iSuppli Lowers 2007 Semiconductor Forecast

Tuesday, 24 April 2007
EL SEGUNDO, CA – Global semiconductor revenue will rise to $281.4 billion in 2007, up 8.1% from $260.2 billion in 2006, according to a revised iSuppli forecast. iSuppli previously predicted 10.6% growth for 2007. A slowdown in cellphone shipments and a continuing excess of inventory has prompted the research firm to lower its 2007 worldwide semiconductor revenue forecast. Excess semiconductor inventories declined in the first quarter, but remained at $2.8 billion. Cellphone growth will decelerate in 2007. Revenue in the wireless communications market will rise to $202.3 billion in 2007, up 4.3% from $193.9 billion in 2006, says iSuppli. This compares to 8.2% growth in 2006. A major factor behind the altered forecast is a reduction in expected DRAM revenue. The DRAM market peaked in 2006, with revenue rising by 35.2% to $33.9 billion. In 2007, revenue will only rise 8.6% to $36.9 billion. The firm previously predicted 13% growth for 2007. Global electronic equipment shipment revenue will rise to $1.49 trillion in 2007, up 6.3% from $1.4 trillion in 2006. iSuppli’s previous forecast was 6.8% growth. Source : http://circuitsassembly.com/cms/cms/content/view/4791/95/

My boyfriend didn't get my message. The RCMP did

Jennifer Kruidbos in her party dress :
She wanted to know why her boyfriend had no pictures of her wearing it.

Courtesy of Jennifer Kruidbos

By JENNIFER KRUIDBOS

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Texting sweet nothings to your object of affection can be fun, but beware the misdirected message.

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend called me in Montreal, from Halifax, asking if there was anything I wanted to tell him. I mentally rewound the prior few days, trying to remember any misbehaviour that would have prompted his uncharacteristic doubt. With a clear conscience, I said that he had nothing to worry about.

"Then why have I spent the last hour being questioned by an RCMP detective about you?" he asked, and proceeded to tell about the detective who had called his cellphone that afternoon. His questions were strange: "Has Jennifer been hanging out with a new crowd?" and "Does Jennifer have access to a voice recorder?"

I listened to his bizarre story, interrupting only for the occasional "Wha...?!", while I ran through a sequence of conflicting emotions: panic, confusion and uneasiness, before finding comfort in a final thought: he's taking me for a ride. But he was not.

As he requested, I checked my messages, and there was one from Detective Currie: "I would like a call from Jennifer regarding obscene phone calls originating from this cellphone number. If I don't receive a phone call in the next 24 hours we will initiate investigative action that will result in charges being laid. Thank you. Bye."

Frowning, then grinning, then giggling, turning red and tearing, I realized what the RCMP might be upset about. My cellphone has a service that reads text messages aloud in an automated voice when they are sent to land lines.

I recalled that the night before, on little sleep, I had texted some outrageous messages to what I thought was my boyfriend's new cellphone. A total of five messages lamented the lack of photographs he had taken of me at his company Christmas party.

I felt dead sexy that night. A friend of mine had lent me a dress that fit perfectly and was made of gold-and-beige patterned silk that swayed angelically when I walked. This dress made me feel like a superstar, so once I arrived at the Christmas party I immediately got on stage and sang karaoke. I performed the Janis Joplin version of Me and Bobby McGee, complete with hip shakes and clenched-fist pull-downs.

Everyone fantasizes about being a rock star for a day, but I entertain this fantasy more than the average person. When I realized that there were no pictures of my performance, I made sure to express my irritation - passionately. My heated messages must have found their way to the RCMP. But how?

Embarrassed and nervous, I called the detective. He told me that the night before, a first-year student at Acadia University had called 911, hysterically claiming that someone was harassing her. Between sobs, the girl recounted that five minutes earlier, as she was dozing off, her phone rang. Groggy, she answered, expecting it to be her parents. Instead, a creepy automated man's voice spoke rapidly about sexy photographs.

