Exclusive: UK’s secret Mid-East internet surveillance base is revealed in Edward Snowden leaks

Data-gathering operation is part of a £1bn web project still being assembled by GCHQ

Duncan Campbell, Oliver Wright, James Cusick, Kim Sengupta

Friday 23 August 2013

 

The surveillance station in the Middle East intercepts and processes vast quantities of emails, telephone calls and web traffic

 

Britain runs a secret internet-monitoring station in the Middle East to intercept and process vast quantities of emails, telephone calls and web traffic on behalf of Western intelligence agencies, The Independent has learnt.

The station is able to tap into and extract data from the underwater fibre-optic cables passing through the region.

The information is then processed for intelligence and passed to GCHQ in Cheltenham and shared with the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States. The Government claims the station is a key element in the West’s “war on terror” and provides a vital “early warning” system for potential attacks around the world.

The Independent is not revealing the precise location of the station but information on its activities was contained in the leaked documents obtained from the NSA by Edward Snowden. The Guardian newspaper’s reporting on these documents in recent months has sparked a dispute with the Government, with GCHQ security experts overseeing the destruction of hard drives containing the data.

The Middle East installation is regarded as particularly valuable by the British and Americans because it can access submarine cables passing through the region. All of the messages and data passed back and forth on the cables is copied into giant computer storage “buffers” and then sifted for data of special interest.

Information about the project was contained in 50,000 GCHQ documents that Mr Snowden downloaded during 2012. Many of them came from an internal Wikipedia-style information site called GC-Wiki. Unlike the public Wikipedia, GCHQ’s wiki was generally classified Top Secret or above.

The disclosure comes as the Metropolitan Police announced it was launching a terrorism investigation into material found on the computer of David Miranda, the Brazilian partner of The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald – who is at the centre of the Snowden controversy.

Edward Snowden (AFP/Getty)

Scotland Yard said material examined so far from the computer of Mr Miranda was “highly sensitive”, the disclosure of which “could put lives at risk”.

The Independent understands that The Guardian agreed to the Government’s request not to publish any material contained in the Snowden documents that could damage national security.

As well as destroying a computer containing one copy of the Snowden files, the paper’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, agreed to restrict the newspaper’s reporting of the documents.

The Government also demanded that the paper not publish details of how UK telecoms firms, including BT and Vodafone, were secretly collaborating with GCHQ to intercept the vast majority of all internet traffic entering the country. The paper had details of the highly controversial and secret programme for over a month. But it only published information on the scheme – which involved paying the companies to tap into fibre-optic cables entering Britain – after the allegations appeared in the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. A Guardian spokeswoman refused to comment on any deal with the Government.

A senior Whitehall source said: “We agreed with The Guardian that our discussions with them would remain confidential”.

But there are fears in Government that Mr Greenwald – who still has access to the files – could attempt to release damaging information.

He said after the arrest of Mr Miranda: “I will be far more aggressive in my reporting from now. I am going to publish many more documents. I have many more documents on England’s spy system. I think they will be sorry for what they did.”

David Miranda, left, with Glenn Greenwald (AP)

One of the areas of concern in Whitehall is that details of the Middle East spying base which could identify its location could enter the public domain.

The data-gathering operation is part of a £1bn internet project still being assembled by GCHQ. It is part of the surveillance and monitoring system, code-named “Tempora”, whose wider aim is the global interception of digital communications, such as emails and text messages.

Across three sites, communications – including telephone calls – are tracked both by satellite dishes and by tapping into underwater fibre-optic cables.

Access to Middle East traffic has become critical to both US and UK intelligence agencies post-9/11. The Maryland headquarters of the NSA and the Defence Department in Washington have pushed for greater co-operation and technology sharing between US and UK intelligence agencies.

The Middle East station was set up under a warrant signed by the then Foreign Secretary David Miliband, authorising GCHQ to monitor and store for analysis data passing through the network of fibre-optic cables that link up the internet around the world

The certificate authorised GCHQ to collect information about the “political intentions of foreign powers”, terrorism, proliferation, mercenaries and private military companies, and serious financial fraud.

However, the certificates are reissued every six months and can be changed by ministers at will. GCHQ officials are then free to target anyone who is overseas or communicating from overseas without further checks or controls if they think they fall within the terms of a current certificate.

The precise budget for this expensive covert technology is regarded as sensitive by the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office.

However, the scale of Middle East operation, and GCHQ’s increasing use of sub-sea technology to intercept communications along high-capacity cables, suggest a substantial investment.

Intelligence sources have denied the aim is a blanket gathering of all communications, insisting the operation is targeted at security, terror and organised crime.

Home How To How to delete yourself from the Internet

 

You may not feel like the flotsam and jetsam that make up the facts of your life are important, but increasingly companies are using that dry data to make your every online step as indelible as if written in blood. Here's how to take back your digital dignity.

by Seth Rosenblatt   April 19, 2012 6:19 PM PDT

The Internet companies that power your online life know that data equals money, and they're becoming bolder about using that data to track you. If they get their way, your every online step would be not only irrevocable, but traceable back to you. Fortunately, there are some positive steps you can take to reclaim your online history for yourself.

The online privacy software company Abine, which makes Do Not Track Plus, also offers a service called DeleteMe, which removes your data from numerous tracking sites and keeps it from coming back. In an unusual gesture, though, they've made public how to do for yourself everything that DeleteMe does. Here's my take on their advice.

Be warned, though. The following are not easy instructions, and it's not because they're technically complex. They require a tenacity and wherewithal that is likely to either exhaust you, drive you borderline bonkers, or both. (And no, I haven't followed the instructions to remove myself because it's essential to my job that I can be found by strangers.)

Step 1: Prepare yourself: You're going to have to be polite.
These instructions require patience for the antics of others and determination to get the job done. It's not a bad idea to get something inanimate to take your frustrations out on, because often getting your data successfully removed or changed will require the good faith of the person you're dealing with. Things are not likely to go your way the first time around.

Step 2: Aggressively track sites that aggressively track you.
This is where the DeleteMe service comes in. They currently charge you $99 to un-track you from the tracking data clearinghouses, which in turn sell your data to others entities. You can follow Abine's list of services and do the deed yourself, and that means writing many e-mails, sending numerous faxes, and placing enough phone calls to make you wish for a time machine so you can go back to the 19th century to do violence unto Alexander Graham Bell.

One thing that isn't clear from Abine's list is that most of these data aggregators will re-add you within a few months, so I recommend at least bi-annual checks to see if they've sucked up your data again. Be tenacious, be polite, and if this is important to you, stick with it until you get what you want.

If you're concerned about privacy and people making connections between your birthday, your address, and your Social Security number, you owe it to yourself to perform at least one Web search for your name and see what comes up. You might be unpleasantly surprised.

Step 3: To protect your reputation, removal must be done from the source.
To get Google, Bing, and other search engines to notice a change in information as it is presented on the Web, the original site hosting that information must change. It doesn't matter which site is the source. It could be Facebook, or a local blog, or a gaming forum. If it's showing up in search results, it has little to do with the search engine and everything to do with the site of origin. Once that site has changed, then you'll see a change in the search results.

Getting something removed from a site is not a scientific process, even though you must be methodical about it. Ask politely, and as I noted above, you're likely to have to ask more than once and using more than one way to communicate. You likely will have to be a rake at the gates of Hell, but one that uses words like "please" and "thank you".

Look for the name of a writer, or Web site manager, and if no contact information is listed, do a WhoIs search by typing "whois www.site-name.com". Be sure to include the quotes. That will tell you who registered the site, which is a good place to start on smaller Web sites. Look for phone numbers, e-mail, and fax numbers, and follow up your initial communication.

Once you have a name, even if you can't find a phone number or e-mail, you can probably take an educated stab at one. Use a site like E-mail Format to help you out. And in your e-mail, be sure to explain clearly, concisely, and logically why your request ought to be honored.

A willingness to compromise can get you better results, too. If, for example, your initial request to fully remove your name gets refused, see if asking to have your identity anonymized will work. And if one person at the site you've contacted keeps stalling you, see if there's another you can contact instead.

Step 4: Get Google to hustle on search engine changes.
If you've been successful in changing a site, but Google is still showing the older version, you can use Google's URL Removal Tool to accelerate the process. Note that this will require a Google account, and that if you get Google to change, you're going to have to submit requests to other major search engines like Bing separately.

