Telecommunications Company cited for disaster preparedness

THE GSMA, the global trade association representing the interests of mobile operators worldwide, in a recent study cited Smart Communications Inc. for its innovative disaster preparedness and response programs. 

The GSMA, through its Disaster Response program, conducted a study on how the telecommunications company has been utilizing its communications infrastructure and human resources for disaster response. The full case study will be presented at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain in February 2013. 

The GSMA study highlighted Smart’s program as “an excellent example of leadership in disaster response within the mobile industry and a call to action for other operators to prioritize preparedness and coordination in advance of crises.” 

“The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and it is only right that we Filipinos strive to become one of the world leaders in disaster preparedness,” said Smart Public Affairs head Ramon Isberto. 

Kyla Reid, head of the GSMA’s Disaster Response Program, interviewed internal and external partners of Smart such as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and local governments down to the barangay level.

The GSMA study cited Smart’s Libreng Tawag (free call) centers that the telco sets up in areas hardest hit by calamities such as typhoons and severe floods. 

The GSMA also highlighted Smart’s other disaster response initiatives such as an emergency load facility for those with zero airtime balance, a person finder application to assist customers in locating loved ones via SMS, working with local governments to distribute aid in flood-affected areas, the opening of an SMS channel to receive donations for the Red Cross, among others. 

Smart and sister company Sun Cellular are supporting the Project NOAH (National Operational Assessment of Hazards and Risks), the government’s weather and flood monitoring project. 

The two companies have agreed to allow the Department of Science and Technology to install automated rain gauges in 600 of their cell sites in the 18 major rivers basins of the country. 

Using the data from these instruments and detailed information to be gathered through advanced mapping technologies, the DOST aims to eventually develop computerized flood forecasting models that can predict the impact of rainfall on communities in these 18 major river systems. 

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net

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Tegra 4 to come at Mobile World Congress 2013

Faster than S4
 

It looks like Tegra 3 won’t be getting a replacement this year. Despite the fact that multiple sources close to the matter report that the chip is getting close to production, it won’t be launched this year.

Nvidia will unveil Tegra 4 at CES 2013 followed by more design win unveilings at the Mobile World Congress in February 2013. Tegra 4 is the likely name of Wayne chip that according to Nvidia’s Tegra roadmap is supposed to have ten times the performance of Tegra 2 dual-core and twice the performance of Tegra 3.

Both the graphics core and CPU will be significantly faster than Tegra 3 and the next Tegra in line should get a lot of design wins in 2013. Wayne will be compatible with LTE modems making it easier for US telecoms to launch phones based on next generation Tegra.

Tegra 3 got at least three significant design wins this year, including the Nexus 7, the most important of them all, Surface RT and HTC0s One X and X+. Samsung appears to be the biggest competitor for Nvidia quad-cores and beyond, while Qualcomm can also put a lot of pressure on Nvidia with its S4 line.

We are hearing that Tegra 4 ends up significantly faster than S4 in most areas and benchmarks. We don’t know if Wayne is fast enough to take on the iPhone 5’s A6 processor, the one that dominates the benchmarks across the globe.

Source: http://www.fudzilla.com


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Samsung 5" Galaxy S4 and 5.5" Full HD Galaxy Note 3 2013?

The South Korean media—namely the Korea Times and MK News—is reporting Samsung's plans to out a Galaxy S4 handset, complete with a 5" screen, sooner than expected. In fact, it could be landing by March 2013. The firm also apparently plans to out Full HD phones with 400 dpi resolution in the first quarter of 2013.

Samsung Galaxy S4 with 5" Screen and Coming in March?

Just three days after Apple announced the iPhone 5, Samsung apparently decided to bring the release of the next Galaxy S phone forward from the usual month of May to March 2013. The Galaxy S4 is therefore highly likely to crop up as the guest star at next year's Mobile World Congress (MWC), due to be held from 25 to 28 February 2013 in Barcelona.

