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Mobile phones
Bloodhound Detector Sniffs Out Mobile Phones
[...] A US company has developed the Bloodhound detector which apparently 'sniffs out' and locates mobile phones being used in restricted environments. [...] Apparently the Bloodhound detector is mainly designed for prisons, to stop prisoners getting hold of mobile phones and using them for illegal activities. In Texas for example, the State Senator John Whitmire received threatening calls from a death row inmate using a smuggled cell phone. [...] With many staff now using their own mobile phones within the office environment, the problem for companies seeking a wireless environment' is that traditional jamming technologies have the nasty habit of preventing all mobile signals. The advantage of the Bloodhound device is that it would still allow for authorised communication channels. [...]
Younger Staff Drive Mobile Use At Work
[...] And he explained that C&W commissioned the research as part of moving its workforce onto mobile phones based on its own Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) offering, which means mobile calls made in the office are free. [...] Enthusiasm for company mobile phones increased when used as a single, converged device, where over three in five (64 percent) said they would rather have one mobile device than managing multiple devices, including a landline. [...] The survey of over 1,000 UK workers overall found differences in perceived levels of productivity, etiquette and work/life balance associated with the use of work mobile phones varied by age, region and sector. [...]
Security Worries Over Smuggled Mobiles In Prison
[...] Earlier this month a US company developed what it called the Bloodhound detector, which 'sniffs out' and locates mobile phones being used in restricted environments. The Bloodhound detector is mainly designed for prisons, to stop prisoners getting hold of mobile phones and using them for illegal activities. [...] In 2007 a convicted al-Qaeda supporter was caught using a mobile phone to build a website from inside a high security prison, she added. You would have thought that the authorities would have got their act together after that, yet there are now more mobile phones found in high security prisons than there were then. [...] The advantage of a mobile phone detector over an installed system designed to suppress or jam all mobile phone signals, is that it will not interfere with 999 calls, public safety communications, or even normal mobile calls in permitted areas. [...]
Avaya Picks DiVitas For Fixed Mobile Convergence
[...] Divitas connects to the trunk connection of the PBX, and appears to be part of the phone network. It uses the Asterisk open source PBX to handle mobile phones, making them appear as internal phone extensions. [...] Network giant Avaya has picked DiVitas to bind mobile phones into its unified communications strategy. Meanwhile, DiVitas's rival in fixed-mobile convergence, Agito, has entered Europe. [...] FMC uses an appliance in the enterprise, that links mobile phones to the company telephone system using Wi-Fi. Costly mobile calls made in the office become regular phone calls or VoIP calls which are cheap or free calls - but users have hesitated because of the integration issues, and fears of unreliability. [...]
UK Businesses Squander Millions On Mobile Calls
[...] There is a surprising amount of mobile calls when a fixed phone is available, but it seems that people prefer to use their mobile phone, said Owen. However, it seems that many IT directors are unaware of the costs involved with mobile phone calls. [...] It is clear that organisations require greater control over their mobile costs whilst allowing end users the freedom to use their mobile phones wherever they chose, said Owen. This should form part of an overall mobility management strategy, including device, service and security management, which are ever-important for today's mobile deployments. [...] He cited a combination of dual-mode smartphones and enterprise fixed mobile convergence (FMC) solutions mobile handsets, which could operate as extensions of the corporate PBX with the same call costs and functionality as desk phones. However, despite most organisations having some form of Wi-Fi network, the research showed that only 14 percent were utilising Wi-Fi for voice calls. [...]
Toshiba Launches USB Methanol Fuel Cell
[...] According to Toshiba, once the device is fueled - via an injection of methanol from its dedicated cartridge - Dynario starts to generate electricity that is delivered to the mobile phone or a digital media player via USB. On a single refill of methanol, which can be made in around 20 seconds, Dynario can generate enough power to charge two typical mobile phones, the company said. [...] The power consumption of mobile electronic devices, including mobile phones, has greatly increased with added functionality, including TV reception and Internet connectivity, the company said in a statement. As a result, battery exhaustion has become a major concern. [...] Japanese tech giant Toshiba has announced the Dynario - an external fuel cell for mobile phones and other devices which the company claims can charge two handsets from one refil of methanol. [...]
Vibration Energy Touted As New Power Source
[...] Even just a few milliwatts can power small electronic devices like a heart rate monitor or an engine temperature sensor, but it can also be used to recharge power-hungry devices like MP3 players or mobile phones, Dr Burrow said. [...] It's hoped that within five years 'energy harvesting' could be powering many more of our devices from heart monitors to mobile phones, said the team. [...] Within the next five years, mobile phones could be powered by kinetic energy harvested from vibrations in the environment, according to British scientists. [...]
Haiti Gets 1,000 Solar Mobile Phones
[...] Digicel, the largest mobile network operator in the Caribbean, has lost employees and their family members in the current disaster. The company has joined the international effort by tech companies to support the disaster relief. as well as giving $10 million in $5 credits to its one million customers in Haiti, it is using two private planes to transport goods including the solar phones, to Port au Prince. [...] Good communication is an absolute necessity in disaster relief but Haiti currently has a tremendous power problem, which impedes charging mobile phones, said Intivation CEO Paul Naastepad. The mobile network itself still functions in many instances due to backup generators, or it can be repaired much quicker than the electricity grid . [...] One thousand phones will be sent to Haiti by Intivation the company which makes the solar charger built into the phone, and Digicel a mobile operator which serves Haiti, along with the Dutch postcode lottery. The solar-powered phones, launched in June 2009, are designed to operate in areas where electric power is unreliable but mobile signals can be provided. [...]
Convicts’ Facebook Pages Removed After Victim Abuse
[...] The use of smuggled mobile phones is well known problem for the authorities. In December, it emerged that a total of 8,099 mobile phones or SIM cards had been confiscated in prisons in England and Wales in 2008, compared to just 2,272 seized in 2006. [...] It was revealed that Colin Gunn, a double murder plotter serving time in a maximum security jail, posted threats to his rivals via Facebook via a smuggled mobile phone, saying he could not wait to see the fear in people's eyes when he got home. [...] In an effort to combat the problem, a US company developed what it called the Bloodhound detector, which 'sniffs out' and locates mobile phones being used in restricted environments. The Bloodhound detector is mainly designed for use in prisons. [...]
May Launch for Skype On Blackberry
[...] Durchslag said this fulfills their promise of making Skype available on the major smartphones so consumers and mobile professionals can connect to Skype whenever, wherever and however they choose. . [...] In December, Skype announced a beta client for Windows Mobile-enabled devices, which has been downloaded more than 12 million times worldwide. As of January 2009, Skype was available for Google's Android mobile platform and more than 100 Java-enabled mobile phones. [...] Skype's technology allows users to connect to other Skype users or traditional landlines and mobile phones, as well as send and receive text messages. Video messaging capability, while not yet available on the mobile Skype application, is expected to roll out later on. [...]
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