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World Renowned Motorola RAZR Debuts At T-Mobile USA
World Renowned Motorola RAZR Debuts At T-Mobile USA
One of the most in-demand, design-forward mobile phones is now available at T-Mobile USA
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill and BELLEVUE, WA - July 15, 2005 - Appealing to fashionistas and techno-enthusiasts, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a global leader in wireless communications, and T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the introduction of the Motorola RAZR at T-Mobile retail stores and authorized dealers, as well as online at www.t-mobile.com.
Coupling a beautiful design with rich functionality including Bluetooth� wireless technology, integrated camera, impressive large color display and bold sound quality, the Motorola RAZR enhances consumers' mobile style with T-Mobile's Get More� wireless service.
"The ultra-slim silhouette of the Motorola RAZR has become a global symbol for mobile innovation," said Wayne White, vice president of sales for Motorola, Mobile Devices. "With impressive success in the marketplace to-date, it is our pleasure to work with T-Mobile to offer premium connectivity and design to T-Mobile customers."
John Clelland, senior vice president of segment marketing for T-Mobile USA said, "Consumers can now purchase the head-turning Motorola RAZR, and along with it, benefit from T-Mobile's Get More� promise of more minutes, features and service. We're excited to further extend our innovative device offerings with this stylish wafer-thin mobile."
The Motorola RAZR excels in design craftsmanship with luxurious metallic finishes and a chemically etched keypad made from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy.
The Motorola RAZR has garnered praise and admiration from consumers and the design industry alike. Most significantly, the handset received a coveted Gold Award in the annual Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEAs). Sponsored by BusinessWeek and run independently by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), a nonprofit association representing the profession of industrial design, the competition encourages corporations from around the globe to showcase their most significant design innovations. This year's contest received 1,380 entries and gave out 148 awards, including only 38 of the honored Golds.
Availability Information
The Motorola RAZR is now available at T-Mobile retail stores, authorized dealers and online at www.t-mobile.com.
Motorola to Cut 150 Jobs.htm
Motorola to cut about 150 jobs in Plantation (Miami Herald)
Motorola announced Thursday it was trimming about 150 jobs, or about 5 percent of its 3,000-person workforce in Plantation. Motorola, however, expects the head count at the facility will remain relatively unchanged because it has other ''significant'' positions to fill, according to company spokesman Steven Hendricks.
Motorola Plans More Layoffs
Motorola plans more layoffs (Sun-Sentinel)
Motorola Inc. said Thursday it was laying off about 150 assembly line workers at its cellular phone manufacturing center in Plantation.
3G Technology - Promises and Challenges
3G Technology - Promises and Challenges by Colin Ong TS
Introduction
Imagine a situation where you are about to make an important Sales Presentation. You realize that you have brought the wrong presentation slides and you call up your colleague. She immediately emails the file to your 3G terminal and you transfer it to your laptop. Another scenario is having video-conferencing and sending character-based messages simultaneously with your clients. With 3G, the possibilities for wireless applications are numerous. For instance, imagine calling up a map in your car, conducting a video conference over wireless phones, checking e-mails, and browsing the web - wirelessly.
3G Defined
3G stands for the third generation of wireless communication technology and the industry direction are to raise speeds from 9.5K to 2M bit/sec. According to 3gnewsroom.com, devices will fall into four categories. The first category includes the basic 3G phones will be used mainly for talking and will store all their information on the network. The second category will support video-streaming, and will provide the user with news and web content. More sophisticated models will be information centres which let users download information from the Internet and store data on the device.
A recent initiative by four leading handset manufacturers-Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Siemens-plus the messaging companies CMG, Comverse and Logica was motivated by the launch of 3G. The companies hope to create awareness and foster development of multimedia messaging service (MMS) by making audio, video, photographs and other images to accessible to handsets.
3G and the Growth of the Wireless Mobile Market
The wireless mobile market is set to explode and this will provide fresh graduates with exciting job opportunities. According to Will Daugherty's The Growth of Wireless Mobile in Business 2.0, there will be 3 waves of mobile data services. The first wave is linked wireless access to existing information and data applications. The current second wave takes advantage of wireless-specific functionality. The third wave will bring rich graphics, video, real-time multiplayer games.
Don Tapscott has been quoted "Mobile commerce is the next stage of e-commerce, where we have the integration of the physical world with the digital world.What we 're talking here is the beginning of pervasive and ubiquitous computing where billions and billions of inert objects become Internet appliances - enabling the sharing of knowledge and the delivery of a vast new array of services."
Need more convincing and statistics?
According to the findings in Wireless Portals: the Information Gateway to the Wireless User, by the end of 2006 there will be close to 1 billion wireless portal users worldwide. The bulk of these users will be wireless voice users, WAP users, 2.5G and 3G subscribers, and other wireless device users such as those using PDAs. Multi-modal users worldwide will stand close to 282 million in 2006.
