They call this the Bluespoon 3. Weighing less than 10g, this is definitly the
smallest Bluetooth headset I have ever seen.| Xilinx Chip Could Deter Cell Phone Thefts - 12:23pm | 31-Jan-2002 |
The CoolRunner-II CPLD is a microchip that can be programmed and reprogrammed over the Internet or wireless networks. If a person's mobile phone is stolen, they could contact their network operator to give them the phone's identifier code, which the network operator could then use to send a small signal to reconfigure the phone and shut it down, Parnell said.
Read the complete story here.
| Ericsson firmware revision list not available anymore - 12:05pm | 31-Jan-2002 |
The Swedish service centre Telesupport is not providing the firmware revision list anymore. To reflect this change, I have removed the link to that page and have started my own list. Since I have no access to the EMMA system, I am depending on you visitors to check my list againts your mobile's revision and update me should you have a newer version of the firmware.
| Phone Makers Develop New Survival Strategy - 11:42am | 30-Jan-2002 |
Motorola just sold a 2.5G kit to Taiwan' phone designer Benq Corporation. Ericsson last week licensed its 3G technology to LG Electronics and earlier sold Bluetooth know-how to Korea's Samsung. Ericsson outsources mobile manufacturing to Singapore's Flextronics and has a partnership with Japan's Sony.
Will this move away from phone manufacturing work? Will features and style take precedence over a phone's creator? Historians point out that during America's Gold Rush, the riches didn't go to the claim-stake miners, but companies selling picks and shovels.
Read the complete story here.
| Do you have a PhonePage? - 10:40am | 30-Jan-2002 |
Your homepage on the web could soon be joined by your personal "phonepage" according to Swedish company PhonePages, which introduced the concept for the first time at Comdex Nordic. In a joint project with Siemens and Giesecke & Devrient, users of the new service can create a kind of mobile homepage directly from a WAP-enabled phone or through a web interface.
Read the complete story here.
| Update the Tips & Tricks page - 5:35pm | 29-Jan-2002 |
Updated the Tips & Tricks page to show you how to set your phone to ignore a person specifically.
| UK govt and phone industry sponsor research phone risk - 10:32am | 29-Jan-2002 |
The programme, backed by both Government and industry, is intended to end confusion over the safety of mobile phones and aerial masts. Although the Stewart Inquiry two years ago reported that there was no evidence that mobile phones were a health hazard or could cause brain and nervous system cancers, it concluded that radiation from phones and base-station masts could induce "subtle biological changes".
Read the complete story here.
| CDMA superior to GPRS? - 10:29am | 29-Jan-2002 |
With operators world wide set to spend further enormous sums of money to convince their customers to buy new 3G services, Wireless Outlook's editor Andrew Seybold is "convinced that CDMS is ..superior", and believes that after spending billions of pounds on 3G licences, operators relying on GSM/GPRS will be in serious trouble in the short term.
Read the complete story here.
| Ericsson posts loss optimistic about 2002 - 11:24am | 28-Jan-2002 |
Ericsson posted it's Q4 interim report as well as it's full year report a few days ago. Having reported losses, Ericsson s optimistic about year 2002 and is expecting to report a profit by year's end with sales picking up at the second half of the year.
You can read the the financial reports here.
For other in-depth analysis on Ericsson's performance, you can find them at:
The Age
Los Angeles Times
Fox News
The Globe and Mail
| Updated the menus - 6:55pm | 24-Jan-2002 |
Moved the Channel Info and Battery Info pages into the Indicator menu option. Has been updated to also show how to activate and deactivate them in the EEPROM as well as adding the GPRS Channel Indicator decoding page as well. If anybody has any updated info on this, please e-mail me.
| Updated the Logos and Links page - 1:37pm | 24-Jan-2002 |
Updated and restructured the logos and links page. The configure WAP via SMS site was moved from the Ericsson site to the SonyEricsson site.
| Worlds smallest Bluetooth headset - 11:11am | 23-Jan-2002 |
They call this the Bluespoon 3. Weighing less than 10g, this is definitly the
smallest Bluetooth headset I have ever seen.
