Today’s feature-packed smart phones were a science fiction
dream on this day 25 years ago when Telstra, then Telecom
Australia, launched Australia’s first hand-held mobile
phone.

The revolutionary ‘Walkabout TM’ was a brick- shaped
handset weighing in at three quarters of a kilogram and
costing $5,200. It was one of three phones in the
‘Explorer’ range launched on the steps of the Sydney Opera
House by then Managing Director Mel Ward, including the
first Australian designed and manufactured mobile phone -
the Philips FM9000 which was the size of a shoebox, cost
$4,500 and came in both a portable and in-car version.

Operating on the first mass mobile network in Australia,
the ‘Analogue Network’ or AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone
System) network, hand-held mobile phones fast became the
ultimate yuppie accessory.

Telstra’s Executive Director of Networks and Access
Technologies, Mike Wright, who oversaw the installation of
the first mobile network exchange in Brisbane, said that
while today a hand-held mobile phone may be everything but
your keys and wallet (and even that’s changing with the
introduction of near field communications), in 1987 the
ability to make calls ‘on the go’ was revolutionary.

“Prior to the launch of Telecom’s ‘Analogue Network’ and
the ‘Explorer’ range of phones in 1987, mobile phones had
to be car mounted, fitted inside a heavy briefcase that
plugged into a car’s cigarette lighter socket or used with
a mains power supply.

“A hand-held mobile phone gave users a real sense of
freedom, even though they were limited to about 20 minutes
of talk time and 4-5 hours of stand-by battery life.

“Early users often reported quizzical looks and even
disbelief when they used their phones as the technology was
so cutting-edge.

“It’s amazing to reflect how far we have come in the past
25 years, where we now take pocket sized handsets with
functions like streaming multimedia, video chat, mobile
email and the lightning-fast speeds of our 4G network for
granted.”

1987 the ‘Explorer’ handset series included:

• The ‘TravellerTM’ Philips FM9000 retailed for around
  $4,500 was the size of a shoebox and weighed 4.5kgs;
• The ‘AttacheTM’ a car-mounted unit from MITSUBISHI, could
  also be carried around outside the vehicle and retailed
  for around $3,800; and
• The ‘WalkaboutTM’ (also known as ‘The Brick’), a
  hand-held unit from MITSUBISHI weighed almost a kilo and
  cost around $5,200.

Telstra’s network – now and then:

• The Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) network launched
  in 1987 in Sydney in February, Melbourne in May and then
  in other capitals, major cities and country areas. By
  1997 the network coverage area was 550,000 square
  kilometres.
• Today, Telstra’s Next G® network is Australia’s
  largest and fastest national mobile broadband network,
  covering more than 2.1 million square kilometres plus
  more than an additional one million square kilometres out
  to sea.
• There were originally 14 base stations for the AMPS
  network in Sydney, now Australia is served by more than
  7,500 Telstra base stations.
• At launch in 1987 the AMPS network had capacity for
  100,000 customers. In five years it gained half a million
  customers, then jumped in 1997 to 2.75 million customers.
• It took seven years for one million customers to join the
  AMPS network, compared to 2011 when 1.6 million new
  mobile customers joined Telstra to bring the customer
  base to 13.2 million.
• The AMPS network replaced the previous ’007′ PAMTS mobile
  network launched in 1981 initially covering Sydney and
  Melbourne for in-car mobile phones.

In 1987, the HTC Velocity 4G really would have looked like
something out of a science fiction movie….

1987′s Walkabout TM

2012 HTC Velocity 4G

Cost

$5,200 over 24 months, or the equivalent of $12,400
today.

$1,896 over 24 months on the $79 Freedom® Connect
Plan*.

Screen size

• 10mm by 40mm
• BW Liquid crystal display – cutting edge for its
  time and only available for small screen devices.

• 540mm by 960mm
• High resolution display with superior colour and
  clarity.

Data speed

No Data capability.

Superfast web browsing with typical download speeds
ranging from 2Mbps to 40Mbps when in a 4G/LTE coverage
area on Telstra’s Next G® ** network.

