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Well it is a beautiful cool crisp full moon fall evening here in Toronto, with plenty of much needed cold beer on board, and the start of our Thanksgiving long holiday weekend.
We have many things to be thankful for, but after today I would like to think we can add the fact that hopefully we thankfully have seen and heard the last of that desert dweller Tobin !
As for the good doctor I can not say - but rest assured there have been no reports of anyone on the top of the CN Tower, looking bedraggled and rambling on about Mr Smith while threatening to hurl themselves off onto the pavement below!
Speaking of beer - I think a lasty before turning in would be a great idea. Everyone try and make the best of the weekend that is upon us.
Success
Thank you for a job well done. May you enjoy your extra time, if you'll have the luxury, doing what ever you enjoy best.
I'm sure the board is in very capable hands. I'd also like to thank the new line up, I'm sure the ship will remain on course.
Grant
Nintendo Wii to make debut in US
European gamers have yet to hear when they can buy the Wii
Nintendo's new Wii console will go on sale on 19 November in the US, two weeks ahead of its Japanese launch.
The console will have a price tag of about $250 (£132) and its games will sell for about $50, the firm said.
Most of the 4 million consoles Nintendo plans to ship worldwide will head for the US, Nintendo America added.
Earlier Nintendo said the Wii would hit Japanese shop shelves priced at 25,000 yen ($213; £113) on 2 December. It has yet to set a date for its UK launch.
The launch is set to trigger a three-way battle in the $30bn gaming market with Sony's Playstation 3 (PS3) and Microsoft's Xbox 360.
PS3 delay
Sony plans to offer a version of its PS3 console with a 20-gigabyte hard disk drive in Japan on 11 November and a week later in the US.
The console will be priced at 62,790 yen in Japan and $499 in the US.
But European gamers will have to wait until 2007 to get their hands on the PS3. Sony has delayed the launch in Europe until March following supply shortages of a key component for the machine.
While Microsoft has already launched its Xbox 360, it will be keeping up the pressure by launching a raft of new games.
Nintendo hopes the Wii will have across-the-board appeal, as it claims its new-style remote control - a wireless wand-like device that can be used like a baton - should offer an easy playing style.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5344510.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5403218.stm
http://mobile.msn.com/pocketpc/menu.aspx
After running news through the qode window - this comes up when you click 'windows live'
Sorry if this is a rerun - nice list.
Morning all - just catching up from being out of town the last 3 days. Just noticed Big Gig has updated their website. Not sure if the contents are new, but they have a new look.
http://www.biggigstrategies.com/4598.html
Sure does - but after we were strapping on the sun glasses for the glare of the reverse lights, put in the ear defenders for the screams of the reverse beeps now what - management and the rest of us are checking our ass holes for zippers because we are about to be entered ?????
Welcome to my ignore world.
MySpace Web mobile app to launch soon
Sep 28 2006 - 02:19 PM ET |
The only mobilized version of MySpace currently in existence is limited to the very few customers of Helio. That exclusivity will end soon, perhaps before the end of the year. MySpace is developing a mobile application in house, rumored to be called MySpace Web. The company is currently in talks with a major carrier about launching the service.
This tidbit was snuck into a Reuters article about the website's market worth (a lot no matter who calculates it).
http://www.mobiletracker.net/archives/2006/09/28/myspace-mobile
JP and others with qode on your mobiles. I guess this is what the BBC is offering. Nice - really nice.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/help/5168006.stm
At work so going to have to log out right after this but - co-worker just told me about 5 -10 mins. ago Neomedia mentioned in a cell phone story on CNBC Squawk Box - anyone confirm or see it ??!!
What is really intersting about this ent24 / gigs site - check out the bottom. It is the first time that the UK service provider o2 has been associated with qode / Neomedia. At least to the best of my knowledge.
http://www.o2.co.uk/
Here is where entertainment in the qode window takes you http://www.ents24.co.uk/o2/
now click on the o2 pockets link
Well lets keep the UK drive alive - here is a new one as well. And it is up and live too !! Qode window 'entertainment'.
For what it's worth - it appears that 'London ' in the qode window works in relation to the same site as LA works in the qode window. Both reach the same base cities site.
Yes again there is that 'Windows Live ' .
Great find Breacher - now where's my seat belt, looks like it is strap in time !!!
