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Posts with tag CellPhones

Phone Lets You Monitor Your Vital Statistics

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 23rd 2008 at 8:05PMBreaking News

A Cell Phone that Keeps You HealthyChances are these days you don't go far without your cell phone in your pocket, purse, or pack. We've become so dependent on the things that the thought of meeting friends for dinner without having the option of calling them en-rouge to change the venue seems horribly risky. However, for a small but growing number of people, going out without their cell phone could be seriously detrimental to their health, thanks to new technology that's turning mobile phones into portable health monitors.

The company, called Confidant, markets a cell phone-based system that allows people to monitor and track their vital statistics. Right now. it produces Java-based software for use on cell phones that utilize Bluetooth connections to wireless glucose monitors and weight scales. Diabetics can check their glucose levels via their phone, which will upload their readings to an online database that doctors could use to monitor the health of their patients. Patients can also track their statistics to learn more about their own bodies and how to stay healthy, and even receive text messages if they forget to test themselves. Those trying to get help losing weight can meanwhile track their progress via their phone and, presumably, get text messages telling them to put down that pastry.

Right now the software and systems are on a limited trial of only 10 people using standard phones connecting via AT&T's service, but initial reports have been very positive, giving hope that we could be seeing these systems made widely available in the not-too-distant future. With phones that can read to the blind already out there and others which can jump-start your heart on the drawing board, it's hard not to be impressed at how far cell phones have come from their bulky, frivolous, and often pretentious origins. [Source: ABC News]

Old Cell Phones As Art

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 8th 2008 at 4:27PM

Old Cell Phones Become Art

In this enlightened era of environmentalism and eco-friendliness, it's a sad fact that most old and clunky mobile phones still wind up in the trash heap when they are done serving their time. That's a shame for two reasons, first because there are plenty of charities out there who will take your phones and give them a new home, and second because there's plenty of nasty toxins in those phones. Artist Rob Pettit, however, had a rather different idea of what to do with a lot (a LOT) of old, used forms: make some art.

Pettit's installations include a number of pieces designed to "highlight the proliferation and waste of cell phones." How is he doing that? Seemingly by wasting a bunch of cell phones. One installation is a spiral of clam-shell handsets whirling away from the center. Another shows an empty recycling bin perched atop and completely surrounded by a huge pile of old, discarded phones; the implication there rather obvious.

We'll leave the critiques to the art critics, but if you'd like to see the pieces for yourself and you happen to live near Boston, you can check them out at the Grossman Gallery and Anderson Auditorium at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts starting April 10 and running through May 4.

From textually.org

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Faster 3G iPhone Coming Within Three Months

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 4th 2008 at 8:04AM

3G iPhone Coming Within

When it comes to gadgets, it seems there always has to be a fly in the ointment. For the iPhone, it's slow network speed. Yes, the device is a lovely piece of kit, with a smooth, functional UI (user interface) and a nice form-factor, but -- due to the slower AT&T EDGE network -- it doesn't deliver the speeds for Web surfing or e-mail downloading that competing 3G phones offer.

As a result, even since the iPhone's launch, there's been talk of a 3G version of the phone, which would offer considerably faster downloads. It's been mostly rumors, but now we have a pretty clear indication that the 3G iPhone will be out by this summer. That's because earlier this week, AT&T's Mobility CEO spilled the beans at a press event and told reporters that all of AT&T's smart devices would be offered in 3G flavors within the next three months, including the iPhone.

So, faster iPhones are good news, right? Yes, but there's still a catch: You won't be able to upgrade your current phones. If you took the plunge as an early adopter, or even if you waited a good six months before buying in, you're still going to be stuck with slower speeds than those who waited until this summer. Alas, those are the breaks.

But this is great news for anyone who held off on buying an iPhone, which is still most people. To those people, we would say wait until this summer before you plunk down any cash for an iPhone.

