A n y w h e r e Y o u G o . c o m Daily fix
3rd of December, 2001
o Is Japan's Networked Home Too Slow for Broadband Age?
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120301&l=/imode/Article.po?id=500240
4th of December, 2001
o Consafe Offers Freeware for Wireless Connectivity to Outlook
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120401&l=/wap/Article.po?id=504950
o Wireless Industry Struggles to Adopt Strategies to Endure a Tough Economy
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120401&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=505104
o Strategy Analytics: Is the Road to Rio The Path to Success?
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120401&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=505106
o Telcontar, Oracle To Provide Location-Based Services
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120401&l=/pda/Article.po?id=505034
o Sony Ericsson Launches Colour Screen Mobile Phone
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120401&l=/bluetooth/Article.po?id=505010
Sony Ericsson Launches Colour Screen Mobile Phone
14:30 PM GMT on Dec 04, 2001
[AME Info]
First announced in March, the Ericsson T68 is a triple band GSM mobile phone with a full colour
screen. It is packed with groundbreaking features including GPRS, Bluetooth(TM), EMS and
advanced calendar and contacts features. Sony Ericsson has succeeded in producing yet another
small and light yet powerful mobile phone with mass market appeal.
The T68 is a fast and powerful phone and a revolution in usability. One of the strongest
characteristics of the phone is its impressive colour screen, which makes its usage an experience
of pure pleasure. The colour menus of the T68 allow the user to choose from a selection of
attractive text and background colour schemes. When your T68 is in standby mode, you can also
have a full-colour background picture of your choice filling the display.
Using the T68 is also enhanced by a unique five-directional thumb joystick, you can easily move
to a symbol on the T68 colour icon desktop, click on it, and immediately view your menu options.
The joystick is used throughout the menu system making it possible to browse the features with
incredible ease.
The T68 is triple band that can be used across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the US wherever there is a GSM network.
Inside, the Ericsson T68 is equally exciting. You can store names, several phone numbers, titles,
company names, and e-mail addresses for hundreds of contacts. The T68 calendar is particularly
impressive in colour. Being a relatively new feature in mobile phone technology, the T68's colour
calendar is sure to impress. With day week and month views and reminders, the T68 is a
versatile and useful organiser and the calendar and contacts data can be synchronised with your
PC keeping all things up to date.
The Ericsson T68 connects to other devices easily. When synchronising and sharing data, you can
use infrared, Bluetooth, and cable. Bluetooth wireless technology allows the user connect the T68
to any other Bluetooth product, such as a Bluetooth headset or handsfree, within a range of 10
metres.
When it comes to messaging, the T68 is as all-round as they come. It has its own e-mail client
with inbox, outbox, read and compose functions that the user can configure to connect to any
POP3 standard e-mail account on the Internet. Applications already exist on the Web to have
configuration settings sent via SMS to your phone. You can also add pictures and sounds to your
SMS text messages and send them to a GSM mobile phone that supports EMS (Enhanced
Messaging Service), the latest GSM messaging standard.
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) will be implemented as commercial services become
available. GPRS is a taste of 3G. It is a fast mobile Internet connection. Wherever you are, you
can receive e-mail, access informative and entertaining WAP sites and have information of your
choice pushed to your mobile phone. The T68 also supports WTLS Class 3 and provides the
security necessary for mobile banking and shopping. It has full WAP security, including server
and client authentication and digital signature encryption.
The Ericsson T68 is absolutely cutting-edge when it comes to features. A colour mobile phone
display will delight consumers and add a new dimension to mobile phone usability. As operators
roll out GPRS services, T68 owners will look forward to taking mobile Internet to new heights and
be offered new services.
T68 Facts
Size: 100 x 48 x 20 mm
Weight: 84 g
Talk time: 3 - 13 hrs
Standby time: 165-290 hrs (6-12 days)
Supported technologies and main features:
Colour display, icon desktop, GPRS, Bluetooth(TM), e-mail, EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service),
Calendar, Contacts, WAP 1.2.1 with WTLS class 3 for full WAP security, Triple band for GSM
900/1800 and 1900, SyncML, Mobile chat, Options key, Games, background picture, predictive
text input, vibrating alert.
Colours: Lunar Grey, Ziroccan Gold
5th of December, 2001
o Handset Hitch Forces 3G Delay
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120501&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=511004
Handset Hitch Forces 3G Delay
15:30 PM GMT on Dec 05, 2001
[The Guardian Unlimited]
The mobile phone spin-off from BT, mmO2, has been forced to delay the rollout of its crucial
third generation wireless service by six months due to concerns about the availability of handsets
able to use the new technology.
The company, which demerged from BT last month, had hoped to launch the new wireless
internet service next autumn. Yesterday the chief executive, Peter Erskine, admitted that the lack
of so-called dual-mode handsets, which can access the new services and still receive voice calls
where a 3G signal is not available, means the service will not be widely available until the first
half of 2003.
"What we are looking at is potentially a slip of six months but we will be out there," he said
yesterday at the launch of the UK's first big public demonstration of 3G services on the Isle of
Man. "But what I do not want is networks lying idle."
Despite the delay, mmO2 still expects to spend ? on 3G networks in its four regions - UK,
Germany, Holland and Ireland - over the next five years. However as 3G coverage will not
immediately be available throughout the UK, dual-mode handsets are a crucial first step in the
introduction of the new service.
