A cell phone - all about mobile phones » united states http://a-cell-phone.com Blog about mobile phones Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:15:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 Lookout Finds Significant Increase in Mobile Threat Activity http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/08/04/lookout_finds_significant_increase_in_mobile_threat_activity.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/08/04/lookout_finds_significant_increase_in_mobile_threat_activity.html#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:34:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=29265 Lookout Mobile Security, the loss leader in mobile security, today announced the results of its Mobile Threat Report, based on threat data from its Mobile Threat Network, which includes information collected from more than 700 thousand apps and 10 million devices worldwide. Lookout found that mobile malware has increased significantly, with Android users two-and-a-half times as likely to encounter malware today than just six months ago. Lookout estimates that between a half million and one million users were affected by mobile malware in the first half of 2011. At the same time, web-based threats which operate across platforms, have emerged as a significant part of the threat landscape with three out of ten mobile users likely to click on an unsafe link, including malicious and phishing links, over the course of a year.

“As mobile devices grow in popularity, so do the incentives for attackers”

New Threat Steals Money by Charging Users for Premium Rate Text Messages

GGTracker, discovered in June 2011, is the first base known Android malware that specifically targets U.S.-based Android users. This malware signs users up for premium text subject matter subscription services without their knowledge, charging $10 per service to a person’s phone bill. In some cases users were charged for multiple services with total charges ranging up to $50. Previously, these types of attacks mainly affected Android users in China, Russia and Eastern Europe. In addition to the monetary impact of the malware, GGTracker used new techniques to broadly distribute the malware including Malvertising.

Malware Developers Explore New Distribution Methods

During the first half of 2011, Lookout found that attackers repackage legitimate applications with malware, creating Trojan applications that appear to be legitimate, but in fact are malicious, and post them to app stores and download sites. More recently, malware writers are using new techniques to secure wide dispersion. Attackers employ a tactic called Malvertising, whereby they use mobile ads to direct users to a malicious website that triggers an automatic download of malware. Additionally, Lookout saw the first base Update Attack, in which an attacker first publishes a legitimate application with no malware, and once they have a large user base, they freeing an update that includes malware so the entire user base gets the updated infected application.

In the First Half of 2011 the Number of Malicious Apps Grew to 400

During the first half of 2011, the number of unique apps with malware found on markets and download sites grew from 80 to 400 apps. Two of the most prevalent threats, DroidDream and GGTracker, were regularly published in new apps over the first half of the year. During this period, the authors of DroidDream released more than 80 unique applications with variations of malware to payoff control of a user’s phone. Similar to DroidDream, the authors of GGTracker continue to publish new infected apps across app stores and download sites, bringing its total infected app count up to 15 since mid-June.

How to Stay Safe

“As mobile devices grow in popularity, so do the incentives for attackers,” says Kevin Mahaffey, CTO and co-founder of Lookout Mobile Security. “We’ve seen the prevalence and the level of worldliness of mobile malware attacks evolve significantly in the first six months of 2011. We expect this trend to continue as more and more people adopt mobile devices.”

As the frequency of mobile threats increase, people can take measures to stay safe:

* Only download apps from trusted sources, such as reputable app stores and download sites. Remember to look at the developer name, reviews, and star ratings.

* After clicking on a web link, pay close attention to the address to make sure it matches the website it claimed to be.

* Download a mobile security instrument that scans every app you download for malware and spyware, and can help you locate a lost or stolen twist. For extra protection, make sure your security app can also protect from unsafe websites.

* Be alert for unusual behavior on a phone. This behavior could be a sign that the earpiece is infected. These behaviors may include unusual text messages, strange charges to the phone bill, and suddenly decreased battery life.

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/08/04/lookout_finds_significant_increase_in_mobile_threat_activity.html/feed 0 One Billion Payment Cards with Contactless Capabilities Expected to Ship in 2016 http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/07/27/one_billion_payment_cards_with_contactless_capabilities_expected_to_ship_in_2016.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/07/27/one_billion_payment_cards_with_contactless_capabilities_expected_to_ship_in_2016.html#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:39:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=28766 An estimated one one thousand million payment cards with contactless capabilities will be shipped globally in 2016, up from just 170 million in 2010. This includes EMV dual interface cards and the non-EMV pure contactless push in the US.

