Mobile Phones Blog

The move towards a carbon neutral lifestyle is long and full of very inconvenient sacrifices, especially if you are a gadget nut like myself. But O2 have found a way of helping the environment and giving their customers a nice reward.

The new energy saver option gives users a choice. Customers can upgrade as usual or they can choose to receive an offer of £100 or £95 worth of credit. Taking the £95 will make a £5 donation to the O2 energy saver fund and save the energy used to manufacture and distribute a new phone. As O2 have a customer base of around 18 million, that is a lot of energy. In addition to this O2 will double the £5 contribution, should you choose to make it.

The money raised by the O2 energy fund will be used to help turn communities green. So they pollute less, use less energy and produce less rubbish thus reducing their carbon footprint and reducing the community's contribution to climate change. Matthew Key, the chief executive of O2 UK said that “mobiles have changed the way we live and people will always want new phones and the benefits they bring. However, there is an environmental impact from the production of each new phone. With 70 million active mobiles in the UK the collective carbon savings to be gained by keeping handsets longer is simply massive. We therefore want to give customers a choice and an incentive to keep their existing phone and make a difference.

It’s a worthy idea and climate change is an issue that affects us all. It will be hard to resist the latest shiny handset but the extra £95 will certainly come in handy.

Vodafone, in partnership with mobile wireless technology developer Moovera, have successfully trialled and announced the launch of high-speed net access on the Oxford Tube Stagecoach Group coach service which runs between Central London and Oxford.

Passengers travelling on the Oxford Tube can now have surf, email and chat at speeds of up to 1.4Mbps, using Vodafone’s 3G network - which now covers over 80% of the UK population - and Moovera’s Wi-Fi technology.

CEO and founder of Moovera Networks Jim Baker said that “Providing free ‘always-on’ broadband access on routes frequented by commuters, students and tourists is a significant way for bus, coach and train operators to distinguish their service from others and increase passenger footfall.”

Application of similar ventures by other network providers across the whole transport industry could prove very popular with rail commuters; their frustration over rising prices and delays exacerbated by the fact that any phone call made on a train is likely to be disconnected as the train inconsiderately drives through an area of the countryside devoid of signal or an annoyingly placed tunnel. Executive types on their way to the office on the train could also Blackberry documents straight to their desktops at work via the Wi-Fi network.

In other mobile/transport related issues, Transport for London (TfL) have long been thinking about how to enable commuters to top up their Oyster cards, or even use Wi-Fi/Bluetooth enabled handsets to pay for tickets on buses and at Underground stations.

TfL have also announced intentions to install Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the busiest stations on the Underground, which can connect calls to overground transmitters, providing a clear signal for all users. A similar system has been installed in the underground network of Hong Kong.

Last year, it was also announced that popular airlines were working on installing equipment which would allow mobile phones to be made on commercial flights without them interfering with take-off and landing procedures.

With a government lobby pushing for phones to be required to be switched off when in cars, it seems that public transport is opening up to mobile phone use more and more.

Despite a nationwide ban on motorists using mobile devices whilst driving coming into effect in 2003, there are still a number of drivers who not only think that Blackberrying whilst negotiating the A303 is safe, but is also easy to get away with.

Reported figures of mobile-related road accidents have dropped since the ban, but police in Wiltshire have introduced stricter measures to curb behind the wheel callers. Offending motorists caught on camera will receive a £60 fine, double the original amount, and an additional three points on their licence.

Statistics show that drivers are four times as likely to be involved in a collision if they are using a mobile whilst driving.

Some local critics have been quick to accuse the Wiltshire Constabulary of setting up an extra stealth tax, but Acting Chief Insp. Nick Elton says that no price is too high for preventing fatalities.

Referring to the 19 road deaths attributed to mobile phones between 1998 and 2001, Mr. Elton said, “That’s 19 too many and I’m sure if you were to speak to the loved ones of those 19 then they wouldn’t see it as a small number.”

Insurance group Direct Line have a ‘Drive Safely’ company policy, which amongst other things, stipulates that their employees must keep their mobile phones switched off when driving, and have launched a campaign to make this policy an enforced law. No doubt some cynics would argue that an insurance company has a vested interest in keeping accidents to a minimum, but it highlights the danger presented by mobile-using drivers nonetheless.

