Arab Mobile Communication Studies

On peut le supposer. La plupart des gens disposeront d'appareils nomades — entre le téléphone mobile actuel et l'ordinateur — capables de se connecter à Internet. Actuellement, environ 2 milliards de téléphones mobiles sont en service. Près de 600 millions d'unités supplémentaires sont prévues en 2006. Ce qui représente, au total, plus du tiers de la population mondiale.
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CHIFFRES
En 2004, 1,751 milliard de personnes avaient un téléphone mobile dans le monde contre 740 millions en 2000.
Dans les 63 pays les plus pauvres de la planète (dont le PIB par habitant est
inférieur à 735 dollars), le nombre d'abonnés au téléphone mobile était de 128 millions en 2004. Ce chiffre a augmenté de 79,9 % par an depuis 2000.
Source : Union internationale des télécommunications (UIT).
À lire : Foules intelligentes, Howard Rheingold, M2 Editions, 300 p., 2005, 20 €.
[-] fermer
Le téléphone portable est moins cher que l'ordinateur et accessible à un plus grand nombre, notamment dans les pays émergents. Comparée au télégraphe au XIXe siècle ou au téléphone au XXe, jamais une technologie ne s'est répandue aussi rapidement.
La puissance de ces appareils sera immense. Déjà, les PDA (Personal Digital Assistant, ou assistant personnel numérique, comme Palm ou BlackBerry) sont 10 000 fois plus puissants que les premiers Macintosh, apparus dans les années 1980, pour un prix cinq fois inférieur. Imaginez les actions collectives, politiques, économiques et sociales que pourront mener, dans un proche avenir, plusieurs milliards d'individus connectés grâce à des appareils mobiles plus puissants que nos ordinateurs actuels.
Vous liez nouvelles technologies et pouvoir accru des individus. A Pékin, en mai 2005, les téléphones mobiles ont surtout servi au gouvernement chinois à tenter de contrôler la population. Un SMS a été envoyé à des milliers de citoyens pour les dissuader de se rendre à une "manifestation illégale"... Je n'ai pas une vision simpliste. Le pouvoir des Etats et des multinationales va s'accroître car les nouvelles technologies vont leur permettre de connaître plus finement nos comportements et nos croyances.
Déjà sur Internet, les entreprises surveillent nos habitudes pour nous proposer des offres commerciales en adéquation avec nos centres d'intérêt. Regardez ce que fait Google qui scanne nos courriels pour nous envoyer des propositions publicitaires ciblées. Cependant, je reste persuadé que les citoyens découvriront de nouvelles façons de se réunir et de résister.
Pourquoi un tel optimisme ?
L'apport des nouvelles technologies (informatique personnelle, Internet...) peut se lire dans les deux sens. Le gouvernement chinois a certes tenté de contrôler les populations par SMS. Mais regardez l'épidémie de SRAS (syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère). Environ 115 millions de SMS ont été échangés les trois premiers jours de son apparition. Le gouvernement chinois, très doué pour cacher ce qui se passe sur son territoire, n'a pas pu garder le silence.
Avez-vous d'autres exemples de résistance au pouvoir politique ?
Aux Philippines, en 2000, l'échange de millions de SMS a permis l'organisation des manifestations qui ont fait chuter le régime Estrada. En mars 2004, après les attentats de Madrid, c'est le même processus qui a amené les gens à se réunir spontanément pour protester contre José-Maria Aznar. Même chose aux Etats-Unis. Howard Dean a réussi en 2004 à exister dans la campagne présidentielle alors qu'il n'avait pas d'argent, n'était pas connu et n'avait pas la stature d'un candidat de premier plan... Seul atout, il était le candidat de la cyber-génération et a pu bénéficier, à ce titre, de l'intense activité de la blogosphère. Ses partisans se sont mobilisés rapidement et ont organisé des événements en ligne. Depuis quatre ans, de nombreux événements de la sorte, plus ou moins importants, ont eu lieu sur la planète, en Hongrie, en Corée du Sud, au Kenya, au Koweït...
Selon vous, les foules ayant accès aux technologies seront donc de plus en plus vertueuses...
Ne soyons pas naïfs. Dans l'avenir, tout le monde aura le pouvoir d'espionner, de surveiller son voisin. Déjà, les téléphones mobiles de nouvelle génération sont dotés de petites caméras et les séquences vidéo peuvent être publiées sur Internet... Dans dix ans, la notion de vie privée telle que nous la définissons n'existera plus.
Comment nos vies vont-elles changer ? Où que nous soyons, nous aurons des appareils mobiles qui nous connecteront en permanence avec des gens que nous ne connaissons pas, mais avec qui nous partagerons un intérêt commun. Que ce soit parce que nous nous trouvons dans le même aéroport, que nous voulons aller dans la même direction, que l'un de nous cherche à vendre un vélo que l'autre veut acheter... Les conséquences seront également économiques : si 20 personnes se retrouvent devant un magasin à vouloir acquérir le même bien, elles pourront plus facilement en négocier l'achat... Ces pratiques apparaissent déjà, rendues possibles car la technologie fait baisser considérablement le prix de la transmission de la connaissance.
Le consommateur va-t-il acquérir plus de pouvoir ? Je suis convaincu que le prix d'un billet d'avion ou d'une nuit d'hôtel ne sera plus fixé uniquement par le vendeur. L'acheteur va pouvoir fixer ses conditions : "Je veux aller de tel endroit à tel autre, mais pour tel prix maximum ; et je suis prêt à dépenser telle somme pour une nuit d'hôtel." Ce système appelé d'"enchères inversées" existe déjà. Il va se généraliser grâce à la rapidité et à la gratuité des flux d'informations.
La société est-elle prête à tant de bouleversements ?
L'accélération des innovations technologiques va accroître, dans dix à quinze ans, le fossé entre générations. Actuellement, coexistent déjà cinq générations dont chacune a une approche différente des nouvelles technologies et des objets informatiques et électroniques.
Grâce à ces nouveaux outils, les jeunes qui ont entre 15 et 20 ans peuvent pour la première fois échanger avec leurs pairs — chercher ou propager de l'information, tisser des relations sociales — sans que leurs aînés aient la moindre connaissance de ce qu'ils font. A l'avenir, tout cela va changer profondément les relations entre générations dans la société.

