Samsung Competes With iPhone in Netherlands

With the European Union choosing DVB-H as the mobile-television standard over other versions of the technology in March, Samsung Electronics will commercialize a handset supporting the new format as a pre-emptive measure in the Netherlands.
But Samsung officials couldn’t be happy with the news that Apple’s iPhone is virtually ready to penetrate the Dutch market via the Netherlands’ biggest mobile operator KPN ― probably an ominous sign for Samsung with expected soaring marketing costs.
On Sunday, Samsung Electronics said it will commercialize the ``SGH-P960’’ mobile that supports DVB-H OMA-BCAST technology in the Netherlands from Thursday via KPN ― for the first time in Europe.The handset enables users to watch television programs with clearer images thanks to digital natural image engine technology. The device adopts a 2.6-inch QVGA liquid crystal display screen and features a 3.0-megapixel camera, Samsung said. ``The timing of the launch has been delayed for one month for technical reasons,’’ a Samsung spokesman said.
``Currently, we have no detailed idea of how many European mobile operators will support the DVB-H OMA-BCAST technology and in that sense the launch is a kind of litmus-test,’’ he added.Samsung’s new phone has been in line with the Dutch incumbent player’s plan to launch a large-scale network that will offer TV through mobile phones from Thursday in time for the start of the Euro 2008 football championships.
The number of mobile phone users in the Netherlands rose to 18.9 million in 2007, representing a penetration of 115 percent due to the large number of cancellations of traditional telephone connections, according to industry estimates.
DVB-H, or digital video broadcasting for hand-held devices, which is also a sister standard of DVB-T, is the most widely used mobile-TV format in Europe and is supported by handset makers including Nokia, Motorola as well as Samsung and LG Electronics.The European Commission said its latest decision ordering EU member countries to promote DVB-H over rival standards was necessary to get the technology off the ground.``Samsung took a meaningful step. However, marketing costs will rise further in the Netherlands,’’ said a local analyst. KPN will launch broadcasts of 10 channels on Thursday and will initially sell two mobiles ― one from Samsung and one from LG, while it also plans to launch Nokia handsets, as well.``As far as I know, talks regarding the sale of Apple’s iPhone on the Dutch market via KPN will be finalized soon, which is not great news for Samsung,’’ the spokesman said.

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Youth go in for trendy handsets

New and trendy mobile phones find favour especially among the youth, who keep changing their mobile phones within one year. While mobile companies launch new handsets almost every alternate month, the entry of new companies offering high-end mobile solutions has kept the prices within the reach of the common man.
As Mr Rizwan Sheikh says more and more people are taking to mobiles as they are becoming more and more cheaper. The landline phones, which used to cost Rs 20,000 some five years back, are now available at just Rs 3000. He said that mobile phones are available from just over Rs 1000 to Rs 30,000, hence providing a wide range for the people as per their needs.Saying that the mobile companies are constantly targeting the youth through their latest phones, Mr Sheikh said the youth, including the ladies, prefer multi-media phones with camera, music, e-mail, etc.
Mr Asif Sauji of Cell Touch and Mr Kewal of Alliance Telecom, Margao, informed that the youth prefer the multimedia range, while the middle-aged persons prefer the phones with basic requirements, but stress a lot on phones with long battery life. He said these phones cost between Rs 3000 and Rs 6000 and some of the features include FM Radio, a low-end camera, etc.
He said the new trendy phones prompts the youth to change their handsets as often as every six months. He said the customers get full value for money as they often exchange the mobile phone for the new ones and only pay a small difference. At the same time people who have simple phones upgrade by purchasing these second-hand sets which are relatively new.
He also said that with the launch of new handsets, the previously launched sets become much cheaper. Citing an example, he said Nokia had launched a handset some six months back which used to cost Rs 10,000. It recently launched a higher version of the same handset and priced it at Rs 11,500. It also dropped the prices of the previous set by almost Rs 2,000. He said such marketing tactics are also influencing the market trend and added that besides the working class and college students even schoolchildren are buying mobile phones.
A mobile user, Mr Romeo Quadros informed that in five years he has had three handsets. “My father gifted me my first handset and had paid Rs 3000. Today I have a handset for which I paid Rs 14,000,” Mr Quadros said. He said that he did not feel the pinch as he got good value for money on his new handset.Mr Calvin Correia, another mobile user, said that he bought his handset with web-access, music, etc six months back adding that he was happy with his handset and hence has no immediate plans to changing it.Ms P Martins, who was buying a handset for her 15-year old daughter, said that she was not going in for any specific handset but wanted a handset that is easy to operate.

