By Megan Fleet

The changing of the guard from one year to the next brings inevitable changes. This is especially true with mobile technology which is arguably one of the most competitive and innovative segments of the tech industry as traditional feature phones and carriers are challenged with smartphone technologies and apps and unlocked phones.

So even if you keep half an ear to the latest happenings in this niche of the world market, there is a plethora of information, rumors, and announcements to keep track of. To help make the focus more manageable, here are a few noteworthy notices to kick off your 2012 mobile tech watch.

First, the continuing saga of the king of feature phones as it endeavors to make its mark in a smartphone world: Nokia. The mobile OS this manufacturer chose for its foray into smartphones is Symbian. Clearly this pairing didn’t fare well in the global marketplace. As a farewell gesture that is bound to drive the final nail in the coffin of Symbian, Nokia has opted to rebrand its latest smartphone as Nokia Belle. No Symbian to be mentioned in association again it seems. Perhaps the best rebranding for Nokia would be launching a new tablet featuring its next mobile OS choice.

Not to be left out, Google Android is bound to make this list. And, it is no surprise that it is causing waves with its much-buzzed-about OS upgrade: Ice Cream Sandwich. Global rollouts of this Android 4.0 update were supposed to have begun for Nexus S customers a few days ago, but according to the Google Community Manager, Paul Wilcox, announced that they are pausing updates to better monitor feedback for a while (this sounds oddly familiar to CarrierIQ scandal which highlighted the benefits of customers choosing unlocked devices).

On a more positive note for Google, they are now globally activating approximately 700,000 Android devices daily. The company’s willingness to work with many manufacturers (creating more opportunities for customers to choose carrier neutral unlocked phones), is significantly contributing to their continued growth around the world.

To follow on the heels of Google’s customer driven philosophy, carriers are having to fight the loss of their exclusivity on smartphones, tablets and accessories by dropping their prices. Recent reports show that 4G LTE pricing may drop by as 60% by 2016 as the additional speeds aren’t worth the cost for heavy users and the carrier specific devices that enable 4G are markedly more expensive than their 3G counterparts as well.

By Aldo Panessidi

Before October, the casual smart phone consumer was likely blissfully unaware of the existence of a company by the name of Carrier IQ. Thanks to researcher Trevor Eckhart, it has come to light that the stealth software company is recording keystrokes, SMS messages and other information and possibly reporting the data back to their servers. Carrier IQ’s response? Issuing a cease and desist letter to the whistleblower, Eckhart, and releasing a media alert dismissing the accusations saying that they are “not recording keystrokes or providing tracking tools.” Enjoy the freedom brought about by unlocked phones… which allow you to choose not only the service provider but the plan that best meets your lifestyle needs.
The potential privacy contagion is rumored to be limited to certain smart phone OS’s, so be an informed consumer and review all your mobile device options. The best part is the great offerings and releases of new phones and from Apple, Blackberry, Samsung, Motorola, HTC and everything in between during the holiday season! This Holiday Season – protective accessories solutions make excellent and greatly appreciated stocking stuffers.

And to end on a high note, legislation may be in the works to bring greater data equality and accessibility to all Canadians. Christian Paradis, the Minister of Industry, recently made significant remarks at the International Institute of Communications Canada Conference in Ottawa that rolled out “an update on measure taken to support the digital economy in Canada […] Canadians should receive the same services wherever they live.” The implications of this could be huge, ending regional monopolies by carrier based on tower service areas. Putting the power of choice back into the hands of the consumer who could better take advantage of unlocked mobile devices creates a competitive environment to drive technology and affordable, customizable plans. Music to all Canadians’ ears!

By Megan Fleet

Most travelers would expect a European capital to have a bustling international airport.  However, most first-time visitors to Finland would be in for a surprise.  This Nordic beauty has a mere population of 5 million… hence, its Helsinki airport resembles a small regional airport . It may be home to global mobile phenomenon, Nokia, but its population doesn’t appear to be sufficient to keep the former industry leader ahead of the competition. In fact, the Taloussanomat report out of Helsinki is the loudest singing canary in the global coalmine – a drop in Nokia brand popularity from 76% to 31% in a short 12 month period.  Discover the vast selection of unlocked phones in particular the Nokia smartphone phones .

