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UK study finds no link between illness and cellphone towers
Researchers in the UK have all but debunked the theory that cell phone towers, or electronic interference, is making people physically ill. A recent study done by Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that they could find no scientific evidence that feelings of anxiety, nausea, and tiredness occur due to the presence of electronics, or GSM and 3G cell phone equipment. The tests, carried out in 2005 and reported in Environmental Health Perspectives today, claim that when neither the researcher nor the subject knew if cell signals were being emitted, the number of symptoms reported was not related to signals present. Participants did report feeling ill, but it was independent of any cell phone signals, "Hence the range of symptoms and physiological response does not appear to be related to the presence of either GSM or 3G signals," the study said. Yeah, right, next thing you know they'll be telling us those voices we hear aren't "real" either.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Duke exonerates iPhone from network outage charges
Granted, the original report suggesting that swarms of iPhones actually broke Duke's WiFi network did seem a bit bizarre, and now it appears that the university is freeing Apple's handset from blame. Interestingly, the actual culprit still seems somewhat veiled in secrecy, as we're only informed that "a particular set of conditions made the Duke wireless network experience some minor and temporary disruptions in service," but never do they exaggerate on exactly what caused the hiccups. Still, Duke also stated that it worked in conjunction with Cisco and Apple in order to "identify the network issue that was causing the problem," and since Cisco stepped in and provided a fix, the prpblem has yet to repeat itself. Looks like you're off the hook on this one, iPhone.
Nearly 25% of iPhone buyers are AT&T newcomers
We'll admit, we aren't shocked by the fact that nearly one-quarter of those who have purchased Apple's iPhone thus far are brand new to AT&T, and honestly, we're a tad miffed that the figure isn't a bit higher. Of course, those pesky (not to mention pricey) early termination charges are the likely reason that some 75-percent of iPhone buyers had already hitched their wagon to AT&T before, but a recent study carried out by American Technology Research noted that "a fair amount of customers were willing to pay high early cancellation fees to get out of their existing service contracts for an iPhone." Interestingly, the last mobile to command such a substantial amount of ship-jumping was Motorola's legendary RAZR, and we all know how well that turned out. Still, only time will tell if Apple has a similar hit on its hands, but judging by early reports, things aren't looking too bad at all for Cupertino.[Image courtesy of Mobilissimo]
LG, Samsung handsets on top in entertainment phone study
Although the necessity (or desire, actually) for integrated mobile entertainment in one's phone has long been argued over, we can't help but notice that the fad is ever-so-methodically catching on. Recently, a consumer study from Parks Associates found that LG and Samsung handsets led the way in "advanced mobile entertainment features," noting that their cellphones were more likely to support mobile TV, music, and games in the US. More specifically, nearly 12-percent of LG / Samsung owners reported having the aforementioned features, while just eight-percent of Moto users checked the box and nary a single Nokia respondent claimed to have such luxuries. Hmm, we're guessing the N95 owners were all too preoccupied to represent?[Via mocoNews]
Germans showing early signs of iPhone fever
Seems the iPhone is causing a tizzy in Germany as hopeful subscribers are registering and calling Apple's leading retailer over yonder at a crazy rate. To date, 57, 000 folks have signed up for more info, with a thousand or so more getting on board each day. Apparently 58 percent of the iPhone faithful would be willing to switch to the as of yet unannounced carrier, at a mystery pricepoint, on the surprise date. Here's hoping they get that bit of PR out of the way soon so the Euro-iPhone madness can commence.
Music on the phone: not many do it
Even with all the music download services floating between Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and others, wireless subs just aren't downloading music very much. Only about two percent of US customers download music to their handsets over the air according to Jupiter Research. Not an OTA fan? Chew on this: only five percent of music-capable handsets get music sideloaded from nearby PCs as well. 28 million US customers will have music-capable handsets at the end of this year, while a minimal percentage will actually use that capability. Will it get better with the iPhone being sold in volume this year? We'll see.[Via mocoNews]
Scientists pinning dropped calls on... solar flares?
