Notorious for imposing its diktat against same-gotra marriages sternly, a Khap panchayat in western Uttar Pradesh has now come out with yet another bizarre order forbidding unmarried girls from using mobile phones.
<META name="y_key" content="6bc2a8041e2dc4fa" />
A Khap panchayat gathered in Lank village of Muzaffarnagar to discuss "the bad effects of mobile phones on youngsters". Showing a Talibani mindset, it banned the use of mobile phones for unmarried girls insisting that it aids elopements and marriages without the sanction of community elders.
Apart from the use of mobile phones, the panchayat also issued directives to ensure that girls of the community do not wear tight clothes or dance on stage during parties or celebrations even at home.
The prohibition comes as a shock to women and youngsters as they have seen the fate of those who defied Khap diktats in the form of honour killings, mainly in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/121014/India/khap-panchayat-bars-girls-from-using-mobile.html
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sony Ericsson CEO Hints at Games-Oriented Smartphone
TOKYO—The head of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB indicated that the mobile-phone maker may be working closely with parent company Sony Corp. on a smartphone with a slide-out controller to play video games.
Sony Ericsson Chief Executive Bert Nordberg said he is aware of widespread speculation that the company is at work on a smartphone that would take advantage of Sony's experience in developing the PlayStation Portable video-game device.
"There's a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere," Mr. Nordberg said in an interview. "Sony has an extremely strong offering in the gaming market, and that's very interesting."
While many have already started to call the highly anticipated device a Sony PlayStation phone, the handset is likely to carry Sony Ericsson's Xperia brand, another person familiar with the matter said. The handset is also likely to run on Google Inc.'s Android operating system, and the video games may be available through an application, the person said.
Sony Ericsson, a 50-50 joint venture between Sony and L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co., has tapped the Japanese conglomerate's consumer-electronics expertise in the past, but it has steered clear of the PlayStation gaming platform, in part because of Sony's concern that it might dilute the successful PlayStation brand.
However, the popularity of simple games available on smartphones is now a serious threat to dedicated portable gaming devices like Sony's PlayStation Portable. The current generation of smartphones with touch screens is not "optimized for games," said Mr. Nordberg, who took over as CEO in October 2009.
Asked why Sony Ericsson hasn't already released a phone employing Sony's gaming resources, Mr. Nordberg said: "I haven't dug into that history, but the future might be brighter."
Mr. Nordberg, who said he wants to make a lot of "noise" with a new product at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona in February, said there is no technological difficulty in launching a gaming-oriented phone.
The main challenge, he said, is that the company has to consult many lawyers to negotiate rights issues with game publishers. "I'm very glad that we work with a company like Sony, who actually knows how to do it," he added.
After several fiscal quarters of net losses, Sony Ericsson became profitable earlier this year, thanks to aggressive restructuring and successful releases of Android-based smartphones.
Mr. Nordberg said analysts have been too focused on sales-volume declines in the July-September period. Sony Ericsson could easily increase sales volume by offering more inexpensive phones, but profitability is more important, he said. "We do no phones under €50 ($67.99), because we won't make money," he added.
Since the spring release of its first Android-based smartphone, Mr. Nordberg said, the company has built a strong position quite quickly in that segment. He said he expects Android to remain the "dominant" smartphone platform in Sony Ericsson's lineup for at least the next two years.
To gain an edge in an increasingly crowded market for Android-based smartphones, the company will have to diversify its lineup. "Sony is of course a very strong brand, and why shouldn't we use that?" he asked. "Gaming, including content, is a very interesting proposition."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704170404575624592495029652.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Sony Ericsson Chief Executive Bert Nordberg said he is aware of widespread speculation that the company is at work on a smartphone that would take advantage of Sony's experience in developing the PlayStation Portable video-game device.
"There's a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere," Mr. Nordberg said in an interview. "Sony has an extremely strong offering in the gaming market, and that's very interesting."
While many have already started to call the highly anticipated device a Sony PlayStation phone, the handset is likely to carry Sony Ericsson's Xperia brand, another person familiar with the matter said. The handset is also likely to run on Google Inc.'s Android operating system, and the video games may be available through an application, the person said.
