“The brick” weighed 2 pounds, offered just a half-hour of talk time for every recharging and sold for $3,995. Clunky and overpriced? Not in 1984.
April 13, 2005 2:35PM
This brick took over a decade to get to market. Rudy Krolopp, lead designer of the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, was assigned the project by Martin Cooper, who ran Motorola’s research and development effort in wireless and was ultimately dubbed the father of the cell phone by then-CEO Robert Galvin.
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Nokia to publish first quarter 2005 results on April 21, 2005
Espoo, Finland – Nokia will publish its first quarter financial results on Thursday, April 21, 2005, at approximately 1 pm Helsinki time (CET +1). The press release will be available on the Nokia website immediately after publication.
Nokia’s financial analyst conference call will begin at 3 pm Helsinki time. A live webcast of the conference call will be available at www.nokia.com/investor. Media and investor analyst representatives wishing to listen in may call +1 706 634 5012.
Nokia released its new version of PC Suite having better synchronization abilities, better stability, support for newer Series 60 phones as well as Series 80 phones like 9300, 9500.
Nokia releases PC Suite 6.5
Nokia released its new version of PC Suite having better synchronization abilities, better stability, support for newer Series 60 phones as well as Series 80 phones like 9300, 9500.
Download it from here
According to industry observers, the turning point for wireless e-mail will happen when carriers let go of the revenue they currently get from data transfer long enough to allow e-mail to establish itself as a ubiquitous activity everybody uses.
According to industry observers, the turning point for wireless e-mail will happen when carriers let go of the revenue they currently get from data transfer long enough to allow e-mail to establish itself as a ubiquitous activity everybody uses.
With Google SMS, users can send a search query as a text message to the U.S. five-digit code 46645 — which translates to “GOOGL” on most phones — and now receive driving directions in a text reply.
Search engine giant Google Latest News about Google is taking its mobile device offering in a new direction with the launch of local services that deliver maps, directions and business listings to advancedmobile phones Latest News about mobile phones and other wireless Latest News about wireless handhelds.
The company has added a link to its site that enables those with XHTML-enabled mobile devices to enter a search term and a location to receive map results from Google Local.
The local services are initially available in the U.S. and Canada.
Price Game
With Google SMS Latest News about SMS, users can send a search query as a text message to the U.S. five-digit code 46645 — which translates to “GOOGL” on most phones — and now receive driving directions in a text reply.
Callers already can initiate text-message queries and receive results, including phone-book listings, dictionary definitions and product prices that arrive as text lines on the device.
Location is critical for the evolution of search, especially on mobile devices. Yahoo Latest News about Yahoo offers a mobile-search service, based on text messaging, that enables users of the Yahoo Local search engine Latest News about search engine to send query results from a PC Latest News about PC directly to a cell phone Latest News about cell phones.
Through Yahoo Local, consumers now can receive a business name, phone number, address and cross-street on an SMS-enabled handheld. The new Send to Phone capability is an outgrowth of Yahoo’s Mobile Internet site launched late last year.
More Mobile Services
The convenience of mobile devices makes them a target for search companies like Google and Yahoo, said IDC analyst Alex Slawsby.
“There has been a lot of talk about the omnipresence of these devices, and Google is seizing the opportunity to take its brand recognition and technology to a broader audience,” he said.
The number of mobile devices with XHTML capabilities remains small, Slawsby noted, but localized information offerings have the potential to draw a large audience.
The addition of maps and directions by Google is compelling for mobile users, and helps the company improve its image, said Yankee Group analyst Su Li Walker.
“They understand the importance of providing on-the-go access to their services, and they are tying up all of those services in a single package for mobile devices,” she said.
Search providers are now moving away from SMS-based text messaging and toward the HTML platform as a way to deliver Web-based services to increasingly smarter mobile devices, said Walker.
