Bharti Airtel launches emergency alert service

Bharti Airtel today launched an 'emergency alert service' enabling its subscribers to send alert message with location details to 10 mobile numbers.

"During an emergency, Airtel mobile customers can now send an alert with their geographic location to their closest 10 loved ones simultaneously with just a call, facilitating an access to easy and quick help," Airtel said in a statement.

Subscribers can even send a 'SAFE' SMS indication to a pre-defined group of 10 family members and friends and keep them informed of their wellbeing in case when out alone and during any natural calamity or disaster with just one click, it added.

Customers opting for 'Emergency Alert Service' will be charged Rs 30 for 30 days and they can send this alert even if they don't have minimum balance in their account.

To send an emergency alert, the subscribers can give a call to 55100 and the number registered by him or her will receive voice and SMS alerts with location details of the customer.

Airtel customer can also send this alert through SMS by typing HELP in the message box and sending it to 55100 which will be then transmitted on all the 10 numbers

Stricter emission norms for telecom towers from 1st September

Stricter radiation emission norms for mobile towers came into effect from today, with a view to reduce emission to one-tenth of the present levels.
Failure to stick to the prescribed levels will attract a penalty of Rs 5 lakh per tower.
Radiation norms for mobile handsets have been made more stringent, but cell-phone makers have been given a year to comply with new guidelines.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had yesterday said the new limits for towers were 10 times more stringent than norms followed in most parts of the world.

The Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) cells would conduct random audits. A fine of Rs 5 lakh per tower can be imposed if any operator is found lagging in meeting the prescribed levels.
Telecom Secretary R Chandrasekhar said 95 per cent of the nearly 500,000 towers in the country have already geared up to meet the new standards.
As per the new norms, mobile handsets have been prescribed with a lower specific absorption rate (SAR) of 1.6 watts/kg averaged over one gram of human tissue as compared to 2 watts/kg measured over 10 grams of human tissue at present.
All new handsets, either manufactured in the country or imported, have to follow the revised SAR levels, while one-year extension has been given to companies to phase out the existing phones which are in stock.
"Existing handsets can continue to be used or will have to be phased out during the course of next year so that September 1, 2013 all handsets used in India must comply with these norms," Sibal had said.
The new guidelines ban roof-top towers with multiple antennas and call for avoiding installing base station antennas in lanes narrower than 5 meters.

Apple loses patent case against Samsung in Japan

In a setback to Apple Inc. a Tokyo court on Friday said that Samsung Electronics' mobile devices did not violate an Apple Inc patent.

Last week Apple won more than $1.0 billion in a massive US court victory over Samsung with jurors finding that the South Korean firm had "willfully" infringed on Apple's patents.

The Tokyo District Court gave the ruling on Apple's claim that Samsung illegally copied technology from its iPhone and iPad computer for some of its Galaxy smartphones and tablet.

Apple is seeking 100 million yen ($1.27 million) in compensation from Samsung's Japanese units, and has accused it of stealing technology used to transfer music and video files, according to Jiji Press.

Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji directed Apple to pay costs of the lawsuit after his verdict, the latest decision in a global dispute between the technology giants over patents used in mobile devices.

Following the ruling Samsung shares rose, erasing earlier losses.

“It’s hard to believe the products belong to the range of technologies of the claimant,” Shoji said in dismissing Apple’s case.

Samsung welcomed the decision, the company said in a statement. Carolyn Wu, a spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment.