Tech News and Discussion General Discussion relating to technical news etc Sun, 19 May 2013 22:39:14 +0000 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:39:14 +0000 RapidBerry - Community Forums http://rapidberry.net/forums/forums/tech-news-and-discussion.6/ Yahoo to buy Tumblr for $1.1bn Yahoo's board has approved a deal to buy New York-based blogging service Tumblr for $1.1bn (£725m; 857m euros), US media reports say.

The acquisition is expected to be announced on Monday.

The deal was a "foregone conclusion" and was a unanimous vote by the board.

If confirmed, it will be CEO Marissa Mayer's largest deal since taking the helm of Yahoo in July 2012

Analysts say that by acquiring Tumblr, Yahoo would gain a larger social media presence and enhance its ability to attract younger audiences. It will also help Tumblr generate more revenue from advertisements.

On its home page, Tumblr says it hosts 108 million blogs, with 50.7 billion posts between them.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Tumblr would continue to operate as an independent business, the Wall Street Journal said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 18:41:40 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/yahoo-to-buy-tumblr-for-1-1bn.2805/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/yahoo-to-buy-tumblr-for-1-1bn.2805/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne TELUS agrees to acquire Mobilicity Mobilicity approaches TELUS to enter into agreement ensuring service continues for 250,000 customers

VANCOUVER, May 16, 2013 - TELUS has entered into an agreement with Mobilicity to acquire the company for $380 million. If the deal receives the required approvals, it would ensure continued service to Mobilicity's 250,000 customers without the risk of disruption.

The agreement between TELUS and the company is subject to conditions including approval by the Competition Bureau, Industry Canada, and Mobilicity's debtholders. TELUS and Mobilicity have informed the government and regulators and both companies are fully committed to working cooperatively to secure timely approvals for the transaction.
"A concern for our customers and employees led us to approach TELUS, which has a reputation for a strong customer focus, as evidenced by their industry leading client loyalty," said Stewart Lyons, Mobilicity President. "I am confident TELUS will look after our employees and our customers, mitigating any disruption to their service, while offering the best outcome for all stakeholders."

William Aziz, Mobilicity Chief Restructuring Officer, continued, "Mobilicity has been losing a significant amount of money every month. The financial strength of TELUS will allow the business to be continued in a way that will benefit customers and employees. An acquisition by TELUS is the best alternative for Mobilicity."

The entire purchase price will be used to satisfy Mobilicity's secured and unsecured debt.
"We look forward to serving Mobilicity's customers and welcoming their employees to the TELUS team," said David Fuller, TELUS Chief Marketing Officer.

If this transaction is approved, TELUS will retain all 150 Mobilicity employees as it integrates the Mobilicity operation into TELUS over the coming months. The employees would have the opportunity to review and secure permanent, long term roles with TELUS.

TELUS has created 1,700 new jobs in Canada over the last two years alone while bringing 4G wireless coverage to 99 per cent of Canadians coast-to-coast.

Acquisition agreement details:

Mobilicity has begun proceedings in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice with a view to obtaining approval for a plan of arrangement under the Canadian Business Corporations Act. The plan of arrangement with TELUS requires an affirmative vote by debtholders, after which TELUS and Mobilicity will seek court approval of a transaction that will see Mobilicity emerge as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TELUS. TELUS has entered into support agreements with a significant number of Mobilicity's debtholders who have committed to vote for the plan of arrangement pursuant to the terms and conditions of the support agreements.

TELUS and Mobilicity anticipate an expeditious legal and regulatory review in view of the current circumstances Mobilicity is facing.[signoff1]View the Post on the Blog]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 16:23:23 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/telus-agrees-to-acquire-mobilicity.2783/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/telus-agrees-to-acquire-mobilicity.2783/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol BT to launch 4G mobile network BT is to move back into the mass mobile telecoms market for the first time in more than a decade by offering consumers access to a BT-branded 4G mobile network.


Ian Livingston, chief executive, said it was “highly possible” BT-branded SIM cards would be in customers’ smartphones this time next year, with bills paid as part of their package of other services.




It would be the first time BT has ventured into the retail mobile telecoms market — it already offers some services to business customers — since it divested its ownership of its O2 mobile brand through an initial public offering in 2002.




The new service, which will be available to existing BT customers, will add to the bundle of communications and television services the company already has on offer.




It will come in addition to the company’s new BT Sport television channel, news of which helped push BT’s share price to six-year highs on Friday, closing the week at 309½p. In the interview, Mr Livingston reiterated the company’s commitment to its new sport offering.
“We’re quite serious when we say we want to bring sports back to the fans and make it affordable again,” he said.

Mr Livingston said that as well as offering coverage via a mobile operator when customers are outside their home, its 4G network would provide better coverage in homes via the new Home Hub, BT’s Wi-Fi router.
“We can build effectively an internal, very cheap 4G network,” Mr Livingston said, which would reduce the cost of using 4G to download data indoors, including when customers are not in their own home. BT’s network of public Wi-Fi hotspots will also be upgraded to provide 4G access.

He said the technology would complement the deal it plans to do with a mobile operator for outdoor coverage.
“When you’re out and about you just roam on to the [mobile operator] network,” he added.

Mr Livingston said it would offer consumers savings compared with other 4G networks as most do not download large amounts of data on the move, but in cafes, airports and other locations where a BT hotspot is likely to be available.

O2 has emerged as favourite to win the partnership contract, partly because of its historic ties to BT, having been spun out of the group in 2002. Its own limited allocation of spectrum also means the mobile operator could gain from co-operation.[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 11:52:51 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/bt-to-launch-4g-mobile-network.2765/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/bt-to-launch-4g-mobile-network.2765/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol Youtube launches Paid Streaming Channels Youtube has rolled out a few paid streaming channels with subscription fees of under a dollar a month.

Youtube is no fool and is hoping that some of its billion users might be tempted to pay 99 cents for monthly access to some channels.
"We've been building a Youtube partner [programme] since 2007 that enables content creators to earn revenue for their creativity. We've watched them build amazing channels that have made YouTube into a news, education and entertainment destination [one] billion people around the world cannot do without," it said.

"Today, there are more than [one] million channels generating revenue on Youtube, and one of the most frequent requests we hear from these creators behind them is for more flexibility in monetizing and distributing content."

The pilot programme began yesterday and launched with a small number of channels. Each channel is offering a 14-day free ride, and has signed up broadcasters including Ultimate Fighting, which will show classic fights, and Sesame Street, which will run full episodes.
"Every channel has a 14-day free trial, and many offer discounted yearly rates. For example, Sesame Street will be offering full episodes on their paid channel when it launches. And UFC fans can see classic fights, like a full version of their first event from UFC's new channel," said Youtube.

"You might run into more of these channels across Youtube... Just as the partner [programme] empowered creators to take their channels to the next level, we look forward to seeing how this great community of creators moves ahead with a new way to reach the fan communities that made their channels a hit. You'll be hearing more from us, and them, as we get creator and user feedback and build out this exciting offering."

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 10:10:47 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/youtube-launches-paid-streaming-channels.2732/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/youtube-launches-paid-streaming-channels.2732/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol Two Large Verizon investors OK with paying premium for Vodafone stake We reported last week that Verizon had hired advisers to prepare a $100 billion cash-and-stock bid for Vodafone's 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless, though several major Vodafone investors have said that figure is inadequate.

Two large shareholders in Verizon have told Reuters they could be comfortable with paying 20 percent to 30 percent more to secure the No.1 U.S. mobile service provider, which generates 66 percent of Verizon's revenue and almost all of its profit.
"No way do I dream that $100 billion is going to get this deal done. It's just not going to happen," said Craig Leopold, portfolio manager at Columbia Management Investment advisors.

His firm, with $341 billion assets under management, is Verizon's 10th-largest shareholder with 22 million shares, according to the latest publicly available records.
"I think shareholders would be willing to accept a price as high as $130 billion because it would still be accretive to Verizon. But the preference would be a lower price like $120 billion," Leopold said.

Verizon declined to comment on what it might be willing to pay for full ownership of Verizon Wireless, and it is not clear if the company would be willing to go beyond $100 billion, which would already be the third-largest deal on record.[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 11:45:05 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/two-large-verizon-investors-ok-with-paying-premium-for-vodafone-stake.2716/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/two-large-verizon-investors-ok-with-paying-premium-for-vodafone-stake.2716/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne EE 4G goes Live in 12 more UK towns EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, today announced that 4G is available in 12 more towns across the UK, bringing the total number of towns and cities covered by the superfast mobile network to 62.

Today, 4GEE is being switched on in Aylesbury, Berkhamsted, Billericay, Blackpool, Brentwood, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Lytham St Annes, Marlow, Pontefract, Thame and Windsor as roll out continues to progress ahead of schedule. 4G from EE now covers the homes and businesses of more than 50% of the UK population. By the end of June, EE is committed to launching 4G in at least another 18 towns and cities, bringing the total to 80, and aims to cover 70% of the population by the end of 2013.

Olaf Swantee, Chief Executive Officer, EE, said:
“Our rollout of the country’s first 4G mobile network is continuing at a great pace to ensure that we are connecting people right across the UK to one of the fastest mobile networks in the world, as quickly as possible. Consumers and businesses in the UK use mobile internet more than any other market, and rely on it for long commutes; there is a demand for the best mobile services, and we’re working to meet that demand. We’re committed to rolling out 4G to 98% of the population by the end of 2014, and that includes the double-speed 4G that will launch this summer.”

4GEE mobile customers have instant web access while travelling; they can download large files quicker than ever, watch live TV on mobiles without buffering, and play live multiplayer games on the go. Consumers and businesses have access to the UK’s widest range of 4G mobile handsets, tablets and dongles, including iPhone 5, iPad mini, Huawei Mobile Wi-Fi, Blackberry Z10, HTC One, and the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S4, all available from EE stores and ee.co.uk.

In March, EE announced a breakthrough for high-speed broadband in rural areas with the launch of 4G mobile in Cumbria. Earlier this month, EE committed to the doubling of speed and capacity on its 4G network in the UK, using its unique spectrum portfolio. Ten UK cities will see the roll out of double-speed 4G by summer. They include Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Sheffield.