From TUAW

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Man Believes His Dead Wife is Contacting Him Via Cell Phone

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Apr 2nd 2008 at 11:01AM



It was five years ago when Frank Jones' wife and son died unexpectedly. His son, Steven, died of a brain tumor at an early 32. Three months later, his wife, Sadie died from a heart attack at the age of 69.

Sadie was a cell phone addict. "She always had a mobile with her," Jones told the Blackpool Gazette. So, of course, they buried Sadie with her cell phone.

Now Jones believes Sadie is getting service six feet under, and she has been sending him text messages with words only Sadie would say. Of course, there is no return number on the messages or missed calls, leading Jones to believe the communications are form his deceased wife.

Creepy? Yes. But here's where things get creepier: The house Jones lives in has a history of hauntings from a being called "The Thornton Thing". The entity drove a family from the house in 1971, and after the Jones family suffered hauntings as well, they had the house exorcised.

It wasn't until the untimely deaths of his wife and son did Jones start experiencing messages from beyond. The obvious question we can't help asking: What kind of service does one get up there? She's clearly getting a lot of dropped calls.

From the Blackpool Gazette

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Cell Phones a Greater Threat Than Smoking, Asbestos?

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 31st 2008 at 10:32AM

Cell Phones a Greater Threat than Smoking, Asbestos?

There are plenty of people out there who believe that talking on a cell phone is just as unhealthy as sticking your head in front of an active X-Ray machine and holding it there while you engage in idle conversation with a friend. Others, though, think the first group are being overly paranoid and probably are the sort who won't use a public restroom under any circumstances for fear of picking up a flesh-eating virus. Scientific findings are still rather divided on this one, with most indicating that mobiles are perfectly safe, but an Australian researcher is bucking the trend, saying that cell phone use is a greater global threat than cigarette smoking or breathing asbestos.

Dr. Vini Khurana of Canberra Hospital doesn't actually believe that, on an individual basis, cell phones are more dangerous than those things that have been conclusively shown to be deadly in the right concentrations. However, due to the global spread of mobile phones, he believes they provide a much greater overall threat to people worldwide than either of the other two. He cites eight worldwide studies indicating a link between cell phone use and brain tumors, "a life-ending diagnosis in the vast majority of those diagnosed," and believes that in the next four years more studies will prove the link.

In the mean time we'll keep holding on to the 2005 study from the European Institute of Cancer Research that showed no cancer link among the 4,000 people who participated, and maybe try to keep our calls to a minimum.

From NEWS.com.au

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Cuba Lifts Restrictions On Mobile Phones

by Dan Reilly, posted Mar 28th 2008 at 1:32PM



In a sign that Cuban residents will be getting more freedom, president Raul Castro announced that he would allow mobile phone use for the country's citizens. Previously, access was limited only to employees of foreign firms and government officials.

The announcement, made in Communist newspaper Granma, said that Cuban telecommunications monopoly ETECSA "is able to offer mobile phone service to the public." As a way around the ban, many Cubans would have foreigners sign contracts for them, but now they'll be able to purchase prepaid plans through the company. This comes as part of Castro's pledge to make "structural changes" and "big decisions," which, according to a leaked internal memo, may also allow Cubans to own appliances DVD players and computers.

Although the news is promising for Cuba, which currently has the lowest rate of cellular use in Latin America, it likely won't be priced for the average citizen. The plans can only be bought in Cuban Convertible Pesos, worth 24 times the regular Cuban peso used in normal paychecks. ETECSA says this will allow them to improve telecommunications throughout the country, with regular peso plans being available in the future.

So, great news for Cuba, but still, no cigars for us.

From Reuters/AOL News (via Engadget)

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Cell Phone With Defibrillator Could Save Lives

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 26th 2008 at 10:12AM

Cell Phone Defibrillator PatentedIt's becoming more and more common to see portable defibrillator units hanging on the walls at places like airports and corporate offices. These small-ish devices are potential life-savers for those who suffer from irregular heartbeats. However, a device described in a patent could make those devices look a little -- large. Enter the cell phone defibrillator.