Smart card shipments, which include not only contactless payment card game, but also EMV and non-EMV payment cards, will reach one billion during 2011. ABI Research forecasts that smart card shipments will overtake mag-stripe card shipments by 2015.

“There is quite a buzz around contactless payment capabilities,” says Phil Sealy, research analyst, autoID and smart cards. “There is a higher level of convenience for cardholders, with quicker transaction speeds and a reduction in time spent queuing. Giving banks the ability to add another defrayal application to their portfolios, the emergence of contactless technology is augmenting the overall trend from cash-based to cashless societies.”

Smart cards are also being touted over mag-stripe card game, especially in developing countries. “The entire banking population worldwide is increasing,” Sealy says. “As countries become developed, the requirement for banking services increases. For the banks, the primary election reason for EMV migration is that EMV provides a higher level of security measures over mag-stripe cards. “As such, card-based fraud is more prevalent in countries with the weakest security protocols.”

China in particular is a big country of interest in the smart card market. China alone has 2.3 billion payment cards currently in circulation, all of which will need to be replaced by smart cards in China’s effort to undergo a complete transition to smart card game by 2015.

Although smart card growth is expected to accelerate rapidly, mag-stripe cards are not disappearing any time soon.

“Mag-stripe cards still have a strong hold in the payment card market, and will still account for 50 percent of all cards in circulation in 2016,” says Sealy.

ABI Research’s new report, “Payment Cards,” (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1005789) studies the technical drivers and inhibitors affecting the payment circuit board market. Examining smart-cards, EMV migration, and traditional mag-stripe technology, this study provides ABI Research’s view of the most likely future tense marketplace changes and developments in the payment cards industry.

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/07/27/one_billion_payment_cards_with_contactless_capabilities_expected_to_ship_in_2016.html/feed 0 After RIM monition, all eyes on new wares lookout http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/06/15/after_rim_monition_all_eyes_on_new_wares_lookout.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/06/15/after_rim_monition_all_eyes_on_new_wares_lookout.html#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:13:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=25696 ” “We believe RIM has now squandered nearly every chance and competitive reward it enjoyed through ineffective R&D resource management, delayed product launches and misreads of the competitive surroundings,” Morgan Stanley analyst Ehud Gelblum wrote in a note to clients.”

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2011/06/15/after_rim_monition_all_eyes_on_new_wares_lookout.html/feed 0 Skype could be designated illegal in China http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/31/skype_could_be_designated_illegal_in_china.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/31/skype_could_be_designated_illegal_in_china.html#comments Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:11:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=10894 “China will cracking down feather on what it called illegal Internet telephone providers, according to a bill from the Chinese government seen on Friday that could potentially affect Internet calling service Skype.”

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/31/skype_could_be_designated_illegal_in_china.html/feed 1 Nokia files patent offence complaints against Apple in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/16/nokia_files_patent_offence_complaints_against_apple_in_the_uk_germany_and_the_netherlands.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/16/nokia_files_patent_offence_complaints_against_apple_in_the_uk_germany_and_the_netherlands.html#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:31:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=9886 Nokia announced it has filed claims in the UK High Court, Dusseldorf and Mannheim District Courts in Germany and the District Court of the Hague, Netherlands, alleging that Apple infringes Nokia patents in many of its products sold in these countries, including iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

“These actions add 13 further Nokia patents to the 24 already asserted against Apple in the US International Trade Commission and the Delaware and Wisconsin Federal courts,” said Paul Melin, vice prexy, Intellectual Property at Nokia. “The Nokia inventions protected by these patents include several which enable compelling user experiences. For example, exploitation a wiping motion on a touch screen to navigate content, or enabling access to constantly changing services with an on-gimmick app computer storage, both filed more than ten days before the launch of the iPhone.”

Nokia’s filing in the UK covers 4 Nokia patents related to touching drug user interface, on-device app stores, signal noise suppression and modulator structures.

Nokia’s filing in Dusseldorf, Germany covers 7 Nokia patents related to touching user interface, antenna structures, electronic messaging functionality and chipsets.

Nokia’s filing in Mannheim, Germany covers 5 Nokia patents related to on-device app stores, company ID, exhibit miniature and the integrating of multiple radios.

Nokia’s filing in the Hague, Netherlands covers 2 Nokia patents related to signal randomness suppression and data card functionality.

