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The Wireless Outpost News Issue #2 Vol. 5
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Another issue of the Wireless Outpost Newsletter. This newsletter
is for the soon to be educated cellular phone user community. If you know of
anyone else that may have an interest in our newsletter, make sure to forward
them a copy. Now we move forward at Mach II speed!
[Note: This newsletter is delivered Bi Weekly on Wednesday.]
A SMALL CHANGE TO OUR PUBLICATION NAME (AGAIN) & RESPONSES
We made a minor change to the publication's name. It is now Wireless Outpost News. Some people were offended that we continued to call it a newsletter when in fact it is merely an extension of our website. Does it really matter what it is called? Hopefully, the new name will fix that and put it more into perspective as to the purpose of this publication. Now on to more fun things. Focus changes should be coming soon to accommodate our diverse reader base.
We are going to try and be a little more proactive in updating our European & Asian readers. It has come to my attention that the demographics of our publication has drastically changed over the past year. Only half of the people who read this publication are US based now. We can't even assign a majority to any one industry or category any longer. The diversity of our reader base is not going to allow us to quantify our demographics. How about doing it this way.
Our readers come form every country in Europe and Asia, the entire western hemisphere, the pacific rim, then we have some from Africa, the Middle East, and a number of countries I never knew existed. I think that narrows it down pretty good. Hey! At least I got it down to one planet in the solar system so give me a break. But that gives you an idea of the problem we have to solve. How to make sure everyone is getting some benefit out of this material. You have my word that we will work on it.
Please accept our apologies to those who would like to advertise in our newsletter. We just can't bring ourselves to do it. Personally, I hate it when I am reading something and then I am interrupted by an advertisement. I won't even subscribe to newsletters that do that because I find it that annoying. Although I appreciate the reason for doing it, there are better ways to get things done.
GSM SUBSCRIBERS IN THE US ARE GROWING AND OTHER TRENDS
This one may be of interest to consumers who are looking to upgrade their cellular phones and to retailers who are looking to see what type of inventory they need to buy next or should be looking at in the near future. This study was conducted by Telecom Trends International to get a snapshot on the overall subscribers to wireless networks. We commented on it in our last publication but this will give you a more quantifiable understanding. Here goes.
The market grew by 11% but handset sales were flat. This indicates that people are activating used phones more often than buying a new cellular phone. Based on our own experience, we would concur with this trend. We now have 142 million+ wireless subscribers in the US. Out of that, there are now slightly over 25 million subscribers to GSM service. Double the number of GSM subscribers from last year. Analog and TDMA phone subscriber numbers are definitely dropping. Only 11 million new TDMA units were shipped into the US last year. Expect another substantial decrease in TDMA units to be shipped again this year.
CDMA units on the other hand increased to slightly over 37 million units. The report didn't specify if it was for Verizon or Sprint PCS. Although based on the most recent sales data, we would have to believe the increase is due to Tri Mode CDMA units to be used on Verizon networks. For consumers, both Verizon and Sprint PCS use different frequency CDMA networks and they are not compatible with one another. In addition, GSM networks in the US are not the same as those used in the rest of the world. In the US, we use digital GSM and everybody else uses analog GSM.
Both Cingular and AT&T Wireless are TDMA network carriers that have recently switched to GSM networks. This has caused a 37% increase in GSM subscribers in the US within a year's time. It is estimated that there are 100 million TDMA subscribers in the Americas, 84 million CDMA subscribers, and 21 million GSM subscribers. In addition,
it is estimated that there are 28 million analog subscribers in the Americas, noting a decline by over 30 percent in the last year. Latin America has also seen an increase of 53% in GSM subscriber growth over the past year.
The GSM Association predicts one billion GSM subscribers worldwide by the end of this year. Their report states that one in seven wireless subscribers now use a GSM phone. They have estimated the growth of GSM subscribers to be in the neighborhood of 160 million per year. GSM is now used in 190 countries around the world. Voicestream or T Mobile also provides GSM wireless service.
From what we can see on the industry trends nationwide, Analog, Dual Mode CDMA, and TDMA cellular phones are well on their way to being phased out in the US.
Cingular claims that they have 50% of their coverage areas setup with GSM service. They anticipate having 90% of their market and all of the major metro areas setup with GSM service by the end of this year. On a side note, both Cingular and T Mobile had requests rejected by the FCC for a waiver to delay implementation of the 911 mandate as it would apply to them. AT&T Wireless also warned of possible problems. We have found that the three of the GSM carriers are often in negotiation to share towers in order to improve upon GSM network coverage for their subscribers.
Analog phones will probably have a longer life cycle than TDMA because there are still many rural areas that can only use analog service with any kind of network reliability even though use has declined. About the only advice we can offer to everyone is to take note that Tri Mode CDMA and GSM phones are going to be the most popular cell phones in the US in the short term future based on the data we have collected. Those of you who like to hold wireless stock should keep a close eye on this trend.
As far as the different types of phones that we can see phasing out in a specific order, we will have to call it as dual mode CDMA, followed by TDMA, followed by Analog. The dual mode CDMA phone is standing in the doorway and the TDMA cell phone isn't too far behind. Analog phones are expected to have the longest life cycle and they will probably still be here long after dual mode CDMA and TDMA cell phones are gone.
Let me add one thing. This trend is also going to create a large number of cellular phones that can't be used or are no longer needed. Recycle them instead of throwing them in the trash. Cellular phones contain toxic metals and other parts that can be recycled,
but if even more of them go into landfills on a massive scale, we are asking for big trouble. Actually, we already have a problem but you aren't hearing about it in the mainstream media but it is here in the present.
By the way, to the gentleman who said our publication was so rich with information that you guarded it closely while in your start up phase and shared pieces of it with others. Thanks! That had to be the coolest compliment we have ever had.
Well, it is about time that we recognize subscribers from various organizations again. As we must maintain a modicum of privacy, we will simply list their organizations and if you would like to check them out, do a search on
www.google.com with entering in the organization's name and it should pull up a website for your review. Call it free publicity or what have you but it also gives you an idea of just how far the use of wireless phones have permeated our every day life. Read on for a couple of other updates too.
I am going to try to mix this up a bit and I will keep it kind of short. Don't worry if we missed listing your organization on this one. Eventually, I will get a number of your organizations posted in an article. It just takes
a lot of time to go through the list and look up each and every website to see who is who and what they do. Now that I have, I see that I probably should have done it sooner to better understand our subscriber base. But here is the short list.
European School of Management, Essar, Bwee, Hale Dorr, University of Natal, Loft 42, MAMSI, Wisconsin Department of Electronic Government,
Virginia Department of Transportation, TMJ Implants, Texas Instruments, Fechtor Detwiler & Co., Atlantic Business Systems, Legg Mason, DarMar Awards, Good Samaritan Retirement Village, Amazon Technology, 3G IP Resources Ltd, India Times, Ferris State University, BLR (Business & Legal Reports), The VGM Group, GSM World Organization, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), City National Bank, Trinidad Express, The Stone Hill Group Inc., Business Week, and a Telecom Hacker group.
Of course, the list includes just about every known handset manufacturer, wireless carrier, and fringe industry professional that have something to do with wireless as their core focus of business. Looked to me like we have a number of publications, government agencies, and educational institutions too. Which is an enlightenment which I didn't really need. A Zen moment if I have ever had one. Because now I see that I have a social responsibility to really put 120% effort into my effort of providing quality reading material.
But it is a challenge which I am more than ready and able to accept. Now to the
attorneys again. OK. Let me start off by saying that anything I wrote in the past about attorneys was done under duress. I was forced into the mop closet for three days once with no food or water and an outdated issue of people magazine as my punishment for writing something nice about attorneys. But I will make it up to you by offering to suffer a similar fate once again.
Should you have something that you wish to have published just send it in to press@cellularphonenews.com
and I will see what I can do to wring an article out of it and get it published here. The same goes for everyone else. Send in your press releases and we will look over each and every one of them. If you take the time to send it in, we will take the time to read it. We will respect your time and effort.
