The Tech Guru Blog

'Vast majority' of Irish adults own a mobile phone

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:22:31 PDT

The vast majority of adults in Ireland currently own a mobile phone, new research has found.

Presented by the Commission for Communications Regulation, the survey revealed 97 per cent of adults in the country are in possession of such a device at present, while landline use has tumbled to 69 per cent, the Irish Examiner reports.

The poll also revealed household access to a broadband cables network now stands at 78 per cent.

Kevin O'Brien, commissioner of the group - which was established in 2002 - stated: "Household broadband access is now relatively high ... and it is evident that a majority of people regard broadband as a key part of their working, social or educational lives."

He added the findings demonstrate that consumers in Ireland are in search of value for money and speed of service when it comes to telecommunication services.

Despite this, it was shown that half of all respondents are uncertain what broadband speed they are currently receiving.

Samsung claims development of 4G technology successor

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:24:08 PDT

Samsung has claimed it has come up with the technology that could serve as a successor to 4G mobile.

According to the company, this setup could sit at the core of new 5G developments, thanks to the equipment's ability to transmit data at more than 1 Gbps over a distance stretching up to 1.2 miles.

At present, jumper cable assemblies and other phone components enable people to make use of the latest 4G technology, but this new development could result in people being able to stream videos in ultra high definition regardless of whether or not they are in transit.

The firm revealed cellular data transmission can be achieved thanks to new adaptive array transceiver technology that enables the use of part of the high frequency radio spectrum Ka band.

Chang-Yeong Kim, head of Samsung's Digital Media and Communication Centre in Seoul, said: "Samsung's recent success in developing the adaptive array transceiver technology has brought us one step closer to the commercialisation of 5G mobile communications in the millimetre-wave bands."

Q1 smart mobile shipments exceeded 300m

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:22:15 PDT

Quarter one of this year saw total smart mobile device shipments exceeding 300 million.

This is according to the latest worldwide estimates from Canalys, which claimed 308.7 million smartphone, notebook and tablet units were sold during the three-month period - representing year-on-year growth of 37.4 per cent.

Smartphone shipment numbers alone came to just over 216.3 million for the quarter, serving to maintain the strong growth witnessed throughout last year.

The findings suggest jumper cable assemblies and other phone components are continuing to have a role to play in helping consumers to stay connected.

Pete Cunningham, principal analyst at Canalys, noted Apple shipped more than 37 million iPhones during the three months, but added: "HTC and Samsung have raised the bar with their latest handsets and Apple needs to respond with its next iPhone."

He suggested it could be time for Apple to give the iPhone interface a refresh, as the current design is now six years old.

'More mobiles than people' in 2014

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:21:26 PDT

Next year will see more mobile phones in the world than there are people, new research has suggested.

According to a report from the International Telecoms Union (ITU), there are currently 7.1 billion individuals on the planet and 6.8 billion mobile subscriptions - but this number is expected to pass seven billion in the early stages of 2014.

As such, it is anticipated that subscriptions will outnumber people before the year draws to a close.

Cable assemblies and other phone components might therefore become increasingly important as more consumers make use of the devices.

Brahima Sanou, director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, commented: "The mobile revolution is 'm-powering' people in developing countries by delivering ICT applications in education, health, government, banking, environment and business."

Entitled the ITU World in 2013 report, the study also demonstrated that of the world's 2.7 billion inhabitants, almost 40 per cent are now making use of the internet.

Small businesses 'attracted by 4G'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:19:22 PDT

Small businesses are likely to consider 4G an attractive proposition in the future, it has been suggested.

According to GfK, companies of this size could well turn their attention to the latest generation mobile internet infrastructure as a consequence of 3G networks being placed under increasing strain and the lack of a full global Wi-Fi infrastructure.

Business leaders are also likely to be drawn to 4G due to the benefits to be had through every employee having a constant connection to a superfast mobile internet connection.

Jumper cable assemblies and other phone components may therefore play a key role in helping smaller businesses enjoy improved connectivity going forward.

As a result of firms embracing 4G, staff members are likely to make use of a wider range of facilities, including video conferencing and file sharing.

The comments come after EE recently announced it has expanded its 4G offering with the setting live of the service in 12 more UK towns.

