Smartphones: Amazon Phone May Be a Tough Sell in Europe — When It Arrives - by Mark Scott

People outside the United States hoping to get their hands on Amazon’s new smartphone will have to wait awhile.

During the much-anticipated announcement of the company’s Fire handset, little attention was given to Amazon’s international operations, which deliver about 40 percent of its annual sales.

At first, the smartphone will only be available in the United States as part of an exclusive deal with AT&T.

Amazon is in talks with several European companies, including Vodafone of Britain and Telefónica of Spain, though no deal has been finalized to bring the phone to Europe, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Representatives of Vodafone and Telefónica declined to comment, while a representative for Amazon was not immediately available to comment.

When Amazon eventually takes its new phone abroad, it is likely to face an uphill battle to lure Europeans away from their devices in favor of an untested competitor aimed at linking users to Amazon’s e-commerce empire.

Online retail spending in Europe remains less developed than in America. And despite efforts by other tech giants like Microsoft to break into the smartphone market, Europeans still favor devices made by the existing market leaders, Apple and Samsung.

 
Read more: Amazon Phone May Be a Tough Sell in Europe — When It Arrives - NYTimes.com

European Technology: A €63 billion EU app boom. Nearly 5 million jobs in European app sector by 2018, says EU report

Apps = Skills=Jobs

The EU's app sector has gone from zero to digital superhero in less than five years. By 2018 it could employ 4.8 million people and contribute €63 billion to the EU economy according to a report presented in Brussels today.

The study, carried out by GIGAOM and NUI Galway for the European Commission, shows that Europe's app developers are up to the challenge of taking the global lead.

 Currently, EU and North American developers generate the same levels (42% each) of app revenues in crucial EU and US markets. Although the future is bright, developers have raised concerns about the skills gap, connectivity and fragmentation which could put the app boom at risk

Today the app economy employs 1 million developers, and 800,000 people in marketing & support posts.

This could rise to 2.7 million developers + 2.1 million support staff by 2018. EU buyers and advertisers spent €6.1 billion on apps in 2013, 30% of total global app spending, growing to €18.7 billion in 2018. Consumer spending combined with advertising and contract work could lead to €63 billion annual revenue for the app sector within five years.

Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, said "In the face of increasing youth unemployment, these figures give me new hope. The app sector is one area of the digital economy where Europe can really lead. But we have to address concerns about connectivity and fragmentation – yet another reason to complete the telecom single market!"

28 EU leading companies created 40% of the top 100 grossing apps in the EU and US. Three of the top-five companies are Nordic games developers (1st King.com, 2nd, Supercell, 5th Rovio)with German, French, Spanish and UK app developers also finding success outside their native markets. 

Growing market, growing jobs: In 2013, developers earned €11.5 billion making apps for consumer goods, banking, media, retail and other clients. They can expect to earn up to €46 billion through contracts of this nature in 2018. The app boom is creating jobs, for example contract developers Golden Gekko (London/Barcelona) plans to grow its staff 40-50% next year and London-based Grapple Mobile was a 3-person firm three years ago, employs 120 now, and intends to double next year.

EU-Digest

Apps Security: 92% of Top 500 Android Apps Carry Security or Privacy Risk

Apps carry security risks

About 460 of the top 500 Android applications create a security or privacy risk when downloaded to Android devices, according to new research. And that’s largely because of a lack of user education, and the fact that mobile users don’t mind sharing personal information for free apps in return.

MetaIntell, a vendor that specializes in cloud-based mobile risk management (MRM), set about testing the top apps in a range of stores, including Amazon, CNET, GETJAR and the official Google Play store. It found that more than 92% of the applications it tested used non-secure communication protocols, while 60% communicate with domains that are blacklisted by a reputation service.

Additional risks included developer reputation, content vulnerabilities and 20% of the apps tested had the ability to load external applications either locally or remotely – all without the express consent or knowledge of the user.

Digging deeper into the data, MetaIntell rated the risks so high on many applications that 42% of them should not be allowed onto any consumer or enterprise-owned device.

These results are from an analysis of the apps that people download the most – suggesting that much more user education is necessary when it comes to mobile use.

Read more: Infosecurity - 92% of Top 500 Android Apps Carry Security or Privacy Risk

Windows Phone takes more of Europe's smartphone market amid signs of a Nokia comeback - by Joe best

As you might expect, new research out today shows that Android is Europe's favourite smartphone OS by a country mile. But, further down the table, Windows Phone is turning into a serious contender.

According to figures out today from researchers Kantar WorldPanel ComTech, Android featured on just over 70 percent of smartphones sold in the three months to August across Europe's five biggest markets: Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Equally unsurprisingly, iOS is in second position with 16 percent of the smartphone market in Europe – a year on year rise of around two percentage points for both OSes.
Windows Phone meanwhile continues to grow its share in the five countries, hitting 9.2 percent – around double its 5.1 percent share for the same period last year.

The jump has been fuelled by significant gains in the three major European markets: France, Germany and Great Britain. In the latter, its share has risen from 4.5 percent a year ago to 12 percent today, while in Germany it's grown from 3.8 percent to 8.8 percent – the first time it's hit double digit share in either country.
In Germany, that puts Windows Phone only one percentage point behind iOS in market share.

"Windows Phone's latest wave of growth is being driven by Nokia's expansion into the low and mid range market with the Lumia 520 and 620 handsets. These models are hitting the sweet spot with 16 to 24 year-olds and 35 to 49 year-olds, two key groups that look for a balance of price and functionality in their smartphone," Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, said in a statement.

And, despite recent turbulence and a proposed €5.4bn takeover by Microsoft, Windows Phone's main hardware champion Nokia is growing its own market share across some of Europe's biggest markets. (Nokia accounted for four in five of all Windows Phone device sales across the five markets.)

For the three months to the end of August, Nokia bagged 7.8 percent of all smartphone sales, up from 6.9 percent a year ago, inching up on third-placed Sony, whose share stands at 8.2 percent, a slight rise on a year ago. LG is also seeing something of a comeback, increasing its European share to 6.1 percent from 2.1 percent a year ago.

Read more: Windows Phone takes more of Europe's smartphone market amid signs of a Nokia comeback | ZDNet

PRISM: Why privacy is the price of digital-age communication - by Omar El Akkad

Since the revelations of widespread intelligence-agency eavesdropping on the digital communications of millions of people in the United States and around the world, governments and technology companies have been under immense pressure to explain exactly how pervasive the monitoring has become. Users of e-mail and social networks provided by the likes of Google Inc., Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have found themselves asking whether there are any means of keeping their data totally secure.

The short answer, it seems, is that there isn’t. And new revelations suggest that even the BlackBerry, touted by Research In Motion Ltd. as the most secure form of wireless communication in the market, could not clock the prying eyes of government.

The Guardian newspaper reported that the Government Communications Headquarters, Britain’s intelligence agency, spied on the e-mail and phone communications of visiting foreign dignitaries during meetings in London in 2009. The paper reported that, among other things, the GCHQ had manged to “penetrate” the security of the visiting officials’ BlackBerrys.

Read more: Why privacy is the price of digital-age communication - The Globe and Mail

Cellular Phone Industry - Finland: Nokia topseller Lumia920 turns company Q4 performance beyond expectations

Nokia Lumia920

Finnish electronics giant Nokia has announced that it saw a better than expected fourth quarter results, largely thanks to stronger sales of its Lumia model smartphone.


Figures released by the Espoo-based firm on Thursday (10 January) revealed that more than 86 million devices were sold over the period, with the Windows Mobile-based Lumia returning to profitability as a strong performer with 4.4 million units sold.

Likewise, Nokia Siemens Networks saw exceptionally good sales, driving the third straight quarter of underlying profitability.

Nokia shares climbed 3.4 percent to EUR 31.88 on the back of Thursday’s news, pushing the stock to the upper levels of the FTSE Eurofirst 300 leader board.

Read more: Nokia Q4 performance exceeds expectations | IceNews - Daily News

Cellular Phones: Bytes of Apple starting to taste a little off - Don Pittis

Remember when Apple was the cool dude and Microsoft's PC was the pudgy guy stuck in the box? It was way back in 2006 and it was so easy to laugh. That series of ads comparing the distinctly uncool PC in glasses, tie and polyester suit with the slim and youthful Apple character helped to create the company's current image.

Apple was an upstart smart Alec, anything but establishment. Besides the products and the Steve Jobs lore, those ads were brilliant in their own right in creating the Apple reputation. You didn't have to be forced to watch them. People collected them on the internet to be viewed as stand-alone cool recreation.

It is easy to forget that some 20 years before, Microsoft had started off as an underdog. Skinny kid Bill Gates tricked the reigning tech giant, IBM by hanging onto rights for software that he realized was more important than the computers that ran it.

