Apple Stores Prepping for Canadian Launch

July 28, 2010

Apple stores in Canada are expected to crank open their doors at 7 am on Friday to welcome the release of the iPhone 4.

Apple is limiting the iPhone 4 purchases on opening day to two per person, which is going to be a letdown to those looking to stock up. The iPhones are available on a first-come first-serve basis, as you might expect with, you know, retail shopping.

For now it looks like Canadians will have three ways to get their hands on the iPhone 4.

The first way is to order through the Apple Canada Online Store. The unlocked full-price iPhone 4 (16GB or 32GB, of course) will be available online starting on Friday July 30. Online orders will be shipped to the billing address provided on the form, which means that it’ll come straight to your house and not to the closest store. It also means that you’ll have to wait a little longer to get your mitts on the iPhone 4 than you would just going to the store. But you’d beat the lines.

The second way to get your hands on the iPhone 4 is to head to the store, naturally. Now this way of going about things is time-consuming, as there will indeed be line-ups. Apple is saying that their stores are busiest during the middle of the day, so you may want to plan your trip around that little nugget of truth.

Canadian wireless stores, like Rogers and Bell, will also have iPhone 4s for sale. They will also have line-ups, to be sure, and their phones will be locked into contracts and networks. They may have promo prices, however, so that could be a selling feature for those interested in possibly saving some money. Remember, though, these iPhones will not be unlocked like the ones available online or at Apple Stores.

Personally, I’m not one for lining up for things I don’t have to get. While the iPhone 4 is certainly a hot product, I’m not all that into the hysteria surrounding it. But for those of you who are planning to line up, you might consider bringing a chair.

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Section: Advice | Opinion: Voice It

Chatr Launches

July 27, 2010

Rogers Communications has officially launched its Chatr service, introducing the new discount brand to Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Ottawa.

Chatr’s website is designed to target younger users, it seems, with its use of language and selling points. The discount carrier is gearing up to target low income users primarily, but its offers of unlimited plans seem to jive with young users like college students and teens.

Mobilicity’s John Bitove has been more than upset over Chatr, claiming that the Rogers brand is targeting his brand unfairly and violating the Competition Bureau’s legislation. Many analysts think that Rogers’ brand has been directly designed as a way to fight the cheap new carriers with better network quality and larger calling zones. That Chatr is competing in the exact same cities as Mobilicity is probably no coincidence.

Chatr customers have their choice of four phones off the bat: the LG GB125R flip-phone, the Samsung Gravity, the Nokia 2680, and the Nokia 1661. Each of the phones is marketed with no term prices.

Chatr customers can choose from two different monthly pricing plans. The $35 unlimited talk and the $45 unlimited talk-and-text carry different selling features, with the $35 plan allowing for unlimited talking to anywhere within the province and the $45 plan offering unlimited talking to anywhere in Canada. It should be noted that Chatr operates on the concept of “Chatr zones,” so extra charges apply when users go outside of their specified Chatr zones. Yep, there’s the rub.

The Chatr zones are viewable here for Vancouver, for example. As you can see, the zones are quite confined to metropolitan areas, although this particular zone does appear to extend nearly to Langley. The map isn’t the most exact, so it can be difficult to see exactly where the zones end and begin.

Chatr is also really promoting its network, claiming that it’s “better than the new guys” without elaborating. As you might imagine, it’s impossible to find anything “Rogers” on the Chatr website. They’ve gone to great lengths to make the brand appear completely independent of its larger company, which is a smart move that may fool some consumers. Make no mistake, however Chatr is a Rogers brand.

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Section: Corporate | Opinion: Voice It

Accident Analysis and Prevention Research on Teens, Driving and Cell Phones

July 26, 2010

Research published in the peer-reviewed Accident Analysis and Prevention publication has some interesting stuff to say about teens, driving and cell phones. Perhaps more importantly, the research points to a way to break through to teens to talk about the dangers of driving while on cell phones.

The research takes information from a survey done by the National Young Drivers Survey, part of the Young Driver Research Initiative. 5,500 teens were surveyed. The plan for the Young Driver Research Initiative is to prevent crashes involving teens by understanding their causes and learning to predict their likelihood. With motor vehicle accidents being the top cause of death among teens in both Canada and the United States, it’s an issue that deserves as much attention as humanly possible.