Sony Ericsson, a 50-50 joint venture between Sony and L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co., has tapped the Japanese conglomerate's consumer-electronics expertise in the past, but it has steered clear of the PlayStation gaming platform, in part because of Sony's concern that it might dilute the successful PlayStation brand.
However, the popularity of simple games available on smartphones is now a serious threat to dedicated portable gaming devices like Sony's PlayStation Portable. The current generation of smartphones with touch screens is not "optimized for games," said Mr. Nordberg, who took over as CEO in October 2009.
Asked why Sony Ericsson hasn't already released a phone employing Sony's gaming resources, Mr. Nordberg said: "I haven't dug into that history, but the future might be brighter."
Mr. Nordberg, who said he wants to make a lot of "noise" with a new product at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona in February, said there is no technological difficulty in launching a gaming-oriented phone.
The main challenge, he said, is that the company has to consult many lawyers to negotiate rights issues with game publishers. "I'm very glad that we work with a company like Sony, who actually knows how to do it," he added.
After several fiscal quarters of net losses, Sony Ericsson became profitable earlier this year, thanks to aggressive restructuring and successful releases of Android-based smartphones.
Mr. Nordberg said analysts have been too focused on sales-volume declines in the July-September period. Sony Ericsson could easily increase sales volume by offering more inexpensive phones, but profitability is more important, he said. "We do no phones under €50 ($67.99), because we won't make money," he added.
Since the spring release of its first Android-based smartphone, Mr. Nordberg said, the company has built a strong position quite quickly in that segment. He said he expects Android to remain the "dominant" smartphone platform in Sony Ericsson's lineup for at least the next two years.
To gain an edge in an increasingly crowded market for Android-based smartphones, the company will have to diversify its lineup. "Sony is of course a very strong brand, and why shouldn't we use that?" he asked. "Gaming, including content, is a very interesting proposition."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704170404575624592495029652.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Friday, November 19, 2010
Apple's iPhone is one of the most sought-after devices on the market, and according to a new survey, it also has the highest customer satisfaction rating among smartphone buyers. The survey, conducted by market research firm ChangeWave, asked 1,212 consumers who had purchased a smartphone in the last six months how satisfied they were with their purchase. Apple's iPhone topped the list of customers who said the were very satisfied, with a 77 percent approval rating. Motorola came in second with 71 percent, followed by HTC (63 percent), Samsung (45 percent), and RIM (44 percent). All four models of iPhones surveyed received high marks. In fact, even the lowest-scoring iPhone model had higher customer approval ratings than the highest-rated phones from competing manufacturers. The iPhone 4 (32GB) had an satisfaction rating of 84 percent, while the iPhone 4 (16GB) came in at 78 percent. The iPhone 3GS (32GB) was the second highest rated iPhone with 81 percent satisfaction, followed by the iPhone 3GS (16GB) with 77 percent. Just as interesting were the low satisfaction ratings among consumers for a few of RIM's recent releases. The highest rated BlackBerry, the Torch, had a "very satisfied" rating of 64 percent. Other RIM phones didn't fare as well. The BlackBerry Bold garnered a 48 percent satisfaction rating, followed by the Curve at 40 percent. (Credit: ChangeWave) Of course, the iPhone is only available from AT&T in the U.S., and ChangeWave wanted to see how hardware choices might be affected by what carrier people are on. What if the iPhone was available from other carriers? Would that affect the decisions people make about what smartphone they buy? According to the survey it would--at least for some. ChangeWave asked non-AT&T customers whether they would still buy their current smartphone if the iPhone had been a choice on their current carrier. Overall, 46 percent said they would keep their current phones, while 34 percent said they would have bought an iPhone if it were available. Getting a bit more specific, HTC customers were least likely to give up their current smartphone for an iPhone, with 54 percent of HTC customers saying they would keep their current model. Fifty percent of Samsung users said they'd keep their current phone. Things got a bit closer with the BlackBerry. Overall, 45 percent of BlackBerry buyers would have kept their devices. Motorola fared the worst among respondents. Thirty-nine percent would have kept their Motorola devices, but 37 percent would have chosen an iPhone instead. ChangeWave's findings match those of J.D. Power and Associates released in September, which put Apple on the top of its smartphone satisfaction list. In October, a new report from Strategy Analytics showed that Apple had shipped more smartphones than RIM in the third quarter. According to the report, Apple shipped 15.4 million smartphones compared to RIM's 12.3 million. Perhaps customer satisfaction is affecting sales figures more than some companies would like to admit. Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20023411-37.html#ixzz15mfnmdKi
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Calls Only Anti-iPhone Phone for technophobes
Mobile phone technology has taken a step backwards with a mobile phone which has apparently been hailed as “The World’s simplest phone,” and is basically for anyone who is a technophobe or simply doesn’t want the features offered by today’s smartphones.