Mr Erskine added that mmO2 intends to have a small scale service up and running in some of the
UK's leading cities later next year but does not want to launch a full-scale service until he is sure
that the company can get hold of enough handsets to satisfy demand.
Yesterday mmO2 began Europe's first significant public trial of the technology through its
subsidiary Manx Telecom. Business customers and consumers will be able to trial 3G services
such as web-browsing and video streaming using handsets made by NEC of Japan.
o Ericsson, Autodesk to Offer Location-Enables SMS Servers
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120501&l=/sms/Article.po?id=510980
Ericsson, Autodesk to Offer Location-Enabled SMS Services
15:15 PM GMT on Dec 05, 2001
[Business Wire]
Autodesk(R) Location Services, a division of Autodesk, Inc., and Ericsson Telecomunicazioni,
S.p.A., the leading network solutions provider in Italy, today announced a joint effort to bring an
integrated location-enabled SMS (Short Messaging Service) platform solution to wireless
operators.
The solution integrates the Ericsson SMS Gateway and Autodesk(R) LocationLogic, a middleware
deployment platform for the delivery of location-based services to mobile devices, in a single
environment that links to the Ericsson MPS (Mobile Positioning System) installed in the operator's
network. The integrated, location-based services platform is immediately available and will be
marketed and sold to operators jointly by Ericsson and Autodesk within the Ericsson Mobility
World partnership program.
"We see tremendous opportunity for wireless operators to accelerate their SMS revenues quickly
by adding location-based services," said Paolo Colella, Internet Solutions director, Ericsson
Telecomunicazioni. "Working with Autodesk Location Services, we offer a solution that will
promote an increase in SMS traffic and airtime, service differentiation, and customer loyalty -- all
while leveraging operators' existing investments in their network infrastructure."
Person-to-person SMS is enormously popular among mobile users, particularly in Europe, with
revenues projected to reach $6.5 billion worldwide by 2003, according to IDC. By locationenabling SMS, operators can offer a host of new data services to their mobile subscribers,
including navigation, concierge and proximity searches, for example, "Find Me the Closest ATM."
"Location-enabled SMS will help boost operators' revenues in the near term, but that's really just
the beginning," said Joe Astroth, executive vice president, Autodesk Location Services. "As the
messaging phenomenon continues its sharp growth trajectory, we foresee demand from
corporate and individual wireless subscribers for enhanced and multimedia messaging services.
Operators who implement a location-enabled SMS platform solution today will create a
foundation for the deployment of these data-rich wireless data services in the future."
The joint Ericsson-Autodesk Location Services solution provides operators with several
advantages in deploying next generation SMS services, including:
-- Value-added services to increase loyalty and data services
usage among mobile subscribers
-- Services that can be packaged and sold to corporate
customers who want to attract mobile users with new
wireless, location-based services, e.g., "Find Me the
Nearest Point-of-Interest"
-- Leverage of existing network infrastructure investment to
augment existing SMS revenue stream by transforming raw
cell-ID information into easy-to-use location-based
information
-- Protection of highly confidential network information by
converting and encrypting network data such as the
position of Radio Based Stations, while allowing direct
access to location information using SMS
o Radio 538, BMG to Deliver Mobile Music Service
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120501&l=/sms/Article.po?id=510982
Radio 538 And BMG To Deliver Mobile Music Service
15:15 PM GMT on Dec 05, 2001
[Wire Reports]
The popular radio station Radio 538 and BMG Entertainment, the worldwide music and
entertainment division of Bertelsmann AG, will offer from November until the end of this year
downloadable singles of BMG artists using SMS.
The singles are part of the top 5 hit list of BMG and may be ordered by means of sending a
widely broadcasted keyword via SMS to 5380, the short number of Radio 538. Such a key word is
for example 'ALICIA' for the new single of Alicia Keys and 'WESTLIFE' for the one from Westlife.
Listeners ordering a track via SMS will get the encrypted track and the licence with the key to
decrypt it delivered in their e-mail box. This license contains the usage rights to listen to the song
and transfer it to a portable music player using Windows Media Player 7.x or compatible. For this
project, Radio 538 and BMG decided to use DMDsecure's flagship product DMDfusion, a flexible
software application that manages the protection, delivery and licensing of digital content. In
case the listener forwards the track to a friend, the receiver will be requested to SMS the same
keyword to 5380 in order to obtain his own license.
Payment for the rights of a track will be realised via the mobile phone bill and is enabled by
Golden Bytes, specialised in the development, exploitation and implementation of SMS related
mobile services. In addition, Radio 538 provides its end users a service to subscribe at
www.radio538.nl in order to send the rights to their e-mail address after registration. End users
may also subscribe via SMS. Erik de Zwart CEO from Radio 538 states: "This campaign is a break
through for the radio industry. Radio 538 is the first radio station in Europe using this new
distribution method. In this way we can service our listeners even better than before, by sending
the music directly to their e-mail boxes."
o Cahners in-Stat Group Says Bluetooth Chips Kick Butt
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120501&l=/bluetooth/Article.po?id=510958
Cahners in-Stat Group Says Bluetooth Chips Kick Butt
15:00 PM GMT on Dec 05, 2001
[Business Wire]
Bluetooth is definitely a reality, with chipset shipments on track to meet a previous 2001 forecast
of 13 million, according to Cahners In-Stat Group (http://www.instat.com).
