It has been reported that more than half of all mobile phones that are reported lost or stolen eventually turn up down the back of s sofa.
That’s according to the UK Home Office, the reason the question was asked was initially that 1.3 million handsets that are reported as being either lost or stolen didn’t appear in official crime figures, and now we know why because most of them turn up safe and sound and unharmed.
The figures were in response to schemes to reduce mobile phone crime, which include a tag which will bleep if your handset is more than a few meters away from you and another system which works by requesting a PIN when the SIM is changed.
Astonishingly 228 mobile phones are reported stolen every hour here in the UK, which equates to around 2 million phones each year. Home Office statistics show the number being 700,000 so that’s why the question was asked what has happened to the other 1.3 million. It is also worth bearing in mind that the 228 per hour is based on Insurance claims and the 700,000 are thefts recorded by the police. Therefore it could be that some are claiming without reporting to the police. Source - reghardware.co.uk
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Saturday, February 20, 2010
1.3 million phones found down back of the sofa in UK
More than half of mobiles reported stolen in the UK later turn up down the back of the sofa or somewhere similar, according to the UK Home Office.
Last week we asked the Home Office what happens to the 1.3 million handsets that they had told us were reported stolen, but don't appear in the official crime figures. Now we know - they turn up later, safe and sound.
The figures came in response to our coverage of the latest schemes to reduce mobile-phone crime, which were sponsored by The Technology Strategy Board*. They included a tag which bleeps if your handset is more than a few meters away, and a system that requests a PIN when the SIM is changed.
Those ideas were promoted with the information that 228 phones are reported stolen every hour in the UK, which adds up to around 2m phones every year. But Home Office statistics put the number of handsets stolen at 700,000, so we lodged a question about what happens to the other 1.3m handsets, but didn't get a reply in time for publication.
Well - now we know, apparently every year 1.3 million people in the UK report their phone stolen, then find it down the back of the sofa the following day.
There is an alternative explanation of course: the 228-per-hour is based on insurance claims, while 700,000 thefts are recorded by the police. It occurs to us that some people might be claiming for phones without reporting them stolen: perhaps even because they weren't stolen. That's not the kind of crime that tags, PINs or any other technological developments can solve.
They also wouldn't help with "mobile phone identity fraud", which the same promotion told us had "risen by 74% in the first half of 2009". We weren't at all clear what that entailed, except that no-one was dressing up as an iPhone.
We've now been advised that this crime involves people buying phone contracts under false names, thus getting the subsidised handset and not paying the monthly fee.
So it seems that the majority of mobile phone crime involves insurance fraud and people nicking stuff from shops, neither of which is going to be solved by the technology presented, and sponsored, by the HM Government. ®
* Which is, in turn, funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Last week we asked the Home Office what happens to the 1.3 million handsets that they had told us were reported stolen, but don't appear in the official crime figures. Now we know - they turn up later, safe and sound.
The figures came in response to our coverage of the latest schemes to reduce mobile-phone crime, which were sponsored by The Technology Strategy Board*. They included a tag which bleeps if your handset is more than a few meters away, and a system that requests a PIN when the SIM is changed.
Those ideas were promoted with the information that 228 phones are reported stolen every hour in the UK, which adds up to around 2m phones every year. But Home Office statistics put the number of handsets stolen at 700,000, so we lodged a question about what happens to the other 1.3m handsets, but didn't get a reply in time for publication.
Well - now we know, apparently every year 1.3 million people in the UK report their phone stolen, then find it down the back of the sofa the following day.
There is an alternative explanation of course: the 228-per-hour is based on insurance claims, while 700,000 thefts are recorded by the police. It occurs to us that some people might be claiming for phones without reporting them stolen: perhaps even because they weren't stolen. That's not the kind of crime that tags, PINs or any other technological developments can solve.
They also wouldn't help with "mobile phone identity fraud", which the same promotion told us had "risen by 74% in the first half of 2009". We weren't at all clear what that entailed, except that no-one was dressing up as an iPhone.
