My favorites...: 2005

Despite A Year Delay, Korea's Satellite DMB Services Off To Strong Start
12:06PM 5/16/05 [ back to top ]

TU Media, owned thirty percent by Korea's leading mobile operator, SK Telecom, launched the world's first commercial mobile broadcasting service to cell phones on May 1st, more than a year later than expected.

After only two weeks, Korea's new satellite digital multimedia broadcasting service has gained over 20,000 subscribers.

The new service features 7 video channels and 20 audio broadcasts, and costs about US$13 a month. Only two DMB-enabled handsets are available right now, Samsung Electronics' SCH-B100 and Pantech's IBM-1000. LG Electronics is releasing a compatible phone today and Samsung is releasing another model later this month.

"While only cellular handsets are currently compatible, integration into the vehicle should follow shortly," ABI Research analyst David Schrier told Telematics Journal. "Satellite digital multimedia broadcasting represents a cost effective way to deliver fresh video content to the vehicle."

Market analysts are also expecting Terrestrial DMB services to launch next month, led by the country's major cable news, radio, and television broadcasters. Once terrestrial servcies are launched, then the battle for subscribers will begin.

Schrier added that ABI Research expects the total number of terrestrial DMB subscribers to be significantly higher than satellite DMB subscribers, as terrestrial-based services will be free and feature better programming. However, it will be challenging for terrestrial DMB broadcasters to come up with successful revenue models. This is why they have been petitioning the government to be allowed to charge subscription fees.

Now Callers Can Make VoIP Calls On Nokia Phone

Now Callers Can Make VoIP Calls On Nokia Phone
11:10AM 5/17/05 [ back to top ]
SCN LTD, a leading creator of VoIP Wireless LAN technology, today launched Truphone, the world's first fully converged solution - allowing people to make VoIP calls on the Series 60 Platform. Developed by Nokia, Series 60 is the world's leading smartphone platform, with millions of devices already in the market.
Truphone brings the economics of VoIP to mass market cellular phones allowing you to carry one phone for use on cellular networks and wireless LAN systems deployed in the home, office and public hotspots. The beta of Truphone is now available for Series 60 smartphones from SCN Ltd by request to info@scn.com. The Series 60 smartphone architecture provides users with all the basic and advanced cellular phone functions in a compact device characterized by a large color screen, rich communications and enhanced applications.
Truphone allows you to use your cell phone phone to make calls over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or 3G using VoIP. This allows you to mix the benefits of carrying a single mobile device with all your contacts while gaining the cost benefits of IP telephony when in range of an access point. Access points are now widely deployed in companies, homes and public areas such as airports and coffee bars. If you are in the middle of a call and move away from the access point Truphone will transfer the call to the cellular network allowing you to continue without interruption. For enterprises this provides the ideal converged device so that employees need only use one phone for all their communication needs connecting to the cellular network when traveling and connecting to the corporate SIP system when in the office. Consumers get the benefits of coverage into mobile blind spots and can make lower cost VoIP calls when near an access point on their favourite personal device - the cell phone.
'The market for VoIP is taking off with over 125 companies heading to VON in Stockholm next week (23rd May 2005). The Series 60 platform provides the ideal converged phone to give customers a rich mobile experience and the Series 60 program has been instumental in allowing us to deeply integrate with the phone', says Andy McEwan, Director of Engineering, SCN Ltd. 'Several companies have proven customer adoption on PCs with low cost and even free services so we see the next step is to take the VoIP business model to the mobile space where revenue opportunities are greater: With Nokia phones enabled Mobile VoIP has arrived.'
Nokia created the Series 60 Platform and licenses it to leading cell phone vendors LG Electronics, Lenovo, Panasonic, Samsung, Sendo and Siemens, who together with Nokia make up nearly two-thirds of global cell phone sales. Series 60 devices feature large, high-resolution screens with up to 65,000 colors, at least 4MB of memory, and support thousands of software titles.
Truphone integrates with the phonebook in your series 60 phone and automatically detects Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access points that are available for making calls. These calls are routed over IP using the SIP protocol and terminated to another SIP compliant device or via a Media Gateway to the public phone system. In enterprise systems this termination can be performed by the company's VoIP telephony system saving on cellular calls when employees are in the office. Consumers connect using broadband connections to to the Internet and use SIP termination services provided by carriers and third parties. Incoming calls are supported using a number range and the servers automatically route the incoming calls via mobile or wireless LAN depending on availability of coverage.
The first product to ship from SCN Ltd supports the Nokia 6630 phone operating over Bluetooth. This will operate with a Bluetooth enabled computer or an inexpensive Bluetooth Truphone adapter turning that computer into a low cost access point. Wi-Fi enabled phones, such as the N91 just announced by Nokia, will follow shortly allowing the use of Truphone in public hotspots and enterprises where Bluetooth is less commonly available. Calls can be terminated by a range of carrier partners or using SIP application software that can be deployed in the network.
The application is in test with service providers, operators and MVNOs.

BBC invests in a world of endless repeats - Interactive Media Player

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | BBC invests in a world of endless repeats

SmartVideo to stream music videos to wireless phones

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Tuesday, May 17, 2005

SiRF system on a chip to bring down telematics costs

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Monday, May 16, 2005

destinationCRM.com: Location-Based Services Are Finding Their Place

Location-Based Services in NZ

Fuel cell that runs on blood

IOL: Science & Tech

Saturday, May 14, 2005

PhysOrg: New �Nuclear Battery� Runs 10 Years, 10 Times More Powerful

Friday, May 13, 2005

Bill Gates: Cellphone will beat iPod - May. 12, 2005

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Sony notebooks to include EDGE modems

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Bank Finds Surprise Benefit to Handheld GPS

Friday May 6, 2005, a man robbed a bank in Cincinnati, where the bank teller placed a hand-held global tracking device into the bank robber's bag. Within 42 minutes, the tracking device was located, and the suspect was apprehended. This incident has proven that hand-held GPS tracking devices are effective products that provide an unprecedented – and sometimes unexpected -- service.
MicroTRAK, Inc. has begun to implement their national distribution strategy for the hand-held SlimTRAK and currently has received commitments across the Mid-Atlantic region.
MIOK has recently confirmed commitment from Premier Marketing, Inc. (PMI), consumer manufacturer representatives and AR Marketing, Inc. (ARMI), consumer manufacturing representatives. PMI and ARMI will be producing sales in North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. PMI and ARMI's responsibilities are to exploit MIOK's premiere product (SlimTRAK) to regional mobile electronics resellers.
The SlimTRAK can be portable, or fixed to any object no smaller than a breadbox. With the SlimTRAK weighing only 7 ounces (with 4AA batteries), and resistant to water, versatility has no limits. It is common knowledge that GPS tracking devices help deter auto theft and return stolen vehicles to owners.