In its first quarter financial results announcement, EE revealed that 318,000 customers signed up for 4G and more than 1,600 medium and large companies across the UK started using 4G in the first five months after launch. EE has announced a target of more than one million customers by the end of 2013.

For more information, please visit www.ee.co.uk.[signoff1]View the Post on the Blog]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:59:35 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/ee-4g-goes-live-in-12-more-uk-towns.2683/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/ee-4g-goes-live-in-12-more-uk-towns.2683/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol T-Mobile to change advertising and offer refunds over "uncarrier" plans On March 26, T-Mobile US introduced a series of new service offerings, including no-contract monthly plans and a program that let customers pay for a new phone over the course of 24 months. In unveiling the plans, T-Mobile called the new offerings "uncarrier" plans that would free the company and its customers from the constraints of conventional service agreements.

Now the company has agreed to clarify a few things after an investigation by the Washington Attorney General's Office. Specifically, T-Mobile didn't adequately tell potential customers who bought phones on time that they would have to keep T-Mobile service for 24 months or pay off the rest of the phone's full price when they cancelled the service, said Paula Sellis, an attorney who handled the case in the Attorney General's Office.

The fine-print disclosures that T-Mobile did offer were hard to understand, she said.
"You had to dig very deeply to understand what the terms of the program were, and you had to put two and two together," Sellis said on Thursday.

T-Mobile ads that promised "no restrictions," "no annual contract" and no requirement to "serve a two-year sentence" actually only covered plans with no phone included, the Attorney General's Office said. To get those plans, consumers would have to bring their own phone or pay full price at the time of purchase.
"In our view, those advertisements were quite deceptive," Attorney General Bob Ferguson said.

In a statement on Thursday, T-Mobile stood by its ads.
"As America's Un-carrier, our goal is to increase transparency with our customers, unleashing them from restrictive long-term service contracts -- this kind of simple, straightforward approach is core to the new company we are building. While we believe our advertising was truthful and appropriate, we voluntarily agreed to this arrangement with the Washington AG in this spirit," T-Mobile said.

Most U.S. mobile operators directly subsidize the cost of the handsets they sell, charging a one-time purchase price that's well below the true cost of the phone, if the buyer agrees to a two-year service contract. To cancel those contracts early, customers have to pay an early termination fee.

One difference between T-Mobile's term-purchase program and conventional contracts is that after making hardware payments for 24 months, T-Mobile customers can pay less per month if they keep using the same phone. However, for customers who want to cancel service early, the "balloon" payment for the rest of the phone's cost may be even higher than a conventional early termination fee, Sellis said.

In the settlement, T-Mobile agreed to not misrepresent the terms of its contracts, to make clear the consequences of canceling a plan, to more clearly state the true cost of the equipment it sells and to train its customer service representatives to make full disclosures. Staff have to be trained within 21 days. The carrier also agreed to pay $26,046.40 in costs and attorney's fees.

As part of the settlement, T-Mobile signed an Assurance of Discontinuance that was filed in King County Superior Court, but the two parties reached the agreement voluntarily out of court, and the settlement was not the result of a court action.

Consumers who bought a T-Mobile phone and service under these plans between March 26 and April 25 can cancel their service and get a full refund. T-Mobile will notify those customers by email and follow up with a postcard if the email bounces back, Sellis said. Once they're notified, customers will have 30 days to return their phones, at T-Mobile's expense.

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:23:26 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/t-mobile-to-change-advertising-and-offer-refunds-over-uncarrier-plans.2676/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/t-mobile-to-change-advertising-and-offer-refunds-over-uncarrier-plans.2676/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol Vodafone investors want larger bid or full merger with Verizon Six major Vodafone investors said $100 billion was not enough for the company's stake in its U.S. joint venture with Verizon Communications, and urged the latter to come up with an offer of at least $120 billion.

Their comments followed a Reuters report on Wednesday that Verizon had hired advisers to prepare a possible $100 billion bid to buy Vodafone's 45 percent stake in their Verizon Wireless joint venture, likely to be structured as a roughly 50:50 cash and stock bid.

Should the $100 billion figure stand, the six shareholders, with around 1.3 billion of Vodafone's shares between them, said they would prefer the British group to push for a full merger with Verizon instead.

The main concern among investors contacted by Reuters was the fact that a sale of Verizon Wireless - the best performing asset by far in the Vodafone portfolio - would highlight the operator's exposure to its troubled European markets.
"Without wishing to be too disrespectful, (Vodafone is) sitting with a rather ugly set of assets once you lose the Verizon Wireless stake," said Ralph Brook-Fox, UK equities fund manager at Ignis Asset Management, a top 40 institutional shareholder in Vodafone.

"I think the merger or full takeover scenario, although not at the forefront of discussions right now, could actually end up being the more palatable deal."

Verizon Communications released a statement earlier this month to say it did not have any intention to merge or make an offer for Vodafone following bid speculation.

Vodafone's share of Verizon Wireless represented around half of the British group's adjusted operating profit in the six months to the end of September 2012, according to its financial results.

