making more of the phone with downloading games, applications and music onto the phone. in this article we will be looking at the V3i Razor cell phones.

One of the things that have made the Razor so popular is that Razor Cell phones come with Java support on them, in particular Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). This is a leading platform within the cellular scene and allows for applications and games to function on the phone smoothly and for plenty of others to be downloaded, many of them free. This is because coding in Java is not as complicated as other platforms and J2ME is also open source (which means that anyone can download the software at no cost and use it to code). This is why there are so many free applications or games that can be downloaded.

The basic applications that come preinstalled on V3i Razor cell phones are personal information management applications, such as your alarm clock, calculator, diary and a password saving program. From here, users can download applications such as social media plug-ins, instant messaging plugins (although, the Razor does support many instant messaging protocols, some downloadable applications make it a lot easier to use), and such.

The V3i was originally designed for entertainment which is why Motorola brings out these Razor cell phones with games, and that there are more games on the phone than applications. here is what you get preinstalled on the phone.

Asphalt Urban GT
A racing game where you need to avoid the police chasing you and you get to race in eight cities on various courses, and also make some super extreme jumps.

Bejeweled
Only the demo version of this puzzle game comes with this V3i. Bejeweled is an award-winning puzzle game where the player moves and swaps gems to make the same gems line up with each other.

Blockbreaker Deluxe
As its name suggests, this game is simply about breaking down blocks or walls, in different places like a disco, a bar, or other places.

Tetris
Also only the demo is made available on the phone, with the option to upgrade. Tetris really needs no introduction and is one of the world’s most popular games.

Flee
An adventure game where you have to flee from the country.

Rebels
Destroy enemy ships.

Solitaire
Solitaire also needs no introduction and is a mobile gaming favorite.

If you would like your Razor cell phone to come with more games, a simple search on the internet will produce a stack of websites where you can download games for free. The advantage is that if you don’t like the game you can easily delete it.

Another application that comes with the Razor cell phone is MotoSpeak, the speech recognition software from Motorola. with the voice, you can say the number or, if they are in your contacts list, the name of the person you wish to call. Plus, you can also just say the name of the application you wish to use (such as camera) and the phone will open it up for you. an easy to use button is on the side of the phone to give you access to MotoSpeak.

Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches - Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Pro - (5/5/2012)

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The Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Pro ($129.95 direct) is an external battery that can take a beating and charge nearly any USB-powered device. it features a rugged design and large capacity that can add more than a full day of 3G talk time to an Apple iPhone 4S. But it’s not cheap, and the utility of a rugged battery is questionable for all but the most intrepid adventurers.

The Powerstation Pro  is attractively designed, but fairly large and clunky at 4.1 by 2.3 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and 7.7 ounces. the top panel features an exposed aluminum face, with four green LED status lights. A thick rubber bumper covers the rest of the casing, with rivets attaching it to the aluminum face. It’s worth noting, however, that I was able to stretch and remove the bumper completely, freeing the rivets and faceplate from the battery.

Inline

The bottom edge houses a full-sized USB port and micro USB port, each with a rubber cover, and a single button along the side enables the battery indicator lights. the Powerstation Pro comes with a micro USB cable for charging with a computer, but no power adapter for wall outlets. with a 2.1-amp output, the Powerstation Pro can charge a wide variety of devices including iPhones, iPads, and most other USB-powered devices.

The Powerstation Pro has a large 6000mAh battery, and in my tests, it added an impressive 24 hours and 22 minutes of 3G talk time to an Apple iPhone 4S. the Powerstation Pro is IP65 rated, which means it is dust and water resistant when its ports are closed. it is not, however, waterproof, meaning it cannot be fully submerged. the Joos Orange Solar Charger ($149, 3 stars) is much larger and heavier, but it is fully waterproof and also has a solar panel, making it a more useful outdoor companion. 

The Mophie Powerstation Pro is built tough, and it’s got a big battery to power up your devices, but I question the need for a ruggedized battery. if you’re on an outdoor adventure, you’re probably not breaking out the iPad to watch a movie. Your electronics are likely stowed in a safe place. if that’s the case, a standard add-on battery like the Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation ($79.95, 3 stars), which packs a 4000mAh battery into a far sleeker design, or our Editors’ Choice, the Sanyo Eneloop Mobile Booster ($79, 4 stars), with its 5000mAh battery inside a 4.6-ounce body, are less-expensive, more compact options. Alas, if you do really need your accessory battery to battle the elements, and you have $130 to spend, the Mophie Powerstation Pro should be on your list.