So close yet so far with that Nokia find yesterday..........but hey I think you're right there movie guy. The only thing that still keeps the wheels turning is that if you click around the whole site, you get to one of those sample phones which displays a search option that gives you a bunch of internet addresses. I would guess you then click on the address and it takes you to the website.
Thanks - I had to look at it twice to make sure I wasn't seeing things. LOL - I'm still a little blurry eyed after last night's Roger Waters 'Dark Side of The Moon' concert here in Toronto.
That's what I'm leaning towards !
I know it was posted earlier about the Mircosoft Nokia announcement, but just check out the 'phone' on the left side of the page. Watch it cycle through - looks very interesting. Now check out the names scrolling across the bottom of the page.
Everyone have a great afternoon !
http://mobilesearch.nokia.com/A4160041
PS - that is London UK that they are using as an example..
Not a bad idea - after all '24' has worked as a demo in the quode window for months now.
that didn't take long
Yes and I wish I could say they were mine LOL
DD Good read on the state of the mobile internet
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/5348424.stm
Mobiles put the web in your hands
By Dan Simmons
Reporter, BBC Click Online
For the mobile industry, waiting for people to use the net via their phone has been like waiting for a bus that never comes.
Even though a huge number of mobile phones in use can access the internet, and after the launch of faster third-generation (3G) data services, only 10% of Europeans actually use their handsets to go online.
The situation is the same in almost every other nation apart from Japan and Korea where faster mobile networks are much more common.
The slow take up has been blamed on the restrictions phone firms place on net access, confusion over cost, awkward page layouts and slow browsing speeds.
To make matters worse, 3G handsets have been clunky rather than funky.
"It's like picking a girlfriend or boyfriend. The first and most important decision for people is 'what does it look like?'" said Robert Rawlinson of Mobileshop.com.
He added that phones were now "fashion items" and 3G handsets were lacking the features, such as snap-on cases, common in many 2.5G mobiles.
Custom content
The networks are starting to tackle these problems and smaller handsets are starting to crop up. They are also starting to tailor content more specifically for mobile phones and get familiar web-names onto handsets.
Operators are also starting to dismantle their walled gardens and are giving customers greater freedom to roam the net via their handset. Before now many have limited customers to a few select sites.
"Operators who adopt a walled-garden approach are actually missing the point," said Stuart Jackson of Orange World. "It's not about the content that you can give to the customer, it's about the content the customer wants to access,"
"There's a myriad of content out there and we should be encouraging people to go onto the mobile web, explore it, and find that content that they want to see."
Mobile viewing
A broader industry initiative should make the whole process of going online a far more pleasant experience. From next month anyone will be able to register a .mobi net address. This domain is meant solely for sites that will be navigable by phones and anyone signing up must ensure their site meets a strict set of accessibility standards
MTLD, the organisation behind .mobi, expects 200,000 mobile sites to be registered in the next year.
MOBI BACKERS
Ericsson
GSM Association
Microsoft
Nokia
Samsung
Syniverse
T-Mobile
Telefonica
Three
TIM
Vodafone
More subtle trends in the way that people use technology may also boost the use of the net on phones. For instance, it is now possible to buy a phone that automatically sets up and sends pictures to a photo blog.
Hit video-sharing site YouTube has a dedicated mobile phone portal that allows users in the US to upload clips while they are on the move.
Speed demons
Operators are also tackling the biggest bar to greater net use - connection speed. In the home many net users enjoy speeds in excess of 1mbps. By comparison the 300kbps speed of 3G is glacially slow.
One technology that could boost mobile surfing speeds is the formidably named High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA). Operators across the world are adopting the technology quickly.
In the UK T-Mobile was the first to launch a HSDPA service.
Paul Sludden from T-Mobile said: "With HSDPA the testing that we've undertaken on the live network we've found we can achieve up to four times the speed of 3G. That's quite a significant improvement, and an enhancement for the customer."
During a test conducted by Click it took 30 minutes to find a stable signal. Once this hurdle was overcome the test showed that the BBC homepage loaded about four times faster than on a standard 3G phone.
Unfortunately phones do not, yet, show when they are locked on to a strong HSDPA signal which could prove frustrating for mobile users.
"HSDPA uses a technology called extended codes, and the point of that is that it gives you a lot more data, but it also means it's very vulnerable to interference," said technology journalist Guy Kewney.
"There we were, with all the interference that London provides, and we simply couldn't get an HSDPA signal.
"It's not a problem with HSDPA providers, it's the technology, which is vulnerable to interference."
