While President Bush has threatened to veto any bill that does not include retro-active immunity for telecom companies that have given the government personal information (without warrants), the House of Representatives recently passed a bill without immunity. Supporters of this move say it protects privacy and promotes accountanibility.
Surveillance Bill Passed Without Retro Telecom Immunity
Grant Gross, IDG News Service
PC World
March 14, 2008
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would re-authorize U.S. government antiterrorist surveillance programs but would not grant immunity from lawsuits to telecom providers that have participated with surveillance programs in the past. An amended version of the House bill, called the Restore Act, would require prior court approval of surveillance of U.S. residents talking to overseas suspects. The House passed the bill by a margin of less than 20 votes on Friday. The House vote on Friday puts it at odds with the Senate, which passed a surveillance extension bill with telecom immunity last month. House and Senate negotiators will now have to iron out the differences between the bills. President George Bush has called on Congress to re-authorize the surveillance program and give telecom providers retroactive immunity to lawsuits for participating in a U.S. National Security Agency program that conducted surveillance without court warrants. AT&T and other providers are facing several lawsuits for their role in the NSA program, and Bush has said he'll veto any bill that doesn't include telecom immunity....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20080314/tc_pcworld/143482;_ylt=AvjvYziKjhXpXaYlzO7zIOOs0NUE
To stay ahead on the latest mobile devices, service plans, and security features offered by different cellphone providers, visit: http://1010phonerates.com/cell_phone_comparisons.html
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Mobile Industry Moves Toward Sustainable Technology
Environmental concern is becoming a higher priority for consumers and businesses alike. The following article covers recent efforts being made by leading wireless companies to utilize alternative energy sources and become greener.
Greener Cell Power Creates Challenges
By: David Twiddy
Associated Press
March 8, 2008
When wireless industry technicians speak of "green" cell towers these days, they're not just talking about making them look more like trees. They're talking about towers powered by wind turbines or solar panels, antennas that get backup energy from hydrogen fuel cells and geothermal cooling for computer equipment. Cell phone companies are experimenting with these and other strategies to reduce their increasingly ubiquitous industry's environmental impact. To be sure, the "greening" of wireless communication is still in its infancy. The vast majority of the nation's more than 200,000 cell towers and antennas run off the same electric grid everybody else does. And even companies experimenting with alternative energy plan to limit its use to backup power....Sprint Nextel Corp began seriously investigating alternative energy in 2004 and has since deployed hydrogen fuel cells at several of its roughly 65,000 sites.
"It solves a lot of issues for us regarding the traditional use of diesel generators," said Bob Azzi, Sprint Nextel Corp.'s senior vice president of field engineering and operations.
The company has also installed a wind turbine at its headquarters, is experimenting with geothermal cooling as a replacement for conventionally-powered air conditioning in warmer climates and is testing mini turbines in California that are fueled with natural gas and used for backup power....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080308/ap_on_hi_te/cell_towers_green;_ylt=At7i66I1GiHcNuYHLXMEbSus0NUE
Learn more about the latest cellular devices and service options offered by Sprint-Nextel at:
http://convergence.cellbenefits.com/
Greener Cell Power Creates Challenges
By: David Twiddy
Associated Press
March 8, 2008
When wireless industry technicians speak of "green" cell towers these days, they're not just talking about making them look more like trees. They're talking about towers powered by wind turbines or solar panels, antennas that get backup energy from hydrogen fuel cells and geothermal cooling for computer equipment. Cell phone companies are experimenting with these and other strategies to reduce their increasingly ubiquitous industry's environmental impact. To be sure, the "greening" of wireless communication is still in its infancy. The vast majority of the nation's more than 200,000 cell towers and antennas run off the same electric grid everybody else does. And even companies experimenting with alternative energy plan to limit its use to backup power....Sprint Nextel Corp began seriously investigating alternative energy in 2004 and has since deployed hydrogen fuel cells at several of its roughly 65,000 sites.
"It solves a lot of issues for us regarding the traditional use of diesel generators," said Bob Azzi, Sprint Nextel Corp.'s senior vice president of field engineering and operations.
The company has also installed a wind turbine at its headquarters, is experimenting with geothermal cooling as a replacement for conventionally-powered air conditioning in warmer climates and is testing mini turbines in California that are fueled with natural gas and used for backup power....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080308/ap_on_hi_te/cell_towers_green;_ylt=At7i66I1GiHcNuYHLXMEbSus0NUE
Learn more about the latest cellular devices and service options offered by Sprint-Nextel at:
http://convergence.cellbenefits.com/
Texting: Changing The Way Families Communicate
Analysts say that children and teenagers are becoming more technologically savvy and fashion-conscious, when it comes to the latest mobile device, than their parents. Revenue from this burgeoning young market is expected to grow to a staggering $29 billion by 2010. Not only is this prospect a phenomenon to cellular providers, it an interesting trend to any parent. Virtual communication can potentially foster greater independence amongst youths while encouraging closer connections to home.