The high-tech market research firm reports that the excellent shipment results this year, in spite
of the economic climate and recent events, helps to further cement the fact that Bluetooth is
here to stay. As a result, Bluetooth chipsets this year will double those of 802.11b.
"Activity has moved forward in the mobile phone, notebook PC, and adapter space, with specialty
adapters just beginning to show up for Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)," said Joyce Putscher, a
director with In-Stat.
"Once people are educated on what the benefits are, demand will rise for products that include
Bluetooth connectivity, as long as prices of products are reasonable. The challenge lies in getting
the message across, and being able to educate the general public correctly in a variety of ways
and channels."
In-Stat also reports that:
-- Misrepresented issues about Bluetooth this year have not had
any significant impact regarding real industry development,
nor relationships between the Bluetooth chip vendors and their
customers. Driven by consumer and equipment vendor demands for
Bluetooth-enabled devices, the semiconductor opportunity in
this area will be substantial.
-- On the carrier side, wireless providers indicate that they
have an interest in and are evaluating deployment of Bluetooth
access points and networks. Japan, Korea, and Europe are ahead
of the curve, with respect to carrier deployments and
enterprise Bluetooth access point deployment plans.
-- Taking into account the economic slump, Bluetooth chipset
shipments will still rise sharply to 780 million units in
2005.
The report, "Bluetooth Overtakes 802.11x with 2001 Shipments on Track" (No. MM0118BW),
provides an interim Bluetooth forecast update that looks at units, chipset integration, revenue,
application and geographic segmentations.
o Wireless Security Threat Looms Over DoCoMo
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120501&l=/imode/Article.po?id=510970
o TIM Joins with NTT DoCoMo, KPN to Penetrate Wireless Market
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120501&l=/imode/Article.po?id=510974
TIM Joins with NTT DoCoMo, KPN to Penetrate Wireless Market
15:15 PM GMT on Dec 05, 2001
[FT World Media Abstracts via Comtex]
Japanese telecoms giant NTT DoCoMo Inc, Dutch telecoms group KPN NV and Telecom Italia
Mobile (TIM), the mobile phone division of Italian telecoms group Telecom Italia, have signed an
agreement in an attempt to conquer the market of the future: the wireless Internet.
The news was immediately welcomed on the stock market with shares in TIM climbing 1.52 per
cent to close at 9 euros.
The three groups will work together to develop new wireless Internet services in Europe and
launch an interactive multimedia service based on I-Mode. This will set the scene enabling NTT
to introduce its new service which allows customers to surf the web and send and receive e-mails
through a straightforward mobile handset. The service has attracted 18 million subscribers since
it was launched in Japan. Mauro Sentinelli, general manager at TIM, said that I-Mode will be up
and running in Italy by the end of the year.
6th of December, 2001
o 802.11g Standards Process Falters, Recovers
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120601&l=/bluetooth/Article.po?id=515688
o Widespread Automation Applications Foreseen for Wireless Technologies
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120601&l=/bluetooth/Article.po?id=515672
7th of December, 2001
o Toshiba Pulls Out of U.S. Desktop PC Market
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120701&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=521752
o Ericsson Faces Delivery Problems
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120701&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=521684
Ericsson Faces Delivery Problems
15:00 PM GMT on Dec 07, 2001
[M2 Communications]
Sweden's Ericsson is reportedly experiencing difficulties in delivering mobile phones and
accessories to retailers.
The company is said to have had especially big problems in supplying the T65 GPRS mobile
phone, a model that has become popular following the recent introduction of GPRS-based
services by wireless operators. The phone is manufactured at Ericsson's factory in Linkoping,
Sweden but the phones are made only after receipt of orders and none are kept in stock.
Sony Ericsson's product marketing manager Jakob Ryden admits that the factory in Linkoping has
not been able to cope with the unexpectedly high demand for the T65 model but he says the
site's production capacity has recently been increased and so the company should be able to
deliver enough phones from the beginning of next year.
Swedish retailers say the delivery problems could enable Finland's Nokia to increase its market
share, reports the IT magazine ComputerSweden.
o No Pop Music on the Phone
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120701&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=521676
o Motorola Accelerates UMTS Implementation After Tests
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120701&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=521680
Motorola Accelerates UMTS Implementation After Tests
15:00 PM GMT on Dec 07, 2001
[M2 Communications]
Motorola Inc. today announced its first Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)
infrastructure field trials in Germany will occur in early 2002, based upon a series of successful
UMTS tests since September 2001at the Motorola laboratory based in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Motorola will use base stations that conform to European 3GPP Release 99 UMTS specifications
and standards for these trials.
"Motorola is well positioned in the implementation phase of the UMTS mobile telephony standard.
Our long and successful track record in General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, as
proven with the commercial implementation of a nationwide GPRS network for a major German
mobile operator, is of significant value in our UMTS research, development and network
planning," said Jerry Chard, account director for Motorola's Global Telecom Solutions Sector. "Our
innovative engineers in Europe and Germany are confidently working towards the successful
early implementation of UMTS based on our tests at the Wiesbaden laboratory."