SPECIFICATIONS Weight: 9,5g
Dimensions 35mm(L)x22mm(W)x14mm(D)
Talk-time: > 7-8 hours
Recargeable battery: 100 mAh (3,6V) Lithium-Ion Polymer
Hardware: CSR (Bluecore 02 - Class 2)
Software: Headset Profile v1.1
To know more about this product, visit Nextlink or go directly to the Bluespoon info here.
| Ericsson predicts U.S. lift despite sales slump in Europe - 10:57am | 23-Jan-2002 |
Even as LM Ericsson AB's sales decline in Europe, the company's new US chief sees signs of hope in the United States, where many consumers have yet to join the wireless set.
Read the complete story here.
| UK Watchdog investigating SMS "scam" - 10:51am | 23-Jan-2002 |
Looks like there is an SMS scam going around where which results in victims getting a reverse SMS and being billed for receiving such SMSes.
Two possible scams targeted at users on the Vodafone network, involving premium-rate text messages costing œ1.50 per message, are currently being investigated. The schemes promise users cash prizes or invitations to join adult chatlines in what's called 'reverse SMS'.
<snip>
Orange said it had been targeted by overseas operators attempting to send such messages on its network. The spokesman added it was working on developing technology to automatically filter out such messages. A BT Cellnet spokeswoman said users should ignore any text messages from unsolicited sources.
Read the complete story here.
| Ericsson R310 best combination of power and safety - 10:48am | 23-Jan-2002 |
A series of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) tests were done by the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI) on a whole bunch of mobiles. Turns out Ericsson made the best (R310) and worst (T28) in terms of SAR ratings.
The Ericsson R310s has been found to have the best balance between transmission power and the amount of potentially harmful energy the human body has to absorb using it, in tests by the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The SSI tested a total of 21 mobile phones from Alcatel, Ericsson, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Siemens and Sony.
Read the complete story here.
| Boffins develop exploding mobile phone - 11:12am | 21-Jan-2002 |
An interesting development where researchers have discovered a way of making your mobile explode should it get into the wrong hands. Interesting indeed.
Michael Sailor, the man behind the chip, made the discovery when one of the researchers tried to divide the porous silicon chip that had been treated with gadolinium nitrate. The chip subsequently exploded.
Read the complete story here.
| Ericsson provides temporary GSM network to UN's Food Program in Afghanistan - 10:45am | 21-Jan-2002 |
Ericsson has deployed a temporary GSM network infrastructure to allow the UN and others humanitarian organizations to better coordinate their efforts. The cool thing about this network is that they are using the country code +46 which is actually the country code for Sweden.
Ericsson has set up a complete mobile telecommunications solution in Kabul that will during the next six months support the UN humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. Ericsson is working with the World Food Program (WFP), the leading UN agency in humanitarian aid, also responsible for the initial set-up and maintenance of relief telecommunications in the Afghanistan region.
<snip>
Ericsson provides a complete GSM system, which is now installed on a hill in the center of Kabul. The GSM system can host up to 5000 subscribers, and it will initially provide communication for 200 users from the UN and other humanitarian organizations making their relief work more efficient. In addition, Ericsson is donating several hundred R250 mobile phones.
Read the press release here.
| Ericsson T65 problems - 10:40am | 18-Jan-2002 |
GSMBOX has a story that T65 users were complaining about a loud humming sound when using their mobile.
Computer Sweden recently reported that hordes of dissatisfied users and retailers are returning the T65, one of its first GPRS phones, because of loud humming during calls.
Demand for the T65, launched last autumn, has been so high that Ericsson has not been able to meet consumer demand. But according to Computer Sweden, the phones make loud humming sounds during phone calls to both fixed and mobile phones. The problem was only discovered after the Christmas rush, it said. "There hasn't been a T65 that doesn't hum. Some hum more than others. It's just a construction error on Ericsson's behalf," Mikael Forsberg, a mobile phone repairman, told the publication.
Another news site Ananova reports that Sony Ericsson has corrected a technical problem with the T65.