SOURCE:Newsfactor
Today Nokia announced the 8800 model – the long awaited successor of the Nokia 8910i from the 8xxx series of high-end luxury phones. The Nokia 8800 has stainless steel body and unique pop-up mechanism. The display of the new phone is protected by scratch-resistant glass and features 262,000 colors and 208×208 pixels resolution. Nokia proudly announces that the preset ringtones and alerts are composed by the award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. The other features of the phone include 0.5 MP camera with video capture, Bluetooth, EDGE, FM radio. The price of the device will be 750 Euro, the expected availability is set for 3Q, 2005
Today Nokia announced the 8800 model – the long awaited successor of the Nokia 8910i from the 8xxx series of high-end luxury phones. The Nokia 8800 has stainless steel body and unique pop-up mechanism. The display of the new phone is protected by scratch-resistant glass and features 262,000 colors and 208×208 pixels resolution. Nokia proudly announces that the preset ringtones and alerts are composed by the award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. The other features of the phone include 0.5 MP camera with video capture, Bluetooth, EDGE, FM radio. The price of the device will be 750 Euro, the expected availability is set for 3Q, 2005.
Press release
Art Meets State-of-the-Art: Exquisite Materials, Distinctive Details Unite to Create a Mobile Icon – the Nokia 8800
Espoo, Finland – Drawing upon modern watchmaking and jewelry techniques, Nokia has unveiled a truly inspired mobile phone for today’s connoisseurs of quality and taste. Encased in a slim stainless steel body, the Nokia 8800 subtly glides open to reveal a number of distinctive details, each meticulously considered and researched to complement the prestige and quality of the device. To heighten the experience, the Nokia 8800 features exclusive audio accompaniment, including all ringtones and alerts, by award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. This attention to detail continues Nokia’s heritage of premium mobile phones that have set the industry standard for elegance and performance.
With a Zen-like goal to balance form and functionality, the guiding principle of Nokia’s designers and engineers was to create a truly modern mobile phone, the epitome of style and elegance, which would be a pleasure to use and a delight to behold. The organic flowing lines and dynamic surfaces perfectly complement the stainless steel and resin materials — steel for its tensile strength and durability, and resin for its organic properties. The result is an elegant, ‘human’ design, comprised of materials destined to age with grace.
Finding inspiration in non-traditional sources, Nokia designers employed modern watch-making techniques, such as the use of metal injection molding on the function keys. A specially reinforced glass used in luxury timepieces provides added toughness and scratch-resistance to the front display, and even the Nokia marque has been chemically etched on the back plate using a process typically used by watchmakers.
The ‘pop-up’ mechanism of the Nokia 8800 is another study in functional design. Using a bi-stable spring mechanism and stainless steel ball bearings, like those used in high-performance automobiles, the keypad of the Nokia 8800 gracefully glides from its protective casing, revealing a hidden camera on the back.
The aural accompaniment of the Nokia 8800 is equally inspired. Award-winning composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto was commissioned to compose the ringtones and alerts. Throughout his distinguished career, Sakamoto has crossed musical and technological boundaries, experimenting with different musical styles and making a name for himself in popular, orchestral and film music.
Inspired by its modern lines and organic curves, Sakamoto has produced a musical accompaniment for the Nokia 8800 that captures an essence and emotion that touches both heart and mind. His creation draws on his vision of the Nokia 8800 user — a world citizen constantly on the move, making an impression in a grayscale world and through great cities such as New York, Paris, Sydney and Shanghai.
The Nokia 8800 is expected to begin shipping in select markets during the second quarter of 2005. Estimated retail price, before subsidies or taxes, is expected to be 750EUR. Also today in New York, Nokia introduced the Nokia 8801, a new device that shares the same premium design details and features, but is designed expressly for the Americas market. The Nokia 8801 is expected to begin shipping in the third quarter of 2005. The Nokia Wireless Stereo Headset, introduced today, is expected to begin shipping in the third quarter of 2005.
The company is interested in expanding into India’s film, publishing and online markets after a foray into the mobile gaming arena.
BOMBAY: China-focused media firm Tom Group Ltd. is interested in expanding into India’s film, publishing and online markets after a foray into mobile gaming, its chief executive said.
Tom, backed by Hong Kong’s richest businessman Li Ka-Shing, hopes to leverage off its Chinese experience to pursue a range of possible businesses in its southern neighbor from Internet portals to publishing magazines.
“Everyone talks about India and China across industries, and firms from both countries have set up operations in each other’s markets, but we haven’t had such ventures in media,” Sing Wang, Tom’s chief executive officer, said in a interview.
He said cultural and language differences, as well as the regulatory framework in both countries may be hurdles, but were not insurmountable.
The firm is eyeing India’s fast-growing online market.
“I think we’re at the tip of a very large potential market,” added Wang, who was in Bombay for an entertainment conference.
“India’s online market is still very small, with only 30 million registered Internet users — China has twice as many users — and I know mobile phones are taking off very quickly in India,” he said.
The firm, which owns 65 magazine titles, will also look at the publishing market in India, he said.
Film was another area with potential, he said, despite China only permitting 20 foreign films to be imported every year.
“I understand kung fu movies are very popular in India, and I believe Indian films can be popular in China, too,” said Wang.
Tom Group recently acquired a stake in a private Chinese film maker, one of a string of investments the firm has made in Chinese firms after the government introduced new rules to open up China’s growing media business.
“While China has some of the best hardware, it lags behind in software, or content, which is not as sophisticated as India’s”, he added.
Tom’s gaming partner Indiagames, founded in 1999, is the market leader in mobile gaming and provides content for all major Indian mobile operators as well as several global brands. It derives more than 80 percent of its revenues from exports.
“It is a small company, but it is profitable and it’s growing, and we’re very happy with our investment,” said Wang.
Tom Online Games, a subsidiary of Tom Online Inc., is due to complete buying an 80.6 percent stake in Bombay-based Indiagames for US$17.7 million by the end of April.
Tom Online Inc. is a unit of the Tom Group.
Tom Group, a former Internet startup and an associate of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., posted a net profit of HK$860 million (US$110 million) last year. It is targeting a doubling of revenue by 2007, largely on the back of China’s fast-growing media market.
© Reuters
The company estimates revenue of Rs 25 crore per month from the service which went paid on April 1.
MUMBAI: Reliance Infocomm earned Rs one crore within two days of making its R World service paid. According to the company, the first Indo-Pak one-day match at Kochi contributed much of the Rs one crore revenue. The company estimates revenue of Rs 25 crore per month from R World.
According to the company, the popularity of R World remained high even after it was made paid service on April 1. The Java and Brew-based R World suite offers over 150 applications, including railway ticket booking and exam results, and the charges range from Rs two to Rs 25.
The company will be investing around $150 million in the production unit which is expected to begin in the first half of 2006 and eventually employ 2000 people.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
BANGALORE: Nokia has announced that it will set up a manufacturing facility for mobile devices at Chennai in India. The manufacturing unit in Chennai will be Nokia’s tenth mobile device production facility globally. Nokia anticipates investing an estimated $100-150 million in the India production plant.
“Establishing a new factory in India is an important step in the continuous development of our global manufacturing network. We selected Chennai to be the location for the factory thanks to the availability of skilled labor, friendly business environment, support from the state government, good logistics connections and overall cost-efficiency,” said Pekka Ala-Pietilä, President, Nokia.
The construction work at the site of the manufacturing unit will start in April and production is expected to begin in the first half of 2006. Nokia foresees ramping up the factory gradually and the work force reaching approximately 2,000 employees when production is full scale.
Mobile penetration in Asia Pacific is expected to be a major contributor to the global mobile subscriber base surpassing the two billion mark by the end of 2005. A statement issued by the company said that India, being at the heart of the region where mobile communications is growing rapidly, was a natural location of choice for the new production facility.
In India, Nokia is the market leader in mobile devices. Nokia maintains sales, marketing, customer care, and research and development sites in the country.
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.’s emerging markets phone arm has delayed its Indian IPO as it awaits clarity over changes to foreign shareholding rules, but it remains determined to grow in what is its most promising market.
HONG KONG: Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.’s emerging markets phone arm has delayed its Indian IPO as it awaits clarity over changes to foreign shareholding rules, but it remains determined to grow in what is its most promising market.
Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd. (HTIL), controlled by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, has pushed the much-anticipated Bombay IPO of its Indian cellular arm into the second half of this year due to regulatory uncertainty, the firm said in an interview.
The Indian unit is expected to raise roughly US$350-$500 million through the listing.
That delay also follows the recent collapse of its US$350 million deal to take over carrier Aircel Ltd., which would have given HTIL a presence in Tamil Nadu.
But Hong Kong-based HTIL, which completed its own US$890 million listing in October, is undeterred as it looks for growth opportunities in India — including acquisitions.
“There are other targets that we might be interested in talking to,” Chief Executive Dennis Lui said at the firm’s headquarters in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. “We want to move into other areas because there’s profits to be made. But you do it in stages — you don’t do it all in one splash.”
Since its IPO, which saw weak interest from retail investors, HTIL has expanded with deals to launch startups in Indonesia and Vietnam, densely populated countries with low mobile penetration rates of roughly 14 and 4 percent, respectively.
Its stock, which has risen by up to 46 percent since listing, ended at HK$7.20 on Monday, 20 percent above the IPO price.
HTIL, which positions itself as an emerging markets Vodafone, is looking for opportunities in Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Besides India, it operates in Hong Kong, Thailand, Israel, Ghana, Paraguay, Sri Lanka and Macau.
But it is HTIL’s business in India, where it holds roughly 15 percent of the 52 million-user market, that offers the greatest promise. Only five in 100 people in India have a cellphone, compared with over a quarter in China, the biggest mobile market.
“There is certainly capacity in the market up to 250 million, and we see ourselves getting certainly a fair share of that,” said Chief Financial Officer Tim Pennington.
BIG COUNTRY, GROWING FOOTPRINT
HTIL’s Indian arm operates in 13 of India’s 23 cellular regions, or circles, and is looking to broaden its footprint in the world’s most rapidly expanding major mobile market.
“We believe there are licence areas that we’re not currently in that we should be in, that offer the returns that we would expect for allocated capital,” Pennington said.
Though India has the world’s lowest tariffs, it is profitable given high volumes, low costs and few handset subsidies.
HTIL’s 2004 EBITDA margin (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) in India was 31 percent, compared with 33.3 percent for rival Bharti Tele-Ventures, which is 28 percent owned by Singapore Telecommunications.
Because it has a higher percentage of big-spending contract customers — about 30 percent of its total — Hutchison’s monthly ARPU (average revenue per user) is the highest in the market, at about 589 rupees (US$13.45), versus 519 rupees for Bharti.
The fragmented Indian market is led by Reliance Infocomm, Bharti, Hutchison, Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices and state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. Consolidation is expected to accelerate after India raised the foreign investment limit in carriers to 74 percent from 49 percent in February.
“You’ve got emerging six larger players in India,” Pennington said. “I can see those players getting stronger as time goes by.”
HTIL holds 56 percent of its India business — including 14 percent indirectly. It said it won’t necessarily lift its stake in its India business now that it can do so, but it didn’t rule out such a move, either.
HTIL is awaiting further details on India’s decision to increase the cap on foreign holdings. That uncertainty also weighs on the timing of the planned IPO.
“Things have not been clarified by the end of March,” said Lui. “Because of that, we definitely feel that a June IPO date is not viable. But we will do what we can do, and see if we could actually try and do a listing, say, by the third or fourth quarter.”
HTIL plans to sell 10 percent of the enlarged capital in its India business through a domestic listing. Proceeds will be used to fund the company’s growth.
BEYOND INDIA
Pennington said HTIL believes the opportunity for it to expand in Latin America has passed. In Africa, he said, the Ghana operation gives HTIL a beachhead for future growth, although the continent is not currently ripe for the company to expand there.
“Asia’s our home market and that’s where we still see opportunities,” he said, adding: “We will continue to look at opportunities in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.”