Their policy states: “Talking on the phone distracts your attention from the road and can lead to an accident. Never use a mobile phone while driving - you are not in full control of your car if you are holding a mobile phone. Even using a hands-free phone is distracting.”

If the policy, mirrored by MP Janet Anderson’s drive to enforce a total mobile ban, comes into effect, it could mean that mobile phone extras such as satnavs and hands-free kits - specifically designed to allow drivers to use their phones whilst on the road - could be become things of the past.

Traffic wardens are a suspicious lot.-  They are subject to daily doses of vitriol that are usually reserved for criminals and England football managers.-  But they must be overjoyed that their lives could be getting a bit easier thanks to the humble mobile phone.

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-  Westminster City Council has stated that they will be removing all parking meters from the borough and replacing them with payment via mobile phone.-  For the past six months drivers who have been using bays with the meters removed have been paying by mobile, ending the need to rummage around in their pockets for £16 worth of change.-  Feedback shows that 85% of motorists said they had chosen the new method as a means of avoiding those pesky parking fines.

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Another bonus to the scheme for the council is that payment by mobile will see an end to theft from parking meters, a crime which can cost them a massive £20,000 per week.-  Car thieves are also known to check tickets to see how long a car is going to be left unattended, so they can pinch it with the minimum of fuss.- 

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We all know how councils just love to save money and it's nice to see that they have done it in a way which makes things much more convenient for the man on the street, rather then introduce a new 'oxygen tax' or something.-  Here's hoping the residents will stay honest and not use it as a way to get free parking.

Those flying Finns at Nokia have ratcheted up the battle for smartphone supremacy yet again with the latest addition to an already swollen catalogue. The 6120 classic is the latest in a line of affordable smartphones which started with the recent E50.

Firstly the 6120 takes a visit to buzzword central as it is fully HSDPA enabled, which allows for double quick music and video downloads. It is powered by the well known symbian operating system and has an impressive 369 MHz CPU. The handset also has stereo Bluetooth support, FM radio, miniUSB jack and a microSD memory card slot.

This is followed by the predictable 2 megapixel camera as well as a front camera for video calls. The startling thing however is the fact that all this weighs in at 84 grams. Nokia, perhaps unfairly, has a reputation for handsets that look and feel something like a world war one panzer tank but with the 6120 classic they can change some minds. It's due out around quarter two and you will obviously be able to see it on this site.

Like the 80's spandau ballet classic, Nokia have gone gold with a new version of the 8800 sirocco. It's certainly a logical step for the range but you have to wonder why Nokia haven't given the guts of the phone a similar treatment as it is exactly the same as the previous sirocco phone. The 2 megapixel camera returns along with FM radio, Bluetooth and a 262,000 colour TFT display. A matching Bluetooth headset is also included.

The look of the phone will convince some to trade in their old handset but I would personally wait for the full upgrade which is certain to be in the pipeline. But the fort knox appeal of the handset is sure to lure in the bling brigade. Expect to see the handset falling out of a drunk WAG's handbag fairly soon.

Reports on the alarming decline in the world’s bee population have been linked to the growth of consumer mobile phones. It has been suggested that the microwave radio signals have an adverse affect on the insect’s brains, disrupting their homing abilities, making them unable to locate their hives, and therefore unable to pollinate crops, as it is assumed that they die attempting to locate their homes.

This phenomenon has been termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) by avid apiarists who have noticed abrupt hive abandonment and rapid decline in bee populations in the US, where over 70% of the East Coast’s bees disappeared in the space of one year

It is estimated that bee populations are disappearing in sections of the US and Europe at rates up to 80 percent. German bee populations have dropped 25 percent while Poland, Switzerland and Spain say that they have similar declines.

Other theories for the reason of the substantial bee decline include the introduction of GM crops, new pesticides, light pollution, global warming, or a combination of all the above, including mobile phone signals. German research has long shown that bees behaviour changes dramatically near power lines, and a study at Landau University has shown that bees will refuse to return to a hive if an active handset is placed nearby.

Albert Einstein famously warned that humankind faced extinction through either nuclear annihilation or a mass-failing of world harvests due to bee extinction. He said: “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.

An American study in 2000 estimated that honeybee pollination accounted for $14.6 billion (roughly £7.3 billion) of the US primary sector’s growth for that year.

There have been other cases of mobile phones having an adverse affect on wildlife, with some racing pigeons being unable to locate their owner’s homes, and some birds copying and incorporating mobile ring tones into their mating calls.

Conversely, other studies have shown that areas around overhead power cables may prove to be safe havens for bees, seemingly odd places for conservation reserves to be set up, but one that could see strips of land directly underneath pylons managed to encourage bee population re-growth if the figures continue to decline so rapidly.

With green issues now at the forefront of parliamentary debate, and with bee pollination also a strong economic factor, government legislation on where phones can be used and where signal booster aerials can be installed, particularly in rural areas, could well bee in the pipeline.

If the prospect of carrying Trevor McDonald around in your pocket appeals to you then you will pleased to hear that 3 have tied up a deal with ITN to deliver news and entertainment clips to your mobile.-  You will be able to get these clips free in return for watching adverts at the beginning and end of each clip.-  3 have consistently pushed the envelope on the entertainment side of mobile phone use so it is no surprise to hear that they have added yet more media content to their impressive roster.- 

- The mobile industry generally will have their beady eyes on this scheme as delivering good quality content funded by advertisements is the future.-  Some experts believe it will be worth a whopping $11 billion in 2011 from less than $900 million last year.-  The future of mobile phone use is much more than just texting and calling and obviously we will continue to bring you news from the mobile frontline, so stay tuned.

On Thursday the European parliament industry committee voted to cap mobile phone roaming charges within the European community. How does this affect me I hear you ask? Well, it will be much cheaper to ring home to ask a friend or family member for an 'emergency loan' because of an 'accident', or to get back in touch with the office if you're a jet setting type.

There is a proposed single 40 Euro cent cap for all outgoing roaming calls and a 15 cent cap for all incoming calls. Officials also want clear warnings to pop up to tell you how much the call is going to cost you.

The final decision will not come until June at the earliest as the proposal comes before a ministerial vote at the full European parliament. The plans will be under considerable scrutiny as ministers are said to be split over the issue.

The mobile phone operators are not exactly cock a hoop over the proposals. The GSM association have stated that the plan is 'inappropriate and unprecedented'. In their defence they have reduced roaming charges of their own free will recently but apparently they have not gone far enough. Watch this space.

The forthcoming version of wireless Bluetooth technology - Bluetooth 2.1 - is here, and it promises several exciting new features that could change the way in which people use their mobiles. Michael Foley, the executive director of the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group), the industry trade group which oversees the development and licensing of Bluetooth products gave a live demonstration of the new technology on the tech website Gear Live.

One of the more prominent aspects of Bluetooth 2.1 is the integration of something called 'near field communications,' much more intuitive, natural way of transferring files between Bluetooth enabled platforms.

In the past, when users have wanted to exchange files, the process often involved a search through a series of folders and menus on the display in order to locate the desired music file or picture - a process which is somewhat laborious in comparison to the 2.1 way of doing things.

In the demo, Foley takes a picture with a prototype handset, and transfers it to a live photo frame by simply holding the phone next to a sensor mounted in the frame - by simply moving the handset next to a sensor, users can transfer pictures and music files from phones to printers and stereos and other hardware, almost like scanning barcodes on supermarket products.

The process of pairing - when, for example, a hands-free headset or earpiece is linked to a handset - is also now much simpler. Before, users would have to manually enter a PIN number and wait for the handset to search for the nearest available device to pair up with. With two Bluetooth 2.1 devices, pairing only requires you to hold one device within a few inches of another.

The other advantages offered by Bluetooth 2.1 include an improved power consumption (billed as being five times more efficient than 2.0), and an improved quality of sound and visuals transferred across a Bluetooth piconet.

These features aside, 2.1 otherwise operates in the exact same way as 2.0 did, which is why it is not being touted as 3.0 - it’s a marked improvement on the old system, adding features which drastically improves user experience, but it is not a total redesign.

March the 27th was the rumoured date when the Bluetooth SIG were to officially announce the specifications of 2.1 on their website, which might have given some indication as to when devices containing the technology would be shipped, but so far, no specs have been published. However it is expected that 2.1-enabled devices will be released in Q4 of this year.