The Reaction of 3G in America
The importance of 3G technology can also be gauged by the stance of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which is the Executive Branch's principal voice on domestic and international telecommunications and information technology issues. NTIA recently published a report entitled "WIRELESS" INTERNET: What the 3G Challenge Means for U.S. Competitiveness
where it insisted that 3G is important for the future of America's global competitiveness amongst other things and that the Europeans and Asians view 3G development as their golden opportunity to beat the United States' in the area of telecommunications and ecommerce. The report also went further to state that the US will remain two years behind many Asian and European countries on 3G services.
In contrast in another report entitled "Can U.S. Wireless Firms Ride Business Applications to Global Leadership?," Summit Strategies Practice Director Warren Wilson argues U.S. vendors and service providers stand to win the strategic high ground, first in their home markets and then internationally. "Japan and Europe are leading the way in consumer-focused wireless applications, but business applications will drive U.S. markets,'' Wilson says. "North American vendors and service providers that correctly gauge which business applications to offer, and the development and deployment models that serve customers best cannot only catch up to global competitors, but even turn the tables and claim leadership roles in wireless data. It won't be easy, but it's far from impossible."
The importance of 3G and Wireless collaboration with the US has not been lost with NTT DoCoMo which understands that in order to move towards 3G, it must persuade other carriers to follow suit. DoCoMo's USD$10bn investment in AT&T Wireless came with the agreement that AT&T transferred towards W-CDMA.
I will highlight some promises provided by 3G Technology:
1)3G and Workplace Dynamics
3G Technology is an enabler of the development of the Wearable Computing Industry. The WearTel (TM) phone, for example, uses EyeTap technology to allow individuals to see each other's point of view. Therefore, the miniature laser light source inside the WearTel eyeglass-based phone scans across the retinas of both parties and swaps the image information, so that each person sees what the other person is looking at.
This technology will enable the HR manager to have a better understanding of how to motivate and reward their employees as personal documentaries of their work-life will be shot from a first-person perspective. HR managers can provide better advice about handling difficult customers or closing sales. However, the immediate benefit is that this technology can be used as a training tool. The reason is that privacy laws have to be reviewed and updated in order that customers are adequately informed of this technology
2)3G and Mobile Job Interviewing
With an attached camera in a mobile device, job interviews can be conducted as video-conferencing between the HR manager and the potential job applicant. Initially, the job candidate can answer basic questions like his highest qualification and salary expectation by pressing the key-pad of the mobile device. If successful, he can proceed to have a face-to-face interview.
3)3G and Mobile Advertising
3G technology will enable advertisers to send more sophisticated and customized permission-based advertisements to their target audience's mobile devices. This will be an improvement from the current SMS. There will be a convergence between the internet and wireless technology as the target audience can request that more product information be sent as email. It is unlikely that these services will provide a sustainable advantage over the long run but they will shape the brand perception of an operator at the initial stage of the introduction of wireless Internet services.
However, with the rise of m-commerce, 'business-webs 'will become even more powerful as every customer will become linked into the web. According to Keith Shank of Ericsson, wireline operators will have to find a way to integrate with wireless by providing a package of combined service capabilities and transparent coverage. Demanding consumers will want convergence of wireline, wireless and data services.
4)From E-Learning to M-Learning
The future holds a lot of promise for the E-Learning Industry. Martyn Sloman, author of The e-learning revolution has been quoted as saying "The pace of change in the global economy and advances in communications technology means that there is no debate about whether e-learning is the future or not. It clearly is. Latest assessments indicate that competitive organisations will soon be delivering up to a fifth of their training through the Internet, intranets or the web."
With the greater acceptance of e-learning, mobile learning (m-learning) will be thrive. An example of how 3G can power m-learning is when a student who may be late for a lecture can view the entire proceedings through the screen of a mobile device. It is also not far-fetched idea that the same student can even sit for a test by entering a password through the mobile device.
Challenges Ahead
Privacy is a huge question as in the case of m-commerce, each of us will leave a trail of "digital crumbs". With the increasing likelihood of a convergence between the net and wireless technology in many facets of social and business interactions, each of us will leave a mirror image of ourselves as we travel around.
Another problem that is highlighted by Eric Schonfeld of eCompany is getting developers interested in creating the applications that 3G phones can run. Currently developers tend to ignore markets with fewer than 1 million customers and concurrently, demanding customers insist that 3G phones should have lots of new applications to hold their attention.
Lastly, as sourced from the University of California's Berkeley School of Information Management and System (SIMS) report "How Much Information?" Professors Hal Varian and Peter Lyman analysed industry and governmental reports for production of information in terms of paper, film, optical and magnetic data. Among some of their findings:
�The direct accessible "surface" Web consists of about 2.5bn documents and is growing at a rate of 7.3m pages per day.
