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I H8 TXT MSGS
Txt msgs are just a disaster waiting to happen!
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Leaked memo warns of real cancer risk from mobile phones?
The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use.
Ronald Herberman, of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said users should not wait for definitive studies on the risk and should take action now.
He said children should use mobiles in emergencies only and adults should try to keep the phone away from the head.
No major academic study has confirmed a link to higher brain-tumour risks. But Dr Herberman said his warning was based on early findings from unpublished data.
"We shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," he says.
"I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use," the memo says.
A major six-year research study in the UK said last year that there were no short-term adverse effects to brain and cell function from mobile phone use.
However, the UK Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme said there was a "hint" of a higher cancer risk in the long term and that its research would look into the effects over a 10-year period.
Programme chairman Professor Lawrie Challis said: "We can't rule out the possibility at this stage that cancer could appear in a few years' time."
Is this something to be worried about? Would you stop using your mobile phone based on evidence like this? Do you do anything to try to minimise your risk, just in case long-term studies reveal that mobile phones ARE linked to cancer? Or are you just not that bothered?
The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mob... more -
Cancer expert warns on cell phones
The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.
Herberman is basing his alarm on early unpublished data. He says it takes too long to get answers from science, and he believes that people should take action now, especially when it comes to children.
"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.
Adults should keep the phone away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset, he says. He even warns against using cell phones in public places such as a bus, because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields. The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone... more -
Cancer expert warns employees on cell phones
Do Cellphones cause cancer? Will we ever get a straight answer?
The scientist keep saying no but doesn't it seem like this is the same folks who said smoking was fine in the 1950s? Do Cellphones cause cancer? Will we ever get a straight answer? ... more -
School district bars teacher-student texting
A new school district policy in southern Mississippi prohibits teachers from texting or communicating with students through Internet social network sites such as MySpace.
The Lamar County school board approved the policy earlier this month after becoming concerned that casual contact between teachers and students would be unprofessional.
"The only intent is to limit the personal communication between teachers and students," Superintendent Ben Burnett told The Hattiesburg American newspaper. "We don't need to let it cross the line between professional and personal communication."
Burnett said the policy won't keep teachers or students from creating profiles on sites such as MySpace or Facebook, which allow users to share personal information and communicate over the Web.
"This just keeps them from communicating socially through those kinds of means," Burnett said.
No incident led to the policy, which was enacted at the suggestion of the school board attorney. The board has yet to set penalties for violating the policy. A new school district policy in southern Mississippi prohibits teachers from texting or communicating with students through Internet s... more -
What Every Parent Must Know About Cyber Bullying
Looks like a new kind of bully has moved into our cyber neighborhoods. Cyber bullies hiding behind their keyboards are tormenting our children and teenagers online. What can parents do to protect their children and teenagers? Looks like a new kind of bully has moved into our cyber neighborhoods. Cyber bullies hiding behind their keyboards are tormenting our ... more
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Apple sells 1 million new iPhones
Apple Inc said on Monday it has sold 1 million units of the new iPhone in its initial weekend, on par with estimates set by analysts, sending its stock rising more than 2 percent.
The original iPhone, introduced in late June 2007 in the United States only, sold about 270,000 units in its first two days. Sales had topped 1 million units by early September. The new device sells in 21 countries.
Apple executives were pleased with the early results. "IPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend," Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in a statement. "It took 74 days to sell the first 1 million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world."
The iPhone 3G still has the popular touch screen, but also offers a faster wireless network and the ability to download third-party applications like games.
Apple Inc said on Monday it has sold 1 million units of the new iPhone in its initial weekend, on par with estimates set by analysts, ... more -
Cell phone explodes in man's pocket
A Newton man said he was burned when his cell phone exploded and caught fire as he was walking his dog earlier this week.
“Suddenly the phone was on fire,” said Dan Lefman.
The phone was the Envy, a popular model sold by Verizon Wireless.