ظهر في السعودية نوع متطور من زواج المسيار يعتمد على استخدام الهواتف المحمولة بين الزوجين المرتبطين بهذه الطريقة لاختيار الوقت المناسب الذي يرغب فيه أحدهما في لقاء الآخر وممارسة علاقتهما الخاصة، بدون أن يكون هناك منزل للزوجية.
وصار هذا النوع يعرف بزواج المسيار السريع، وفيه يطلب أحد الزوجين الآخر عبر المحمول في اللحظة التي يراها مناسبة لكليهما ويتم اللقاء في شقة مفروشة أو داخل غرفة بأحد الفنادق يتم حجزها ليوم واحد وربما لعدة ساعات يتفقان عليها
وأكد الوابلي على انتشار نوع آخر من الزيجات في السعودية يسمى زواج المسيار السريع موضحا أن وسيلة اللقاء بين الزوجين تكون عن طريق الهاتف المحمول، ومبينا أنه في حالة رغبة الزوج لقاء ومعاشرة زوجته يدعوها للقائه في احدى الشقق المفروشة أو الفنادق وبعدها يذهب كل واحد منهما إلى بيته.
وارجع الوابلي أسباب إقبال الشباب على طلب زواج المسيار إلى الهروب من تحمل مسؤولية الإنفاق والسكن ورغبتهم في الحرية.
وأضاف الوابلي انه استعان به مؤخرا مسن في التسعينيات من العمر للبحث عن زوجة يتراوح عمرها مابين 50-60تقبل بزواج المسيار، وانه عثر له على سعودية "56" عاما تقبل بالزواج به لكنها اشترطت عدم معرفة أولادها بهذا الزواج.

Divorce among Muslims in India has never been easier thanks to new technology that has enabled men to end their marriages through an SMS or mobile phone text message. But a group of Muslim women are up in arms against this method of articulating the "triple talaaq", the formal unilateral declaration, repeated three times, with which men declare their divorce from their wives.

Sources among the Muslim community in Mumbai have said that representatives from "dozens of women’s associations", have decided to organise a three-day convention in Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh, on the problems facing women in the world of Islam, including this new method of divorce. The conference is set to begin on Tuesday.

The new methods of communication have in effect made it easier for a man to present his talaaq, admitted Abdul Ahad Falahi, the Mufti of the madrassah or Muslim school Darul Qaza in Mumbai. He said that "many talaaqs are coming through SMS these days", as well through the telephone, fax or an email, while traditionally they were always done verbally - in front of a religious leader who had officiated at the marriage ceremony - or through a letter.

For this reason, the Muslims women's organisation have decided to deal with the question of the "unconventional methods" of divorce on the proposal of the All India Muslim Women’s Personal Law Board, which is based in Hyderabad. The convention over the next few days will also discuss the rights of women in a divorce.

The cases that have been reported in the news on the growing rate of divorce communicated by the husband via SMS or with just a phone call, have infuriated Muslim women, Rehana Sultana, the director of the Centre for Women’s Studies at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University.

Similar practices are discouraged, said Sultana, adding that men who resort to this method of divorce "should be severely fined, with a figure ten times the meher," which is the amount under Muslim tradition the man has to pay to the family of the bride at the time of marriage.

At the largest annual mobile wireless exhibition in Asia, in Hong Kong, Stephen Cole assesses the mobile phones vying for our attention in 2006, and finds that many see a turning point on the horizon.