The major change agent in this scenario?  In an inability to independently weather the unknown market climes and customer inclinations, Nokia partnered with Microsoft and released the Nokia Lumia800 (worth comparing to other unlocked phone options). Despite an aggressive marketing campaign, consumers are still undecided on their verdict.   View the innovative protective solutions and premium electronic accessories from the industry’s most leading brands

Nokia was an industry leader when there wasn’t a truly global mobile device market and an accompanying level of global competition.  Joining forces with Microsoft in February was a move intended to preserve its status in the mobile device industry.  It currently seems to have inherently altered the flavor of the company and, in due course, its product and image.  Even when taking the newest products out of consideration, this pairing appears to have alienated Nokia’s customer base.  This perception could potentially be altered with an addition of tablets.

Efforts to appease those customers  have a hollow resonance when compared to the Nokia of old. Even worse, with Stephen Elop’s statements regarding the Lumia800 being “the first real Windows Phone device,” the management of the co-branding is likely to alienate other Windows OS smart phone manufacturers like HTC, LG Mobile and Samsung.    A conflict in culture, vision, and management are looking to be greater conflicts than the mediocre mobile devices launched by the Microsoft-Nokia conglomerate. Fortunately, online retailers like PureMobile afford consumers an array of unlocked smart phones and the latest fashion setting superior protective accessories to customize mobile devices.

In fact, since the Microsoft partnership Samsung has significantly jumped in Finnish market share (3% to 25%) followed by a 26% increase by Apple and more pieces of the pie gobbles up by Sony Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE. This may indicate a marked augmentation in Finnish inclination to peruse the unlocked mobile device market to meet their smart phone needs.

With all of these unfavorable markers the casual observer may infer the fall of a mobile dynasty, but this writer’s belief is that the partnership with Microsoft was a necessity to remain competitive in the growing global market. If Nokia can be as innovative and inventive in its mobile device accessories they will have an even greater chance of survival.

By Megan Fleet

Is it any surprise that our tweeting, emailing, texting, and everything in between is leaving a trail of evidence behind us?  After all, we live in a world where key logging technology can be purchased from almost anywhere.  PureMobile offers unlocked phone, tablets and along with a myriad category of accessories to protect your mobile devices.

Not so long ago Apple was found to be keeping tabs on its iPhone users’ whereabouts. Now the Android developer Trevor Eckart has come forward with this discovery: his HTC EVO 4G is tracking each keypress, message, and location – this begs for consumer education and choice as these privacy threats grow. Review unlocked phones to avoid potentially harmful limitations in choice.

This stealth software belongs to the company Carrier IQ. It records on millions of other droids – not just HTC users, but Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry as well.

Carrier IQ’s position is that it doesn’t affect privacy concerns because; “Our technology is not real time. It’s not constantly reporting back. It’s gathering information up and is usually transmitted in small doses.”

They also dispute Eckart’s claim that his key presses were monitored, but with the use of a packet sniffer he was able to track each packet traveling to and from his stock EVO 4G.  He was then able to show how each keypress on the numeric keyboard, his browsing data, and his SMS messages were tapped without his knowledge by Carrier IQ software.   Get the latest in top quality, innovative protective solutions and premium electronic accessories from the industry’s leading brands

The truth may come out in the wash with a legal battle, but in the interim Android users may want to consider alternative mobile devices to keep Big Brother at bay.

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Megan Fleet

As if airline travel today is not worrisome enough in light of potential terrorism… we now have the additional preoccupation  of whether Apple  iPhone users will have their cell phone spontaneously combust in flames.

