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Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

UK service providers must notify customers when they connect to a different network

New rules from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom will protect customers when they use their mobile phone on a foreign network. In addition, customers will be alerted if they are inadvertently roaming, perhaps because they're near an international border.
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Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
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Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
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UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
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Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
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Opinion Articles

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Hotel doors open with mobile phones... but it's not like WarGames

Mark Bridge writes:

I loved the film WarGames. I saw it in the cinema when it came out… and developed a minor crush on Ally Sheedy as a result. If you don’t remember the film – or haven’t seen it – the plot centres on a young computer hacker who almost starts World War III while playing an illicit online game of Global Thermonuclear War with a military computer. (Plot spoiler: the only winning move is not to play).

There’s a scene in the film where the hacker – played by Matthew Broderick – is arrested by the FBI and locked in a medical room that has a keypad entry lock. Our hero uses a microcassette recorder to escape by apparently recording and playing back the tones.

Fast-forward to 2010 and fictional hacker David Lightman would be in his element if he visited the Holiday Inn. They’ve just introduced OpenWays Crypto Accoustic Credentials access system in a number of their hotels. Guests can choose to receive an audio code on their mobile phone. To unlock their hotel room, they simply play the tune from their phone.

Now, this clearly isn’t as low-tech as it sounds. (Pun noted but unintended). Guests need to download an application to their phone and the tune changes each time it’s used. Also, much like an electronic ‘card key’, any lost phone can be blocked instantly by the reception desk.

So it’s clever… but will guests realise how clever it is?  Or will the corridors of Holiday Inn Chicago be full of people whistling hopefully at the doors?

 

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Recent Podcasts

Podcast - 20th July 2011

This week's podcast takes a look at Everything Everywhere's departing CEO, Vodafone's security concerns, ZTE's own-brand phones, HTC's legal worries and Sony Ericsson's results. As usual, the programme is hosted by Iain Graham with James Rosewell and Mark Bridge.

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Podcast - 15th July 2011

As 'voicemail hacking' news stories continue, Iain Graham talks to mobile industry crime-fighter Jack Wraith. Jack discusses mobile phone security from his position as head of the Telecommunications UK Fraud Forum and the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum.

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Podcast - 13th July 2011

We're talking about the EC's new roaming proposition, eBay's latest mobile payment purchase, Three's partnership with Ovi and all the other top mobile industry news stories in this week's podcast.

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Podcast - 8th July 2011

Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda, announces the EC's new plans to cut the cost of roaming from next year. Mobile phone calls, text messages and data charges will all be given maximum limits - and new 'roaming only' tariffs could also be introduced.

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Podcast - 6th July 2011

We're talking about Nortel patents, Google Plus, roaming charges and health concerns in this week's mobile industry podcast... but that's not all. We also discuss mobile payments, security, gambling, apps and the Pope's first Tweet.

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