Obviously it is too early to write Apple off. The biggest company in the world is not going anywhere fast. Microsoft is still around. And so is IBM, rediscovering itself in ways that may once again bring it to the forefront.

Apple is still riding high, but for the first time, the company feels like a real apple that has reached its peak of crisp perfection; its fragrance contains the first sweet whiff of decay.


 

Read more: Bytes of Apple starting to taste a little off - Business - CBC News

Personal Privacy: Smartphone apps track users even when shut down - by Hiawatha Bray

Smart-phones

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that some popular apps are continually collecting information without informing the phone’s owner.

“It seems like people are no longer in control of their own privacy,” said Frances Zhang, a master’s degree student in computer science at MIT.

Zhang and fellow researcher Fuming Shih, a computer science doctoral candidate, found that some popular apps for phones running Google Inc.’s Android operating system are continually collecting information without informing the phone’s owner. Shih and Zhang only tested 36 apps written for the Android operating system, which is “open source” software — meaning users are free to modify programs that run on the platform. The researchers added software to Android that recorded the actions of each app on a standard Android phone.

Most apps have written policies on privacy, according to a survey released in July by the US think tank Future of Privacy Forum­ in Washington, D.C., which is funded by a number of technology companies.

But privacy policy statements are often so long and difficult to understand that few people read them, and they often lack crucial details, Abelson said. The privacy policy for Angry­ Birds, for example, does not reveal that the app continues to track a user’s location even when the game is shut down.

In June, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced an effort to create legally enforceable privacy standards for mobile apps.

The EU as far as could be researched does not have a Privacy Policy for mobile apps. 

Read more: Smartphone apps track users even when shut down - Business - Boston.com

Cellular Phones: Galaxy S3 vs One X vs Xperia S vs iPhone 4S: Camera Fight!

With the Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X, the iPhone 4S, and the Sony Xperia S being packed with features, it’s not surprising that it is quite difficult to crown any of the smartphone cameras as the best. Each has its strengths and weaknesses in different scenarios, and as always, it boils down to personal preference. But, it does look like the 12.1MP Sony Xperia S is the least impressive of the four devices, even with its megapixel superiority. The poorer quality can possibly be attributed to its lower cost and hence, cheaper hardware, so that the next high-end Sony smartphone with a 12/13MP camera could stand strong against its competition.

Read more: Galaxy S3 vs One X vs Xperia S vs iPhone 4S: Camera Fight!

Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S3 Vs. Sony Xperia S: Flagship Phones Head-to-Head

The Sony Xperia S is the Japanese manufacturer’s first offering since it bought out Ericsson’s share from their mobile phone joint venture. Oddly for the absolute top-end of any company’s smartphone range, it packs only a dual-core processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Still, with excellent design, respectable performance and screen, the Xperia S may offer a compelling option to buyers.

In contrast, Samsung’s Galaxy S3 rocks a 4.8-inch screen, quad-core chipset and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to showcase the absolute best in both hardware and software that the manufacturer can put in a smartphone.

In terms of power, the Samsung’s quad-core Exynos chipset definitively beats out the Xperia’s dual-core Snapdragon silicon. However, outside of benchmarks, average users won’t really feel the difference. However, the Xperia S loses out in terms of storage space. 32GB of internal storage should be plenty for most, but the Galaxy S3 offers 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors with an option for up to 64GB of space on a microSD card.

While the Xperia S shipped with Gingerbread, its Ice Cream Sandwich update has already rolled out, effectively putting it on even ground with the Galaxy S3.
The Galaxy S3 is definitely the more powerful option, but the Xperia isn’t a bad choice, considering its design and top-shelf build quality. People who prefer absolute performance or who like to consume a great amount of media on the go would prefer the Samsung Galaxy S3, but the rest of us could be satisfied with the Sony Xperia S.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S3 Vs. Sony Xperia S: Flagship Phones Head-to-Head - Eastern Morning Herald

EU Votes To Lower Mobile Roaming Charges - by Jennifer LeClaire

According to the new EU rules, which still need approval by the full European Parliament, a downloaded megabyte would cost no more than 70 cents. That cost drops down to 45 cents in 2013 and 20 cents by July 2014. This is a big improvement for roaming and data plans in the EU, as there is currently no price ceiling for mobile data services. 