“It caught fire and it burned my leg very badly. There's a hole in my khakis where it burned through,” he said.
While the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported rare cell phone explosions in 2005 caused by older defective or counterfeit batteries, Lefman had purchased this phone just a few months ago and it contained the original battery.
The Envy is Verizon Wireless' most popular model, but an incident like this has never been reported, according to company spokesman David Thomson.
"This is the very first time this has been brought to our attention. There is no need for panic," said Thomson.
The unit itself is charred and melted on the back panel -- the question is, what caused the explosion? Verizon Wireless took the phone and will examine it to find out what went wrong. Lefman has been given a new phone by the company. A Newton man said he was burned when his cell phone exploded and caught fire as he was walking his dog earlier this week. ... more -
iPhone 2.0 Software Secretly Released
Last night (July 9th) Apple released the App Store on iTunes. This allowed you to download these applications to your computer, but not to your iPhone.
But now, someone has discovered the link to download the 2.0 software for your iPhone. If done correctly, you will be able to install apps for your iPhone in no time.
NOTE: This will not work for iPod Touch's. Last night (July 9th) Apple released the App Store on iTunes. This allowed you to download these applications to your computer, but no... more -
Senate passes no-warrant wiretapping bill. Kiss your rights good bye
The Senate Wednesday approved a bill to put new rules in place for intelligence agency eavesdropping on suspected terrorists.
Communication technologies like mobile phones have made the 1978 FISA bill out of date, supporters say.
The bill also effectively protects telephone companies from being sued for cooperating with a government surveillance program launched in the wake of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. The White House pushed hard for the provision, with a threat to veto the bill if it did not contain protection for phone companies.
The vote was 69-28, with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois voting in favor. Republican candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona was not present for the vote.
President Bush said Wednesday afternoon he will sign the bill, calling it "vital" and "long overdue." Watch Bush praise the new FISA bill »
The bill, formally known as the FISA Amendments Act, updates the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It will:
Require the secret court set up to oversee FISA to review the surveillance of any targeted American whether the person is in the United States or abroad;
Provide for the FISA court to sign off on procedures for removing the name of any American inadvertently captured in a communication with a foreign target;
Prohibit reverse targeting, which is when intelligence officials eavesdrop on a foreigner's communications overseas as a means to spy on someone in the United States.
Close a loophole by explicitly establishing the 1978 law as the exclusive means for authorizing electronic surveillance;
Set up a procedure for federal judges to determine whether a telecommunications company can be sued for providing the intelligence community access to its networks without a court order.
The bill essentially grants immunity to the telecommunication companies, the opponents said, because all of the telephone carriers received government certifications saying their participation in the program was legal.
Obama was criticized for backing away from his early opposition to the bill by liberal bloggers and individuals commenting on his campaign Web site.
Before voting for the bill, Obama voted for an amendment offered by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut, that would have stripped the language granting immunity to telecommunications companies.
Civil liberties groups have vowed to fight the legislation in court.
"This fight is not over. We intend to challenge this bill as soon as President Bush signs it into law," Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project, said in a statement issued minutes after the Senate approved the bill. "The bill allows the warrantless and dragnet surveillance of Americans' international telephone and e-mail communications. It plainly violates the Fourth Amendment."
President Bush acknowledged in 2005 that he ordered the secretive National Security Agency to intercept communications between U.S. residents and people overseas suspected of having ties to terrorism. The administration says the program was authorized when Congress approved military action against al Qaeda after the 2001 attacks.
The Senate Wednesday approved a bill to put new rules in place for intelligence agency eavesdropping on suspected terrorists. ... more -
iPhone 3G: Reviewers Have Two Big Complaints
By Michele Masterson, ChannelWeb
2:30 PM EDT Wed. Jul. 09, 2008
The two biggest complaints: battery life and overall cost.
The Wall Street Journal technology columnist Walt Mossberg found that in his testing the 3G has less battery life. Mossberg said that because of the higher demands of using 3G networks, the iPhone's battery drained a lot faster than "in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone."
