Tuesday, August 30, 2005
95% UAE residents own mobile phones
Etisalat yesterday announced its mobile phone subscribers crossed the four million mark, giving it a customer base of 95 per cent of the country's 4.2 million population.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Heavy Punishment at Saudi Arabia for Mobile Phone
The source said the new law would include a number of regulations to prevent misuse of camera mobile phones in the country. As per the regulations already discussed by the Shoura, a person convicted of distributing pornographic photos will be jailed for three months and fined SR20,000 and his phone will be confiscated.
"If a person repeats the offense, the punishment will be doubled as the jail sentence will be increased to six months and fine to SR40,000," the source said, adding that he will also be given 100 lashes publicly.
If a person commits the same offense for the third time, the punishments would be further doubled, with 12-month jail, SR80,000 fine and 200 lashes. Moreover, his photograph will also be publicized in the press.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Bluetooth helps Saudis break taboos
Via CNN
Saturday, August 13, 2005
In Saudi Arabia, a high-tech way to flirt
Read full article
Friday, August 12, 2005
The mobile communication society
Conference: Wireless Communication Policies and Prospects: A Global Perspective, Los Angeles, University of Southern California.
Castells, M., Fernandez-Ardevol, M., Qiu, J. L., & Sey, A. (2004)
full report
the effects of mobile telephones on social and individual life
Dr Sadie Plant
This report is the result of a global enquiry into the social
impact of the mobile phone. In French it is called le portable,
or le G, which stands for GSM. The Finns have adopted
the term kanny, which sprang from a brand name but also
refers to an extension of the hand. In German it is the handy;
in Spanish it is el movil; Americans still call it a cell phone. In
Arabic it is sometimes called el mobile, but often a telephone
sayaar or makhmul (both of which refer to carrying) or
a telephone gowal (air telephone). In Thailand it is a moto.
In Japan it is keitai denwa, a carried telephone, or simply
keitai, or even just ke-tai. In China it is sho ji, or ‘hand
machine’, although the early mobile was a dageda, which
literally means ‘big brother big’ and is often translated as
‘big brother’ – not a homage to George Orwell, but a simple
nickname for what were then large, bulky devices; as well, it
is said, as a reference to the cool triad bosses of Hong Kong
cinema who were seen to carry mobiles for years before their
use became widespread.
Read more at
Monday, August 08, 2005
Good or Bad? Visual Phone Service Stirs Debate Among Youth
| Good or Bad? Visual Phone Service Stirs Debate Among Youth Mahmoud Ahmad, Arab News |
JEDDAH, 1 August 2005 — The camera or “visual phone conversation,” a service that is due to be launched soon, has become the subject of intense debate among many people, particularly the young. According to a report in Al-Madinah newspaper, many people have raised concerns about the new service, wondering whether it should be launched at all or if it is anything more than a marketing ruse intended to help boost the sale of cell phones with two cameras — currently on the market. The news alone raised the prices of these phones to more than SR2,500 per unit. Some believe that because these new cell phones are being sold in the market, it is a sure sign that the service would be launched in the near future. People fear that this new type of technology may be abused as the service would be available to many people; men and women, old and young. People recall how the Bluetooth service was misused when it was launched in the Kingdom. Some people used the service for sending obscene photos and clips. Al-Madinah sampled public opinion on the subject. Abdullah Al-Ajmi, a Saudi, said he was against the MMS service as it is contrary to Saudi culture and decency. He said that the service may be misused by teenagers and young people as when Bluetooth was introduced. He said that introduction of the service may bring more problems than benefits. “We saw what happened when camera cell phones and Bluetooth were introduced and judging from that, I feel that we are not ready for such a technology. If the service is introduced, I guarantee, 80 percent of young Saudis will misuse it.” Habib Ali said there will be no problem with the introduction of the service and that the fears are misplaced. “Just because some people misused a certain service in the past, it does not mean a technology is bad.” He said: “We should blame ourselves rather than blaming a certain technology. If we go by that rule, we should stop driving cars because cars are sometimes the causes of fatal accidents. Technology is not a problem; rather the problem lies in the sick minds that abuse the technology.” Khaled Al-Gashi spoke both for and against the service. “I favor it.” he said, “because it is a good service and we will be able to reap the benefits of a sophisticated technology. At the same time I fear it may be misused by many people. I think the phone company providing the service should have some kind of monitoring to ensure that the service is not misused.” |
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Harness the power of mobile phones
By Kenneth Neil Cukier International Herald Tribune
AUGUST 4, 2005
LONDON Recent experiences in the struggle against terrorism have shown not only what a critical role the public plays in preventing and responding to crises, but also the importance of a widely available tool the public can use to prevent terrorist acts and to spread danger alerts - the mobile phone. But unfortunately, governments and industry have not fully appreciated that mobile phones, in the hands of millions, are critical pieces of the information infrastructure.
[Via
Copyright © 2005 the International Herald Tribune ]