The Click test was not strictly scientific but T-Mobile admit did there were problems in getting a clear HSDPA signal. This can be acute when the phone is equidistant from several masts, as it was during the Click test, or on the edge of a cell.
Cost confusion
How users pay for their net access is also starting to get some long overdue attention
"Most customers still have the feeling that they don't know how much it's going to cost them," said Thomas Hussan of Jupiter Research.
"They fear the bill at the end of the month because they don't know how it's priced and how much they will pay for it," he said.
Stuart Jackson from Orange acknowledged that there was fear among customers. "We need to get better at approaching payment for internet services on the mobile in a better way," he said.
Many operators are starting to levy single monthly fees for unlimited web access - like many people do at home via their PC.
"Accessing the internet is such a fundamental part of peoples' day, and is increasingly so, that I think there's going to be more consumer awareness of 'hang on, I don't want to access the internet and look for the restaurant/nightclub/bar in my office or at home, I actually want to do it on the bus going home'," said Robert Rawlinson.
"And I think that whole behaviour with consumers, which is becoming ever more internet-centric, is going to make people realise that it's a bit of a pain not being able to access the internet while I'm moving around."
I also read this - seems to be a few things going on - but like usual there is one name missing.
http://www.mobiletracker.net/
Yes thanks I read that but I was hoping, as I'm sure most here were, to hear first hand from any ihubber who were good enough to drop in and check things out.
Anyone have anything from day one of the CTIA - obviously no press involving us.
Really - we're all ears at this point.
Check out my post from April - post # 68177
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=10656097
DD I see this comes with Yahoo GO Mobile services preloaded
Nokia mobilizes today's popular internet services and applications
August 31, 2006
The Nokia N80 Internet Edition connects you to your on-line life.
Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced a way for internet users to interact with some of the web's favorite services while they are away from their PC's, in a pocketable, easy to use device. Nokia N80 Internet Edition brings together wireless LAN (WLAN), a robust browser, support for internet calls, a 3-megapixel camera, and quadband GSM WCDMA coverage along with an easy to use WLAN wizard (to make connecting to the internet easy), and a host of other internet services not previously installed together on Nokia devices.
The Nokia N80 Internet Edition comes out of the box ready to create, connect, consume and interact with some of the internet's most popular services. Use Yahoo! Search in the Mobile Search application to conveniently search for and find most anything on the web, and use the Mini Map functionality of the internet browser to enjoy the pages you find. Browse through thousands of items at Amazon.com, or scroll though a book with Amazon's MobiPocket Reader. You can also share your moments online - snap a photo and send it directly from your device to your Flickr site for your friends and family to enjoy too. Connect to the Yahoo! community using the Yahoo! Go for Mobile application. Be it shopping with Amazon, photo sharing on Flickr or simply searching for a restaurant with Mobile Search, the Nokia N80 Internet Edition can provide you convenient internet access when you are away from your PC.
"Mobilizing the internet is a major strategic focus for Nokia and I'm excited to see how people can participate on the internet using the Nokia N80 Internet Edition," said Ralph Eric Kunz, vice president, Multimedia, Nokia. "The internet has evolved from static web pages to communities and people sharing experiences. I believe it will be multimedia computers, such as the Nokia N80 Internet Edition, that will be primary devices for people to participate in this phenomenon, in addition to PCs."
The Nokia N80 Internet Edition comes loaded with Nokia's new Download! client. Clicking on the Download! folder allows you to see what new applications are available for your multimedia computer, as well as keeping other selected applications current. The fully featured Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map makes browsing the internet easy and you view the web pages just the same way that PC web browsers display web pages.
If you do not know where to go to chill out for the evening, no problem, just use the local search function in the Mobile Search application, now conviently located on main menu, and find a cool bar, have the device show it on a map, or make one click to call it directly. You can even store address and telephone number directly to your contacts to find the place again next time.
Making an Internet call with the Nokia N80 Internet Edition is as easy as making a regular voice call only the call is carried over WLAN. The VoIP framework (based on the SIP protocol) is integrated into the Nokia user interface, and the Nokia N80 Internet Edition is allows for downloading compatible third party internet call applications. The wireless LAN wizard will help you locate and set up a WLAN connection, when you are close to a WLAN, either at home or a public hotspot.
The Nokia N80 Internet Edition comes in two stylish colors, patina bronze and pearl black, and is expected to be available from mid-September 2006.