It also received before the end of 2012 a 2.4 billion pound dividend from its Verizon Wireless stake, and said it would pass on 1.5 billion pounds to its shareholders via a buyback, showing the importance to the group of its holding.

Among its core European operations Vodafone operates in crisis-hit and heavily regulated markets such as Italy, Spain and Portugal, where revenues have come under pressure because of economic turmoil and intense competition.

With that in mind, investors contacted by Reuters would rather an offer for the stake at between $120 billion and $135 billion as acceptable. At its current share price, Vodafone's whole market capitalization stands at around $146 billion.
"I think ... $120 billion is the point where you think you've got a decent premium," one top 20 shareholder said, on the condition of anonymity. "I think that's reasonable and if they achieve that, I think the (Vodafone) shares go up."

Another big question mark for Vodafone and its shareholders is the potential tax bill the sale of its stake would incur: anywhere between $5 billion and $25 billion.

[signoff1]SourceView the Post on the Blog]]> Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:34:43 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/vodafone-investors-want-larger-bid-or-full-merger-with-verizon.2667/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/vodafone-investors-want-larger-bid-or-full-merger-with-verizon.2667/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol Nokia's WhatsApp QWERTY phone to challenge BlackBerry At 8am this morning, Nokia announced it's latest low-cost, social Asha smartphones with the launch its new QWERTY Asha 210. Nokia has embedded a dedicated social button, offering Facebook integration in Europe and Latin America (similar to the Asha 205), while users in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Africa will be able to take advantage of Nokia's new WhatsApp button.

Nokia's partnership with WhatsApp will allow Asha 210 owners to enjoy free WhatsApp usage for as long as they own the device, connecting them with owners of iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. The handset is available in single or dual-SIM variants and features a 2-megapixel camera which is accessed using a dedicated hardkey on the front of the device, directly opposite the Facebook or WhatsApp button (depending on the region).

Nokia has ensured that the new Asha 210 remains affordable, pricing it at $72. While the device isn't as high-spec as the BlackBerry Q10, Nokia hopes the Asha 210 and it's dedicated social and messaging features will appeal to consumers in emerging markets and kids.

The handset will start shipping later this quarter.

[toggle_box title="Press release" width="570"]

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today unveiled the latest device in its Asha family, designed to offer consumers more social experiences at an affordable price. The Nokia Asha 210, available in Single- or Easy Swap Dual-SIM variants, features a distinctly Nokia design and smart imaging that sets it apart from the crowd. It supports Wi-Fi to help people enjoy more of the Internet for less and is the world's first phone to have a dedicated WhatsApp button.

Your social life at your fingertips

The Nokia Asha 210 has a QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated WhatsApp
button for fast access to instant messaging. To celebrate the Nokia and WhatsApp partnership, WhatsApp is offering their service for free on all Nokia Asha 210 devices with the WhatsApp button for their lifespan. Combined with Facebook, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail, the Nokia Asha 210 is designed to ensure that people are never more than a few clicks away from their friends and family.

Capture and share great images every time

The Nokia Asha 210 comes with a 2MP camera that can be accessed through a dedicated hardkey even when the keypad is locked. The smart camera also offers a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options, including:

- Self-portrait - for perfectly centred self portraits, even without a front-facing camera. The built-in voice guides the user to ensure they are in the frame, before taking the shot.
- Fast editing of images directly from the camera app and easy sharing of images to social networks.

People can also share photos and other content quickly by using Nokia's innovative Slam feature, which comes built-into the Nokia Asha 210. It works by enabling the transfer of content such as images or videos to another Bluetooth-enabled phone without the need to pair devices.
"The Nokia Asha 210 really stands out giving super-social consumers new ways to express their personalities through design, colour and innovations like the world's first WhatsApp button," explains Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "It has been designed to allow people to easily update their social networks, stay in touch with friends and share user created content."

"We are focused on delivering the best WhatsApp experience to as many people as possible," said Brian Acton, Co-Founder of WhatsApp Inc. "We are very excited about our partnership with Nokia Asha complementing our strategy of giving people around the world an easy experience when keeping in touch with their friends."

The new device also takes full advantage of the Nokia Xpress Browser which uses Nokia's cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90 percent, helping people enjoy more affordable Internet access. The Nokia Asha 210 also features Nokia Nearby, a web app that lets people discover points of interest such as restaurants, shopping and ATM machines close to their location.

Other key features for Nokia Asha 210 include:
- Social phonebook integration with the ability to launch WhatsApp direct from contact cards in the Phonebook
- Preloaded YouTube launcher for direct video streaming
- Chat screen notifications that keep users up-to-date on new conversations
- Single-SIM and Dual-SIM models featuring Nokia's exclusive EasySwap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device
- WiFi On/Off control button
- Nokia's renowned long battery life: up to 46 days with Single-SIM and up to 24 days with Dual-SIM

The Nokia Asha 210 is available in yellow, cyan, black, magenta, and white. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Asha 210 is around 72 USD and it is expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2013.[/toggle_box][signoff1]View the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:47:23 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/nokias-whatsapp-qwerty-phone-to-challenge%C2%A0blackberry.2646/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/nokias-whatsapp-qwerty-phone-to-challenge%C2%A0blackberry.2646/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne All calls, texts and internet usage to be monitored by India Government Starting from this month, all communications in India are being tracked by the Indian government. All calls, texts and internet usage is being centrally monitored by the government.