The gizmo, which is just a concept at this point, would feature electrodes in the buttons that, when pressed to the person's chest, would jolt the heart back to a regular beat. Additionally, the phone would contain a heart monitor for identifying potential problems and GPS tracking once the defib mode was activated.

This device sounds like it could be a lifesaver -- and it's just the latest idea that adds health-related features into handsets -- but given all the cell phone-related deaths and injuries lately, we'd be just a little nervous about pressing those two exposed contacts up against our face during a call.

From textually.org

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Motorola Splits, Spins Off Mobile Phone Division

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 26th 2008 at 8:37AM

Motorola Divides, Conquers?Last month came the surprising news that Motorola, a leader in the cell phone industry since its inception, was looking to cut ties and get out. It was looking for a buyer for its handset business so that the company could continue on to focus on other, presumably more profitable things. Those plans have apparently not come to fruition just yet, so the company is taking another route: spinning its mobile devices wing off into a wholly separate corporate entity.

Motorola will now be two separate and publicly traded companies. The first will be called Mobile Devices, a company focusing on cell phones and other gadgets that fit in your pocket. The other company will be Broadband and Mobility Solutions, focusing on the company's sizable business relating to home, corporate, and government networking.

What the future holds for the two companies remains to be seen, particularly given the company's recent attempts to sell the mobile wing. A sale could still be in the cards for the newly independent RAZR makers, which could mean the end of the angled M on handsets. Or, perhaps the newly liberated designers and engineers will come up with a new, even thinner phone that will take the market by storm, making the big wigs at Mobility Solutions wish their attentions had never strayed.

From Engadget

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Cell Phone + Car Crash = $5.2 Million Settlement

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 25th 2008 at 4:02PM

Cell Phone + Car Crash = $5.2 Million Settlement

Some states, like New York, have banned hand-held cell phone use while driving outright. Others are just relying on existing laws or passing new ones that, in more general terms, prohibit drivers from doing anything distracting while driving. Back in 2006 Georgia had no specific law against hand-held cell phone use, but that didn't stop a woman from recently being awarded a $5.2 million settlement in the state after tragically losing her arm in a traffic accident that year.

The woman was traveling on the highway at 77 miles-per-hour when she was rear-ended by an employee of International Paper Co. Her car rolled and her arm was wedged between the car and the pavement. It ultimately had to be amputated below the shoulder.

Georgia has since passed a law specifically banning hand-held cell phone use, but whether or not it's illegal in your state is something drivers should consider before making that call on the road.

From textually.org

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In-Flight Cell Phone Calls Now Allowed On Emirates

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 21st 2008 at 1:06PM



We've all heard the myths and rumors surrounding midair cell phone use; about how accidentally leaving your phone on while on a flight could result in you and every other person aboard plunging to their doom. Whether or not those conceptions are well-founded, they've been used as excuses to ban midair cell phone calls on pretty much every airline in the world -- until now. At last, certain flights on Emirates Airways are allowing passengers to officially get their calls and texts on.

The first fully authorized calls were made on a flight between Dubai and Casablanca, letting passengers annoy their plane-mates with inane conversations about how weird it is to be talking on a cell phone on a flight. To keep the annoyance to a minimum, Emirates flight crews advised passengers to put their phones on silent mode and keep the volume down. Those warnings tend to be wholly ineffective in curbing rude cell phone behavior in movie theaters, but since flying is a somewhat riskier proposition than film viewing, here's hoping people listen a little more closely.

From Engadget

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Virgin Mobile Ad Pokes Fun at Eliot Spitzer

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 14th 2008 at 7:39PM

Spitzer Slammed by Canadian Virgin Mobile Ad

While New Yorkers are still reeling over the supersonic decline of the formerly highly regarded Governor Eliot Spizer, marketing execs for Virgin Mobile in Canada are taking advantage of the situation with an ad playing on Spitzer's status as "Client Number 9."