�Counting the "surface" Web with the "deep" Web of connected databases, intranet sites and dynamic pages, there are about 550bn documents, and 95% is publicly accessible.
These findings show that we are already taking in a lot of information even before the introduction of wireless communication through 3G. Will there be further information overload or will mobile devices help us manage our daily affairs better?
The concluding 2 sections will provide some pointers:
1)Towards An Information Society
In the Foresight Project, an initiative led by New Zealand's Ministry of Research, Science and Technology has stated that in an information society, individuals who are well-educated, self-motivated, and linked into information networks, are the most likely to live prosperous and fulfilling lives. Enterprises that are attuned to their customers' requirements, employ educated workers, encourage innovation through their workplace organization and, and know more and learn faster than their competitors, are the most likely to succeed and grow.
Reinforcing this point, according to Peter Drucker, there is the discipline of innovation. This is translated into having a clear mission and defining the measurement of results. In the event that there are no results, the organization should abandon the idea and then continue to seek for new and unique opportunities.
2)Future Challenges of a Knowledge-Economy
According to Dr Johari Mat, Secretary General Ministry of Education (Malaysia) at the First SEAMEO Education Congress, a Knowledge Economy Index developed using selected key elements required to drive a K-economy such as computer infrastructure, infrastructure, education and training, research and development and technology shows that most countries in this region lag behind developed and newly industrialized countries in terms of readiness to become a K-economy. For instance, the Knowledge Economy Index is 3877 for Singapore, 2460 for Malaysia, 1705 for Indonesia, and 1648 for Thailand while the Index is 6650 for USA, 5908 for Japan, 4901 for Australia, 4686 for UK, and 3912 for Korea, thus, to make a transition to the K-economy, countries in this region face the daunting task of putting in place and strengthening the core elements required to support the K-economy. Efforts need to be accelerated in the priority areas of human resource development, science and technology, research and development (R&D), ICT, and lifelong learning.
To conclude, 3G is definitely here to stay despite the early glitches.
The opportunity of being truly wireless and mobile is just too enticing.
About the Author Colin Ong TS is the Managing Director of MR=MC Consulting Pte
Ltd (www.mrmc.com.sg). He is a prolific writer on HR , Corporate
Learning and New Technology issues. His writings have appeared
in a number of global portals
(http://www.mrmc.com.sg/research.html) He has recently launched
a free learning portal at http://courses.yahoo.com/course/mrmc
which was featured in the recent Singapore Learning Festival.
For free articles and advice, please email colin@mrmc.com.sg |
Bluetooth now poised to fulfill its promise
Bluetooth now poised to fulfill its promise by Raymond Klesc
No question about it, Bluetooth is very handy thanks to its improved integration with computers, cell phones and automobiles.
When Bluetooth first appeared about five years ago, the hype far outstripped its usefulness. The ability to eliminate the tangles of cords and cables was very alluring. Unfortunately, cost and complexity almost brought the technology to its knees.
Now its back, alive and well, fulfilling its promise as a useful tool in a variety of settings.
Europe was its early adopter and it is standard on nearly all European cell phones. They have adopted Bluetooth enabled phones, laptops, wireless keyboards, mice and more.
Sexy Headsets:
Cingular and T-Mobile wireless carriers use the same technology as their European counterparts and thus offer Bluetooth enabled devices for their customers. Bluetooth is rarer from Sprint and Verizon Communications which are based on North American technologies.
One major boost for adoption of Bluetooth enabled mobile phones will come from State and local governments. Many new laws and ordinances have been adopted or are in various stages of implementation that will levy fines for driving and using a hand held cell phone. The push for hands-free calling will move Bluetooth forward in the marketplace.
Acura TL now offers Bluetooth integrated into the automobile allowing the driver to use the cars stereo system as a speakerphone and displays information on the dashboard. Bluetooth car kits are now available from Motorola, Nokia, Parrot and others for about $100.
Early teething problems included high cost and poor battery life and made it unattractive for handsets. But now Logitech's Mobile Bluetooth handset can be had for about $50. The $140 Jabra BT800, which lets you control many cell-phone functions on the headset, offers six hours of talk time and five days of standby. After that, you can recharge by running a USB cable from the headset into a laptop so you don't need to take a charger with you. A headset on the way from Plantronics will come with adapters that allow charging from most phone adapters or from an AA battery.
Bluetooth Linking:
Beyond mobile phones, Bluetooth is beginning to make inroads into other aspects of wireless communication. Although Windows support is somewhat primitive by current standards, the technology is standard on Apple Macintoshes and optional on other products. Apple uses the latest, faster version of Bluetooth. If Mac detects a Bluetooth enabled keyboard and mouse during startup, it will link to them automatically.
PalmOne is also a big supporter of Bluetooth. PalmOne's software overcomes most of the Windows difficulties and allows their handheld devices to sync and swap files with a Windows laptop over Bluetooth. Making sync work with a new Mac PowerBook is even easier. As for Microsoft's primitive Bluetooth world, it is possible to get a Pocket PC to sync with Windows over Bluetooth, but is only for the technically savvy.