We've now been advised that this crime involves people buying phone contracts under false names, thus getting the subsidised handset and not paying the monthly fee.
So it seems that the majority of mobile phone crime involves insurance fraud and people nicking stuff from shops, neither of which is going to be solved by the technology presented, and sponsored, by the HM Government. ®
* Which is, in turn, funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
UK ISP TalkTalk Preps Quad Play Broadband, TV, Phone and Mobile Bundle
Broadband provider TalkTalk ( AOL UK, Opal ) UK looks set to go head to head with Virgin Media later this year when it launches a mobile phone service to complement existing broadband and phone bundles. The ISP has also made no secret of the fact that it plans to launch a broadband TV ( IPTV ) service, based off the forthcoming Project Canvas, which would turn it into a quad-play provider.
The Mobile Today report hints that plans for the future are most likely to surface after TalkTalk has completed the demerger from its parent The Carphone Warehouse on 29th March 2010. TalkTalk certainly has a strong enough customer to entice, at last count it was home to an impressive 4,155,000 broadband subscribers.
It's far too early to speculate on what kind of mobile products might be offered, although we do know a little more about their TV ambitions. Project Canvas, which hopes to create a standards based open environment for broadband connected digital television (DTV) receivers, will be the basis for their TV offering.
Project Canvas will make for a good standards based platform and allow IPTV services, such as the BBC's iPlayer, to be viewed via TV sets. However to compete with Virgin Media or Sky Broadband it will need a set of commercial channels too, which could be difficult when their major competitors already have the lion’s share of content agreements.
The Mobile Today report hints that plans for the future are most likely to surface after TalkTalk has completed the demerger from its parent The Carphone Warehouse on 29th March 2010. TalkTalk certainly has a strong enough customer to entice, at last count it was home to an impressive 4,155,000 broadband subscribers.
It's far too early to speculate on what kind of mobile products might be offered, although we do know a little more about their TV ambitions. Project Canvas, which hopes to create a standards based open environment for broadband connected digital television (DTV) receivers, will be the basis for their TV offering.
Project Canvas will make for a good standards based platform and allow IPTV services, such as the BBC's iPlayer, to be viewed via TV sets. However to compete with Virgin Media or Sky Broadband it will need a set of commercial channels too, which could be difficult when their major competitors already have the lion’s share of content agreements.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Latest Nokia Software Updater Requirements
Nokia recently released the updated version of their "Nokia Software Updater" (NSU) application that is used by different Nokia phones to install latest Firmware changes pushed across the world by Nokia. Apart from having a better USB support, the latest NSU now supports Windows 7 operating system. You can use the NSU in the same way you used it on your XP or Vista based PC/Laptop/Netbook. Make sure your battery is fully charged while you are updating your Nokia with the NSU. High speed Internet connection is preferred. Compatible USB port and cables that came with the Nokia phone. Some times the NSU will fail to detect your phone on Windows 7 but try again and it will certainly detect the phone. While the updation process is in progress you will see that your PC Suite shuts down and there is a notification saying that your phone is disconnected, don't worry thats normal. Let the process happen on its own and make sure that you always take back-up of your data before updating your phone to latest firmware. NSU might run on MAC and Linux running Windows emulators but this is not tested so better you don't screw up your phone. You can download the latest version of the Nokia Software Updater here .
Vodafone iPhone 3GS in stock now at Mobiles.co.uk!
Today’s the day all you Vodafone fans have been waiting for! The Apple iPhone 3GS officially goes on sale on Vodafone today and we’ve got them in stock ready for instant despatch at Mobiles.co.uk. With Vodafone slightly slower off the mark than Orange, who’ve been enjoying Apple’s flagship device for over two months, and of course O2 who have carried the device since its launch back in June, was it really worth the wait? Have Vodafone broken the mould or is it just a case of me too? Read on and we’ll take a closer look.