With two mobile operators and one iDEN-based group communications network, Saudi Arabia remains the country in the region with the largest potential for growth in telecommunication services. The Kingdom has a population of over 23 million. In 2004, prior to the entry of competition, there were 9.2 only million mobile users (US Saudi Arabian Business Council – June 2005). Liberalization and its effect on the market is one of the key topics that will be discussed at Telecoms World Middle East, taking place from Dec. 4-7, 2005 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai.

“Expansion into new markets is one thing, and continuing to grow within an operator’s home market is a different game altogether. Saudi Arabia is the biggest market in the GCC, and has a highly untapped potential,” said Edward Haines, conference director for Telecoms World Middle East, Terrapinn. “Both STC and Mobily will be sharing their experiences and views on benchmarking the competing and growth at the conference. Representing them will be Yousef Abdullah Al-Akeel, director of carrier services, and Khaled Al-Kaf, CEO, respectively.”

For more information on the conference please visit the website: http://www.terrapinn.com/2005 /twme/.

[via smart mobs]
In rich countries, mobile phones can seem something of a mixed blessing – particularly if you are stuck on a train next to a teenager with a Crazy Frog ring-tone. But in poor countries, mobile phones have no obvious downside and have already delivered remarkable benefits, in terms both of economic growth and personal empowerment. They may even enable poor countries to leapfrog over some of the traditional stages of the development process.

في هذه الأثناء حث وزير الصحة السعودي الدكتور حمد بن عبدالله المانع السعوديين عدم الأخذ برسائل الجوال أو الشائعات.. مؤكداً أن "تلك الشائعات غير علمية إطلاقاً".. ودعا الجميع إلى "الاعتماد على ما يصدر من الجهات المعنية". وأكد "خلو السعودية تماماً من فيروس أنفلونزا الطيور القاتل ولم تسجل أي حالة لطيور مصابة".. كما طمأن المواطنين بأن "وزارة الصحة السعودية تراقب عن كثب وتتابع المستجدات الوبائية للمرض عالمياً من خلال منظمة الصحة العالمية والمراكز العلمية العالمية إضافة إلى أخذ كافة التدابير والاحتياطات الوبائية اللازمة لمراقبة المرض في الإنسان والتبليغ عنه وتشخيصه". وقال د. المانع: "إنه تم تجهيز وإعداد المختبر المركزي بالرياض والمختبر الإقليمي بجدة لفحص العينات فيها في حالة حدوث حالات اشتباه. كما تم اعتماد خطة لعلاج المصابين بالأدوية المضادة للفيروس في علاج ووقاية الأشخاص المعرضين واتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة نحو المخالطين". وأضاف: "إن وزارة الزراعة تقوم وبصفة دورية منتظمة بأخذ عينات عشوائية من الطيور للتأكد من خلوها من الفيروس".. موضحاً أن "الدواجن الموجودة في الأسواق المحلية من مختلف دواجن المزارع في المملكة آمنة بإذن الله حيث تقوم الجهات المعنية بتطبيق الاشتراطات ومعايير الرقابة والجودة العالمية عليها بما في ذلك التأكد من تربيتها في حظائر مغلقة لا تسمح باختلاطها مع الطيور المهاجرة التي يمكن أن تحمل الفيروس كما أن لحوم الدواجن المجمدة يتم استيرادها من دول لم يظهر فيروس الأنفلونزا القاتل فيها". وأشار إلى أن "هذه الخطوات تأتي ضمن الخطة الوطنية التي اعتمدتها وزارة الصحة لمواجهة هذا المرض والتي تركز بشكل كبير على كل من الخطوات والإجراءات الوقائية والاحترازية للحد من وفادة هذا المرض والعلاجية الكفيلة بالقضاء عليه وعدم انتشاره بشكل وبائي". وأفاد أن الوزارة قامت بتدريب المختصين في المختبرات وتزويد الأطباء المعنيين بالخطة الفنية للتعامل مع المرض حسب السياسات والإجراءات الدولية المهنية وبالتنسيق مع المكتب الإقليمي لشرق المتوسط لمنظمة الصحة العالمية كما تم إعداد مادة علمية وتوعوية وتوزيعها على الشرائح المستهدفة وبثها في موقع الوزارة على الشبكة العنكبوتية.

