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August 31, 2009

Apple, AT&T Hit with Third Lawsuit over MMS

by Franz Bicar
Here comes another one. A frequently used line for Apple and AT&T this month as it got hit by another class action lawsuit for the third time this month. This is, again, about the Multimedia Messaging (MMS) issue that a lot of customers are complaining about. A lot of customers are disappointed at Apple and AT&T as these companies ...



Study Shows Cell Phone Usage Direct Link to Brain Tumors

by Franz Bicar
We’ve heard the claims, and we don’t really take it seriously, but recent studies show that it’s true.Yes, cell phone usage leads to a higher susceptibility to cancer. In a 37-page report by a group of international scientists calling themselves International EMF (Electromagnetic Field) Collaborative, it is concluded that there is a 400% increased risk of acquiring cancer among cell ...



August 28, 2009

ITV soon to go IPTV

by Alan Harten
ITV is working on finalising its stake in Hulu, an online streaming video service that originated in the US, so that soon many British programmes could become available for online viewing, such as mainstays like Coronation Street. Hulu has been trying to enter the British market since the TV venture Project Kangaroo was blocked by regulators at the beginning of 2009. In ...



T-Mobile tops mobile broadband poll

by David Allen
T-Mobile tops mobile broadband poll T-Mobile provides the fastest mobile broadband in the UK, a YouGov poll found. Mobile broadband users rated the network fastest for upload and download speeds, and gave it top scores for customer service and ease of use. The operator also ranked highest for value for money and simple billing. The poll is the third consecutive ...



Nokia unveils N900 tablet phone

by David Allen
Nokia unveils N900 tablet phone Nokia has officially unveiled its latest touchscreen handset, the N900. The flagship device, built on Nokia's Linux-based OS Maemo 5, features a 3.5-inch screen that Nokia claims will deliever a PC-like experience on the handheld tablet. The handset is Nokia's first internet tablet to feature cellular connectivity as well as Wi-Fi. "With Linux software, Mozilla-based ...



Vodafone claims double speed on mobile broadband

by David Allen
The mobile broadband provider Vodafone has announced that it will be increasing its connection speeds up to 14.1 Mbps, making it the fastest mobile broadband in the UK. Nevertheless, as ever this headline connection speed is unlikely to be achieved by any Vodafone mobile broadband subscriber, for who the average speed is likely to be between 1 Mbps and ...



T Mobile tops mobile broadband

by David Allen
The mobile broadband provider T Mobile has topped a poll designed to find out which mobile broadband provider is the best in the UK. The survey, which was compiled by YouGov, asked over two thousand mobile broadband users a series of questions that had been carefully designed to measure certain features, such as installation and ease of use. The mobile ...



BT to offer a free Vision+ box

by David Allen
BT is offering a free Vision+ box to customers that subscribe to one of the firm's digital TV value packs. This offer is only available online until the 18th September. BT digital value packs are: Gold Value - choice of four channel packs at a starting rate of £12.23 for the first three months and £19.57 after Silver Value - ...



Only half of Scots have broadband

by David Allen
With much talk about the government’s plans for broadband for all, it seems that there are plenty of places where broadband is not an option. According to the Scottish Household Survey, it has been found that just over half of the households in the region actually have access to a broadband connection. The survey found that although sixty per cent ...



Price Drop TV returns to Freeview

by David Allen
Price drop TV is about to make a return to Freeview following an eight month absence. This follows an agreement between the channel's owner, Sit Up Channels, and Arqiva, that will allow Price Drop TV to return to broadcasting on the free to view digital network. It was back in January when the channel was taken off the Freeview ...



Channel 4 signs up with Arqiva

by David Allen
Kangaroo is definitely bouncing back with a vengeance now that Arqiva has confirmed that it has completed a deal to acquire the technology that would have powered the joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five. According to the Daily Telegraph, it seems that it is full steam ahead too when it comes to acquiring content, as ...



DTG announces deal with Mirifice

by David Allen
The Digital TV Group (DTG) has agreed a new partnership deal with Mirifice which will see the firm's automated systems introduced to test Freesat set top boxes. As from September, DTG will be introducing a customised version of the MiriATE(r) automation system at the industry test centre, which is where equipment will be tested to make sure that it ...