Text Generation Gap: U R 2 Old (JK)
By: Laura M. Holson
New York Times
Published: March 9, 2008
....Children increasingly rely on personal technological devices like cellphones to define themselves and create social circles apart from their families, changing the way they communicate with their parents....
Innovation, of course, has always spurred broad societal changes. As telephones became ubiquitous in the last century, users — adults and teenagers alike — found a form of privacy and easy communication unknown to Alexander Graham Bell or his daughters....
Business analysts and other researchers expect the popularity of the cellphone — along with the mobility and intimacy it affords — to further exploit and accelerate these trends. By 2010, 81 percent of Americans ages 5 to 24 will own a cellphone, up from 53 percent in 2005, according to IDC, a research company in Framingham, Mass., that tracks technology and consumer research....
Marketers and cellphone makers are only too happy to fill the newest generation gap. Last fall, Firefly Mobile introduced the glowPhone for the preschool set; it has a small keypad with two speed-dial buttons depicting an image of a mother and a father. AT&T promotes its wireless service with television commercials poking fun at a mom who doesn’t understand her daughter’s cellphone vernacular. Indeed, IDC says revenue from services and products sold to young consumers or their parents is expected to grow to $29 billion in 2010, up from $21 billion in 2005....
Cellphones, instant messaging, e-mail and the like have encouraged younger users to create their own inventive, quirky and very private written language. That has given them the opportunity to essentially hide in plain sight. They are more connected than ever, but also far more independent....
In a survey released 18 months ago, AT&T found that among 1,175 parents the company interviewed, nearly half learned how to text-message from their children. More than 60 percent of parents agreed that it helped them communicate, but that sometimes children didn’t want to hear their voice at all. When asked if their children wanted a call or a text message requesting that they be home by curfew, for instance, 58 percent of parents said their children preferred a text....
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09cell.html
To compare cutting edge smart devices that enable text messaging in a user-friendly format, visit:
http://convergence.cellbenefits.com/?sec=phones
Text Generation Gap: U R 2 Old (JK)
By: Laura M. Holson
New York Times
Published: March 9, 2008
....Children increasingly rely on personal technological devices like cellphones to define themselves and create social circles apart from their families, changing the way they communicate with their parents....
Innovation, of course, has always spurred broad societal changes. As telephones became ubiquitous in the last century, users — adults and teenagers alike — found a form of privacy and easy communication unknown to Alexander Graham Bell or his daughters....
Business analysts and other researchers expect the popularity of the cellphone — along with the mobility and intimacy it affords — to further exploit and accelerate these trends. By 2010, 81 percent of Americans ages 5 to 24 will own a cellphone, up from 53 percent in 2005, according to IDC, a research company in Framingham, Mass., that tracks technology and consumer research....
Marketers and cellphone makers are only too happy to fill the newest generation gap. Last fall, Firefly Mobile introduced the glowPhone for the preschool set; it has a small keypad with two speed-dial buttons depicting an image of a mother and a father. AT&T promotes its wireless service with television commercials poking fun at a mom who doesn’t understand her daughter’s cellphone vernacular. Indeed, IDC says revenue from services and products sold to young consumers or their parents is expected to grow to $29 billion in 2010, up from $21 billion in 2005....
Cellphones, instant messaging, e-mail and the like have encouraged younger users to create their own inventive, quirky and very private written language. That has given them the opportunity to essentially hide in plain sight. They are more connected than ever, but also far more independent....
In a survey released 18 months ago, AT&T found that among 1,175 parents the company interviewed, nearly half learned how to text-message from their children. More than 60 percent of parents agreed that it helped them communicate, but that sometimes children didn’t want to hear their voice at all. When asked if their children wanted a call or a text message requesting that they be home by curfew, for instance, 58 percent of parents said their children preferred a text....
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09cell.html
To compare cutting edge smart devices that enable text messaging in a user-friendly format, visit:
http://convergence.cellbenefits.com/?sec=phones
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Hands On the Wheel & Off the Phone
In 2006, nearly half of the phone-related crashes in New Jersey involved a hands-free devices or cellphones. 5 of those accidents were fatal. The danger of talking or texting while driving is gaining more national concern as thousands of people learn the hard way how dangerous it is to multi-task on the road. This weekend New Jersey joins four other states in making it an offense to text while driving.
No text messages or calls for NJ drivers
By: Brad Haynes
Associated Press Writer
March 1, 2008
For New Jersey drivers, the message is clear: Keep your thumbs on the wheel and off the keypad.Beginning Saturday, police can slap drivers with a $100 fine for talking or sending a text message on hand-held devices.New Jersey joins four other states, including neighboring New York, where talking on a hand-held cell phone is reason enough to get pulled over. The Garden State is the first where text-messaging on the road is a primary offense, meaning police need no other reason to pull a driver over, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Pam Fischer, director of New Jersey's Division of Highway Traffic Safety, said officers will be on the lookout for telltale signs of distracted drivers — slow driving and the "cell-phone weave."