Current lab tests at the Wiesbaden facility already have achieved transfer rates of more than 144
Kbps. The focus of the tests concentrate on data applications using live video streaming, MP3
music downloading, interactive video games and live office applications such as Windows
NetMeeting via UMTS.
Motorola is leveraging its Node B, that builds upon the compact size and leading edge
performance of its Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM) base transceiver station (BTS), to deliver a UMTS base station that is
extremely small, light and more efficient.
Motorola's Personal Communications Sector currently has UMTS mobile phone prototypes
available for testing. Since signing a contract worth an estimated US$700 million for 3G wireless
devices earlier this year, Motorola has made steady progress interoperability testing with key
infrastructure vendors.
Motorola plans to deliver commercial 3G terminals, supporting GSM, GPRS and UMTS, by the
third quarter of 2002.
o Multimedia Messaging Services to the Rescue
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix120701&l=/sms/Article.po?id=521574
10th of December, 2001
o Speech Applications for Next-Generation Wireless Devices on the Way
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121001&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=529580
o Software Turns Handhelds Into Servers
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121001&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=529584
o AlertAmerica Introduces Interactive Cell Phone Emergency Alert Service
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121001&l=/sms/Article.po?id=529492
11th of December, 2001
o Nokia Announces New Tetra Capabilities
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121101&l=/wap/Article.po?id=532977
Nokia Announces New Tetra Capabilities
15:00 PM GMT on Dec 11, 2001
[M2 Communications]
Nokia, as the first TETRA terminal supplier in the world, is demonstrating advanced WAP
functions to users of professional TETRA terminals live at the 4th TETRA World Congress in Nice,
10-14 December, 2001.
"Nokia is committed to continuously develop its product offering for the TETRA community. The
new data features such as WAP browsing, give public safety personnel and other professional
users the possibility to access crucial information through their TETRA phone quickly and easily.
Now police, for example, can check vehicle and driver data by connecting to their database
through the small Nokia THR850 handset.
This will help our customers to strengthen their operational capacity and reach faster response
times," said Hannu Huttunen, Vice President, Special Products, Nokia Mobile Phones.
TETRA radio networks offer fast voice communications between team members and individuals.
When combined with real time access to data, TETRA facilitate the way organisations work:
people can access the information they need while on the move, using one single TETRA
handset.
WAP deployment is made easy in the Nokia THR850 by the settings and bookmarks, which can
be downloaded over the air from the Nokia Activ Server WAP platform connected to the TETRA
network. With the WAP Service Indication feature, it is possible to "push" notifications to the
phone screens of field personnel, with an embedded link to a certain WAP page. This is a useful
feature for informing people about incidents and giving them the possibility to access more
detailed information from their server through the link.
Connected to a compatible laptop, the Nokia THR850 can also be used as a wireless modem for
opening up applications or browsing the intranet and Internet.
The Nokia THR850 is available for the most commonly used TETRA frequency bands: 380 MHz,
410 MHz and 800 MHz. It hosts the latest advances of wireless communication including group
priority scanning, Dynamic Group Number Assignment, predictive text input for messaging, user
profiles, task-journal and calendar.
Also to be demonstrated at the TETRA World Congress is the Nokia DMO Link, a product for
connecting users operating in Direct Mode (DMO) with those operating in Trunked Mode (TMO)
within the TETRA coverage area. The Nokia DMO Link is a solid solution that can be set up
quickly and easily by connecting two Nokia TETRA mobile radios together, requiring no extra
software for the terminals. The Nokia DMO Link incorporates a switch for selecting the desired
mode from the connected radio terminals.
The Nokia DMO Link is an invaluable solution for example in remote areas where TETRA network
coverage is not available, but where a group operating in Direct Mode needs to communicate
with the dispatcher or operation commander.
o IEEE Group Forms New Standard for Wireless Networking
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121101&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=533233
o Speechworks, TI Develop Speech Apps on 2.5 And 3G Devices
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121101&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=533033
o Active Corporation's Cardiac Monitor Wins Awards
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121101&l=/pda/Article.po?id=533045
o Inhand's 'Fingertip' Handheld Platform Integrates GPS, Bluetooth
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121101&l=/bluetooth/Article.po?id=533057
Inhand's 'Fingertip' Handheld Platform Integrates GPS, Bluetooth
15:15 PM GMT on Dec 11, 2001
[PR Newswire]
InHand Electronics, Inc., a leader in creating ultra-portable handheld device platforms for OEMs,
today announced the immediate availability of its new Fingertip platform. This new version is
based on Intel's StrongARM CPU and builds on the original high-performance, low-power
Fingertip platform by adding an integrated Bluetooth wireless network interface, an integrated
Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and support for additional color and monochrome LCD
displays.
"The response to our original Fingertip platform has been outstanding, with customers lauding its
very low-power consumption and high-level of integration," said Andrew Girson, InHand's CEO.
"This new Fingertip platform ratchets up the integration and leverages our third-party
relationships with Socket Communications and Trimble, by incorporating their low-power
peripherals. Together with Bluetooth and GPS, handhelds based on the new Fingertip platform
still achieve sub-watt power consumption."