Dropped calls have admittedly become less of a problem as carriers became more reliable in more locales, but it sounds like we finally have somewhat of a celestial answer as to why they happen in the first place. Thanks to research by David Thomson and colleagues at Queen's University in Canada (pictured above), they have discovered that when a "solar radio flare occurs and cell-site antennae are facing the sun, the number of dropped calls that go away for no apparent reason increases dramatically." In one particular case, it was noted that "20-percent of calls" were dropped during flares, and while some may be satisfied with cranking out these results and darting away, the team is still interested in finding out the reasons why calls still drop in the absence of flares. And to think, all this time we were having way too much fun blaming the carriers.[Via Textually]
NTT DoCoMo tests speedy Super 3G
It's a bird, it's a plane, no, its just Japan's NTT DoCoMo blowing the rest of the world away with yet more steroid-loaded 3G action, or Super 3G in this case. Blending advanced HSDPA and HSUPA technologies, Super 3G is touted as having downlink speeds as quick as 300Mbps -- a fair bit quicker than earlier reports -- to your handset. The indoor tests will begin with only one transmitting and receiving antenna, but switch up to the four Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna system that would be used if deployed. Test are expected to wrap up in 2009, so in the interim we'll all just sit back and cry a little knowing we'll never see this type of tech on these shores.[Via Unwired View]
Text-based advertisements favored in UK research study
Let's face it: the prototypical handset user isn't apt to favor advertising much at all, but a recent research study commissioned by mobile media publisher MoMac found that owners seemed to prefer the tried and true text-based flavor when all was said and done. More specifically, 56-percent of the 1,400 surveyed favored text-based ads, while picture / banner ads came in as the second most popular with a thumbs-up given by some 29-percent of respondents. Interestingly, a quarter of the males in the crowd preferred video advertising over all other methods, and the 16-to-24 age group was found to like video ads nearly twice as much as those 55 years or older. So, how's about you, dear readers? Do the less invasive text-based plugs gather your love more often than those oh-so-tempting videos?[Image courtesy of TheRawFeed]
Digital Life America poll profiles iPhone faithful
It would seem Solutions Research Group's Digital Life America has its fingers on the pulse of the average iPhone hopeful (or at least a random 1,230 of them) with a new poll titled "Who Will Line Up for the iPhone." The results seem to suggest that the average iPhone line-camper will be a fairly well heeled individual (we're not surprised here, this is pretty pricey hardware) with a salary 26 percent higher than the national average, aged 31 years, and overwhelmingly male. The interesting bit in all this is that 48% of them don't currently own an iPod, so they do fit the mold Mr. Steve is aiming at. If Apple is following this type of fluff, perhaps being in NYC or somewhere in CA will help your cause come 6pm on the 29th -- but if not, you can always hop in the Lear and hit the other coast in a jiffy.[Via Slashphone]
British study shows 850,000 phones flushed a year
Seems we're all about mobiles in the toilet of late, but today's study is more focused on "lose," not "use." A study conducted by SimplySwitch (which typically studies price comparison and carrier switching) shows that 850,000 handsets are dropped in the crapper each year, 810,000 are left in the pub, 315,000 left behind in the taxi, 225,000 on the bus, and as many as 58,500 get nibbled by the pooch. While we can't confirm just how legit this study was, we do have some experience 'round here with toilet tumbling handsets so we know it can happen. If we can pass along one tip to save your precious mobile: wrist strap, wrist strap, wrist strap!
Survey sez just 11-percent of Americans rely solely on cellphones
While we're inclined to believe that most of those surveyed are just too lazy to disconnect their landline which hasn't been used in the past 24 months except for picking up a few stray telemarketing plugs, a recent Harris poll reportedly shows that a whopping 81-percent of US adults still have a landline phone in their home. Notably, 77-percent of the test population also had a cellphone while 16-percent had warmed up to VoIP, but a paltry 11-percent of the participants admitted to relying solely on cellphones to get their yap on. Of course, the generational trend was in full effect, as the majority (55-percent) of that small chunk was of the younger set between the ages of 18 and 29. So, dear readers, how many of you are still keeping your landline provider in business for a medium you could easily do without?
15 percent of Brits polled admit using mobile internet in toilet
Ah yes, toilet Internet -- it doesn't get much better then that when privacy and escaping from strict office 'net policies are key. In a T-Mobile commissioned poll of a couple thousand folks in England, 48 percent of them are using their mobile phones for Internet access at workplaces where Internet use is not allowed or severely limited. Further findings also point out that as many as 25 percent of users know they have access on their handsets, but aren't sure how to use it (we can now start to see how this poll may be helpful to T-Mobile). Armed with these findings T-Mobile has launched the "Set the Internet Free" campaign, and will set you up with its web'n'walk service for only the cost of a trip to your local T-Mobile shop. All of this of course leads to a couple of our own results from this poll: first, get 'em hooked, then raise the tariffs once they've adopted.[Via textually.org]
Nissan NA warns that cellphones could disable intelligent keys
For proud owners of Nissan's newest Altima or Infiniti's G35 sedan, we certainly hope you don't habitually stuff your shiny new I-Key in the same pocket as that diminutive handset, or you may return from your next stop to find yourself totally immobile. In a rather bizarre (and strangely ambiguous) announcement, Nissan North America has claimed that owners of the 2007 Altima and G35 should make certain that their "intelligent key" is kept at least "one inch away" from their cellphone at all times, as getting too close for comfort could cause the keys to be "erased, rendering them unable to unlock or start the car." Interestingly, a Nissan spokesperson stated that the company found "incoming and outgoing calls had the potential to alter the electronic code within the I-Key," and as if that weren't tragic enough, the keys seemingly can't be reprogrammed afterwards. Of course, the firm assured everyone that the issue was only in "a very small percentage" of the total keys (and cars) sold, and while a new iteration will be out this fall, you can presumably rent a car and drive to your dealer for a replacement if the glitch hits your whip.