All of the features and services listed above are dependent on the network, supported digital content formats, the compatibility of other devices and applications, and are only avaialbe in certain markets. Please refer to the user guide for more detailed information
About Nokia Nseries
Nokia Nseries is a range of high performance multimedia computers that delivers unparalleled mobile multimedia experiences by combining the latest technologies with stylish design and ease of use. With Nokia Nseries products, consumers can use a single device to enjoy entertainment, access information and to capture and share pictures and videos, whenever and wherever they want.
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200608/1072566_5.html
OT HD - Just catching up over a few brown nectars. Great post and thanks for all the time and effort today and recently.
I must admit I was more than a little concerned the 'the sky was falling'. But when we remained above 0.13 it was better to just walk away from the computer and let the day play itself out.
Heres to a change in the month, change in the seasons and hopefully a positive change in the pps.
Hey OK I know offically we have 3 weeks to the change in the seasons - but it was 10 last night ( sorry 50F for our friends on the south side of the border ) and tail gating after work last night it sure felt like fall.
GLTA tomorrow and the rest of the month.
Grant
Morning all - thanks for the long hard work on yesterday's prs. I know this is OT for those topics but I wondering if there is any connection between the following.
Several weeks ago I reported the following words 'working' in the qode window CASTLE and NORWICH
Now I find this article on the BBC news site. Perhaps a some one who is more tech orientated than myself can comment. TIA
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5297884.stm
Norwich pioneers free city wi-fi
By Darren Waters
Technology editor, BBC News website
Norwich is pioneering a free wi-fi project which covers three sectors of the UK city and its centre.
The £1.1m, 18-month pilot has been live for three weeks and is backed by the East of England Development Agency.
Paul Adams, from Norfolk county council said: "It allows people to see the benefit of wireless technology."
The city centre, county hall and educational establishments such as the university all have wi-fi access.
Mr Adams, director of corporate resources and cultural services, said: "The original idea was to use it as a demonstration project - to wireless-enable a significant part of the city so we could begin to see what the benefits were in terms of economic development, benefit for the public and public services workers."
More than 200 antennas are positioned around the city, mainly on lampposts, creating blanket wi-fi coverage.
The city is one giant hotspot, utilising a mesh network which means users can get seamless internet access as they wander the streets.
Kurt Frary, who managed the project at the local authority said: "As a mesh network, if one of the lamppost aerials were to fail, the whole system will compensate to find a way through.
'Glitch free'
"We had 1,800 connections in the first week, more than 2,500 in the second and 3,000 in the third.
The council says it does not want to impact on commercial services
"It's been glitch free so far - we have had very few technical problems."
The network has two speeds - 256Kbps for the public and 1Mbps for public sector workers - which are slower than typical broadband speeds found in the home.
"The one thing we don't want to do is compete with commercial companies," said Mr Adams.
"We have a speed of 256Kbps in order to not compete with wireless hotspots. But they are still relatively small in a place like Norwich."
Users are also limited to a one-hour session and have to reconnect after 60 minutes.
People access the wi-fi simply by agreeing to terms and conditions on a portal page that their web browser will point towards when a connection is made between a device and the network.
We designed the portal to be as accessible to as many different wi-fi devices as possible," said Mr Frary.
He added: "There are now so many devices that have wi-fi - from laptops, to PDAs, PlayStation portables, mobile phones and even games consoles."
As an unsecured wi-fi network there are security implications for people considering using the internet access to exchange sensitive information.
'Safe as possible'
Mr Frary said: "We would advise people to use the same precautions as you would at home - using a firewall and anti-virus software.
Does free wi-fi spell the end of net cafes?
"For business users we recommend using a VPN (virtual private network) to be as safe as possible."
Mr Adams said the local authority was interested to see how people used the network.
"What we want to explore is the potential for public service workers out and about to save coming back to offices and to link into information systems back at their base.
"A lot of public service work does go on in or around people's homes, particularly in such areas as care work.
"Another application being explored is mobile CCTV."
Mr Adams said early figures showed high usage around the University of East Anglia, the college in the city and the central library.
"Educational use, student use and the virtual learning environment is going to be a big use," he said,
He added: "We are going to be fascinated to see how it grows, where it goes. As time goes on we will do more research on how people are using it and what applications are going on.
"We don't know what will happen when the project ends. Technology may have moved on. We don't know what the final result will be.
taking a run at that 0.15 wall ?
