27 Feb 2012 by Editor | Filed in Mobile

It was no surprise to see the world?s fastest smartphone launched at Mobile World Congress last night. More surprising was that it came from Huawei. Their Ascend D quad uses a proprietary quad-core chip and power management system.

Chinese communications technology solutions provider Huawei last night introduced the world?s fastest quad-core smartphone, the Huawei Ascend D quad. Powered by the Huawei?s K3V2 quad-core 1.2GHz/1.5GHz processor and claiming ?the most compact design among 4.5-inch smartphones?, the Ascend D quad runs on the Android 4.0 operating system and Huawei?s proprietary power management system, which provides up to 30% in energy savings.

?We?ve listened to people?s top demands from smartphones: speed, long-battery life, high quality visual and audio capabilities, and a compact, lightweight handset. The Huawei Ascend D quad exceeds these expectations,? said Richard Yu, Chairman of Huawei Device. ?In January at the Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas, we achieved a world record for the world?s slimmest smartphone with the Huawei Ascend P1 S. We are proud to once again introduce a world-first at the 2012 Mobile World Congress with the Ascend D quad, the fastest smartphone.?

The Ascend D quad sports a 4.5-inch 720P high definition touchscreen, and the industry?s most powerful 32-bit true color graphic processor. Its PPI 330 screen provides clear display even under direct sunlight, and is complemented by its Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound and Audience earSmart voice technology. It offers an 8-megapixel BSI rear-facing camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and 1080p full HD video-capture and playback capabilities.

The Ascend D quad comes with an 1800mAh battery, which it says lasts for one to two days with normal usage. The smartphone?s prowess is enhanced by Huawei Device?s proprietary power management technology which provides a longer battery life of up to 30% compared to industry average by adjusting power consumption according to usage needs. It also ensures higher chipset performance and efficiency by maintaining a low chip temperature.

Measuring 64mm narrow and 8.9mm slim, the Ascend D quad has an ultra-thin frame, with the lightweight and compact 4.5-inch touchscreen seeming to vanish into the edge, creating an ?infinity? feel and allowing an exceptionally narrow body.

As part of the Ascend D series, Huawei also introduced the Ascend D quad XL and the Ascend D1 smartphones. The Ascend D quad XL comes with a 2500mAh battery which provides two to three days of normal usage. With the same specifications as the Ascend D quad, the Ascend D quad XL measures 10.9 mm slim. The Ascend D1 runs on a 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU and has a 1670mAh battery. 

The Ascend D quad series will be available in China, Australia, Europe, Asia-Pacific, North and South America, and the Middle East in Q2 2012. The Ascend D1 will be available in the above markets from April 2012.

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27 Feb 2012 by Editor | Filed in People 'n Issues

Today, at the Mobile World Congress being held in Barcelona, Spain, the GSMA is unveiling the Connected House, which will showcase the latest in connected products and how they are improving people?s lives.

Today, at the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, the GSMA will unveil the Connected House, a "living future where everyone and everything can benefit from intelligent wireless connections".

Launched with AT&T, KT and Vodafone and their partners ? Accenture, Airbiquity, AQ Corporation, Ericsson, Intel, KTH, Qualcomm, Rsupport, Sony and Zelitron ? the GSMA Connected House will showcase how mobile technology is already improving people's lives by demonstrating the latest in connected products and services. It will be located in The Courtyard in the heart of the Fira de Barcelona conference venue.

Visitors will explore how mobile is driving innovation to deliver the Connected Life now and in the future. Inside, the latest in cutting-edge wireless technologies will show how you can make your home more intelligent, how mHealth services can improve people's wellbeing, and how connectivity in cars will keep drivers better informed. Visitors will also experience how connectivity in a range of devices will impact a number of vertical industries through cost savings and efficiencies and improve the way companies do business.

Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA said: "The Connected Life enabled through mobile technology is already integral to our daily lives, enhancing the way we commute, look after our health, teach our children and control our home environment. With the total number of connected devices set to triple over the next decade to 24 billion, and the number of mobile connected devices set to surpass 12 billion in 2020, the Connected House will showcase the innovative solutions of today and the mobile industry's vision for the future."