It was due to a thin film on the display that vibrated when the phone's display light was on.
Company spokesman Roger Bolander said: "It's true that a small number of T65s had this fault, but that has been taken care of now."
He added some of the faulty phones may still be on the market and customers experiencing the problem can return their handsets for replacement.
Read the story at GSMBOX here and the story reported at Ananova here.
If you are an owner of a T65 who is experiencing the problem described in this news story. May I suggest you visit the nearest authorized Ericsson service centre and explain to them your problem. They should know what to do.
| Ericsson licenses handset platforms to both LG Electronics and Samsung - 10:38am | 18-Jan-2002 |
This is what Ericsson has to say about LG Electronics:
By this agreement, LG Electronics gets access to Ericsson's cutting edge handset technology in 2.5G and 3G/UMTS. LG Electronics is one of the major players in the wireless industry and the deal is a proof of Ericsson's superior technology in the field.
<snip>
LG Electronics develops its own value added GPRS/UMTS Dual Mode 3G handsets based on Ericsson's technology and pays Ericsson Mobile Platforms a license fee for the technology.
With regards to the Samsung deal:
Under the terms of a worldwide, royalty-bearing agreement, Ericsson has granted Samsung a non-exclusive license under Ericsson's patent portfolio for the GSM, TDMA, GPRS, EDGE and WCDMA mobile telephony standards, to develop, manufacture and sell 2G and 3G subscriber and infrastructure equipment. In return, Samsung provides a royalty payment, as well as a reciprocal license to Ericsson.
To know more about the Samsung deal, read here and the LG Electronics deal here.
| Ericsson wins global MMS contract from Vodafone - 10:35am | 18-Jan-2002 |
Vodafone will initially roll out Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) in Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, with services in a number of Vodafone operating companies to follow. The two companies have formed a global team to see the project through its aggressive roll-out.
Read the press release here.
| T68 firmware R2A and R2B - 3:11pm | 15-Jan-2002 |
The guys at Esato Forums have word that the T68 firmware R2A would be available on the 17-Jan-2002. I assume this is the EU1 (European 1) version. With the rest comming in soon after that. This version is supposed to be having a unified memory for all data (pics, melody, etc) with vNotes and tons of bug fixes but without the MMS. The R2B firmware is supposed to have the MMS feature and is scheduled for release in week 10 (mid-March).
| Has Ericsson Got Nokia in a Color Bind? - 10:57am | 15-Jan-2002 |
Looks like Ericsson has Nokia running for it's money.
Rumor has it that Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is cowering. The world's largest mobile phone maker is shocked, say published reports, by how successful rival Ericsson's (Nasdaq: ERICY) recent launch of its tiny T68 has been. Part of the allure of Ericsson's new handset is in its color screen.
Read the complete story here.
| Mobile users to get answer on cancer - 11:24am | 14-Jan-2002 |
Syndey, Australia's St. Vincent Hospital willsoon find out if habitual, long-term mobile users are at risk of developing cancer. This research will be conducted by the hospital's Centre for Immunology.
The study will use an electro-magnetic device to simulate the impact of chronic, intermittent exposure of the brain to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones over a long period.
Read the complete story here.
| New functionality in upcomming firmware for the T68 - 3:16pm | 11-Jan-2002 |
The djk Personal Page has a news entry suggesting what new features will be added to the T68 in it's next firmware upgrade (R2B). From the looks of it, Ericsson is giving all the features it had promised earlier and more.
Read the complete story here.
| Plantronics Bluetooth headset M1500 - 11:24am | 11-Jan-2002 |
Plantronics a headset manufacturer has just released it's second generation M1500 Bluetooth headset. Weighing less than a ounce and having a talk time of three hours, this headset really packs the punch.
Read the press release here or to know more about the M1500, visit here.
News was first seen at GSMBOX on this page here.
| Updated MyPictures program for all Ericsson mobiles - 10:53am | 11-Jan-2002 |
The SonyEricsson Mobile Internet website has an updated MyPictures program. This program supports sending pictures directly from your portfolio to the phone without having to export the picture first. Also, there is an add-on called MobilePhoneMonitor which allows desktop users who do not have infra-red to send pictures via the serial cable DRS-10/11.