Crime Report: Someone is Stealing Catalytic Converters – The Local – Fort-Greene Blog – NYTimes.com

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Local Vore - The Local / Fort Greene

It was an exceptionally busy week in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill’s 88th Precinct, what with several extremely brutal muggings and a new crime category emerging: thefts of catalytic converters, of which there were four. Read the full story below, or click on our exclusive map (right) to see where the crimes were occurring near you.

Catalyzed Concern

Grease monkeys swiped catalytic converters from at least four cars last week. here is the full report:

  • A thief stole the pollution control device from a parked on Vanderbilt Avenue on April 22. sometime in the night, the thief sneaked under the car, which was between Park and Flushing Avenues, to take a catalytic converter and other parts of the exhaust system. The owner of the car discovered the crime the next morning because her car was “making a lot of noise,” cops said.
  • Five days later, two other car owners independently reported the same thing. one of the cars had been parked on Willoughby Avenue near Washington Avenue on April 26 at around 11:30 p.m. The other had been parked on Grand Avenue near Clifton Place at around 5 p.m.
  • And on April 28, a driver started up his car on Clinton Avenue near Myrtle Avenue and noticed that it was not running properly. Again, the catalytic converter had been swiped.

In all but one of the cases, the trouble was discovered when the victims took their cars to a repair shop at 140 Vanderbilt Avenue.

Knocked Out

A thief mugged a woman near the Classon Avenue G train on April 28, knocking her down and getting away with her purse and iPhone.

The woman told cops that she had just left the station, which is on Lafayette Avenue, at around 12:20 p.m. when a man approached from behind, grabbed her and knocked her down, and fled with her bag.

Arrest in Phone Jacking

Cops nailed a 13-year-old boy after he allegedly stole a cellphone from a 51-year-old woman on South Oxford Street on April 25.

Police say that the boy snatched the phone from the lady’s hand at around 2:15 p.m. between Lafayette and DeKalb Avenues. Cops caught up with the teen a few hours later.

Home Invasion

A thief swiped a purse from a woman after pushing her inside her Clifton Place apartment on April 26.

The victim told police that she had just put the key in the door of her house, which is on the quiet stretch between Grand and Classon Avenues, when the brigand approached from behind, pushed her, and swiped the bag.

He got away with cash, a laptop computer and an iPod Touch.

Two Live Crew

Two thieves punched a man and threw him to the ground in a brutal robbery on Hanson Place on April 26.

The victim told cops that he was between South Portland Avenue and South Oxford Street at around 9:35 p.m. when two men approached. one said, “Give me your money,” then punctuated the demand with a punch in the face that knocked the victim to the pavement.

That’s when the men swiped cash and a fancy LG phone.

Mugged on Fulton Street

Three men mugged a 28-year-old for his iPhone on the Clinton Hill portion of Fulton Street on April 27.

The victim said that he was near Downing Street at around 12:35 a.m. when three thieves approached and demanded that he empty his pockets.

He did — and they took the item of highest value: his iPhone 4S.

Personal Foul

A teen was slashed with a boxcutter just outside Fort Greene Park on April 24.

The victim, 19, told cops that he had finished playing basketball and had left the park near North Portland and Myrtle Avenues at around 5 p.m. That’s when a gang of other teens approached and slashed him with the blade.

The victim was sent to Brooklyn Hospital and the perpetrators fled.

Cell High

A thief swiped a Blackberry cellphone from a teenager on South Portland Avenue on April 24.

The victim, 13, told cops that he was between Hanson Place and Atlantic Avenue at about 8:10 a.m. when an older man ran up and took the phone.

Car Troubles

At least five other cars and trucks were broken into last week. Here’s a roundup:

  • A thief stole a laptop computer and a digital camera out of a Department of Buildings truck that had been parked on Saint James Place near Greene Avenue at around 10:30 a.m. on April 27.
  • A thief swiped a Dell laptop from a truck that had been parked outside the crime-ridden Atlantic Center Mall on April 27 at 7 p.m.
  • A man returned to his car on Washington Park to find that all four wheels had been swiped. The man said he parked between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues on April 25 at 11 p.m., but the rubber was gone by the next morning.
  • A 2006 Lexus was stolen from Hall Street between Park and Myrtle Avenues overnight on April 23. And a 1995 Plymouth Voyager was swiped from Vanderbilt Avenue between Park and Myrtle Avenues between April 19 and 26.