Bluetooth Worth Waiting For:
Bluetooth still falls short. Early promoters envisioned that you would be able to walk up to a printer with your laptop of PDA, click a button, and print. We're still waiting for that one. Bluetooth printers are rare but we can assume that the advent of Bluetooth enabled digital camera phones will spur this technology further and make for easy printing of those treasured moments.
The technology savvy users are an impatient lot. If it doesn't catch on right away they move on to something newer and different. If anything, Bluetooth has proven that acceptance can take a while. But isn't it worth the wait?
We technology watchers are an impatient lot who tend to give up on anything that doesn't catch on right away. Bluetooth has proved once again that acceptance can take a long time -- and that sometimes it's worth the wait.
About the Author About Global Value Connect:
Global Value Connect ( http://www.globalvalueconnect.com ) has been providing the best value in telecommunication products and services for the home or office since 1995. If you want to cut your telephone bill in half register today for our free eBook entitled "Telephone Bill Saving Tips for Home and Office" and is available at: http://www.globalvalueconnect.com/Saving_Tips.htm
3G Technology - Promises and Challenges
3G Technology - Promises and Challenges by Colin Ong TS
Introduction
Imagine a situation where you are about to make an important Sales Presentation. You realize that you have brought the wrong presentation slides and you call up your colleague. She immediately emails the file to your 3G terminal and you transfer it to your laptop. Another scenario is having video-conferencing and sending character-based messages simultaneously with your clients. With 3G, the possibilities for wireless applications are numerous. For instance, imagine calling up a map in your car, conducting a video conference over wireless phones, checking e-mails, and browsing the web - wirelessly.
3G Defined
3G stands for the third generation of wireless communication technology and the industry direction are to raise speeds from 9.5K to 2M bit/sec. According to 3gnewsroom.com, devices will fall into four categories. The first category includes the basic 3G phones will be used mainly for talking and will store all their information on the network. The second category will support video-streaming, and will provide the user with news and web content. More sophisticated models will be information centres which let users download information from the Internet and store data on the device.
A recent initiative by four leading handset manufacturers-Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Siemens-plus the messaging companies CMG, Comverse and Logica was motivated by the launch of 3G. The companies hope to create awareness and foster development of multimedia messaging service (MMS) by making audio, video, photographs and other images to accessible to handsets.
3G and the Growth of the Wireless Mobile Market
The wireless mobile market is set to explode and this will provide fresh graduates with exciting job opportunities. According to Will Daugherty's The Growth of Wireless Mobile in Business 2.0, there will be 3 waves of mobile data services. The first wave is linked wireless access to existing information and data applications. The current second wave takes advantage of wireless-specific functionality. The third wave will bring rich graphics, video, real-time multiplayer games.
Don Tapscott has been quoted "Mobile commerce is the next stage of e-commerce, where we have the integration of the physical world with the digital world.What we 're talking here is the beginning of pervasive and ubiquitous computing where billions and billions of inert objects become Internet appliances - enabling the sharing of knowledge and the delivery of a vast new array of services."
Need more convincing and statistics?
According to the findings in Wireless Portals: the Information Gateway to the Wireless User, by the end of 2006 there will be close to 1 billion wireless portal users worldwide. The bulk of these users will be wireless voice users, WAP users, 2.5G and 3G subscribers, and other wireless device users such as those using PDAs. Multi-modal users worldwide will stand close to 282 million in 2006.
The Reaction of 3G in America
The importance of 3G technology can also be gauged by the stance of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which is the Executive Branch's principal voice on domestic and international telecommunications and information technology issues. NTIA recently published a report entitled "WIRELESS" INTERNET: What the 3G Challenge Means for U.S. Competitiveness
where it insisted that 3G is important for the future of America's global competitiveness amongst other things and that the Europeans and Asians view 3G development as their golden opportunity to beat the United States' in the area of telecommunications and ecommerce. The report also went further to state that the US will remain two years behind many Asian and European countries on 3G services.
In contrast in another report entitled "Can U.S. Wireless Firms Ride Business Applications to Global Leadership?," Summit Strategies Practice Director Warren Wilson argues U.S. vendors and service providers stand to win the strategic high ground, first in their home markets and then internationally. "Japan and Europe are leading the way in consumer-focused wireless applications, but business applications will drive U.S. markets,'' Wilson says. "North American vendors and service providers that correctly gauge which business applications to offer, and the development and deployment models that serve customers best cannot only catch up to global competitors, but even turn the tables and claim leadership roles in wireless data. It won't be easy, but it's far from impossible."