Also included in the Connected House will be demonstrations of the Embedded SIM and its use in connected devices. As the mobile industry moves from connecting handsets to connecting a wide range of devices, the Embedded SIM will enable over the air provisioning of operators credentials, while continuing to deliver the assured levels of robust security and interoperability that consumers expect. The GSMA is partnering with Embedded SIM solution suppliers Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient for this demonstration.

Other highlights will include:

AT&T

? Blue Libris Personal Emergency Response System, a health monitor for seniors, patients and children. This single button mobile solution enables the real-time sensing of health information, the automatic monitoring of user location and activity and simultaneous voice communication with users.

? AT&T Digital Life?, an IP-based remote monitoring and automation platform that will equip global service providers with the capabilities to offer their subscribers customisable, web-based home automation, energy and security services. The platform will enable providers to offer devices like wireless sensors and cameras that will communicate with a control center inside the home, managed through a web based user interface.

KT

? KT's new Kibot robot teaches children to read, sing and speak in different languages. This robot terminal provides customised 'Smart Home' services for infants and elementary school students, assuring safety through learning, play, and home monitoring.

? Experience a range of groundbreaking NFC enabled SIM-based devices including an e-Wallet offering services such as credit and cash card payments, access keys, memberships, coupons and stamps, all through your mobile phone; the Olleh WorkSpace, a collaborative work solution for tablets and smartphones; and even a Smart Flower Service, providing information on different types of flowers through terminal tagging.

Vodafone

? A Tracking and Monitoring Service to help companies monitor and manage stock levels while preventing the theft of valuable assets such as refrigerators. The live demo shows how companies can check the location in real time of an ice cream cooler ? and monitor whether it has been moved or stolen.

? An Energy Management solution which helps businesses operating across several sites to monitor and optimise energy consumption in each of their buildings remotely. The demonstration monitors lighting, heating, air conditioning and power consumption - generating cost savings, reducing CO2 emissions and improving building maintenance management.

GSMA

? The GSMA's interactive Connected Timeline and Smart City, highlighting key milestones in the past, present and future - everything from stolen vehicle tracking to teaching through tablets in schools. Also, the vision of the Connected Life in 2020 and what benefits mAutomotive, mEducation, mHealth, and the Smart Home will bring to everyday living in the future.

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27 Feb 2012 by Editor | Filed in Mobile

In one of the highlights so far of the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Nokia lifted the lid on the 808 PureView, a smartphone featuring a high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor.

Nokia sets a new industry standard with the first in a range of high-end experiences based on exclusive Nokia PureView imaging technologies.

Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this morning saw the unveiling of the Nokia 808 PureView, a phone which features a large, high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology.  

It is the first smartphone to feature Nokia PureView imaging technologies, bringing together high resolution sensors, Carl Zeiss optics and Nokia developed algorithms, which will support new high-end imaging experiences for future Nokia products. According to Nokia, it "ushered in a new era in high-end smartphone imaging".

At standard resolutions (2/3, 5 and 8 megapixels), it has the ability to zoom without loss of clarity and capture seven pixels of information condensing into one pixel for the sharpest images imaginable.  At high-resolution (38 megapixel maximum) it means the ability to capture an image, then zoom, reframe, crop and resize afterwards to expose previously unseen levels of details. With superior low-light performance and the ability to save in compact file sizes for sharing in email, MMS, and on social networks, the Nokia 808 PureView makes it possible for anyone to capture professional looking images in any conditions.

In addition to superior still imaging technology, the Nokia 808 PureView, also includes full HD 1080p video recording and playback with 4X lossless zoom and the world's first use of Nokia Rich Recording.  Rich Recording enables audio recording at CD-like levels of quality, previously only possible with external microphones.