    Homes Burglarized

    At least two homes and businesses were broken into as well. Here’s the damage:

    • A thief stole a fancy digital camera out of a Clinton Avenue apartment between April 11 and April 16, when the tenant of the unit between Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue returned from a trip.
    • A thief stole a digital projector out of a classroom at the Pratt Institute sometime between April 16 and 24, the school told cops. such items can cost more than $1,500.

Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches - Six things Nokia did to make the modern cell phone - (4/16/2012)

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The Nokia Lumia 900: there's a lot of history behind it.

(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)

It’s been a while since we’ve been able to say this, but Nokia is wrapping up a very good week.

On Sunday, the company’s flagshipWindows Phone 7 device, the Lumia 900, finally arrived in stores. Praise from early critics, including CNET’s Jessica Dolcourt, is high. so at this early stage, it appears that AT&T and Nokia managed to deliver on the early hype they generated last January atCES.

Of course, we’ll have to wait to see how many handsets the company actually sells. It’s entering a crowded and fiercely competitive marketplace and it’s no secret that Nokia and Microsoft have a lot riding on the Lumia 900′s success. for Microsoft, it’s a chance to push Windows Phone 7 into the big leagues, whereas for Nokia, it’s an opportunity to get its real groove back.

Some younger readers may not remember, but Nokia spent quite a few years essentially dictating which cell phones the planet would buy. it was a time before Android and theiPhone, before the thin phone revolution, and before Samsung set out on world domination. but it was a time when innovation flowed out of Finland as quickly as Paavo Nurmi crossing the finish line. and if that’s news to you, here are six things that Nokia did to make the cell phone what it is today.

The 1011It wasn’t one of the company’s biggest handset hits — in fact, I don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of it — but the Nokia 1011 has earned its place in cell phone history. its fame, however, isn’t because of how it looked or even what it did.

First introduced on November 10, 1992, (hence the “1011″ model number), the 1011 could pass for a cheap cordless phone if it were in stores now. it had a monochrome display that showed only two lines of text; it had a nickel cadmium battery that delivered just 90 minutes of talk time; and it did nothing besides make calls and send texts.

“So, what’s the big deal?” you’re asking. well, though the 1011 wasn’t the first commercially available cell phone (that honor belongs to the Motorola Dynatac 8000x), it was the the first mass-produced GSM handset. GSM, which now stands for Global System for Mobile communications, remains the most widespread cell phone technology in the world and lives here in the United States with AT&T and T-Mobile. Eventually, 4G will replace GSM, just as GSM replaced AMPS, but the technology made it possible to make a call from and to almost anywhere on the planet. the 1011 went on to live in Europe before Nokia replaced it in 1994 with the 2110. You’ll hear more on that phone later.

The Nokia 5110: Resting in a drawer near you.

Handsets that everyone hadIf you owned a cell phone at any point over the last 15 years, there’s a very good chance that you had at least one Nokia. and if you had a Nokia around 2000, I’d wager it was the 5110. Big, sturdy, and available with a rainbow of changeable faceplates, the 5110 didn’t offer much by current standards, but it did its job and did it very well. it was the first cell phone I ever owned, and I’m certain it would still function flawlessly today 14 years after its birth.

Other Nokia handsets that reached near ubiquitous status were the 8210, the 3210, and the 3310. each of these models continued the evolution curve by offering new features while morphing into sleek designs that wouldn’t look too out of place today. yet, it was their cheap price tags, reliable performance, and extreme ease of use that made them huge hits around the world. Other handsets have sold well (hello, iPhone), but it’s devices like these that took the cell phone out of Gordon Gecko’s hands and put it in the hands of millions. the 1100 from 2003 is another example; it remains the best-selling phone in history.

The infamous 'lipstick phone.'

(Credit:CNET)

Dare to designSure, Nokia’s initial designs were pretty dull, but it wasn’t long before the company got more creative. consider, for example, the 8110. Debuting in 1998, it pioneered the slider phone design and starred in the first “Matrix” film (one of many Nokia phones to make it big in Hollywood). more sliders came, including the all-metal 8800 and the camera-equipped 7650. By and large, though, most of the company’s phones have been candy bar designs. it dabbled in flip phones like the ultra-affordable 2650 and “fashionable” 7390 and made just two swivel phones that I can remember with the 7370 and 7705 Twist.