The importance of 3G and Wireless collaboration with the US has not been lost with NTT DoCoMo which understands that in order to move towards 3G, it must persuade other carriers to follow suit. DoCoMo's USD$10bn investment in AT&T Wireless came with the agreement that AT&T transferred towards W-CDMA.
I will highlight some promises provided by 3G Technology:
1)3G and Workplace Dynamics
3G Technology is an enabler of the development of the Wearable Computing Industry. The WearTel (TM) phone, for example, uses EyeTap technology to allow individuals to see each other's point of view. Therefore, the miniature laser light source inside the WearTel eyeglass-based phone scans across the retinas of both parties and swaps the image information, so that each person sees what the other person is looking at.
This technology will enable the HR manager to have a better understanding of how to motivate and reward their employees as personal documentaries of their work-life will be shot from a first-person perspective. HR managers can provide better advice about handling difficult customers or closing sales. However, the immediate benefit is that this technology can be used as a training tool. The reason is that privacy laws have to be reviewed and updated in order that customers are adequately informed of this technology
2)3G and Mobile Job Interviewing
With an attached camera in a mobile device, job interviews can be conducted as video-conferencing between the HR manager and the potential job applicant. Initially, the job candidate can answer basic questions like his highest qualification and salary expectation by pressing the key-pad of the mobile device. If successful, he can proceed to have a face-to-face interview.
3)3G and Mobile Advertising
3G technology will enable advertisers to send more sophisticated and customized permission-based advertisements to their target audience's mobile devices. This will be an improvement from the current SMS. There will be a convergence between the internet and wireless technology as the target audience can request that more product information be sent as email. It is unlikely that these services will provide a sustainable advantage over the long run but they will shape the brand perception of an operator at the initial stage of the introduction of wireless Internet services.
However, with the rise of m-commerce, 'business-webs 'will become even more powerful as every customer will become linked into the web. According to Keith Shank of Ericsson, wireline operators will have to find a way to integrate with wireless by providing a package of combined service capabilities and transparent coverage. Demanding consumers will want convergence of wireline, wireless and data services.
4)From E-Learning to M-Learning
The future holds a lot of promise for the E-Learning Industry. Martyn Sloman, author of The e-learning revolution has been quoted as saying "The pace of change in the global economy and advances in communications technology means that there is no debate about whether e-learning is the future or not. It clearly is. Latest assessments indicate that competitive organisations will soon be delivering up to a fifth of their training through the Internet, intranets or the web."
With the greater acceptance of e-learning, mobile learning (m-learning) will be thrive. An example of how 3G can power m-learning is when a student who may be late for a lecture can view the entire proceedings through the screen of a mobile device. It is also not far-fetched idea that the same student can even sit for a test by entering a password through the mobile device.
Challenges Ahead
Privacy is a huge question as in the case of m-commerce, each of us will leave a trail of "digital crumbs". With the increasing likelihood of a convergence between the net and wireless technology in many facets of social and business interactions, each of us will leave a mirror image of ourselves as we travel around.
Another problem that is highlighted by Eric Schonfeld of eCompany is getting developers interested in creating the applications that 3G phones can run. Currently developers tend to ignore markets with fewer than 1 million customers and concurrently, demanding customers insist that 3G phones should have lots of new applications to hold their attention.
Lastly, as sourced from the University of California's Berkeley School of Information Management and System (SIMS) report "How Much Information?" Professors Hal Varian and Peter Lyman analysed industry and governmental reports for production of information in terms of paper, film, optical and magnetic data. Among some of their findings:
�The direct accessible "surface" Web consists of about 2.5bn documents and is growing at a rate of 7.3m pages per day.
�Counting the "surface" Web with the "deep" Web of connected databases, intranet sites and dynamic pages, there are about 550bn documents, and 95% is publicly accessible.
These findings show that we are already taking in a lot of information even before the introduction of wireless communication through 3G. Will there be further information overload or will mobile devices help us manage our daily affairs better?
The concluding 2 sections will provide some pointers:
1)Towards An Information Society
In the Foresight Project, an initiative led by New Zealand's Ministry of Research, Science and Technology has stated that in an information society, individuals who are well-educated, self-motivated, and linked into information networks, are the most likely to live prosperous and fulfilling lives. Enterprises that are attuned to their customers' requirements, employ educated workers, encourage innovation through their workplace organization and, and know more and learn faster than their competitors, are the most likely to succeed and grow.
Reinforcing this point, according to Peter Drucker, there is the discipline of innovation. This is translated into having a clear mission and defining the measurement of results. In the event that there are no results, the organization should abandon the idea and then continue to seek for new and unique opportunities.
