mobile phone

Get ready for cell phone spam

Mon, 12 May 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Anthony Melone, Verizon Wireless's chief technology officer, started getting complaints last March from customers about unsolicited text messages that were flooding the network. He and his Verizon tech staff found the messages were coming from someone using email accounts at Microsoft's Internet portal, msn.com--just one recent source of the estimated 1.5 billion unsolicited cell phone text message expected in 2008.

This not only is an issue for CIOs and their IT departments at telecommunications companies, but also for employers who pay the cell phone bills of their workers and may get stuck with unnecessary charges and even bigger problems. Experts say that besides the annoyance and the extra costs, there is a threat of viruses as phones become more like personal computers.

Carriers adjust their spam filters to try and block offending messages, and computer security companies have developed products to help fight mobile phone spam. It might be worth assessing whether this is an issue at your company, and whether it rises to the level where action is needed.

For more on cell phone spam:
- see this New York Times article

ALSO NOTED: Google proposes global online privacy standard; A third of IT projects exceed budget, survey says;

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:59:58 -0400

> Google proposes global online privacy standard. Article

> A third of IT projects exceed budget, survey says. Article

> What the Sopranos and tech have in common. Article

> Ten tools to help your blog attract more attention. Article

> Teen drivers in California can't use mobile phone while driving. Article

And Finally... Google pays up to $30M for anyone able to land a privately funded spacecraft on the moon, because "it's cool." Article

Reducing the email productivity drain

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:01:36 -0400

It's too easy to become a slave to your email inbox, but doing so can dampen productivity and cost companies real money. A new study, in fact, finds that a typical worker gets 200 emails, dozens of instant messages, multiple phone calls (office phone and mobile phone), and several text messages a day. Those interruptions amount to about two hours per day per employee that could be spent more productively. To earn back some of that productivity, create an email policy that encourages employees to refrain from combining multiple themes and requests into a single email, make sure the email subject line clearly reflects both the topic and the urgency of the message, don't overburden colleagues with unnecessary emails, recognize that typed words can be misleading in terms of both tone and intent, and do whatever possible to facilitate the transfer and sharing of knowledge.

Read more about reigning in email use:
- read the article at CIO Update

Using mobile technology for secure application delivery

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

The mobile phone might seem like an excellent way to deliver productivity applications but CIOs have traditionally been skeptical, citing security concerns. New technology in the form of biometric sensors in mobile phones could quell these concerns, however. One example is a fingerprint sensor with a very small form factor. Over time, the technology will improve and costs will decrease, making the mobile phone a more useful corporate tool.

Read more about using mobile phones as a corporate tool:
- read the blog at CIO

ALSO:
- read this on the importance of mobile security

A new data delivery stream via RSS

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:01:37 -0500

While a few smart companies are already using RSS feeds to push business data points such as customer details, account actions and other activity-driven information to mobile workers, two vendors are pairing up to help push news and other valuable content to cell phones and handheld devices used in the enterprise. The Motorola-NewsGator deal promises to provide enterprises with access to NewsGator-managed RSS feeds within Motorola's Good Technology mobile phone client.

For more on the new content delivery system:
- read this article at InformationWeek

ALSO NOTED: 3 things not to do when disaster strikes; Intel's Core 2 Duo hits the shelves; and much more...

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 20:01:33 -0400

> Three things not to do when disaster strikes. Article

> Intel's Core 2 Duo hits the shelves. Article

> U.K. networks working to prevent mobile phone thefts. Article

> Are the iPod's days numbered? Article

> Microsoft's Ballmer ready to take over "innovation" lead from Gates. Article

And Finally... Why the pay phone won't disappear anytime soon. Article

ALSO NOTED: Researchers show off future tech innovations; HP buys itself a business software maker; and much more...

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 20:01:33 -0400

> Researchers show off future tech innovations. Article

> HP buys itself a business software maker. Article

> A vendor, security firm debate mobile virus threat. Article

> Say goodbye to Monopoly money as the game goes digital. Article

> Software alliance hauls in fines for licensing infractions. Article

> Young workers blog about company issues. Article

And Finally... The U.K. addiction to the mobile phone. Article

ALSO NOTED: IBM transistor 100X faster than today's chip; Lack of skilled technologists concerns UK leaders; and much more...

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:01:33 -0400

>IBM transistor 100 times faster than today's chip. Article

>Dearth of skilled technologists has U.K. tech leaders concerned. Article

>Taiwan's capital boasts biggest WiFi network yet. Article

>A search engine pulls out the stops for visitor privacy. Article

>Vendors map out Web site guidelines for mobile phone browsing. Article

>What some leading-edge network researchers are up to. Article

And Finally... PC failure rates fall down even further. Article

ALSO NOTED: Storage specialists in demand; A slew of 'critical' Firefox patches; and much more...

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> Data glut puts storage specialists in demand. Article

> A slew of "critical" patches out for Firefox. Article

> Ways to thwart notebook and laptop theft. Article

> Inside the minds of Russian CIOs. Article

> Red Cross IT infrastructure gets a makeover to boost disaster relief. Article

> Vendor releases beta of mobile phone anti-virus app. Article

> Court rules in Wells Fargo's favor in data theft. Article

> UN launches global tech alliance. Article

> What road warriors need to stay connected and productive. Article

And Finally... A high-tech ear cleaning approach. Article

New tool to thwart infected mobile phones

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 19:01:38 -0500

A security vendor is developing a device that could potentially have a huge impact on mobile phone security and cut the risks to the enterprise network. F-Secure's focus is on detecting infected phones before they're plugged into a wireless access point and preventing Trojans and other malware from making their way from the phone to the corporate network. The project stems from the realization that so many Bluetooth device users are walking around with infected phones and have no idea the infection has taken place.

For more on the new mobile security device:
- read this Vnunet article