On the other hand, Nokia wasn’t afraid to break out of the box. sometimes it was a tittle too quirky for its own good, but even when pushing the envelope, the company was nudging the industry forward. it introduced square phones, models with QWERTY keyboards, handsets with circular and swirled keypads, a twisting phone, transparent models with paper faceplates that you could design, and some of the first rugged phones that existed outside of Nextel’s stable. yet, the strangest designs were the 7280 and 7380 “lipstick” phones that were the showpieces of the company’s Fashion line. though they would drive today’s texter insane, they delivered respectable features and great call quality. No doubt, though, that their alternative designs scared most users away; I only saw one 7280 in the wild.

Work and playNokia was early with features that we couldn’t do without today. the 3310 had voice dialing, the 7110 was the first with a WAP browser, the 5510 introduced music, the 6310 brought Bluetooth, and the 7650 was the first Nokia camera phone. Sure, they still made calls, but phones started to do a whole lot more.

Nokia also was influential in developing the cell phone as a gaming device. Remember the simple, but very addicting game Snake? though that game had existed in arcades since the 1970s, it won a massive audience when Nokia decided to make it a standard-issue feature. it first appeared in 1997 on the 6110 and continued to evolve into a full-color game with actual graphics. Other gaming endeavors like the N-Gage weren’t quite as successful, but Nokia made its gaming mark just the same.

On a similar note (bad pun time!), Nokia’s signature ringtone also helped popularize the idea of a polyphonic melody as a call alert. Lifted from a 1902 Spanish guitar composition by Francisco Tarrega, the tune first appeared on the aforementioned 2110 and has been on every Nokia since, including the Lumia 900. if you hear it, odds are that you’ll recognize it. This violist did.

The Nokia N95: A real smartphone feat.

(Credit:CNET)

Smarter smartphonesBasic phones have been Nokia’s bread and butter over the past decade, but it didn’t shy away from smartphones. With the Symbian partnership, it was one of the first manufacturers to use a third-party operating system, and it introduced some powerful and well-designed smartphones with its E-series and N-series handsets. the crowing achievement no doubt was the Nokia N95. Even today, it’s a multimedia machine.

The trouble was that as great as these handsets were, they didn’t become global sensations. though some went on to enjoy success abroad, the lack of carrier support in the United States made them prohibitively expensive at $779 unlocked. Even worse, three months after we reviewed the N95 in April 2007, a certain handset from Apple came along and changed the smartphone game for good. and when Google’s Android entered the scene a year later, Nokia and Symbian couldn’t keep up, despite their devoted followers and the occasional notable handset. out of that funk, the partnership with Microsoft was born.

The Nokia 808 PureView: A megapixel monster.

(Credit:Kent German/CNET)

What’s next?Though the post-iPhone era hasn’t been kind to Nokia in developed markets, the company remains a powerful force in the mobile world. its basic phones lineup still rules emerging markets, and it continues to beat most of its rivals in the number of total handsets shipped worldwide.

The Lumia line could make it a real smartphone player, and at Mobile World Congress in February, Nokia showed that it can get its edgy vibe back. the 41-megapixel 808 PureView won’t come to a U.S. carrier (sad trombone), but it has the most powerful shooter ever on a cell phone. likewise, the N9 is a beauty of a smartphone running on Meego.

As I said, we don’t yet know how successful Nokia’s latest moves will be. Judging on specs and beauty alone, though, I’d say things are looking up. after all, it has quite the innovative history behind it.

VietNamNet – SOCIETY IN BRIEF 9/4

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Fire hits city cinema, no casualties

No one was hurt after a big fire hit the under-construction Thang Long Cinema, one of biggest cinemas in Ho Chi Minh City, on Sunday morning.

Eyewitnesses said the fire sent dozens of workers rushing outside in panic and burnt down the roof of the cinema and other furniture.

“At around 7:30am, I heard people yelling ‘fire, fire, fire’ when I was having coffee at a tea shop nearby. Then I saw dozens of people rushing into the streets,” Ho Tuan Linh, a local resident, recalled.

The workers tried to battle with the flames using fire extinguishers but they failed. Shortly after, 80 firefighters and 11 fire trucks were deployed to the scene. the fire was completely put out at 8:30am.