2)Future Challenges of a Knowledge-Economy
According to Dr Johari Mat, Secretary General Ministry of Education (Malaysia) at the First SEAMEO Education Congress, a Knowledge Economy Index developed using selected key elements required to drive a K-economy such as computer infrastructure, infrastructure, education and training, research and development and technology shows that most countries in this region lag behind developed and newly industrialized countries in terms of readiness to become a K-economy. For instance, the Knowledge Economy Index is 3877 for Singapore, 2460 for Malaysia, 1705 for Indonesia, and 1648 for Thailand while the Index is 6650 for USA, 5908 for Japan, 4901 for Australia, 4686 for UK, and 3912 for Korea, thus, to make a transition to the K-economy, countries in this region face the daunting task of putting in place and strengthening the core elements required to support the K-economy. Efforts need to be accelerated in the priority areas of human resource development, science and technology, research and development (R&D), ICT, and lifelong learning.
To conclude, 3G is definitely here to stay despite the early glitches.
The opportunity of being truly wireless and mobile is just too enticing.
About the Author Colin Ong TS is the Managing Director of MR=MC Consulting Pte
Ltd (www.mrmc.com.sg). He is a prolific writer on HR , Corporate
Learning and New Technology issues. His writings have appeared
in a number of global portals
(http://www.mrmc.com.sg/research.html) He has recently launched
a free learning portal at http://courses.yahoo.com/course/mrmc
which was featured in the recent Singapore Learning Festival.
For free articles and advice, please email colin@mrmc.com.sg
5 Best Cell Phones on The Market
The 5 Best Cell Phones on the Market by dDawg The 5 Best Cell Phones on the Market
More reviews at:
http://www.str8junk.com/go.html
There are literally hundreds of cell phones out there made by dozens of manufacturers. It is hard to determine which are the best of the group - or at least, which is best for you. The decision is a difficult one, and we hope the information below will help you make a wise choice. The five cell phones listed below are truely the best of the best in terms of quality design, dependability, and overall user satisfaction. Although there are a lot of great cell phones out there, we are sure that these are some of the very best.
Motorola i860 Video and Camera Mobile Phone
Manufacturers Description: The sleek Motorola i860 is packed with more than a dozen top-of-the-line features including 10-second video capture and playback and a 0.3-megapixel camera with 4X digital zoom. In addition, it allows users to easily exchange digital photos and contact information with others.
?The Motorola i860 handset is another example of how Motorola strives to meet our customers? needs by offering one mobile device to streamline communications," said Rey More, senior vice president and general manager, Motorola?s iDEN� Subscriber Group. ?Its multimedia services enable users to easily capture the moment when it happens and share it with others, wherever they may be.?
The phone?s 10-second video capture capability includes a short-range LED spotlight to provide additional light for close-up pictures. The camera allows users to take pictures in a variety of sizes suitable for sharing, in-camera viewing, wallpaper designs, and picture caller ID. Users can get themselves in the picture using the self-timer.
With the Motorola i860, users can share their pictures and audio recordings by sending and receiving multimedia messages.1 The phone?s integrated Media Center allows users to conveniently manage all pictures, voice recordings, ring tones, videos, and wallpaper designs from a single area.
Other features of the Motorola i860 that are new to iDEN handsets include:
Picture Caller ID - allows a previously-assigned picture of a caller to appear in the external display when a phone call is incoming from that contact
Larger external color screen - displays up to 3 lines of text and pictures
Larger internal color screen - displays up to 11 lines of text in vibrant color
Push-to-Send My Info2 - allows users to send their contact information via the ?push-to-talk? (PTT) button. Users can limit the amount of information sent or send a virtual business card to network more efficiently.
Push-to-Send Contacts2 - allows users to easily share another user?s contact information via the PTT button
Media Downloader application ? available for download from the Internet, this free application allows users to transfer photos and videos from their phone to their PC via a USB cable (not included)
25 MB of memory available to end users - for ring tones, voice recordings, videos, pictures, messages, wallpaper designs, and Java? applications
MP3 ring tones - including music and voice
Openwave 7.0 Internet microbrowser - lets users browse graphic-rich xHTML sites
Push-to-open button - offers convenient, one-handed operation of the flip-style phone by mechanically opening the flip when pressed
The phone also has many of the features associated with Motorola?s iDEN technology, including location-based services, integrated speakerphone, voice recorder3, voice dialing, downloadable applications, and a two-way radio for instant communication at the touch of a button.
The Motorola i860 handset weighs 4.77 ounces and measures 3.45 x 1.96 x 1.01 inches with the included high performance battery.
Overall Value Rating: 9.7 / 10 - Excellent
Price: $250 - $400
More reviews at:
http://www.str8junk.com/go.html
About the Author Stuff for dudes.
http://www.str8junk.com/go.html
The Motorola V635 Reviewed
The Motorola V635 Reviewed
The Motorola V635, a successor to the V600, is currently only available in Canada but let's say that good news come from the north. A perfect phone the V635? Naaah. But it has a lot of goodies waiting for...
Motorola Announces Record Second-Quarter Sales and Earnings
Motorola Announces Record Second-Quarter Sales and Earnings
Second-Quarter 2005 Financial Highlights
- Sales up 17 percent: Sales of $8.83 billion, compared to second-quarter 2004 sales of $7.54 billion.