You can view the page describing this at the SonyEricsson MobileInternet here.
Thanks to Yoong for the info
| Ericsson and TDK Systems betting on Bluetooth - 11:15am | 10-Jan-2002 |
The Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet quotes Ericsson's head of technology Maria Khorsand saying that Ericsson expects several other manufacturers to start selling Bluetooth-compliant devices this year, as the price of the chip sets needed in compliant devices, falls from over $10 to around $4.
Meanwhile TDK Systems, which released four Bluetooth-compliant products late last year, unveiled a further three product kits yesterday. A company spokesperson said that the company has been working on Bluetooth technology for almost three years. "It's only in the last six months or so, however, that we've been releasing actual product," he said.
Read the complete story here.
| Updated WAP pages - 11:00am | 10-Jan-2002 |
Updated the WAP page so that the News pages will display the current news as found here in the web side of things. This is done by using the WMLPROXY server of Google.com which results in me having to update only the web site and a WAP version is automatically generated by Google's WMLPROXY server. Cool huh?
| Malaysia opts for WCDMA - 2:52pm | 8-Jan-2002 |
Malaysia has opted to use the WCDMA standard on it's 3G networks.
Read the complete story here.
| Malaysia awards 3G licenses to three operators - 2:49pm | 8-Jan-2002 |
Malaysia has awarded the 3G licenses to the following operators -- Digi.com, Maxis Communications and Telekom Malaysia.
Read the complete story here.
| Unofficial Ericsson T39 Site closes - 12:32pm | 8-Jan-2002 |
The Unofficial Ericsson T39 Site has closed it doors. It was a useful site which helped a lot of T39 and Bluetooth users in general. If anybody has an archive of that site, please e-mail me.
| Updated the "Secrets" and "Tips & Tricks" - 12:03pm | 8-Jan-2002 |
I have updated both the "Secrets" and "Tips & Tricks" sections. They are mostly Bluetooth related and will definitely help users better understand their bluetooth investments.
I have also updated the Easter Eggs tips to reflect changes made to the updated firmwares.
| Renegade Ericsson has a WAP site - 4:03pm | 7-Jan-2002 |
This is to let you know that I now have a WAP site to complement the existing web site. To visit it, please direct your WAP browser to:
http://renegade.w3xs.com/wap/index.wml
This site is still in beta, at least until I can get certain things fixed on my server end. Anyway, do give it a try and do tell me what you think. If you have a WAP site which you think I should place in my links page, do let me know.
| T68 Firmware upgrade, updated info - 3:59pm | 7-Jan-2002 |
Just talked to somebody inside SonyEricsson. The R2B firmware is a major, firmware fix, but only to the existing functions in the T68. There will not be any new functions (like MMS) yet as those are promised on a later date. MMS I was told would only be available (as an upgrade to all T68 users) in April, 2002.
| T68 to get major software upgrade - 10:43am | 7-Jan-2002 |
There is a new web/wap site called the John Xenakis T68 Site which has an update suggesting that Ericsson will soon be releasing the R2B (currently R1C) software which is believed to be a major update with most if not all the features promised by Ericsson.
You can read the complete story here.
| New SonyEricsson phone from Japan - 10:43am | 3-Jan-2002 |
While going through my e-mails, (I have a backlog of two weeks), I came across an e-mail by Viktor Nilsson who sent me a URL on a new mobile model called C1002S for the cdma 1x network.
You can visit the URL here.
| Updated information about the T66 - 1:01pm | 2-Jan-2002 |
The djk homepage has updated ("exposed") information about the T66 phone. Interestingly, the phone has only 1-bit (black and white) color depth and a new melody format and system.
Read the complete story here or the official information posted by SonyEricsson here.
| Happy New Year - 11:22am | 2-Jan-2002 |
Happy New Year to all visitors. Sorry for not updating the site as frequently as expected. Anyway, I'm back and do expect a few updates to these pages.