The Nokia 808 PureView also features exclusive Dolby Headphone technology, transforming stereo content into a personal surround sound experience over any headphones and Dolby Digital Plus for 5.1 channel surround sound playback "Nokia PureView imaging technology sets a new industry standard by whatever measure you use," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices.  "People will inevitably focus on the 41 megapixel sensor, but the real quantum leap is how the pixels are used to deliver breath-taking image quality at any resolution and the freedom it provides to choose the story you want to tell."

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27 Feb 2012 by Editor | Filed in Mobile

At this year?s Mobile World Congress, Jibe Mobile will host a mobile air hockey tournament. The game will run on the Vodafone IMS network and is designed to showcase the network?s speeds and handset capabilities.

Jibe Mobile will host a mobile air hockey tournament, to be played out at Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, to demonstrate the capabilities of the Jibe platform. 

The tournament, open to all attendees at the conference, is a cooperative effort involving Jibe, game creator MTI and network operator Vodafone. 

The game, Air Hockey developed by MTI, will run on the Vodafone IMS network and showcase both the network?s speed and handset capabilities. Players will compete for medals and a grand prize with daily shootouts on February 27, 28 and 29 at noon, 2 and 4 pm at Hall 1, Stand A50.

While consumer adoption of mobile games is growing rapidly, real-time social, mobile gaming capabilities have lagged in comparison to console and PC-based gaming. This is a missed revenue opportunity for mobile operators and developers alike, since multi-player gaming is inherently viral. Jibe?s App-to-App Platform changes this. With just a few lines of code, developers can incorporate powerful in-app features for mobile network-based gaming, including:

Discoverability: Using the address book built-in to their mobile, users can find friends who have the same game installed, and send invitations for instant app-to-app play. 

In-App Communications: Developers can enhance the social experience for multiple users by adding features such as voice, video and chat. 

Rapid App-to-App Reply: Mobile can match console and PC-based multiplayer experiences by adding rapid app-to-app reply (no lag in gameplay) for hard-core games. 

?Jibe?s Mobile Platform helped us to enter the fast-growing mobile real-time gaming market,? said Toshihiro Maeta, CEO of Tokyo-based MTI. ?By partnering with Jibe, it was simple to deliver real-time features and in-application communication making multi-player gaming come alive for end users. Without Jibe, we wouldn?t have been able to introduce real-time features.? 

The Air Hockey game that will be showcased at Mobile World Congress was built by MTI, using the Jibe software developer?s kit, which streamlines creation of premium applications. Air Hockey features head-to-head play and fast action that highlights both the speed of the mobile network and newest devices. One of the latest devices will be offered as a prize to the winning contestant: a Sony Ericsson Xperia, which is the first PlayStation Certified Android smartphone. 

At the Jibe stand, developers will demonstrate the following RCS-e applications built with the Jibe SDK:
? Jibe ON: Consumer messaging application featuring group chat, file transfer, VoIP and video calling 
? Kodo: Multi-player arcade game with instant play and real-time fast action 
? Reversi: Board game with embedded voice and video features plus mobile address book friend discovery and instant play invitations 
? Car Racing: Real-time multi-player auto racing game with mobile address book friend discovery and instant play invitations 
? View Together: Tablet-based audio and video collaboration suite including live document co-editing 
? Mobile Advertising: In-app advertising using context aware placement and ads via the inMobi mobile advertising network 
? Remote Device Customer Care: Enables live over-the-air device troubleshooting and remote device control 

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27 Feb 2012 by Editor | Filed in Mobile

Three new additions to the Nokia Asha range, designed to bring a high-end experience to low-end phones, were unveiled today at Mobile World Congress, along with new content and services.

Nokia today unveiled additional services and three more Asha feature phone models - the Nokia Asha 202, Asha 203 and Asha 302 - at Mobile World Congress.

Designed to deliver a variety of affordable mobile experiences, the new offerings target three dimensions: Work, with Mail for Exchange support for the Nokia Asha 302; Learn, bringing new information services for young, urban consumers, and a fast, cloud-based browser that reduces internet access costs; and Play, with free EA games available on the Nokia Asha 202 and Asha 203.

