MobilePhoneNation.com

Apple iPhone carriers in Asia named: Globe, SingTel, Bharte Airtel, Optus

Finally, top mobile phone carriers in the region have announced inking a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone in the Philippines, Singapore, India, and Australia later this year.

Globe Telecom won the exclusivity contract for the Philippines while SingTel secured the contract to bring iPhone to Singapore. India’s Bharti Airtel also announced getting a permit to carry the iPhone while Optus will be selling the much-awaited phone to Australia.

Insiders revealed that the negotiations was carried out only be a few people considering that the above mentioned telecom firms are reportedly sister companies. No dates have been mentioned yet but sources said it could be after the expected June (or July) release of the 3G iPhone.

Internet users in the Philippines hail Smart Bro prepaid broadband

Internet users in the Philippines, a country where only 5 percent of households have internet access, hailed the move of Smart Communications in releasing a prepaid broadband service through its Smart Bro promo.

Anyone who is interested to get a broadband connection on the go can simply buy Smart’s prepaid broadband kit worth P4,500. The kit is composed of the wireless broadband receiver which has the size of a credit card and a USB that connects the receiver to a laptop or desktop pc.

The kit comes with a P30 load that can be used for 1 hour and 30 minutes of surfing, chatting, and emailing, wherever you are as long as there is a Smart signal. Yes, it’s only P10 per 30 minutes and you get a maximum speed of 385kbps. Not bad for those who are into graphics, movies, and audio streaming.  

Globe, Smart now offer prepaid broadband in the Philippines

Good news for internet geeks. Two of the Philippines leading mobile phone networks, Globe Telecom and Smart Communications, have finally introduced prepaid broadbands in the country.

Globe now offers P10 / 30 minute browsing through the mobile phone using a Globe sim card and a 3G/GPRS/EDGE enabled mobile phones. Aside from browsing directly in the mobile phone, anyone can use his mobile phone as a modem and link it directly to a desktop or laptop pc for broadband internet.

And not to be left behind, Smart Communications also made its Smart Bro available for prepaid. To avail, however, one has to purchase the Smart Bro kit worth P4,500. No hassle filling up forms or complying with the requirements though because the kit gets into your hands as soon as you pay the P4,500. It also comes with a P30 load which can be used for 1 hour and 30 minutes of broadband browsing.

Nike+ workout system soon in your iPhone, iPod

Nike has yet to announced it formally, but multiple sources online revealed that the sporting company and Apple are already in the final stages of brining the Nike+ system to the iPhone and iPod touch.

Nike+ is a special kit that will record the distance and length of a walk or run through a little sensor in your shoe. Nike+ was originally made for iPod nano but a Nike insider said the system will be modified to support the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

While no one from Nike and Apple would confirm the reports, bringing the Nike+ to the iPhone would be in the best interest of Nike considering the popularity of the iPhone (that is if Nike wants to remain competitive in the industry).

Nike+ will surely work well with iPhone, especially when the 3G handset will be released, and anyone can easily update his profile online using the mobile phone.        

Apple forecasted to produce 11 million iPhone this year

Bank of America Corp., in its forecast, said Apply will probably produce at least 11 million 3G-enabled iPhones starting May through September this year.

In a report to investors, Bank of America’s Scott D. Craig said: “Our iPhone estimates are starting to look too conservative at 8 million units” in 2008.

Apple has already announced the production of second generation iPhone, the iPhone 2.0, which caused a lot of predictions as to its features, which the iPhone manufacturer has not disclosed until now.

Earlier, Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney believes that Apple has placed a 10 million unit-strong order for another round of iPhone release and these units are most likely to be 3G-capable.

Mobile phone robbers kill graduating nursing student

CEBU CITY - Because of her mobile phone, a female graduating nursing student here was gunned down by still unidentified motorcycle-riding robbers Wednesday night on Gov. Roa Street, barangay Capitol Site.

Ruby Jade Ruba, 20, was scheduled to graduate on March 30 after four years of working hard to finish her Nursing course, but her dream of working abroad vanished together with her mobile phone.

Ruba was with a classmate to borrow a laptop adoptor from another friend when the motorcycle-riding robbers announced a hold up, said Homicide Division Chief Mario Monilar. Ruba and her friend tried to run away for safety but the robbers open fired at the two, killing the Cebu Doctors University nursing student instantly. A security guard tried to rush Ruba to the hospital but she was declared dead.

Police investigators said the killer, believed to be high on drugs, used a .38 caliber handgun as shown from an empty shell found at the scene.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said police investigators have already taken custody of two suspects who were arrested for robbing a Dutch national on the same night.

Comendador, however, said the police still do not have witnesses that could identity the suspects. The CCPO police director assured the family of Ruba and the Cebuano public that the police will work hard to immediately solve the robbery-killing of the nursing student. #