Who has not been angry yet about the fact that it is still not possible to settle all matters comfortably at home via e-mail? At several occasions such as orders or cancelations, stuff has to be printed out and then to be send via mail to the authority or company in question. Most people have a printer at home and if it even works the first obstacle has been overcome - provided the text to be sent is already written, but this challenge has to be met even when just sending out an e-mail. E-mails as well have to be written. So far so good. You found the paper, the printer worked and you even have an envelope! But something remains to be done… yes, exactly: the stamp. It would have been so easy to just drop the letter into the mail box on your way to work. But of course, because of the small, adhesive square you have to search for a parking spot, to get into a line and to wait until it is your turn. In Germany, these problems will soon be a thing of the past: Since last Friday, the 15th of August, it has been possible to stamp letters and postcards by cell phone. Just send a text message with the keyword “Brief” (letter) or “Karte” (postcard) to number 22122. You will immediately receive a code in return that has to be noted down on the letter or the postcard. The service is being tested at the moment and is offered in collaboration with T-Mobile and Vodafone. There is one hitch however: In comparison to a traditional stamp the code is relatively expensive. 85 cents for a postcard, and 95 cents for a normal letter plus SMS or calling fees is too expensive in my opinion. Thus, I prefer the torture mentioned above. However if prices are cut I would join the cell phone stamp club! Even if that means our good old stamp has to retire.

Trifles such as a broken TV set or Olympia-unfriendly working hours, cannot upset a real Olympia fan like you. After all, you are the proud owner of a cell phone! Different offers make it possible to always be up-to-date. On the web’n walk portal of T-Mobile, an Olympia special can be found. Of course, there is also the possibility to watch the games live with mobile TV. However, if the problem is not the TV set, but your employer you should wonder if it is not a good choice to be content with a text message or multimedia message service. After all, watching TV at work is not among the general accepted activities. Vodafone as well offers news, mobile TV and text/multimedia message services. In addition, there are several mobile internet sites that offer information, e.g. Yahoo, BBC and ARD have interesting content.

Mobile TV has the advantage that you can see Hambüchen’s bad luck and Phelps’ incredible performance live. You do not have to wait for the news. Who does not want to accompany the favorite on the way to the victory or crying about the failure? Important is that there is no time difference!

It is obvious: A real Olympia fan finds a way to be up to date. The best would be if they finally found a way to just beam yourself via cell phone right to Beijing, China in order to watch the game there, live. But I assume we still have to wait a little, and in the meantime we are happy with a web portal, mobile TV or textmessage service.

The censorship of media in China, especially of the internet is something we have been reading of a lot lately. Even in the Olympic press center, the access to certain websites is censored, even though the restriction has partially been lifted, and some traditionally censored websites have been made accessible.
China has discovered the Short Message Service, in a positive as well as in a negative sense: Since it is impossible to control all 850 million cell phones, China tries to produce the impression that there is ubiquitous control. True to the maxim: Big brother is watching you! Thus, in Lhasa many inhabitants received e-mails reminding them to observe the law. The US magazine Newsweek called the new strategy of psychological intimidation ‘Repression 2.0‘. Version 1.0 was more subtle. The fact however that text messages cannot be controlled holds a great potential: In the Chinese city of Xianmen, about one million Chinese protested against the construction of a chemical plant to produce paraxylene, a process that includes the production of highly toxic wastes. The construction has been stopped. A big succes to Xianmen thanks to the short message service.
In the future, we will hear a lot about mobile technology and its potential. It is amazing what is possible with SMS: Barack Obama uses text messages to remind potential voters of the elections, while the Chinese use it for protesting and suppression at the same time. Politics in general seem to use more and more modern forms of information distribution, such as mobile marketing strategies. Thus, it is a just a matter of time until Angie, our German chancellor, will inform us via text message about current issues. After all, we can already download her as a podcast!

Imagine you could use internet wherever you are, whenever you want… But wait, that’s possible! With your cell phone you can use different internet services (nearly) everywhere. You are waiting for an important email, but are not having access to a computer? Just retrieve them via cell phone. You are arguing about something with a friend, and are completely sure you’re right? Prove that you’re right using the internet via cell phone. You are searching for a shop with incredible clothes, but don’t remember the address? Check it on the internet via cell phone. You’re bored waiting for the bus which seems to take forever? Just download a mobile game via cell phone. There are so many possibilities where internet can make your life easier that I wonder why so few people in Germany actually use it.