Big growth in mobile phone sales
Worldwide mobile phone sales rose by 22% in the three months to September

تصوير شخص من دون علمه مساس بحريته وخصوصيته:دائرة الشئون القانونية تبدي ملاحظاتها - على تغليظ العقوبات ضد إساءة استخدام الهواتف النقالة

أبدت دائرة الشئون القانونية ملاحظاتها حول الاقتراح بقانون بشأن تعديل المادة «37« من قانون العقوبات بهدف اضافة 3 فقرات إلى نص هذه المادة لتجريم سوء استخدام الهواتف النقالة المزودة بكاميرات أو تلك المزودة بالبلوتوث.. وقالت الدائرة في ردها:

1- نصت الفقرة الأولى المضافة على معاقبة من قام بتصوير شخص من دون علمه أو رضاه إذا كان من شأن هذا التصوير الإساءة إلى الغير أو المساس بالآداب العامة، وترى الدائرة ان التجريم يجب ان يشمل تصوير الشخص من دون علمه أو رضاه بأية وسيلة كانت حتى ولو لم يؤد إلى المساس بالآداب العامة أو الإساءة إلى الغير ذلك ان تصوير الشخص من دون علمه أو رضاه فيه مساس بحريته وخصوصيته التي كفل لها الدستور حرمة خاصة. 2- نصت الفقرة الثانية المضافة على اعتبار حيازة الصور أو لقطات الفيديو الخاصة بالغير أو التي تخل بالآداب العامة قرينة على تداولها أو توزيعها بخاصية البلوتوث. وترى الدائرة ان هذه الفقرة أخذت بمبدأ الشبهات في مجال العقاب الجنائي الذي يقوم على اليقين وعلى مبدأ ان الشك يفسر لصالح المتهم، كما انها أهدرت تماماً الركن المادي في جريمة تداول أو توزيع الصور ولقطات الفيديو والذي يتمثل في ارتكاب فعل التداول أو التوزيع أو بموجب هذه الفقرة يعني مجرد حيازة هذه الصور أو اللقطات ان المتهم قد ارتكب فعل التداول أو التوزيع ويتم معاقبته على هذا الفعل رغم انه لم يرتكبه في الحقيقة. 3- نصت الفقرة الثالثة المضافة على تجريم استخدام خاصية البلوتوث في الابتزاز والتحريض على الفسق والفجور. وترى الدائرة انه لا مبرر لمثل هذه الفقرة فيما يتعلق بالتحريض على الفسق أو الفجور إذ ان قانون العقوبات المشار إليه جرم في المادة (324) وما تلاها من مواد التحريض على الفسق والفجور بأية طريقة.
Akhba

Television is going through major changes in the ways in which news is collected, transmitted and received.

[Via Smart Mobs]


Leading industry analyst and forecaster, BIS Shrapnel, has launched its Egypt Mobile Communications, 2005 report. Report author, Mr Wisam Francis explains that Egypt's cellular market is currently experiencing unprecedented growth, a phenomenon that BIS Shrapnel forecasts will result in the number of mobile subscribers in Egypt reaching 21.1 million by the end of 2008.