None of the asserted patents rich person been declared essential to any radio communication standard.

During the shoemaker’s last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 40 one thousand million in research and exploitation and built one of the wireless manufacture’s strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with around 11,000 patent of invention families. Nokia is a worldly concern drawing card in the exploitation of handheld gimmick and mobile communication theory technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia’s strong patent of invention spot.
]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/16/nokia_files_patent_offence_complaints_against_apple_in_the_uk_germany_and_the_netherlands.html/feed 0 Study golf course cellphones to child misbehavior http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/07/study_golf_course_cellphones_to_child_misbehavior.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/07/study_golf_course_cellphones_to_child_misbehavior.html#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:21:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=9366 “Researchers perusal the health personal effects of cellphones say they wealthy person found evidence that when pregnant women use them regularly, their children ar more likely to wealthy person behavioral problems.”

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/07/study_golf_course_cellphones_to_child_misbehavior.html/feed 0 Clearwire eyes merchandising up to $2 one thousand million spectrum http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/06/clearwire_eyes_merchandising_up_to_2_one_thousand_million_spectrum.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/06/clearwire_eyes_merchandising_up_to_2_one_thousand_million_spectrum.html#comments Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:56:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=9311 “Clearwire Corp expects to snag another round of financing late this class or early 2011 and may lift as much as $2 one thousand million from merchandising wireless spectrum, according to its finance chief Erik Prusch.

Clearwire, which is 54 percent owned by Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S – News), needs millions of dollars more funding to complete construction of its high-speeding radio meshing even after a $1.3 billion debt offering last workweek.”

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/06/clearwire_eyes_merchandising_up_to_2_one_thousand_million_spectrum.html/feed 0 Clearwire Communications LLC Announces Pricing of Secured and Exchangeable Notes http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/03/clearwire_communications_llc_announces_pricing_of_secured_and_exchangeable_notes.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/03/clearwire_communications_llc_announces_pricing_of_secured_and_exchangeable_notes.html#comments Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:33:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=9138 Clearwire Corporation today announced that its operating subsidiary company Clearwire Communications LLC (“Clearwire Communications”) has priced an offering of $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount twelve-tone system first-anteriority senior secured notes due 2015 at an issue monetary value of 105.1820s plus accrued pastime from December 1, 2010 (the “First Lien Notes”) and $five hundred,000,000 aggregate principal measure twelve-tone system second-priority secured notes due 2017 at an issuing monetary value of century.0% plus accrued pastime from December 9, 2010 (the “Second Lien Notes”) and an offering of $650,000,000 totality dealer measure 8.XXV exchangeable notes due 2040 at an issue monetary value of 100.0% plus accrued pastime from December 8, 2010 (the “Exchangeable Notes” and collectively with the First Lien Notes and the Second Lien Notes, the “Notes”). The oblation of Exchangeable Notes is up from the $five hundred,000,000 proposed oblation size for the Exchangeable Notes announced on December 1, 2010. Clearwire Communications has granted the initial purchasers of the Exchangeable Notes an pick for 30 years to leverage up to an additional $century.0 million of Exchangeable Notes. The initial substitution pace for the Exchangeable Notes is 141.2429 shares of Class A Common Stock of Clearwire Corporation (the “Company”) per $1,000 dealer measure of the Exchangeable Notes eq to an initial exchange monetary value of approximately $7.08 per share of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (the “Class A Common Stock”). Upon exchange, Clearwire Communications may deliver either shares of Class A Common Stock or cash based upon a daily liquidation economic value calculated on a proportionate fundament for each mean solar day of a 25 trading-day observance stop. Certain stockholders of the Company that hold equity securities representing approximately 85% of the Company’s voting power rich person pre-emptive rights for 30 days from the date of the oblation memorandum for the Exchangeable Notes that entitle such stockholders to leverage their professional rata contribution (based upon voting might) of all Exchangeable Notes issued. The Company has received waivers from stockholders holding approximately 31% of the vote power. The remaining pre-emptive rights, if exercised, could result in Clearwire Communications issue up to an additional approximately $760.0 meg in Exchangeable Notes (assuming no exercise of the initial purchasers’ over-allotment pick). The Company is not aware whether all or any of these rights volition be exercised.