This has to involve a dot or two !!!!
DD
Yahoo! Mobile Service to be on Windows Smartphones
Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:52 am
Yahoo! said its mobile services is now available for download on phones that use Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. Starting today the millions of consumers around the world with Windows Mobile-powered phones, such as the Motorola Q, can use Yahoo! Go for Mobile for the first time.
Motorola Q
More Photos
Read Review
View Specs
Yahoo! Go for Mobile, which first launched earlier this year, is an integrated suite of Yahoo!'s leading services including Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Photos that gives consumers quick access to their personalized Internet content on their mobile phone. Yahoo! has also signed global distribution deals with leading device manufacturers to reach millions of additional consumers by embedding Yahoo! Go for Mobile on select devices.
Yahoo! Go for Mobile is a comprehensive application that extends consumers Internet community and content seamlessly to their mobile device. Key features of the service include:
- Yahoo! Mail - Easily manages and stores messages on mobile devices and provides receive notification for incoming mail
- Yahoo! Search (Local, Web and Image) - Provides Local search, full Web search and Image search to view billions of pictures
- Yahoo! Photos - Automatic upload of camera phone pictures to a Yahoo! Photos account, view and manage all albums saved on the Web account and download photos from albums directly to the mobile device
- Yahoo! Address Book and Calendar - Easy entry, management and back-up of contacts and calendar events
- Yahoo! News, Sports, Finance and more - Quick access to the full range of content services including Yahoo! News, Sports, Finance and Movies.
The service is available for download at http://go.yahoo.com/mobile .
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/50639.html
Great find - I was on it a few hours ago and it has been added since !!
I see reverse lights and hear beeping - how many trucks are backing up !!
Friday, August 25, 2006
http://theponderingprimate.blogspot.com/
Google And China Mobile To Offer Physical World Connection With QRCodes
This is NOT what any of the physical world connection companies, that are offering a 2d code, want to see.
China Mobile, Google, Nokia and a pre-installed QRcode reader. That sounds like physical world connection to me. The world's largest wireless carrier, the biggest search engine and the biggest mobile phone manufacturer.
While the PWC guys are trying to convince wireless carriers how much ARPU (avg rev per user) that can generate with 2d codes, and trying to get phone manuf to preinstall on the phone, Google is doing it for them.
While mobile marketing companies are still pitching 2d codes for "text-to-win" and other advertising uses, they neglected the biggest market of them all, the consumer.
Did you buy your first TV because you wanted to watch advertisements? Which came first, the TV show or the TV ad? Something the PWC might think about.
This is how Google will dominate the physical world connection and mobile search/info space overnight.
Google would just need to add a QRcode creator site, to one of it's applications/menus, and just about ANYTHING online or in the physical world could be connected using a mobile phone.
It's pretty clear 2d codes will/are being adopted long before a 1d code (barcode).
From PacificEpoch China Mobile partners with Google and QRcode
China Mobile held a meeting with 20 service providers (SPs) as well as handset maker Nokia on August 18 to set a blueprint for 3G services, reports The Beijing News.
According to the report, Nokia will pre-install China Mobile's mobile instant messaging client Femoo and Google's mobile search services on some customized Nokia handsets. According to recent rumors, China Mobile has also partnered with Google for mobile search services.
China Mobile's focus for 3G will include mobile TV, mobile music and its bar code e-commerce service QRcode. China Mobile subsidiary company ASPire Technologies is handling the QRcode service.
What I envision is Google setting up "Google Code", where anyone can create a QRcode for anything (business card, poster, website, menu, etc) It costs Google peanuts to offer this, but by allowing people to create these codes for free, they are creating the "standard" for physical world connection.
This free code creating service by Google could extend to mobile coupons, mobile tickets, and anything that can be scanned by a mobile phone and/or an in-store scanning device.
Knowing that Nokia, the largest phone manufacturer in the world is putting this specific QRcode reader on the phone, both service providers, users, and advertisers will adopt "Google Code".
Next, Google starts a "cost-per-scan" advertising service. Advertisers pay Google everytime a user scans a QRcode with their mobile phone. This certainly reduce clickfraud, and it would also allow Google to create ANOTHER advertising business.
This could be very troubling for some of the physical world connection companies. If Google uses China Mobile's QRcode application from Aspire, and they penetrate the Chinese market (the biggest), why bother to use anyone else?