Phone users 'putting lots of effort into Instagram photos'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:54:36 PDT

Smartphone owners who use the Instagram app are putting lots of effort into the photographs they upload, new research has found.

Conducted by investigators from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, the study demonstrated this form of social media activity cannot be dismissed as simply a trivial pastime.

To be presented at the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems at the end of April, the findings indicated people not only upload many photos, but take great care when planning and editing the images.

Phone components such as jumper cable assemblies may therefore be playing a role in enabling Instagram users to take pictures and share them with their friends without delay.

Beata Jungselius, a PhD student at the university, noted it is sometimes assumed that this kind of app is used "to post mostly of self-portraits and pictures of food, which can be perceived as shallow, but our research shows that there is a lot effort behind many of the pictures".

Low-cost smartphone shipments 'on the rise'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:52:28 PDT

Shipments of low-cost smartphones are on the increase, new findings have shown.

Carried out by ABI Research, the study estimated transactions involving these devices will rise from 259 million this year to 788 million in 2018, while shipments of mid and high-cost variations are expected to climb from 635 million to 925 million across the same timeframe.

According to the report, the main driver of low-cost smartphone growth will be greater uptake of the handsets in pre-paid and emerging markets - meaning jumper cable assemblies and other phone components could have an important part to play.

Michael Morgan, senior analyst at ABI Research -which was established in 1990 and is headquartered in the US - said: "As the feature phone segment continues to lose its battle for relevance, the low-cost smartphone has become the tool for operators seeking to drive increased data revenues."

It was also demonstrated that low-cost smartphones might also serve to capture the section of the market that is yet to make the transition to smartphones.

Weymouth broadband project 'finally goes live'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:46:19 PDT

Residents in Weymouth look set to finally benefit from an improved broadband cables connection.

BT has revealed the high-speed service has now gone live - but the development comes months after the setup was supposed to have been completed, BBC News reports.

Indeed, 20,000 homes and businesses in the area were told the service would be set live in time for last summer's Olympic Games, but a ban on construction work in the runup to the event - at which Weymouth co-hosted the sailing competitions with Portland - prevented the work from being finished on time.

At present, around 9,000 premises in the area have access to the improved speeds, with the rollout to continue over the coming weeks.

A spokesman from BT said: "We try to give as accurate information as possible on specific dates, but it is important to bear in mind these indications are usually a year or more ahead."

Electrical cables stolen in Dumfries and Galloway

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:44:00 PDT

Electrical cables have been stolen from overhead lines just outside Lockerbie.

The lines - which are worth more than £1,000 - were taken from Dumfries and Galloway on the Lockerbie to Langholm road between midnight and 06:00 GMT on Wednesday night (April 17th) and Thursday morning.

It is believed that the thieves were able to take down the wires by using a ladder and a form of insulation material to prevent them being hurt in the process.

A spokesman for the police stated: "They have obviously come prepared to get this stuff rolled up and take it away."

At around the same time, a similar sort of theft was carried out by thieves at a house located in Waterbeck.

Your Local Guardian recently reported that BT Openreach and Crimestoppers were willing to pay a £1,000 reward to anyone with information regarding a recent cable cutting incident in Croydon.

March's freezing weather 'did not put off online shoppers'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:42:16 PDT

People across the UK were not put off from carrying out their online shopping via their smartphones in March, new research has suggested.

According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, ecommerce climbed by 16 per cent year-on-year during the month, with clothing purchases being one of the main drivers of this.

Phone components such as jumper cable assemblies may be playing an important role in helping people buy their desired goods while on the go, as sales through smartphones and tablets increased 243 per cent year-on-year.

It was shown that individuals appear to not only be using their mobiles to buy items, but also to research them and compare prices.

Andrew McClelland, chief operations and policy officer at IMRG, noted some online retail sectors can be as impacted as high street stores when it comes to unseasonal weather patterns.

Mr McClelland stated: "In 2012 for example, we saw the wettest April on record and the online clothing sector was badly impacted, recording its lowest ever growth of one per cent."

4G speeds to be increased by EE

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:25:46 PDT

EE has announced it is to increase 4G speeds in the UK.