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Coming your way

Scientists track Kenyan elephants by fitting them with collar-mounted mobile phones. Elephants can’t use all the features of an iPhone or a Nokia N series when making trunk calls, but the latest global positioning phones now allow smaller-fingered users to use location-based services to find information of real use. Such phones tell service and content providers exactly where subscribers are. So now users can ask: “Where is the nearest Chinese restaurant, are any of my friends there, what’s the food like and how do I get there?” It’s a huge step forward.
There are opportunities for subscribers and providers alike. Businesses can coordinate their workforces, private users can coordinate their social lives and advertisers can direct their pitches with pinpoint accuracy. The downsides are few and seem surmountable – mainly high battery consumption, expensive data costs and privacy implications.
Bryan Stockwell of Mobile Commerce collects much of the data that allows companies like Orange and Carphone Warehouse to provide local content from providers such as Thomson Directories and Lastminute.com. “We are doing about 500,000 location requests per month across all our services,” he says. “This is still the tip of the iceberg on consumer services: I would say we haven’t even reached 10% of the potential in terms of use of location.”
Cinema information is always the most popular, says Stockwell but listings cry out for more: “Services to support entertainment are going to be huge – like taxi and cash machine searches.” This content is becoming available by the day and with the introduction of peer and professional reviewing it’s becoming increasingly useful and relevant. Not just what’s on at the cinema, but what’s on at the nearest cinema, whether there are any tickets left and - crucially - whether the film’s any good.
Business applications have great potential too - some already realised by early adopters such as Logistics Telecom. Alan Bloor is their network manager. He uses Mobile Communications’ data to help up to 500 companies track their delivery vans and removal trucks across Europe and the UK by analysing data from 5,000 phones. “You can see where all your vehicles are without having to call the drivers and you can then send them text messages diverting them to a new address if needed.” Truck locations appear on a map on a password-protected website. Used in combination with a product like Orange’s Mobile Forms, it allows real time changes to deliveries and routes. “It’s something I’d love to use to keep track of my kids,” says Bloor. And his wishes could soon be answered. This is one of the obvious uses for LBS technology but it is also one of the potential abuses. Being able to pinpoint your subscribers’ locations opens up many privacy questions but the issue is no elephant in the room. The CTIA Wireless Association already has Best Practices and Guidelines for Location Based Services.
“We were involved in putting together a code of practice,” says Bryan Stockwell. Before allowing people to track each other’s movements, they must show that they are adults and have permission to do so. This is often done with a credit card check and a PIN in the post process but the protocol may need more work, given the current prevalence of identity theft.
Stockwell believes that in 18 months, 80% of phones will be shipping with the global positioning (GPS) technology needed for high quality LBS content. Microsoft’s find my location service uses the current technology: the service can only improve with the greater accuracy of GPS. “Our multimap acquisition is something to use before you set out, and then send to your mobile, “says Hugh Griffiths, Director of Mobile for Microsoft UK. MSN, LiveSearch and Windows Mobile then take over.
“There were 17 million users of mobile internet in December 2007, 41% of which were in the 25-34 age group,” says Griffiths. So it’s not just children looking for friends on Bebo, although that can be done too. “There’s a buddy-finder element to our Spaces service,” he says. Justin Davies of NinetyTen has been working in this area too. His BuddyPing has 180,000 worldwide users already on WAP and is being Beta-tested for refined mobile use. BuddyPing adds context to social networking: “It overlays location onto other networks like Facebook and Twitter,” says Davies, and allows users to set up meets or locate people in their network. NinetyTen hopes to provide “for the mobile space what Instant Messaging services provided for the Internet - personalised, sociable interaction.”
ABI Research Industry Analyst Jamie Moss believes that LBS revenue will reach $13.3 billion worldwide by 2013. Like Davies, he says that adding layers and filters such as location to your searches gives crucial context and thinks that the biggest obstacle for LBS is data costs. But that will change: “Advertising-subsidised LBS and better data tariffs will soon bring this down,” he says.
Simple LBS is already being used in the African bush. Over here, increased use of context, user interaction and clever developers like Davies and Stockwell mean that users can now be guided through the UK’s concrete jungles with rich, location specific information – when you want it and where you want it.

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Phone health checks for patients

Patients with long-term conditions such as lung disease, diabetes and high blood pressure could soon use mobile phones to monitor their health at home.
An Edinburgh University team is to investigate the impact of at-home monitoring services that connect patients directly to clinicians.
The Chief Scientist's Office has awarded £1m to the institution for a pilot project in Scotland.
It is hoped such technologies may lessen the burden on the NHS. The announcement was made on Monday at a meeting of international e-health experts hosted by the Edinburgh eHealth research group.
Patients with high blood pressure and chronic lung disease will be initially recruited to test new technology that allows them to measure their blood pressure, and oxygen levels at home.
The readings will be sent via mobile phone into a central computer and collated into an online health record that can be accessed by both the patient and their GP.
If a reading is very high, the patient will automatically receive a text message reminding them to take medication or instructing them that extra treatment is required. Their GP could then use the latest telehealth technology to speak directly via online video link to the patient in their home.
Over the next four years the project will be expanded to include 1500 patients with diabetes, stroke and chronic lung disease.
Dr Brian McKinstry of Edinburgh University, who is leading the study, said: "This project demonstrates how communication technology could revolutionise healthcare. "By helping patients to monitor these chronic conditions at home, we hope to reduce the need for regular visits to GP practices, which can be very time-consuming for patients who live with these conditions for many years. "We're also interested to see if allowing patients to check their health frequently at home leads to changes in their condition being detected and treated more quickly than they might have been under the current system."

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Media Entertainment to Mobile Phones

PlayBOX (US) Inc. ("PlayBOX") (OTCBB: PYBX) today announced its plans to exploit the latest platform for media distribution: mobile phones.
"Mobile phones are the newest frontier for distributing digital media entertainment," said Robert Burden, CEO of PlayBOX. "We fully intend to establish a global mobile music platform to complement other distribution channels such as traditional retail stores and online downloads and sales."
About PlayBOX
PlayBOX is a media entertainment technology company that offers a wide variety of distribution channels for new music artists. The company targets emerging artists and small-to-medium sized record labels that lack the knowledge or resources to setup and manage their own online shop and distribution channels. PlayBOX offers them pooled services such as hosting, streaming, e-commerce, and digital rights management, and an overall cost-effective and professional platform from which to sell and promote their music. To better serve them, PlayBOX is aggressively growing its traditional (retail) and non-traditional (digital, online and mobile) distribution channels so artists can reach their waiting public even more quickly and easily. Through a series of strategic mergers and acquisitions, PlayBOX will become a world leader in the distribution and marketing of global entertainment media. Further, it aims to expand its distribution business to the exciting new platform of delivering content to mobile phones throughout the world.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Statements about PlayBOX's and Delta's future expectations, including the completion of the acquisition of Delta by PlayBOX, future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as the term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. PlayBOX's and Delta's actual results could differ materially from expected results. Neither PlayBOX or Delta undertakes any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances. Should events occur which materially affect any comments made within this objective; PlayBOX and Delta will appropriately inform the public.

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Nokia and Rogers Launch XpressMusic Mobile Phone

Rogers Wireless and Nokia have announced the Canadian launch of the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic MP3 phone.
The handset is equipped with a 1Gb microSD card, and can support up to 4GB for downloading and storing up to 3,000 songs from Rogers MusicStore. The phone features diamond-cut music controls and chrome volume keys, which allow better access and control of tunes, and video recorder and two-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom complete the multimedia experience.
In addition to two-inch display screen with 16 million colors, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic features: Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0 high-speed, 30 megabytes of internal memory, video playback, Nokia Xpress audio messaging to send voice clips over-the-air, and up to five hours of talk-time and 12.5 days of standby-time.
John Boynton, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Rogers Wireless, said: "The Nokia XpressMusic phone is the latest in music phones available at Rogers, providing our customers with incredible mobile music experiences. Today's announcement reinforces our leadership in multimedia phones on the market - which is music to my ears."

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Samsung navigation phone

Samsung G810 Navi
With the introduction of the Samsung SGH-G810 Navi, Samsung introduce a mobile navigator. The built-in GPS receiver uses GPS information whilst taking a picture, very smart, which makes finding your way back a piece of cake. Only, of course, if you actually remember to use this function because a mobile phone is gradually becoming crammed with functions. Either way, it comes in handy when you're on the road and it was the key subject of the Samsung event.

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Get handy with latest mobiles in the city

When it comes to communication, mobile-phones have been regarded as the easiest gadgets to handle right from its discovery. With lustrous and trendy handsets entering the arena in Dimapur, owning a cell phone has now become a fashion statement instead of communication for most of the Dimapurians. From being a gadget for making a phone call, the mobile phone has become a virtual “portable office” which can send faxes, e-mail, and even surf the internet but these facilities are yet to get momentum in the city. Hi-tech, pocket-sized models outfitted with state-of-the-art multi-functional features seem to be the rage when it comes to persuade customers. With the prices of handsets getting sliced week after week, the mobile stores, especially Hongkong market is flooded with an array of latest models to choose from, depending on one’s personal need.Besides, the latest models of leading handset companies such as Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, there are few Chinese mobiles which have already hit the stands. Though these Chinese mobiles do not have a brand-name compared to the popular models available, Raju, a dealer said “these handsets are in great demand as their prices are very less compared to other brand-names.” Branded mobile phones are expensive compared to the Chinese models available here, but the dealer said “there are people for whom the price does not seem to matter.”The most selling Chinese models include “Itel” and “Nektel” featuring VGA and Mega Pixel cameras, Mp3&4, Bluetooth, FM Radio, videos, games, free memory sticks and some have in-built internal memory. However, Raju informed that “you cannot trust these mobiles since these mobiles cannot be repaired easily like the branded ones.” “Due to low price, many people come to buy the Chinese mobiles which does not even have guarantee,” he said and added that “besides Chinese mobiles, they also sell branded mobiles in Hongkong market.”Apart from the Chinese mobiles, there are lots of latest branded models in Hongkong market like Motorola’s newest and latest cell phone ‘ROKR E2,’ which is designed for the music fan who wants to store more than 100 song in 2 GB space. Other features include Mp3 player, Full-Duplex speakerphone, Push to Talk, FM Radio.For Samsung, it is T509, a thinnest phone to date in the world, measuring only 9.8 mm. even thinner than the ‘Motorola RAZR and SLVR,’ with Integrated VGA camera with zoom and one touch video capture and playback, Bluetooth, latest Edge for faster data transfer, 262k colour screen and cool speakerphone.Continuing with its walkman series, Sony Ericsson has introduced W900i Walkman phone that combines all fun for music lovers, with 3G Video calling and streaming 470MB internal memory expandable to 2GB. 2 Mega pixel camera, FM Radio, speakerphone, 3G for high speed data transfer and Bluetooth.Leaving aside the recent burst of batteries, Nokia has come up with ‘6111,’ a latest mobile phone that include GSM Slider a mega pixel camera with flash and video capture, Bluetooth Built-in MP3 audio player and FM radio with 64-chord polyphonic sound engine, speakerphone, voice dialing and games like Rally 3D, Golf Tour, Backgammon II, & Solitaire.