Send in your opinions too by writing to the editor at editorletters@cellularphonenews.com
if you would like. Even if it is just to say that I am an idiot who shouldn't be allowed to publish anything that is accessible to so many people. The more we get, the higher the chance that we will create a section for letters to the editor type of thing in our future issues. It will also make sure that my comments are not always one-sided debates.
However, as long as I am writing these articles, my unorthodox writing style will remain in effect. I do not subscribe to the unwritten standards set for professional journalism that require boring article formats that are so dry you could drink a gallon of water and still feel like your mouth was filled with cotton. I firmly believe that our articles should not only be informative but they should offer as much insight as we can offer on the topic. It is also a carry over from when I used to teach.
In exchange for the torture I probably put many of you through with what I write, take solace in the fact that I will at least present articles on hidden gems that we uncover here and there and aren't normally found in any other publication. I also know that the only consistent theme to each issue is that it has something to do with wireless. I like to mix things up a bit to maintain variety.
MOTOROLA AND NOKIA AGREE MOBILE PHONE SALES WILL INCREASE
Nokia and Motorola agree that mobile phone handset sales will increase by about 8% to 10% this year. We don't know what they are using to make those predictions. It could be enthusiasm or it could be that they have information that we don't. Either one is plausible. Most of that growth could be coming from China though. Motorola has taken a huge lead in China's marketshare and Nokia has reversed direction and stated they intend to fight to be the number one handset manufacturer in China. With one billion people or more, which manufacturer wouldn't want to be in that market. Might be a good fight too.
Motorola's main markets right now are China and the US. Losing marketshare in either country could cause them to slip from the momentum they have building up. As of the third quarter, Motorola has reported a net profit after about almost 2 years of losses. They are now stating that they expect all of their business units to be profitable in the year 2003 and anticipate reporting a net profit for this past fourth quarter as well. Motorola had planned on selling their network division to
Siemens of Germany and has recently withdrawn from talks of that nature.
When it comes to global marketshare and who will become the market leader, China is the key. However, it was recently stated by a research company that Nokia and Motorola now hold only a 1/2% difference in marketshare in the US. Motorola is now at 26% and Nokia is at 26.5%. Motorola made a huge comeback with the V60 and T720 units. I would have to add in the V70 in there too. Nextel's expansion into the consumer market doesn't hurt either. The V60 has been out two years now and there is still a huge demand for them.
Samsung, Kyocera, and LG made some progress in picking up US marketshare. Audiovox and Sony Ericsson saw a decline. LG made a hit with the TM 510 unit as a flip phone. When it comes to gaining US marketshare, we all know that the smaller flip phones are going to do the trick. With that said and the continued demand for flip phones increasing, it would not be surprising to learn that Motorola has surpassed Nokia in US marketshare.
Nokia's loss in the US marketshare was due to the combination of the other manufacturers introducing appealing and innovative phones that have caught the attention of consumers. A trend that we not only anticipated but predicted some time back. With the US market getting tight for finding new subscribers, many US retailers are now switching to prepaid to avoid the commission chargebacks from carriers and to accommodate the second wave of US subscribers who are financially challenged or do not want to keep a wireless phone service for constant use.
It is during this time that the smaller manufacturers may find the hole they were hoping to plug in order to gain marketshare. With prepaid in the US on the rise, the lower priced flip style cellular phones are the most sought after units to fill customer orders. Those manufacturers who figure out how to manufacture low cost basic cellular phones with cosmetic appeal specifically for the prepaid cellular market will find themselves with a hidden gem in the US market.
Add in the rural consumer and baby boomers and that has a huge potential as a market. That is one of the very few pieces of this industry that we found which could level the playing field on manufacturers. Don't expect to see that happen anytime soon unless a manufacturer is hungry enough to decide they wouldn't mind having the biggest piece of a rhubarb pie. It isn't a market that is as tasty as the post paid consumer demographics. But at least they wouldn't have as much competition which might give them the first to market advantage.