- Earnings per share from continuing operations up 52 percent: Earnings from continuing operations of $.38 per share, versus earnings from continuing operations of $.25 per share in the year-ago quarter.
- Gain of 3.3 percentage points in global mobile device market share: Record Mobile Devices shipments of 33.9 million units, representing an estimated global market share of 18.1 percent, an increase of 3.3 percentage points versus the year-ago quarter and 1.7 percentage points versus first quarter of 2005.
- Positive operating cash flow of $1.0 billion
Please click here to view the financial tables which are an integral part of this release.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - July 19, 2005 - Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today reported record sales and earnings from continuing operations as shown below.
| Second Quarter
| %
|
| 2005
| 2004
| Increase
| Sales
| $8.83B
| $7.54B
| 17%
| EPS
| $0.38
| $0.25
| 52%
| Second-quarter 2005 and the second-quarter 2004 include income of $.12 per share and $.08 per share, respectively, for the items shown below. Second-Quarter 2005
|
| EPS Impact
| Income from gain on sale of investment
|
| $ 0.10
| Repayment of previously-reserved loan
|
| 0.01
| Restructuring charges
|
| (0.01)
| Prior-year China tax adjustment
|
| 0.02
|
|
| $ 0.12
|
|
|
| Second-Quarter 2004
|
| EPS Impact
| Reversal of tax reserves
|
| $ 0.08
| During the quarter, the company continued to strengthen its balance sheet, generating operating cash flow of $1.0 billion, its 18 th consecutive quarter of positive operating cash flow, and ending the quarter with a record net cash [1] position of $7.5 billion. "Motorola delivered a very strong second quarter and once again exceeded guidance," said Ed Zander, chairman and CEO, "Revenues increased 17 percent, earnings per share were up 52 percent and all four of our businesses grew profitability. We announced great new products and are delighted that customers are embracing seamless mobility solutions around the globe. After six consecutive quarters of positive performance, the entire organization is focused on continuing our momentum. During the quarter, we initiated the first stock repurchase program in Motorola's history--underscoring our commitment to long-term financial performance." Operating Results Momentum Mobile Devices Segment sales were $4.9 billion, up 24 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Operating earnings were $498 million, compared with operating earnings of $396 million for the same period in 2004. The business delivered record second-quarter unit shipments, sales and profits. Sales, earnings and market share were up as a result of "must-have" products that combine innovative style, leading technology and quality. - Shipped 33.9 million handsets -- an increase of 41 percent compared to the same period in 2004. An all-time record.
- Increased strong No. 2 market share position to an estimated 18.1 percent global market share. During the quarter, Motorola solidified its leadership in the Americas by strengthening its No. 1 position in North America and retaining its No. 1 position in Latin America. In Europe, Motorola posted a record quarter and moved ahead to the No. 2 market-share position. In the High-Growth Markets region (Middle East, Africa, India and Southeast Asia), Motorola gained more than two points of share compared to the first quarter, driven by increased sales across multiple price tiers.
- Began shipping 15 new devices during the quarter, including the M1000 3G/UMTS handset in Japan, and the E815 CDMA and i836 iDEN handsets in North America. Five of these new devices are for CDMA networks, three for GSM, two for 3G-UMTS/WCDMA, and five for iDEN.
- Continued to increase investments in future growth drivers, including the expansion of R&D teams in Europe focused on value-added services, product development for 3G and 4G devices, expanded deployment of the Linux+Java Open Source software platform, and global brand development and marketing to support new product launches in the second half of 2005.
Networks Segment sales were $1.6 billion, up 3 percent compared with the year-ago quarter and were up 9 percent for the first half of 2005. Operating earnings increased to $263 million, compared with $168 million in the year-ago quarter. The business continued its sales growth with a comprehensive value proposition in access, core, platforms and services for wireless and wireline carriers. Product cost reductions and continued cost controls helped increase operating earnings.
- Entered into an agreement with Sprint to conduct joint wireless broadband (WiMAX) testing and equipment trials.
- Announced a contract from VIBO in Taiwan to supply a nationwide 3G UMTS network which is High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)- ready.
- Announced Unlicensed Mobile Access trials with seven major European operators planning to introduce seamless mobility across cellular and broadband IP networks.
- Signed GSM/GPRS expansion contracts totaling $210 million in Kuwait, Russia and Kazakhstan.
- Announced an agreement with KDDI for replacement of existing circuit core with Motorola softswitch.
Government and Enterprise Mobility Solutions Segment sales were $1.7 billion, up 7 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Operating earnings increased to $221 million, compared with $214 million in the year-ago quarter.
In the Government/Public Safety Market:
- Announced new contracts for mission-critical solutions that deliver true interoperability, mission-critical networks and mission-critical data with Nassau County, New York; State of Kansas; Lucas County, Ohio; and the Western Australia Police.
