Is text messaging becoming obsolete? New study shows texting drop in Q3

The number of text messages sent in the US has seen a drop in this year's third quarter. Could services like iMessage and Facebook Messenger replace texts?

Text messaging has arguably eliminated the need for phone calls on a day-to-day basis. It has enabled users to communicate concise messages without sitting through forced (and sometimes painful) conversations. But with texting alternatives such as Apple’s iMessage are gaining popularity, will text messaging soon become obsolete? According to a report published Monday, American cell phone carriers are seeing a decline in the number of text messages sent by each customer on a monthly basis.

The data comes from Chetan Sharma, an independent mobile analyst and wireless carrier consultant, who wrote that the number of text message exchanges in the U.S. had dropped by about 2 percent in the third quarter. This may not seem like a significant drop, but it’s a sharp difference from the steady growth that text messaging had previously seen. Sharma says it’s too early to tell if this is the beginning of a decline, but it is the first time that text messaging has begun to dwindle in the United States.

Texting saw a noteworthy boost in 2011, when 2 trillion texts were sent in the U.S. by the year’s end. This marked a 14 percent increase from 2010, according to Forrester Research, which also notes that 6 billion messages were sent per day throughout the country last year.

This current decrease in SMS usage, which stands for “Short Message Service,” a service enabled by cell phone carriers, can largely be attributed to the rise of text messaging alternatives.

One such platform is Apple’s iMessage, which operates almost exactly like a text message but only communicates between Apple devices. Therefore, iMessage completely bypasses the carrier when sending text messages between iPhones.

Another perpetrator could be Facebook’s Messenger app, which essentially exists as the mobile presence for the social network’s instant messaging feature. Unlike iMessage, Facebook’s Messenger app can be used across multiple platforms, which could give it an advantage when it comes to text messaging alternatives.

Does this mean the era of texting is coming to an end? Not exactly. Texting is still a huge part of the way people communicate via mobile devices, but the emergence of these new messaging options could hopefully lead the way toward cheaper texting plans.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/text-messaging-obsolete-dropped-q3/

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Google and Microsoft showing 'extreme' interest in UK airwaves

Look at all the wasted space! (credit: Ofcom)

The technology heavyweights could be looking to nab spectrum to start offering new services.

Google and Motorola have expressed 'extreme interest' in acquiring currently unused UK airwaves, possibly in a bid to offer broadband in the UK or begin to connect remote devices together, according to The Telegraph.

The unused spectrum – known as 'White Space' by Ofcom, which is looking to license out the frequencies – is currently used to make sure high power TV signals don't interfere with one another.

No worries – we'll have it

However, this means that lower-power devices operating in a short range would be able to make use of the space, enabling Wi-Fi routers with wider ranges or allowing things like appliances or utility meters to be better-connected within the home and through thicker walls.

The Telegraph's senior government sources have claimed that the two companies see this technology as a chance to offer something very different to Apple, with the possibility being that Wi-Fi would be available as part of the bundle when buying a top-end smartphone, thus saving consumers money and increasing speeds.

The technology, which exists in the sub 1GHz frequencies rather than the faster but shorter range 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands Wi-FI traditionally operates in, may not be able to carry data as quickly as the home router but would be able to extend the range of the signal to benefit more users.

Ofcom is also looking to extend the scheme to do the same with the white spaces in between the FM frequencies which act as buffers for the UK's radio stations, although it will likely be looking into that scheme after the TV signal repurposing is complete in 2013.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/broadband/google-and-microsoft-showing-extreme-interest-in-uk-airwaves-1110404

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EE launching its LTE network in UK on Oct. 30, pricing revealed

EE is calling its new service 4GEE and it will launch commercially stating next Tuesday (October 30). 4GEE stands for the services offered by EE's LTE network, which will allow the usual calls and texts, with the addition of mobile data speeds of about 8-12Mbps.

The 4GEE service will be initially available in only 10 UK cities (London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow), but you would be able to buy it throughout the country nonetheless.

Six new cities will be added before Christmas (Southhampton, Belfast, Derby, Hull, Nottingham, Newcastle) with plans to cover 98% of the population by the end of 2014.

All LTE smartphone plans include unlimited calls and texts, user simply pick a data allowance of their choosing. The prices of the new plans start from £36/pm (offering up to 500MB traffic) and going north to up to £56/pm (which gets you up to 8GB of traffic). So, yes, there are no unlimited plans just yet, but the offered plans are expensive enough as they are.

To make use of the 4GEE service, you would need an LTE-enabled handset purchased directly from Orange or T-Mobile or any of their partner retail stores. The only exception is the iPhone 5, which (if unlocked) would operate on 4GEE no matter where you got it from.

EE is not only launching its 4G LTE service next week but it will also be rolling out its new corporate identity. Starting on October 30, all existing Everything Everywhere, Orange and T-Mobile stores will be re-branded as EE stores.

Existing customers will keep their plans and will continue to use the combined 3G network of T-Mobile and Orange without any change (though the network identifiers on their phones will start showing EE).

However, to become a new EE subscriber, you would need to pick one of the 4GEE plans. This is a quite odd move as not that many people have the phones to utilize the LTE network. In the same time there are no EE plans without LTE connectivity and LTE coverage is pretty limited for now.

Source 1 | Source 2

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/ee_uk_lte_network_launchin_on_oct_30th_pricing_revealed-news-4986.php

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Nokia asks ethics officer to investigate faked Lumia video

Video controversy has seriously marred the launch of the Lumia 920

Nokia has enlisted the services of an ethics officer to conduct a review into the controversial 'faked' promotional video for the new Lumia 920 handset.

The video, shown at the launch last week, was supposed to show off the capabilities of the built-in 8.7-megapixel PureView stills camera and video camera, fitted with advanced image stabilising capabilities.

However, The Verge examined the video in detail and found the reflection of a cameraman within the video.

As well as the video, Nokia admitted that the still shots were also not taken with the Lumia 920.

The revelation has caused huge embarrassment and further damage to the ailing smartphone giant's reputation as it battles against the odds to re-establish itself among the mobile elite.

No disclaimer

Business Week brings word from Nokia that the ethics and compliance officer will seek to "understand what happened," and the company will deal with the issue "quickly, fairly and privately."

The company did not go as far as to claim that the device was used to produce the video, but did not say otherwise, leaving viewers to assume that all of that gorgeous footage arose from the Lumia 920.

Nokia spokeswoman Susan Sheehan said: "What we understand to date is that it was nobody's intention to mislead, but there was poor judgment in the decision not to use a disclaimer."

With falling device sales, massive job cuts and a share price in free fall, this controversy was really the last thing Nokia needed

The launch of the Lumia 920, the company's first Windows Phone 8 handset, was supposed to be the Finns' ticket back to the big time. Now it has completely lost control of the story.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/nokia-asks-ethics-officer-to-investigate-faked-lumia-video-1096082

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