The ad shows a picture of Spitzer with a thought bubble saying "I'm tired of being treated like a number," running with the following subtly racy subtext:
At Virgin Mobile, you're more than just a number. When you call us we'll treat you like a person, not a client. Whether you're #9 or #900, you'll get hooked up with somebody who'll finally treat you just how you want to be treated.
Ouch, Virgin Canada. Très ouch. Our readers to the north can look forward to snickering at this one in Toronto-area papers all this week.

From Engadget

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Al Qaeda Voicemail Recipients Warned By Saudi Government

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 11th 2008 at 1:01PM

Al Qaeda Voicemail Recipients Warned By Saudi Government

Chances are you've received some unwanted calls, text messages, and even voice messages in your day. But, we're guessing you've never received voicemail quite like the sort that is under watch of the Saudi Arabian government. Should any Saudi citizen receive a message from Al Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri, the government is warning, you must report it by Saturday or face arrest.

Apparently Al Qaeda is attempting to ramp up its attacks in Saudi Arabia and is going on a bit of a recruiting spree. A recording of Zawahri is being sent around requesting either personal or monetary support for the group's terrorist actions. That the Saudi government is aware of the voice messages and is taking action to prevent recruiting is good news.

From textually.org and The Gulf Times

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Jilted Wife Sets 400 Cell Phones On Fire

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 10th 2008 at 12:22PM

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Cell Phone ScortchedWe're pretty familiar with cell phones immolating themselves. Usually it's cheap, knock-off or poorly designed batteries that explode at the drop of a hat and cause some fireworks and fears of death. A story out of China reports of a very different sort of cell phone fire -- a much larger and rather more intentional type.

A 37-year-old woman in China named Mrs. Wang was rather irritated at her husband when he decided to leave their marriage. As retribution she went to the couple's store, where they sell cell phones, gathered 400 of them, put them in a pile inside their house, and lit the whole thing on fire. The pile was reportedly worth about $42,000, which means she obviously picked only the best handsets to ignite.

The look on Mr. Wang's face after he came home to the smoldering mess, however, must have been priceless.

From Engadget

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Four Cell Phone Towers Destroyed By Taliban

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 7th 2008 at 10:39AM

Four Cell Phone Towers Destroyed by Taliban

Last month, the Taliban issued warnings to mobile phone service providers in Afghanistan. It said that any cell tower that was not shut down by 5 PM for a period of 10 hours would be destroyed. Providers did not take this threat kindly and have not shut anything down. Well, as of this morning, it would seem that the Taliban wasn't kidding, since it has done its best to punish mobile phone providers this week by destroying four cell towers, the latest of which went down last night.

As we reported earlier this week, the Taliban believe that U.S. military forces are using cell phone signals to track insurgents. According to the Taliban, the military is gaining access to the signals provided by the phones many of the group carries and using those signals to target attacks. It's unclear whether there's any truth to that charge (the military certainly has plenty of tricks up its sleeve), but you can be sure the towers' destruction (and the resulting communication outages) should earn the Taliban no more support from the people of Afghanistan.

From textually.org

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Campus Text Alerts Not Catching On

by Tim Stevens, posted Feb 29th 2008 at 12:10PM

Campus Text Alerts Not Catching OnAfter last year's Virginia Tech shooting, many thought that an automated text alert system, something that would fire instant messages to every person on campus, could have saved lives. So, naturally, there was quick adoption of such systems by campuses across the country. Unfortunately, though, the students and faculty on those campuses haven't been quite so eager to jump on board.

When a school adopts these systems, students and faculty have to voluntarily provide a mobile number upon which to receive these messages. Surveys are showing on-campus adoption rates hovering at somewhere between 30-40%, meaning less than half of the people affected will be capable of receiving emergency messages and updates.

40% of people being informed is certainly much better than the handful who knew what was going on at VT last spring, but it's a far cry from the instant awareness these systems advertise.

From USA Today

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