"I overcame this problem by learning to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G whenever possible, turning down the screen brightness and even turning off 3G altogether, which the phone permits. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can't be replaced with a spare."
The New York Times tech writer David Pogue concurred and in his own review of the 3G in Wednesday's New York Times, noted that when "the battery needs replacement after a couple of years, you'll still have to pay Apple $86 for a replacement."
Apple initially wowed prospective buyers with a price tag of $199 for the 8-GB model, about half the price of the original iPhone, and the 16-GB model phone will cost $299.Both prices are based on signing a two-year agreement with iPhone carrierAT&T (NYSE: T). An upgrade fee is $18. The phone carrier also said that customers have an option to purchase an early upgrade priced at $399 for 8 GB or $499 for 16 GB, which also requires a two-year contract. In addition, AT&T said that in the near future, it will offer a no-commitment option of $599 for 8 GB and $699 for 16 GB.
However, Mossberg points out that the price point isn't much of a bargain.
"Apple's exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc., has effectively negated the iPhone's up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10.
"Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract," Mossberg wrote.
3G reviewers weren't too crazy about the phone's camera too.
"Apple hasn't done much to improve its 2-megapixel camera," said USA Today tech columnist Edward Baig. "You still can't zoom, shoot video or use a flash. Taking pictures is a tad clumsy."
Baig said that other drawbacks include not being able to shoot video, take advantage of Bluetooth stereo or dial with a voice command, which are common features on rival devices.
"I'm hoping some shortcomings will be addressed by third-party developers," he said.
So, what's the bottom line?
"If you've been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life," Mossberg wrote. "The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it's worth getting the new hardware.
The New York Times' Pogue agreed.
"The iPhone 3G is a nice upgrade. It more than keeps pace with advancing technology, and new buyers will generally be delighted," he wrote. "But it's not so much better that it turns all those original iPhones into has-beens. Indeed, the really big deal is the iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store, neither of which requires buying a new iPhone. That twist may come as a refreshing surprise to planned-obsolescence conspiracy theorists—and everyone who stood in line last year." By Michele Masterson, ChannelWeb 2:30 PM EDT Wed. Jul. 09, 2008 The two biggest complaints: battery life and overall cost. ... more -
Incoming!
A short dramatic vignette about an awful, awful misunderstanding.
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Iphone not for sale in Canadian Apple stores
Unlike the United States where consumers could buy iPhones at Apple retailers as well as through the wireless carrier AT&T that carries the phones, in Canada consumers will have to buy from a Rogers Wireless or Fido retailer or one of the company's authorized resellers. Unlike the United States where consumers could buy iPhones at Apple retailers as well as through the wireless carrier AT&T that ca... more
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Dial And Dump
After Pay As You Go, could the next generation of phones be completely disposable?
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SatNav comes to the bicycle!
The new wave of SatNav GPS Mobile phones have found a very specific use amongst the UK's cyclists - as make shift satellite navigation systems for bicycles. The new wave of SatNav GPS Mobile phones have found a very specific use amongst the UK's cyclists - as make shift satellite navigation... more
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AT&T’s Text Messages Cost $1,310 per Megabyte
Check out the prices for a text message plan on AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone 3G in the United States. AT&T wants twenty cents ($0.20) per text message if you don’t sign up for a plan. A text message is nothing more than 160 bytes of data. The max is 160 characters, and one character equals one byte of data. Great.
In other words, if AT&T charged data downloads at the rate they charge text messages downloading 1MB of data would cost you $1,310.72. Check out the prices for a text message plan on AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone 3G in the United States. AT&T wants ... more -
Police Wnt U To Fight Crime W/Txt Msgs
Police in the 1970s urged citizens to "drop a dime" in a pay phone to report crimes anonymously. Now in an increasing number of cities, tipsters are being invited to use their thumbs _ to identify criminals using text messages.