A website shares the information and tools provided by the research and is an ideal resources for parents and teens to peruse.

In an interesting turn of events and ideas, the survey revealed that teens who more frequently use their cell phones behind the wheel point to reference the drawbacks of not being able to use their phones as motivators. Conversely, teens who do not use their cell phones while driving point to positive “motivators” that keep them from dialing and driving.

This speaks to how teens are motivated, of course. Positive reinforcement tend to lead to greater results, so perhaps the education on the dangers of cell phones behind the wheel is heading in the wrong direction.

“When it comes to predicting their frequency of cellphone use while driving, the positive beliefs teens have about refraining from this behaviour are more powerful than their negative beliefs,” says Jessica Hafetz, the study’s lead author. “More specifically, teens also attached more weight to safety-related beliefs over those that are purely social. For instance, the positive belief of paying attention to their driving was more important than the negative beliefs of seeming less social and missing out on gossip or important news.”

Teens who did use their phones while driving were often focused on the drawbacks, as mentioned. These drawbacks include getting lost or forgetting something of value. Also included in terms of drawbacks was the idea of not being able to be reached by those looking for them, like parents or friends.

Researchers say that we’re going about this the wrong way. Instead of imposing restrictions based on the dangers, parents should confirm that they understand the use of cell phones for emergency purposes but remain firm on the point that the phones shouldn’t be used while in the act of driving a car.

Claims VP at State Farm Susan Hood elaborates, “That means empowering teens to do the right thing by giving them viable alternatives to talking or texting while driving. Teens don’t respond well to messages and restrictions that appear punitive or controlling or that single teens out as a group.”

Focusing on the positive things that can happen when teens do the right thing with cell phones should help in actually instructing teens on proper and safe use.

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Section: Advice | Opinion: Voice It

Wireless Group Takes on San Fran Ordinance

July 23, 2010

A cell phone industry group has gone to San Francisco with guns blazing and the intent to shut down the recently-passed ordinance that requires radiation levels to be listed on cell phones.

CITA says that the ordinance will only confuse consumers and mislead them by floating the myth that cell phones are somehow dangerous. The CITA is clearly concerned that this ordinance could harm revenue of the industry, so they’re going to bat for their cause with gusto.

The mayor of San Francisco says that the ordinance is designed to provide consumers with more information so that they can make educated choices, but the CITA’s argument is that attracting consumers to potential dangers is simply confusing and wrong. It would be like including harmful labels on products that are not known to be harmful.

The ordinance’s supporters would argue differently, of course, and would suggest that the ruling is like including sodium amounts on soup cans. Sodium in and of itself is not harmful, but consumers should be made aware of the higher and lower levels of it in the products they purchase. The ruling, in this respect, sounds fair enough.

The radiation standards on cell phones in the United States is set by the FCC and the inference that some cell phones may not be safe is really getting to industry heads. “The ordinance is premised on the city’s belief that the FCC standards are not ‘safe enough’ and represents an effort by the city to second-guess the FCC and supplant the exclusive federal regulation of (radio frequency) emissions safety,” says CITA in the lawsuit.

At the end of the day, displaying radiation levels on cell phones could create some annoyances for the industry. It may drive cell phone makers to create phones that operate on even lower levels of radiation and that could present some cost issues. It also could continue to promote the myth that cell phones are harmful.

On the flip side, fighting against this ordinance tooth and nail makes it seem like the industry has something to hide.

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Section: Legal | Opinion: Voice It

Cell Phone Ban for Federal Prisoners Approved

July 22, 2010

The Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010 was approved by the United States House of Representatives. The Act will prohibit the use of wireless devices by Federal prisoners.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Diane Feinstein (D-California). Feinstein has said that the use of cell phones by Federal prisoners can lead to a host of problems, including additional criminal elements both inside and outside of the prison.

The plan here is to define cell phones as contraband. They previously did not fall under such definitions and, as such, were eliminated from the laws governing contraband in United States Federal prisons.

The bill was originally introduced in October of 2009 and gained Senate approval in April of 2010. The bill has now passed through the House, as mentioned, and needs to be signed into law by the President.