© Reuters
Indiagames has announced it plans to launch a live mobile game show “Gotta play gotta win???. Far from being the killer app the claims, the game seems to be a normal interactive multiplayer game
Indiagames has announced it plans to launch a live mobile game show “Gotta play gotta win???. Far from being the killer app the claims, the game seems to be a normal interactive multiplayer game with the addition of some prizes. The prizes mentioned are simple mobile phone things like ringtones and wallpapers, but if some serious goodies were available – such as a fridge, car or holiday – the game would get a lot more exciting. If there was a way to make this like a real game show, where the thousands of potential players could be whittled down to just a few to compete for some big stuff, the program could be very successful. Mobile gaming is seen as the “rising star??? in India, despite being relatively low value at this time. “In-Stat/MDR expects that the Indian mobile gaming market will generate $26 million (US$) in revenue in 2004, and will increase to $336 million in annual revenue by 2009.??? Which is an increase of over 1000% over five years, but off a small base…
Feature-packed multimedia smart phone with pen input and handwriting recognition
New Delhi, January 14, 2005: Nokia, the World leader in Mobile Communications, today announced the availability of the Nokia 7710 widescreen multimedia smart phone with pen input in India. The Nokia 7710 has the largest screen (640 x 320 pixels) with vibrant 65,536 colour display that provides access to a rich world of entertainment, and information – creation and sharing. The N7710 includes a full Internet browser, an integrated music player with stereo audio, an extensive set of video features, mega pixel camera with 2-x digital zoom and FM radio.
Nokia 7710 highlights · Enhances Personal Productivity: manage calendar, contacts, tasks and much more High Memory Storage: store information and images up to 90 MB+ 128 MB with the inbox MMC card Integrated 1 Mega-Pixel Camera with digital 2X zoom Inbuilt Handwriting Recognition: write with the stylus on the screen, using your personal handwriting style 5 hours of video recording: playback and stream MPEG and Real Video Bluetooth technology (including audio) free your hands and listen to music from your compatible smartphone in stereo With a wide and high-quality touch screen, the Nokia 7710 allows users to achieve a balance between personal productivity and entertainment on the go. This smart phone is a pleasure to use with a rich colour display, integrated hands free and voice recorder, MP3 player with stereo audio and advanced browsing capabilities. It provides users their own mobile office functionalities with applications such as full internet browsing, music playback, streaming and recording, extensive calendar, contact lists, presentation viewers and word and sheet converter.
Bluetooth technology (including audio) free your hands and listen to music from your compatible smartphone in stereo
“The Nokia 7710 is an ultimate experience for business professionals on the move. Its widescreen multimedia smartphone keeps users organized, entertained and in the know. The ability to create and share living images and electrifying sounds using compelling multimedia features extends an intense experience to Nokia 7710 users.” Says Gautam Advani, Multimedia Business Director, Nokia India.
Nokia 7710 highlights
Enhances Personal Productivity: manage calendar, contacts, tasks and much more High Memory Storage: store information and images up to 90 MB+ 128 MB with the inbox MMC card Integrated 1 Mega-Pixel Camera with digital 2X zoom Inbuilt Handwriting Recognition: write with the stylus on the screen, using your personal handwriting style 5 hours of video recording: playback and stream MPEG and Real Video The Nokia 7710 has 128 MB Internal Memory (80-90 MB for user) + 128 MB External Memory on the included MultiMediaCard (MMC), as well as a full complement of personal information management features, an on-screen keyboard and handwriting recognition. The connectivity options for the Nokia 7710 include a Pop Port(TM) connector with USB and Bluetooth wireless technology for easy data transfer and PC synchronization. This smart phone runs on Symbian OS.
Drawing board and sketch applications: versatile image editing and freehand sketching capabilities
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com
For further information, please contact:
Himangi Tewari
TEXT 100
Tel: +91 11 2336 3995-98, 2336 7080/88
e-mail: himangit@text100.co.in
*Application availability varies from region to region.
Print quality photos of the Nokia 7710 widescreen multimedia smartphone can be found at www.nokia.com/press ->photos. Services and some features may be dependent on the network and/or SIM card as well as on the compatibility of the devices used and the content formats supported. 0 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NOKIA 7710 FEATURES, PLEASE VISIT WWW.NOKIA.COM/7710