A study of Nielsen Mobile showed that approximately 16% of the Americans use mobile internet, but just about 7% of the Germans. That means out of 16 countries, Germany ranks eighth. The US ranks first, and UK second with about 13%. There were 40 million active users in the US in May 2008. From 2006 to 2008 the number of active users nearly doubled. For me, it was surprising that the group of 35 to 54-year-olds made up 37% of all users in May 2008. I would have thought that the majority of users is younger, but the age group from 13 to 24 just made up approximately 25%. The 25 to 34-year-olds are the second largest group with about 27%. Not surprisingly, people over 55 make up the smallest group with about 11%. Thus, Americans at the age of 25 to 54 use mobile internet most often.

Not only the number of mobile internet users differs from the US to Germany, but also the devices used: In the US, there is a top 5 list consisting of the Motorola RAZR/RAZR2 ranking first with 10%, followed by the Apple iPhone with 4%, the RIM Blackberry 8100 series (2%), the RIM Blackberry 8800 series (2%), and the Motorola Q Series (2%). In Europe (including among others Germany), the Nokia N95 ranks first with 5%, the Nokia N70 ranks second with 4%, followed by the Motorola RAZR/RAZR2, Sony Ericsson K800i, and Nokia N73 with each 3%.

Interestingly, the top three mobile web categories in the US are portals - such as Yahoo and Google -, e-mail, and the weather. For me, it is surprising that people use their cell phones in order to get information on something as trivial as the weather, but obviously this is what interests them. In addition, the weather just ranks third, portals and e-mail rank first and second, and that makes more sense to me.
I assume that even though we Germans seem a little bit more sceptical in terms of new technologies than other nationalities, in the future, there will be mobile internet flatrates used by a majority of the German population that is not able to imagine a life without permanent internet access.

Mobile marketing is still a controversial issue in Germany because many people are afraid of being flooded with unrequested text messages. In the US, this is different. There, mobile marketing is used more often than anywhere else. The prime example is Barack Obama, the presidential candidate of the Democrats. He maintains a website where you can sign up for updates on Obama’s activities, speeches, and election dates. In addition, you can sign up for specific issue updates such as health, education, Iraq, jobs and reform. Especially, young voters like the progressive campaign. I am of the opinion that mobile marketing used this way is something very positive: You are informed in a nutshell, and if you want more information you can get them on the internet.

According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan and Princton University, SMS reminders increased the likelihood of individual voting by around 4%. I could imagine that this effect is because voters feel personally involved. In addition, especially young voters who do not have a landline are difficult to reach with traditional campaigns, and the news in television appeal more to an older target group. The mobile marketing strategy was not only rated by 59% of the voters as being very helpful, in addition it is very cost effective.

Obama’s professional mobile marketing campaign has been awarded by the Politics Online Conference 2008 with the Golden Dot Award 2008 for Best Mobile/Text Message Campaign. Since McCain relies on a traditional campaign, Obama should actually be set!

In Germany, mobile marketing especially in politics is not very popular. I personally would appreciate receiving information on events and news via SMS. In stressy every day life, this would be a real help to be always up to date and not to forget the election day. It is important to overcome the bad reputation of mobile marketing in Germany, and to familiarize people with this way of spreading information! In the information age, information media should be used!

Many people store their old cell phones at home in the drawer. It’s the same with me: I did not even waste a thought where to put it. Just into the drawer, and that was it! I wasn’t aware of the fact that environmentally suitable ways of disposing of old cell phones do exist. In addition, it is even possible to gain some money, or to make a small contribution to a good cause. I have just never cared about it. I am obviously not alone with that attitude: According to a study conducted by Nokia just 3% of all old cell phones are being recycled, and the market leader of the recycling sector Umicore estimates that it is just 1%. I wonder where all the cell phones go. After all, in 2007 1.2 billion ones were produced. According to a report of the US government, it is assumed that already in 2005 half a billion cell phones led a shadowy existence in the drawers of US citizens, and the rising trend continues. Why is that actually the case? What makes people keep tons of discarded cell phones? Is it the emotional relationship to that telecommunications device that has bestowed upon them so many romantic dates? Or is it just because cell phones do not bother anyone being stored in the drawer? Another possible reason is that many people just do not know where to dispose of it.

However, there are some good reasons to concern yourself with the topic cell phone recycling: Cell phones contain heavy metals, such as cadmium or lead which pollute the environment when not disposed of professionally. Therefore, it is not allowed to put electronic devices in domestic waste. In addition, cell phones contain precious raw materials, such as gold, platinum or copper. They contain just a small amount of these materials, but the recycling of half a billion cell phones would be worthwhile. Most importantly, the reuse of raw materials helps us to preserve our natural resources.

Once you have decided to take the cell phone out of the drawer in order to recycle it, there is the question where to go with your old mobile friend.