For the first time, total cellular subscribers at the third quarter of 2005 exceeded the fixed-line subscriber base, despite the relatively strong uptake of fixed line subscription in Egypt. By the end of September 2005, Egypt had 12 million mobile and 10.3 million fixed line subscribers. This compares to 9.9 million mobile and 9.7 million fixed line subscribers at the end of June 2005. Moving forward, Mr Francis expects the margin between Egypt’s mobile phone and fixed-line subscribers to continue to widen, reaching around 3 million by the end of 2006.
On the fixed-line front, in Egypt - unlike the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Morocco and Israel - the fixed-line subscriber base is not showing symptoms of stagnation. Rather, Egypt’s landline subscriber base has been growing rapidly, adding an average of 875,000 new fixed line subscribers every twelve months for the past four years (2000–2004). By the end of September 2005, research shows the network reached 10.3 million lines, bringing the penetration rate to approximately 14 per cent. This penetration rate, although ahead of Jordan, is behind Saudi Arabia and well below the UAE.
On the mobile front, rapid growth has become particularly evident since the third quarter of 2004. The number of mobile subscription adds during the 12 months (September 2004–September 2005) was unprecedented - more than 5.2 million mobile subscriptions were provisioned, according to BIS Shrapnel’s study. Putting this into perspective, the increase in the mobile subscriber base during that period is more than the total number of mobile subscribers at the end of 2002, and approximately three times the uptake for 2004.
This trend continued into 2005, with some 2.3 million new mobile subscribers added in the third quarter of 2005 alone. This represented a massive 400 per cent increase on the third quarter 2004 result, when there were only 459,000 new subscribers.
The consequence of competition, foreign investment and improvement in economic conditions are seen as the main factors that have driven growth in Egypt’s cellular market. Aggressive strategies adopted by the existing cellular operators have also contributed to growth, according to Mr Francis. Aside from the network expansion which gained momentum, especially following the slight appreciation of the Egyptian Pound, both operators introduced low tariff prepaid services that were bundled with low end mobile handsets. The latter strategy attracted lower spending customers, contributing to a noticeable decline in average revenue per subscriber (ARPU).
Moving forward, BIS forecasts current rates of growth to continue out to 2008. The number of cellular subscribers will exceed 13 million by the end of 2005. This will translate to 5.4 million mobile subscriber adds during 2005. This uptake matches closely only with that forecasted for Algeria and Turkey in the MENA region. Despite this aggressive growth, the mobile penetration rate in Egypt will remain as low as 18 per cent by the end of 2005.
New market developments
Three notable changes will soon take place in Egypt’s telecommunications market, according to Mr Francis. Firstly, at least one further fixed line operator is likely to be licensed in 2006. Secondly, it is anticipated that a portion of the government’s stake in Egypt Telecom will be sold. Thirdly, a new mobile operator is expected to launch its service during the first quarter of 2007. Telecom Egypt will be allowed to enter the bidding with an international partner. Acquiring a mobile licence would make Telecom Egypt more attractive to potential investors.
While bidding for the third GSM licence is likely to take place in early 2006, it will be interesting to observe how this will unfold. The appointment of a ‘pro-reform’ cabinet in mid-2004, the appreciation of the Egyptian pound and an evolving mobile culture are factors which would support this development. Nevertheless, the operators’ declining ARPU, the previous unsuccessful attempts to sell a stake in Egypt Telecom, and even the recent (July 2005) Sharm el-Sheikh bombing, could undermine these positives, and deter potential investors from placing high bids. Moreover, the motives behind Egypt Telecom’s 2003 decision to abandon its plans to enter the mobile market will also play a role in moulding the outcome of this sale. Russia’s Sistema and China Mobile are among many foreign companies currently eyeing this deal.
Mobile Handset Market
Nokia is the leading mobile handset brand in Egypt followed by Samsung. In terms of distribution, with the exception of Nokia, Samsung and Motorola, the other handset vendors (including Sony Ericsson, LG, Bird, Siemens, Sagem and Alcatel) are currently adopting a closed distribution channel in order to distribute their handsets in the Egyptian Market.
According to Mr Francis’ colleague and Asia-Pacific telecommunications analyst, Joe Leong, “the strategies to adopt a closed distribution channel by second tier handset vendors are in line with their practice in many Asian countries”. However, Mr Leong cautioned that relying too heavily on a single distribution channel could be potentially risky.
According to Mr Francis who met with the Egyptian distributors, “some fledgling small scale dealers in Egypt have come and gone”. He explains that securing reliable and cooperative distribution partners is vital to succeeding in the MENA handset market.

تمكنت المباحث الكويتية من القاء القبض على مواطن اغتصب صحافية عراقية قبل أن يصورها عارية بجواله على أمل أن يساومها عليها فيما بعد كما ذكرت بعض الصحف المحلية.

Mociology refers to how mobile and wireless technology has changed the way we do things

By the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia, video footage had circulated via the Bluetooth service on mobile phones of a teacher beating a young student.

By the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia, video footage had circulated via the Bluetooth service on mobile phones of a teacher beating a young student.

The clip was ruthless, especially with the painful cries of the student who pleaded his teacher and assumed guardian to stop the violence towards him.

Despite that the local papers had tackled the issue, it failed to make the matter one of public opinion in the same way that it did with the case of Al-Nahda Street in Riyadh.

The question that deserves to be answered is why was this case of physical abuse forgotten so quickly whilst footage of further violations continued to circulate?

The answer is quite clear as the abusive teacher confidently told one of the newspapers, "The matter was settled a long time ago, and the child's father had accepted my apologies as I explained that hitting the child was for his own benefit to teach him manners."

The truth remains that the teacher's justification of hitting the child in such an inhumane way may have been accepted had the incident taken place on the street, however school is an educational haven, where laws and rules should be committed to by teachers. Teachers who fail to comply with such regulations should be punished accordingly.

The most surprising aspect of the teacher's statement was the acceptance of the abused child's father. The father was simply supportive of a common social culture that accepts such behavior.

Alaa Barian, an eleven year old child said, "My teacher has hit me more than once but when I tell my father, he says that I should not be naughty, then I wouldn't be hit." Alaa adds, "I don't believe that I am so naughty that I deserve to be slapped in the face. If the teacher had told me to be quiet, I would have obeyed immediately."

If education authorities believe that such situations are rare then they are mistaken. This is evident by the violent reactions from students in various parts of the kingdom. Many develop the need to seek revenge; to the extent that a limited number have shot their teachers, or in one case 2 years ago, a headmaster was shot. Such incidents propelled the Ministry of Education to issue a decision three years ago, allowing the teaching body to expel the student or hand him over to security authorities if the headmaster agrees.

A while ago, a friend had returned to the United States to complete his studies, along with his eight-year-old son who would also continue his education there. After sometime of attending school, the child's father was summoned to meet the boy's teacher.