After the bill is signed into law, some of the confusion over cell phones in Federal prisons will be eliminated. While cell phones were most assuredly “banned,” there were no laws to govern them as contraband and it was hard to punish prisoners smuggling mobile devices in due to the lack of clearly codified laws. With the laws in place now, prisoners can expect to be punished with at least one year in prison on top of their sentence.

There is little opposition to the bill, even from inside the cell phone community. It is believed that the notion of cell phones in prison constitutes enough of a danger to society as to consider them contraband. It’s as close to an open and shut case as you can get in Washington, these days, and the typical Republican obstructionism hasn’t tampered with the Act’s passage.

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Section: Legal | Opinion: Voice It

T-Mobile Expands HSPA+ Coverage

July 20, 2010

T-Mobile has unveiled plans to expand its HSPA+ coverage to nearly 100 metropolitan areas by the end of this year. Many have said that T-Mobile has been all but left behind in the race for high speed data plans, so it’s good to see T-Mobile finally get into the game on some level.

According to CNET’s reporting, “HSPA+ is currently available in nearly 50 markets, including Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Waco, Texas; Baltimore; Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La.; Birmingham, Ala; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville, Fla.; Greenville, S.C.; Honolulu; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Portland, Ore.; St. Louis; and Wichita, Kan. It has also expanded coverage in other cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.”

The coverage expansion should mean that T-Mobile’s coverage as a whole will reach about 85 million customers.

The network upgrade will mean big things for customers using some of the more high-end devices out there. And T-Mobile’s impressive line-up of 3G products will also see some benefits. Products like the Rocket USB laptop stick, soon to be updated to a Rocket 2.0 USB, will fly on the new network.

It’s interesting to note that it was only a few years ago that T-Mobile counted itself among big carriers in America without 3G access. With this move, it looks like T-Mobile is hoping to change some hearts and minds across the country. They are a popular carrier, without question, but the tech side has often been lacking. With this big network rollout, it’s possible that T-Mobile could be moving up in the world soon.

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Section: Corporate | Opinion: Voice It

Nokia Siemens Buys Motorola’s Wireless Network Unit

July 19, 2010

Motorola has finally found a purchaser for its wireless network unit in Nokia Siemens. Nokia Siemens Networks will pay some $1.2 billion for the wireless network equipment unit.

This brings Nokia Siemens about 50 new customers.

Motorola will still hang on to its wireless patent portfolio, at least for now, and its iDEN trunked wireless system that is currently used by operators like Sprint Nextel.

According to Business Week, “Nokia Siemens will acquire manufacturing operations for all the major wireless systems, including GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access), WiMax and LTE (Long-Term Evolution).”

The deconstruction of Motorola is kind of sad to see. In the industry, they had the rare privilege of developing both handsets and the network infrastructure. It may be an industry sign of sorts that Motorola is being forced to split its inner workings in such a way, but it’s also the industry standard now. Companies doing it all like Motorola had been are increasingly rare and most of the major players had already made similar splits.

One of the key examples here is that of Sony Ericsson. Ericsson kept on rolling in the network business, but its pairing with Sony to make the handsets is widely considered a success story. Siemens sold its mobile phone subsidiary and pooled the rest, the infrastructure mainly, with Nokia to come up with Nokia Siemens. And now that very Nokia Siemens is grabbing Motorola’s wireless network unit.

And Motorola’s break-up will continue, sadly. The subsidiary Motorola Mobile has already been created as the first big step in a sell-off of this magnitude. The rest is still to come.

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Section: Corporate | Tags: , , , , , | Opinion: Voice It

Apple Tries to Pin Antenna Problem on Other Products Too

July 17, 2010

Apple summoned the media to its Cupertino lair on Friday and did as we expected they would. In addressing the iPhone 4 antenna/signal fiasco, Steve Jobs took time out from being self-congratulatory to tell everyone that they’d be giving out free protective bumpers to help prevent signal loss. The bumpers are the same ones sold on the Apple site for $29.

The end date for this bumper deal is September 30, at which point Apple either presumes to offer a fix or to run out of bumpers.