Initial investigations found that a gas explosion from an air conditioner might have caused the fire.

Details of the fire are under investigations. 

Two drug traffickers receive death penalty

Two women were sentenced to death by the HCM City People’s Procuracy on April 5 for cross-border drug trafficking.

Le Thi Thu Thao, 30, and Pham Thi Hien, 41, from the southern provinces of Ben Tre and an Giang, headed a ring trafficking 10,000 mixed pills, nearly 7kg of solid drugs and 170gr of heroine from Cambodia into Vietnam during 2010.

Their 11 accomplices are expected to receive sentences ranging from four years in jail to life imprisonment on April 9.

Agencies urged to act on traffic safety

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has requested relevant agencies and local authorities to implement key measures to ensure traffic safety during the upcoming holidays at the end of this month.

The first measure is to mobilise additional task forces to patrol key traffic routes and areas prone to traffic jams.

Traffic police have also been instructed to find solutions to deal with congestion.

A clamp down on traffic violations will be implemented on major national highways with a focus on speeding, driving in the wrong lane and overloaded vehicles.

A crack down on illegal racing in major cities including Ha Noi, HCM City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Can Tho will also occur.

At the same time, management of transport service providers will be tightened so that vehicles meet safety standards.

More awareness-raising campaigns on traffic safety have also been slated.

The Republic of Korean Airway, Jeju Air has officially launched the Ho Chi Minh City-Incheon air route with a single ticket fixed at US$290.

In 2011, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, the Ministry of Transport and the Korean Air signed an agreement, allowing Korean low-cost Jeju, Air Busan, Jin Air, Eastar Jet and T’way Airlines to conduct flights to Vietnam.

Two indicted for forcing girl to get scary tattoos

Police in Vung Tau City last Thursday asked the local prosecutor’s office to prosecute a local woman who last year forced a female employee to have centipedes tattooed on her face and bosom as a warning for the latter’s alleged affair with the former’s husband.

34-year-old Nguyen Thi Anh, aka Tram Anh, who owns the Monel café in the city, has been detained on charges of “humiliating others,” said city police.

The police also proposed a prosecution for Nguyen Thi Huong, 21, a native of Nghe an Province who is an attendant at the café, for the same offense, as an accomplice.the victim is 21-year-old Nguyen Thi Giang (not Nguyen Thuy Ngoc as reported by the media previously), a resident of Nghe an Province’s Nghi Loc District.

According to the investigation results, Tram Anh shaved Giang’s head and forced her to have a centipede tattooed on her face, and two others on her chest, after Tram Anh suspected that Giang had had an affair with her 35-year-old husband, Pham the Phong.

Giang had worked for Tram Anh at her cell phone shop in Thang Nhat Ward since April 2008. Giang initially worked as a shop assistant, but Tram Anh later opened a café and asked her to work there.on November 26, 2011, Tram Anh beat Giang, alleging that Giang had had an affair with her husband. the next day, Tram Anh continued beating the girl, before insulting her and then shaving her head.

The following day, Tram Anh forced Giang to choose one of two punishments: having three centipedes tattooed on her face and bosom, or having acid splashed onto her face. Giang had no other choice but to choose the tattoos.Later that day, Tram Anh ordered Huong to take Giang to a local tattoo shop in Ward 2 to get the tattoos. the shop’s owner suggested tattoos of small centipedes for Giang but Huong refused, and then chose the largest centipede samples for the victim.After the tattooing was completed, Huong took photos of the tattoos for reporting to Tram Anh. Giang returned to Nghe an on November 28 and recounted her story to her mother, Tran Thi Hoa, who later reported the events to police in both Nghe an and Vung Tau.the results of an injury verification later showed that Giang suffers a body injury rate of 30 percent.

Seventeen wild turtles set free from reserve

Seven Lao turtles and 10 trionychid turtles were released into Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in the central province of Quang Tri on Thursday.

The wild animals had been illegally sold to local restaurants for food.

It was the third case of wild animal trafficking uncovered by provincial environment police and forest watch teams since the start of the year.

Health ministry refutes HN fake rice claim

No fake rice was in the capital as reported in the local media, the Health Ministry’s Food Administration announced on Thursday after checking five allegedly fake rice samples.

Over the last few days, some locals claimed that the rice they bought had the smell of plastic when boiled.