Alarmed, she hung up the phone. But it rang again 15 seconds later. She answered, this time wide awake, convincing herself she had dreamed the first call, but there was the scary voice again. Beginning to panic she hung up, but the ringing started a third time. Trembling, she answered, heard a few disturbing sentences and slammed the receiver down. She got two more calls and then frantically called the police.

I apologized profusely once Detective Currie finished. Then, nervously, I asked him,

"Um, by any chance, did you read these messages?"

"Yes," he responded. "We have all listened to them. Would you like to hear them?" I thought I heard snickering in the background.

"Well no ..." but a scary robotic voice cut me off.

"I-AM-VERY-DISSAPOINTED" the voice started. I cringed.
He he he......................................

Source : http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=2f4f9e37-678f-45d6-b74d-95d44cfe7df6&k=62043

"Shrek 3" dials cell phone video game deal

By John Gaudiosi

Reuters
Monday, April 23, 2007

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Videogame publisher Gameloft has gained the rights to bring DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek the Third" to mobile games in conjunction with the film's May 18 theatrical release. The game will be released across 170 operators in more than 75 countries.

Activision is readying its own lineup of video games based on the animated sequel for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS.

Gameloft, which has brought such movies as "King Kong," "Mission: Impossible III" and "War of the Worlds" to mobile games, will focus on the characters and environments from the third "Shrek" film for this family-oriented title.

"The action-adventure game allows you to play as Shrek or Dragon," said Gonzague de Vallois, vp publishing at Gameloft. "The gameplay will be well-suited for our target audience since it is platform-style with various difficulty levels for the novice to the experienced gamer."

De Vallois said he hoped to develop additional "Shrek" games, but it would have to make sense for both the French mobile games publisher and for DreamWorks. Activision has released several "Shrek" games, including "Shrek: Smash & Crash" in between the theatrical releases.

During the past two years, Hollywood-licensed games have become a big part of Gameloft's business. The company is developing a mobile game based on the NBC freshman hit "Heroes" and will be announcing at least one more big summer Hollywood movie license in the coming weeks. For 2007, de Vallois said the company will release five Hollywood-licensed games.

Source : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/23/AR2007042300279.html

Iran first mobile handset out in 5 months

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 - ?2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, April 24 (IranMania) - First domestically-manufactured cellphone handsets will likely enter the market within the next four to five months, member of Board of Directors of Cellphone Production Consortium said.

Mohammad Marzban told ISNA that the consortium is trying to acquire the technology to design, manufacture and repair cellphone handsets.

He hoped that first cellphone handsets will be produced domestically on trial basis in the next four or five months.

Marzban noted that the group and its foreign partner are currently working on a thorough scheme. The plan will be submitted to the Ministry of Industries and Mines within the next three weeks.

The scheme will determine the number of cellphone handset to be produced from semi-knocked down (SKD) (initial phase) and completely knocked down (CKD) (final phase) kits.

Highlighting that close to 11 industries have to work together to produce a cellphone handset, he observed that launching handset-manufacturing line would give domestic industrialist a chance to become updated on related modern technologies.

Appealing the government to support domestic producers, Marzban contended that stable regulations will largely help private players involved in the field.

?Given that private entrepreneurs are investing in the sector, they base their feasibility studies according to new import tariffs endorsed by the government.?

He urged the legislative body avoid changing import tariff regulations since any modification will create reservations among private investors and their international partners.

Marzban recalled that the government showed its support of domestic production by increasing the import tariffs of cellphone handset during the year to March 2007.

Production of cellphone handset will certainly breathe a fresh live into electronic and related industries, he maintained.

Mobile phone handset tariffs were increased by 56% to reach 60% last year.

Last May, Iran announced plans to produce six mln mobile phone handsets.

Source : http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=51131&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

City has no idea how many cellular towers there are

CELL TOWERS COME IN ALL SIZES. Some are small and inconspicuous and others are more massive with several antennas on one large mast. The ones requested for a tower in Alki on an apartment building have yet to be determined. Photo by Amber Trillo.

By Tim St. Clair

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

As wireless communication companies seek permission to erect more and more cellphone towers on West Seattle apartment buildings, it's difficult to figure out how many antennas there are because the city doesn't keep a running total and companies won't reveal how many they have.