Step 5: Paint over the bad with good.
In cases where you can't get the site to remove the content that's negatively affecting your reputation, you can create new, fresh, positive content to counteract it. The idea is that the Positive You will bury the Negative You. Rick Santorum is a great example of how this can work in reverse, and no, I'm not going to link to it for you.

You can also use social-networking sites to bury bad news. From About.Me to Flickr to Twitter, social networks tend to rank highly in search results. By creating and maintaining accounts that use your real name, you can elevate the social networking results for your name and, ideally, drop the results you want to bury onto the second page of results. Since studies show that second-page results are viewed significantly less often than first-page, this could be a successful burying strategy.

However, a key component of this is linking the networks, so be prepared to do far more social networking than you had been.

Step 6: Go (politely) nuclear. Get a lawyer.
If you suspect something is actually defamatory, seek out legal advice. Gather your evidence, be polite and firm, and seek out someone who can guide you through the thorny legal thicket. This will also depend on your country -- England has much broader defamation and libel laws than the United States does -- and your budget.

There is no foolproof method for changing how you're presented on the Internet, whether looking at purely personally-identifiable data or the much more subjective presentation of your personal reputation. However, if these are concerns of yours, you're not alone out there, and these six steps will give you concrete actions you can take to reclaim your identity and repair how others see you.

Dell's Impressive Android, Windows Phone 7 Handsets Leaked

 

 

Sarah Jacobsson

Apr 22, 2010 7:30 am

It looks like Apple isn't the only one losing control of its smartphones--Engadget reports that a slew of Dell handsets were leaked on Wednesday, including a high-end Windows Phone 7 handset (the "Lightning"), and three Android phones.

Leaked: Dell Lightning Windows Phone 7 Handset

The renders are pretty gorgeous, I have to admit--and the specs aren't too bad either. Both the high-end Windows device and its Android equivalent (the "Thunder") feature 4.1-inch WVGA OLED touch screen displays and, presumably, 1GHz QSD8250 Snapdragon processors, while the other two Android phones are slick and skinny at under 11mm thick.

Take a look at these sexy handsets (details and pictures below) and let us know what you think in the comments!

Dell Lightning

Platform: Windows Phone 7

The Dell Lightning is a candy bar slider that includes a full QWERTY keyboard, 4.1-inch WVGA OLED capacitive touch screen, and 5-megapixel autofocus camera. Internal specs are said to be a 1GHz QSD8250 Snapdragon processor, 1GB flash ROM with 512MB RAM plus a MicroSD card slot coupled with an 8GB MicroSD card.

The apparent marketing material Engadget got hold of suggests the Lightning will also have GPS, an acceleromater, a compass, FM radio, and...full Flash video (including video playback). Wow. AT&T and T-Mobile 3G support is listed. According the materials, the Lightning will hit stores in Q4 of this year, with an LTE model to follow by Q4 of 2011.

Dell Thunder

Platform: Android 2.1

Dell's Android answer to the Lightning looks to be the Thunder: a touch screen phone that boasts a 4.1-inch WVGA OLED display, an 8-megapixel camera, and on-device image editing software. The handset is supposedly geared toward "creative explorers" and "affluent professionals" who want to connect seamlessly with their social network without losing any style points.

Engadget suggests that the Thunder houses the same 1GHz QSD8250 processor as does the Lightning, though the spec sheet hasn't been released. The Thunder features Flash 10.1 for web video watching, along with an "integrated Hulu app." While the Thunder will run Android 2.1, it will do so under the custom Dell "Stage" user interface.

According to leaked info, the phone will be sold in AT&T and HSDPA versions in Q4 of this year, with a potential LTE model coming out around the end of 2011.

Dell Flash

Platform: Android 2.x aka Froyo (due after Android 2.1 aka Eclair)

Dell's mainstream Android phone is so sexy, you may not even have to hold out for the Thunder. Dubbed the "Flash," it features an "innovative design with unique curved glass," and is "geared toward creative-types".

The Flash packs an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor, a 3.5-inch WVGA TFT touch screen display, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, and Flash 10.1. It'll also feature 512MB RAM and up to 64GB of external memory via a MicroSD card. Dell bills the phone as being super-connectable, with support for USB, WiFi (b/g with UPnP/DLNA), AGPS, 3.5mm, and Bluetooth v. 3.0. The phone will be just 11 mm thick and has a target weight of less than 115 grams.

The Flash will be available (hopefully) in the first quarter of 2011, though it's unclear as to whether it will be AT&T branded or unlocked and compatible with AT&T. While it will run Android Froyo, it may also feature the custom Dell "Stage" UI skin.

Dell Smoke

Platform: Android 2.x Froyo

Targeted at corporate consumers, the Dell Smoke is a candy bar style Android Froyo-running smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard and a "price that won't break the bank." The Smoke will feature the same "Stage" UI of the aforementioned Android phones, and sets itself apart from other business phones with an elliptical, slender "non-conforming" style. At 59.8 by 120 by 10.5 mm, the device is described as "perfectly pocketable."

The Smoke features an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor, 512MB/256MB of internal memory with a MicroSD card slot that supports up to 32GB. It also has a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, 14.4Mbps HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and dual-mic noise canceling.

The Smoke apparently won't appear until Q2 of 2011, but it looks like it will definitely be worth the wait.

Dell Aero

Platform: Android 1.5

Meanwhile, the Dell Aero that we've been hearing about may not be as fast or shiny as the other leaked handsets, but it has a tentative release date of Q2 this year on AT&T. That makes it the first handset we're likely to see, which is only really important if you're impatient.

The Aero is now said to feature a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen (plus capacitive stylus for handwriting), 5-megapixel autofocus camera, and weighs in at 104 grams at just 11.7 mm thick. It has a somewhat slow (compared to the other leaks) 624MHz Marvell processor, but it comes with some nifty software such as QuickOffice, and support for Microsoft ActiveSync and Exchange.

The Aero also has a WebKit browser, Flashlite, and reportedly some sort of media player that will support music streaming and download ability. Dell does plan on updating the Aero to Android 2.1 sometime between Q3 and Q4 of 2009, though it's unclear as to whether or not this will be an OTA update.

So it seems that Dell has invested heavily in Android (it also has Android iPad rivals in the works), but the sexy "Lightning" suggests it hasn't forgotten about Windows Phone 7, either. Which device interests you the most?

 

What we didn't get from iPhone OS 4

by Nicole Lee

 

We were pleased to see much of our iPhone OS wish list checked off Thursday at Apple's iPhone OS 4.0 event. Finally, we'll have multitasking, folders, improved e-mail, and more. But just to be thorough, we have to look over the common wish list items that appear to be lacking from the iPhone OS announcement.

iPhone OS 4 brought us many good things, but there are still some things missing.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

• Mass storage mode: We would've liked to see an easier way to just drag and drop files from our computer to the iPhone without having to go through a third-party app.
• Tethering with AT&T: Yes, we know this is already possible with the current OS, but AT&T in the U.S. have not gotten onboard with it yet (tethering is currently available in other countries like Canada and the U.K.). We were hoping we would hear more about it at the event, but no dice there.
• Audio profiles: It would have been nice if the iPhone had different audio profiles for different environments that you could easily switch between.
• Flash support in Safari: Yeah, this was a pie-in-the-sky wish, but we know a lot of you out there wanted it.
• FM radio: Another one that was highly unlikely, but again, we know there are some who want it.
• Wi-Fi syncing: We would've really liked it if we could sync or back up our information on the iPhone over Wi-Fi instead of having to plug in our USB cable.
• Built-in photo editing: We know you can get third-party photo editors on the iPhone but it would be nice to have a built-in one as well.
• Printer support: This is a little more relevant to the iPad, but we also wished iPhone OS 4 would provide some printer driver support, which would be very helpful for printing out documents and notes.
• Multiple notification bar: On Android, there is a handy pull down area where you can see all of your recent notifications, like for your new messages or new voicemails. It would be nice to see that on the iPhone as well.

These are just a few that were on our list. Was there anything that you wanted out of iPhone OS 4.0 but didn't get? Sound off in our comments section below.

 

Nicole Lee is an associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets. E-mail Nicole.