Test results showed that the quality of the rice samples met Vietnamese standards. however, the department asked relevant authorities to strengthen food safety inspections at rice shops and among producers to crack down on sub-standard rice.

Five-meter fish caught in Quang Tri, sold for meat

Tran Viet Hung in Gio Linh district, the central province of Quang Tri on Saturday morning gave the giant 5-meter fish he caught the day before to a trader, who killed it and sold its meat.Previously, Hung caught the fish when he was sailing around the southeastern island of Con Co. He sought help from more than 20 fishermen but the fish was too heavy that they needed to get a truck to tow it ashore.the giant fish is 5m long, measures 1.5m in diameter and weighs 2 tons.according to experienced fishermen, this kind of fish lives in the open seas and they have never caught such huge fish in their life.Hung was offered VND30 million (US$1500) for the fish but he was afraid it could be a holy fish so he just gave it for free to the trader, who killed it and sold its meat to buyers in Hue province.

Girl, 8, carries massive tumor on leg

For years, little girl Nguyen Thi Loan living in Tan Ha district in the central highlands province of Lam Dong has been suffering agonizing pains due to a massive tumor on her left leg.

Nguyen Cong Duc, 35, Loan’s farther, said Loan was born with an abnormal leg 8 years ago.

About 20 days after Nguyen Thi Tam, Loan’s mother, gave birth to her, the family brought Loan to Pediatrics Hospital no. 1 based in Ho Chi Minh City where she was diagnosed with innate hemangioma, an abnormal buildup of blood vessels, but doctors claimed it was inoperable.

Since Loan was 3, the tumor has grown larger and larger. the girl has also sufferred some bleeding from small growths on the leg.

The mother said whenever the weather changes, her daughter cannot sleep and needs some type of painkillers to relieve her chronic pain caused by the tumor.

Dr. Le Quy Son, head of the surgical department of Lam Dong General Hospital, said Loan also develops another tumor on her anus that needs to be removed.

However, he added the hospital is not able to diagnose or treat her condition with its available medical facilities.

Loan would be transferred to hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City for diagnosis and treatment, according to a statement released by the Lam Dong hospital.

US provides help for kids with heart disease

The Vietnamese charitable organization “Understanding the Heart” has launched a fundraising program in new York to support poor children who are undergoing heart treatment.

The event on April 4 caught the attention of the overseas Vietnamese community, Vietnamese officials and students, as well as local residents.

Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Head of the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the UN, said that in Vietnam , more than 10,000 babies are born with heart disease every year and only 30 percent of them receive proper medical treatment.

He called on charities and sympathetic US citizens to help Vietnamese children with heart disease by supporting the organisation “Understanding the Heart”.

At the fundraiser, the organisation gave a presentation on its five ongoing projects which include one to provide heart surgery for children in need; a programme to build charitable houses; a project to support poor children; the awarding of scholarships and raising the publics awareness on the issue.

Thanks to help from the Vietnamese Embassy in the US , similar events were held in Houston and Washington D.C. on April 2, reported the organisation.

Many American citizens and organisations, as well as the overseas Vietnamese community expressed their sympathy and said they will support Vietnamese children with heart disease.

Esmeralda V. Brown, Director of the Southern Research and Development Centre, said that her organisation is preparing to visit Vietnam to work with local medical centres and provide assistance to Vietnamese children with heart disease.

First established in July 2010, “Understanding the Heart” is a charity that asks for financial assistance from individuals, non-governmental organisations, the business community and domestic and foreign partners to help needy children in Vietnam.

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre

Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches - My Free T-Mobile Gray RAZR - (4/11/2012)

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The best things in life are free, goes the adage. Or was it a song? In any case, this ditty applies to the new gray RAZR cell phone for T-Mobile which I just bought. if bought is the right word for something I got for free.

I still remember when the RAZR came out about a year ago. you couldn’t miss it. the thinnest cell phone. the trendiest cell phone. Ads were everywhere, and the hype almost made me want to get anything but. however, now that the marketing dust has settled, what you are left with is a nice, thin, light and elegant handset that is a joy to use and a pleasure to own.

So please indulge me as I describe what I like about my T-Mobile RAZR–and perhaps you’ll see why this modern classic appeals to so many and may appeal to you.