The new Fingertip platform incorporates all of the features of InHand's BatterySmart system
software suite for StrongARM and XScale CPUs, including dynamic clock-scaling, reduced power
peripheral software drivers, and advanced measurement and analysis tools. Both the Bluetooth
and GPS peripherals interface with the main CPU through BatterySmart's power-optimized
software drivers. Using BatterySmart, Fingertip's power consumption is kept below one watt,
even with StrongARM's core clock frequency at 206MHz and with Bluetooth, GPS, and QVGA LCD
peripherals in operational mode.
"As location-based services become increasingly important in a variety of industries, InHand's
Fingertip and Trimble's M-Loc MPM GPS module provide an ideal platform that allows OEMs to
rapidly develop location-enabled handheld devices," said Dennis Workman, vice president of
Trimble's Component Technologies Division.
And, Mike Gifford, Executive Vice President of Socket Communications (Nasdaq: SCKT) adds,
"With Bluetooth implementations becoming increasingly important for handheld devices, InHand's
Bluetooth-enabled Fingertip reference platform provides a great solution for OEMs interested in
building state-of- the-art low-power handhelds. With our Bluetooth modules and software
natively supported on the Fingertip, OEMs will benefit via short range wireless connectivity
device-to-mobile phone, device-to-mobile printer, and other operating scenarios where cabled
connections are cumbersome."
New Fingertip development platforms are available now with BatterySmart 2 for Microsoft Corp.'s
Windows CE 3.0. Pricing is at $2,995 for the base platform and $3,995 with integrated Bluetooth
and GPS hardware and software.
About InHand Electronics, Inc.
12th of December, 2001
o Continued Enterprise WLAN Growth Will Drive Adoption in Public
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121201&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=539515
o A Struggle Over Standards
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121201&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=539077
o Text Marks the Spot
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121201&l=/sms/Article.po?id=539073
(An article on voting through phones)
14th of December, 2001
o Multi-Use Devices Are the Right Solutions If They Work Reliably
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121401&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=564582
o Elata: 3G Services Need Killer Applications
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121401&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=564558
17th of December, 2001
o Rush to 3G a Bumpy Ride, Coinciding with Nokia's Roller Coaster Stock
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121701&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=630147
o Wireless LAN Security Solutions Put to the Test
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121701&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=629219
o Survey Says: SMS Windfall May Take Time in Hong Kong
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121701&l=/sms/Article.po?id=629617
o Spam Spreads to Mobile Phones: Japan Fights Redialing Scam
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121701&l=/imode/Article.po?id=630155
Spam Spreads to Mobile Phones: Japan Fights Redialing Scam
16:30 PM GMT on Dec 17, 2001
[International Herald Tribune]
When it comes to mobile phones, Katsuya Ogawa plays by the rules. Mr. Ogawa, a 38-year-old
lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Japan, is rarely without his sleek NTT DoCoMo handset,
which he studiously switches to vibration mode during meetings. When he gets a chance, Mr.
Ogawa steps out to answer messages from party bosses, bureaucrats and friends.
So imagine his surprise late last month when he left a heated policy debate to dial a number
saved in his phone's memory and a recorded woman's voice answered. The recording told him,
"press 1 if you want to meet a friend, press 2 if ..."
Mr. Ogawa, whose phone has been bombarded with hundreds of unwanted e-mail messages as
well, knew he had come ear to ear with the newest mobile come-on: the one-giri spam scam.
One-giri is Japanese shorthand for computers that dial numbers randomly, ring once and hang
up. The callers usually dating services that phone thousands of numbers randomly are not
charged because no one picks up.
But the incoming call leaves a phone number on the receiver's handset. Curious to see who
called, unsuspecting Japanese redial and get an offer they generally rush to refuse, lest they run
up extra charges.
The simple scheme is the latest in a battle to reach consumers' pockets via their cell phones.
Japan is a natural breeding ground for the pesky, but largely legal, pitches: The country has 60
million mobile phones in use, consumers are often trusting, and privacy laws are lax. But the
sleazy nature of the pitches and their rapid proliferation are turning a hit product into a
headache.
While cellular service providers like NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Japan Telecom Co.'s J-Phone benefit
from the increased data traffic sent on their networks, customer complaints are soaring. In
addition to suffering bad public relations, the carriers are seeing their network computers
overload, slowing transmission times and forcing the carriers to mobilize an army of software
programmers.
NTT DoCoMo, which runs the market leading i-mode service, processes 950 million cell-phone
data messages a day, yet a staggering 85 percent of them are sent to nonexistent addresses,
most by computers that randomly generate numbers and send messages searching for active
accounts.
The company says one-fifth of the 30,000 complaints it received in October were about annoying
e-mails.
Cell-phone providers are striking back. DoCoMo will spend 1.1 billion ($8.7 million) this year to
block unwanted bulk mail from entering its servers. The company also lets customers limit
incoming e-mail to 10 domain addresses of their choice and gives users a monthly credit for 400
free packets, the bundles of data that are sent as messages.
On the legal front, DoCoMo has won a temporary injunction against a company in Yokohama that
sent spam mail to huge numbers of invalid addresses. Mr. Ogawa, the lawmaker, even submitted
a bill to Parliament seeking to penalize people sending bulk e-mail, though he expects the
government to reject it because of the difficulty in policing spammers.