The teacher had not called the father in to request that she be allowed to "teach the child manners" the hard way, but rather to explain to the parent that the child had behaved badly towards three female students from his class. The teacher further elaborated on the boy's psychological status and the most effective ways in which his behavior could be improved. The first of these methods was for a psychiatrist from university to sit with the child for a one-hour seesion everyday. The psychiatrist would explain to the child that he was his friend and wanted to complete some research in the differences of attitude of children of his age. After one year of such counseling, the child excelled in his class, revealing strong levels of ability and almost ingenuity. He simply required somebody to trigger his mental capacities. Is this example enough to highlight the degree of backwardness in our education system?

Education in our schools unfortunately, is plagued and mismanaged. It has been plagued by teachers who graduated from the faculty of agriculture and commerce, who have resorted to teaching merely as a source of income. It has been plagued by student representatives who have been elected based on favoritism rather than on merit. Moreover, it has been plagued by sadistic teachers who themselves suffer from psychological illnesses who are supposed to guide children.

The final question: why was the case of a teacher accused of being secular, delivered to special authorities and prosecuted in the courts immediately, whereas education administrators answered the press enquiries regarding the case of the sadistic teacher by saying that the matter has not thoroughly investigated? This is my question, but I will not expect an answer.

Mobile Society website provides links and information related to research on social aspects of the mobile phones. Comments and contributions are welcome!

The Society for the Social Study of Mobile Communication (SSSMC) is intended to facilitate the international advancement of cross-disciplinary mobile communication studies. It is intended to serve as a resource and to support a network of scholarly research as to the social consequences of mobile communication.
MEMBERSPioneering and leading scholars on mobile communication comprise the SSSMC. Among them they have published at least seven research anthologies and several journal articles as well as organized numerous national and international fora, symposia and conferences on mobile telephony and allied technologies.
EVENTSTwo mobile communication conferences were held in Europe last June:Mobile Technologies and Health: Risks and Benefits (Udine, Italy, June 7-8, 2004)The Global and the Local in Mobile Communication: Places, Images, People, Connections (Budapest, Hungary, June 10-11, 2004)

Das Jenaer Software-Unternehmen Sensator AG hat nach der Bibel auch den Koran für das Handy entwickelt. Die heilige Schrift des Islam gebe es bis zum Jahresende in mehr als zehn Sprachen für 40 Handy-Modelle, sagte Sensator-Chef Hendrik Bieräugel heute und bestätigte damit einen Bericht der Ostthüringer Zeitung vom gleichen Tag. Die vor drei Jahren in Jena gegründete Firma hat unter anderem einen Großauftrag aus der Türkei erhalten.
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"Wir haben die Koranverse in einem aufwendigen Verfahren komprimiert und für die gängigen Handys aufbereitet", sagte Bieräugel. Mehr als eine Million Zeichen mussten dafür bearbeitet werden. Die heilige Schrift, die aus dem Internet heruntergeladen werden kann, braucht auf dem Handy 399 kByte Speicherplatz.
Zum katholischen Weltjugendtag 2005 hatte Sensator eine Bibel für das Mobiltelefon entwickelt. Sie werde unterdessen in zwölf Sprachen angeboten, unter anderem auf Italienisch, Französisch, Norwegisch, Schwedisch und Dänisch, sagte Bieräugel. Sensator hat derzeit sechs feste Mitarbeiter. Bis zum Ende des kommenden Jahres soll die Zahl der Stellen auf 20 steigen. Die Jenaer Software-Firma stellt auch Handy- und PC-Spiele her. (dpa) / (ssu/c't)

كشف مؤخرا وعن طريق كاميرا الفيديو وقائع اعتداء خادمتين "أثيوبية وسريلانكية" على طفلتي مخدوميهما في الإمارات العربية المتحدة، فقد عمدت امرأة إلى وضع كاميرا فيديو في شقتها السكنية في دبي لمراقبة ما يجري في منزلها أثناء تواجدها في الخارج بسبب ظروف عملها وذلك بعد تكرار شكوى طفلتيها على مدار أشهر ستة.
وقال العميد خميس مطر بالمزينة مدير إدارة التحريات والمباحث الجنائية بشرطة دبي، بحسب ما نشرته صحيفة "البيان" الإماراتية الاثنين 14-11-2005، إن الأم اكتشفت من خلال تصوير الكاميرا قيام الخادمة الإثيوبية بضرب الطفلة الكبرى (ثلاث سنوات) بالحذاء وتعليقها من قدميها ورميها على الكرسي ووضع الوسادة على وجهها لإسكاتها بعد أن طلبت الطفلة كوباً من العصير أثناء مشاهدة الخادمة للتلفاز.
وكان نصيب أختها الصغرى (18 شهراً) الضرب بالحذاء أيضاً، مشيراً إلى أن الخادمة الأخرى "سريلانكية" اكتفت بعملية تخويف الطفلتين دون الضرب. وقال العميد بالمزينة إنه "تم اتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية تجاه الخادمة الأولى وأن القضية على ذمة التحقيق، والأخرى أبقيت في المنزل لحاجة ربة البيت لها"! وأوضح أن القضية سجلت أواخر أيام عيد الفطر المبارك وتم التأكد من حسن معاملة المخدومين.
وأضاف أن هذه الحادثة سوف تؤثر سلباً على الجانب النفسي والإبداعي للطفلة في هذه المرحلة ويجب أن يكون هناك ردع أمني لمثل هذه التصرفات، مشيراً إلى أن ما تعرضت له الطفلة من عقاب بدني قد يكون أكثر بكثير مما تم تصويره. وأشار بالمزينة إلى أن ظروف الحياة وانخراط المرأة في العمل يجب ألا يمنعاها من متابعة أسرتها وأن تكون قريبة من أطفالها وتتجاوب مع متطلبات الطفل لأنه لا يستطيع التعبير إذا تعرض للأذى أو عدم الاهتمام، كما يجب أن تكون هناك توعية وتسليط للضوء على مثل هذه القضايا من الإعلام المحلي.