Drivers can still use their cell phones to contact police or emergency services, and can talk at any time with a hands-free device. But crash statistics suggest that those headsets and earpieces may not make conversations in the car any safer....
Driving while using a hand-held cell phone has been illegal in New Jersey since 2004, when the state became the second in the nation to pass a ban. However, it was considered a secondary offense — something drivers could be ticketed for if they were pulled over for another reason. Over the past year, state courts have recorded 16,000 tickets issued for the offense....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080301/ap_on_re_us/cell_phone_ban;_ylt=AqARcyW.J3wpPKZ2bbTKiiGs0NUE
To stay ahead on the latest mobile devices, service plans, and saftey accessories offered by different carriers, visit: http://1010phonerates.com/cell_phone_comparisons.html
Staying Competive in the Wireless Industry
Cellphone companies are constantly brainstorming on how to stay competitive and appeal to consumers. The speed of innovation is making it more difficult to stay in the game. A mere decade ago, there weren't many choices. Wireless carriers could thrive with the introduction of a few new phones every year. Those days are over. With hundreds of devices available to the majority of users, a phone's popularity (and company's success) can change in a blink. There are different strategies to understanding consumer tastes and cultural trends. Whatever the course, however, "if a new phone does not catch on quickly, it is not likely to catch on at all."
Hoping to Make Phone Buyers Flip
By: Laura M. Holson
New York Times
Published: February 29, 2008
These days, designing a new mobile phone can seem like something out of an episode of “Dr. Phil.”
LG Electronics, the maker of the Chocolate and Voyager phones, begins by asking focus groups to keep a journal, jotting down feelings about features they like most. Participants can call a toll-free number to share their emotions about the phone they are testing. And sometimes they are asked to draw pictures that represent their mood when they hold the phone.
“Our job is to be behaviorists and psychologists,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, LG’s vice president for product strategy and marketing. “We constantly have to be reminding ourselves that we tend to be geek types and our customers are not.”
Executives and industry analysts say it has become more important than ever to understand the psyche of consumers and why they pick one phone over another. That’s because LG, Motorola, Nokia and others are in a fierce battle to please finicky customers as new entrants like Apple, with its popular iPhone, seek to upend the traditional mobile phone business.
At stake are millions of dollars in profits and the fortunes of entire companies. Like fashion or entertainment, the cellphone industry is increasingly hit-driven, and new models that do not fly off the shelves within weeks of their debut are considered duds. The most gadget-conscious shoppers buy new phones every nine months, twice as fast as they did a few years ago. And teenagers, one of the fastest-growing markets, are especially quick to dump a brand if it loses popular appeal....http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/business/29cell.html?ref=technology
If you're looking for a new cellphone with the latest technological capacity on the market today, visit: http://www.inphonic.com/template/simpleautocontent.aspx?referringdomain=vsd&pageid=682&refcode1=682LandingPage This comparison site allows you to shop by plan, carrier, or device.
Hoping to Make Phone Buyers Flip
By: Laura M. Holson
New York Times
Published: February 29, 2008
These days, designing a new mobile phone can seem like something out of an episode of “Dr. Phil.”
LG Electronics, the maker of the Chocolate and Voyager phones, begins by asking focus groups to keep a journal, jotting down feelings about features they like most. Participants can call a toll-free number to share their emotions about the phone they are testing. And sometimes they are asked to draw pictures that represent their mood when they hold the phone.
“Our job is to be behaviorists and psychologists,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, LG’s vice president for product strategy and marketing. “We constantly have to be reminding ourselves that we tend to be geek types and our customers are not.”
Executives and industry analysts say it has become more important than ever to understand the psyche of consumers and why they pick one phone over another. That’s because LG, Motorola, Nokia and others are in a fierce battle to please finicky customers as new entrants like Apple, with its popular iPhone, seek to upend the traditional mobile phone business.
At stake are millions of dollars in profits and the fortunes of entire companies. Like fashion or entertainment, the cellphone industry is increasingly hit-driven, and new models that do not fly off the shelves within weeks of their debut are considered duds. The most gadget-conscious shoppers buy new phones every nine months, twice as fast as they did a few years ago. And teenagers, one of the fastest-growing markets, are especially quick to dump a brand if it loses popular appeal....http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/business/29cell.html?ref=technology
If you're looking for a new cellphone with the latest technological capacity on the market today, visit: http://www.inphonic.com/template/simpleautocontent.aspx?referringdomain=vsd&pageid=682&refcode1=682LandingPage This comparison site allows you to shop by plan, carrier, or device.
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