According to the provider, the move will result in customers seeing their connections double in pace to reach an average of 20 Mbps.

As a result, jumper cable assemblies and other phone components could have a big role to play in ensuring users are able to make the most of the improved speeds.

Commenting on the announcement, telecoms expert at uSwitch Ernest Doku explained the fastest available service has just got even faster.

Mr Doku noted EE, which is also behind the Orange and T-Mobile brands, was the first to introduce 4G to mobile users in the UK - and this latest development helps it race ahead of the competition even further.

"With 27 per cent of Brits saying slow 3G browsing is a huge problem for them, today's news may help cushion the blow of any extra costs for faster 4G," he added.

Deal reached to bring superfast broadband to Rothbury

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:11:12 PDT

Homes and businesses in north Northumberland look set to benefit from an improved broadband cables network following the signing of a new deal.

The local council has put pen to paper on the agreement with BT and GreySky, which will see the scheme delivered in Rothbury after the region received funding to the tune of £460,000 from Defra's Rural Community Broadband Fund, the Northumberland Gazette reports.

As a result of the rollout, 98 per cent of properties in the market town - which stands on the River Coquet - and the surrounding areas will benefit from the updated service before 2014 draws to a close.

Richard Benyon, rural affairs minister, said the agreement is great news for Rothbury residents and businesses, claiming it will soon be as easy to run an internet-dependent company in the town as it is in the middle of Newcastle.

Mr Benyon added the locals "will be the first rural uplands area to receive superfast broadband under the Rural Community Broadband Fund".

Smartphone sales help boost Samsung profits

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:09:43 PDT

Growing smartphone sales have helped to significantly boost year-on-year operating profits at Samsung Electronics.

The company has noted these transactions have been a key contributor to the firm recording a sharp increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2013.

It was revealed that the South Korean organisation expects to have made an operating profit of more than $7.6 billion (£5 billion) in the three months ending March 31st - and analysts forecast the upwards trend will continue across the second quarter.

This is likely to be assisted by the release of the Galaxy S4 - the brand's next-generation flagship smartphone, which is likely to challenge Apple's iPhone 5 in terms of consumer popularity.

Components such as jumper cable assemblies might therefore play a role in helping people to make the most of the latest devices.

Seo Won-seok, analyst at Korea Investment and Securities, said: "We expect some 22 million Galaxy S4 smartphones to be sold in the second quarter alone."

Watford residents in line for faster broadband

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:08:11 PDT

Watford residents look set to benefit from an improved broadband cables network in the near future.

BT has announced that homes and businesses in the town will have access to faster internet connections over the coming year, as the region joins Potters Bar and Stevenage in being part of the telecoms giant's expansion of its high-speed broadband service, the Watford Observer reports.

By the end of spring 2014, it is hoped that around 1,100 properties in the three areas will be able to take advantage of the new setup, while Chorleywood should also enjoy an improved service soon.

Regional director at BT East of England Dave Hughes said the introduction of high-speed digital connectivity is important for the long-term success of Hertfordshire, adding: "BT's investment in fibre broadband allows communities to create new opportunities, growth and future potential."

The news comes after BT recently announced it aims to help improve internet access in the Scottish Highlands by implementing a fibre broadband project led by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Rapid uptake of 4G mobile technology 'on the cards'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:39:20 PDT

The next two years will witness a rapid increase in 4G long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband technology, new findings have suggested.

According to the report from Juniper Research, subscriber numbers for this platform will double from around 105 million this year to reach almost 220 million in 2014.

It was shown that while 2012 represented a breakthrough year for LTE, the embedding of LTE technology in consumer devices will be the primary force behind increased take-up of the service going forward.

The figures suggest phone components such as jumper cable assemblies could play a key role in making sure as many people as possible are able to make use of the 4G service.

It was also suggested that - especially in emerging markets - time division (TD) LTE will become increasingly important.

Nitin Bhas, author of the report, said: "Ultimately, using TD-LTE requires consideration of the available smartphone ecosystem and evaluation of dual-mode LTE chipsets."

Spending via mobile devices 'set to double'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:21:43 PDT

Consumer spending via mobile devices is set to more than double over the coming 12 months.