The emergency measures in Paris came a day after cell phone text messages and Internet blog postings called for ``violent actions'' in Paris on Saturday evening. Authorities banned public gatherings considered risky in an effort to keep the unrest from reaching inside the capital.

زوار الموقع الكرام ..

Jamster! and Jamba!, the premier providers of mobile content and wholly-owned subsidiaries of VeriSign, Inc. , and MTV Networks International, owned by Viacom Inc., today announced the launch of a new international research initiative into the mobile entertainment and the digital content marketplace.

The joint study to be launched in the coming weeks will seek to understand usage, mechanics, and frequency of downloading and streaming to mobile phones. The initiative will also provide analysis of the burgeoning reliance that consumers place on access to mobile devices, and the impact of wireless on content creation and communication.

"This new study in collaboration with our mobile content partner, Jamster! and Jamba!, will enable us to understand how the role of mobile content is evolving around the world and how we can develop compelling, new entertainment that is even more relevant to consumers," said Graham Saxton, Senior Vice President, Research and Planning, MTV Networks International.

"Jamster! and Jamba! and MTV Networks International are driving the expansion of the mobile entertainment market," said Vernon Irvin, Executive Vice President and General Manager, VeriSign Communications Services. "This study will be an invaluable tool to understand the market of today and anticipate the trends of tomorrow."

MTV initiates more local, pan-regional and global youth research than any other media company worldwide. Studies in the past have included: Sources of Cool, a global initiative that identified trend developments among youth; Collections of Cool, a pan-European research report addressing key youth behaviors; MTV Generations, a nine-country European study defining the key mindsets of Generation X and Generation Y; and Switched On, an on-going youth trends monitor.

Mobile content continues to be an increasingly important part of the music industry. Like music videos, entertainers are beginning to utilize ringtones, fun sounds and wallpapers as powerful promotional tools for their new music releases. MTV and Jamster are key global partners for on demand services for digital content consumers, and collaborate on Jamster!'s ringtone chart shows, which have become a respected source for measuring the reach of an artist's mobile content appeal for MTV's audience. Last year alone, more than 8 billion dollars were spent in mobile content services market.

HOUSE of Representatives Speaker David Hawker has given the thumbs up to politicians sending and receiving text messages on their mobile phones inside the chamber.

The picture was taken from a bus by a passenger. The police confiscated the mobile. A moroccan journalist was arrested because he took apicture of the police from his mobile.
His majesty King Mohammed VI was pictured by a normal citizen from a public Bus

The picture was taken from a bus by a passenger. The police confiscated the mobile.
A moroccan journalist was arrested because he took apicture of the police from his mobile

The waiting has ended and now you can get your fix of weekly Bundesliga news optimized for mobile devices. You'll never miss another goal again.
Thsi is interesing for Arab mobile users.

Combining directions, maps, and satellite imagery, Google Local for mobile is a free download that lets you find local hangouts and businesses across town or across the country — right from your phone. Detailed directions: Whether you plan to walk or drive, your route is displayed on the map itself, together with step-by-step directions. Integrated search results: Local business locations and contact information appear all in one place, integrated on your map. Easily movable maps: Interactive, draggable maps let you zoom in or out, and move in all directions so you can orient yourself visually. Satellite imagery: Get a bird's eye view of your desired location.