Police hope the idea helps recruit teens and 20-somethings who wouldn't normally dial a Crime Stoppers hot line to share information with authorities.
"If somebody hears Johnny is going to bring a gun to school, hopefully they'll text that in," said Sgt. Brian Bernardi of the Louisville, Ky., Metro Police Department, which rolled out its text-message tip line in June. Police in the 1970s urged citizens to "drop a dime" in a pay phone to report crimes anonymously. Now in an increasing number of cities... more -
Most expensive iPhone mobile phones
If you’re a Lover of luxury phones, you’re going to like this. The iPhone has currently been luxed up by Australian jeweler Peter Aloisson. The result is the iPhone Princess Plus - the world’s most expensive iPhone. 138 of the total amount of diamonds are “princess cut” stones, which is where the name iPhone Princess Plus comes from.
The other 180 diamonds used the brilliant cut. These diamonds total 17.75 carats and are inlaid on 18k white gold. The price of this sparkling baby is $176,400. Of course, an alternative version containing only the brilliant-cut diamonds is available for “only” $66,150.
For More Detail http://www.worldamazingrecords.com If you’re a Lover of luxury phones, you’re going to like this. The iPhone has currently been luxed up by Australian jeweler Peter Aloi... more -
EU to cut mobile phone costs
The European Commission plans to cut the cost of mobile phone calls by reducing the fees operators charge each other for using their networks.
Europe's telecoms watchdog published guidelines for laws to harmonise so-called call termination fees across the European Union by 2011.
Currently, 27 national authorities regulate fees charged by an operator for handling calls from another.
Brussels said consumers ended up paying for variations in cross-border fees. The European Commission plans to cut the cost of mobile phone calls by reducing the fees operators charge each other for using their n... more -
Helio Flames Out!
Helio "Don't Call me a Phone Company" Mobile was acquired from Korea's SK Telecom today by Sir Richard Branson's (of the UK of those not in the know) Virgin Mobile USA for a down right cold $39 Million - a meer $230 per subscriber.
[Via Engadget]
Q&A from Helio's Website:
HELIO and Virgin Mobile USA are teaming up to combine our strengths and deliver a better mobile experience. On June 27th Virgin Mobile USA announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire HELIO.
HELIO gains access to Virgin Mobile USA’s extensive distribution network and broad customer base, while Virgin Mobile USA gains access to HELIO’s exclusive, high-end devices and premium services. Both companies look forward to coming together to bring exciting prepaid and postpaid opportunities to their customers.
Q: What does this mean for current HELIO members? Can I still use my HELIO device, while keeping my HELIO service plan and number?
A: Current service plans will continue without interruption – it will be business as usual. HELIO members are at the center of this transaction and we’ll continue to bring them the innovative mobile services they’ve come to expect.
Q: Can new members still sign up for HELIO service?
A: Absolutely. HELIO will continue to offer exclusive, high-end devices and our innovative All-In plans.
Q: Will the HELIO brand be retained, or will everything migrate to Virgin Mobile USA?
A: Over time, we expect that all aspects of the customer experience will be integrated under the Virgin Mobile USA brand. Integration of the direct sales channel will begin immediately, and we expect that existing HELIO products and services will soon be offered through the Virgin Mobile USA website at www.virginmobileusa.com.
Q: So what’s next?
A: We’re excited by the possibilities our new, combined team offers. We have some big ideas, but as you can imagine, a little bit of housekeeping is in order before we share them. Stay tuned!
Q: Does this affect my current contract with HELIO in any way? When Virgin Mobile USA does acquire HELIO, can I end my current contract without paying an early termination fee (ETF)?
A: HELIO contracts remain in effect and unchanged by this transaction. HELIO members who wish to end their contract early will still be subject to an early termination fee (ETF).
Helio "Don't Call me a Phone Company" Mobile was acquired from Korea's SK Telecom today by Sir Richard Branson's (of the UK of those n... more
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