A good possibility is offered by T-Mobile in collaboration with the Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (German Environmental Protection Organization). Envelopes can be ordered for free on the T-Mobile website, and postage as well is borne by them. In addition, they transfer 5 Euros per cell phone to the Deutsche Umwelthilfe in order to support environmental and nature conservancy projects.

Another possibility is offered by Vodafone. Envelopes can be ordered for free, too. 3.50 Euros are transferred to the Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung (German Child Cancer Foundation).

For the business-minded ones among us, Talkgreener.de has an interesting offer: Depending on cell phone model and functional ability, one receives a certain amount of money for old cell phones - even for broken ones. In addition, Talkgreener plants a tree for every cell phone sent in. Thus, environment as well as benefits from it.

Taking all the advantages into account, one wonders why our old cell phones are still in the drawer, and not on their way to T-Mobile, Vodafone or Talkgreener. Regarding the charitable potential of old cell phones, you shouldn’t vacillate too long and order the envelopes. I am already waiting for mine to arrive in order to have my share in environmental protection!

According to the market analyst Gartner it has a very great potential: By the end of this year, a growth of 16.1% is expected. This means the market of mobile games will cross the 4.5 billion USD milestone. In comparison to the music market the mobile games market has not yet caught up, but experts prophesy a great future.

Nevertheless, there are still some obstacles to be overcome. On the developer conference Quo Vadis in Berlin, they were talking about the impediments to growth: In general, users should be informed better. The fear of download charges, costs that are not obvious to the buyers or subscription fees runs deep, and makes many potential customers keep their hands off mobile gaming.

Many people are not aware of the fact that you cannot only have a conversation on the phone, but also play games. A further problem is the download: How that works technically is a mistery to many users.

Another problem is the great amount of games that is pushed onto the market every month. Quality and innovation are literally steamrolled. Most of the games are sold in the categories novelties, top 10 and recommendations. After a short period of time, they disappear and sink into oblivion. Thus, the development of high quality games is not worth the effort.

Despite all these problems the mobile games market is growing. In the US, revenues increased from 345 million dollars in the year 2004 to 600 million dollars in the year 2005. For the year 2008, a rise to 1.5 billion dollars is expected.

Mobile games like Snake or Tetris are still among the most popular ones: Simple and entertaining. After all, who likes reading game instructions of complicated games while waiting for the bus. The size of the display limits the time people play. Only hardcore game fanatics can stare at the mini display for three hours or more. Thus, the possibilites and limitations of the cell phone should be taken into account when developing mobile games. The best games are the ones that are developed especially for the cell phone, and that are not just a poor copy of famous console or computer games.

The mobile games market definitely has a great potential. Thus, we can look forward to what the games industry will come up with in the future. The more multimedia the cell phone includes, the more possibilities. I am looking forward to mobile gaming fun wherever I am, and whenever I want!!

More and more parents buy their eight-year-old children cell phones. It has become a hot topic of debate if that is a reasonable investment or a hazard for the health of children.
The point that cell phone radiation has not been examined carefully enough to guarantee that children are not harmed by it, is brought up again and again. The fact that cell phones distract children from class can be heard over and over again. The most common argument, however, is at the same time the most meaningless one: “Children don’t need a cell phone! When we were young, we didn’t have one either!”
You cannot ignore the point of cell phone radiation. Nevertheless, if the child uses the cell phone in an adequate way and if parents make sure that the cell phone is just taken along when needed, from my point of view the pros outweigh the cons. The parents are the key: They have to make sure that cell phone use does not get out of control, and that it does not have a negative impact on the performance in school. You can restrict the quantity of numbers the youngsters can call in order to prevent them from having pointless conversations with everybody they know. Children should take along their cell phone only when needed, i.e. when they are somewhere alone. With 14 or 15 however, teenagers should be able to use their cell phone in an adequate way. If not, parents have to interfere.
In the case of the two Spanish teenagers who are in hospital because of their addiction to instant messaging and cell phones, the parents should have restricted cell phone and internet use.
It is also necessary to make sure that children and teenagers do not dedicate themselves exclusively to wallpapers, ringtones and cell phone games, but also concentrate on school, friends and other non-digital activities. Nevertheless, cell phone games can be a nice pastime for boring moments in the car or while waiting for the bus, and in addition, the parents’ nerves are calmed. It should be made sure however that children do not pour their money down the drain by accidentally subscribing to cell phone games, but to download their mobile games at reputable sites.
The issue security is the standard argument of the advocates. The child can call when he/she is late, and can thus prevent parents from getting nervous while waiting for the offspring. In case of an emergency, children can call for help, or when they missed the bus, children can ask their parents to pick them up. In my opinion, this the most substantial argument in favor of a “children’s cell phone”.
The issues peer pressure and group identity should not be ignored either. For children and teenagers it is extremely important to belong to the group, and if everybody in class already possesses a cell phone they want one as well. Some people say that is no problem: the self confidence of the child should be strengthened etc. Depending on how strong the peer pressure is, one should wonder if it is not easier for the child to also possess a cell phone, perhaps with restrictions or with compromise.

