Forty years on since a call that launched the mobile era
It is 40 years since the first mobile phone call was made on April 3 1973. Here is a look back at how technology has evolved.
A new smartphone, but where's the WOW factor?
Has mobile innovation stalled? The lack of big headlines appears to suggest it has.
Samsung unveils Galaxy S4
Samsung has unveiled its new Galaxy S4 - a phone with a 5-inch screen, a 13 megapixel camera and a function doubles as a TV remote.
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One in five funerals 'interrupted by ringing phones'
Mobile phones are making it increasingly difficult to rest in peace with almost a fifth of funerals interrupted by obtrusive ringing, according to research by The Co-operative Funeralcare.
A survey of 2,000 people found that two in five people do not turn their phone off during a funeral service and a small percentage of mourners refuse to turn down the volume.
One in 16 people admitted to accidentally receiving a message on their phone during a funeral while one in six said they had seen others trying to frantically turn off a ringing phone.
Examples included the tune If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands blaring as a coffin was lowered in South Wales and a vicar's mobile ringing as he gave a eulogy in North Wales.
A separate survey of 170 funeral directors by The Co-operative Funeralcare found that almost a fifth of funerals had been interrupted by mobile phones.
App claims to be first totally secure messaging service
Privacy conscious phone users are being offered a new app that claims to be the world's first totally secure messaging service.
The new software, created by British company Redact, is able to send heavily encrypted messages from one iPhone to another without passing through any central servers.
The designers are so assured of the products effectiveness, they have offered a £10,000 prize for anyone who can crack its codes and intercept a message.
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Broad appeal of Samsung gives firm the edge on Apple
– Jan Dawson, analyst at research firm OvumCertainly it looks like year-on-year growth was much higher for Samsung's mobile phone unit than for Apple's iPhone segment.
That's a testament to the broad appeal of Samsung's device range compared with the relatively high-end focus of the iPhone.
It's also helpful that Samsung has device launches throughout the year, which help to keep demand going on a more consistent basis, whereas Apple suffers from strong seasonality.
Galaxy S4 expected to give Samsung another boost
Samsung's latest smartphone offering, the Galaxy S4, goes on sale in the UK tomorrow. The device, which allows users to control the screen using their eyes. It is expected to give the company another boost, and is said to pose the greatest threat yet to Apple's iPhone.
Samsung net profit of £4.2 billion in first quarter
- Samsung sold a record 69.4 million smartphones in the first quarter
- That boosts its market share to an all-time high of 33.1%
- The South Korean company made a net profit of £4.2 billion
- Apple which sold 37.4 million iPhones in the March quarter, took 17.9 percent of the market
Samsung profits surge by 41%
Samsung saw its profits leap by 41% in the first quarter of this year, thanks to a surge in sales of its smartphones.
Samsung's profits come as Apple faces increasing pressure to retain its reputation as one of the world's leading innovators after reporting its first fall in profits in a decade.
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EE to 'double 4G mobile speeds' across ten cities
Mobile provider EE plans to double the speed and capacity of its 4G network.
Average speeds on the network currently range between 8Mbps and 12Mbps but this is to be given a boost to more than 20Mbps.
The service is expected to enable users to surf the web much more quickly on mobile phones.
The increased 4G capability is due to roll out to ten existing 4G cities by summer – Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield.
The company says that trials in Cardiff are have already seen speeds reach 80Mbps plus.
Once switched on, the improvements will be automatically available in those cities within existing plans to new and current 4GEE customers on all 4G smartphones, tablets and dongles.
Facebook's fanfare is 'not a game changer'
– Paul Thompson, mobile advertising firm BlisMediaIs it a game changer for Facebook? Almost certainly not. I suspect it will appeal to the die hard FB addicts but do consumers really want FB content to take over their whole phone?
What about all the other live feeds already available on your phone? What about all the other things you care about outside of FB connections?
Why would anyone want to put a FB soul into their phone? Will Apple or Samsung worry? Why would they? There isn't much here despite the fanfare.
Facebook ad claims a 'whole new experience'
Facebook has just released its advert for 'Home' on Android devices, saying it's a "whole new experience for your phone".
Zuckerberg: Only a third of the world is on the internet
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said: "I grew up with the internet, but only a third of the world is on it today. We are really close to the beginning of this. The majority of people in the world have never seen anything like what you and I would call a computer."
Facebook's bold new look for Android becomes available from April 12.
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