Mobile On AIR!

Send and receive emails, sms and mms messages at 10,000 m!


Air France has become the first airline in the world to offer an in-flight mobile phone service on international flights

Using to the Mobile OnAir system, passengers travelling on board one of the Airbus A318 aircraft operating European routes can now:
Send and receive sms and mms messages
Send and receive emails via all phones with Internet access
During the second half of the trial, passengers will be able to make and receive phone calls, with the service being regulated to maintain passengers’ comfort and well-being.

Customers on board this Airbus A318, with seating for 123 passengers, can find out more about this service in an information leaflet in seat pockets. Information will also be included in the cabin crew announcement. Air France welcomes feedback on this service from its passengers, who can fill in a twenty-question survey.

At the end of the six-month trial, Air France will examine the feedback and comments made by customers to determine whether to launch this service on all its flights.

“We are seizing every opportunity to offer customers the latest technological innovations, while continuing to make their travel comfort and well-being our main priority”, stated Patrick Roux, Executive Vice President Marketing Air France.

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said “We are delighted that Air France is the first airline to use the Mobile OnAir onboard mobile telephony system on international flights. This marks an important phase in the implementation of a new generation of in-flight services and we are confident that this trial will define the future standards in terms of in-flight passenger communication”.

The Mobile OnAir onboard mobile telephony system, certified by EASA (European Aviation Safety Authority) does not interfere with the radio-navigation instruments on this Airbus A318 and may only be used at cruising altitude once the new illuminated sign “Switch off your phone” is turned off. The system is activated at 3,000 metres (10,000 feet).

OnAir has roaming agreements with mobile network operators, including the three major operators in France: Orange, Bouygues Telecom and SFR.

How does it work?

Mobile phones connect to a miniature cellular network installed inside this aircraft.
A modem transmits data and calls to a satellite that routes them to a ground station. Data and calls are then routed to the passenger’s usual telephone network. This network is located inside the aircraft. Passengers’ mobile phones only emit at minimum power, which does not risk harming interference with aircraft avionics or ground telecoms network.

Phones are used just like on the ground. To make a call on board the aircraft, passengers simply dial the international prefix (+) or 00 + country code + full number (without the 0).

The cost of data exchanges are invoiced by the customers’ telephone operator and are comparable to those used for normal international mobile phone calls.

2007 Wrap Up. 2008 Predictions..=D

Apple The biggest news of 2007 was the Apple iPhone - love it or hate it, you certainly can't ignore it. As a result of the iPhone, touchscreen phones started to become popular and manufacturers had a good, long look at their interfaces to make sure that they were as user friendly as possible.

Expect to see a 3G iPhone announced in the next couple of months, possibly at the Mobile World Congress in February. There's a good chance that the iPhone II will fix many of the other issues with the original iPhone. One question is: how easy will it be for iPhone owners to upgrade? Most iPhone users are locked into an 18 month contract, and will be frustrated if they can't upgrade to the latest version.

Google The long-rumoured Google Phone turned out to be just a rumour after all - Google was working with a number of other manufacturers to create the Open Handset Alliance and Android platform. Android handsets should be out in the second half of 2008, the impact they will have on the market is anyone's guess.

Google is involved in many other aspects of the mobile industry, from bidding for part of the radio spectrum in the US to finding ways to push advertising on mobile phones. Expect to see more of Google where you least expect it during 2008.


Microsoft


Despite launching Windows Mobile 6, 2007 really hasn't been Microsoft's year. Cosmetically, Windows products compare poorly with the "iPhone generation" of user interfaces. Ironically, Microsoft has been able to champion the openness of the Windows platform, and there is no doubt that there is an impressive array of devices that Windows Mobile can run on.

Microsoft is being squeezed from several sides at once - the Linux-based Android environment, an improving Symbian platform and the consumer friendly iPhone all compete directly with Microsoft in the smartphone market.. and in the corporate environment, the BlackBerry range are proving difficult to beat.

It's unlikely that Microsoft will make a breakthrough into the consumer market in 2008, but improved integration with Microsoft's corporate offerings (such as Microsoft Exchange) should lead to a strengthening position in the business sector.