From my point of view, there is no clear answer to the question if children should possess a cell phone or not. It depends on the circumstances and the degree of indepence and maturity of the child. The decision is up to the parents. Because who knows their offspring better than the parents?

Noone knows what to believe when it comes to the issue of cell phone radiation. One study proves cell phones to be completely harmless, and the other that they are very harmful. The cell phone user is completely confused, hopes for the best, and just keeps on using the cell phone.
A group of researchers of the medical university of Vienna found out that cell phone radiation can cause cancer. That was in the year 2005. Now it is known that fake data had been used and thus, the study did not provide any valid results.
The researchers of another study carried out in five different countries concluded that cell phones can cause cancer by no means. The headline of the Süddeutsche Zeitung (a German newspaper) however, was announcing the opposite by using a nonrelevant partial result of the study as a proof.
A Danish study with 420.000 participants found out that the radiation does not cause cancer. The researchers however stated that their findings cannot automatically be applied to people talking on the phone excessively.
In another study, Swedish researchers came to the conclusion that cell phone radiation leads to sleep disorder. However, it was not mentioned that the extension of the time needed for falling asleep was nearly insignificant, and that the tests did not mirror the general public’s normal cell phone use. Another weakness of the study: Only 71 test persons took part in the study.
Finally, there is a new study that has been carried out for the last six years by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. This new study seems to be reliable.The conclusion of the study is that cell phone radiation is harmless. The researchers however still warn parents of exposing their children to it.
The problem of all these studies is that there are no cell phone users who have been using their precious mobile device for 30 - 40 years. Thus, noone knows if cell phones can cause long-term damage. Nevertheless, when comparing the results of all studies, it becomes obvious that those studies that prove cell phones to be harmful are either misinterpreted, distorted or not representative, and the others that did not prove any harmfulness are not applicable to all people and all situations, but at least show that there is no acute risk. Despite the study chaos that at least for me does not provide a clear point of view, I will keep on using my cell phone. The point is, a hot ear after talking on the phone is NO evidence for just having roasted your brain with the help of micro waves. The hot ear is just caused by the battery that heats up when in use. So, I’d say wait and see, and keep on talking on the phone!!

Since Fidel Castro is not president anymore, some things have changed under his brother Rául Castro. Cubans are now allowed to buy computers, TV sets, and video recorders. These devices have to be paid with the Cuban foreign exchange currency Peso Convertible which is 24 times more expensive than the normal currency. A DVD player costs the same amount of money that the majority of the population earns within half a year. Cell phones are not any longer reserved to high-ranking government officials and foreigners, but are accessable to everybody, independent of position or origin. The problem of this nice, new concept of freedom is that cell phones, too, are far too expensive for most of the Cubans. The cheapest cell phone costs 65 dollars, the allocation of a number 120 dollars, and the cheapest pre-paid card 11 dollars. Thus, a potential cell phone owner has first to fork out 196 dollars before talking on the phone can be enjoyed. Since the average monthly salary is approximately 17 dollars, one can imagine how many Cubans will stroll around in the future talking on the phone.
Bush - whom we will all remember as an exceptional advocate of human rights - announced that from now on, US citizens will be allowed to give cell phone presents to Cubans. The existing embargo will be eased significantly in this respect. The fact that this has not been initiated just because Bush was so worried about the poor restricted Cubans becomes clear when considering that these cell phones cannot work unless the Cuban mobile phone service provider Cubacel activate them. Conflicts with disappointed cell phone owners are likely if Castro does not give in. According to Reuters, Bush’s provocative comment was: “If Rául is serious about his so-called reforms, he will allow these phones to reach the Cuban people”. If this is going to promote the “friendship” between the two leaders is questionable. I am curious how this story is going to end. Rául Castro does not want to leave control to others. This becomes clear when looking at the way the regime deals with freedom of opinion and expression, and critique concerning the system. At the moment, just a few Cubans have access to the internet, and they can just access censored websites, and would have to face sanctions if they authored articles critiquing the system. Thus, it is clear that internet via cell phone is subject to the same restrictions.
Lots of time will elapse until the cell phone in Cuba is as indispensable as in Germany where life without it seems to be impossible. The first step, however, has already been taken: Everybody in Cuba is allowed to own a cell phone. Hopefully, the next step - inexpensive cell phones available to everybody- will be taken soon, and that step 3, freedom of opinion and expression on the internet, will follow. Viva la libertad!