BSkyB has a deal with AdGent 007

by David Allen
The satellite broadcaster BSkyB has signed an agreement with AdGent 007 who will be representing all of the sites owned by Sky, including the Premier League and Football365 in the North American marketplace. The Sky network has a massive 1.3 million unique visitors every month in the USA and Canada. AdGent 007 already represents Condé Nast, Huffington Post and ...



Satellites for sale, one careful owner

by David Allen
Two satellites have been put up for sale by ProtoStar in an auction that will take place in the 14th October, following the decision of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court to approve the sale on the 24th August. The buying and selling of satellites is a very sensitive business but in this case the court approval allows ProtoStar to reveal ...



Sony Bravia KDL-52V5100 LCD HDTV Review

by Franz Bicar
kdl-52v5100The 52-inch KDL-52V5100 from Sony is a simple TV. It is encased in a glossy black bezel that gives it a classic and stylish look. It has a very simple yet elegant design. For connection, this set comes packed with the latest selections. It has 4 HDMI ports, optical audio out for ...



Samsung Promotes Green HDTVs

by Franz Bicar
samsung-led-tv1Did you know that getting new TVs can help save the environment? Well, Samsung executives seem to believe so in promoting new energy-saving technology. This technology allows next-generation HDTVs, notebooks, and mobile devices to consume less power, therefore cutting electric bills down. Scott Birnbaum, vice president of Samsung's LCD business, said ...



August 27, 2009

GIPS powers Yahoo! Messenger VideoChat

by David Allen
VideoChat on Yahoo! Messenger 10 is to be powered by GIPS VideoEngine. Global IP Solutions said its VideoEngine will enable high-quality video calling on the newly launched Yahoo! Messenger 10. “We’re proud to work with Yahoo! to deliver a truly differentiated high quality video experience for the hundreds of millions of people on Yahoo! Messenger around the world,” said Emerick Woods, GIPS ...



CAPEX free HSL 2.75G Femtocell

by Alan Harten
HSL, a mobile network and infrastructure provider in the UK, announced today that it will launch a new service so that subscribers can benefit from the HSL 2.75G Femtocell technology without using the CAPEX operator. The problem from the lack of coverage usually affects those in rural or suburban areas who want to use their mobiles indoors but lack the proper ...



Mimecast gets its head in the cloud

by Alan Harten
Mimecast has upgraded its Unified Email Management Platform, expanding on cloud technology so that the SaaS delivery model is cost effective and more flexible for users. The email management specialist provides solutions for email networks as well as continuity, policy and security control, email archiving, and of course the new cloud functionality. The new cloud functions will help businesses that need to ...



UK iPhone TV guide

by Alan Harten
UK iPhone TV Guide Jersey Productions, a Swedish iPhone app development studio, has announced the launch of a new TV guide application for iPhone users in the UK. According to Fredrik Hellstrom who founded the company, the new Swedish version of the TV Guide application was huge in March, causing the company to consider building a UK TV ...



Opera Mini seems unstoppable

by Alan Harten
Opera Mini seems unstoppable Opera Mini released the results of a new monthly report on their website that details the link between usages and downloads of their users versus where they plan to stay. The report not only details global trends that affect global use, but also what the trend of the Middle East is including the debate ...



Broadband for all could mean UK population changes

by David Allen
The roll-out of a reliable and fast broadband service could have some dramatic effects on the population map of the UK, according to research carried out by the telecoms firm Orange. As high speed broadband begins to reach out into more areas of the UK, the opportunity arises for businesses and individuals to move out of the cities and ...



3UK gets Yellow Advertiser for first dashboard advert

by David Allen
As announced some time ago, the mobile broadband provider 3UK has introduced advertising to its dashboard. The first organisation to sign up to appear on the 3UK dash board is the Yellow Advertiser. Adverts for Yell.com will appear on the screen every time the user logs onto the network through their dongle. This is an ideal opportunity for all mobile ...



UK broadband speed still lagging

by David Allen
A global survey has highlighted just where the UK broadband network stands when it comes to the rest of the world. According to research carried out by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) it has been found that the UK is lagging behind many countries in the developed world. The survey puts the government's Digital Report in its place, with ...