Fear not PWC cos, there's a way to get your technology adopted and it doesn't have to involve Google, it will take a little Vision though.
Does anyone know what Microsoft is doing?
posted by Scott Shaffer @ 5:37 AM Tag: mobile marketing 1 comments
We certainly hope so....
Youth Are Key To Mobile Growth, Report By K.C. Jones
TechWeb
Mon Aug 21, 7:12 PM ET
The average 10-year-old will spend almost $30,000 on mobile services in a lifetime and the youth market is shaping mobile technology markets, according to an annual study recently released by Wireless World Forum.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 2006 Mobile Youth report argues that the relationship between young people and mobile technology is critical but often overlooked. Young consumers are driving innovations like text messaging, mobile music and mobile radio, according to the study, which states that new data services are the most important factor in reversing long-term declines in mature mobile markets like North America and Northeast Asia.
Youth spending on mobile services passed the $100 billion mark in 2006, according to the report.
Though young people tend to spend less than high-income earners and early adopters, they represent high value segments in their lifetimes, according to Wireless World Forum. Unrelated industries must accommodate the growth of mobile into existing product development and marketing or risk losing out on $10 billion annual growth in mobile spending. Companies can capture youth by enhancing the social utility value of mobile phones, according to the report.
By the time today's 10-year-old turns 35, the consumer will have spent more than half of the $30,000 worth of mobile services purchased in a lifetime, according to the study, which labels the 25-year period "the window of mobile opportunity."
Youth spending on data services represents almost 50 percent of all mobile spending in most mature markets, according to Wireless World Forum.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20060822/tc_cmp/192202620
Maybe today we will learn what took place on the recent trek to the far east. In the mean time - how about a few numbers to tease us with the potential..........
China mobile phone users top 431 million Mon Aug 21, 11:52 PM ET
BEIJING - The number of mobile phone users in China, already the world's biggest telecoms market, has grown to more than 431 million, a government news agency reported Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
The number, as of the end of July, was a 44.9 percent increase over the same time last year, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Ministry of Information Industry.
The country's total number of telephone users surpassed 798 million at the same time, the report said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_on_hi_te/china_mobile_phones
Other than the letter of intent in January 04 - anyone know if we are still involved with Digitalrum. They have a great new website.
http://www.digitalrum.com/servlets/sfs;jsessionid=777AAF3E3B0B7C2E2BED24F98C372787?t=/contentManager...
Shelron Group Plans Additional Global Expansions for ActiveShopper.com
06:11 EDT Thursday, August 10, 2006
The Company is Negotiating With Several Providers in Australia and Europe
NEW YORK, August 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Shelron Group (OTC BB: SHRN), the parent company of ActiveShopper, today announced its plans to expand the global operations of ActiveShopper.com.
Following the release of ActiveShopper UK earlier this year, the company is now seeking to expand its worldwide comparative shopping business. To this end, the Company plans to launch sites in Australia and possibly in non-English speaking European countries by the end of the year.
"Our UK launch proved to be successful. We are only a few months after its launch and it is already attracting thousands of customers monthly, who use ActiveShopper to compare online prices. Our Q3 financial results will show the positive impact", explains Eliron Yaron, Chairman of the Shelron Group. "This gives us the reason to work hard and get more content and volume before 2006's holiday shopping season begins", Yaron adds.
According to the research firm Mintel, the UK has surpassed Germany to become Europe's largest online shopping market. Mintel reported that close to 9.8 Billion Euros were spent online by UK consumers in 2005, while German consumers spent in excess of 9.7 Billion Euros. Mintel suggests that faster and less expensive broadband services in Europe have been driving the increase of online shopping. The report continues to note that total internet sales in Europe were at over 40 Billion Euros in 2005, an increase of 51% over the prior year. It is estimated that online sales in Europe will triple by 2010. Mintel expects that figure to triple by 2010. (Source: BBC News, July 19, 2006)
About Shelron Group
Shelron Group Inc. is a leading developer of advertising and comparative shopping software, products, and services. ActiveShopper(TM) is the brand name of the company's comparative shopping products, which include US and UK comparative shopping websites, a mobile website for cell phone and PDA users, and various price-detecting comparative shopping installable clients. The company's stock is publicly traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol SHRN. Additional information is available at www.ActiveShopper.com and www.ShelronGroup.com.