According to an article over on the Daily Mail, with the device which has been dubbed the “Anti-iPhone,” all the user can do is make a call, there’s no internet access, no camera, no apps, or games, no texting, does have a concealed old fashioned “Pen and Paper” address book to stock contacts.
Apparently the device is called a “John’s Phone,” and has been designed as a “tongue-in-cheek basic backlash” at targeting the mobile phone user that doesn’t want all the technology that can be found in today’s handsets.
The £67 phone Designer Diedriekje Bok, has said…”At a time when there is an abundance of choices and oppressive channels, we wanted to develop a simple gadget. It is also a useful phone while travelling, exercising or weekend sailing. You always reach for your close family and friends, so John’s Phone is for when the rest of the world does not matter.”
The John’s Phone features a brightly coloured facial along with large buttons which basically make it look like a toy, and it remains to be seen if today’s tech hungry populace will swap to the low-tech mobile phone.
So what do our readers think, is there room in the mobile space for such a basic low tech mobile handset that’s targeted towards kids and those that don’t like or can’t cope with smartphone technology, or is the John’s phone destined to be a dust collector?
Follow Phones Review on Facebook and Twitter.According to an article over on the Daily Mail, with the device which has been dubbed the “Anti-iPhone,” all the user can do is make a call, there’s no internet access, no camera, no apps, or games, no texting, does have a concealed old fashioned “Pen and Paper” address book to stock contacts.
Apparently the device is called a “John’s Phone,” and has been designed as a “tongue-in-cheek basic backlash” at targeting the mobile phone user that doesn’t want all the technology that can be found in today’s handsets.
The £67 phone Designer Diedriekje Bok, has said…”At a time when there is an abundance of choices and oppressive channels, we wanted to develop a simple gadget. It is also a useful phone while travelling, exercising or weekend sailing. You always reach for your close family and friends, so John’s Phone is for when the rest of the world does not matter.”
The John’s Phone features a brightly coloured facial along with large buttons which basically make it look like a toy, and it remains to be seen if today’s tech hungry populace will swap to the low-tech mobile phone.
So what do our readers think, is there room in the mobile space for such a basic low tech mobile handset that’s targeted towards kids and those that don’t like or can’t cope with smartphone technology, or is the John’s phone destined to be a dust collector?
Read More About: Anti-iPhone, John's Phone
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Windows Phone 7 a ringing success — really, Microsoft says
American interest has been piqued, but not crazed, by Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7.
The new mobile phone, which Microsoft hopes will mark its comeback into the mobile market, started selling in the U.S. on Monday.
AT&T spokeswoman Colleen Smith said the company is "encouraged by early demand."
"We did have lines in some of our markets across the nation," she said. "There definitely was anticipation for the phone." She declined to give sales figures.
T-Mobile USA, which is also selling the phones, released a statement saying it was seeing "strong interest."
At the AT&T store in Seattle's Pacific Place, staff said a line of people was waiting to buy the phone when the store opened.
AT&T stores have set aside space to promote the phones, with two models — from Samsung and HTC — selling for $199.99 on a two-year contract.
As of noon Monday, a T-Mobile store in Bellevue had sold three phones, and at a downtown store, a steady stream of people wanted to check out its HTC HD7, which also sells for $199. T-Mobile stores had no signs promoting the new Windows Phone.
"A lot of people focus on the fact that unless you have a line circling three times around a New York City block that you've launched a failure, but I think what we've seen is that people are interested in these alternative devices and they're willing to take a look at them," said Will Stofega, an analyst at research firm IDC in Framingham, Mass.