The screen is reportedly set to get even bigger in the Galaxy S4, measuring 5" diagonally compared with 4.8" for the Galaxy S3. 4G LTE connectivity is also on the agenda.

"The S4 will see some external changes but retain its popular rectangular shape with rounded corner concept", an official from one of Samsung’s local partners told the Korea Times.

A 5.5" Handset (Note 3?) with Full HD AMOLED Screen by Summer 2013

The second bit of juicy info comes from MK News, which reports that Samsung is set to out smartphones with Full HD AMOLED screens and 400 dpi resolution in 2013.

After a quick bit of maths—taking into account the resolution and definition (1920 x 1080)—that works out as a screen measuring 5.5". That's the same size as the Galaxy Note 2 which, interestingly, has already started to come down in price.

It's hard to imagine Samsung outing a second 5.5" handset with a higher screen def than the Note 2 and selling the two giant phones alongside one another. Maybe that means we'll see a Galaxy Note 3 landing in the first quarter of 2013 rather than in October.

Shorter Product Lifespans for Apple and Samsung?

Some may find it pretty worrying to see the lifespans of popular products being trimmed further and further down. Apple this week killed off its "new iPad" launched just seven months ago, replacing it with an even newer new iPad with Retina display (two days before Microsoft finally launches its Surface tablet).

If these handsets arrive as predicted, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 will end up with lifespans of 8 to 10 months rather than a full year. And if this is Samsung's response to the new iPhone, what will Apple come up with in return? And how will it affect the shelf-life of the iPhone 5?

Source: http://www.digitalversus.com

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The top 20 global operator groups by mobile connections (Q2 2012)

China’s three mobile operators all recorded double-digit subscriber growth over the last year, strengthening their respective standings in the latest Wireless Intelligence ‘Scoreboard’ operator ranking.

The new ‘Scoreboard’ tracks the top 20 global operator groups by connections based on majority-owned assets in Q2 2012. Minority holdings (less than 50 percent plus one share) are excluded from the analysis.

China Mobile (#1) extended its lead as the world’s largest operator group, growing connections by 11 percent year-on-year to 683.1 million. Its two domestic rivals both moved up the ranking compared to a year ago - and all three now feature in the top ten for the first time.

China Unicom (#6) moved up one place on the back of a 21 percent increase connections to 219.3 million, while China Telecom (#10) climbed two places as connections increased 33 percent to 144.2 million.

China as a whole surpassed the 1 billion milestone earlier in the year and ended Q2 2012 on 1,047 million connections in total.

India’s Bharti Airtel (#4) was the only other member of the top ten to move up the ranking, recording a 13 percent year-on-year rise in connections (to 250 million) and leapfrogging Telefónica to become the world’s fourth-largest operator group in Q2. However, Bharti's US$3.04 billion in mobile revenue in Q2 2012 is significantly lower than the four other operators in the top five, reflecting Bharti's presence in the ultra low-cost, low-margin Indian and African markets.

Elsewhere, France Telecom (#12) returned to the top 20 after dropping out of the list a year ago. The recent fluctuations in its ranking are due to an on-going group strategy of disposing of non-core or minority assets, and strengthening its stake in others. Over the last year, the firm increased its holdings in Poland (Orange) and Egypt (Mobinil) to above the 50 percent threshold allowing both assets to be included in our ranking – adding 14.8 million and 32.4 million connections, respectively, to the group total.

France Telecom also inked a deal in Q4 2011 to acquire 100 percent of Congo Chine Telecom, a mobile operator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The operator currently has only 1.5 million connections but is an example of the “high potential emerging markets” currently being targeted by the group.

US market-leader Verizon Wireless (#16) fell three positions from last year, while rival AT&T (#18) fell by two. Like the mature European operators, however, mobile revenues were significantly higher than at their emerging market counterparts.