Statistics don't exist because it hasn't really been tracked. The suggestions I have listed above was done through a compilation of different types of data that we obtained through various activities which was then analyzed and thus the summary of suggestions I have written in this article. I can't say that it is scientifically proven but I would not have a problem with standing by the statement that these suggestions have validity.
We wanted to bring everyone up to date on some new phones coming out from various manufacturers. No offense to those who we didn't
include in this specific article. Eventually, we will get around to most when and if we get a chance to review the phones. For this one, we have Audiovox, Motorola, and Nokia. We didn't include photos to avoid downloading delays but you should be able to find them on that specific manufacturer's website. So here we go.
Audiovox officially announced the CDM-8600, a tri-mode, folder-style CDMA phone with a 65,000-color TFT display. The compact phone sports a stylish circular external display with a blue backlight. Additional features include 1xRTT high-speed data, BREW or Java, 32-chord polyphonic ringtones, voice dialing, and EMS. Also be sure to check out the previously announced CDM-9600, CDM-9500, and CDM-8500 handsets. The CDM 8600 is a silver flip phone which is the reason why we tossed that one in here. We know how popular those kind of phones are and thought you might like to check it out.
Motorola has recently rolled out some new GSM phones for use outside of the US. The E380, 388, A835, C350, and T725 unit for 2003. As far as design is concerned, they don't look too bad but I wasn't overly impressed. They got wise to the fact that people like those chrome and shiny cellular phones so they added a couple of those in there. Most of them contain similar features available on the Audiovox and newly released Nokia Phones.
Nokia announced the world's first TDMA phones with color displays. The tri-mode 3560 features downloadable Java applications, WAP 2.0, and voice dialing. Like other phones in Nokia's 3500 series, the 3560 supports extensive customization, including custom color wallpapers, downloadable polyphonic ringtones, and Xpress-onT Active covers, which include embedded lights that flash in sync with ringtones. Nokia also announced the 3520, an identical phone with dual-mode network support for Latin America. The phones will ship during the 2nd quarter of 2003. As far as the cosmetics, it looks like a standard Nokia non flip style phone.
Outside of the Audiovox phone mentioned above using voice dialing which is nice, we haven't seen much out there that we could call exceptional. If the manufacturers are using focus groups, I wouldn't want to hire any of them to give their opinion on something I was inventing that is for sure. We are tossing these in here so that all of you can get an idea as to where manufacturers are going with their designs for cellular phones.
Ultimately, it will be most of you who make or break a specific model and cause the changes in the design and features available in the cellular phones. Right now it looks like the manufacturers are
trying to build on what they know worked in the past, adding a few twists to things they would like to promote and then are hoping for the best. This at a time when new wireless subscriber additions are down big time. Sure everybody is hoping that the market is turning around but that has yet to be seen.
Here are some other models you may want to take a peek at when you get the chance to get a broader view of what is coming out. They are still in the testing phase and may or may not be found in general information indexes.
The LG LX5450 to be possibly used by Sprint PCS. This tri-mode CDMA phone features a folder design, built-in camera, 1xRTT high-speed data, a large color main display, an external display, and Java. It appears to be very similar to the LG TM 510. Another silver flip phone.
The Sharp GS-200 to possibly be used by T Mobile. The tri-mode version of Sharp's GX-10. A GSM/GPRS camera phone with dual displays, MMS, GPRS high-speed data, infrared, and voice memo.
The Samsung SCH A610 to be used by Verizon. This dual-mode CDMA camera phone features Samsung's innovative RCP (Rotating Camera Phone) design, popular in Korea. The upper half can be rotated, allowing the phone to be closed with the display facing out. Also sports a rotating camera with flash, 1xRTT high-speed data, PIM (organizer) features, and voice dialing. And yet another. It's a silver flip phone too.