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China plays phone market musical chairs

China Unicom is to sell its CDMA network to fixed-line phone company China Telecom for $15.85bn.
At the same time, China Unicom will merge with smaller fixed-line operator China Netcom Group in a share-swap deal.
The moves are part of a government-choreographed game of musical chairs in which China's growing telecoms industry is being significantly restructured.
The latest deals give China Unicom and China Telecom access to major new markets, allowing the latter finally to offer mobile phone services to its hundreds of millions of fixed-line customers.
This expansion is critical for the firm, as infrastructure costs mean that mobile phones are gradually moving from being an adjunct to a potential replacement for fixed-line services.
The government may give China Telecom a multi-billion dollar handout to help it develop a 3G mobile network, local news service Sohu reported citing unnamed industry sources.
Earlier, the country's dominant mobile phone operator, China Mobile, announced plans to acquire another smaller fixed line operator, China Tietong, which was originally established as an offshoot of China's railway network.
In light of China Mobile's dominant 70 per cent share of the mobile market, the government is attempting to level the playing field through mandatory domestic roaming with fixed revenue sharing.
While apparently intended to help foster open competition, the series of alliances and transfers has had the paradoxical effect of reducing the number of major players in China's traditional mobile and fixed telecoms markets from six to just three.
The shift in policy comes as China belatedly begins to roll out 3G mobile coverage, and is being seen as a an attempt to set up a truly competitive local mobile market as 3G emerges.
In turn, analysts say that this is likely to boost local telecoms hardware markers, such as Huawei and ZTE, as they continue overseas expansion.

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Porsche Design presents its first mobile phone - Go faster

Sagem Mobiles, an internationally recognised leader in quality mobile phone handsets, is proud to announce the launch of Porsche Design’s first mobile phone, the P’9521.
Being the brains and technological development behind the phone that combines sophistication, the purist of design with high-quality natural materials such as aluminum and mineral glass and cased out of a solid aluminum block – this is an extremely unique production method for mobile phones.“Sagem invests heavily in research and development pioneering new technologies, based upon the requests and needs of our customers. The Sagem brand is being increasingly respected in Australia, beginning to match that of the European sector. Through the launching the Porsche Design mobile phone, Sagem will continue to be recognised and respected in the Australian market,” said Francois Romanet, Managing Director, Sagem Australasia.
Style and Design Porsche Design has remained loyal to its clear design language and has utilized sophisticated material. The typography, styling and colours of the menu emphasize the mobile phone’s very functional character. A double hinge made from aluminum enables the screen to be rotated through 180° – thus allowing the phone to be used as a digital camera. Specialised Features The P’9521 features a fingerprint reader, which clearly identifies the user and thus ensures secure access to personal data. In addition, individual fingerprints can be assigned to particular numbers or phone functions, making operation particularly easy, with the standard PIN code can also be replaced by a fingerprint. The know-how for this technology was delivered by Sagem, which has expertise in the field of biometrics.
Photo/video: The P’9521 features an auto-focus video and still camera boasting 3.2-megapixel resolution, integrated flash and digital zoom. The rotating screen makes it even easier to use, whilst its AM-OLED technology ensures very high quality colours, exceptional brilliance and a perfect view from every angle.
Music: The P’9521 boasts an MP3 player and three speakers for ring tones and voice playback in stereo quality sound. Internet: Thanks to EDGE technology (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), the P’9521 offers very high-speed internet access. Pricing and Availability The new mobile phone will be available now exclusively in All Phones stores nationally and at www.porschedesign.com.au
ENDS
For more information, call 1300 789 555 or visit www.sagem.com.au
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All prices listed are manufacturer's recommended retail price - actual price may vary. Media images are available upon your immediate request.
About Porsche Design Porsche Design is a global luxury men’s brand and is determined by engineered products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche established the Porsche Design brand in 1972, whose products are attracting consumers with their technical innovation and represent functionality and timelessness in its purest form. Porsche Design products are sold in exclusive own retail and franchise stores, shop-in-shops, up-market department stores and exclusive specialist stores.
About Sagem Communication
Sagem Communication (SAFRAN Group) is a major player in the Mobile and Broadband Communication industries, who has acquired a strong world-wide position thanks to renewed innovation. SAGEM products stand-out particularly in the following activities: mobile phones, printing terminals, residential terminals, digital TV, networks, electronic metering etc.
Sagem Australasia is a fully owned subsidiary of the SAFRAN Group, headquartered in Sydney, Australia. It aims at promoting all Sagem activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

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