Russia’s Sistema Group (#15) recorded the biggest slip in the ranking, dropping four places from a year ago. The group is likely to have subsequently slipped again following the forced shut down of its MTS Uzbekistan subsidiary in Q3 2012, which will reduce its connections total by around 9 million.

		Connections (millions) 1	YoY Growth, connections	YoY Growth, rank	Mobile Revenue (US$ billion)
1	China Mobile	683.08	11%	-	22.05
2	Vodafone Group	386.88	5%	-	13.92
3	América Móvil Group	251.83	7%	-	7.98
4	Bharti Airtel Group	250.04	13%	+1	3.04
5	Telefónica Group	243.51	7%	-1	11.40
6	China Unicom	219.25	21%	+1	4.95
7	VimpelCom Group 2	205.05	7%	-1	4.58
8	Reliance Communications	154.60	8%	-	0.48
9	Telenor Group	152.74	24%	-	2.55
10	China Telecom	144.18	33%	+2	3.37
11	MTN Group	136.59	14%	-1	3.85
12	France Telecom Group	133.38	57%	+9	7.18
13	Telkomsel Group	117.24	15%	+2	1.43
14	Idea Cellular	117.16	23%	+3	1.00
15	Sistema Group 3	114.51	3%	-4	2.54
16	Verizon Wireless	111.37	5%	-3	15.78
17	Deutsche Telekom Group	107.86	2%	-3	8.38
18	AT&T	105.21	7%	-2	14.77
19	Telecom Italia	101.10	16%	+1	4.10
20	BSNL	98.28	5%	-2	0.44

Mobile operator group global ranking by connections, Q2 2012
Source: Wireless Intelligence, company reports
¹ Connections are aggregated as the sum of each group's subsidiaries where a minimum of 50% plus one share economic interest is held
² Includes Orascom Group
³ Includes MTS Group

Source: http://www.mobilebusinessbriefing.com

So, if you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture below and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.

Full HD Smartphones Coming From LG And Samsung Next Year

 

As you can imagine, 1080p displays seem to be the most sensible step in terms of advancing with technology in the mobile industry. HTC may currently be one of the only manufacturers that have an upcoming, listed handset touting a very high resolution, with both Samsung Electronics and LG looking to get in on this soon as well. What isn’t surprising, is that both Samsung Electronics and LG will be launching handsets with full HD AMOLED and LCD displays in the first half of next year. This could be a hint at full HD in Samsung’s flexible AMOLED displays that have — just recently — been pushed back to 2013. This is just speculation, but we were also expecting to see these flexible displays in the first half of 2013. That said, depending if Samsung’s 2013 window for launching these displays haven’t been pushed back as well, this could be a hint at flexible displays. That, or this news concerning the full HD displays could just be another confirmation of Samsung Electronics boosting their glass AMOLED display production.

With the boost in devices’ resolution also comes with a nice boost in ppi (if you didn’t know, ppi stands for pixels per inch, which is a measurement of the resolution for display screens). That said, we’ll be looking at a bit over 400ppi with these upcoming full HD handsets. As you can imagine, this is going to produce a stunningly beautiful display, which you might be able to gauge against Apple’s retina displays. Of course, at this point we are only able to speculate as to which devices from Samsung and LG will be the first to incorporate this type of display. This makes me wonder if the rumored Galaxy S IV will be touting one of these beautiful 1080p displays. Samsung’s rumored Galaxy S IV timeline is starting to make sense, if it should have an HD display. Rumors say that it’s set to release in March after the announcement at the Mobile World Congress.

Apple’s flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5, is very well known for how clear the images are on the device. It’s ppi (pixels per inch) is set at 326. That said, if Samsung and LG were able to increase their phones by a good 60 – 70 ppi, can you imagine how crisp and clear that would look compared to what the iPhone currently offers? You do have to admit that Apple is very good at providing some great displays, so if we gauge the 400 ppi against the 326 ppi iPhone, can you actually imagine how good that would look? I personally think that it may look even better than what the Retina displays currently offer, but we’ll just have to wait and see for official confirmation on that at the upcoming Mobile World Congress.