Nokia
Nobody covers all the bases in the same way as Nokia - from the ultra-cheap Nokia 1200 to the massively sophisticated Nokia E90, Nokia's range is far broader than the competition - a fact that is reflected in its market share.

The Nokia N95 and N95 8GB are the phones that other manufacturers are trying to beat for their "flagship" devices. Nokia will want to keep the N-Series devices at the top of the pile, so you can expect to see something snazzier than the N95 (The N96?) announced in February.

Nokia will be moving forward with touchscreen smartphones during 2008, and this will help to overcome a key weakness in phones such as the N95 8GB which has a huge screen, but it isn't touch sensitive.

Expect to see more of Nokia's Linux-based Maemo platform too (as used in the N810). We've suspected for a long time that a future Maemo device will also have built-in telephony.. although Nokia will want to be careful not to compete too much with it's own Symbian S60 operating system.

Nokia are certainly on the right course for 2008, and we expect to see them end next year as the clear market leaders.

Canadian Man Shocked by £41,000 Mobile Phone Bill!

Talk about receiving an unexpected bill, a Canadian man has been shocked to receive a mobile phone bill for nearly $85,000 (£41,000).

Piotr Staniaszek thought he could use his new phone as a modem for his computer under his $10 unlimited mobile browser plan from Bell Mobility.

He downloaded high-definition movies and other large files unaware that this incurred massive extra charges.

Bell Mobility has since lowered the bill to $3,243, but Mr Staniaszek says he intends to fight the charges anyway.

'Nobody told me'

The 22-year-old oil-field worker from Calgary said he thought a first bill for $65,000 in November was a mistake.

When he spoke to Bell Mobility he was informed the bill had climbed to nearly $85,000 after more downloading.

He said he normally paid about $150 a month for his phone and used to be notified of high charges.

"I'm going to try and fight it, because I didn't know about the extra charges "

"The thing is, they've cut my phone off for being like $100 over," he told CBC News.

"Here, I'm $85,000 over and nobody bothered to give me a call and tell me what was going on."

Bell Mobility said they would lower the bill to $3,243 in a "goodwill gesture" to match the best data plan available for using mobile phones as a modem, the Globe and Mail reported.

The trouble stems from the new phone he received when he renewed his mobile phone contract.

The new model allows him to connect with his computer and download data.

"I told them I wasn't aware I would be charged for hooking up my phone to the computer. I'm going to try and fight it, because I didn't know about the extra charges."

Canadians complain that their mobile phone charges are much higher for comparable service in the United States.

First Generation Mobiles (TACS)

In the early 1980's, the UK government wanted to introduce competition in the Telecomms industry. They decided to award two licences to operate cellular networks in 1982. One of the licences was awarded to BT, which formed a company with Securicor. Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Ltd was born, which traded under the name Cellnet. The other licence was offered by holding a competition from which Racal-Millicom was selected out of the five applicants. This company was a member of the Racal Telecom group and is now known as Vodafone. The two companies along with the government jointly decided the standard for the UK networks. They agreed to base the network standard on the north American standard Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) and this lead to the UK standard Total Access Communications System (TACS). Cellnet and Vodafone launched their networks in January 1985 and this was three months ahead of their licence requirement. They both expanded their coverage to 90% population requirement in 1987, two years ahead of the licence requirement. This was mainly due to strong competition between the companies. In just over two years from launch each network was supporting 400,000 customers, and continued to grow at such a pace that each company nearly doubled in size each year.

When Cellnet and Vodafone were initially licensed by the DTI, they imposed a condition, which meant neither company was allowed to sell directly to the customer. All products and services were offered via Service Providers who became responsible for setting customer contracts, billing, tariffs etc. This was done either directly by the Service Provider or via Dealers.

The basic concept behind cellular radio are not complex, the area to be covered by the system is divided into a number of regular cells, and each cell has a radio base station positioned to give coverage to that cell. The mobile connects to the nearest cell with the strongest signal and is then passed to a neighbouring cell with a stronger signal when the original signal becomes weak. This allows freedom for the mobile to move from cell to cell provided there is coverage in between.

