First ever Macworld Mobile to take place during Mobile World Congress 2011

Macworld Expo, the event hosted by IDG World Expo that has traditionally been used by Apple to launch new computers, will be hosting their first ever Macworld Mobile event next February in conjunction with the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress. The event is scheduled to take place between the 14th and 17th of February in Barcelona.

Via Into Mobile

Orange and T-Mobile merge networks

Customers of Orange and T-Mobile will soon be able to hop between the two mobile networks. The deal is one of the first practical benefits from the recent merger of the two firms, which have 30 million customers combined. The network sharing deal is limited to 2G signals, meaning that customers will see little benefit when using the mobile web.

Via BBC News

Nokia bets on new smartphones for recovery

Nokia, the world's biggest cellphone maker by volume, will introduce new smartphone models next week at its annual media and industry event, aiming to assure investors the company is on track to recovery. Nokia, whose profits and share price have dived in the last few years, is now betting on the renewal of its line of smartphones, which could save the career of embattled CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo.

Via Reuters

Smartbook story a gripping read

Smartbooks, or multifunctional portable devices – especially those in tablet form – will enjoy explosive sales over the next four years and will represent more than 50 per cent of all embedded device sales by 2014. According to the latest forecasts from Informa Telecoms & Media, sales of smartbooks are expected to rapidly grow from 3.65 million in 2010 to nearly 50 million in 2014. Informa classifies smartbooks as multifunctional portable devices with embedded cellular or WiMAX connectivity, discounting wifi only devices and those relying on a dongle or similar. Devices like the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab are leading the way, merging the best features of both smartphones and netbooks, and potentially sounding the death knell for dedicated eReaders.

Via telecoms.com

Cell C Launches Africa's First HSPA+ 900 Network

South Africa's Cell C has formally launched its HSPA+ network in Port Elizabeth as part of its nationwide network rollout. The city will for a short period be the only area in Africa to offer an HSPA+ 900MHz network, offering peak rate download speeds of up to 21.6 Mbps. Cell C CEO, Lars P. Reichelt announced in August that the company would launch its new network, city by city, until nationwide coverage was achieved. "To date, 1600 HSPA+ 900 sites have been deployed and we are currently running large scale user tests in 10 major cities. We'll launch the network in each of those cities once we are happy with the network coverage and quality."

Via cellular-news

Using Facebook 'can lower exam results by up to 20%'

It is what parents of teenagers who 'revise' in front of the computer have long feared. Students who use Facebook while they study get significantly lower grades than those who do not, according to psychologists. A study has found that the exam results of those who used the social networking site while working, even if it was on in the background, were 20 per cent lower than non-users.

Via The Daily Mail