What we didn't get from iPhone OS 4 | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews

Apple's iPhone OS 4.0 No Threat to Android

 

 

For fans of Apple's iPhone, the unveiling of the new iPhone OS 4.0 is a big deal. It's the first time, after all, iPhone users will be able to do basic things like multitasking, setting their own wallpapers, and placing folders on their home screens.

For the rest of the smartphone world, however, these features are old news. The truth about Apple's iPhone 4.0 update is that -- despite Steve Jobs' tendency to describe it with words like "amazing," "wonderful," and "delightful" -- it doesn't offer anything substantial that Android-powered devices haven't offered for quite some time.

That's why the iPhone's new software alone shouldn't pose much threat to Android's ever-increasing growth within the mobile market.

Apple iPhone 4.0 and Android

Let's face it: Multitasking, the flagship feature of the new iPhone OS, is a key component of the Android experience. While Jobs may claim the iPhone OS 4.0's multitasking interface is the "best," it'd be surprising if its existence made much of a dent in Android's momentum -- especially when you consider that Apple will allow multitasking only in carefully defined and limited circumstances. This may be done in the name of improving the user experience, but it still accomplishes that by restricting what the user can do -- something Android goes to great lengths to avoid.

Moving down the list, the wallpaper and folder settings introduced in Apple's iPhone OS 4.0 are a tiny slice of the home screen customization options available on Android devices. And the iPhone's new unified mailbox is already a core element of the Android OS, too.

The iPhone 4's iBooks integration and Game Center network, then, are really the update's two features that could offer unique commercial appeal. But these are both closed, proprietary systems that limit your life to Apple's ecosystem -- and that tends to be something the type of person who veers to Android doesn't appreciate.

iPhone OS 4.0 in the Mobile Market

Where Apple's iPhone OS 4.0 could succeed is in encouraging owners of the iPhone 3G and the original iPhone to upgrade in order to reap the software's full benefits (the iPhone 3G will support some of the 4.0 update's features, while the original iPhone will not be compatible at all). In terms of any large-scale market impact, however, I'd be surprised if the software alone does much to dampen Android's growth; put simply, the update feels more like Apple trying to catch up than Apple fighting to pull ahead.

Mots clés Google : See more like this: apple, apple iphone, iphone, android, google, handhelds, wireless technology

Cisco's new carrier routing system, the CRS-3

 

Cisco's new carrier routing system, the CRS-3, while boasting considerable speed and capacity, will take some time to translate into high-speed content delivery for end-users.

”Cisco's announcement of 322Tbps, including packet inspection at that speed, is impressive,” says Naresh Soni, CTO of wireless technology developer InterDigital. However, it will take 18 to 24 months for the end-user to see the benefits, he adds.

While upgrading the core network is a step in the right direction, Soni says network optimisation should include the edge and end-point as well.

Cisco announced its upgraded routing system earlier this week, throwing around some hefty numbers, including 322Tbps capacity – triple that of its previous router, and 12 times that of its closest competitor, according to the company.

Put differently, this enables every film ever created to be streamed in less than four minutes, and every woman, man, and child in China to make a video call, simultaneously, says Cisco.

But commentators are quick to point out these speeds will not translate into the consumer's experience. “The speeds they claim are only possible if the routers are configured in a specific way, a configuration which is unlikely to be used, because it would require far too much space and power,” says Ryan Smit, research analyst at BMI-TechKnowledge.

“Even if it was configured in that manner, users would not be able to experience those speeds, because of other constraints on networks, such as the bandwidth limitations of last-mile connectivity.”

According to Soni, the new router is a next-generation product evolution, pitched at attractive cost points, which service providers will use if they want to upgrade their networks. But upgrades are extensive, he adds, and have to include the whole network, including edge, backhaul and end-points.

Traffic overload

According to Cisco, the new routing system will accelerate the delivery of broadband communications to keep pace with the incredible growth of video transmission, mobile devices and online services.

Cisco's Visual Networking Index states annual global IP traffic will quintuple from 2008 to 2013, with this year's forecast predicting 510 exabytes per year in 2012, growing to 667 exabytes in 2013. Overall, IP traffic will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 40%, the company states.

“Going forward, the increasing convergence of technologies and development of one digital platform for service delivery is driving a lot of data consumption,” says Soni.

He adds there's been a shift in the value chain. “Previously, device makers would sell devices to carriers, which then provide services to the user. Now, companies like Google, Apple and Nokia are delivering services directly to the user, which is driving huge levels of content consumption.”

Global telecoms provider AT&T recently conducted a successful test of the CRS-3, in a field trial of 100-Gigabit backbone network technology, which could help it deal with exploding traffic volumes. The carrier says it handled 40% more traffic on network last year than in 2008, with the trend continuing in 2010.

“Carriers are making incremental upgrades to infrastructure, but applications are constantly growing to consume additional capacity,” notes Soni. “The growth of mobile Internet, improvements in browsing technologies on mobile phones, as well as the increase in smartphone penetration, means data consumption is growing at a much higher rate than carriers can cope with.”

According to Smit, the CRS-3's greatest impact will be on telecoms providers, as the major target market. “It will allow them to route far more data at the back-end than they were previously able to do.”

He adds that the routing of data is only one piece of the puzzle. “But it does mean that, going into the future, at least the potential bottleneck has been widened.”

Soni argues a “brute force” approach to the bandwidth crunch, including extensions, new air interfaces, and network upgrades, is not enough. “You have to look at how to evolve the network in a holistic way, and reduce the backhaul load. This is where the big bottlenecks occur and you have to consider the whole chain from core to edge to end-point holistically.”

Video star

According to Cisco, in addition to capacity requirements, the growth of mobile and video applications is creating multidirectional traffic patterns, and driving the emergence of the data centre cloud. This is something the CRS-3 targets, by enabling the unified service delivery of cloud services, says the company.

Soni notes that cloud services are becoming more affordable, and points to the growth in computing power of mobile devices. “Processors in laptops and smartphones are rivalling that of desktop counterparts, but one has to consider the computing versus communications ratio. Where computing is required to process and render data, effective communications have to deliver that data intelligently.”

He argues cloud services will not benefit from the CRS-3 immediately, only when the whole network is optimised. Smit agrees: “It will not enable greater delivery of cloud computing until the other bottle-necks are addressed as well.”

Martin Springer, business manager for Cisco at BT, says the services the router offers are extremely impressive, with the ability to move large amounts of video data, direct access to data centres, and power savings.

“But from a South African perspective, it's going to be difficult to take advantage of these capabilities straight away, because they're very bandwidth-intensive.”

He notes that video is one of the CRS-3's key differentiators. “It can accommodate video in a way other routers aren't able to, and this ability to move video and collaborate around the world is a key driver for most ICT companies.”

While the router's high bandwidth requirements will delay its uptake locally, Springer is confident the technology will enter the market soon. ”It's an innovative concept, and something we can build on and gear up for in future.”

Mots clés Google : Cisco's, carrier routing system, CRS-3G

l'iPhone ne pourra pas être utilisé comme modem 3G avec l'iPad

 

 

« Non, l'iPhone ne pourra pas être utilisé comme modem 3G avec l'iPad ». C'est la réponse très officielle que Steve Jobs lui-même a donné à un bloggeur suédois qui lui a posé la question par courriel.

 

Vous étiez intéressé par la version Wi-Fi de l’iPad et comptiez utiliser votre iPhone pour vous connecter en 3G quand aucun hot-spot n’aurait été disponible ? Ce n’est pas la peine d’y penser ! La réponse vient officiellement de Steve Jobs, le P-DG d’Apple, interrogé sur le sujet via e-mail par un bloggeur suédois du site Slashat.se, Jezper Soderlund.
Si la réponse de Jobs est laconique (il a juste répondu à l’email de Jezper Soderlund par le simple mot « non »), elle a le mérite d’être claire. Reste que celle-ci était prévisible à la vue de la gamme iPad dévoilée en janvier. En effet, avec des modèles 3G et Wi-Fi prévus au catalogue, Apple ne veut pas phagocyter les ventes d’abonnement 3G de ses partenaires opérateurs téléphoniques (comme AT&T aux Etats-Unis) en permettant aux futurs possesseurs du modèle uniquement Wi-Fi de bénéficier quand même d’une connexion 3G via un iPhone. En plus clair, pour la 3G, il faudra opter pour un modèle équipé 3G et de préférence acquis avec un abonnement data. (Eureka Presse)
la rédaction, CNET France

L'iPhone ne pourra pas être utilisé comme modem de l'iPad - News : Mobilité - high tech - Nouvelobs.com

Mots clés Google : iPad, iPhone, Apple, 3G

Apple turns up heat in Nokia battle

 

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia said it would defend itself vigorously against Apple's new complaint to the United States International Trade Commission.