FOURTH QUARTER RESULTS ON WIRELESS SUBSCRIBER GROWTH
So much information that it can be difficult to figure out the best way to package it all. With the new year comes updates on the previous year so we are trying to fit it all in this issue so that you can use it or lose it as you will. This article will cover a couple of the more general trends and non GSM growth. Add up the articles and
they should provide you with a decent snapshot of the industry as a whole. Here we go.
New subscriber growth worldwide had dropped by nearly 6% from the same period last year. There are slightly over 1 billion wireless subscribers with a 19% penetration rate. 75% of new subscriber additions came from outside of the US and Western Europe. Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East account for most of the growth of new wireless subscribers last year. Latin America saw a dive in new subscribers by nearly 17%.
The report also states that the introduction of 2.5G services and feature rich handsets along with promotions and favorable prices caused a 73% increase in new subscribers in the US. We would have the discount the first suggestion as being a major factor in stimulating growth. If that were true, we would have seen a noticeable increase in the use of those services which we have not. Only 1.4% of GSM subscribers worldwide used GPRS services and 17% of CDMA subscribers used it.
CDMA technology holds 13% of the marketshare. Last year, CDMA subscribers grew to 41% in the US due to Verizon's marketshare which is sitting at almost 23%. It is estimated that CDMA will comprise nearly half of US subscribers within the next 4 years despite the growth and introduction of GSM technology. Provided the situation with Iraq doesn't escalate, it is expected that the wireless sector will only grow by 11% this year, down by 9% from last year.
If problems continue to grow with Iraq, it could cause a major breakdown in the growth of the US market with consumer spending being severely curbed in the times of crisis awaiting the outcome. However, economic recovery in the US and Western Europe would also help to stimulate a recovery in other regions of the world. Though dismal and risky the market may be, the predictions are that the market will still grow but on a much smaller level than hoped.
Keep in mind that all of the information here are predictions and estimates based on data collected and analyzed by various services. None of it is infallible but should be considered to be a best educated guess if one were to be available. Under the circumstances, the wireless market is extremely volatile and the psychics are out to lunch so we are unable to offer a collective opinion. Use this information with a great deal of caution and understand that some factors may increase in importance more than others as things develop. Even more stats in the next article below.
FIRST COLLEGE DEGREE TO MAJOR IN WIRELESS AND OTHER TIDBITS
Surprising that it has taken so long for Universities to come out with degrees with wireless as the major. Our European counterparts are once again out there leading the pack in the tryouts of new ideas. This time it is Brunel University. They have implemented a program to offer a Bachelor's of Science degree to those who want to major in wireless phone technology. Expect this to become a standard subject in future
curricula used by various educational institutions.
This is better than paying Ms. Cleo $4.99 a minute. Now you can subscribe to Verizon's Horoscope service which will give you a daily and monthly astrological forecast. Verizon wireless customers can download a free demonstration or subscribe to the service for $1.60 per month. Both of them probably have the same amount of accuracy of predicting the future. Yes, you have to pay for the airtime too.
Cingular takes a banging on net subscriber losses. They lost around 107,000 subscribers in the third quarter and lost another 121,000 in fourth quarter. That is nearly a quarter million subscribers lost in the last 6 months. We only know that they aren't flocking to Sprint PCS or AT&T Wireless. So it must be T Mobile, Verizon, and Nextel picking up some subscribers.
66% of US subscribers look at the cost of a phone as a buying factor. Here is how the importance of a handset determined if it was purchased. Cost was #1 of course. Followed by ease of use, functionality, brand name, appearance, and then "personality". Don't read too deeply into the functionality term. 72% of women look at the cost of a phone as the major buying factor. 65% of men stated features and functionality were a major buying factor. Only 32% of women bought phones based on the look and 45% of men found the cosmetic appeal of a phone to be important. One in five people are looking to change cellular phones while women are more inclined than men to make the change.
Tower Maps out of Lovettsville, VA, has just announced that they are releasing the latest database version of tower map information. The database is estimated to be 98% complete and accurate and includes rooftop sites. Their files are updated on a daily basis. However, this isn't something for the general consumer who is curious about cell site towers. They do charge a fee for the service provided which can run up to $11,000. You can find them at
www.towermaps.com and if you are a consumer who just needs general information, you can find similar information on the FCC website. The information available from the FCC may not be entirely accurate and may be outdated.