Apple prepping devices based on Intel's Silverthorne chip

We suppose it was always inevitable, but things are about to get quite interesting at the intersection of cellphone and laptop processors. According to Intel, Apple has apparently committed to using the company's 45nm Silverthorne chip in multiple products slated for 2008. The chip offers the processing power of second-generation Pentium M processors, with the power consumption of a cellphone chip. Of course, it's not just the processor. Apple is expected to emerge as a major supporter of Intel's whole "Menlow" Mobile Internet Device platform, which packages processor, graphics and connectivity into a small enough bundle to give iPhone-powering Samsung a run for its money in ultra mobile products -- and Intel has made it clear that it has its sights set on that very member of Apple's lineup wit. The best news for dreamers that've been holding out for a true Newton successor all this time is that the chips provide plenty of juice for a UMPC-type device should Apple choose to go.

iRadio for cell phones

Motorola, the No. 2 maker of mobile telephones, is set to unveil a service called iRadio that will let users download preselected audio content from a range of providers on their home computers, dump it on their cell phones and listen to it on their car stereos.

Motorola, Inc. offered a select group of media and content industry insiders a sneak peak of the forthcoming Motorola iRadio™ Solution at the Demo @15 conference in Scottsdale, AZ.

The breakthrough Motorola iRadio solution will mobilize hundreds of commercial-free Internet radio channels and your personal music collection, letting you enjoy your favorite genres, artists, and tunes whether at home, in the car, or on the go. The service uses a high-speed Internet connection, Bluetooth® technology, and a mobile phone to offer listeners a continuous entertainment experience – you can start a song on your car radio at exactly the point where you stopped it on your living room stereo.

Planned for launch later this year, Motorola iRadio will provide Internet broadcasters with the ability to extend their services to the places where people listen to and enjoy music the most, such as in the car or while jogging. For music labels and producers, Motorola iRadio will offer a secure, direct way to reach consumers most interested in a specific recording artist or genre.

"I am really excited by how iRadio links the discovery of new music with the ability to purchase what you want when you want it," said Ted Cohen, senior vice president, digital development and distribution, EMI Music.

Motorola plans to provide more information about iRadio later this year when the service becomes available to consumers.

“Digital entertainment should be accessible wherever the consumer wants it. With Motorola iRadio, consumers can enjoy a seamless, personal music experience as they move throughout their day,” said Mike Gaumond, Motorola vice president and general manager, media solutions. “By working with industry leaders, we’re providing the consumer with convenience, choice, and flexibility while still maintaining the security and quality of the digital content.”

How Much Mobile Phone Power Do You Need?

A quick look at features available with today's mobile phones.For many, a mobile phone is required equipment these days when you walk outside your office to do business. But how much mobile phone power do you really need when you're away from your desk? Do you need a phone that enables you to …

• Look up customer information and keep track of appointments?

• Access e-mail or the Internet?

• Take pictures?

• Run a word processing or other business application?


Mobile phones on the market today offer and combine many of these features in a slim package that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Here's a quick look at the available phone functions, and how they can help you take care of business on the road.

Phones That Provide Basic Calling Services
The most basic mobile communications device is the mobile phone. Most mobile phone plans come with voice mail, allowing customers and co-workers to leave you messages if you cannot take their calls. Mobile phones give you the ability to store limited contact information, including names and phone numbers of people you call most frequently. In addition, you can send and receive text messages with a mobile phone and even use it as a modem to connect your laptop computer to the Internet.

A simple mobile phone is probably adequate if you just need to make a few calls during the day or want a way for close business associates can reach you. But you may miss other important messages.

Phones That Let You Receive E-mail Messages
Today, far more business is done through e-mail and other forms of electronic communication than phone calls. To keep up with all your customer messages—voice and electronic—consider a mobile device that has mobile phone and e-mail capabilities. These devices are typically the size of a regular mobile phone, but they allow you to send and receive e-mail wherever you have a wireless connection. Most devices can be configured to use the same e-mail account you access at your desk.

Phones with Windows Mobile 5.0 software installed can make electronic communication even timelier. Windows Mobile 5.0 supports Direct Push technology, which allows some e-mail servers – such as the one included with Windows Small Business Server 2003 – to send new messages to your phone as soon as they arrive. As long as you have network connectivity, your inbox is always up-to-date