Samsung most favored phone brand in US
When it comes to loyalty among the wireless handset crowd, we think it's a tough race out there. After all, newer and better handsets are released seemingly every week that are slimmer, geekier, lighter and just plain better. How does a single manufacturer build strong customer loyalty over time? Ask that to Samsung, which is the most favored handset brand in the US, according to the Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. Samsung's position atop other handset brands has been intact since 2002 according to that index. The company blushed and then promptly responded with "The honor of being the top brand for six consecutive years indicates the company's capability of meeting consumers' taste and their ever-growing expectations." With the bevy of standard, advanced and Windows Mobile Smartphone models for both the CDMA and GSM markets in the US, Samsung's product portfolio alone could vouch for the company's market-leading customer loyalty we think. [Warning: subscription required]
UCSD's Squirrel puts pollution monitoring on your mobile
Giving an animal a phone to tote around and monitor pollution is one thing, but hooking up a critter to your cellphone sans wires sounds like a much more viable solution to keeping track of filthy surroundings. UC San Diego's Squirrel -- which sounds an awful lot like a project UC Berkeley was working on -- is a Bluetooth-enabled, palm-sized sensor that currently measures carbon monoxide and ozone, but eventually will be able to "sample nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide in the air, as well as temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity." After sampling, the device then utilizes a software application dubbed Acorn to allow the user to "see the current pollution alerts through a screensaver on the cellphone's display." Furthermore, the program can periodically upload the captured data to a public database operated by the "California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), which is funding Squirrel's development." Of course, cleaning up the mess that these monitors will inevitably find is an entirely different matter.[Via MedGadget]
Nokia Siemens pumps virtual MIMO networking
After some recent testing, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is on the verge making Virtual Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) the transmission protocol for Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks. Translation: the wireless networking company is going to be squeezing more data bits into existing allocated spectrum -- which is sure to please heavy-use data customers (and moreso to carriers). The NSN team used SDMA (Space Division Multiple Access) techniques to link two separate mobile devices with a base station simultaneously -- and on the same radio channel. Technically, that is quite a feat since radio communication becomes directional and quite efficient, unlike traditional cellular networks. Using current GSM or CDMA systems, wireless customers and towers broadcast in a 360-degree pattern -- but not so with SDMA technology. NSN's results included data uplinking at 108 megabits per second. That is a data rate we can get excited about -- and so should carriers needing to use existing spectrum more efficiently. Seeing as NSN just opened its doors a month ago, this is quite an impressive announcement, no?
Japanese mobiles could make satellite calls to massive dish
When you're already tracking every kid out there to make sure no one gets into too much mischief, you definitely need a way to make a call whilst in "mountainous areas or at sea," right? Apparently the Japanese government thinks so, as it's planning on bringing satellite calling to the masses by launching a bird that's 50-meters in diameter in order to enable "ordinary handsets" (you know, the ones without the mile-long antennas) to make satellite calls in times of emergency with just slight modifications. The aforementioned sat would be over twice the size of the 19-meter Kiku No. 8, which currently holds the crown for the largest launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, meaning that the newfangled equipment would fit nicely within the confines of today's increasingly shrinking cellphone and still find signal. Interestingly, the ministry isn't looking to get the service going before 2015, so we just might be looking at mainstream antenna-less iterations by that time anyway.[Via DigitalWorldTokyo, photo courtesy of SatellitePhones]
Survey: two-thirds say "no thanks" to iPhone
iPhone buzz may be at a strong, rolling boil at this point, but a recent survey suggests that the tabloid-like attention the device has been enjoying may not translate to sales at Apple and AT&T counters come next month. The poll of 1,300 individuals responsible for their own bills uncovered that while 77 percent had heard of the iPhone (wow, only 77 percent?) and 41 percent had a "good impression" of it, a full two-thirds of respondents indicated that there was no chance they'd buy one -- and only 6 percent said they'd pick one up. 6 percent seems like a dismal number at first glance, but the survey firm astutely notes that even at the very peak of its popularity, the now-ubiquitous Motorola RAZR only achieved 6 percent market penetration. So yeah, theoretically, if 6 percent of the American bill-paying populace actually buys an iPhone next month, we officially have the next RAZR on our hands. Way to put a damper on things, eh?
Report shows adults biggest consumers of mobile games
Middle aged gamers for teh win (or something)! The NPD Group is reporting that in an average month, 29 million cell owners play games on their mobile devices and more than 7 million download games -- though there isn't any mention of where they are downloading from. NPD further break this down with 29 percent downloaded by people aged 24 - 34, 27 by the 18 - 24 set, and 15 percent by the youngest group aged 13 - 17. No shocker here -- the oldest group typically has the means, a credit card to shop with, and depending on the career choice, time.[Via mocoNews]