Members of the European Parliament and the Danish Presidency of the Council of Ministers agreed to lower price caps on roaming. Parliament as a whole still needs to approve the deal. But if all runs smoothly the new rules will take effect July 1.

"I am satisfied that the Council approved Parliament's approach to tackle very high prices of phone calls, SMS and in particular of data roaming," said Angelika Niebler of Germany, Parliament's reporter for the draft legislation. "The proposed price caps ensure a sufficient margin between wholesale and retail prices to assure a level of competition that will enable new players to enter the market."

Note EU-Digest: this is another major proof that being part of the EU provides legislative protection to partner states from the often ruthless excessive profit seeking private sector and directly benefits its citizens.

For more: EU Votes To Lower Mobile Roaming Charges | Sci-Tech Today

Aircraft Safety: Turning off your electronic gadgets while in flight may be a good idea - by Adam Christy and Kelly Gross

A new investigation by USA today says that turning off your electronic gadgets while in flight, may not be necessary anymore.

Ernesto Martinez has been a pilot for 7 years, and he says no tool has made flying easier than his iPad. With maps, airplane and airport information, approach planes, and sectionals, Ernesto's iPad has everything he needs.

"If you have a large aircraft and there are many people on their phones, it can get into the cockpit,” said Martinez. The study looks at hundreds of documents that found electronic devices give of electromagnetic interference, but that the amount is small.


“Just turn it off, because you are really putting your life at risk,” says Martinez.


For more: A new investigation by USA today says that turning off your electronic gadgets while in flight, may not be necessary anymore. - KTXL

Smartphones Tap Into Your Conversations With Spyware; Wiretap - by Sid Kirchheimer

Your smartphone may be sharing your secrets. Using "spyware" that sells on the Internet for as little as $15, other people can hijack your phone. This allows them to hear your calls; see your text messages, e-mails, photographs and files; and track your location through constant GPS updates.

Your phone can even be turned into a surreptitious microphone. "When the phone is off — in a pocket, purse or on a table — it can remotely be turned on so conversations around the phone can be heard," says Tim Wilcox, owner of International Investigators Inc., an Indianapolis security firm.

The world now has about 370 million smartphones, according to ABI Research, an Oyster Bay, N.Y., firm that studies wireless communications. They include BlackBerrys, Androids, iPhones and others that easily accept apps and have ample processing power. Security experts say millions of them may already be infected with spyware; the risk for basic "dumb" cellphones is far less.
Mobile phone spyware is illegal in the United States but is sold by websites operating overseas. With at least 600 variations of the app out there, all it takes is a credit card to make an instant wiretapper. Often that person is a suspicious spouse, an overly protective parent or a jealous coworker. "But it's certainly possible for scammers to use it for identity theft," says Wilcox.

For more: Scam Alert: Smartphones Tap Into Your Conversations With Spyware; Wiretap - AARP Bulletin

Corporate Greed Out Of Control: Why AT&T’s takeover deal of T-Mobile is bad for customers and free market capitalism

..move to take over T-Mobile USA is disastrous news for customers. It will let AT&T shut down a competitor, jack up prices, and save on customer service.

The whole essence of the free market system lies in consumer choice and competition. That’s why companies can charge what they like, and offer the products and services they like. But ultimately, if the consumer is unhappy, they can take their business elsewhere. That at least is how old fashioned capitalism used to work. Today, specially in the utilities, energy, medical and transportation sectors the choices for the consumer are continuously being reduced as a result of mergers.

What’s going to happen to some of these great T-Mobile features after AT&T takes it over? If one listens to what AT&T chairman Randall Stephenson said this weekend "that AT&T “will look hard at whether to continue some of T-Mobile's services one can only wonder what that means?

History has proven now without doubt that these merger deals are always bad for the consumer. If you happen to think wireless and telephone companies are arrogant today, just wait till they’ve cut their cozy wireless communication club down to just three with the possibility of even more “merger misery” in that industry.

Remember the Sprint and Nextel or the FedEx and Kinko’s merger? Or look what happens if you want to book a flight on an airline these days, following the mergers in that industry. Sky high costs, little or no service, additional charges for food, baggage, seating, fuel, taxes, and just about everything else. Also, to make matters worse, one will find that in today's corporate worlds we find that most CEO's don't care. Why should they? They just have their mind on just three things: Stock options, stock options, and stock options.

