Cheaper to Roam in the EU

The European Commission has announced that it wants to cut “roaming” costs on mobile phones, and has introduced new rules aimed at reducing pricing in and around Europe. 

There is currently a large price gap between using your phone at home and when you are abroad, with extensive “roaming” charges being enforced when calls are made or received, text messages sent or data downloaded. 

Current EU roaming price caps will expire at the end of June 2012. The authorities fear that without putting more plans in place, prices could pick up to pre-2007 levels.  However, the new, lower price caps would not come into force until July 2014, and would be introduced in stages.

The hope is that by then, mobile phone customers will be able to separate their national and overseas contracts and shop around. Keeping the same phone number, you will potentially be able to switch to a separate operator in another country, and get a cheaper deal for surfing the web.

Big Test for New Internet Address System

In the early 1980’s a way of identifying individual connections to a computer network was devised and called IPv4.  A maximum of 4.3bn addresses were available, but three decades later, we are running out.

The rapid growth in PCs, smartphones and other internet connected devices means those addresses are close to being used up, with only an estimated 80 million still to be allocated.

Thus, IPv6 is facing is now facing its biggest test to date; Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Bing and Facebook are among the companies switching-on IPv6 versions of their websites for the one day trial.  The trial is being used as an opportunity to test the technology but also as an awareness-raising exercise.  

Groups involved in IPv6 day say that everyone will have to make the change eventually.  It is thought that some home users and companies may require new network equipment but users should not worry at this stage if they are not switched over.  

Vodafone’s Profits are up 10%

The rise in popularity of smartphones is the driving force behind the sharp rise in Vodafone’s full-year profits the company has said.  

Pre-tax profits for the 12 months to the end of March were £9.5bn, up almost 10% on last year’s figures.

Chief executive of the company, Vittorio Colao, said "Customers have adopted data services in increasing numbers, as smartphones proliferate and the tablet market begins to take off".

The group has been slimming down its portfolio, and recently sold stakes in Chinese and Japanese mobile operators, not to mention last months sale of French mobile operator SFR which raised 7.95bn euros.  All proving very sensible moves in a difficult climate.  Vodafone believes that they are entering the new financial year in a very “strong position.” 

SmartPhone Made of Paper, to be Revealed

Canadian researchers have announced that on the 10^th May they will reveal the prototype of flexible smartphone made from electronic paper.

The device emerged from the collaboration between researchers at the Human Media Lab at Queen's University, Canada and Arizona State University's Motivational Environments Research group.  It boasts all the same features as a normal smartphone, and triggers different features when it is bent, folded and flexed.

Creator, Dr Roel Vertegaal believes that "Everything is going to look and feel like this within five years".  

The prototype, that is only a millimeter thick, is built from the same e-ink technology found in Amazon's Kindle e-book reader.  They have bonded this to flex sensors and a touch screen that interprets drawings and text written on it. The prototype will go on display at the Computer Human Interaction conference in Vancouver alongside a device they call the Snaplet.

The Snaplet is designed by the same team, and operates as a wrist strap that can be manipulated in a similar way to the phone.  It is a watch when convex, a PDA when flat and a phone when concave.

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Nokia to Cut 7,000 Worldwide

From 2012, Nokia’s refocus on the smartphone market will result in 7,000 jobs being cut worldwide. 

4,000 jobs will be cut completely, including 700 from across the UK, whereas 3,000 staff will find themselves reshuffled into outsourcing and consultancy group Accenture.  From next year, Accenture will take over Nokia's Symbian software product, so that the mobile giants can concentrate on their relationship with Microsoft.

Nokia has been slow to respond to the smartphone threat from competitors such as Apple's iPhone and phones using Google's Android system, and has long been a key investor concern.

The firm is hoping that their recent deal with Microsoft to jointly develop smartphone technology, and their impending shake-up will increase their capacity for smartphone development.

Facebook in the Mobile Market? The Boss Speaks Up

In response to rumors regarding facebook’s future in the mobile market, Mark Zuckerberg said "Phones are inherently social devices and the industry is just beginning to discover what's possible".  However, he seems to have dismissed the introduction of a facebook branded phone.

The inference is that facebook are not joining forces with a major manufacturer at this point, as Google did with Nexus phones, but are concentrating on software integration instead.  This will probably prove a strong selling point for cheaper smartphones. 

Mr. Zuckerberg told delegates at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to expect to see “dozens of phones with much deeper social integration than we have so far."  He was referring to the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided by facebook that allow phone manufacturers to build social networking into their operating systems.

However you view at their approach, the unyielding force of facebook, plans to extend its presence within the mobile world and if the past is anything to go by, they will not let up.