The Second Lien Notes will be contractually subordinated in right field of defrayal to the First Lien Notes and Clearwire Communications’ first-priority secured notes. The First Lien Notes and the Second Lien Notes volition be unconditionally guaranteed on a senior fundament by certain of Clearwire Communications’ domestic subsidiaries. The First Lien Notes, the Second Lien Notes and the related guarantees volition be secured by first base-anteriority or second-priority liens, as applicable, on substantially all of Clearwire Communications’ and the guarantors’ assets. The Exchangeable Notes volition be unsecured obligations of the issuers and the guarantors.

The Notes will be issued in private offerings that ar exempt from the enrollment requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A and to persons outside the U.S. pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any land or other securities laws.

The cut-rate sale of the Exchangeable Notes is expected to be consummated on or about December 8, 2010, subject to customary closing conditions. The cut-rate sale of the First Lien Notes and the Second Lien Notes is expected to be consummated on or about December 9, 2010, subject to customary closing conditions.

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/12/03/clearwire_communications_llc_announces_pricing_of_secured_and_exchangeable_notes.html/feed 0 Dell switch off BlackBerry, onto own smartphone http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/11/05/dell_switch_off_blackberry_onto_own_smartphone.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/11/05/dell_switch_off_blackberry_onto_own_smartphone.html#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:20:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=7659 “Dell Inc will switch thousands of its employees off Research in Motion Ltd’s BlackBerry and over to Dell’s smartphones, the troupe said on Thursday.”

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/11/05/dell_switch_off_blackberry_onto_own_smartphone.html/feed 0 Apple Joins Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/10/29/apple_joins_top_five_mobile_phone_vendors.html http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/10/29/apple_joins_top_five_mobile_phone_vendors.html#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:28:00 +0000 admin http://a-cell-phone.com/?p=7218 The worldwide mobile phone marketplace grew 14.6% in the third tail of 2010 (3Q10), the fourth consecutive tail of two-base hit-digit emergence, driven in part by the fast-ontogeny converged mobile device class. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile River Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 340.5 1000000 units in 3Q10 compared to 297.1 million units in the third base quarter of 2009.

The ontogeny popularity of converged mobile devices, or smartphones, with consumers and businesspersons is evidenced by the show of a second base smartphone-only vendor in the top 5 ranking. Apple moved into the number 4 position worldwide in 3Q10, joining Research In Motion (RIM) as single of the world’s largest mobile earphone suppliers. RIM has spent threesome quarters on IDC’s leaderboard. Apple and RIM also posted the highest-growth rates among the circus tent 5 vendors last tail.

“The incoming of Apple to the circus tent 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased grandness of smartphones to the boilersuit marketplace. Moreover, the mobile earphone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models ar among the fastest ontogeny firms,” said Kevin Restivo, senior inquiry psychoanalyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. “Vendors that aren’t development a strong portfolio of smartphones will be challenged to maintain and grow marketplace share in the future tense.”

Apple, RIM, and the vendors producing Android-based smartphones have put option noticeable pressure on Nokia, the boilersuit marketplace leader. “Nokia distillery leads all vendors by a significant margin for converged mobile devices and mobile phones as a whole thing,” said Ramon Llamas, elder inquiry analyst with IDC’s Mobile River Devices Technology and Trends squad. “However, Nokia’s grip on the traditional mobile phone marketplace has been somewhat loosened, as multiple Chinese vendors rich person gained ground, especially within emerging markets. To bolster its overall competitiveness, Nokia has been focused on improving its smartphone offerings.”

Market Outlook

IDC believes the worldwide mobile earphone market volition be driven largely by smartphone emergence to the end of 2014. “The smartphone is becoming the focal point of the personal communication theory experience,” noted Restivo. “As a resultant role, new market growth volition be increasingly generated by smartphones. This year, we ar expecting the smartphone submarine-market to grow 55% class over year.”

Regional Analysis

* Competitive forces emerged in the Asia/Pacific Ocean (excluding Japan) area last quarter to the hurt of market leader Nokia. In emerging markets, brands such as Micromax, Nexian, and i-Mobile River chipped away at Nokia’s market share. Android-powered smartphones also gained impulse across the area at the expense of Nokia. Samsung gained ground in southland Korean Peninsula piece Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE launched devices in several markets. In Japanese Islands, mobile phone marketplace growth was driven primarily by domestic help vendors Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and necrotizing enterocolitis.