You as a consumer in the US and the EU can take action if you care about freedom of choice and competition. Write to your local parliamentarian, or US congressman. Write to your representative in the European parliament or US Senator. Write to the European Ombudsman, US Federal Communications Commission or the U.S. Department of Justice. They are ones which must approve deals like the one between T-Mobile and AT&T or others.

EU-Digest

Nokia E7 is now available in retail stores across Europe

Well, Nokia has made available its E7 handsets across retail stores in Europe. However, the handset is not yet available in US, the country wherein Nokia so far has three wireless partners: Verizon wireless, T-Mobile and AT&T, for it to launch its handsets with there.

A touch phone with full side out slide full qwerty keyboard, the handset features 4 inch ClearBlack display, built in VPN for internet access, 16 GB on board memory, 8 MP built in camera, A-GPS support, Instant messenger [supports Gmail, Yahoo mail, Windows Live, Hotmail, and other POP/MAP service], integrated social network, up to 430 hours of standby time and up to 5 hours of talk time under GSM coverage.

For more: Nokia E7 is now available in retail stores across Europe | Gadgets Reviews

Microsoft hopes to bury iPhone, Android - by Bill Rigby.

Windows Phone 7 software showed how badly Microsoft wants to resurrect itself in the viciously competitive phone market.




The new software, which will be publicly unveiled on October 11 and expected on handsets in stores by November, is Microsoft's last chance, some analysts say, to catch up with Apple and Google Inc's Android smartphones, after squandering its strong market position in only a few years. A group of smartphone manufacturers including Samsung and HTC Corp are expected to roll out Microsoft-based phones for the holiday season.


Whether they will be good enough to render the iPhone obsolete is the question.

For more: Microsoft hopes to bury iPhone, Android | Reuters

Americans donating money for Haiti via their cell phones reach $ 20 million mark

Americans who are turning to their cell phones to donate money via text message for Haitian relief efforts have pledged more than $20 million as of Monday, an unprecedented amount for mobile donations.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy estimated Monday that donations to earthquake-ravaged Haiti now exceed a record-breaking $150 million, more than four times the amount given to tsunami relief efforts in 2004.

Social networking sites like Facebook and mobile phone technology have made it easier for charities like the American Red Cross — which has raised $12 million via text message alone — to raise these needed funds.

A number of other relief groups have been added to the accepted list of organizations that can receive text message donations from customers of the four main wireless carriers in the United States — Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, said Jim Manis, chairman and CEO of the Mobile Giving Foundation (www.mobilegiving.org).

More from: Cell fone texters raise $20 million for Haiti -- Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequim Forks Jefferson County Clallam County Olympic Peninsula Daily NEWS

YahooNews: In France, 92 percent of residents use a mobile:

For the complete report from YahooNews click on this link

In France, 92 percent of residents use a mobile

The number of mobile users continues to rise in France with 91.8 percent of residents subscribing to wireless services as of end-June, up from 88.1 percent a year ago, the telecoms regulator said on Wednesday. French wireless operators, including Orange, Bouygues Telecom and SFR, together attracted 678,000 customers during the second quarter, raising the total number by 1.2 percent against the same period last year.

As of June 30, France had 58.905 million wireless service subscribers.

Computerworld: Europe moves to develop standard mobile phone chargers - by Paul Meller

For the complete report click on this link

Europe moves to develop standard mobile phone chargers- by Paul Meller

Wouldn't it be nice if all of our mobile gadgets connected to one universal charger? According to the vice president of the European Commission, Gunter Verheugen, it's not only possible, it's already on the drawing board. Steps are being taken to standardize mobile-phone chargers, though a universal charger for all mobile devices will take longer. The commission claims some of the credit for the agreement reached with mobile phone makers, which earlier this year said they would pursue a universal charger for all phones. Verheugen welcomed the agreement, which was signed by 10 phone makers, including the biggest names in the industry that account for more than 90% of all European mobile phone sales.

Dallas Business Journal: Cell phone sales may dial downward in ’09 - by Jeff Bounds

Skater using cell phone while skating on the Dutch Almere city lake - photo EU-Digest

For the complete report from the Dallas Business Journal click on this link

Cell phone sales may dial downward in ’09 - by Jeff Bounds

Makers of mobile phones are bracing for a potentially difficult 2009 after a number of years of strong growth, although analysts say the future is bright for makers of high-end “smart phones.” But ongoing uncertainty about the economy is making it difficult to get a glimpse of the future.