If Samsung and HTC release a full HD smartphone, do you think that it would look better than a Retina display based off of the ppi that it is offering? Will you be one of the people to jump on that bandwagon upon the launch date of these rumored handsets?

source: talk android


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New, Larger Venue for MWC 2013 and Beyond

The Mobile World Congress, Barcelona 2013, has been movede to Fira Gran Via. Located just down the road from the old location, Fira Gran Via is a large state-of-the-art event space which will allow the show to grow and expand in the years to come.

Location

                 

The physical address of Fira Gran Via is:

Av. Joan Carles I, 64

08908 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona

Based on where your hotel is located, your travel times to the venue may stay the same or even decrease over previous years. Hotels near Port Olimpic actually have quicker travel times. More information about travel times and routes will be posted on the MWC official website soon.

Layout

Fira Gran Via is comprised of eight exhibition halls under a single roof. The layout begins with Hall 1, located at the South Entrance, and continues to Hall 8 and the North Entrance. In the heart of Fira Gran Via lies Congress Square (shown in black on the map below), which is sure to be a great meeting and gathering point.

Halls 1 through 7 are single-level spaces. But thanks to a dual-level walkway connecting the halls, complete with moving sidewalks, escalators and elevators, there’s plenty of space for the 70,000 attendees to move along quickly. Another plus is that Fira Gran Via is very friendly for those attendees with mobility issues.

The only multi-level hall is Hall 8, which will host App Planet, mPowered Brands, our Ministerial Programme, Exhibition space (Hall 8.1), and theatre events such as the Forum Series, App Developer Conferences (ADCs), mPowered Brands Theatres and Partner Events (Hall 8.0).

Halls 1, 2 and 3 contain Hospitality Suite and Meeting Room space. Halls 3, 5, 6, 7, 8.1, and Congress Square will contain Exhibition stands. Hall 4 will hold our Conference programme.

Size

Last but not least, the new venue is larger and will give Mobile World Congress the opportunity to continue to grow and expand in the years to come. Fira Gran Via boasts 240,000 square meters of space, under one roof, meaning Fira Gran Via is both 50% larger than the previous location, and will be unaffected by February’s changing weather. We’ll all enjoy a bit more breathing space in the years to come.

Visit the MWC Barcelona 2013 official site. 

So, if you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture below and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Release Date: February, Mobile World Congress 2013?

Hot news and gossip......will Samsung launch their new Galaxy SIV at the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2013? Here is an article which discusses just that.  

There are lots of rumor arising about the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date, specs, and features. The latest rumors are supporting that Samsung will reveal its next generation flagship phone in Mobile World Congress 2013 event scheduled for February next year in Barcelona, Spain.

We have reported earlier about the expected specs of Galaxy S4 as leaked by the Korean times. The Galaxy S4 may feature a 13 MP camera with dual-LED flash, 4.8-inch OLED screen with 1366×768 stock resolution, bigger battery, Android 4.2 Key Lime Pie, edge-to-edge screen, and a better housing body as compared to Galaxy S3.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Release Date

Samsung Galaxy S4 Release Date is not yet confirmed by officials at Samsung, even they are denying any such device is in development. They said that they are currently focusing on releasing the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 worldwide, whereas a 24^th October release event has been scheduled for Galaxy Note 2 in US. 

Recently, T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular has officially announced the availability of Galaxy Note 2 on their network whereas AT&T and Verizon are still silent on the release of Galaxy Note 2.

According to the MWC 2013 organizers, Samsung is going to have a press event on 2^nd day of the conference where it will unveil some of its new products including Galaxy S4. We are expecting a whole new revamped design for Galaxy S4 as Galaxy S3 is not so efficient with its looks and received the mixed reviews from users all around the world.