Google fixes Chrome flaws

by David Allen
Google has recently patched two series flaws in the Chrome Javascript and XML engines which could have caused some serious issues for the users of Chrome. The flaw found in the V8 Javascript engine could have allowed a webpage that has been specially designed with JavaScript to actually read unauthorised memory and by-pass security checks. The threat here is ...



TATA introduces 3.1 Mbps mobile broadband

by David Allen
TATA Communications, part of the massive TATA group, recently introduced a product known as the Photon Plus which uses next generation technology that promises to bridge the mobile broadband gap. The device enables users in India to access the mobile service offered by the TATA Photon Plus network wherever it is available. However, what is surprising is the sort of ...



Be Broadband redesigns site again

by David Allen
It was only around a month ago that Be Broadband launched its new style and, it has to be said, slightly unusual website design. For some Be Broadband customers the change was a step too far and the complaints rolled in regarding the colours and font sizes. In general, just the way that site had been designed did not ...



Sky scammers are out there

by David Allen
Subscribers to satellite broadcaster BSkyB are being warned that they could be paying out for warranties that are useless, according BSkyB itself. Sky subscribers are being targeted by companies that claim to be linked with the broadcaster in order to sell insurance for set top boxes and satellite dishes. The firms are charging around £10 for the insurance. According to ...



Sky One gets Davina for new dance show

by David Allen
Just as the Big Brother door begins to close the Sky One door opens for presenter Davina McCall, as she signs up to present a new TV dance show, Just Dance. The series is a co-production from Shine TV and Princess Productions. It will be run on a similar style as the X Factor, but for just dancers. Once again, ...



BSkyB commissions 12 silent movies

by David Allen
It may still be August, but for the TV schedules this is the time that planning can make or break a channel's success over the festive season. One surprising feature for Sky 1 will be a series of twelve short silent films. Naturally these films are going to be for the twelve days of Christmas and it can only ...



August 26, 2009

Lower prices pushing Wi-Fi spread

by Alan Harten
Wireless broadband is able to make a large impact on the home internet market because of the low prices that it can be utilised for. Techworld, an IT specialist, stated that the market is currently opening up now that users can browse the internet, both from their home and while travelling, due to wireless that operates on laptops. Editor of Techworld, John ...



Project Canvas to launch next year

by Alan Harten
Project Canvas partners are hoping to see the TV service launch in 2010 after Richard Halton, the BBC Controller of Business Strategy, stated on an industry website that 2010 was the perfect time for a launch of the new product. Halton said that the coming year will be important for UK digital TV and the government's aim of getting Freeview HD ...



Channel 4 goes 3D in the autumn

by Alan Harten
Channel 4 goes 3D in the autumn Channel 4 will begin to air its 3D broadcasting this autumn by providing viewers with a selection of shows that will utilise ColorCode technology. In order to view the shows in 3D you will need to head over to Sainsbury’s which has partnered with Channel 4 to provide 3D specs for ...



Work smartphones taking up employees’ personal time

by Alan Harten
Work smartphones taking up employees' personal time The answer to finding a better balance between your personal life and your work life may be trading your smartphone in for a regular mobile according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by Gartner, showed that those who own a Blackberry work an additional 15 hours a week, after studying ...



Sky Sports secures La Liga

by David Allen
Once again, it seems that the buying power of BSkyB has proved to be too tempting, as Sky Sports secures the TV rights for the live broadcast of football matches from the Spanish top league, La Liga. The three year deal will see Sky Sports showing at least two live matches each weekend during the 2009-10, 2010-11 and the ...



BSkyB signs deal with The O2

by David Allen
The satellite broadcaster BSkyB has come to an agreement with the music venue The O2. This will mean that subscribers of Sky TV will be able to get access to the VIP ticketing service, while the broadcaster will get the TV rights to screen shows on the Sky network. The deal will last five years and it is believed ...



Sky One strikes back

by David Allen
Following the comments by the Sky One controller, Stuart Murphy, regarding the content produced in house by BSkyB, further details have been released about the new action drama, Strike Back. Strike Back will be produced by the Wallander creator, Left Bank Pictures. The programme will be filmed in HD and is based on the book by ex SAS man, ...



Phorm shares fall as OFT investigates

by David Allen
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) could be carrying out a study on those internet businesses that monitor consumers' online activities and then use the information to target the consumer with advertising relevant to their surfing habits. If the study goes ahead, businesses, organisations and consumers could be asked for their views on how this type of marketing works ...