In fact, this did happen on Regional Express flight ZL319 which operating from Lismore to Sydney Australia.  After the plane landed, flight attendants noticed that a passenger’s iPhone 4 was glowing red and discharging a significant amount of dense smoke.  Cell phone case accessories are designed to protect your smart phone devices against scratches and unslightly blemishes caused by life’s hustle and bustle.

Quick thinking flight attendants were able to quickly extinguish the glowing red iPhone 4 and proceeded to convince the passengers that this was not a terrorist attack.  All passengers and flight attendants were unharmed… the only casualty seems to have been  the iPhone 4 owner’s ego.  Discover the right accessories that enhance functionality and optimize applications to turn your cell phone into a power device that is better suited to your unique lifestyle needs.

The matter has been reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) as well as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for investigation and directions.

This is an image of the actual self combustible iPhone

The likely culprit is the LED battery which Apple has only tested for one mile sky limits.  Upon consideration it is far better a faulty LED batteries (which has been a known issue in some laptops resulting in recalls over the years) than an act of terrorist intent.  With that in mind, mobile users may want to investigate their options. Unlocked phones make the choices varied and empower the consumer take these kinds of product shortcomings into consideration.

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One of the last frontiers for cell phone coverage – the New York subway, is set to be reached within the coming years thanks to a deal involving AT&T and T-Mobile each signing ten year contracts with Transit Wireless allowing their customers access Transit’s subway network

The infrastructure is still a number of years from completion, but after years of delays and negotiations the signing and length of the contracts is a solid indicator that subway users will soon be able to utilise their cell phones while waiting for their trains.

Crucially however, the signal will only be accessible at the subway stations themselves, there will be no reception on-board the trains once in transit. However, even given this the news is a welcome development for commuters for whom the ability to send a text, or make an email would be very useful in the event of a delayed or missed train on the way to work.

The planned infrastructure has traditionally been compared with that of London’s in the UK, which is on course to have a fully installed below ground mobile network installed before the launch of the 2012 Olympics. Importantly however, the London network will include coverage for subway trains in transit which shows New York it is possible, even if the London scheme is expected to cost hundred of millions of pounds for the installation.

Although to some this introduction of below ground network coverage may seem high tech, for large European and Asian cities it is as natural as running water and if New York is to remain a world class city  it’s quite evident that technological investments such as this are a necessity.

Whilst the introduction of such a scheme would no doubt be a serious technological advancement for New York, there are concerns amongst many New Yorkers of the annoyance the ability to hold phone conversations on the subway may cause to other commuters.

Verizon have today announced the upcoming release of their ‘Fivespot’ wireless modem. The Fivespot aims to provide wireless internet access for up to 5 separate devices, be they notebooks, laptops or gaming devices to name a few possibilities, in countries around the world.

The Fivespot comes with a built in Sim card and would obviously be very handy for the family on the go or a team of professionals away from the office or home. The fact that the Fivespot works in countries outside America is obviously also a plus however it would no doubt be potentially quite expensive, especially if gaming consoles are connected to it.

Traditionally people on the go have had to make use of small dongles or using phones as an internet modem. For a single device these are usually adequate however with more and more devices now having internet functionality the Fivespot could prove to be quite handy as well as potentially cost effective, especially when 3G internet access in a foreign country can be so expensive outside an arranged plan.

The pricing details for the Fivespot have also been announced so expect to be paying $60/month for 5 GB and the Fivespot itself will retail at around $100. Although this sounds more than reasonable the prices jump quite significantly for data usage outside the American continent. For instance in Europe 100MB data usage would cost somewhere in the region of $120. Clearly then for anyone but the highest paid professionals this seems undeniably expensive.

For those who are price concious yet seek to utilise wireless internet outside the American continent, it would be far cheaper to buy local pre-paid SIM cards for your cell phone even if it was a bit of extra hassle.

It has just been announced that over the last several years Verizon have been billing millions of customers for data usage in unfair circumstances. It appears that these were customers without data plans whose phones contained software that occasionally connected to the internet without the users consent. Often this was caused by customers accidentally hitting the ‘internet button’ on a cell phone and then immediately closing the window.