This means that everything said by text, over the phone, write, post or browse over the Internet will be centrally monitored by Indian authorities.

The tracking is taking place through the Central Monitoring System (CMS) in India and the CMS could allow authorities to take advantage of a lack of privacy laws. The India Government has not revealed how the data will be used but the system is open to potential abuse of power by any of the authorities with access to the CMS.

The CMS was prepared by the Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring (TREM) and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) and is being manned by the Intelligence Bureau. The CMS project is likely to start operating this month. The Information Technology Amendment Act 2008 enables e-surveillance. The government plans to create a platform that will include all the service providers in Delhi, Haryana and Karnataka creating central and regional databases to help central and state level law enforcement agencies in interception and monitoring. Without any manual intervention from telecom service providers, CMS will equip government agencies with Direct Electronic Provisioning, filter and provide Call Data Records (CDR) analysis and data mining to identify the personal information and provide alerts of the target numbers.

In light of the CMS installation, the Mumbai police set up a ´social media lab´ last month to monitor Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. Staffed with 20 police officers, this lab would keep an eye on issues being publicly discussed and track matters relating to public security. will be connected to the Telephone Call Interception System (TCIS) which will help the India Government monitor voice calls, SMS and MMS, fax communications and mobile networks (CDMA, GSM and 3G).

[signoff1]Via.View the Post on the Blog]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:29:37 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/all-calls-texts-and-internet-usage-to-be-monitored-by-india-government.2627/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/all-calls-texts-and-internet-usage-to-be-monitored-by-india-government.2627/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne ASA rules T-Mobile's Full Monty Tariff is deceiving The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that T-Mobile's Full Monty tariff is deceiving.

T-Mobile advertises its Full Monty tariff as unlimited. This managed to convince many T-Mobile customers - given its unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and "unlimited" data each month - that it is unlimited.

However, the ASA ruled on Wednesday that T-Mobile's unlimited plan isn't, in fact, unlimited, due to T-Mobile's traffic management policy.

The advertising watchdog wasn't too pleased about T-Mobile's peer-to-peer restrictions in particular, which sees T-Mobile slowing down uploads and downloads during peak hours of 8am to 2am.

The ASA noted that T-Mobile's restrictions meant there was only "a six hour period during the middle of the night during which peer-to-peer activity was not slowed down". It also said that T-Mobile's permission of tethering led customers to believe that they could engage in high-speed peer-to-peer activity, which - because of the mobile operator's restrictions - they couldn't.

Due to this, the ASA told T-Mobile that the unlimited claims used in its advertising cannot appear again in their present form, and T-Mobile seems to have already changed its advertising.

The ASA said in its ruling,
"We noted that the Full Monty plan was described as having 'unlimited' UK internet and that this was in the context of a mobile data service on a handset. We considered that 'unlimited' was a general claim about the whole service, rather than about a specific aspect of the service."

"We considered that consumers were likely to expect that services, or features of services, described as 'unlimited' were not unduly limited and that where policies existed, which limited speed of access, that the restrictions could reasonably be considered to be moderate only."

T-Mobile has admitted that customers on its Full Monty plan are limited to download speeds of just 4Mbit/s. T-Mobile defended this policy by saying that average 3G speeds reach only 3Mbit/s.

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:45:14 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/asa-rules-t-mobiles-full-monty-tariff-is-deceiving.2614/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/asa-rules-t-mobiles-full-monty-tariff-is-deceiving.2614/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne 1 Brazil launches 4G wireless service and the BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 are both approved and ready As Brazil rushes to introduce a blazing-fast fourth-generation wireless network before the 2014 World Cup, fewer than a dozen compatible smartphones will be available in stores, compared with the hundreds of models on sale worldwide.

And the phones will be operational in a just few cities at first.

The launch of 4G services is crucial for Brazil to modernize its thinly stretched telecommunications infrastructure and ease the burden on 3G networks, which currently support over 68 million data users, according to regulator Anatel.

So far, 11 4G-enabled smartphones, all of them high-end devices, were approved by Anatel to operate in the country. That compared with over 260 devices worldwide with the technology.

Apple Inc's iPhone is not compatible with the 2.5 gigahertz frequency used for the country's current 4G network.

An auction for the broadcast frequency compatible with the iPhone 5 is not expected in Brazil until next year. Apple declined to comment on whether it plans to launch a compatible device in Brazil before then.
"4G is still recent in Brazil, so an avalanche of 4G smartphones is not expected," said Bruno Freitas, an analyst at technology research firm IDC.

Limited coverage is also an issue. According to auction rules for the 4G frequency, mobile operators are required to start offering the service only in the six cities that will hold football games during the Confederations Cup in June. Some companies started offering the service this week.

The host cities have a combined 18 million residents, less than one-tenth of the country's population.

By the end of the year, before the World Cup, carriers should extend 4G coverage to 12 of Brazil's largest and richest cities, with a population of more than 35 million people.