Dimensions

200mm by 40mm , about the size of a small brick

128.8 by 67 by 11.27mm, the perfect pocket size!

Weight

750 grams

163.8 grams

Talk time

20 minutes

Up to 310 minutes on 3G

Standby time

4-5 hours

Up to 248 hours on 3G

Features

• Could make and receive calls, no internet access,
  games or ability to store phone numbers.

• Ultra quick 1.5 GHz dual core processor for easy
  multi-tasking
• 8 mega-pixel camera with 28mm lens for panoramic
  shots
• Continuous shooting and slow motion video
• Powered by Android™ with HTC Sense 3.5
• HD Voice compatible
• Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi hotspot, MP3 player and FM
  radio
• Access to Android Market™

Full details on the HTC Velocity 4G and plans are available
from telstra.com.au/mobile/phones/htc/4g-velocity/

*Consumer customers can purchase the HTC Velocity 4G
for $0 upfront on the $79 Freedom® Connect Plan (after
using an included MRO Bonus), with $800 worth of included
calls and MMS, unlimited SMS and 2GB of data, all to
standard Australian numbers (excludes use overseas) each
month. Min cost over 24 months is $1,896.

** 4G/LTE coverage is initially available in all
capital CBDs (5km from GPO) and associated airports and
approximately 80 regional locations (3km from regional town
centres) covering 40 per cent of the population. 

Android is a trade mark of Google, Inc
™ and ® are trade marks of Telstra Corporation Ltd

Media Contact:
Craig Middleton
Mobile: 0400 931 772
Email: media@team.telstra.com

Reference Number:  043 / 2012

Article source: http://www.4-traders.com/TELSTRA-CORPORATION-LIMIT-6491518/news/TELSTRA-CORPORATION-LIMITED-Aussies-dial-up-25-years-walking-the-talk-on-hand-held-mobiles-14037570/

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ForeScout Technologies has introduced ForeScout Mobile, a set of plug-in modules to enable Android and iOS security management, as well as a plug-in module for mobile device management (MDM) integration.

By combining ForeScout Mobile as an add-on to ForeScout CounterACT, the company’s network access control (NAC) platform, security professionals can use one console for visibility and uniform control over managed and unmanaged mobile and PC devices.

According to IDC, 40.7% of the devices used by information workers to access business applications are ones they own themselves including home PCs, smartphones and tablets like the iPad. Evidently organizations underestimate the number of information workers using consumer devices for work by 50%.

In a recent North American survey by the Boston Research Group, 78% of the IT security professionals surveyed believe that network access control is essential in protecting enterprises from mobile device risks such as data loss, malware, unauthorized use and unauthorized access.

ForeScout Mobile is supposed to offer implementation flexibility and a policy-based method to secure corporate and personal mobile devices and address MDM network security gaps. A security administrator can apply pre- and post-connection policies to desktops, servers and mobile devices from one integrated system.

The widgetry is supposed to be the first unified approach for NAC, BYOD and MDM.

CounterACT identifies mobile devices, forces unknown users to register, and can automatically allow, deny or restrict access to specified network resources and wireless access point from a single appliance without software agents running on the endpoints.

ForeScout Mobile provides information about the device, its user, its configuration, its apps and its security posture. This lets CounterACT enforce more granular network access and endpoint integrity policies for mobile devices.

The Mobile Security Module for Android uses a mobile app that extends CounterACT’s visibility and control for Android 2.1 or greater. The Mobile Security Module for iOS takes advantage of Apple’s native push notification service and MDM capabilities. Beyond blocking or limiting access to network resources, additional iOS remediation options include the ability to remotely wipe and lock; enforce password policy; require apps such as anti-virus, MDM or virtualization; remove or disable native apps such as the camera; and enforce specific Wi-Fi access.

CounterACT can be delivered as a physical or virtual appliance.

ForeScout Mobile starts at $2,800 for 100 devices. The ForeScout Mobile Security Module for Android and iOS are in beta and will be available in April. The ForeScout Mobile MDM Module will be available in June.