FCC AND CTIA AT ODDS OVER LOCAL NUMBER PORTABILITY ISSUE
An interesting twist to the CTIA's take on Local Number Portability (LNP). First it was a situation where it should not apply to the wireless industry. Now it is an issue where if the wireless industry has to do something then the landline companies should have to do it too. Oh yeah, it is because it is in the best interest of consumers. You see there are inequities in wireless regulations and the CTIA has taken it upon themselves to speak up for consumers. Shall we tell you again the role of the CTIA?
The CTIA is actually comprised of wireless carriers, manufacturers, and vendors of the wireless industry. The association's goal is to promote the interest of those same entities with the FCC and elsewhere where regulation and legal issues may possibly disrupt the flow of their activities. They did bring up an interesting perspective on the issue of LNP. The regulations do not make it so that we can take our landline numbers and port them over to wireless and vice versa on a consistent basis. The regulation for LNP is mostly geared to landline to landline or wireless to wireless.
The FCC hasn't said whether they will consider the issue as presented by the
CTIA, and some legislators are promising to take action if the FCC doesn't move toward LNP being implemented on a universal basis. Some
think the CTIA request is yet another ruse to delay the LNP deadline set for November. The FCC has stood fast on keeping the deadline for LNP and the 911 mandate.
Besides, if we get LNP between wireless carriers and some between landline and wireless carriers, at least it is a step in the right direction. The way it stands right now, only one in eight people would be able to switch their landline phone numbers to a wireless service. At least you have an option there. If you think that is bad, try switching a cable company and see how far you get. The number of options are one land based cable company and one satellite based cable company.
We have Comcast in my area of New Jersey. Can you believe they actually use an answering service after hours? Try getting something resolved there. We are going to get a dish since they actually have 24 hour customer service and technical support. With the current LNP regulations, we have made some progress in my opinion. It may not be the best but it sure beats what we have now which is nothing. Why hasn't anyone started screaming about deregulating the cable TV companies.
The real reason why many of us want LNP is so that we can switch wireless carriers whenever we want. Will that increase churn. You better believe it. That will also increase the level of customer support offered and the quality of the service being provided too. If the carriers hope to retain customers, they had better be on top of their game plan. Something cable TV companies don't have to worry about anytime soon.
Come December 2003, the wireless landscape is going to be in upheaval as consumers start changing carriers and breaking contracts left and right. Carriers may consider increasing the penalty for breaking a contract. However, once they go so far, somebody will probably introduce legislation that will cap the cost of penalties to be paid for breaking a wireless contract. Mark my words, there are going to be a few pitched battles coming up.
The easiest resolution I can think of to this problem is to elect me as President. I will solve all of your problems with the wireless industry and cable companies had better watch out too. Anybody in favor of my being President, please send your campaign contributions of $1.23 to our office and I will put it in my war chest. I am up to $9.63 so far. Only a couple of million more to go.
Last but not least, the 2003 GSM Association Award Nominees are out. You may want to take a peek to see if your company is on the list of finalists that may win an award. We aren't on the list, I already checked. Then again, there isn't really a category for obnoxious publications like CPN. The award winners will be announced on February 18th, 2003, for those who have an interest in finding out.
MICROSOFT AND SENDO PART WAYS OVER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SUIT
Sendo is filing a lawsuit against Microsoft for misuse of intellectual property owned by Sendo. As is always the case, the comment was that the lawsuit was without merit. The tricky part is that Microsoft is a minority stakeholder in Sendo. Now Sendo has broken off all cooperation with Microsoft and pulled out of production of a line of phones that were to use the Microsoft software technology. Something must be up because when rumors started about a potential conflict, Microsoft executives tried to curb interest by stating that there was nothing going on.
Microsoft has just lost another chance at trying to break into being a leader of cellular phone software. Directly after the break, Sendo signed on with Symbian and Nokia for cellular phone software. A major setback for Sendo who has contracts with multiple carriers around the world. One of the mobile phones in question is the Orange SPV smartphone produced by a Taiwanese company for Microsoft. It is believed that these phones carry software technology owned by Sendo.
This also means that the Sendo Z100 smartphone which was to be rolled out through Cingular will not be making
its debut which was to happen in the very near future. Somehow, the Orange SPV phone was being offered at 15 to 20% less than the Z100 phone would have cost had it been brought to market. With both having similar features, there wouldn't have been a market for the Z100.
It is now going to be another year or so before Sendo can bring another smartphone to market. The advantage that Sendo has as a startup handset manufacturer is that they can use the same design and components for each version of their phone. The difference is only in the color, software, and minor adjustments. This allows them to mass
produce cellular phones at a very low cost. Many of their phones are very small in size too. Basically, they can provide low cost, feature-rich handsets on a massive scale.
Microsoft has been sued for so many intellectual property disputes that they are now used in movies as fictional companies that must be watched lest they steal your idea and/or intellectual property. Somebody should make up a board game that makes it so that people have to steal one
another's intellectual property in order to build up a market and gain a monopoly. A modern version of Risk adapted to our high technology world.
If you are not already familiar with Sendo, you may want to take some time to get to find out more about them. We think that they will have a future in the mobile handset manufacturing business. They can service a demographics that generally isn't sought after as aggressively as some others. If they ever chose to enter the US market, there is a good chance they could do some damage to other handset manufacturers who had a tenuous hold on their US marketshare.
They haven't expanded into North America as of yet because they are playing it smart. Their comment on the topic was that they believed in responsible growth and they wanted to make sure that they could deliver on any promises they might make. Believe it or not, they are actually a private company so you wouldn't be able to buy stock in the company. Those of you would like a more detailed review of the lawsuit, the suit was filed in Texarkana, Texas. Probably being headed by Greg Christian who is the President of North American operations for Sendo. Mr. Christian was also a former executive with Nokia.
15-YEAR-OLD INVENTS WIRELESS FUNDS TRANSFER DEVICE
Robby Mathis of Macon, Georgia, has invented a device that allows for the wireless transfer of electronic funds. The patent is pending but he already has everything in place to conduct a possible roll out by the third quarter of this year. The device was designed for both the consumer and business professional in mind. It is amazing that such a young man could have invented something like this and worked to give it a solid business plan.
GreenLine TM is small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand and features a banking interface capable of accessing savings, checking and credit card accounts. It also supports investment trading in real time and will combine three devices in one - the transfer system, a cell phone, and a PDA. The GreenLine TM device features touch-screen dialing, Microsoft's Pocket PC software, and encrypted, point-to-point infrared data transfer.
Cellular service will be offered through a third-party provider and will include Internet and chat capabilities. For funds transfer, the customer chooses the preferred payment method at the point-of-sale. The funds transfer device will allow payment options in multiple forms of currency and will then route the transaction. Theft will be prevented by use of PIN-encrypted protection.
The devices will be furnished to banks at no cost by InterNation Commerce Communications and made available through an individual's financial institution where it will be programmed with the consumer's personal account information. Revenue for InterNation will be generated by vendor transaction fees and cooperative agreements with third party cellular service providers. Mathis's company, Bretsky Corporation, will set up InterNation Commerce Communications, and this company will serve as the claims processing company for the electronic funds transfer system.
"Given time, GreenLine TM will be in the pocket or purse of every adult. It may become as indispensable as one's personal computer," said Mathis, an Atlanta native.
There is no doubt in my mind that this kid is going to be a millionaire before he is old enough to vote. If it isn't with this device then it will be from some other venture although I think this endeavor has a pretty good shot at making it. Carriers will have a new revenue source and wireless phone users will be able to get real time information on their bank accounts from just about anywhere. Before anyone asks, there is no website or any other reference to the company to be found online. We did quite a bit of digging and came up with nothing.
