Drilling Down Most cellphones sold in the United States last
year had GPS chips, can play video and accept extra memory cards. But
only a fraction of consumers were aware of these features, according to
data released by the NPD Group, a consumer research firm. In part, the data suggests
that people simply don’t want all the features that come with their
phones: 45 percent of cellphone users surveyed by NPD (some of whom
have older phones) said that they preferred to use their mobile phones
for voice calls only. The numbers also reflect age differences in the
market: Verizon customers, who are older on average than other cellphone users, were most likely to express this preference. Ross
Rubin, a director of industry analysis for NPD, said that some carriers
had tried to stuff too many features into ill-suited devices. Mr. Rubin
said that some manufacturers, like Apple, had adopted the philosophy
that “if you’re not going to do it well, don’t do it at all.” But, he
added, “that kind of restraint is extremely rare.” ALEX MINDLIN
By ALEX MINDLIN
Recent article in Scotland:
Wireless broadband has taken off among ordinary consumers, and research shows two-thirds of the European working population is equipped with mobile computers and that, worldwide, there are now almost a quarter of a million internet hotspots – zones where a wireless signal can be received.
But the high price of using the wi-fi hotspots – it can be as much as £8 an hour – is costing those on the move, millions of pounds a year.
The costs have prompted laptop users to seek cheaper alternatives, such as logging on to free wi-fi zones in the likes of McDonald’s or a Wetherspoons pub, or buying web access packages that can offer longer-term savings while giving comprehensive coverage.
Why make your citizens drive to Starbuck's or McDonald's for Wi-Fi. MAKE YOUR CITY A HOTSPOT! Use it for ALL services! City Services, Police, Fire, Ambulance, and for hospitality and citizens in the community. Cost savings on your city will easily exceed the cost to build. It pays for itself in less insurance costs, less labor costs, etc.
Example: A Northern Mexican city, losing $4 million dollars of water each year, will pay for the entire wireless system in months. And, they will get rid of 20 employees, and 20 trucks, along with insurance for such. The cost savings in employees and gasoline again, pays for the network in months. With the City wireless system, levels in the water towers can be checked, lowered or raised by going to the desktop computer at the city offices, as opposed to sending a truck to check.
Ambulances, hooked up to this system can monitor patients on the way to the hospital, instead of when they arrive at the hospital. In head traumas alone, in that "golden hour" between accident and doctor's care, dozens are expected to survive serious accidents per year.
Cameras in high crime areas, change them to low crime areas in days! Benefits are endless...