Technology  |  Media

The two phone giants are in the midst of a major legal battle, which started last October when Nokia charged Apple for using its patented technologies without paying for them.

Apple filed the new ITC complaint on Friday.

"Nokia will study the complaint when it is received and continue to defend itself vigorously," said a company spokesman.

"However, this does not alter the fact that Apple has failed to agree appropriate terms for using Nokia technology and has been seeking a free ride on Nokia's innovation since it shipped the first iPhone in 2007," he said.

In late December Nokia also filed a claim with the ITC, alleging Apple infringed seven of its patents in "virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers" sold.

"The fact that two such prominent companies have now filed complaints will likely mean the ITC will seek to deal with this as a matter of urgency," said Ben Wood, head of research at British consultancy CCS Insight.

"That said, a lengthy legal battle is almost inevitable irrespective of a decision from the trade commission," he said.

The ITC can ban selling products in the United States -- a market crucial for Apple, but Nokia makes only a fraction of its sales there.

Analysts say it could take years to solve the legal battle.

"This dispute is still in its infancy. I don't think Nokia is finished with evaluating the infringements by Apple, it might be just the surface," said Steven Nathasingh, chief executive of U.S. research firm Vaxa Inc.

Nokia, along with Ericsson and Qualcomm, holds many key patents for making mobile phones.

Nokia has stumbled badly in the fast-growing smartphone sector and relative newcomer Apple has gained ground against the market leader thanks to the iPhone, but still trails Nokia in smartphones sales.

The legal dispute, potentially involving hundreds of millions of dollars in annual royalties, reflects the shifting balance of power in the mobile industry as cellphones morph into handheld computers that can play video games and surf the Web.

Apple, which entered the industry in mid-2007, overtook Nokia in the September quarter as the cellphone maker generating the highest total operating profit.

Google Mots clés : Nokia, Apple, iphone vs nokia

Nokia présente son premier combiné équipé de Linux

 

REUTERS | 27.08.2009 | 17:46

Par Tarmo Virki

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia a dévoilé jeudi son premier téléphone haut de gamme équipé du système d'exploitation libre et gratuit Linux.

Le premier fabricant mondial de combinés s'emploie à utiliser le logiciel 'open source', dont le code est public et modifiable, depuis 2005.

A cette époque, le fabricant l'avait équipé sur ses "tablettes internet", des appareils nomades de la taille d'un téléphone et permettant d'accéder au web mais le produit avait manqué son rendez-vous avec le grand public notamment du fait de l'absence de connexion mobile.

Son nouveau modèle N900, équipé cette fois-ci de la technologie cellulaire et disposant d'un écran tactile et d'un clavier coulissant, sera vendu à un prix avoisinant les 500 euros, hors subventions et taxes.

Le système d'exploitation de Nokia, le très solide Symbian, est installé sur la moitié des 'smartphones' (combinés multimédias) vendus actuellement, soit plus que ses concurrents Apple, Research in Motion et Google réunis.

Nokia a déclaré que Linux serait utilisé en parallèle avec Symbian pour ses produits haut de gamme.

"Il n'est aucunement question de mettre en danger Symbian", a déclaré à Reuters Anssi Vanjoki, directeur des ventes chez Nokia.

"L'open source Symbian sera notre plate-forme principale et nous continuons à la développer et à la faire grossir du mieux possible, à la fois en termes de fonctionnalités que de distribution (...), en équipant de plus en plus nos produits avec Symbian", a-t-il ajouté.

Le N900 sera doté d'un microprocesseur Cortex-A8 produit par ARM.

Linux est le plus populaire des systèmes d'exploitation libres, dits open source. Il est en concurrence avec Windows de Microsoft, que la firme de Redmond vend et dont le code source n'est pas modifiable librement.

Version française Patrice Mancino

Google Mots clés : Nokia, symbian, apple, google, linux

Africa as a mobile banking benchmark

 

Africa probably boast the most advanced, oldest and most successful examples of mobile banking solutions on the planet today. It is not difficult to understand why, as this is also one of the fastest growing markets for mobile telephony in the world.

The Celpay deployment in Zambia was one of the first mobile payment solution deployed and is still operational today. This implementation currently manages about 2% of Zambia's GNP on mobile payments. I am not aware of any other mobile payment solution that can make the same claim. One of the other Celpay deployments (in the DRC - a country as large as most of Europe and with a population of more than 120 million people) runs roughly five million mobile payment transactions a month.

Other solutions (like the m-Pesa deployment) is often quoted by Vodafone as THE Vodafone mobile payment reference. This solution runs on the Vodafone network in Kenya (Safaricom) and boasts advanced cash management capabilities. Wizzit (an innovative mobile banking deployment for the under-banked) is often quoted as an example of empowerment of under-banked and the creation of jobs.

In a country like Nigeria (one of the most oil-rich countries in the world) one finds many advanced mobile banking and payment solutions - supported by advanced central bank regulations. Deployments like eTranzact, Flash-me-Cash and mobile banking provided by the central switch (Interswitch) must definitely be rated as some of the most advanced deployments in the world, with a large take-up and growing.

Every bank in South Africa have deployed advanced mobile banking and payment solutions. This market is currently growing at the rate of more than thirty-five thousand subscribers per month. The mobile banking market have grown to one million subscribers in just over two years. Few countries can claim this achievement. The MTN banking deployment in South Africa (an innovative product supported by MTN - the largest operator in Africa and Standard Bank - the largest bank in Africa) features advanced and unique characteristics (like a banking starter pack and "pay-as-you-go" banking to name a few).

It is no doubt that Africa is one of the leaders in mobile banking with advanced solutions and successful references.

Google Mots clés : Mbanking, mobile banking, Payment systems, HPS, Interswitch, Morocco, Nigeria, MTN, Vodfone

L’Afrique, laboratoire du mobile banking

 

 

 

La multiplication des offres de micro-crédit via téléphonie mobile fait de l’Afrique la rampe de lancement de services innovants qui pourraient être déclinés demain en Europe.

Fin 2008, 270 millions d’Africains sur près d’un milliard étaient abonnés à un opérateur de téléphonie mobile. Ce nombre devrait quasiment doubler à l’horizon 2013. Le mobile connaît en Afrique une explosion fulgurante. Orange, par exemple, a vu en 2007 le volume de ses abonnements progresser de plus de 40 % sur le continent. Parallèlement, l’Afrique enregistre des taux de bancarisation extrêmement faibles. Selon la Banque mondiale, moins de 20 % des ménages ont accès aux services bancaires. Localement, ce taux peut descendre en-deça de 5%. Bref, dans certains pays, le pourcentage de la population équipée d’un téléphone portable dépasse le taux de citoyens bancarisés. Dans certaines zones, le nombre de terminaux mobiles est même supérieur à celui des prises électriques...

Explosion du mobile, faible bancarisation… Et pourquoi ne pas utiliser le portable comme une carte de paiement ? Pour proposer aux citoyens des services minimaux d’échanges commerciaux, mais aussi pour leur offrir un accès à des dispositifs d’émancipation économique, notamment via le micro-crédit. C’est la finalité du mobile banking, qui multiplie les initiatives sur le continent africain. Mobile banking, Mbanking, m-payement, SMS Banking… Quelle que soit la désignation utilisée, le principe le même : le détenteur d’une carte SIM peut, via un SMS, envoyer et recevoir de l’argent, payer une facture, détenir un compte, obtenir un micro-financement…

La multiplication des initiatives fait de l’Afrique le berceau de services innovants qui pourraient être lancés demain en Europe. Pionnier de ce modèle, Safaricom, le leader des opérateurs mobile au Kenya, qui enregistre plus de 1 000 nouveaux abonnés par jour. Avec M-Pesa, Safaricom et Vodafone permettent aux abonnés d’envoyer des fonds qui peuvent ensuite être retirés dans les magasins de téléphonie mobile sur tout le territoire. La plate-forme de mobile banking assurer également la distribution et le remboursement de prêts accordés par une institution de micro finance. En deux ans, l’offre a rallié plus de 3 millions de clients.