No matter how it sells, Stofega said, "It's a monumental step forward. ... It is something that's unique and different."
By Monday, Microsoft had already whet the public's appetite with a television campaign, which will cost $100 million, satirizing people entranced by their phone screens. In Europe, where the phones began selling in late October, Stofega said shortages have been reported as a result of high demand and a lack of components.
Bob Carr, who lives in Bellevue, went to the T-Mobile store in the Factoria area Monday after seeing the TV commercials and ended up buying an HTC HD7. He wanted a bigger screen than the one on the HTC phone he bought two years ago, which runs Microsoft's earlier phone software, Windows Mobile 6.0.
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"At the end of the day I just want basic stuff that's easy to see on a bigger screen," said Carr, who works in telecom services. He wanted to be able to check e-mail, read Office documents and get driving directions.
Also, Carr said he wants to support Microsoft. "If I can support a hometown company, all things being equal, why not?" he said.
At Pacific Place, Ed Chang, a consultant based in San Francisco, stopped by the AT&T store to play with the HTC Surround.
"I think it's a cool phone," he said. "But I don't know if it can beat the iPhone. It's late in the game."
Chang is looking for a phone to replace his BlackBerry, which he bought a year and a half ago. He said Microsoft may be able to win him over if the integration with other Microsoft software is done well. "I'm waiting to see when the dust has cleared," he said.
The new mobile phone, which Microsoft hopes will mark its comeback into the mobile market, started selling in the U.S. on Monday.
AT&T spokeswoman Colleen Smith said the company is "encouraged by early demand."
"We did have lines in some of our markets across the nation," she said. "There definitely was anticipation for the phone." She declined to give sales figures.
T-Mobile USA, which is also selling the phones, released a statement saying it was seeing "strong interest."
At the AT&T store in Seattle's Pacific Place, staff said a line of people was waiting to buy the phone when the store opened.
AT&T stores have set aside space to promote the phones, with two models — from Samsung and HTC — selling for $199.99 on a two-year contract.
As of noon Monday, a T-Mobile store in Bellevue had sold three phones, and at a downtown store, a steady stream of people wanted to check out its HTC HD7, which also sells for $199. T-Mobile stores had no signs promoting the new Windows Phone.
"A lot of people focus on the fact that unless you have a line circling three times around a New York City block that you've launched a failure, but I think what we've seen is that people are interested in these alternative devices and they're willing to take a look at them," said Will Stofega, an analyst at research firm IDC in Framingham, Mass.
No matter how it sells, Stofega said, "It's a monumental step forward. ... It is something that's unique and different."
By Monday, Microsoft had already whet the public's appetite with a television campaign, which will cost $100 million, satirizing people entranced by their phone screens. In Europe, where the phones began selling in late October, Stofega said shortages have been reported as a result of high demand and a lack of components.
Bob Carr, who lives in Bellevue, went to the T-Mobile store in the Factoria area Monday after seeing the TV commercials and ended up buying an HTC HD7. He wanted a bigger screen than the one on the HTC phone he bought two years ago, which runs Microsoft's earlier phone software, Windows Mobile 6.0.
advertising
"At the end of the day I just want basic stuff that's easy to see on a bigger screen," said Carr, who works in telecom services. He wanted to be able to check e-mail, read Office documents and get driving directions.
Also, Carr said he wants to support Microsoft. "If I can support a hometown company, all things being equal, why not?" he said.
At Pacific Place, Ed Chang, a consultant based in San Francisco, stopped by the AT&T store to play with the HTC Surround.
"I think it's a cool phone," he said. "But I don't know if it can beat the iPhone. It's late in the game."
Chang is looking for a phone to replace his BlackBerry, which he bought a year and a half ago. He said Microsoft may be able to win him over if the integration with other Microsoft software is done well. "I'm waiting to see when the dust has cleared," he said.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
iPhone 4 Sales Make Apple Top 5 Mobile Phone Vendors
The iPhone 4 recently joined the list of the top 5 mobile phone vendors because of their amazing sales during the past year. The mobile market its self has been steadily climbing at 14.69 % in the third quarter of2010. This would make it the 4th consecutive month of double digit growth for the mobile phone industry. Apple entered the top 5 mobile vendors at the 4th position as the 4th highest selling mobile phone company worldwide.