Safe Harbor Statement:
Safe Harbor Statement This press release may include certain statements that are not descriptions of historical facts, but are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. These forward looking statements may include the description of our plans and objectives for future operations, assumptions underlying such plans and objectives and other forward looking terminology such as "may," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "projects," or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of such terms. Such information is based upon various assumptions made by, and expectations of, our management that were reasonable when made but may prove to be incorrect. All of such assumptions are inherently subject to significant economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies beyond our control and upon assumptions with respect to the future business decisions which are subject to change. A number of factors could cause our actual results to differ from anticipated results expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such factors are addressed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (available at www.sec.gov). Accordingly, there can be no assurance that actual results will meet expectations and actual results may vary (perhaps materially) from certain of the results anticipated herein. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements
Contact:
Joel Gering
IR / PR Shelron Group
+1-212-8364041
IR@activeshopper.com
http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/WireFeedRedirect?cf=GlobeInvestor/config&vg=BigAdVariableGe...
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/08/09/the-blackberry-pearl-8100-gets-a-name/
The BlackBerry Pearl: 8100 gets a name
Posted Aug 9th 2006 3:15PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, T-Mobile, GSM, GPRS, EDGE
What was once known as the BlackBerry Stealth, then as the BlackBerry 8100, is now known as the BlackBerry Pearl. That's right, RIM's first cameraphone with media capabilities and external storage is coming to T-Mobile on September 18th. We know you want, nay, need the details, so here you go: it's got a 65k color 240 x 260 display, microSD slot, 64MB internal flash, EDGE data, and will retail for $199 at launch. Seriously, that's not bad at all! What, still don't believe us? Well, not that we've ever led you (too) astray in the past, but click on if you want the full NDA'd press release. What, we can't help it if RIM's peeps can't keep a secret.
So, ever want to see what an embargoed press release looks like? (Sorry, ours didn't come with images!) Here's what RIM and/or T-Mobile sent to some people -- not us though. Enjoy!
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL SEPTEMBER 18, 2006.
BlackBerry Pearl from T-Mobile USA – The Best Way to Ring in the Holiday Season
This holiday season, treat that special someone to the BlackBerry® Pearl™ – a cool new BlackBerry that's as perfect for a night on the town as it is for a day in the office.
The BlackBerry Pearl is a very cool, incredibly small, easy-to-use smartphone. It comes complete with digital camera, multimedia capabilities and expandable memory. And it, of course, offers the full BlackBerry experience – including email, phone, web browser, text messaging, organizer applications and much more. This year, give your loved one the gift of freedom – with the BlackBerry Pearl they can do all the things they "have to do" and more of the things they "want to do."
[Image] [Image] [Image]
[Oh, whatever, just go here if you want the images. -Ed.]
Why is the BlackBerry Pearl the ultimate gift for the holidays?
· It's one sweet phone. It delivers premium phone features including Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), polyphonic, mp3 and MIDI ring tones, speakerphone, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, call forwarding and Bluetooth® support for hands-free use with headsets and car kits.
· It delivers the popular and proven BlackBerry experience users have come to know and love.
· It is incredibly sleek and exceptionally powerful – small enough to take anywhere and powerful enough to handle all of your communication and information needs. It's the ultimate combination of brains and beauty.
· It is incredibly easy-to-navigate with a new and intuitive trackball navigation system.
· It is the first BlackBerry to offer a camera with built-in flash and zoom – share pictures with your friends and family right away via email or MMS.
· It features a large, ultra-bright next generation 240x260 color display that brings more than 65,000 colors to life. Its built-in light sensing technology automatically adjusts screen and keyboard lighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments to browse the web, view attachments, pictures and video files.
· It features a convenient media player – enjoy all the power of BlackBerry and listen to your favorite songs while browsing the web or reading an email.
· It supports a MicroSD card allowing for lots of storage space for pictures, audio and video files, along with 64 MB of internal memory.
· It is optimized for performance and operates on T-Mobile's high-speed EDGE network. It delivers an exceptionally fast performance experience for web browsing and other applications.
· It features RIM's popular SureType™ keyboard technology that makes typing amazingly quick and easy on such a small handset.
It's easy to stay on top of important personal and work communications with the ability to access up to ten personal or work email accounts including Yahoo! and Microsoft® Exchange.
The BlackBerry Pearl from T-Mobile USA will be available at T-Mobile retail stores, select authorized dealers, online at www.t-mobile.com/blackberry , or by calling 1-800-T-MOBILE for $199.