The RAZR Cell Phone’s Soft Technology

I’m one of those guys who truly appreciates technology, but without going overboard. yes, I like the fact that most things today come with an instruction manual, but I stop just shy of investing the equivalent of three semester-hours to figure out how many MHZ will optimize my TI OMAP processor or how many KBPS and MBPS I can get out of a GPRS as opposed to a gWiFi.

So this golden technological middle ground is one of the first things I really appreciated about my new RAZR. Owning it is like sitting across the table from a friend who talks technology to you without ever turning you glassy-eyed–in just enough detail to make you understand what he is talking about without overwhelming you.

The technology I got with the T-Mobile RAZR is stuff that most of us on the non side of the techno-geek divide normally appreciate. For instance, with this phone, you get a digital camera that also takes short videos. no need to find it among a maze of menus and files: it’s right there as soon as you turn the phone on, under the caption that, aptly enough, says camera. Press that button and the phone’s display becomes a digicam’s LCD; press it again and click, you’re done. This is the kind of ease of use I like, and it is only an example of the kind of controls you get with the T-Mobile RAZR.

With the T-Mobile RAZR I also get a very usable Bluetooth wireless feature. This is a feature I thought I’d never use, but since it came free, I thought what the heck. But what I found out is that it’s extremely useful, especially for when I’m driving–I live in one of those states where cops can pull you over for handholding your cell phone while you drive. and with this Bluetooth headset I don’t have to muck about with wires or to take the phone with me when I fuel up at the pump and I can keep talking–in style. Which brings us to one of the area where the RAZR excels practically unmatched.

The T-Mobile RAZR Style

If there is one thing I dislike about many of today’s consumer products is their cheap, plastic look and feel that makes them come across as almost disposable. with the RAZR, you instead get a classy satin-finish aluminum alloy shell, which gives this cell phone the feel of something permanent and real.

And of course, the RAZR will strike you for how thin it is–even after a year on the market and after the introduction of several copycat products, this cell phone still shines in this department as the real thing. besides being a fashion statement, the RAZR’s thinness is also a practical asset. This cell phone will disappear in your jeans’ front pocket without adding bulk to your appearance, so you virtually don’t even need a holster for it.

The T-Mobile RAZR Unique Features

What made me choose a T-Mobile RAZR as opposed to another cell phone carrier’s is the type of plans it comes with. In particular, I was enticed by T-Mobile’s exclusive myFaves feature, for which the new T-Mobile RAZR is compatible (not all phones are, especially older ones).

The myFaves feature is essentially a list of five out-of-network phone numbers that you can call and receive calls from for free, regardless of time or day, frequency of calls or where in the country your five contacts are. with a standard T-Mobile myFaves plan, you get this on top of the free in-network calls normally offered by most service plans.

In practical terms, this means that this myFaves plan allows me to place and receive most cell phone calls for free and reserve the plan’s minutes for the odd phone call to other parties–with whom it’s much easier to keep conversations brief. Incidentally, I let my five contacts know that they are on my myFaves list, so they also know that they can call me without fearing of costing me airtime minutes.

Conclusions

Overall, I am extremely happy with my new T-Mobile RAZR. For a cell phone that is definitely no longer the latest, I am glad to see that carriers like T-Mobile are willing to keep it fresh by adding useful features to it–like, in this case, the myFaves plan option. My only wish is that the same phone came with an iTunes player–since I’m addicted to my music–but as the adage says, you can’t have it all. Or was that a song?

Mobile Phone Cases & Pouches - Bury St Edmunds: Jail toy gun suspect given caution - (4/9/2012)

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A 30-YEAR-old man has received a police caution after being arrested on suspicion of attempting to take a toy gun into a Suffolk prison.

Although a replica firearm was seized by the prison authorities, the delivery driver was censured for taking a phone charger into HMP Highpoint, near Bury St Edmunds.

He accepted the caution when he answered his bail by returning to the police investigation centre at Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday afternoon.

After a thorough investigation following his arrest on January 31 police were satisfied no offence had been intended relating to the replica gun at the centre of the inquiry.

The force said the gun was not concealed and was declared to staff at the prison. Therefore given the circumstances the Crown Prosecution Service took to the decision not to charge him.

However, it is understood the man, who is from Grantham, Lincolnshire, was also found in possession of a mobile phone charger when he tried to gain access to the prison.

Lisa McGrann, a spokeswoman for Suffolk Constabulary, said: “We are satisfied there was insufficient evidence to proceed in respect of a Class A item, i.e. an imitation gun.