* The horse opera European mobile phone market’s growth was largely attributable to smartphones, which grew thanks to the iPhone 4 and Android-powered devices from HTC and Samsung. Demand was also stoked by large operator device subsidies that helped to hold consumer interest in smartphones high. At the same meter, the CEMA handset market grew slowly in 3Q10. As a resultant role, smartphone volumes are growing substantially but still only comprise single-fifth of sum shipments for the regions combined. This is modest compared to more economically-developed regions.

* The United States mobile phone marketplace was characterized by emergence in the smartphone market. Grabbing headlines were the Apple iPhone 4, RIM’s BlackBerry Torch 9800, the HTC EVO 4G, and Motorola’s new DROID X and DROID 2, all of which were launched last tail. Not to be overlooked was Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone lineup, which were launched at all of the major carriers last quarter. Traditional mobile phones, meanwhile, fought backrest with smartphone-like functionality, but saw their overall contribution of the market continue to decline. In Canada, Android-powered handsets gained momentum as Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola shipped new models. Huawei and ASUS, low-monetary value providers of Android devices, entered the market. RIM’s BlackBerry Torch was announced piece the iPhone 4 was introduced to great flourish.

* Despite continued economic languor in some countries, the Latin American English area grew as a result of higher smartphone borrowing. Vendors like Alcatel, ZTE, and Huawei have targeted Latin U.S. aggressively with entry-level models in an effort to bargain share from Nokia, the overall marketplace drawing card in the area. These models ar lower berth-monetary value merchandise offerings designed to sports meeting the needs of basic users. Motorola’s Android-powered devices have also grown quickly in the region due to the popularity of models like the QUENCH, Backflip, and Milestone.

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors

Nokia maintained the circus tent stain in the boilersuit mobile earphone market contempt year-over-year whole shipment emergence of less than 2% in new boss administrator Steven Elop’s first quarter at the helm. The troupe grew converged mobile device shipments 61% in 3Q10, but norm selling prices for the device type dropped to Ђ136, compared to Ђ190 in the same quarter shoemaker’s last class. Nokia attributed the dip to monetary value pressure from competitors and its stated desire to reaching more customers. Nokia hopes the C8 and C7 devices will boost ASPs in future tense.

Samsung marked a new milepost during the third quarter, pushing through the 70 1000000 whole mark for the first time in the troupe’s account. In addition, the troupe more than doubled the number of converged mobile gimmick shipments from the previous tail. Driving this was the worldwide liberation of its Galaxy S i9000 converged mobile device, as wellspring as its bada-based Wave modelling. Looking ahead to the fourth tail, Samsung appears poised to bring more smartphones to market, with a new Wave 2 awaiting launch and more mass-marketplace devices for emerging markets.

LG Electronics missed its 3Q10 sum mobile earphone and smartphone dispatch growth targets, resulting in an boilersuit two-base hit-dactyl shipment diminution when compared to the same quarter single class ago. LG has yet to make a significant impact in the smartphone category unlike its competitors. Although operating edge returned to the same levels as a class ago, gross sales and profitability both felled seam significantly. By the remainder of the quarter, LG replaced its chief executive officer Nam Yong with Koo Bon-Joon, drumhead of LG’s trading house, LG International.

Apple leapt ahead of several vendors in 3Q10 including RIM, which it surpassed by 1.7-million units, and Sony Ericsson by 3.7-million units. The company’s track record dispatch execution tin be attributed to the unveiling of the iPhone 4 in 17 new countries last quarter. The track record execution came contempt “Antennagate,” the epithet used to describe the contention around alleged iPhone reception problems, in July.

Research In Motion posted a record figure of unit shipments in 3Q10. The BlackBerry manufacturer continues to grow in Latin America, for exercise, due to the achiever of the Curve 8520 entry-floor model, which has helped drive growth in most emerging markets. The vendor’s results were also boosted by the unveiling of the higher-cost Torch in the United States, a key market due to the size of it and saturation of contention.

SonyEricsson, which shipped 10.4 million units in 3Q10, felled seam off the Top 5 leaning for the first base time since the Tracker was conceived in 2004.

]]> http://a-cell-phone.com/2010/10/29/apple_joins_top_five_mobile_phone_vendors.html/feed 0