Posts Tagged ‘mobile phones’

Used Mobile Phones More Valuable Than You Might Think

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

“More companies are jumping into the business of refurbishing and reselling the used cellphones and other electronic gadgets clogging Americans’ drawers and closets.

Within a few years, the used market could account for a fifth of all cellphone sales in the U.S., says Stephen Manning, chief executive of ReCellular Inc., one of the largest U.S.-based cellphone refurbishers.”

What do you think?

What do you usually do with old cell phones and other electronic items?

Mobile Banking Reaches Ravaged Port-au-Prince

Friday, January 14th, 2011

port-au-prince.jpg

credit: newbeatphoto

Effective humanitarian aid isn’t always about food and shelter. Find out how the Gates Foundation is pursuing some long-term solutions to Haiti’s problems…

  • Mobile technology is changing the world – especially in places where wireless technology can sidestep problems with a nation’s telecommunications infrastructure.
  • Now this technology is going to help Haiti in a different way, by making cell phone banking widely available.
  • After a natural disaster, local banks may be destroyed and Internet access nowhere to be found. Plus, mobile banking is safer. In the security crisis of post-earthquake Haiti, carrying cash has become a hazard.

Facts & Figures

  • Over $30 million was raised for humanitarian relief after the quake
  • Many of those donations came in via text message, $10 at a time
  • The Gates Foundation and USAID are donating a total of $10 million to companies that can bring mobile banking to Haiti
  • Fewer than 10% of Hatian citizens have ever used a commercial bank, but nearly every family has access to a cell phone

What Do You Think?

Would you donate to an organization that focused solely on bringing technology to people in need? Would you choose that over a traditional food-and-shelter humanitarian aid organization?

Microsoft Fights For Space On The Smartphone Stage

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Microsoft basically threw its old smartphone operating system out and tried again. Worth it? We’ll see…

  • Microsoft has just unveiled seven new smartphones it will be launching in partnership with several cell phone companies (AT&T, T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom AG) over the next few months. So far, the new technology isn’t compatible with Verizon or Sprint Nextel networks.
  • The handsets are produced by different manufacturers, but they all run on the new Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. The system has been totally redesigned in an attempt to compete with the more popular iPhone and Android.
  • Windows Phone 7′s interface is inspired in part by the company’s Zune mp3 player, and will feature an optional paid service (U-Verse) that allows users to watch cable shows on the device.

Facts & Figures

  • The seven new devices go on sale beginning November 8th
  • Three of the AT&T-branded phones are priced at about $200 with a 2-year contract
  • In the 2nd quarter of 2010, Microsoft’s piece of the smartphone OS market pie dropped to 5.5%

Best Quote

“The phones are always delightful, and wonderfully mine. This is a different kind of phone.” – Steve Balmer, Microsoft Chief Executive

Verizon Refunding Up To $90 Million to Cellular Customers

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Getting ripped off? It may pay to speak up – the squeaky wheel gets the $90 million dollar refund.

  • The F.C.C. (Federal Communications Commission) has been receiving consumer complaints about bogus data charges assessed by Verizon Wireless on customers without active data plans.
  • In response, Verizon announced it will voluntarily refund affected customers. The company will likely still face a fee from the FCC.
  • Many customers were charged $1.99 every time they accidentally hit a key that opened their phone’s browser. Verizon has been accused of  refusing to reverse these charges when individual customers called customer service to complain.

Facts & Figures

  • According to a Verizon executive, about 15 million customers without data plans were billed for unintentional data usage in the past few years.
  • Beginning in October, current and former customers will receive credits to their account ranging from $2-$6.
  • In the end, the refunds are estimated to total $50 million.

Best Quote

The agency is “gratified to see the repayment, but for millions of Americans it’s a day late and a $1.99 short.” – Michele Ellison, Chief of the F.C.C. Enforcement Bureau

Your Friend Can Now Lend You $20 Using A Credit Card

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Is this the end of the entire credit card business model as we know it??

  • A new company called Square is blowing the minds of credit card company executives everywhere. Square produces a little gadget that plugs into the headphone jacks of a variety of iThings and the Android phone. That’s where things get crazy.
  • The free device allows anybody with a bank account to accept credit card payments in person or over the phone.
  • Usually, only businesses accept credit cards. They have to purchase expensive equipment and then pay fee after fee just for the ability to process credit payments. Square Up changes that, eliminating equipment, setup, and maintenance fees.

Facts & Figures

  • Square’s chief executive is the co-founder of Twitter.
  • Each time you process a payment using Square Up, the company keeps 2.75% of the transaction amount, plus $0.15.
  • At first, transactions are capped at $1,000, but that cap can be raised over time or for established businesses.

“Augmented Reality” Brings Real Estate To A New Dimension

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

A prosperous new market marries iPhone superpowers with the reality of day-to-day.

  • The European tech company Layar has engineered a mobile browser that layers content over reality using your phone’s camera, compass and GPS data.
  • Layar’s augmented reality technology (A.R.) is now being used in the lucrative real estate industry.
  • Point your iPhone at a home or apartment and watch interior photos and value estimates appear onscreen.

Facts & Figures

  • 1,000 developers have designed 2,000 programs for the iPhone and Google Android using Layer’s technology.
  • By 2014, the A.R. market is expected to have annual revenue of $732 million.
  • Both Google and Microsoft are working on their own versions of A.R.

Best Quote

“There’s a lot of capital, a lot of money in real estate so we expect realtor brands to use it as a service to their customers and customers to use it just out of curiosity.” – Maarten Lend-FizGerald, Layar Co-Founder

Verizon And AT&T Let The Competition In

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

But will a more liberal network usage policy strain limited bandwidth resources?

  • With new FCC regulations looming, two of the telecom industry’s leaders announced on Tuesday that they would reduce restrictions currently in place on users of their cellular networks.
  • AT&T will now allow users to access Skype on the 3G network to make cheaper international phone calls, and Verizon plans to collaborate with Google to produce new cell phones that will be open to any mobile application.
  • Proponents of net neutrality recently found a voice in the FCC chairman, who argues that it is unfair for a company to restrict or filter Internet access for paying customers to advance its own interests.

Facts & Figures

  • Verizon is the nation’s largest cell phone company.
  • This announcement was made just one day before an important speech at a wireless conference by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
  • Analysts say Verizon already has a more open network policy than most other telecom companies.

Best Quote

“The timing is nice. It is the carriers saying, ‘Okay, we are responding’ and answering the market needs while also trying to stay within the guardrails that appear to be going up at the FCC.” – Mike McGuire, Vice President of Research at Gartner