D’autres opérateurs se sont lancés, comme Wizzit, banque mobile sud-africaine proposant des services à moindre coût. En mars 2009, un autre opérateur sud-africain, MTN, a annoncé le lancement en Côte d’Ivoire d’un service bancaire permettant aux clients de régler des achats ou de vérifier le solde de leurs comptes par SMS. L’entreprise d’étendre très prochainement son offre à vingt autres pays d’Afrique. Orange, implanté dans une quinzaine de pays du continent, n’a pas tardé à lancer son propre protocole de mobile banking, en le testant d’abord en Côte d’Ivoire. Avant de le déployer au Sénégal ou encore au Mali, notamment au travers d’un accord avec PlaNet Finance, organisation de microcrédit active dans près de 80 pays.

Google Mots clés : mobile banking, mbanking, payment systems, HPS

Etisalat to bid for Morocco Meditel stake

Google Mots clés : Meditel, Etisalat, TELECOM, Morocco, Emirates

 

Emirates Telecommunications Corp will bid for a stake in Morocco’s Meditel as it looks to expand in the Middle East and Africa, the telecom chairman said on Friday.

Emirates Telecom (Etisalat) will also continue to pursue the telecom licence in Iran it was stripped of last week, Mohammed Hassan Omran told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea in Jordan.

”We are looking for opportunities in the Middle East and Africa, especially at this time there are some good assets,” Mr Omran told Reuters Television. ”Assets are becoming cheap ... we see them becoming more cheap in coming months.”

”We are expecting (to get) Morocco ... We are participating in the bid for Morocco ... Meditel and we are working hard for Syria and Lebanon,” Mr Omran said, without giving further details.

Portugal Telecom has appointed Morgan Stanley to sell its 32 per cent stake in Meditel, Morocco’s second-largest telecoms company, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month.

The telecom operator is facing stiffer competition in its home market of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where some analysts are predicting there will be more job cuts and a decline in the population, which will weigh on the earnings of Etisalat and rival du.

When asked if Etisalat was likely to be able to match the 4 per cent rise in profit it achieved in the first quarter, Mr Omran said: ”We are working hard to maintain that and even get it better.”

He said the UAE market was becoming more difficult because expatriates were leaving, but Etisalat expected growth in Saudi Arabia, where its affiliate Etihad Etisalat was doing ”better than expected”.

Etisalat Egypt, the third mobile phone operator to enter the Egyptian market, was also performing ”better than competitors”, Mr Omran said.

Saudi Arabia is the most-populous Gulf Arab country and Egypt has the largest population in the Arab world.

The chairman said the company was not giving up on its lost bid for Iran’s third mobile telephone license.

Iran took the license away from Etisalat and its consortium partners in May, saying it ”had not fulfilled its obligations”.

The company said in January when it won the license that it planned to invest up to $5bn over five years in its Iranian operation.

”In Iran, we made the best bid. Our partner could not continue and that ended up disqualifying the consortium,” Mr Omran said. ”We are evaluating the possibilities. It is the big market and it has a lot of potential. But it is complex. The game is not over for us in Iran.”

FT.com / Middle East / Finance - Etisalat to bid for Morocco Meditel stake

Le HTC Magic part à la conquête de l'iPhone d'Apple en bénéficiant d'un système d'exploitation inédit, fourni gratuitement par Google.

 

 

Ecran tactile, GPS, accéléromètre, navigateur internet, mail, connexion 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth... Le HTC Magic que nous avons pu essayer en avant première fait irrémédiablement penser à l'iPhone. Il s'inscrit dans la lignée des nombreux appareils sortis par la concurrence (Samsung, LG, Nokia...) depuis quelques mois pour tenter de rattraper leur retard en termes d'ergonomie et de confort de surf sur le mobile à succès d'Apple.

A l'usage, le HTC Magic nous a séduit. Allégé de son clavier coulissant au profit d'un clavier virtuel, il apparait plus fin et plus léger que son prédécesseur, le HTC Dream, sorti en novembre sur le marché américain, et qu'Orange vient tout juste d'intégrer à son catalogue. Plus réduit également que l'iPhone, il se range facilement dans une poche de pantalon même si l'affichage des pages internet ou des photos s'en trouve logiquement diminué. Côté navigation tactile, la sensation s'avère comparable à celle de son principal rival, et l'ergonomie générale se situe au-dessus de la moyenne.

Nous avons aimé la possibilité de permuter parmi trois bureaux coulissants (trois écrans d'accueil) sur lesquels on affiche les icônes et les gadgets de son choix. Toutes les fonctionnalités multimédias sont au menu (audio, vidéo) et le surf en 3G n'a posé aucun problème. Les pages internet se chargent rapidement, et l'on se déplace sur la page du bout d'un doigt à moins que l'on ne préfère utiliser le mini trackball situé en bas de l'appareil. Tout au plus pourra-t-on regretter l'absence du multi-touch (pour redimensionner les photos avec deux doigts), mais Apple a clairement fait savoir qu'il attaquerait quiconque tenterait d'utiliser sa technologie brevetée.

Une fenêtre ouverte sur le monde Google

Le HTC Magic se distingue surtout par l'emploi du nouveau système d'exploitation Android développé par Google. Construit sur le même principe que Linux pour PC, Android est un système gratuit et libre, c'est-à-dire ouvert aux contributions de tous. Tout développeur peut donc le modifier ou apporter des briques supplémentaires à l'édifice sous la forme d'applications à télécharger sur l'Android Market, un service en ligne de Google. Plus de 800 applications étaient déjà disponibles à la fin janvier 2009, dont quelques centaines gratuitement. On y trouve des jeux vidéo, dont le célèbre Pac-Man de Namco, des guides pour trouver hôtels ou restaurants, ou encore des logiciels de messagerie ou de gestion de ses pages MySpace. Google imite ici en tout point le principe de l'App Store pour Iphone et iPod Touch mais avec un esprit d'ouverture (des concours de jeunes développeurs sont organisés) qui pourrait déboucher rapidement sur un catalogue extrêmement riche.

Si le Magic n'affiche pas de caractéristiques technologiques spectaculaires, sa contribution dans le domaine du mobile s'avère plus insidieuse. Son innovation majeure réside dans l'intégration affirmée du monde Google. Le géant américain, qui réalise presque la totalité de son chiffre d'affaires avec la gestion de liens sponsorisés (sur son moteur de recherche, dans ses services en ligne, mais aussi dans la fourniture de ces liens à des sites à fort trafic), a bien saisi le potentiel énorme de l'internet mobile, notamment depuis la sortie de l'iPhone, qui a véritablement représenté le coup d'envoi d'une nouvelle manière de consommer l'internet.

Plutôt que de laisser Apple, Rim (sur les BlackBerry), Nokia (avec le système Symbian) ou encore Microsoft (avec Windows Mobile) installer leur univers sur les mobiles et smartphones des usagers, Google a eu l'astucieuse idée de confectionner son propre système, intégrant ses applications et ses services en ligne. Fourni gratuitement (contrairement à ses concurrents) dans un esprit de partage cher au net (mais pas du tout désintéressé), Android permet de concentrer les utilisateurs autour des services Google, et ainsi de faire progresser son audience sur le net. Les annonceurs apprécieront et l'on devrait rapidement voir fleurir des liens commerciaux sur les pages internet dédiées aux mobiles, plutôt préservées jusque-là.

Android contient toutes les applications et services Google dont vous pouvez avoir besoin et leur intégration parfaite garantit un confort d'utilisation exceptionnel. Il est possible d'effectuer une recherche directement depuis l'écran d'accueil du mobile, d'accéder à Gmail d'une seule pression du doigt, ou de visualiser des vidéos sur YouTube en moins de cinq secondes. Pour bénéficier de l'ensemble du mode Google, il convient de créer un compte, notamment pour utiliser Gmail ou Google Agenda. Cette opération requiert moins d'une minute et vous donne alors accès à l'Android Market. Nous avons alors téléchargé quelques applications le plus simplement du monde en sélectionnant un thème puis le logiciel désiré. L'installation d'un casse-briques, gratuite, n'a pas demandé plus de trente secondes.