Brazil's telecom industry expects sales of 4 million 4G devices, Anatel's president João Rezende recently told reporters.
BlackBerry plans to launch up to four models compatible with Brazil's 4G network in 2013, two of which were already announced - the Z10 and the Q10 - country manager João Stricker said.

Two other devices could share the new BlackBerry 10 platform, he said.

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:38:54 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/brazil-launches-4g-wireless-service-and-the-blackberry-q10-and-z10-are-both-approved-and-ready.2609/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/brazil-launches-4g-wireless-service-and-the-blackberry-q10-and-z10-are-both-approved-and-ready.2609/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne Ofcom to confirm clearer telephone charges from mobile phones Ofcom has announced plans to standardise the cost of calling 0800, 0845 and other non-geographical numbers from mobile phones.

Currently call costs to 0800 numbers can cost anything from 10p to 24p per minute whilst the cost of 0845 calls can rise even further up to 47p per minute.

Under the new plans, the cost of calling these numbers will be standardised and calling 0800 numbers will be free from mobile phones, just like landlines.

Ofcom Chief Executive, Ed Richards, said:
“Consumers need to have far more transparency about the price they are going to pay for calls so that they can make more informed choices and so competition can work more effectively.

“Making 0800 free from a mobile and giving people clarity about what they are paying for 118 directory enquiry services will improve transparency, improve competition and enhance trust in these important services.”

[divider]
Ofcom has announced its intention to implement major changes to how telephone numbers are charged, which will make the cost of calling businesses and services clearer for consumers.

The central measure is designed to tackle consumer confusion1 about how much it costs to call companies, public bodies and other organisations on numbers starting 08, 09 and 118. Services provided on these ‘non-geographic’ numbers include information, banking, directory enquiry and entertainment services.

Currently, unless using a BT landline, callers to these numbers cannot easily tell how much they will be charged. Under rules which Ofcom today confirmed it expects to introduce, consumers will pay a single ‘access charge’ to their phone company for all calls to these numbers, plus a ‘service charge’ to the company or organisation they are calling.

Phone companies will inform their customers of their access charge when they sign up to a new service, and it will appear on bills; while service providers will specify the charge for their service wherever they advertise or communicate it. Consumers will therefore be able to understand the exact cost of making the call by adding the access and service charges together.

Ofcom also intends that calls to 080 (Freephone) numbers will be made free from all telephones. At present some phone companies, particularly mobile providers, charge for calls to such numbers.

Consultation on remaining detail

In order to implement the changes, certain ‘legal instruments’ are required; these are being published today in draft form. In addition, there are some aspects of Ofcom’s evidence and analysis which stakeholders have not previously had the opportunity to comment upon, and which are being presented for stakeholder review.

Ofcom is today consulting on these remaining points and proposed legal instruments, and expects to publish a statement confirming final decisions by the summer. This will include confirmation of the date on which changes will be introduced.

The changes will affect all telecommunications operators and most businesses and consumers across the country. They represent a fundamental restructuring of call charging which will require reasonable time for operators to implement. For that reason, Ofcom will be allowing 18 months from the conclusion of the review to the introduction of the changes.

The consultation closes on 28 May 2013.
[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:41:50 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/ofcom-to-confirm-clearer-telephone-charges-from-mobile-phones.2600/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/ofcom-to-confirm-clearer-telephone-charges-from-mobile-phones.2600/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne Netflix to drop Silverlight in favour of HTML5 Netflix will drop Silverlight in favour of HTML5 for its browser-based streaming service, in part because Microsoft is ending support for its video plugin in 2021.

Netflix said Silverlight "provides a high-quality streaming experience and lets us easily experiment with improvements to our adaptive streaming algorithms." But with Redmond ending Silverlight support in the next eight years, "we need to find a replacement."

But even if Silverlight was sticking around, the platform has its drawbacks, Netflix said. Customers are required to install a browser plugin in order to watch Netflix content via Silverlight, and some people are hesitant to do so amidst security concerns.

Silverlight is also not compatible on certain browsers, like Safari on iOS or the Windows 8 "metro" mode.

As a result, "the ability to use [plugins] across a wide range of devices and browsers is becoming increasingly limited," Netflix said.

For the last year, Netflix has been collaborating with industry partners in order to find the best way to play premium content in the browser. One of those partners is Google, and Netflix has started using the HTML5 Premium Video Extensions in Chrome on the Samsung ARM-based Chromebook.

Netflix has been experimenting with three specific technologies: Media Source Extensions, which lets Netflix download audio and video content from its content delivery networks and feed it into the video tag for playback; Encrypted Media Extensions, which lets Netflix play protected video content in the browser; and Web Cryptography API, which lets Netflix encrypt and decrypt communication between our JavaScript and the Netflix servers.
"Our player on this Chromebook device uses the Media Source Extensions and Encrypted Media Extensions to adaptively stream protected content," Netflix said. "WebCrypto hasn't been implemented in Chrome yet, so we're using a Netflix-developed PPAPI (Pepper Plugin API) plugin which provides these cryptographic operations for now. We will remove this last remaining browser plugin as soon as WebCrypto is available directly in the Chrome browser. At that point, we can begin testing our new HTML5 video player on Windows and OS X."