“However, the man has received a caution in respect of a Class B item, i.e. a mobile phone charger.”

After the suspect’s arrest in January a Prison Service spokeswoman said: “This successful seizure demonstrates the vigilance of staff at HMP Highpoint and shows our rigorous security measures are working.”

The toy gun was discovered in the contractor’s van just days after an inmate at the jail was freed at gunpoint at West Suffolk Hospital.

Security levels at HMP Highpoint, which is in Stradishall, were increased after Andrew Farndon allegedly fled custody from outside of the hospital with help from a gunman

Farndon was taken to the hospital by prison staff because he had sustained a large cut to his back.

He was recaptured in Scotland a few days later.

Three people appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court in connection with the alleged Farndon escape.

Karen Legge, 44, of New Cumnock, Farndon, 26, of HMP Highpoint, and Alan Hornall, 21, of New Cumnock, have all had their cases fully committed for trial at a later date.

A fourth person, Gary Cowan, formerly of Peterborough, is due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court on May 2.

Cowan is accused of assisting an offender to escape and possession of a firearm.

He is currently remanded in custody.

FTC’s Digital Privacy Report Would Regulate Data Brokers

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The Federal Trade Commission’s final report on digital privacy contains some very welcome recommendations.

The recently released report, title “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change,” looks at challenges consumers face in “today’s world of smart phones, smart grids, and smart cars,” as “companies are collecting, storing, and sharing more information about consumers than ever before.” it sets out a framework that would allow consumers to control whether they are tracked online, have better visibility into how information is used by mobile apps and have access to their information being held by data brokers.

The commission isn’t calling for “do not track” legislation similar to the “do not call” law that, in theory, protects us against unwanted marketing calls. rather, it calls for voluntary industry compliance, which it says is starting to happen through browser-based tools and cooperation from the Digital Advertising Alliance (which includes Google, Microsoft  & Yahoo) and other players.

Ironically, this voluntary approach may actually work better than the “do not call” law, which makes it a crime for businesses to cold call phone numbers registered at DoNotCall.gov. I’ve registered all my phone numbers, but I still get annoying robocalls trying to sell me carpet cleaning, car insurance and a new mortgage.

The commission’s focus on mobile apps is right on target. Between Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS there are now about a million smartphone apps capable of doing virtually anything with your phone, including tracking who you know (your contact list), where you go (your geolocation) and even who you’re calling and what you’re texting. there have already been several reported cases of both deliberate and accidental disclosure, so government attention to this is certainly warranted.

Data Brokers

One area where the commission did call for “targeted legislation” is to address consumers’ lack of control over how data brokers collect and use our information. the amount of information floating around about each of us is staggering. Anyone with a phone, a bank account or a “loyalty” card, such as the one I use to get fairer prices when I shop at Safeway, is giving up information every time they shop, make a call or get on an airplane.

Many years ago — even before the explosion of the Internet — I made a quick and unexpected trip to Los Angeles and realized that I hadn’t told anyone, not even my wife, where I was. But I realized that my cellular company, the car rental company, my credit card companies and the airline knew exactly where I was, as did all the networks and clearinghouses that transmitted and stored data. My credit and debit card companies even knew what I bought and where I was staying and my bank and the bank whose ATM I used had a pretty good idea of how much cash I had in my wallet.

Much of the information from our lives is stored in computers, and some of that is for sale to marketers, insurance companies, employers and even law enforcement — anyone with the money.

The FTC wants Congress to pass a law that would “provide consumers with access to information about them held by a data broker.” the agency is calling for a “centralized website where data brokers could identify themselves to consumers and describe how they collect and use consumer data,” as well as to “detail the access rights and other choices they provide with respect to the consumer data they maintain.”

That strikes me as more than reasonable. Some data brokers (along with all credit bureaus) will sell you access to your own information, but that feels a bit like extortion to me. if it’s my information, it should be available to me at any time, as often as I want, for no cost and without any strings, gimmicks or sales pitches.

I hope the law is more consumer friendly than the fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), which gives consumers the right to an annual free copy of their credit reports from the three major bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. It’s a great law but when you ask for your annual report, you’re likely to get a sales pitch, such as the one I got with my free TransUnion report. it offered me “instant access to my FREE credit score” that would cost me $29.95 a month after my “free trial.”