Programmers continue to develop algorithms sophisticated enough to bypass server walls and
create lists of valid addresses that can be resold.
Optomail Inc., a Tokyo-based company that manages online marketing campaigns, has received
a dozen unsolicited requests to send bulk e- mail. The company requires proof that the addresses
were acquired with the users' consent, which deters most would-be clients.
"We make clear we are not a list broker, and when we see a bunch of mobile addresses on the
list, it's a big red flag," said Richard Chen, Optomail's chief executive officer.
The digital epidemic may spread beyond Japan's shores. DoCoMo is preparing to introduce its imode network in Europe via partnerships with KPN Mobile NV of the Netherlands and others.
For all its convenience and new features, though, the service could flop if DoCoMo fails to build
firewalls to protect privacy- conscious customers.
In a recent vote, the European Parliament declined to address the issue of spam on nextgeneration phones.
"Cell phone spamming is going to turn off European consumers right away," said Jamie Cattell, a
director in Tokyo for Research International, a British company that conducts consumer research
online globally.
In the meantime, Japanese cell-phone providers are urging users to change their addresses
frequently and to refuse to return calls from unknown numbers.
Mr. Ogawa has tried all that and still gets spammed.
"It's an endless game of cat and mouse," he said.
o KPN to launch i-Mode Services in Holland Next Spring
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121701&l=/imode/Article.po?id=629619
KPN to launch i-Mode Services in Holland Next Spring
18:15 PM GMT on Dec 17, 2001
[AFX News Limited]
Royal KPN NV unit KPN Mobile said it will introduce i-mode-based services next spring, with NEC
Corp supplying the first i-mode handsets.
As a first step, KPN Mobile will start practical i-mode tests with "a small group" of users on
Thursday.
The next step will be taken in the first months of next year when a few hundred customers will
be invited to join KPN Mobile in gaining further i-mode experience, the company said.
Once both steps have been successfully completed, KPN Mobile will introduce i-mode market
wide.
KPN Mobile said it has already guaranteed a "strong" supply of content, with agreements reached
with over 100 national and international content providers for the supply of mobile services in the
field of information, communication, entertainment and transactions.
It is expected that around 60 certified sites will be available in the Netherlands for the launch.
Sites can be visited for free or a monthly subscription has to be paid.
In addition to certified providers, non-certified providers will also have the opportunity to offer
services via independent sites which can be accessed freely.
Based on experiences in Japan, it is expected that there will be a "significant" number of
independent sites on offer, the company said.
The first i-mode handsets have been specially developed and produced for the European market
by NEC based on Japanese designs.
Features of this handset include a much larger screen, colour display and improved sound quality
of ringing tunes.
Users can also send and receive e-mails containing up to 1,000 characters and SMS messages up
to 160 characters. The handset is GPRS-compatible.
The built-in i-mode browser enables users to read both i-mode-compatible HTML and WML
content. In addition to mobile telephone calls, SMS messages and e-mail, users can gain access
to all i-mode services with this handset.
Mark de Jong, executive vice president corporate development of KPN Mobile, commented that
"just as in Japan, it will take some time before i-mode can enjoy the widespread success we
expect it to have here".
19th of December, 2001
o Salvation Army Campaign Boosted by SMS-Based Recruitment Service
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121901&l=/sms/Article.po?id=687946
o Lectora Publisher Expands E-Learning Delivery to Palm OS Platform
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121901&l=/pda/Article.po?id=687188
o The Pens and Paper of the Future
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix121901&l=/bluetooth/Article.po?id=685618
The Pens and Paper of the Future
16:15 PM GMT on Dec 19, 2001
[Bangkok Post]
As 2001 is ending, we still haven't seen a computer with the menacing power of HAL, which
featured in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey." With all due respect to great visionaries like Sir
Arthur C. Clarke and George Orwell, many future ``predictions'' with specific dates seem to be a
bit off the mark. But in keeping with the spirit of looking toward the future as the year turns, I'd
like to explore a few age-old means of communication with a digital twist.
The keyboard is the input device of choice when it comes to entering data into digital machines.
Even some PDAs with pseudo handwriting recognition can sometimes pose problems, forcing
users to resort to portable keyboards.
That may soon change. Voice recognition is becoming more powerful as time goes by. PC speech
recognition was popularised by packages such as Dragon Speech that can handle natural speech
(unlike earlier systems that forced you to speak like a robot).
Many industrial strength speech-to-text systems are now being deployed by major American
telcos, like AT&T, as an alternative to human operators. The system allows callers to query a
phone number, or ask to be connected to a particular party. IBM and Bank of New York have
been using speech recognition systems as a digital operator for their huge work force to save
costs.
The automobile industry is getting into the act as well. To enhance safety by allowing drivers to
control all their gadgets without letting go of the steering wheel, the voice recognition system in
a new Nissan luxury sedan can decipher a driver's verbal key commands.
Even my Motorola cell phone has convenient voice tags that dial automatically when I call out the
name of the person I want to talk to. Speech recognition technology is certainly one to watch in
the coming years.
Writing is perhaps the second most popular mode of human communication. A company in
Sweden called Anoto has developed a pen that recognises the writing on paper and transfers the
data wirelessly to any receiving computer. The Swedish approach requires a special paper that
allows a tiny camera at the pen tip to scan various ``commands'' (differentiated by varying
miniscule dots on the paper).