The mobile telecoms market in Iraq will become one of the largest mobile markets in the Middle East by the end of the year, according to Ali Al-Dawhi, GM of MTC Atheer. The company, which currently operates the GSM network in southern Iraq and Baghdad, is rapidly expanding its infrastructure and increasing investment in the country to a total of $430 million, to meet this booming demand.
MTC Atheer launched services in southern Iraq in March 2004 and today has over 900,000 subscribers both in the South and Baghdad. As demand for mobile services in Iraq grows, MTC Atheer is increasing its investment in network infrastructure by 40 percent by the year-end, in order to be able to cater for an expected 1.5 million customers.
“The potential for development of the mobile services market in Iraq is much greater than initial studies suggested and the growth so far has been huge. By the end of the year Iraq will have attracted four million mobile subscribers users in under two years, a phenomenal rate of growth,” said Al-Dawhi. “Iraq has a great opportunity to surpass most of the developing Arab states, so long as security can be achieved and development continues at a good pace.”
Al-Dawhi stated that there were many challenges that MTC Atheer had to overcome to build its network in Iraq, including the need for round-the-clock site security, a lack of suitable sites and site access, unreliable power supplies and the need to import network equipment. Growth in Iraq has also been mostly demand-based rather than planned, due to a lack of market information and population data.
The company has managed to exceed its planned targets for Iraq however, reaching 500 percent greater subscriber numbers and 450 percent more capital investment than its original commitments. It has also been able to expand its network coverage with 360 base stations, more than 400 percent than planned, and has introduced voicemail and SMS services and full GPRS coverage. MTC Atheer is also investing heavily in the Iraqi people by creating almost 10,000 direct and indirect jobs for Iraqis, and committing itself to sponsorship of the Iraqi National Orchestra and Iraqi National Olympic Team, and other community programs.
“MTC Atheer’s strong growth in Iraq has enabled us to bring telephony to many more Iraqis than we had initially planned,” said Al-Dawhi. “We are now aiming to cover the entire Baghdad and Southern region by the end of the year and to expanding our services to the entire country in 2006.”

Mobile phone users in Dubai have become the first in the Middle East to be able to log onto the internet and access information through a mobile portal launched yesterday by the Dubai eGovernment.

Postpaid call facility for Al Wasel users

95% UAE residents own mobile phones

The service is part of a customer "wish list" derived from an indepth survey which the Dubai eGovernment is trying to fulfil, said Salem Al Shair, eServices director, at the press launch of the service.

Any mobile phone set or PDA can be used to access the service provided they are web enabled through Etisalat, for which there is a one-time fee.

There are no monthly service charges, but users must pay the normal connection fee when they log on to the portal, either through the web network or the recommended GPRS. Accessing the services at the WiFi hotspots in Dubai is free.

"The launch of a mobile portal was imperative considering the major increase in mobile penetration in Dubai and, more importantly, taking into account the increase in the number of people who are constantly on the move and dependent on their mobile phones for accessing information," said Al Shair.

Six categories of services can be accessed through the mobile portal such as traffic information, Islamic, financial, travel booking, Dubai information and entertainment.

Some of the services available are visa information from the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department, prayer timings from the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Awqaf and services from Dubai Police such as traffic fine enquiries and payments.

In addition, users can make Emirates airline online flight bookings, check the arrival and departure of flights from the Dubai Civil Aviation Department.

There are about 200,000 GPRS subscribers in the UAE of whom about 150,000 have PDAs or smart phones, Al Shair said.

IT partners in this venture are Ducont and Sybase.

Users of the portal can search for hotels, products in specific malls, and be informed about sales and promotions taking place around Dubai, obtain updates on the latest movies, get the weekly television schedule for One TV, locate a nearby embassy or consulate, use the currency converter service, as well as access information from the Dubai Financial Market in the form of mobile quotes and live quotes.

Doing business while on the move

• Users who want to utilise the eServices can log on to the Dubai eGovernment portal www.dubai.ae.
• Its technology allows mobile device users browsing these services to access the specifically-designed mobile portal, whereas those who log on to the portal via PCs will have access only to the main Dubai eGovernment portal.

Mobile phones are becoming an increasingly popular way to listen to music, according to a worldwide survey.

لاقى أول عرض مسرحي تشهده السعودية منذ عقود إقبالا جماهيريا منقطع النظير من السعوديات حيث نفدت جميع تذاكره مبكرا على الرغم من انتشار فتاوى عبر منتديات الإنترنت ورسائل الجوال تحرم المسرحية وتحذر النساء –اللاتي خصص العرض لهن- من حضورها.

both are addicted to their emails, have an active social life, enjoy eating out, like to dress trendy, and consider their mobile phones their lifeline.

To this end, Batelco announces the launch of its Ramadan and Eid Handset Offer enabling customers to exchange their old mobile handsets with totally brand new ones by merely paying the difference in value

Info2cell.com is offering a unique “Islamic Trivia” service that allows mobile phone subscribers to receive Islamic content on their mobile phones during Ramadan, with a chance to win daily and grand prizes.

Not only is the internet making inroads into the Muslim faith, but mobile phones, text messaging and even satellite technology will soon be reminding more and more Muslims when to fast, when to pray and even how to find the direction of Mecca.