Apple along with the company Research in Motion posted the top growth rates of anyone else on the mobile phone vendor lists. It is being seen that apple and its smart phones are putting pressure on Nokia’s sales. “The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. “Vendors that aren’t developing a strong portfolio of smartphones will be challenged to maintain and grow market share in the future.”
The phone comes with many features that help to increase its popularity. The phone has many features that are useful to a multitasker. A person using the iphone 4 can still receive emails and calls while checking their text messages. A user also has fun features to use like a built in camcorder, and camera that enables them to take pictures and share them family and friends. There are many features that keep this new model selling.
http://businessservicenews.com/iphone-4-sales-make-apple-top-5-mobile-phone-vendors/795927/
Apple along with the company Research in Motion posted the top growth rates of anyone else on the mobile phone vendor lists. It is being seen that apple and its smart phones are putting pressure on Nokia’s sales. “The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. “Vendors that aren’t developing a strong portfolio of smartphones will be challenged to maintain and grow market share in the future.”
The phone comes with many features that help to increase its popularity. The phone has many features that are useful to a multitasker. A person using the iphone 4 can still receive emails and calls while checking their text messages. A user also has fun features to use like a built in camcorder, and camera that enables them to take pictures and share them family and friends. There are many features that keep this new model selling.
http://businessservicenews.com/iphone-4-sales-make-apple-top-5-mobile-phone-vendors/795927/
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sales of mobile phones tops 340 million in third quarter
The Global market for mobile phones market grew 14.6% in the third quarter of this year, the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, according to a recent report from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
IDC says vendors shipped 340.5 million during the July to September timeframe compared to 297.1 million units in the third quarter of 2009.
The top selling manufacturer was Nokia which sold 110.4 million mobile phones during the quarter, up 1.8% from a year. While Nokia’s sales were up, the company’s market Share fell to 32.4% during the quarter down from 36.5% in 2009. Next up was Samsung with 71.4 million units sold followed by LG Electronics with 28.4 million units.
The growing popularity of smartphones was in evidence as Apple became the second smartphone-only vendor to join the top 5 ranking and the number one smartphone only vendor overall. Apple moved into the number 4 position worldwide in the third quarter by selling 14.1 million iPhones, a 4.1% marketshare. Canada’s Research In Motion (RIM) was the fifth biggest mobile phone seller and number two smartphone only seller with 12.4 million units sold, a 3.6% marketshare.
“The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker.
The Top 5 vendors accounted for 69.5% of all mobile phones sold during the quarter.
The following is a list of the top mobile phone sellers in the third quarter of 2010 by units according to IDC. The number in parentheses is the company’s marketshare.
IDC says vendors shipped 340.5 million during the July to September timeframe compared to 297.1 million units in the third quarter of 2009.
The top selling manufacturer was Nokia which sold 110.4 million mobile phones during the quarter, up 1.8% from a year. While Nokia’s sales were up, the company’s market Share fell to 32.4% during the quarter down from 36.5% in 2009. Next up was Samsung with 71.4 million units sold followed by LG Electronics with 28.4 million units.
The growing popularity of smartphones was in evidence as Apple became the second smartphone-only vendor to join the top 5 ranking and the number one smartphone only vendor overall. Apple moved into the number 4 position worldwide in the third quarter by selling 14.1 million iPhones, a 4.1% marketshare. Canada’s Research In Motion (RIM) was the fifth biggest mobile phone seller and number two smartphone only seller with 12.4 million units sold, a 3.6% marketshare.
“The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker.
The Top 5 vendors accounted for 69.5% of all mobile phones sold during the quarter.
The following is a list of the top mobile phone sellers in the third quarter of 2010 by units according to IDC. The number in parentheses is the company’s marketshare.
- Nokia – 110.4 million (32.4%)
- Samsung – 71.4 million (21.0%)
- LG Electronics – 28.4 million (8.3%)
- Apple – 14.1 million (4.1%)
- RIM – 12.4 million (3.6%)
- All others – 103.8 million (30.5%)
- Total – 340.5 million (100%)
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