3G auction may take place in Feb

Contrary to general perception that 3G service auction will be completed by January, the DoT’s new draft information memorandum for the auctioning process reportedly plans to conduct the auctions for WiMAX and 3G in separate phases with WIMAX auctioning preceding 3G by a month.

The move stands in contrast to DoT’s earlier stand of conducting simultaneous auctioning for WiMAX and 3G so as to avoid any price manipulation by the bidders.

The draft says that auctioning for WiMAX may be held on January 16 while those for 3G to be held on February 9.

Additionally WiMAX players will have to cough up only 1 percent of their annual revenues towards renewal fees while 3G players will have to pay 2 percent, say reports.

Also to ensure level playing field, the draft proposes to restrict anti-competitive measures like tie-up of software solution providers and vendors with the operators for WiMAX.

Official announcement regarding the complete time table for the process is expected soon.

Source : Telecom Tiger

Six problems with iPhone OS 2.2

Are you an iPhone owner? Read this carefully before jumping to the new iPhone upgrade, OS 2.2. Remember, it is prudent to wait a while, rather than struggle with the bugs that may come with the new update.

Apple’s just released update for iPhone and iPod touch adds several features to both the devices as well as a number of security improvements. However, according to iPhone Atlas, several users who have updated to iPhone OS 2.2 are facing serious issues, including problems with third-party apps, Internet connection and email. Here's a listing of the major bugs being faced by users.




Third-party applications broken

Several users have complained of some third-party apps not functioning properly with iPhone OS 2.2. These include a number of applications that make use of CoreAudio.

This is due to API changes and other modifications. These applications will need to be updated by their developers. Users can look forward to fixes from developers to roll out over the next few weeks. In the meanwhile, users can try uninstalling then reinstalling applications for issues that do not involve API or other strict compatibility.

Could not Connect to Internet

Many iPhone users are unable to connect to the internet over EDGE or 3G cellular networks. In certain cases, manually switching between 3G and EDGE can resolve the issue.

SIM card not inserted'

Several users are experincing issues with their SIM card not being recognised. Some updated iPhones are giving errors that the `SIM card not inserted' or that a PIN lock is in place (where it has not been set).

The SIM recognition issue can be resolved by removing the iPhone's SIM card, then connecting it to the user's PC and restoring. iTunes may then reload the iPhone software successfully, after which the user can re-insert the SIM card and attempt synchronisation with iTunes.

Problems in deleting emails

Several users, specifically AOL users are facing trouble deleting email from their accounts after OS 2.2 update. According to the report, 'this problem can generally be resolved by navigating Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > (your account name) > Advanced > Deleted Mailbox, then setting for the `On My iPhone' Trash for a POP account, or `On the Server' for an IMAP account.'

App Store extremely slow

Some users are reporting an extremely slow experience while browsing or trying to use the App Store after the iPhone OS 2.2 update. This may be a server-side issue that Apple is working to resolve.

KM instead of miles in Google Maps

Google Maps is displaying kilometers instead of miles for various countries. Here, selecting `USA' in International Settings can resolve the issue. However, this may lead to other issues for users outside US. There has also being reports of users not being able to use Google Street View. If Street View doesn't appear on the desktop version of Google Maps, it won't show up on your iPhone.

Source : Indiatimes

Facebook has won $873m law suit against Canadian spammer

One of the most popular social networks Facebook has won a law suit against Canadian spammer who was sending "sexually explicit" messages to the network users on behalf of the members whose accounts he had hacked. Now Adam Guerbuez, a resident of Montreal is ordered to pay $873m to Facebook owners. According to Jeremy Fogel, the US District Judge the fine has so high because Guerbuez has violated the US federal CAN-SPAM Act. Adam Guerbuez, who runs Atlantis Blue Capital and Ballervision.com was also restricted to use the prominent social networking site. During his activity Guerbuez has sent more than 4 million junk messages.

"Everyone who participates constructively in Facebook should feel confident that we are fighting hard to protect you against spam and other online nuisances," Max Kelly, Facebook's director of security, wrote Monday on the company's blog.

Efforts to reach Guerbuez for comment on Monday were unsuccessful.

The case against Guerbuez and his business, Atlantis Blue Capital, illustrates how Internet rogues can manipulate Facebook's communications system to unleash massive marketing blitzes.