Article source: http://www.sys-con.com/node/2174946

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The first Assassin’s Creed was released in 2007 and has spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs across PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, as well as mobile platforms such as Android and Windows Phone.

What will be new about this yet-be-be released addition to the Assassin’s Creed family is the social gaming aspect.

Gree specialises in facilitating mobile social gaming through building an ecosystem of gamers and already works with major Japanese developers including Capcom and Konami and Capcom.

The company will be launching its Gree Platform later this year.

“Ubisoft and Gree are committed to delivering a new and innovative social gaming experience to the franchise, available exclusively on the Gree Platform and through iOS and Android devices,” Ubisoft said in a statement.

The new Assassin’s Creed mobile title will be available in English and Japanese.

Article source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/559/f/7174/s/1cd69cd3/l/0L0Spcadvisor0O0Cnews0Cmobile0Ephone0C33392350Cnew0Eassassins0Ecreed0Etitle0Ehit0Emobiles0C0Dolo0Frss/story01.htm

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Nokia’s teasing us, with a snowy video designed to get viewers all hot under the collar about a new camera phone.

The video — which we’ve embedded below — gives nothing away, but shows eerie high-resolution panning shots of beautiful icy scenes, with references made to ‘pure detail’, ‘pure depth’ and ‘pure definition’.

The 22-second clip ends with the text, ‘Get ready to capture a pure view’, with what looks like a massive frozen lake. Very picturesque, but what could it mean?

Well, it’s clear that Nokia’s touting the camera prowess of its new mystery mobile, and the last phone that Nokia really pushed as a photographic genius was the Nokia N8, way back in 2010. The N8′s Carl Zeiss lens did indeed make it a superior snapper, but its Symbian software meant it was a rubbish smart phone. Hopefully its latest effort will be spot-on in both areas.

Nokiapoweruser reports that Nokia is readying a successor to the N8 called — wait for it — the Nokia 808 pure view. The site reckons the 808 will be sporting the same design seen on the Lumia 900, and will be running on the Symbian operating system.

Then again it could be the rumoured Nokia 803, another Symbian device that’s whispered to be sporting a huge camera sensor.

I’d love to see Nokia produce a Windows Phone device with a blindingly good camera to rival the iPhone 4S‘ brilliant snapper. The Lumia 800, while a cracking smart phone, hasn’t impressed me much in the camera stakes.

Nokia’s teaser video ends with the date 27 February 2012, meaning that all will be revealed during Mobile World Congress, a huge phone trade show that kicks off next week. We’ll be present in force, so keep your browsers pointed at http://mwc.cnet.co.uk/ for all the news as it happens.

What would you like to see from Nokia’s new mobiles? Tell me in the comments, or over on our Facebook wall.

Article source: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/nokia-teases-new-camera-phone-with-snowy-video-50007062/

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That is the view of Martyn Davies, telecom consultant at Weird Crater, who said the majority of private branch exchanges are now VoIP-enabled, meaning many calls made and received by companies from their headquarters are now run over the internet rather than through traditional lines.

But he anticipates the technology becoming the norm on mobiles as well over the coming months and years.

“The next big shift will be to mobile. Today, mobile handsets use traditional circuit switching, but mobility apps are starting to arrive on smartphones and ultimately long-term evolution will make all mobile calls into VoIP ones,” Mr Davies explained.

This will not necessarily have any impact on the way mobiles look or behave, as the expert noted that the widespread adoption of VoIP in the office has not changed the way telephones appear.

Perhaps the best news of all for mobile VoIP users is that the internet infrastructure to support such beneficial technology is seemingly being put in place. Earlier this month, for instance, O2 announced it had set London’s first 4G broadband service live.

This could pave the way for a bright future for mobile VoIP solutions – and, indeed, the use of the technology in its standard form.

Mr Davies suggested there is plenty to come from the market over the coming years, with a range of factors combining to ensure a healthy and exciting future.