Si les aficionados du moteur de recherche se réjouiront de ces facilités d'accès, certains trouveront cette omniprésence envahissante. Comme par exemple le géant Microsoft qui, après avoir écopé d'une amende de 899 millions d'euros pour abus de po- sition dominante, se voit aujourd'hui reprocher l'intégration systématique d'Internet Explorer à Windows par la Commission européenne. Un avis partagé par la Fondation Mozilla, éditrice du navigateur Firefox, et par... Google.

On conseillera donc le Magic aux utilisateurs des services Google ainsi qu'aux allergiques à l'iPhone, désormais trop populaire au goût de certains. Mais le Magic pourrait ne représenter que la première vague d'un tsunami général sur le monde du mobile si les constructeurs décident d'adopter massivement Android qui, rappelons-le, est gratuit et appelé à évoluer rapidement. Samsung et LG travaillent déjà sur des appareils tournant sous Android et Asus envisage de le faire fonctionner sur sa prochaine génération de netbooks.

Dans l'immédiat, il faudra vous contenter du Magic (ou du Dream, avant fin mars chez Orange). En exclusivité chez SFR, il sera disponible sur la boutique en ligne le 16 avril, et le 22 avril en magasin. Il faudra compter 99 euros pour le mobile et ajouter 8 euros mensuels pour un forfait Illimithics 3G + (à partir de 46,90 euros par mois pour 3 heures d'appel). Parallèlement, SFR proposera également l'iPhone à partir du 8 avril.

Google Mots clés : Le HTC Magic, iPhone, Apple, Google.

Mobile banking in Africa

 

Fundamo was one of the first companies that demonstrated a working mobile payment solution with the first pilot in conjunction with Boland Bank announced during 2000. Absa Bank launched the first commercial mobile banking solution during 2002 in South Africa. Absa claims that more than 300 000 subscribers have enrolled for the service to date. This early launch have been followed up with launches of different types of solutions from Standard Bank, FNB, Nedcor, Investec and others. Although numbers are not readily available, a rough estimate of more than a million mobile banking subscribers is not far off. This is amazing if one considers the short time that mobile banking has been available.
During the past five years many initiatives were announced and often launched in South Africa. Many large technology companies and smaller ones made announcements and then disappeared again. South African companies that offered mobile banking solutions include Prism, Namitech, Cointel and Paym8. The launch of Wizzit in conjunction with Bank of Athens was so spectacular that they featured on CNN, Financial Mail and many other publications. Citibank and Standard and Chartered played with ideas to use the mobile channel to enter the South African market with a different and exciting angle, but did not implement.
The launch of MTN Banking during 2005 can be considered as the ultimate mobile banking solution with many new angles and an exciting offering. Combining mobile concepts with banking a totally new banking experience was created. Some of the concepts like "a banking starter pack", "pay as you bank" etc. worked well to grow a subscriber base quickly into hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Today, South Africa is one of the leading examples of successful mobile banking deployments.
With the exception of South Africa and the successful deployments of Celpay in the DRC and Zambia (supported by Fundamo technology), quite a number of other examples of mobile payment and banking solutions exist in Africa. Celpay is one of the first mobile payment solutions deployed in the world and provides advanced payment functionality in countries with little (if any) payment infrastructure. It has been reported that Celpay payments in Zambia now accounts for almost 4% of the GNP.
Nigeria has turned into a hotbed of mobile payment innovation with one of the mobile operators Glo offering a product called Glomoney since launch. This solution provides mobile payment features on ATM cards from most banks. The solution is supported by one of the ATM switches called Interswitch who is now rolling this out to other banks and talking of providing it also via Celtel. (The solution initially available on special SIM cards, is now also available via a Java client to be downloaded on the phone). Other successful initiatives are from a company called eTranxact whom operates the solution themselves. The same technology is currently in production in Zimbabwe with Kingdom Bank. Flash-me-Cash is a SMS based viral payment mechanism that are claiming to have more than 500 000 subscribers and is based on a structured SMS solution.
Another area in Africa with a number of initiatives under way or in production is Kenya and surrounding countries. A number of banks recently announced mobile banking solutions. A noteworthy example is Consolidated Bank with a USSD mobile banking offering. South African company, Paym8 have deployed their solution since 2005 with Safaricom and is claiming an acceptable take-up. Card payment acquirer, iVeri (a Blue Label company) offers mobile payment functionality in Rwanda. One of the most important initiatives, however is the Vodafone backed mPesa initiative. This technology (developed in London) has been in pilot deployment since early 2006 and was recently placed in production with Vodafone subsidiary Safaricom. mPesa is receiving massive backing from London and is poised to be rolled out to other Vodafone networks (Egypt and possibly South Africa). The technology is SIM based and well designed with good “cash-out” functionality. A recently announced collaboration with Citibank allows for money remittance from London to Kenya.
A North African example is the roll-out of a mobile payment solution in conjunction with VISA in Morocco. The technology utilised was provided by French company Upaid and supported in country by Maroc Telecom and BCP (a bank). Other examples in North Africa are initiatives launched in Egypt and Tunisia.

A perspective on the History

The first mobile banking and payment initiatives was announced during 1999 (the same year that Fundamo deployed their first prototype). The first major deployment was made by a company called Paybox (largely supported financially by Deutsche Bank). The company was founded by two young German’s (Mathias Entemann and Eckart Ortwein) and successfully deployed the solution in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Spain and the UK. At about 2003 more than a million people were registered on Paybox and the company were rated by Gartner as the leader in the field. Unfortunately Deutsche Bank withdraw their financial support and the company had to reorganise quickly. All but the operations in Austria closed down.
Another early starter and also identified as a leader in the field was a Spanish initiative (backed by BBVA and Telephonica), called Mobi Pago. The name was later changed to Mobi Pay and all banks and mobile operators in Spain were invited to join. The product was launched in 2003 and many retailers were acquired to accept the special USSD payment confirmation. Because of the complex shareholding and the constant political challenges of the different owners, the product never fulfilled the promise that it had. With no marketing support and no compelling reason for adoption, this initiative is floundering at the moment.
Many other large players announced initiatives and ran pilots with big fanfare, but never showed traction and all initiatives were ultimately discontinued. Some of the early examples are the famous vending machines at the Helsinki airport supported by a system from Nokia. Siemens made announcements in conjunction with listed and high-flying German e-commerce company, Brokat. Brokat also won the lucrative Vodafone contract in 2002, but crashed soon afterwards when it run out of funds.
Israel (as can be expected) produced a large number of mobile payment start-ups. Of the many, only one survived – Trivnet. Others like Adamtech (with a technically sound solution called Cellpay) and Paytt disappeared after a number of pilots but without any successful production deployments.
Initiatives in Norway, Sweden and France never got traction. France Telecom launched an ambitious product based on a special mobile phone with an integrated card reader. The solution worked well, but never became popular because of the unattractive, special phone that participants needed in order to perform these payments.
Since 2004, mobile banking and payment industry has come of age. Successful deployments with positive business cases and big strategic impact have been seen recently.

Google Mots clés : Mobile Africa, MTN, banking, BCP, VISA, Maroc Telecom

Le nord de la France victime d'un bug de Maroc Telecom

 

 

Plusieurs départements français ont été harcelés de coups de téléphone en provenance du Maroc pendant deux jours. En cause, la gratuité accidentelle des appels commençant par + 333.

 

 

Certains habitants du nord et de l'est de la France ont passé une bien mauvaise soirée le 17 février 2009. Ils ont été la cible de milliers d'appels téléphoniques anonymes, parfois répétés pendant des heures, à quelques minutes d'intervalle.

Des appels émis par des correspondants différents, tantôt silencieux, tantôt hilares, tantôt menaçants, mais avec deux points communs : tous ciblaient des numéros commençant par 03 et tous provenaient du Maroc, avec le 00 212 pour indicatif.