In coming weeks Nokia and HTC are going to launch their new flagship Windows Phone 8 devices, LG has recently released its news quad-core phone Optimus G on AT&T, Apple iPhone 5 released just a month ago and few more new phones from other companies will soon hit the market also.

Article reprinted from http://www.pc-tablet.com 

Click Here to Visit the Mobile World Congress 2013 site

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GSMA 2013 Barcelona News

Latest News from the GSMA Mobile World Congress, 2013, in Barcelona....

The GSMA has provided new details and event updates for the 2013 GSMA Mobile World Congress, which will be held 25-28 February 2013 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. The GSMA announced that the CEOs of NTT DOCOMO and Vodafone will be delivering keynote addresses in the Mobile World Congress conference programme and the GSMA also outlined additional new exhibiting companies, sponsors, partners and event elements for the show.

"Mobile World Congress 2013 is shaping up to be the largest and most exciting edition ever," said Michael O'Hara, chief marketing officer, GSMA. "The breadth of exhibition, educational programmes, meetings, events and networking opportunities coming up in February is unsurpassed, underscoring again why Mobile World Congress is the industry's ‘must-attend' event. We continue to add to this outstanding agenda and we look forward to welcoming more than 70,000 attendees from across the ever-expanding mobile ecosystem to Barcelona."

CEOs from the mobile industry's leading companies will be delivering keynote presentations in the Mobile World Congress conference programme. Newly confirmed keynote speakers for Mobile World Congress 2013 include Kaoru Kato, president and CEO, NTT DOCOMO and Vittorio Colao, chief executive, Vodafone Group.

These executives join previously announced keynote speakers including:
• Rene Obermann, CEO, Deutsche Telekom
• Franco Bernabe, chairman, GSMA and chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group
• Suk-Chae Lee, CEO, KT Corp.
• Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla
• Susan Whiting, vice chair, Nielsen
• Stephen Elop, president and CEO, Nokia
• Lars Nyberg, president and CEO, TeliaSonera

In addition to insightful keynote sessions, the 2013 conference will also include focused track sessions exploring a range of topics such as applications, business strategy, cloud computing, connected living, developing markets, devices, mobile consumer marketing, mobile health, mobile money, next-generation technologies, NFC, OSS/BSS and social media, among other subjects.

www.mobileworldcongress.com

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MWC 2013 Barcelona Preview

Here is a preview of the MWC 2013, in Barcelona that we have taken from the official website. Re-visit our site for daily news on the Mobile World Congress.

The mobile ecosystem is expanding at lightning speed, with endless innovation and new applications of mobile technology.  From contactless payments and augmented reality to embedded devices and connected cities ­– mobile technology is changing the landscape. The impact mobile will have on the world is limitless.

Join us in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2013 as together we explore the New Mobile Horizon.

Even the landscape of Mobile World Congress will look different in 2013.  While the Mobile World Capital Barcelona remains our host, we’re moving to a state-of-the-art new facility, Fira Gran Via.  We’ll be sharing more information about our new location very soon.

Depending on the type of pass you select, attendees can take advantage of the many components that make up this industry-leading event:

• A world-class thought-leadership conference featuring visionary keynotes and panel discussions
• A cutting-edge product and technology exhibition featuring 1,500 exhibitors
• The world’s best venue for seeking industry opportunities, making deals, and networking
• App Planet, the Centre of the Mobile Apps Universe, where the mobile app community gathers to learn, network and engage with innovators
• mPowered Brands, where marketers, advertisers and global brands explore the possibilities in mobile marketing
• And the Global Mobile Awards programme, where we recognise advancements and achievements in the industry

The 2012 Mobile World Congress was our largest and most exciting event to date, yet we’re planning an even better event in 2013. Mark your calendars now for 25-28 February 2013 – you won’t want to miss it!

So, if you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture below and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.