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:48:05 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/netflix-to-drop-silverlight-in-favour-of-html5.2588/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/netflix-to-drop-silverlight-in-favour-of-html5.2588/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne 4G auction to be investigated by National Audit Office The National Audit Office is to investigate the low amount raised by Ofcom's auction of the 4G airwaves, which in June generated £2.3bn – a total of £1.2bn less than the Treasury had forecast, and £3bn less than the theoretical maximum.

In a letter seen by the Guardian, the NAO's auditor general, Amyas Morse, told the Labour MP Helen Goodman, shadow minister for media and communications:
"I intend to conduct a value-for-money study of Ofcom's recent auction of 4G spectrum."

Goodman complained to Morse
"By not making maximising the auction's revenues an objective for Ofcom, the government has failed to get value for money on this project,".

The 4G auction sold off more radio spectrum than ever before to bidders including the four main mobile networks and BT.

[IMG]

By comparison the 3G auction in April 2000 raised £22.5bn.
Goodman said she welcomed the NAO's intervention: "It is entirely right that the National Audit Office has launched this investigation. Serious questions must be answered as to why the Conservative-led government ended up £1bn short of the estimate George Osborne had provided just months earlier. When the 3G auction took place, Labour ensured that maximising revenue was an objective. The Conservative-led government did not do the same for the 4G auction, which I believe was a serious mistake."

Ofcom defended the auction. A spokesman said:
"The 4G auction was a success, which will deliver the maximum benefit to UK citizens and consumers – in line with Ofcom's statutory duties. It will create competition, with five companies able to launch competitive 4G services. This will lead to investment in new services, greater innovation and lower prices, plus enhanced coverage with a rule to cover almost all of the UK population by 2017 at the latest.

"The auction was designed to promote competition and ensure coverage, rather than to raise money."

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:41:11 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/4g-auction-to-be-investigated-by-national-audit-office.2580/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/4g-auction-to-be-investigated-by-national-audit-office.2580/ Rapid Yvonne Rapid Yvonne O2 separates Plan and Phone and allows users to upgrade their phone whenever they want O2 has unveiled a new contract plan today called O2 Refresh, which separates the cost of the handset and the user’s airtime plan.

The tariff will be available in-store from April 16 and allows consumers to upgrade their handset at any time.

It’s a 24-month contract, but the user chooses a phone and plan separately.

The idea is to provide greater transparency over what the user is paying for.

O2 Refresh is also designed to help smartphone enthusiasts upgrade their handset early. At the moment, consumers in the UK are locked into contract and have to wait until that passes before choosing a new handset

Customers can buy a new handset at any time, but they’ll have to pay off the remainder of their phone plan; the amount they pay each month for the handset. The airtime plan can be cancelled immediately without a termination fee though.

O2 is offering three Refresh plans for users.

For £12 per month, users are entitled to 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data.

Raise that to £17, however, and the user ups the data cap to 1GB and unlimited texts.

Unlimited minutes, texts and 2GB of data is £22 per month.

O2 Refresh is available on Samsung Galaxy S3, S3 Mini, Note 2 and Ativ S, Blackberry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry Z10, HTC 8X and One, Sony Xperia T and Z, iPhone 4, 4S and 5, Nokia 820 and LG Nexus 4.

It’ll also be available on the Blackberry Q10 and Samsung Galaxy S4 as well as other new smartphones in the future.

[toggle_box title="Press Release" width="570"]
  • O2 transforms the way consumers can purchase the latest mobile phones with the launch of O2 Refresh
  • In an UK first, O2 Refresh offers customers the opportunity to get a new phone when they want, without having to pay out their airtime contract
  • O2 Refresh will be available in O2 stores nationwide from April 16

O2 today announces the launch of O2 Refresh, the first 24 month tariff to decouple the cost of the phone from the cost of calls, texts and data. O2 Refresh has been designed for customers to get a new phone at any time, without having to pay out their airtime contract. Instead, customers simply pay the remaining balance for their phone and then start afresh.

Complete transparency

When a customer signs up to O2 Refresh, they choose a Phone Plan and an Airtime Plan. By signing up to and paying separately for their phone and airtime, customers are given complete transparency, while paying the same overall as they would on a standard 24 month Pay Monthly tariff.

For those customers who want a new handset before the end of their contract term, O2 Refresh enables them to pay off the remainder of their Phone Plan and end their Airtime Plan with no termination fee. To make it even more affordable to get the latest smartphone, customers can trade in their old mobile for cash using O2 Recycle, getting up to £260 to put towards their new phone.

O2 Refresh also offers great long-term value for those customers who don’t want or need a new phone before the end of their contract term. Once the customer has paid the full balance of their Phone Plan, monthly payments dramatically reduce to just the cost of the Airtime Plan.

“Mobile phone technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, yet the way phones are sold has remained largely static,” said Feilim Mackle, Sales and Service Director at Telefónica UK. “Increasingly our customers are telling us that they don’t want to be tied to the same phone for two years and, with 4G coming to O2 this summer, we want to make it easier for our customers to benefit from the latest technology. For the first time in the UK, O2 Refresh will make it possible to get a new phone part way through a pay monthly contract, at any time – quickly, easily and cost-effectively.”