For example, after writing a short message on the paper, you merely tick the box ``Email'' and
the message you have just written will be emailed from a nearby Bluetooth-enabled computer.
American Digital Ink has developed a rival digital pen called n-Scribe, which transmits via infrared
the hand movement across ordinary paper to a nearby PDA.
Israel-based OTM Technologies' v-Pen has adopted an entirely different approach by employing
an 1880s method of detecting the mysterious ``ether'' _ a theoretical carrier of light waves _ as
believed by scientists of the time. This ``optical translation measurement'' technique uses a tiny
interferometer to detect slight changes of light waves emitted as the pen tip scratches along the
writing surface. The built-in computer inside the pen then translates the changes into written
text. V-Pen's strength over the previous two is its ability to write on any surface.
It is interesting to see that new digital pen technologies are turning the computer-human I/O
structure upside down. Conventional handwriting recognition systems employ the use of
computer on the writing surface and an ordinary pen, while these innovative handwriting systems
have microprocessors built into the pen instead.
Some pundits say that handwriting technologies may not last, since kids today are learning to
type as soon as they learn how to write. True, but while typing may be more exact and faster
than writing, you just can't beat the feeling of sitting under a coconut tree, holding a cold tequila
in one hand and scribbling your inner thoughts with a digital pen and paper in the other.
o Nokia: Radiolinja Estonia a/S And Nokia Successfully Test WAP-Over-GPRS
Using the Nokia mPosition Location-Based Solution
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix122001&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=708309
Nokia: Radiolinja Estonia a/S And Nokia Successfully Test Wap-Over-Gprs Using the
Nokia Mposition Location-Based Solution
14:45 PM GMT on Dec 20, 2001
[M2 Communications]
Nokia and Radiolinja Estonia have concluded successful testing of Nokia's mPosition solution and
WAP-over-GPRS technology in Radiolinja's GPRS network in Estonia. The tests were carried out
from a moving vehicle traveling in urban and suburban environments.
The system used for testing included the Nokia GMLC and Nokia SMLC positioning servers, and
the Nokia GPRS network solution.
"This is the first demonstration of the potential of combining enhanced positioning technology
with WAP-over-GPRS, and it will have a major impact on the whole deployment of new, exiting
mobile location services," says Juri Karelsson, Director of Network Operator Business Unit for
Radiolinja Estonia. "As an operator, we have to make sure that new services will be accepted by
our customers.
Location services in combination with the 'always-on' characteristic of GPRS will become a driver
of our value-added service offering.
Nokia's in-depth understanding of end-to-end solutions is an excellent basis for the successful
deployment of location-based service."
"We have demonstrated our capabilities through various commercial deployments and customer
trials," says Matti Lankinen, Director Product Business Management, Nokia Networks. "With these
tests, showing how well the Nokia mPosition works in a real GPRS environment, we have proven
Nokia's industry leading capability in location-based service technology."
Location-relevant services are one of the key elements of the Mobile Internet. With the Nokia
mPosition solution, operators can offer their customers personal relevant services such as
Location Messaging, Friends Finder and traffic reports. The Nokia mPosition solution will also
support emergency services.
Nokia's solution is fully integrated into the GSM/GPRS network architecture, and the deployment
of positioning technologies using WAP-over-GPRS can be implemented with a minimum of
additional network investment.
In addition to the commonly used cell-identity and timing-advance parameters, the mPosition
solution utilizes received signal strength (RX) levels to calculate the position of a mobile phone,
which increases the accuracy by up to 40%.
Nokia is a market leader in positioning technologies. The location methods used by Nokia
mPosition allow operators early access to specific markets with a cell ID-based solution, and
provide an investment-secured evolutionary path to E?OTD (enhanced-observed time difference)
and A-GPS (assisted global positioning system) covering GSM/GPRS, 3G (WCDMA/EDGE) and AllIP radio-access networks.
Radiolinja Estonia A/S is a private capital based international company, which belongs to Elisa
Communications through the Radiolinja Group. The first GSM-call in Estonia was made in a
Radiolinja network. Radiolinja Estonia A/S has 140,500 post-paid subscribers (by 30.09.2001).
98% of the population of Estonia lives in the coverage area of the Radiolinja GSM network.
o Crucial Decision on 3G Wireless Service Expected
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix122001&l=/wireless/Article.po?id=709139
Crucial Decision on 3G Wireless Service Expected
15:45 PM GMT on Dec 20, 2001
[Mondaq.com]
Perhaps the most important decision that the FCC will make this year involves which frequencies
it will allocate to so- called "third generation" (3G) wireless service.
At present, cellular and Personal Communications Services (PCS) largely involve voice
applications, with wireless data services beginning to be offered. First-generation wireless is the
name given to analog cellular service. Second-generation wireless refers to digital cellular and
PCS service, which have greatly increased wireless system capacity, but have not essentially
altered the content of most wireless transmissions.
Third-generation wireless describes advanced wireless services such as higher-quality voice
service, high-speed wireless data, including advanced Internet services and other multimedia
applications, geographic positioning, and full motion video.
In order for present wireless carriers to implement 3G services, it will be necessary for them to
receive additional radio spectrum from that presently allocated to other services.
