Nokia 6230 sales top 30m

THE world's top mobile phone maker, Nokia, has sold more than 30 million of its mid-range model 6230 since it was launched in 2004, its chief financial officer told has revealed.

Its US rival Motorola has so far sold more than 75 million of its top model RAZR, with a thin clamshell design.Nokia's 6230, with classic block design, also has camera, mp3 music player and radio included."We have sold over 30 million of Nokia 6230 phones to date," CFO Rick Simonson said during an interview on Finnish television.Nokia reported forecast-beating fourth quarter sales and profits earlier, but a weak offering mid-range has been seen as one of the key challenges for the Finnish firm, which sells more than every third phone sold globally.Additional reporting by Sinead Carew in New York.

Startup Targets Mobile Phone Health Hazards

With the mobile communications industry's biggest annual bash just opened in Barcelona, a year old company tried to dampen proceedings by warning of the health dangers of wireless communications and suggested it has the technology and product to protect people from the potentially harmful effects of radiation emitted from mobile devices.

Exradia (London, England) used the GSM World Congress to tout its ASIC chip that is embedded in a mobile phone's battery to neutralize potentially harmful emissions from a mobile phones and other wireless devices.

The custom chip generates the noise field signal that drives a wire coil to produce the noise field itself.

"We own the patents on this technology and are working with design groups in the U.S. and equipment makers in China to bring to market this year our My Wi-Guard product which neutralises potentially harmful emissions from the mobile phone," Jim Lawler, CEO of Exradia told EE Times Europe .

IDC: A Billion Cell Phones Shipped in 2006

A new report from market research firm IDC finds that cell phone shipments during 2006 reached a new peak: more than one billion units shipped during the calendar year. According to IDC, the year's 1.019 billion cell phones represents a 22.5 percent increase over 2005 shipments, and most of the credit goes to emerging markets rather than phone-saturated areas like North America, Japan, and western Europe.

"It was not long ago that shipments into mature markets, including Japan, North America, and Western Europe, consumed the majority of devices shipped worldwide," said Ramon Llamas, research analyst in IDC's Mobile Technology and Tracking team. "More recently, however, device shipments into emerging economies in Asia/Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America have surpassed shipments to mature markets, and the difference between the two continues to grow."

While mass market and entry-level handsets were a big part of the market's overall growth during 2006, IDC also finds that location-based services (such as mapping and navigation packages) and so-called "pro-sumer" devices which integrate advanced features and smartphone capabilities are beginning to redefine the overall mobile phone market.

Phone thieves target teenage bus passengers

THIEVES pick pocketed a 14-year-old on a bus on his way home from school, stealing his mobile phone. Three men and a woman surrounded the victim as he sat on a number 654 bus travelling along Crofton Road towards West Wickham on Monday, January 15. After taking the Seimens AX72, they got off the bus just before Starts Hill Road. The youth who took the phone is described as white, 5ft 4ins and of medium build with a large face, short spiky brown hair, blue eyes and a pierced left ear. His two male accomplices were described as both being white and about 6ft tall. One was olive skinned and wore a black beanie hat, grey hoodie and a yellow fluorescent jacket. The other had blue eyes and very short brown hair. They were accompanied by a woman with shoulder length hair tied back, with blue eyes, freckles and pierced ears.

Editor's Blog: Covering 3GSM, virtually

For several years I have been covering the big 3GSM mobile show, spanning the years when it got its silly new name. But for personal reasons this year I'm back in London, rather than Barcelona.

We knew there would be lots of news on many fronts coming out of the show but the plan was for one of the silicon.com team, senior reporter Jo Best, to head there while I offered support from silicon.com's offices. (Think 24's CTU if you like, minus the Cisco phone endorsements.)

In recent times it hasn't escaped the attention of many an attending journalist - or any other keen observer - that those on the show floor are often last to hear certain pieces of news.

Wiping Out Cell Phone Zombies, Chicago-Style

"A mobile phone that you carry in your pocket or purse is a much more personal device than a computer on your desk," said Martin Dunsby, a senior vice president with Open Wave. "It's so tied to you that if someone sends an unwanted text, it becomes an emotional issue. The fact that you're charged for getting the text adds insult to injury."