Les premières salves de cette étrange « attaque » sont apparues dès le début de la semaine. « J'ai reçu les premiers appels lundi 16 février dans la soirée. Un homme avec un accent me demande "Comment ça va cousin ? Pourquoi tu veux pas parler, t'es baraqué ?" », témoigne David, un habitant de la région lilloise. Le lendemain soir, même scénario, les appels se succèdent : « J'ai débranché le téléphone. Mercredi après-midi, je l'ai rebranché et à peine cinq minutes après, ça resonnait », précise-t-il.

Du canular bon enfant à la fausse menace terroriste

De nombreux habitants du Nord-Pas de Calais, de Moselle et même de Côte d'Or, abonnés de différents opérateurs, ont fait part de la même mésaventure, notamment sur Internet. Pour certains, les appels tenaient du simple canular de collégien ( « Tu connais l'âne qui dit non ? », peut-on lire sur ce forum, pour d'autres, de la blague de mauvais goût sur fond de menace terroriste, destinée à effrayer les personnes seules. Mais une large proportion de témoins racontent que leurs interlocuteurs cherchaient à nouer une relation avec « une femme ».

Les autorités et les opérateurs téléphoniques ont vite été alertés par les victimes, souvent apeurées, et craignant surtout que ces appels ne soient répercutés sur leur facture, ce qui est heureusement exclu. Certaines avaient reçu plus d'une centaine de coups de fil.

Face à l'ampleur du phénomène, France Télécom décide le 18 février de bloquer sur le réseau tous les appels en provenance du Maroc - y compris les appels légitimes - à destination de plusieurs blocs de numéros commençant par 03. Un filtrage que des abonnés à certains opérateurs, comme Free, peuvent effectuer eux-mêmes sur leur ligne en saisissant un code.

Appels gratuits vers les numéros en 03

L'enquête s'oriente rapidement vers l'hypothèse d'un couac technique chez Maroc Telecom (filiale de Vivendi). Car l'opérateur marocain est justement en train de modifier son système informatique pour s'adapter au nouveau plan de numérotation qui sera bientôt appliqué dans le royaume chérifien. De fil en aiguille, le bug a fini par être repéré.

« Les abonnés mobiles de Maroc Telecom appellent gratuitement leur répondeur en composant le 333. Cette gratuité a été appliquée par erreur aux appels commençant par + 333, c'est à dire les appels vers la France [indicatif 00 33 ou + 33 depuis l'étranger, NDLR] et vers le nord-est, où l'indicatif régional est le 3... », explique ce vendredi un porte-parole de France Télécom. Ce spam téléphonique serait donc dû à une simple faute de frappe. Maroc Telecom l'a confirmé à son homologue français.

Des appels gratuits vers l'étranger, autant dire que la nouvelle s'est vite répandue de l'autre côté de la Méditerranée, probablement grâce à Internet. Selon France Télécom, l'information a certainement beaucoup circulé sur les sites de rencontres, d'où le nombre d'appels de personnes en quête de relation amoureuse. Mais le couac de Maroc Telecom ne suffit pas à tout expliquer.

Pourquoi seulement certains numéros pris pour cible ?

Pourquoi certains numéros seulement ont été pris pour cible et harcelés par des correspondants différents ? Des listes de numéros, piratées ou glanées au hasard du Web, ont peut-être aussi été utilisées.

De plus, des témoignages indiquent que certains appels, laissant juste entendre des bruits de fond, ne semblaient pas volontaires. Des erreurs d'aiguillage dans le réseau ne sont donc pas à exclure. Quant aux appels anonymes, émis depuis des téléphones fixes, ils ont sans doute été effectués par des Marocains qui croyaient que la gratuité était aussi valable depuis le réseau fixe.

L'« erreur 333 » de Maroc Telecom a été corrigée le 18 février à 17 heures. Vendredi 20 au matin, France Télécom a levé ses filtres, le nombre d'appels du Maroc vers le nord de la France étant juste « un peu plus élevé que la moyenne ». En fin d'après-midi, il était quasiment normal. Les plaisantins retardataires s'en mordront les doigts quand ils recevront leur prochaine facture...

Google Mots clés : Maroc Telecom, France, Vivendi, Mobisud

Toshiba TG01 mobile phone - First Look

 

Google Mots clés : Toshiba, 3G phone, HSPDA, wimax, touchscreen

Will this 4.1-inch touchscreen handset rule the roost?

3 February 2009 - Toshiba has announced its latest stab at taking on the mobile phone market with the TG01. But can the new touchscreen mobile phone that promises to "revolutionise the mobile entertainment world" really crack the market dominated by so many other players? We managed to get a brief hands on with the new phone.

Okay - when we say brief we mean it. We had a about 10 minutes with the phone in total while filming a walk-through for Megawhat, but that time did allow us to get all touchy feely with the interface and therefore share some of our experiences with you, our lovely readers.

So what do you get? Well virtually everything it seems. It's a top of the range smartphone, so that means there is Wi-Fi, HSDPA, AGPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera on the back, and a microSD card slot around the side that's hot swappable.

The screen is the big wow factor here; it's a 4.1-inch wide VGA (800 x 480) touchscreen that Toshiba says is for "enhanced viewing and optimum rendering of original movies". In reality the screen is big and crisp although not multi-touch enabled.

Toshiba reckon they've taken the technology normally found in its REGZA range, and crunched it down into this handset - a 4.1-inch television for all intents and purposes. With that in mind you'll get colour matching, LCD backlight control, colour image control and dynamic gamma correction controls. The result is that video and gaming playback is good - BlackBerry Storm good - and with a bigger screen you will get more of a movie experience than, say, the iPhone.

To help promote the video playback functionality even further Toshiba has made the player DivX capable and you can see why the company has made the decision to offer support for microSDHC up to 32GB rather than offer an in-built memory option of the more standard 8GB (it's actually 512MB). If you're going to be watching movies you want them to be good.

Sporting a 4.1-inch screen would, as you might expect, make the device rather large. And large it is, but luckily it's not thick. At 9.9mm it's thinner than the competition (iPhone, G1, Storm, HTC Touch) and while it means it will take up most of your pocket space, at least it won't protrude too much - you won't be getting "hello big boy" remarks.

Get past the big screen and the handset is powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 1GHz chipset meaning you get the fastest chipset around at the moment.

In reality it means the phone can do stuff faster without hanging or getting Microsoft's spinning circle of death. It also means that menus can be a bit more "swish" and so Toshiba has heavily customised the interface beyond the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system.

Interestingly you will be able to turn down the chipset to conserve battery if you don't need all that power thanks to a collection of Toshiba Utilities in the settings menu.

Following in HTC's footsteps the interface is very different to the Windows Mobile 6.1 you've seen on devices such as the Omina for example, taking on a three-column system.

Those three columns don't however seem to have any user interface purpose apart from looking different and the best way to describe it is like a blind on a window. Swishing your finger from left to right spins through the columns. The colours are yellow, pink, and purple - all a bit much.

Being Windows Mobile 6.1 you get all the usual software elements - Office support, email and the like. Unlike HTC, Toshiba has stuck with Internet Explorer as the default browser and you'll get IE6 here with, you'll be pleased to know, full Adobe Flash support. Giving you the ability to watch videos, as long as you've got a data package to match, to your heart's content.

While the company has yet to confirm whether it will be offering an upgrade path to the much rumoured Windows Mobile 6.5 OS we would probably take that as a given. The result could mean the interface changing completely by the time it comes out in the summer. Let's hope.

First Impressions

Our time was brief with the TG01, however it's clear that Toshiba has the opposite offering to the G1 from Google on its hands.

What do we mean by that? Well, instead of a duff handset with an operating system with masses of potential, Toshiba have a great looking handset with an OS that in its current state is a bit lacking.

The screen is lovely, the speed very good and the spec feature set impressive, but let's hope that it will either be sporting a newer better version of Windows Mobile or possibly an Android brother when it eventually lands in the UK later this year.

The Toshiba TG01 is due out summer 2009.

 

La super 3G en test au Japon

 

 

La vitesse descendente testée de 300 Mbits/s laisse entrevoir des applications comme la vidéo haute définition ou des téléchargements à très haut débit sur des appareils mobiles.

La société nippone de téléphonie mobile NTT DoCoMo vient de commencer les tests de ce que l'on appelle la super 3G. Ce nouveau système de communication mobile permet des débits de communication descendante de 300 Mbits/s. Le débit de communication ascendant serait lui de 100 Mbits/s, soit 260 fois plus rapide que la 3G actuelle.