Without a data plan in place, this resulted in minor charges for the customers involved eventually building up over time to several dollars per customer. Verizon have announced that most customers affected by this will be receiving $2-$6 credited to their accounts or else if they are no longer with Verizon they will be sent checks in the mail.

Whilst for individual users the amount refunded isn’t all that significant, given that Verizon have said this could affect up to 15million customers it appears that this will end up costing them quite a large sum of money once this is over.

In a press release explaining this situation Verizon said that: “Verizon Wireless values our customer relationships and we always want to do the right thing for our customers.”

However according to the New York Times, Verizon have known about this issue for quite some time and it would appear they are only issuing the refunds after hundreds of complaints and significant pressure being applied from the FCC. To quote the FCC Enforcement Chief Michele Ellison, “ questions remain as to why it took Verizon two years to reimburse its customers and why greater disclosure and other corrective actions did not come much, much sooner”

In light of this condemnation, for some cell phone users  the unexpected dollars credited to their account might be a pleasant surprise, for others however this will only add to Verizon’s poor reputation when it comes to looking after their customers.

Vlingo, the maker of a popular Voice command application for a number of cell phone platforms, responded to the launch of Google’s Voice Actions application, this was done by offering Vlingo’s Android application free of cost. Vlingo stated in its blog that its Voice command application is better than the Google version in many respect and also offers similar functionality. In order to compete with the application by Google, Vlingo has now started to offer the Android version free of cost so that it is easier for the user to compare the features of the products.

Vlingo states that their product has advantages over the one from Google. Vlingo hints, Google has a constraint because it has to promote its services and other content while being a separate developer, Vlingo can take the best of Google and the other services and mix them up.

Vlingo’s Voice command application does provide some features that that cannot be found in Google’s Voice Actions. These features include Safe Reader, this application reads incoming email messages and texts. Vlingo is available on many platforms like Unlocked Blackberry phone and the iPhone and also on more than one version of Android. Though Google’s voice actions may be attractive for Android, the only Android version in which it is available is 2.2.

So… a few questions appear before us. Will Android users choose Vlingo over voice actions now that Vlingo is available free of cost? How will everybody take Vlingo’s move to offer such a huge discount and make its app free? It does speak a lot when a company actually tries to compete rather than bad mouth its opponent.

Dr. Ataken Peker, the founder of Liquidmetal Technologies said that in the making and design of Apple’s new wireless antennas Liquidmetal’s shapeless metal alloys might be used. Dr. Ataken Peker pointed out at an interview which was held by Cult of Mac, that the properties which Liquidmetal hold, makes it a very useful material for an antenna. This can be a reason behind Apple’s signing of a broad licensing agreement with the company.

Commonly illustrated as metallic glass, the different alloys that go into the making Liquidmetal provides great strength at minimum weights, utmost durability or wear resistance, and the softening temperature being low, it is easier to mould it into designs and shapes that are complex in nature. Liquidmetal is already being used in various consumer products such as sports equipments especially skis, golf clubs etc. jewellery, and also in electronic equipments where it appears in USB thumb drive casings, MP3 players, and cell phones. The wireless modem, Verizon USB727, which is famous for its excellent reception capability uses Liquidmetal technology in its antenna. Moreover, Apple also uses the same technology in the newly launched Magic Trackpad.

Apple may not be eyeing for Liquidmetal to be solely used in the making of the simple antenna, it may as well be used in the seamless, complex casings of products such as iPod, unlocked  iPhone4 and the iPad. Moreover this technology can also be used to make novel casings that receive radio signals. The Bezel Antenna that is used in iPhone 4 can be replaced by an outer casing that receives signals thus making the whole casing itself an antenna. Liquidmetal has properties that allow it to be bended without fatigue or erosion of any sort so it can also be used to make one piece foldable devices too.