About 160-180 MHz of additional spectrum will be needed for 3G to be allocated by auction
among existing wireless licensees and new applicants. The FCC has not resolved how much 3G
spectrum will be granted to individual licensees or whether 3G licenses will be national in scope
or broken out by markets, or how such markets will be defined.
The battle over which and how much additional spectrum to allocate for 3G service has touched
off a political and legal battle of great intensity and complexity.
Background
Last October, the Clinton White House released a memorandum, urging the FCC to license 3G
systems according to an ambitious timetable. The President's memorandum stated that the FCC
had to identify the frequencies to be used by 3G systems by July 2001, and hold 3G licensing
auctions by September 2002.
In November of 2000, and March 2001, the National Telecommunications Information
Administration (NTIA), a part of the Commerce Department, and the FCC issued interim and final
reports on the 2500-2690 MHz and 1710-1850 MHz bands, which discussed their potential for
accommodating 3G systems.
Also in January of 2001, the FCC released a 3G Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order
(NPRM), which considered the use of those bands and other bands for 3G purposes but reached
no conclusions about which band or bands would be appropriate for 3G allocation or whether any
of those bands could be shared among their existing occupants and possible new 3G licensees.
Comments were then filed on the NPRM by interested parties but no consensus was reached
about which frequencies would be best for 3G.
The FCC's Dilemma
The main difficulty is that both the 1710-1850 MHz and 2500-2690 MHz frequency bands are
heavily used in the U.S.
The 1710-1850 MHz frequencies are occupied by government, largely military, uses, including
satellite telemetry, air combat training, microwave communications and other functions requiring
wireless communications. The March 30, 2001, NTIA final report on the feasibility of allocating
frequencies from the 1710-1850 MHz band to 3G systems found that band sharing was not
feasible because interference to both 3G and incumbent governmental systems would preclude
compatible operation by 3G and government uses over large geographic areas of the country.
The report also found that the Department of Defense would be unable to vacate large parts of
the band for some years, even if its frequencies were reallocated, partly because of the useful
lives of satellites which cannot change frequencies. Thus, segmenting the band may be very
difficult.
The 2500-2690 MHz band is used by the Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) and
Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS). MMDS licensees have historically provided wireless
cable video services, usually unsuccessfully. ITFS licensees are usually churches, universities and
school systems, and their fixed wireless systems are used for educational video purposes.
In recent years, MMDS licensees have shifted their operations to the provision of wireless data
for businesses, and have achieved a greater measure of economic success in doing so.
Worldcom and Sprint have invested billions of dollars in such operations and are the leaders in
this nascent industry. Also, under complicated rules, an ITFS licensee may lease its excess
capacity to an MMDS licensee and increasingly MMDS licensees are leasing such capacity in order
to send data to customers. ITFS licensees have come to regard such leasing as a major source of
income.
The FCC's report on possible 3G use of the 2500-2690 MHz band demonstrates the difficulties of
spectrum sharing and segmentation concludes that neither is feasible. Also, the FCC concluded
there is no readily identifiable alternate frequency band that could accommodate a substantial
relocation of the incumbent MMDS/ITFS licensees now operating in the 2500-2690 MHz band.
We consider it unlikely that the current ITFS and MMDS allocations will be disturbed.
Conclusion
So, where do these pessimistic reports leave President Clinton's ambitious plan to allocate
frequencies for 3G by July 2001, and conduct auctions for 3G frequencies by September 2002?
Currently, there is no answer to this question. A political war is raging. The Defense Department
and ITFS and MMDS licensees are attempting to defend their current frequency allocations. The
wireless industry, through its trade associations, is seeking an allocation from one or both of
those frequency bands, perhaps in addition to an allocation from the 2110-2150 and 2160-2165
MHz bands. Recently, there have been reports that the FCC may consider other spectrum for 3G,
including the 1850-1990 MHz now allocated to future systems, which will provide
communications between satellites and wireless handsets.
The FCC, which will have to make this decision, is in transition. Four FCC Commissioners: the
Republican Chairman Michael Powell, Republican Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth, and
Democratic Commissioners Susan Ness and Gloria Tristani will be leaving or have already left .
President Bush has nominated Kevin Martin and Kathleen Abernathy, Republicans, and Michael
Copps, Democrat, to the FCC. Thus, an FCC that may include three or four new Commissioners
will have to decide which frequencies will be allocated to 3G.
The likeliest short-term outcome is a delay of the July 2001, date for designating 3G frequencies.
No matter how the current dispute is resolved, it is likely that some additional frequencies
eventually will be allocated to 3G use. The FCC and Congress believe that such an allocation is
necessary for the United States to maintain its competitive position in the world economy and
continue to be a leader in the development of advanced wireless technology.
It is also probable that, when the FCC does decide which frequencies are to be allocated, it will
also schedule auctions. A decision to enter such auctions would not be a step to be taken lightly
by those not now engaged in the wireless industry. But it would be a possibility that Holland &
Knight clients not now engaged in wireless may want to consider. We will keep you apprised of
developments in the 3G proceeding as it goes forward.
21st of December, 2001
o Good Gift Selection Presents a Pocketful of Dilemmas
http://www.ayg.com/R.po?t=dfix122101&l=/pda/Article.po?id=733288