I think the trade is real - I logged into my TD waterhouse account and it showed the trade going through. Only difference is that the total shares traded for the day reflected it ( over 7.2 mil ) but the pps remained at .153 - go figure ??!
Sprint Nextel to form network with WiMax By DAVID TWIDDY, AP Business Writer
23 minutes ago
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Sprint Nextel Corp., the nation's third-largest cellular provider, said Tuesday it will use an emerging technology called WiMax to build a new high-speed wireless network.
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The company said the new network, expected to launch in some markets by late 2007, will provide customers with wireless Internet speeds on par with DSL and cable TV modems and four times faster than speeds available on current wireless networks.
Gary Forsee, Sprint's chief executive, said during a teleconference that Intel Corp. will be supplying equipment to build the network while Motorola Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America will develop WiMax-compatible phones and mobile devices.
Sprint expects to spend about $1 billion on the initiative in 2007, and between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in 2008. Forsee didn't specify to what extent the other companies might help offset Sprint's costs, saying those details will come later this year when Sprint provides financial guidance for 2007.
The costly initiative was announced less than a week after the company, formed last summer by the merger of Sprint and Nextel Communications, reported a 38 percent drop in second-quarter profit.
The earnings report, which depicted a company struggling to attract and retain subscribers, sent Sprint Nextel's shares to a 52-week low. That slide continued Tuesday, with the stock sinking 31 cents a share, or 1.8 percent, to close at a new 52-week low of $16.63 on the New York Stock Exchange.
The WiMax plan also comes as Sprint is still rolling out its third-generation cellular data network, which just last week the company said it planned to upgrade starting at the end of 2006.
The new WiMax network would provide download speeds of between 2 megabits per second and 4 mbps. That's in the same range as today's typical broadband offerings over phone and cable wires, but considerably slower than the speeds those providers are starting to offer as they upgrade their networks.
Forsee said he expected WiMax services also would be sold through the company's new partnership with the nation's four largest cable companies, which plan to begin selling Sprint cell service this year.
"They've been very much aware and involved in our 4G plans," he said, using the shorthand for fourth-generation wireless technology.
Other partners may join the venture as well, he said.
WiMax has been touted as a "next big thing" in wireless technology for several years, but actual deployments around the world have mostly been limited to small trials rather than full-blown network launches. Though derived from the same technology as the popular Wi-Fi standard that provides wireless Internet access in such places as airports and coffee shops, a WiMax signal can blanket a much wider coverage area.
Sean Maloney, executive vice president for Intel, said Sprint's involvement could drastically increase the technology's adoption.
"Ethernet created business computing," Maloney said. "Wi-Fi has changed all sorts of things. What we believe here is that a single high-speed wireless standard all around the planet is going to change everything again."
The network will take advantage of Sprint's extensive holdings of 2.5-gigahertz bandwidth spectrum covering 85 percent of the nation's 100 largest cities.
Sprint officials said they chose WiMax after evaluating several other potential technologies, including those developed by Qualcomm Inc. and IPWireless. They said WiMax was superior in terms of speed, cost and compatibility with its spectrum.
WiMax also is not tied to any one company, meaning Sprint can negotiate with a wider range of suppliers for equipment and services.
Analysts were largely supportive of Sprint's choice of WiMax, but said it's a big gamble to invest heavily in a network aimed at data services, which still represents a small percentage of wireless revenues.
"We are concerned that Sprint Nextel may find itself on the bleeding edge, rather than the leading edge, of this 4G network build, given our cautious stance regarding consumer demand, and that positive (returns on investment) may not be seen anytime in the near future," wrote Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher King in a research note.
Charles Golvin of Forrester Research was a little more optimistic.
"I think what Sprint is betting on is that consumers are increasingly going to rely on the service they get at home for Internet to be on their mobile devices," he said.
Forsee said Sprint is committed to upgrading the current network but needed to make a decision on the next generation to keep its competitive edge. He estimated the company's bandwidth gave it a 12- to 14-month head start on rivals.
He also dismissed concerns that investors have not always rewarded companies that make major investments in new technology, such as Verizon Communications Inc., which has been hammered for building a vast fiber-optic network to deliver video programming.
"If we were to squander our speed-to-market advantage, that would be a terrible decision to make," he said
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060809/ap_on_hi_te/sprint_nextel_wimax;_ylt=ApnqR_yp8qsHAyTp67lhrkkjtBA...