“VoIP has enabled a generation of new entrants into the telecom market and this has fired innovation and brought price pressure on the incumbents,” he stated.

He went on to note that a strong market with plenty of innovation can only be a good thing for both vendors and, ultimately, consumers.

Article source: http://www.telappliant.com/voip-news/801299024/mobiles-provide-the-next-big-opportunity-for-voip-market

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Although the release of new malware slowed in Q4 2011, mobile malware continued to increase albeit from a low base. Android was by far the most targeted platform with 400 new strains appearing in just that quarter, compared to a cumulative total of little over 100 prior to the last three months of 2011. For comparison, there were four million new strains of Windows malware in Q4 2011, compared to 6m in Q2 2011.

Scareware volumes dropped considerably between Q3 and Q4 2011, while AutoRun and password-stealing Trojan malware each showed modest declines over the same period. Mac-specific malware, which spiked in Q2 2011, dropped off in the last two quarters of last year. In June 2011, more than 250 new samples were detected but this figure trailed off to less than 50 in Q4 2011. Almost all the June samples were designed to power fake anti-virus for Mac scams.

McAfee advises Mac fans to not discount security threats, despite the decline.

“Mac malware had a big spike in the second quarter but has remained quiet since then. As always, comparing overall malware growth for the Mac with that for PCs makes the Mac threat look rather tame, but it’s always wise to protect your system, even if it’s a MacBook Air.”

McAfee Labs recorded an average of 9,300 new bad websites per day in Q4, up from 6,500 in the previous quarter. The vast majority of new malicious sites were hosted in the US, followed by the Netherlands, Canada, South Korea and Germany.

While the malware outlook remains bleak there was much better news on the junk mail front. Global spam reached its lowest point in years at the end of last year, according to McAfee. Somewhere around 1 trillion spam messages were dispatched per day in December 2011, compared to 2 trillion in May 2011. The volume of legitimate email hovered at between 450 and 500 billion messages a day during 2011. Although that put spam volumes at more than 70 per cent the figure is much improved from the dark days of the Naughties when spam volumes routinely exceeded 90 per cent.

McAfee doesn’t comment on the reasons for the decline but other observers credit the dismantling of various pharma spam operations and botnet takedowns for lower volumes of junk mail.

Instead of merely coping with the sheer volumes of junk email hitting servers, the latest challenge is countering targeted attacks. “Despite the drop in global levels, spear-phishing and spam are as dangerous as ever,” McAfee concludes. McAfee’s third-quarter threat report can be found here [PDF]. ®

Article source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/22/malware_spam_trends_mcafee/

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The first Assassin’s Creed was released in 2007 and has spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs across PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, as well as mobile platforms such as Android and Windows Phone.

What will be new about this yet-be-be released addition to the Assassin’s Creed family is the social gaming aspect.

Gree specialises in facilitating mobile social gaming through building an ecosystem of gamers and already works with major Japanese developers including Capcom and Konami and Capcom.

The company will be launching its Gree Platform later this year.

“Ubisoft and Gree are committed to delivering a new and innovative social gaming experience to the franchise, available exclusively on the Gree Platform and through iOS and Android devices,” Ubisoft said in a statement.

The new Assassin’s Creed mobile title will be available in English and Japanese.

Article source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/mobile-phone/3339235/new-assassins-creed-title-hit-mobiles/

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By Vicky Shaw
Wednesday, 22 February 2012

An industry-wide scheme to make sending cash via mobile phone as easy as texting will be in place this year, the UK’s Payments Council said yesterday.

Customers who register for the service will have their mobile numbers and account numbers linked on a central database and the initiative will be available to banks and building societies before the end of 2012, the payments body said.

The service can be used by any smartphone with an internet connection on any network.

Huge leaps in mobile payment technology are set to take hold this year, with Barclays last week unveiling a free app enabling people to send and receive money by using mobile phone numbers.

Barclays plans to make the Pingit app available to all UK adults from next month.

Article source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/scheme-to-send-cash-by-mobiles-imminent-16120995.html

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