Jobs went on to say that the iPhone 4 has sold 3 million units since its late June debut. Only a “small number” of complaints were received about the antenna, he claimed, and “every smart phone” has signal issues. Even so, Jobs did admit that his iPhone 4 had been dropping more calls than its predecessor.

And then came the video. Jobs went on to show video clips of rival phones with “similar reception problems.”

RIM’s BlackBerry Bold was featured in Jobs’ video presentation and that did not sit well with RIM co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis. “Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable,” they said in a statement. “RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions.”

Jobs downplayed the antenna issue. While he did apologize that some customers were experiencing issues, he dismissed the notion that it was a hardware problem or a design flaw. He also went on to say that the iPhone 4 was “perhaps the best product made by Apple.”

Apple’s design puts the antenna exclusively in the hands of the user, which is the key to the problem. By having the antenna AS the band around the phone, this attractive design issue becomes the iPhone’s biggest flaw. Antenna design experts say that direct contact with them can change the way that antennas are meant to operate.

So no, Mr. Jobs, the antenna issue experienced by Apple users and downplayed by your elaborate presentation is not an industry-wide issue. There will always be problems with smart phones, as you have said, and nobody is perfect. But responsibility for THIS antenna design is not shared.

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Section: Accessories, Corporate | Opinion: Voice It

Sony Ericsson Rises Again

July 17, 2010

So it may be premature to say so, but it looks like the once-troubled Sony Ericsson has some reason to celebrate.

The company reported its earnings on Friday and saw profits for the second quarter in a row. These two quarters couldn’t have come at a better time, with Sony Ericsson losing big time and seeing market share drop over the last handful of quarters prior. It may be too early to say that the company is turning a corner, but there are a few reasons for optimism at Sony Ericsson.

High-end presence was a big plus for the company. Devices like the Xperia X10 have proven popular.

Unfortunately, the company has also slashed a third of its workers over the last two years. They now have about 8,000 workers.

Sales volume and market share did fall in the second quarter from a year ago, but the profits are still enough to keep the suits at Sony Ericsson smiling for now.

While these decisions have led to some success, many are largely crediting Sony Ericsson’s choice to go with Google’s Android O/S as a big component. Google’s popular operating system features on the Xperia X10 and on some of SE’s mini smart phones, so consumers are heading to those devices because they’re backed by the Android name.

Sony Ericsson knows that Google’s Android is key to their success, so they’ve announced a heavy Android presence on a lot of their upcoming phones. In going head-to-head with Apple’s O/S and with RIM’s BlackBerry O/S, the Android O/S has done quite well for itself and it’s looking like Sony Ericsson has hitched its wagon to a good star. Market share for Android surged to 9.6% in the first quarter this year, up considerably from the 1.6% it was doing a year ago.

So while rival Nokia keeps trucking with Symbian, an unpopular and clunky O/S that hasn’t been doing all that well, it looks like Sony Ericsson may pull past them. By going all in with Android, Sony Ericsson hopes that this rise in profits will continue through the remainder of 2010 and well beyond.

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Section: Corporate | Opinion: Voice It

Apple Purchases Quebec Mapping Firm

July 15, 2010

Apple has quietly purchased Poly9 Group, a Quebec-based mapping firm. Amid all the buzz about Apple’s iPhone 4 press conference and the other goodies, Apple’s snagging of Poly9 is their second mapping acquisition in a year.

The Cupertino firm purchased Los Angeles-based Placebase, a company that made commercial mapping software like Pushpin, in July of last year.

It is expected that Apple is angling towards their own form of Google Earth. Poly9 made software used to produce maps in both online and offline capacities. They also boast a 3D mapping tool much like the one used by Google Earth and Mapspread, the latter of which lets users make custom maps using spreadsheet data.

So is Apple getting into the mapping business? Probably. But the usual Apple secrecy is still the order of the day. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not comment on our purpose or plan,” said spokeswoman Kristin Huguet.

The mapping industry as a whole is growing quickly and these sorts of acquisitions are common as mobile providers and companies try to integrate the maps with mobile devices. Apple actually partnered, sort of, with Google to deliver Google Maps to the iPhone and iPod Touch, so anything’s possible. It’s also probable, given that, that Apple would hope to cut the link to Google by providing their very own mapping app.

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Section: News & Information | Opinion: Voice It