Nokia Asha 202

"Since outlining a new strategy a year ago, we've taken significant actions to deliver against it," said Mary T. McDowell, Nokia's executive vice president for Mobile Phones.  "We've been connecting the next billion people to the mobile world and its benefits through contemporary feature phones and internet services. Today, we are taking another step in that direction, with a compelling combination of smarter mobile devices packed with innovative services."

Nokia Life benefits 50 million users
Nokia also announced an evolution of Nokia Life Tools, Nokia Life, which provides life-enhancing information across the range of Nokia Series 30 and Series 40 products. Now with additional relevant services, social elements and fresher look, it's available first on the Nokia Asha 202 and 203 phones. Since its 2009 launch in India, the SMS-based service has expanded to China, Indonesia and Nigeria. To date, more than 50 million people have experienced its benefits.

Nokia Life delivers content in the areas of parenting, life skills, education, health, entertainment and agriculture. For example, Nokia Life can help parents focus on children's physical, emotional and social growth needs, from birth to adolescence. People can also learn English using basic SMS communications, and enjoy ringtones, sport news and trivia.

"Nokia Life services provide an entry to the world of digital content and an internet-like experience for many people who don't yet have access to data plans" said Dieter May, Nokia's senior vice president of Mobile Phone Services. "With today's news, we're enhancing our services to bring consumers an even more enjoyable experience on the new Asha phones, with content that matters to them in their daily lives, is fun and helps them progress."

Nokia Asha family expands 
The Nokia Asha family has expanded rapidly since its debut, just four months ago, with four devices presented at Nokia World 2011. It's now available in more than 100 markets globally and will be complemented by three devices announced today.

Nokia Asha 302

Nokia's Asha 202 and 203 phones stand out with the combination of a traditional keypad with a 2.4- inch touch screen, ideal for browsing, scrolling and opening applications. The Asha 202 features Dual SIM Easy Swap technology with dedicated SIM manager to personalize the phone and save up to five SIM cards with unique information. Both devices come with a 2-megapixel camera, music player, FM radio, Nokia Browser, and Bluetooth connectivity, and can handle memory cards up to 32GB.

Estimated retail price for each is about EUR 60, excluding taxes and subsidies, and both are expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2012.

Nokia and EA have teamed on innovative ways to bring games to the next billion. The Nokia Asha 202 and 203 will be the first Series 40 devices to offer EA games. As a 60-day promotion at Nokia Store, the EUR 75 separate cost of an EA 40-game pack - including popular titles such as Tetris, Need for Speed, The Run and Bejeweled - will be automatically waived for buyers of either new model.

The Nokia Asha 302 is Nokia's first Series 40 phone to support Mail for Exchange, giving people access to their emails, contacts and calendar on an exchange server. That and a stylish QWERTY keyboard make it ideal for young entrepreneurs and professionals seeking a beautifully designed phone.

Additionally, the Nokia Asha connects to popular social networks and enables chatting through Whatsapp and other IM services. The Nokia Asha 302 is powered by a 1-GHz processor and supports 3.5G data speeds. It is available now for about EUR 95.

"With today's announcement, Nokia has accelerated the truly global opportunity for enterprise mobility," according to Nicholas McQuire, research director enterprise mobility strategies EMEA for IDC.

"By making Mail For Exchange available for the sub 100 euros mobile device market, Nokia has taken a significant step in helping businesses across the globe, including those from high growth economies, achieve the productivity and employee satisfaction benefits that greater mobility affords them."

Nokia Browser helps consumers and operators to significantly cut costs
All three new devices provide a fast and affordable internet experience via Nokia's cloud-accelerated Nokia Browser, which makes internet content easy to discover with its localized and personalized home page design and portal to thousands of web apps.  In addition to its speed, the browser compresses data traffic up to 90 percent, meaning cost reductions for consumers and operators, who can have better network utilization. Nokia Browser has been rapidly adopted, with almost four new users around the world activating it every second. It is available today in more than 200 markets.