Choice of three plans

Customers will have a choice of three O2 Refresh Airtime Plans, which have been tailored to meet varying call, text and data requirements. For £12 a month, customers get 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data; for £17, customers will have unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of data and for £22 they receive unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB of data.

O2 Refresh has also been designed to give customers the flexibility to choose whether to make an upfront payment. The overall cost of the phone may be less depending on whether a customer chooses to make an upfront payment toward their mobile and which O2 Refresh Airtime Plan they opt for.

At launch, O2 Refresh will be available on a range of phones including the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, Blackberry Z10, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Apple iPhone 5. Following the launch, O2 Refresh will be extended to include a wider range of phones, with a specific focus on high-end smartphones including the Samsung Galaxy S4*. O2 Refresh will be available in O2 stores from Tuesday 16 April and will be available online and over the phone in the coming months.

How O2 Refresh works
A customer buys a HTC One on O2 Refresh and chooses to pay £17 per month for their Airtime Plan and gets unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of data. They then choose to pay £20 per month for their Phone Plan and pay £49.99 up front, meaning their combined O2 Refresh tariff costs £37 per month, the same as they would pay on a standard 24 month Pay Monthly contract**. The total amount they will pay for the phone is £529.99.

[/toggle_box][signoff1]View the Post on the Blog]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:34:24 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/o2-separates-plan-and-phone-and-allows-users-to-upgrade-their-phone-whenever-they-want.2567/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/o2-separates-plan-and-phone-and-allows-users-to-upgrade-their-phone-whenever-they-want.2567/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol StreetMap sues Google for manipulating search results Streetmap is suing Google in court for what it called "cynical manipulation of search results," that made its site harder to find in Google searches.

A Google spokesman told Bloomberg he hadn't seen the Streetmap complaint, and declined to comment further.

This is the second such complaint the search service has faced from British courts this year.
The suit comes on the heels of an antitrust probe conducted by the European Union into whether Google is using its Search service to actively promote its other products, spurred by a similar suit from British shopping-comparison site Foundem.

EU commissioners have said that ultimate goal of the probe will be to secure "legally binding commitments" that their search results are unbiased.

A similar probe in the U.S. found no evidence the company's actions were harmful to consumers.

[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:45:35 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/streetmap-sues-google-for-manipulating-search%C2%A0results.2559/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/streetmap-sues-google-for-manipulating-search%C2%A0results.2559/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol Fairsearch coalition in Europe to sue Google The Fairsearch.org coalition, a group of 17 companies, which includes the likes of Microsoft and Nokia, have united under the common banner of fair competition in online and mobile search, or, by extension, against the undisputed search leader: Google.

Fairsearch accuses Google of violating several criteria for transparent and ethical search, including the ability to let consumers choose which services to use. Google allegedly imposes restrictions on services when using the Android platform, giving greater priority to the ones it provides.

Fairsearch also accuses Google of manipulating the search results with its search algorithm, which gives precedence to Google's own sites and services, or provides results which are biased towards advertisers and away from the best interests of consumers.



In a message to the European Commission, the coalitions' counsel Thomas Vinje accused Google of deceiving its partners regarding the Android mobile OS by trying to:
"monopolize the mobile market, and control consumer data. Failure to act will only embolden Google to repeat its desktop abuses of dominance as consumers increasingly turn to a mobile platform dominated by Google’s Android operating system."

The coalition has put up a website where it explains why search is important and asking the question whether Google can be trusted.



Google has not issued an official response to the accusations yet.[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:50:34 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/fairsearch-coalition-in-europe-to-sue-google.2551/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/fairsearch-coalition-in-europe-to-sue-google.2551/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol WhatsApp is not in discussions to sell the company to Google Rumours have been flying around the interwebs that WhatsApp were in discussion with Google about purchasing the company.

WhatsApp has now came and stated that it is not in discussions to sell the company to Google.

Neeraj Arora, WhatsApp’s business development head, told AllThingsD that the company is not holding sales talks with Google.

Earlier this week, a single-source report from Digital Trends said that the company was contemplating a $1 billion sale to the search giant.

Arora declined to comment further.[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:25:36 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/whatsapp-is-not-in-discussions-to-sell-the-company-to-google.2547/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/whatsapp-is-not-in-discussions-to-sell-the-company-to-google.2547/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol WhatsApp is not in discussions to sell the company to Google Rumours have been flying around the interwebs that WhatsApp were in discussion with Google about purchasing the company.

WhatsApp has now came and stated that it is not in discussions to sell the company to Google.

Neeraj Arora, WhatsApp’s business development head, told AllThingsD that the company is not holding sales talks with Google.

Earlier this week, a single-source report from Digital Trends said that the company was contemplating a $1 billion sale to the search giant.

Arora declined to comment further.[signoff1]ViaView the Post on the Blog]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:25:36 +0000 http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/whatsapp-is-not-in-discussions-to-sell-the-company-to-google.2547/ http://rapidberry.net/forums/threads/whatsapp-is-not-in-discussions-to-sell-the-company-to-google.2547/ Rapid Carol Rapid Carol