On first inspection, Vodafone’s iPhone offering appears almost identical to its rivals. You’ll find the usual selection of 18 and 24 month contracts ranging from £30 to £45 per month. Vodafone have followed in Orange’s footsteps, offering a £30 per month 24 month contract but have also decided not to offer the £75 per month tariff offered by O2 and Orange. This ommision aside, its very much like for like with pricing and you can expect to pay for the phone on anything lower than a £45 per month 24 month contract. So this begs the question why Vodafone? Why was it worth those two extra agonising months? One Word; Texts. Since the iPhone first launched in the UK, punters have been crying out for more than the rather paltry 500 texts offered by O2 and now Orange. With Vodafone, your prayers have been answered with selected tariffs offering 3000 texts per month!
That’s right, sign up for a £35+ 18 month or any 24 month tariff and you’ll be rewarded with 3000 texts per month which quite simply dwarves what’s on offer elsewhere. If you’re a heavy texter and have been holding off on taking the plunge with the iPhone, you’ve now got no excuses. Elsewhere, Vodafone get one up on Orange by upping the monthly data allowance from 750MB to 1GB a month but as this is strictly speaking a fair usage policy rather than a cap, the differences are fairly minor.
As for the phone itself, it’s pretty much business as usual for the iPhone 3GS. The best-in-class 3.5 inch touchscreen with multi-touch technology is complimented by a 3.0 Megapixel camera with video capture and editing, GPS with a built in digital compass for more accuracy, voice control, HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity. Not to mention the all conquering app store that offers over 100,000 ways to enhance and customise your iPhone. With three networks now to choose from, there’s never been a better time to join the iPhone revolution. Click here to check out deals on all 3 networks for both the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS.
Palm Pre to get video capture and Flash support!
CES is an important event for Palm fans. Last year, we saw the grand unveiling of the Palm Pre, the device that revitalised the ailing company and instilled renewed hope that Palm could turn things around. This year, along with two revamped models of the Palm Pre and Pixi which are set to launch exclusively on American carrier Verizon, Palm revealed what existing Pre owners have to look forward to in the coming months.
The first big announcement was in the apps department, something that at present the Pre is under performing in. Well, that could all be set to change as the Palm Pre now supports 3D gaming and our lucky friends across the pond can now choose from a selection of excellent titles including Need for Speed and the Sims. Here in the UK we’ll need to show a little patience as, due to the fact that we can’t currently pay for apps, the 3D games aren’t currently available as all carry a charge (around $9.99). However, with the full app catalog expected to launch in Europe in March, we shouldn’t have to wait too long.
The second and perhaps more exciting piece of news is concerning the upcoming Web OS update to version 1.4. Expected to launch in February, version 1.4 of WebOS finally enables video capture in the Pre, ticking off one of the major gripes with the device. Whilst is has been possible to enable video capture thanks to the homebrew community, the official version will bring a much more polished user experience and finally bring the phone on a level playing field with its major rivals. Not content with simply catching up with its competitors, Palm plans to go one better and edge ahead with the inclusion Flash 10.1 support in the Pre’s web browser. What this means is that online flash content such as embedded video and music plus flash games will now be fully accessible on the Pre. Expected to launch in the app catalog in Beta soon, the full version will be installed automatically in WebOS 1.4.
Here in the UK we’ve recently been treated to a software upgrade to version 1.3.5 which improves battery life, allows you to download multiple apps at once and pause downloads, improves the calendar and implements various other tweaks and bug fixes. Whilst we were a bit slow to get the upgrade to 1.3.5, here’s hoping we’re treated to the 1.4 WebOS update as soon as it becomes available. Keep an eye on the blog and we’ll keep you updated on all things Palm Pre.
Sony Ericsson Vivaz (Kurara U5) Gets Official
The much awaited Sony Ericsson Vivaz (aka Kurara U5) is finally official. This high-end smartphone is likely to be released in the next few months, however, the price remains unknown at the moment. To refresh your memory, the Vivaz boasts a 3.5-inch full touchscreen display, an 8.1MP autofocus camera, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA, HD video recording (720p), a 3.5mm headset jack and runs on the Symbian S60 operating system.
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