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  Advurt alphanumeric sender IDs Application Development BulkSMS.com Cell-C Cellphone cellphones cellular Cellular phone cellular phones Dr Pieter Streicher GPS iPhone iPod mobile mobile advertising Mobile phones Mowaly MTN online RICA ringtones SMS Software text message Vodacom WorldChat XtremeMac
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Dr Pieter Streicher, MD of BulkSMS.com calls for sms providers and cellular networks to better control the use of alphanumeric sender IDs.

SMS technology allows for SMS messages to be sent from a modified alphanumeric sender ID. For example, SARS could send an SMS message to you, with the word SARS appearing at the top of the message instead of a numeric cellphone number.

The main benefit of alphanumeric sender ID is that it makes it much easier for consumers to recognize the sender.

However, this feature could be abused when messages are sent with a spoofed sender ID.

For example, SAPS recently sent the following message to almost all MTN subscribers:

origin address: SAPS
message: SAPS urges SA citizens to voluntarily hand in all illegal firearms before 11 April. For more info call National Firearms Call Centre 012 353 6111

Criminals could quite easily send the same message, with SAPS as sender, but replace the contact number with their own (the NF Call Centre number does not work anyway), and in this way collect a number of illegal firearms.

It is worth investigating to what extent sender IDs are controlled locally and globally? There are currently a multitude of international SMS messaging providers globally that offer sender ID modification, with various levels of control. Mobile operators also have various levels of control.

For example, in South Africa, Vodacom blocks all international SMS traffic with a modified alpha sender ID. It has recently offered sender ID control to Vodacom Wireless Application Service providers (WASPs), which requires the registration of each sender ID used. Consumers on the Vodacom network can rest assured that a message that says it comes from SARS, actually does come from SARS, and was sent via a registered Vodacom WASP and a member of WASPA.

Unfortunately at this stage, those not on the Vodacom network cannot trust the sender ID appearing on their phone at all. A message that says it comes from SARS or SAPS, could in fact be a phishing attack or an advance fee fraud scheme. The message could originate from a foreign fraud syndicate, using a network based in another foreign country, bypassing the SMS Messaging Centre of your home network, and bypassing WASPA regulations.

If proper controls are embraced by the industry as a whole, alphanumeric sender IDs could be a very effective safeguard against a number of SMS scams, by allowing consumers to easily recognize the sender, without the possibility of spoofing.

Has anybody here used this WorldChat offering?

I see they advertise international phone calls from 39c per minute which sounds really compelling.

The description from their website is as follows:

Worldchat Airtime can be used to call landlines and mobile numbers in more than 240 countries. That means that as a South African, you can use your card here to call overseas and when you travel, always paying our competitive rates and in South African rands and cents.

It sounds pretty compelling if you don’t have access to something like Skype.

Thoughts on the product?

WorldChat – Phone overseas from 29c per minute! Buy airtime online and get a 10% discount! Click Here

Have any South African mobile users signed up for this Advurt service?

I picked up a notification about it when I logged into my Mxit account and went to their website to check it out. Apparently you can earn either Mxit Moola or physical cash in your pocket if you sign up. I went to the website and didn’t get much joy in terms of how it works but I signed up none the less. I’m supposed to receive an SMS confirmation to say that I am signed up but so far nothing… wonder if this is going to be like that Mowaly service where you sit and wait for a confirmation to come in…

Anyway here is what it says on the website:

Advertisers
Advurt is the media channel that allows advertisers immediate and direct access to highly engaged consumers – people who actually requested information.

This is achieved by the Advurt approach that allows for 100% profiled and opted-in subscribers. This approach gives the advertiser maximum ROI with minimal waste.

Subscribers:
The advurt service brings great free benefits (like money in your pocket or airtime for your phone ) while also providing you with relevant information, offers and entertainment from brands, music artists and entertainment companies right on your mobile phone.

 If there is anybody out there who knows more about this service please feel free to post some thoughts / comments below.

XtremeMac, a portfolio brand of Imation and a leading innovator of accessories for Apple products, unveiled the InCharge series of at-home and on-the-go charging options, as well as the Microshield Mix series of cases.

“Like the innovative nature of the Apple brand, we are committed to helping enhance our consumers’ experience with iPhone and iPod by always staying at the forefront of design,” said Bob Garthwaite, general manager, Imation Electronic Products. “This forward thinking is evident in all aspects of XtremeMac–from the new XtremeMac products we are launching at CES, to our recent website redesign and packaging refresh.”

XtremeMac’s new series of InCharge power solutions for iPhone and iPod deliver faster charge times and greater functionality and mobility. The InCharge series will be available at select retailers nationwide and at xtrememac.com with select styles starting in March.

InCharge Home is a dual USB iPhone/iPod wall charger featuring a low-profile design that allows charging of any two USB devices and easy access to the second outlet. InCharge Home Plus offers all the features of the InCharge Home with added international adapters for worldwide use. InCharge Portable is a rechargeable battery pack with a wall charger adapter and viewing stand for power anywhere on the go. A full battery charge delivers power equivalent up to two iPhone charges.

In addition, InCharge Mobile is a rechargeable battery pack and protective case for iPhone with an ultra-thin, low-profile design that offers up to four hours of extra talk time when fully charged. InCharge Auto is a one-piece, ultra-compact car charger with an extendable coiled cord that manages the look of cables, keeping cars clean and iPhone and iPod models charged.

XtremeMac’s product line also includes accessories to protect and play Apple’s iPhone and iPod. The new Microshield Mix cases offer premium protection and style for the iPhone with a hard outer shell and soft inner liner that prevents scratches and offers protection against trapped dust and dirt.

www.imation.com

Like FICA, the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act, Act 70 or 2002 is designed to help law-enforcers to prevent crime. Like FICA, complying with RICA is destined to cause us a fair amount of frustration.

RICA has been in effect since 1 July last year, requiring a cellphone service provider to, before activating your SIM-card, verify and record your identity and address in the same way as banks do under FICA. (If the customer is a juristic person, an authorised human representative has to go through the process.)

As for existing customers, they have until 31 December 2010 to become RICA compliant. Anyone whose details remain unverified by then will not be wishing Granny a happy new year by phone from the beach. Service providers must terminate service. Employers, too, are burdened with RICA compliance.

In terms of sections 40(5) and 62C, businesses that provide activated SIM-cards to their staff must verify the details of the phone-user, and relay the information to the service provider. Non-compliance is punishable – by a fine of up to R2 million or imprisonment of up to 10 years! Section 41 requires a lost, stolen or destroyed cellphone or SIM-card to be reported to the police within “a reasonable period”. Nor is the old telephone regime off the hook, as it were. Telkom must go through the same process in respect of new customers, but there is no mention of existing fixed-line subscribers. Granny need not (yet?) fear Rica coming to snatch her lifeline to the world from its place on the hall table.

Contact Information:
Walkers Attorneys
www.walkers.co.za

MobileNoBo is an innovative solution that brings together web content with the exciting world of mobile phones. They are offering exciting games for cellphones. The Cry Baby Crazy Animal and The Frog There is a different set of creative for each truetone so pick the one you like or pick all all three!

LocatioNet Systems, the developer of the successful worldwide mobile navigation service ‘amAze GPS’ (www.amazegps.com) has announced that amAze GPS is now available for the iPhone and can be downloaded from the local iTunes application store.

amAze GPS offers for the first time a worldwide service with the richest set of turn-by-turn voice guided navigation options and for the most affordable price. amAze GPS offers very detailed navigation maps for many countries around the world. Users should no longer worry about buying and updating additional expensive map packages.

The amAze GPS service always provides immediate access to the most updated maps without any additional fees. Multi Lingual support is included, with more than 18 different languages for both user interface and voice guidance. Further coverage is constantly being added. Amongst many cool navigation and search features, the amAze GPS users can also enjoy:

3D ‘bird view’ mode over a detailed satellite imagery in over 200 major cities around the world
Full nationwide topographic map coverage in the USA for any off-road use. Further topographic coverage will follow also in Europe.

Advanced search options in local directories in several countries.
Users can search for points of interest (POI) or for business names and navigate there with a click of a button. The amAze GPS worldwide service is available for only €2.99/month (or US$3.99). Users can purchase additional licenses from within the application, including annual license for only €26.99/year (or US$33.99).

Next iPhone version of amAze that is due in just a few weeks will offer all these extra useful features with no additional cost: real-time traffic in Western Europe and USA, Speed camera alerts, 5 days weather forecast anywhere on the Globe and more. Since its launch in early 2007, the amAze GPS application that was awarded ‘Product of the Year 2008’ has become the solution of choice for many satisfied users around the world who downloaded it on a variety of mobile handsets.

For more info: www.amazegps.com

Out of curiosity – have any other South African cell users had the impression that local cellular network providers are taking strain in recent weeks?

I am on Vodacom and this week I’ve found an increase in the number of dropped calls and poor connection quality. So has my wife.

Chatted to two clients this week on MTN and they have complained about a degradation in the quality of the service.

Dunno? Thoughts?

Kick Start Your iPhone App Development; Learn COOL things that you can do!

iPhone Code Tutorials is a powerful collection of sample code applications which you can learn how to make iphone apps with. The collection of complete iPhone SDK code sample projects includes projects that teach you how to use the accelerometer in your iPhone project to detect shakes and perform an animation or even play a sound effect in your iPhone app, even how to save user information like game information or checking high scores in an online database. Comments throughout the code in most projects will help you get a grip of what this snipplet of code means and what that or this cocoa function do.

Learn how to:
* How to fade IBOutlet items in / out
* Snipplets How to randomly show the strings
* How to use the SoundEngine and have sound effects and a background loop
* Code for how to use the accelerometer
* How to fade images in and out
* How to get data from a webpage online

iPhone Code Tutorials runs under Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/Windows 7, costs $79(US) for a single-user license, and may be purchased securely online at http://www.iphonecodetutorials.com/. You can download a free demo from the same web site.

More Information About the iPhone Code Tutorials

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