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development approves individual applications to install so-called "minor communication utilities" with transmitting and receiving towers for cellphone users. But the department doesn't keep track of how many cell towers there are in West Seattle or the rest of the city, said Alan Justad, department spokesman.

Most wireless companies won't divulge how many antennas they have in their respective systems. Those are considered trade secrets.

"That is information Sprint doesn't typically give out," said Debra Havins, a company spokeswoman. "It's proprietary information."

Each cellphone company uses different technology so the radiofrequency signals of some systems require more towers than other systems, Havins said.

"It's possible for people to misinterpret," she said. "Does this company have too many? Does that company have too few?"

AT&T Wireless, which recently acquired Cingular Wireless, would not reveal the number of cell towers it operates in West Seattle either, said Lauren Garner, spokeswoman.

Nor would Verizon Wireless.

T-Mobile spokesman Steve Caplan would say only that his company has "hundreds" of towers in the Greater Seattle area. T-Mobile applied to the city to install a new wireless communication facility atop a six-floor apartment building on Alki Avenue as well as on a five-story building on Lincoln Park Way.

The uptick in applications for new cell towers is partly the result of the huge growth in the use of cell phones and the widening array of new things the devices can do, Caplan said.

Companies started out putting up cell towers near freeways and other commuter routes, Caplan said. But as people began using cell phones for personal use at home as well as on the job, companies had to find more antenna sites closer to residential neighborhoods, he said.

Additionally, people now use cell phones for much more than verbal conversations. They send text messages, check e-mail, and watch TV and movies. That requires even more wireless facilities, Caplan said.

While the city of Seattle has jurisdiction over where cellphone towers can be situated, it is the Federal Communications Commission that regulates how much radiofrequency radiation the equipment emits. There is little scientific evidence that wireless communication transmitters and receivers cause human health problems because the technology operates on low frequencies. High-speed broadband service brings about as many radiofrequencies as a baby monitor, said Lauren Garner, spokeswoman for AT&T Wireless.

Meanwhile, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed an ordinance in 2004 establishing priorities for picking cell tower sites. The effort was supported by Mayor Greg Nickels.

A Department of Planning and Development "director's rule" subsequently stated industrial sites are to be preferred for cellphone antenna installations. Next best are sites in downtown Seattle. Third choice is commercial zones.

Following those preferred places are neighborhood commercial zones, then multifamily zones on arterial streets and, lastly, multifamily zones on nonarterial streets.

The director's rule also says cellphone towers should be placed in the least intrusive location.

In addition, the director of the Department of Planning and Development can choose a third party radiofrequency engineer to verify technical information supplied by a cellphone company in its application. Further, the rule requires a third-party technical review for all cellphone antenna bases planned in single-family neighborhoods

Tim St. Clair can be reached at timstc@robinsonnews.com or 932-0300.

Source : http://www.westseattleherald.com/articles/2007/04/24/news/local_news/news01.txt

Rutgers creates campus cellphone warning system

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW BRUNSWICK -- New Jersey's largest higher education institution is joining a growing number of colleges and universities across the country implementing mobile phone-based warning systems after shootings that killed dozens at Virginia Tech last week.

Rutgers University on Tuesday said it was encouraging students, faculty and staff on its New Brunswick/Piscataway, Newark and Camden campuses to register their mobile phone numbers with the university so they can receive alert messages during an emergency.

"This system is part of our continuing efforts to improve communications at Rutgers and to help keep our community as safe as possible," said Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick.

The university has created a Web site to record the cell phone numbers.

Many higher education institutions have been turning to such warning systems after 33 people, including the gunman, died in shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16.

Virginia Tech officials have been criticized for sending warnings to students via e-mail accounts, versus a more immediate method such as mobile phone warnings.

At Princeton University, the university purchased a mobile phone warning system just days before the Virginia Tech shootings. The new notification system is now in place.

"The recent events at Virginia Tech have shown that it's especially important to have this type of mass, emergency notification system that is capable of reaching our community members using several methodologies," said Steven Healy, Princeton University's public safety director.

Source : http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxMjIzNjAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0