Freeview chosen by DSHS

by David Allen
As the digital switchover moves into the West Country, the Digital Switchover Help Scheme (DSHS) will be recommending the Freeview digital TV service as the standard equipment for those households that are eligible for help under the scheme. The scheme, which is managed by the BBC, helps vulnerable people in the UK to convert their TV to digital before ...



Arqiva gets new CEO for VoD

by David Allen
Pierre-Jean Sebert the former managing director of Eurosport UK is to be appointed as the new CEO of the video on demand (VoD) service from Arqiva. Arqiva's VoD has been developed using the infrastructure of the old Project Kangaroo - that found it hard to be sanctioned by the competition commission and so was shelved by the project's partners, ...



Hulu deal could be just a week away

by David Allen
The US video on demand (VoD) service, Hulu, has been having tough talks with the UK commercial broadcaster ITV, but it seems that there could now be some light at the end of the tunnel, in fact a deal could be announced as early as next week. However, this is not going to be the deal that brings Hulu ...



TalkTalk condemns anti piracy plans

by David Allen
The plan to tackle online piracy, announced by the government, has quickly come under fire from many people involved in the industry, including the internet service provider TalkTalk. According to TalkTalk, the government’s proposals are impractical and are likely to breach human rights and privacy laws. The proposals put forward in the Digital Report earlier this year were more or ...



Motorola to Release Two Android-based Smartphones this September

by Franz Bicar
Come September, Motorola is releasing two new Android-based handsets.  This is a pretty significant move by Motorola as it tries to penetrate the smartphone market. With the lowering prices of smartphone, Motorola has had trouble catching up with giants such as Apple, Nokia, and Samsung, who, till this day, is still a powerhouse in the mobile market. In previous ...



Pirates will be cut off

by David Allen
As predicted, it looks as if the government will be looking towards removing Ofcom from the piracy loop and handing the power to introduce plans to tackle piracy over to the Secretary of State! Plans to punish illegal downloaders, which were originally rejected by the government's own Digital Britain report, look as if they are about to be revamped ...



LED Technology Getting Better with new Developments

by Franz Bicar
samsung-led-tvLED displays is the future for televisions. Even now, companies are spending huge amount of resources to improve current LED technology. Of course, most LED TV sets out on the market today is being disputed and the main complaint is that the display is not composed of 100% LEDs and ...



RIM Acquires Torch Mobile to strengthen the Blackberry Browser

by Franz Bicar
When it comes to mobile browsers, it's obvious that Safari for the iPhone is king. Sure, Opera was there long before Apple released the iPhone, but I'm pretty sure most readers would agree when I say there is no contest on which is the better mobile browser. Good news is, a lot of companies are starting to catch up. Samsung's ...



August 25, 2009

People would prefer a phone number for life

by David Allen
Four in five telecoms users would prefer to keep their telephone number for life, even when moving overseas, new research has discovered. The poll by Voxbone found 82% of telephone users would like a single number that stays with them for life so they don't lose contact with people when they change service provider or move home. Seven in ten of those ...



SMEs face 200% hike on 0870 phone bills

by David Allen
Thousands of small businesses could see their phone bills treble next month as new Ofcom rules on non-geographic numbers come into force. Companies that have failed to migrate from 0870, 0871, 0872, 0873 and 09 numbers could face increases on their phone bill of up to 200%. Research by B2B broadband provider Opal found that up to a third of its customers ...



Arqiva acquires Project Kangaroo

by David Allen
On-demand TV platform Project Kangaroo has been acquired by broadcast infrastructure company Arqiva. Arqiva has acquired the hardware, software, and intellectual property assets of Project Kangaroo, which was developed in a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, Channel 4, and ITV. Arqiva aims to use the platform to launch a new video-on-demand service in the UK with high quality content from leading broadcasters ...



QuickPlay unveils mobile set-top box

by David Allen
QuickPlay Media has unveiled a new mobile set-top box solution that will extend the reach of TV service providers to mobile devices. The platform allows IPTV subscribers to download movies and TV programmes to watch on their mobile devices. Content can be downloaded over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G mobile broadband, and via sideloading. "Consumers are eager to take their entertainment experience beyond the ...