ArchiveJuly, 2007

The rapid growth of the cell phone industry has disrupted several things along its way – when was the last time you saw a phone booth? – and now the Center for Media Research says cell phones may pose a particular problem for the telephone survey industry.

The research brief, released Wednesday, provides an interesting take on just one of the problems facing modern-day polling practices: a large, and growing, segment of the population have eschewed landlines for cell phones. In general, telephone surveys are conducted via landline; several issues prevent polling firms from accurately or effectively contacting respondents over a cellular connection, including the federal law that prohibits auto-dialing a cell number.

As a result, the numbers being generated by much of the survey research community may be flawed. At the very least, the field is trending towards less accuracy.

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In response to the events of May at Virginia Tech, several universities around the country are either deploying or have moved up the schedules on their emergency notification or text-messaging broadcast systems designed to keep students and faculty informed of breaking campus news. Many local school systems are also instituting systems to keep parents informed and provide information in case of school closings or emergencies.

While Virginia Tech has always had VT Alerts, the signup for that (open to those with a valid Virginia Tech ID only) has been moved to the front page of their site. The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA had been investigating a text alert system but moved up their timetable and now wants to implement a system before the start of the fall semester.

Ball State University is implementing a complete text messaging system that will also allow for opt-in polls and coupons but will also act as an alert system in case of emergency. The University of Texas at Tyler is expanding the system they acquired several years ago for the athletics program to include the entire campus and to act as an emergency system. Sign up for the Tyler system is available to everyone - including students, faculty, staff and parents - at the university’s website.

The ongoing legal battle between microchip manufacturers Qualcomm and Broadcom continued to boil over this week, with the clock now ticking on a potential presidential veto that may prove crucial to the case. Is this a feud cell phone users should be paying attention to?

In June, the U.S. International Trade Commission imposed a ban on all new cell phone models containing Qualcomm-designed chips; the ruling was an affirmation of Broadcom’s claim that the Qualcomm chips infringe on a particular patent covering a next-generation microchip that powers high speed Internet access, music, and 3D games without exhausting batteries at an untenable rate. The ruling, as it stands, pertains only to “new� models, meaning any current cell phone with a Qualcomm chip is perfectly legal – a compromise Broadcom doesn’t particularly care for.

To throw another complication into the mix, President Bush has until August 6 to veto the ITC’s ruling and lift the ban entirely.

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Thanks to new European Union regulations, using your cell phone during international travel (at least in the 27 member countries of the EU) should now be cheaper than it was last month. On June 30, a new Eurotarrif took effect to help combat what regulators considered “excessive roaming charges.” There will now be a new maximum rate for outgoing and incoming calls (depending on the exchange rate, approximately $0.70/minute outbound and $0.32/minute inbound), meaning European carriers are expected to establish competitive rates below that standardized cap. In some countries, this is expected to slash roaming charges by up to 70%.

In addition, the EU’s website includes a section on advice before traveling. If you’re planning an overseas trip, be sure to read up on Europe’s roaming charges before you go; it’ll help you avoid the sticker shock when you open your cell phone bill upon returning home.

Many of the innovations that really catch our eye – especially in the wake of the iPhone’s release – tend to involve cell phones themselves. From tactile touchscreens to high-def video, the industry is full of exciting new additions that continue to push wireless technology forward.

Don’t overlook the progress being made in the world of accessories, though. Ever wondered if there’s a better way to charge your phone when you’re on the road or out in the wild? We stumbled upon two new products this week that probably qualify as novelties for now, but definitely deserve a mention.

The first is a “solar-jacketâ€? from the Italian design house, ZEGNA. The jacket features power cells fitted into its collar, and is able to route power to a small storage battery, or directly to your cell phone or MP3 player. Read more…

Sitting in traffic and trying to gauge how late you’ll be? Trying to remember what your first appointment is? Now your phone can do all that for you. A new application called Oops I’m Late combined with compatible devices (including the Blackjack and the Dash) will use your GPS enabled phone, check your calendar, and update your contacts on your location and give an estimated time of arrival.

Too bad it can’t wake you up on time and help you avoid traffic too. But at least this way, it’s an automated message, and you’re spared the awkward, “I thought I left early enough, but here I am in traffic again. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” And it lets your appointments adjust their schedules and stay productive while they’re waiting for you. So, I guess it’s the next best thing to being on time.

Last month, police in The Hague sent out a text message to neighborhood residents reporting a boat theft. An hour later, an alert citizen called in to say she saw the boat. The thief was apprehended and captured.

Using text messages to send timely public service alerts is certainly nothing new. In the U.S., the AMBER Alert system sends thousands of text messages to opt-in subscribers when it is discovered a child has been kidnapped. Some regional governments send crime alerts and even warnings of severe weather to cell phone subscribers.

What has not gained as much traction up until now, is tapping into the large cell phone user base to gather information via text messaging from the citizenry, rather than just pushing alerts out in a one-way communication channel.

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