According to Facebook, Guerbuez fooled its users into providing him with their usernames and passwords. One method was the use of fake Web sites that posed as legitimate destinations.

After Guerbuez gained access to user's personal profiles, he used computer programs to send out more than 4 million messages promoting a variety of products, including marijuana and penis enlargement products, during March and April of this year, Facebook said.

"Despite the resources dedicated to spam eradication, current available technology does not permit Facebook to completely prevent the transmission of spam on its site," the company's lawyers wrote in the case against Guerbuez.

Source : AP

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic touch phone launched in India at Rs 21, 839

Nokia’s much-awaited touchscreen phone finally comes to India. The much speculated and talked about phone -- Nokia 5800 XpressMusic -- is touted as the company's answer to Apple iPhone.

Seems, the world's top cellphone maker took some cues from Apple iPhone’s pricing in India, Nokia 5800 is reportedly priced at Rs 21,800 (almost Rs 9,000 less than 8GB iPhone and Rs 14,000 less than 16 GB iPhone).

Nokia 5800, which can handle as many as 60 different languages, will be in shops early January 2009. The phone will also feature Nokia's Comes With Music service, which challenges Apple Inc's dominance in the digital music market.

On the looks front Nokia 5800 has same rounded corners and similar screen like iPhone. The screen size is 81mm (3.2-inch) diagonally, with 640x480-pixel touchscreen display that can play multiple types of video at a high resolution.

Measuring 111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm, the Nokia 5800 weighs 109 grams. Positioned as a music phone, the phone will be available in black, red, and blue variants.

The phone supports both finger and stylus touch.

Nokia's touch phone comes with 81MB internal memory, 8GB microSD memory card, capable of storing approximately 6,000 songs. The memory can be further expanded upto 16GB. Nokia 5800 is equipped with the Symbian S60 interface which Nokia showed off last year.

The battery life is reportedly as much as nine hours (GSM) or five hours (HSDPA), 35 hours for music playback or three hours of video. The company claims that the standby time is up to 17 days.

Nokia 5800 has 3.2 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and a dual-LED flash with 30 fps video recording. It also has a second backward facing camera. Nokia 5800 has built-in surround stereo speakers, Nokia Maps, GPS, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and a top-mounted 3.5mm headphone socket.Unlike the Apple iPhone, the Nokia 5800 has Flash support, a programme used to power many online video services and websites.

The phone has a Media Bar, a drop down menu that provides direct access to music and entertainment.

Reportedly priced at Rs 21, 839, Nokia's touchscreen phone will be available in India beginning 2009.

Intel Looking To Invest in Indian WiMax operators

Sitting on a cash pile of $15 billion, chip maker Intel is looking to invest in companies which will enable uptake of WiMAX-based broadband services in India. This could include picking up stake in Indian telecom operators who win the WiMAX spectrum and also invest in smaller companies that have equipment or software solutions to build the ecosystem.

Mr Sriram Viswanathan, Vice-President, Intel Capital and General Manager, WiMAX Program Office had this to say when questioned on his India plans - “We are always looking for opportunities. We have invested a significant amount in many countries including US, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan. We have done roughly a dozen plus operators. Our objective is to cover a billion people over the next few years with WiMAX technology and India with its huge population offers good opportunity,”

The only way Intel can invest into wimax is invest in Telecom Co’s that get Wimax spectrum alotted to them via the auction which is expected to be held in January 2009. Besides for state-owned telecom majors BSNL and MTNL, private players including Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices are expected to deploy WiMAX-based wireless broadband services in India by next year.

“India will have four WiMAX licences. We want the market to grow for which we will have to do some heavy lifting. Though we cannot have five different relationships in the same geography, it doesn’t mean that we need to have only one. In the US, we had commercial relationships with both Clearwire and Sprint," he said.

The major issue facing the growth of technologies like wimax and 3G is investments especially in the current slowdown scene where cash is hard to come by and lesser and lesser companies would take risk with new technologies. Intel has made investments the world over in application and equipment companies like Telsima, Beeceem and also NIIT, Sasken and Rediff.

But given the auction is just around the corner more such investments would need to be made for the growth and adoption of new technologies.