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27 Feb 2012 by Editor | Filed in Mobile

The new low-cost Lumia 610 smartphone is designed by Nokia to "provide a younger audience with the perfect introduction to the rich social, Web and entertainment experience of Windows Phone".

The new Nokia Lumia 610 is Nokia's fourth and most affordable Lumia smartphone, designed as the perfect introduction to Windows Phone for a younger audience. The Nokia Lumia 610 makes it easy to keep in touch with friends, providing instant access to social networks and bringing all mobile, email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn contacts into one place.  It also makes it easier to browse the Web with Internet Explorer and to access games through Xbox Live. Available with Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and Nokia Music, people can also choose from thousands of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace to further personalize the experience.

With a distinctive profile and finely bevelled metallic edges, the Nokia Lumia 610 is built to convey both quality and aspiration.  It comes in white, cyan, magenta and black, is priced at EUR189 and is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2012.

The Nokia Lumia 610 was made possible thanks to a new software release from Microsoft delivering enhanced capabilities to the Windows Phone 7.5 platform.  The software release, available from April optimizes Windows Phone to support lower memory and processor requirements, while still delivering the same great experience for more affordable products.  In addition, Windows Phone will now include the network and language requirements for China. As a result, Nokia announced plans to make a range of Lumia smartphones available in China, covering both CDMA and WCDMA technologies, in the coming months.

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27 Feb 2012 by Editor | Filed in People 'n Issues

At this year?s Mobile World Congress, Ericsson has unveiled an extended suite of m-commerce solutions and services designed to accelerate interconnection between the emerging e-commerce eco-system and the financial world.

Ericsson is launching two new services within its m-commerce portfolio ? Ericsson Converged Wallet and Ericsson Merchant Wallet.  Both new services will be showcased at Mobile World Services in Hall 6 in addition to Ericsson Wallet Platform and Ericsson M-commerce Interconnect. 

Ericsson M-commerce services portfolio is designed to provide the world?s leading consumers brands with the infrastructure and solutions needed to create and connect m-wallets across a global m-commerce eco-system. The portfolio of services will speed time to revenue, increase adoption and stickiness, cost efficiency and performance for mobile network operators, financial institutions, internet gaming companies and retailers.

? Ericsson Converged Wallet can unlock the potential of the m-wallet for operators and financial institutions by converting the accounts of over a billion consumers already on the Ericsson Billing & Charging Solution to m-wallets. Some 1.6 billion people worldwide who are already using a type of ?first generation? m-wallet voice accounts (pre and post-paid accounts), can now be easily converted to ?next generation? m-wallets through Ericsson Converged Wallet

? The Ericsson Merchant Wallet service will help provide large Internet brands and merchants with a solution for payments including payments; virtual currency transactions, loyalty points.

? Ericsson Wallet Platform delivers software solutions and hosted services to enable secure and convenient mobile financial services, e.g. person to person money transfer, bill payment, merchant payments and micro loans

? Ericsson M-commerce Interconnect acts as an eco system hub for money transfer; payment transactions and services between subscribers of Mobile Network Operators and other service providers (e.g. banks, money transfer organizations, payment service providers, Internet service providers)

The new services within Ericsson?s m-commerce portfolio follow on from the launch of Ericsson M-commerce Interconnect showcased at MWC 2011. Following last year?s event the Interconnect service went live in the Philippines connecting through partnerships with operators Globe Telecom (GCash) and Smart Communications (Smart Money) m-wallet schemes.   

Adam Kerr, Head of M-commerce, Ericsson, says: ?This is an exciting time for the m-commerce industry, which is expected to process over USD 800 billion globally by 2016*.  At Ericsson M-commerce we are in a unique position to work with strategic partners to kick-start the next wave of growth of the M-commerce eco-system.?

?Right now we are very focused on providing services that give our partners across the eco-system a fast route to provide their consumers with more m-wallet and platform independent services and greater payments choice. Through our enhanced suit of services we will enable partners to get closer to their customers through differentiated wallet services that connect and add value to their consumers,? he adds.

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