Cette technologie est un mélange optimisé de la norme HSDPA (High-speed Downlink Packet Access) et de la norme HSUPA (High-speed Uplink Packet Access). Ces normes sont issues du standard W-CDMA, validé par le 3GPP. La super 3G, ou encore 3.9G, pourrait prendre le nom de 3G LTE (Long Term Evolution). Cette technologie permet une meilleure utilisation du spectre et des temps de latence réduits. Rappelons que pour l'Europe, la 3G est basée sur la technologie UMTS.

La super 3G sera testée en laboratoire en utilisant la technique MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output). Deux séries de quatre antennes en émission et réception devraient être suffisantes pour réaliser cette performance. La technologie MIMO possède la particularité de jouer avec les réflexions du signal radio sur les murs, les parois et les autres éléments qui se trouvent sur les chemins des ondes radio, afin d'améliorer la transmission du message. Il faut noter que, jusqu'alors, la réflexion était plutôt considérée comme une gêne dans l'utilisation des technologies sans fil.

Ces tests seront aussi pour NTT DoCoMo l'occasion de tester la technique du handover ainsi que des techniques de transmission voix et données. La volonté des ingénieurs est de rendre compatible la super 3G avec les standards de la haute définition. Ainsi, la vidéo HD deviendrait une réalité sur les portables du futur. L'opérateur nippon souhaite grâce à ces tests présenter la 3G LTE sous ses meilleures facettes avant l'arrivée de la 4G vers 2011-2012.

DoCoMo travaille avec le constructeur japonais NEC

Côté fournisseurs, DoCoMo travaille avec le constructeur japonais NEC sur des équipements téléphoniques capables de supporter la super 3G. Le lancement commercial du réseau aura lieu en 2009. D'autres compagnies travaillent sur la technologie LTE au nombre desquelles on trouve Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson et Siemens Network.

Le marché de la super 3G devrait valoir 18 milliards de dollars d'ici à 2014. Mais pour ce qui est du marché français, la 3G tout court n'a pas encore réussi son implantation. Des constructeurs comme RIM et Apple ont décidé de ne pas inclure la norme 3G dans les derniers produits de leur gamme, tels le Blackberry 8820 et l'iPhone, lui préférant la norme Edge.

 

On note enfin que le débat sur la nocivité des transmissions sans fil sur la santé vient de rebondir dans l'actualité au sujet du Wi-Fi. Nul doute que la popularisation des techniques de transmission haut débit par téléphone posera la question de la nocivité de ce type de pratiques à bien des acteurs de la santé publique.

LES TECHNOLOGIES DE TELEPHONIE MOBILE

Nokia se retire du marché japonais

 

 

N’étant pas parvenu à percer sur le marché nippon, le constructeur finlandais vient d’annoncer qu’il arrêtait ses ventes au Japon. Seule la marque de grand luxe Vertu sera encore présente.

Nokia a beau être le fabricant n°1 mondial de téléphones mobiles, il est encore des pays qui lui résistent. C'est le cas du Japon, où les ventes du constructeur finlandais sont si décevantes qu'il a fini par jeter l'éponge en annonçant y cesser ses ventes de téléphones mobiles. Après les Etats-Unis, la Chine et l'Inde, le Japon est le quatrième plus gros marché pour la téléphonie. Nokia y avait de grandes ambitions, espérant atteindre une part de marché à deux chiffres. L'année dernière, les téléphones de la marque ne représentaient que 0,3% des ventes...

Cet échec n'est pas forcément imputable à Nokia. D'autres avant lui se sont aussi cassé les dents, comme LG ou Samsung. Selon des chiffres du cabinet IDC, les marques étrangères ne pèsent que 5% des ventes de téléphones au Japon. La raison principale tient aux spécificités de ce marché qui est techniquement plus avancé avec un réseau haut débit de troisième génération et des services évolués comme la diffusion TV ou le règlement des achats. Très friands de gadgets, les Japonais ne sont pas emballés par des modèles de téléphones étrangers qu'ils jugent pas assez évolués.

Petite consolation pour Nokia qui va tout de même poursuivre la commercialisation de sa marque hyper luxe Vertu, des téléphones fait main avec des matériaux précieux. (EP)

La 3G fait décoller la fréquentation des sites depuis l’iPhone

 

 

L'effet iPhone 3G se fait sentir sur la fréquentation des sites internet : selon les dernières données de Médiamétrie, les visites en provenance de téléphone d'Apple sur les sites internet ont augmenté de 33% depuis le 17 juillet, date du lancement de l'appareil en France.

Avant cette date, Médiamétrie recensait 28 125 visites issues de l'iPhone en moyenne par jour, sur la soixantaine de sites de son panel. Entre le 17 et le 31 juillet, 37 423 visites quotidiennes sont provenues en moyenne de l'iPhone, avec des pics dépassant les 40 000 visites sur certains jours (voir graphique ci-dessous). La connectivité 3G de l'appareil semble avoir séduit ses utilisateurs.

Les performances de l'iPhone sont d'autant plus remarquées que sur l'ensemble du mois de juillet, la fréquentation des sites internet a enregistré une baisse de 12%, vacances d'été oblige.

Mots clés Technorati : Telecom,maroc,3G,WIMAX APPLE,IPHONE

Nokia rachète Symbian, qu'il veut proposer en licence gratuite

Par Tarmo Virki

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia annonce le rachat de la totalité des actions de Symbian et son intention de proposer une licence gratuite du système d'exploitation mobile du britannique.

Le système d'exploitation de Symbian est utilisé dans les deux tiers des smartphones, ces combinés ayant des fonctionnalités d'ordinateur, et dans 6% de la totalité des téléphones portables mais il est menacé par l'arrivée de plates-formes comme Android de Google ou l'iPhone d'Apple.

Actuellement, son principal concurrent est le système d'exploitation Windows Mobile de Microsoft.

Cette acquisition "est une habile réponse aux menaces croissantes venues d'autres éditeurs de logiciels pour téléphones portables", a déclaré Geoff Blaber, du cabinet d'études CCS Insight, qui cite la fondation "open-source" LiMo au même titre que Google et Apple.

"Cela met beaucoup de pression sur Microsoft au moment où celui-ci cherche à pénétrer la sphère du consommateur", a estimé Carolina Milanesi, analyste chez Gartner.

"Baisser les prix est ce dont ont besoin les opérateurs et le marché pour favoriser l'adoption des smartphones et l'abandon des licences va y participer. Pour les opérateurs, cela offre une bonne alternative à Microsoft", a-t-elle dit.

Nokia, qui fabrique 40% des téléphones vendus dans le monde, va débourser 264 millions d'euros pour les 52% de Symbian qu'il ne possède pas encore.

Le finlandais a déclaré que Sony Ericsson, Ericsson, Panasonic et Siemens avaient accepté son offre de rachat d'actions Symbian et a dit s'attendre à ce que Samsung Electronics fasse de même.

"Le plus surprenant c'est que Nokia a obtenu la pleine propriété (de Symbian) d'un coup, et à un bon prix", a déclaré Karri Rinta, analyste chez Handelsbanken.

LA FONDATION SYMBIAN

Nokia a également annoncé la création de la Fondation Symbian, destinée au développement du logiciel. Le numéro un des téléphones portables s'est à cette occasion associé avec d'autres grands fabricants, avec les opérateurs AT&T, NTT DoCoMo et Vodafone, ainsi qu'avec les fabricants de semi-conducteurs Texas Instruments et STMicroelectronics.

Nokia y contribuera avec son logiciel Symbian S60, tandis que d'autres membres apporteront leurs plates-formes UIQ et MOAP pour lancer une nouvelle plate-forme commune Symbian en 2009.

"Cela nous offre l'opportunité d'innover plus rapidement avec une plate-forme plus grande, unifiée et plus largement acceptée", a déclaré à Reuters Kai Oistamo, responsable de la division appareils chez Nokia. "Cela nous permet également de proposer sur le marché de nouveaux produits plus rapidement."

Nokia a dit prévoir que le rachat soit finalisé d'ici la fin de l'année et qu'il impacte les revenus 2009.

L'action Nokia était en baisse de 0,26% en milieu de journée, tandis que l'indice DJ Stoxx des technologiques européennes perdait 0,81%.