- Added more than 30 new customer relationships in the Mesh Product Group for deployments and trials of its ad hoc networking technology.
In the Enterprise Market:
- Received field network contracts from Hydro Quebec in Canada and from Shanghai Rail in China; and introduced a commercial low-voltage Broadband Over Powerline solution.
In the Automotive Electronics Market:
- Took cost-reduction actions which enabled a return to marginal profitability on slightly lower sales.
Connected Home Solutions Segment sales were $718 million, up 35 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Operating earnings were $47 million, compared with $38 million in the year-ago quarter.
- Continued to drive Motorola's leadership momentum in the triple play categories (video, voice, data) by shipping two million digital entertainment devices, of which more than 600,000 were HD/DVR set-tops, and shipping 2.1 million DOCSIS modems, of which more than 300,000 were voice- enabled modems.
- Announced the industry's first all-digital portfolio including an all-digital HD/Dual Tuner/DVR set-top and the industry's first set-top with embedded MOCA (multimedia over coaxial cable) that will enable networking of digital entertainment throughout the home.
- Launched the OjoT personal video phone which is now available at approximately 200 retail locations in the US.
- Verizon video set-top deployment, combining broadcast and IP delivery technology, began software integration testing and is progressing toward the launch of video services over fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) later in 2005.
Third-Quarter 2005 Outlook
The company's outlook for the third quarter of 2005 is for sales of between $8.9 billion and $9.1 billion. The outlook for earnings per share from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2005 is in the range of $.27 to $.29.
Conference Call and Webcast
Motorola's quarterly earnings conference call is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (USA), on Tuesday, July 19, 2005. Motorola plans a live Webcast of the conference call, featuring both audio and slides. Investors can view the Webcast at www.motorola.com/investor.
Consolidated GAAP Results
A comparison of results from operations is as follows:
| Second Quarter
|
| Six Months
| (In millions, except per share amounts)
| 2005
| 2004
|
| 2005
| 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Net sales
| $8,825
| $7,541
|
| $16,986
| $14,982
| Gross margin
| 2,877
| 2,603
|
| 5,547
| 4,969
| Operating earnings
| 982
| 785
|
| 1,847
| 1,470
| Earnings from continuing operations
| 947
| 619
|
| 1,639
| 1,085
| Net earnings (loss)
| 933
| (203)
|
| 1,625
| 406
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Continuing operations
| 0.38
| 0.25
|
| 0.66
| 0.45
|
| Discontinued operations
| (0.01)
| (0.33)
|
| (0.01)
| (0.27)
|
|
| 0.37
| (0.08)
|
| 0.65
| 0.18
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Weighted average diluted common shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
| outstanding
| 2,504.0
| 2,472.2
|
| 2,495.4
| 2,461.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Business Risks Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Motorola's guidance for third-quarter 2005 sales and earnings. Motorola cautions the reader that the factors below and those on pages 70 through 80 of Motorola's 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its other SEC filings could cause Motorola's actual results to differ materially from those stated in the forward-looking statements. These factors include: (1) the uncertainty of current economic and political conditions, as well as the economic outlook for the telecommunications, broadband and automotive industries; (2) the company's ability to continue to increase profitability and market share in its wireless handset business; (3) demand for the company's products, including products related to new technologies; (4) the company's ability to introduce new products and technologies in a timely manner; (5) risks related to dependence on certain key manufacturing suppliers; (6) risks related to the company's high volume of manufacturing and sales in Asia; (7) the company's ability to purchase sufficient materials, parts and components to meet customer demand; (8) the creditworthiness of the company's customers, particularly purchasers of large infrastructure systems; (9) unexpected liabilities or expenses, including unfavorable outcomes to any pending or future litigation, including without limitation any relating to the Iridium project; (10) the timing and levels at which design wins become actual orders and sales; (11) the impact of foreign currency fluctuations; (12) the company's ability to use its deferred tax assets; (13) the impact on the company from continuing hostilities in Iraq and conflict in other countries; (14) the impact of changes in governmental policies, laws or regulations; and (15) the outcome of currently ongoing and future tax matters with the IRS.
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Motorola wins Japanese CDMA upgrade contract
Motorola wins Japanese CDMA upgrade contract (Cellular-News.com)
Motorola has received orders for its CDMA2000 1X SoftSwitch from Japan's KDDI. The SoftSwitch provided by Motorola will be used as the core switch in KDDI's CDMA2000 1X network. In April 2002, KDDI began its nationwide deployment of CDMA2000 1X, a 3G cellular service, on Motorola's cdmaOne network. Cell-phone strength seen boosting Motorola's 2Q (SanLuisObispo.com)
NEW YORK - Motorola Inc. is expected to report strong earnings for the second quarter, as it continues to take market share away from rivals in the cell-phone market.
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