This is the suggestion of new research from Conlumino, which predicted greater use of 4G connections will result in money spent through m-commerce increasing by a further 115 per cent in the next year.

It is anticipated that universal 4G coverage will reach 98 per cent of the UK during this time - meaning phone components such as jumper cable assemblies are likely to play an important role in facilitating higher mobile shopping activity.

Neil Saunders, a director at Conlumino - a retail research agency that delivers reports, projects and presentations - said: "Retailers today must take every chance to engage consumers, giving them every possible opportunity to buy and interact with their brands."

Mr Saunders recommended companies take an 'omnichannel' approach to make sure this can be achieved, while also warning them of the dangers of standing still.

Herefordshire villages to benefit from high-speed broadband

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:30:44 PDT

Villages in Herefordshire are set to benefit from high-speed broadband as part of a BT project.

Work is underway to bring the service to five areas of the county - Ross-on-Wye, Much Marcle, Upton Bishop, Symonds Yat and St Weonards - after a deal was struck last year between the telecoms company and the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire councils.

This arrangement is worth £56.6 million and is aimed at introducing improved internet connections for rural parts of the counties.

Around 2,500 km of optical fibre cables are to be laid as part of the Fastershire scheme - which should provide fibre broadband to 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the counties by the end of 2016 - with 800 new fibre broadband cabinets installed throughout the regions.

Councillor Graham Powell commented: "This ambitious project will boost the productivity of local businesses and help to attract a more diverse range of high-growth companies to the area."

Every part of Lincolnshire 'to benefit from broadband'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:29:08 PDT

Every part of Lincolnshire will soon have access to a broadband cables network - the first time this has ever been the case.

This will be thanks to a new multi-million pound broadband project in the area that also aims to introduce superfast internet speeds across the region, the Gainsborough Standard reports.

Leaders from Lincolnshire County Council and West Lindsey District Council said the development will soon lead to better connections, with businesses and communities set to benefit from an affordable service.

West Lindsey District Council leader Burt Keimach described the news as being fantastic for West Lindsey.

Mr Keimach commented: "Improving access to high-speed broadband is extremely important for us as our district has so many remote areas that will really feel the benefit."

The news comes after recent research from Ofcom revealed home broadband speeds in the UK have more than trebled in four years, reaching an average of 12.0 Mbit/s in November 2012.

Smartphones 'to push forward social TV activities'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:16:35 PDT

Social TV activities are likely to be driven by smartphones and other second-screen devices in the future.

This is the suggestion of new research from Gartner, which found that most of these social experiences - which relate to engagement, communication and interaction of a consumer when watching TV - are being delivered through companion apps for portable devices.

It was shown that handhelds such as smartphones, tablets and ultrabooks will push forward social TV activities, with this being facilitated through customised content, loyalty programmes and interactive apps.

Cable assemblies and other phone components may therefore have an important role to play as people increasingly use their devices for social TV purposes.

Michael Gartenberg, research director at Gartner - which was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Connecticut, US - said: "Second-screen devices such as tablets, smartphones and ultrabooks are likely to be the principal force behind social TV experiences as companion apps are increasingly written for that experience."

4G LTE traffic 'is accelerating'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:14:34 PDT

New figures have shown that 4G long-term evolution (LTE) traffic is accelerating markedly, experiencing a growth rate of 207 per cent in 2013 compared with 3G traffic.

Released by ABI Research, the findings highlighted a considerable increase in total mobile data traffic, with the 13,412 petabytes recorded at the end of 2012 representing a 69 per cent year-on-year climb.

Marina Lu, research associate at ABI - which was established in 1990 and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia - said: "In developed markets, 4G is rapidly gaining traction. Verizon Wireless, for example, has reported that 50 per cent of its data usage is on 4G LTE."

Jumper cable assemblies and other 4G-related phone components may therefore be playing an increasingly important role in facilitating the rise in traffic of this kind.

According to the study, smartphone apps are underpinning mobile data usage, with downloads and their related traffic emerging as the main contributor in this regard. Indeed, smartphone app downloads were up 88 per cent in 2012 compared to the year before.