REMOTE VISUAL MONITORING OF YOUR HOME VIA YOUR CELL PHONE
Cenuco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Virtual Academics.com, Inc. (OTCBB: VADC), announces new security technology for the home. Imagine attending a business meeting in Los Angeles and, with a touch of a button on your PDA, being able to observe how the baby sitter is interacting with your child back home in New York. Or simply enjoying a relaxing dinner out and having the peace of mind of seeing your child is safe and happy with the caretaker with a call from the cell phone. How about just simply looking in on the house while on vacation? It's now possible, wirelessly!
Cenuco Inc. has introduced the world's first plug-and-play mobile video monitoring device, MommyTrackTM. This remote hand-held security system enables concerned parents to quickly and discreetly monitor their child's well being via streaming video in real-time from their cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA).
The system, retailing for $2,295 US MSRP, consists of two small camera units that are placed in the area to be monitored and a premium handheld device equipped with the patent pending MommyTrackTM software. If desired, users may attach up to two additional cameras, increasing the coverage. MommyTrackTM includes a digital archive component that stores up to two days of previously recorded audio and video, date-and-time stamped for easy reference. The system is encrypted and password protected. The monthly service fee (waived for the first year) covers unlimited access and digital archiving for $19.95.
MommyTrackTM includes the following components:
A hand-held communicator
Two Web cameras
48 hours of archiving
Webcam hosting service
CenVid 3.1 software
Complete setup/activation guide
Technical Support
"Advances in wireless technology are greatly helping parents safeguard their children," said Cenuco President Steven Bettinger. "MommyTrack is a valuable tool that provides peace of mind in the palm of the hand."
MommyTrackTM is a brand new addition to Cenuco's portfolio of security solutions. An additional product is The Security CommunicatorTM, a wireless surveillance solution for the business owner. The Security CommunicatorTM offers business owners and managers remote access to view all of their critical security areas.
To learn more about the company, visit www.VirtualAcademics.com
and click on the button for wireless. A photo is available on the actual device and another device for real estate agents is also available for review.
Atoz Communication in Taiwan has teamed up with the Swiss to breakout the EZPhone earpiece. It is a nice looking earpiece that none of us would have to worry about looking like geeks and it is wireless. Meaning that it allows us a completely
hands-free situation while chatting away on our wireless phones. New Yorkers would probably like to have one. But we couldn't find any distributors who were carrying the product other than Atoz.
It has a lightweight stylish design that makes hands-free communication both comfortable and safe. The EZPhone is easy to use and wear, and its low power consumption means it is easy on the battery. This solution can be used with existing mobile phones, it is a low cost 'plug 'n play' type device. If you might be looking for a new product line, this may be one to consider. The earpiece allows for five hours of talk time or 100 hours of standby time between charges.
We hear people complain all the time they do not like the Jabra and other earbud types of
hands-free kits. Let's face it, everybody has different sized ears. Some of us have elephant ears and some of us have ears that would impress a rat. They have designed the device so that it loops over the ear yet covers the ear canal to assist with blocking out ambient noise. I almost forgot to describe how it works.
Basically, you plug in a small wireless adapter to your phone. This is a transmitter type of device. You loop the ear piece over the ear and you are set to go. It allows for a distance of about 3 to 5 meters. So that is about 8 to 12 feet I think. Just enough for someone to talk you through on how to change a tire. Anyhow, I think I need to have one just to see how well it works. From looking at the tech specs, it has the components that appear to make it a decent quality product.
For the tech junkies, here are the basic specs: The design was derived from the XM1201A reference module for the RF front-end design and includes a 16bit microcontroller, an ADC, a DAC, amplifiers and power regulators. A perceived full duplex audio link between the cell phone and the ear piece covers a distance of 3 to 5 meters for an average current consumption during operation of 12mA measured at 3.6V.
All this time, I thought the Swiss would only be famous for clocks, herbal cough drops, and hot chocolate. They are now making some headway into innovative wireless technologies. We don't always write about what they are doing over there but we can tell you that they are always busy trying out something new. Now, get on over there and see if you think these wireless headsets are cool enough to wear.
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