New broadband gender target set

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 03:55:28 PDT

A new international target has been set that aims to improve broadband cables connection access for women.

The seventh meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development saw the United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission promoting greater information and communication technologies (ICT) use among females around the world - and especially in developing nations.

It was found that while women in poorer countries are much less likely to use the internet than their male counterparts, there is also a measurable gap with regard to richer regions.

As a result of the new directive, it is hoped that gender equality in broadband access will be achieved by 2020.

Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of ITU and co-vice chairman of the commission, said: "Women's access to ICTs and particularly broadband must be made a key pillar of the post-2015 global development agenda."

Helen Clark, administrator of the UN Development Programme, explained that closing the gender gap will lead to sustainable and inclusive development that will ultimately benefit men and women alike.

Home broadband speeds 'have more than trebled'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:32:45 PDT

Home broadband cable speeds in the UK have more than trebled in four years.

This is according to new research from Ofcom - the communications regulator in the UK - which revealed that while properties typically made use of a 3.6 Mbit/s in November 2008, this climbed 234 per cent to reach 12.0 Mbit/s in November 2012.

Moreover, the findings showed that the average connection speed enjoyed by UK householders has also increased by 3.1Mbit/s - or 34 per cent - to reach 12.0 Mbit/s between May and November 2012 alone.

Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, said: "Our research shows that UK consumers are adopting faster broadband packages to cater for their increasing use of bandwidth-heavy services such as video streaming."

Mr Richards claimed the need for speed throughout the UK is also being driven by the fact households are making use of more connected devices, such as personal computers, laptops and smartphones.

Consumers 'spending more on mobile devices'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:33:55 PDT

Consumers are beginning to spend more money on mobile and portable devices than they are on household technology products.

This is the suggestion of new research from Gartner, which indicated a shift in preference from stationary products to gadgets and services that deliver networking capabilities and entertainment, such as smartphones and tablets.

As a result of this trend, phone components such as cable assemblies may play an increasingly important role in helping consumers enjoy all of the entertainment options at their disposal.

The survey took in the views of more than 8,000 shoppers around the world and was conducted during July and August last year.

Nick Ingelbrecht, research director at Gartner, said: "Early adopters tend to leave the home laptop in the bag and are abandoning the home office in favor of the lounge room, couch or bedroom to do online activities."
He added tablets and smartphones are therefore enabling people to browse the web in more comfortable settings.

Tablet app market share 'will surpass smartphone revenue in 2018'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:32:11 PDT

Tablet app market share will almost match smartphone application revenues in 2017, before surpassing it in 2018.

This is the suggestion of new findings from ABI Research, which showed tablet apps will generate around 35 per cent of this year's smartphone app takings as they continue in an upwards trajectory.

It was demonstrated that while $8.8 billion (£5.89 billion) will be made through tablet apps in 2013, $16.4 billion is expected to be generated through phone apps over the same 12-month period.

The findings suggest jumper cable assemblies and other phone components could play an important role in enabling people to make the most of their apps wherever they may be.

Aapo Markkanen, senior analyst at ABI Research - which has offices in Europe, North America and Asia - explained the larger screens boasted by tablets will present more lucrative opportunities where app development is concerned.

Mr Markkanen stated: "One might think that the bigger installed base of smartphones would compensate for the disparity, but that notion fails to take into account the arrival of low-cost tablets."

Holidaymakers 'use text and email to stay in touch'

noreply@blogger.com (The Tech Guru) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 06:13:35 PDT

Britons heading overseas for their holidays tend to stay in touch with friends and family via text and email.

This is according to new research from BT, which showed that vacationers prefer this method to calling because they are worried about the costs involved when ringing somebody in another country.

It was shown that 58 per cent of survey respondents use text and email to correspond with loved ones while away, suggesting jumper cable assemblies and other phone components could play a role in helping people stay in contact with their nearest and dearest regardless of whereabouts in the world they may be.

Despite this, the findings indicated Brits reduce their mobile phone use while abroad, with many individuals admitting their lack of knowledge about charges means they are worried about the impact holiday phone use will have on their monthly bills.

Pete Oliver, commercial director of the Consumer Division at BT, said: "We know how important it is to stay in touch when you're away from home - especially when you're abroad."