Idea Cellular slashes 3G tariffs by 70% - Hindustan Times

Idea Cellular slashes 3G tariffs by 70% - Hindustan Times

After Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular became the second operator to have slashed its 3G tariffs in order to draw demand.
The operator slashed its tariffs on its gold standard 3G services by up to 70% and introduced 'try and buy' sachet packs at Rs. 10 and Rs. 25. The services which were launched across the country last year have failed to pick up so far, due to high prices.

"Idea prepaid and postpaid customers will now pay 3 paise per 10 KB of data, a reduction of 70% from the earlier levels of 10 paise per 10 KB," the company said in a statement.

"The new tariff plan aims to make internet usage within the reach of rural, mid town customers at home and will help first time users to experience the benefits of 3G. Idea's objective is to drive mobile internet usage for the mass market," it added.

There will be three offerings for the customers -- sachet packs, regular packs and unlimited packs.

The Rs. 10 sachet pack will offer 30 minutes of high speed internet surfing while the Rs. 25 pack -- HERO-25 -- will offer 100 MB data with 3 days validity.

"Our new sachet packs of Rs. 10 and HERO-25 are aimed at youngsters who will access high speed internet on-the-go without worrying about the expense," said Sashi Shankar, chief marketing officer, Idea Cellular.

For regular home users, Idea offers 1GB of data download at Rs. 250. For corporates, Idea has unlimited plan priced at Rs. 950.

Idea has 2.7 million active 3G users with average usage of 330 MB per month.

 

3G FaceTime calls incoming, iOS warning hints - Crave

Your iPhone or iPad may be on the cusp on getting FaceTime calling over a 3G connection, an iOS warning pop-up suggests.

The warning message, originally snapped by Romanian site iDevice, apparently pops up when you try to turn off 3G while on a FaceTime call. The missive reads, "Disabling 3G will end FaceTime. Are you sure you want to disable 3G?"

Currently FaceTime only works over a Wi-Fi connection, so there's no reason that switching 3G on or off should affect your video chinwag. But the message -- present in the recently released iOS version 5.1.1 -- has led to speculation that Apple is poised to turn on FaceTime for 3G.

I've tested switching off 3G during a FaceTime call, and can verify the pop-up does make an appearance. Turning off 3G didn't end the FaceTime call though, despite the warning.

There doesn't seem to be any reason why FaceTime wouldn't work over a 3G connection, but the quality of the video calls could take a hit. Apple's not keen on exposing its customers to a potentially less-than-perfect experience, preferring to limit the functions of its gadgets rather than risk something being a bit broken.

If FaceTime over 3G does get switched on, it'll likely make its debut in iOS 6, which we're expecting to get a glimpse at on 11 June, at Apple's annual summer cotillion developer conference.

It's fair to say that FaceTime hasn't really taken off yet -- mostly due to the unflattering angles that front-facing cameras lend themselves to. Would Apple's video-calling feature be more popular if it worked over 3G? Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook wall.

Judge: iPhone 3G Infringes Kodak Patent, But Claims Are Invalid - Softpedia

Kodak is getting its bankrupt hopes up after receiving a favorable notice from a judge reviewing their patent spat with Apple Inc. and Blackberry-maker Research In Motion. However, Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender burst Kodak’s bubble before it had even formed.

While Judge Pender did rule that “the accused Apple iPhone 3G infringes claim 15 of the ‘218 patent,” he also cancelled the infringement of the iPhone 3G as Kodak’s specific patent claims were deemed “invalid”.

Kodak itself noted in a press release, “The ALJ concluded that the Apple iPhone 3G and the accused RIM BlackBerry devices infringe Kodak’s patent, although his recommendation is that the patent claim is invalid.”

Nonetheless, Timothy Lynch, Kodak vice president and chief intellectual property officer, is pleased with the ruling:

“We are pleased the ALJ has concluded that Kodak’s patent is infringed by Apple and RIM. We expect to appeal to the full Commission his recommendation on validity,” said Lynch. “The ALJ’s recommendation represents a preliminary step in a process that we are confident will conclude in Kodak’s favor.”

The patent at heart is said to be one of 1,100 digital imaging patents held by Kodak. The firm suggests it would be more than happy to license these technologies to Apple Inc., much like it does with other companies, including LG, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung.

Kodak is keeping its hopes high as it clings on the results of a previous ITC investigation, where a different judge found this same Kodak patent to be valid and infringed by Samsung, “whose products are similar to those offered by Apple and RIM,” said Lynch.

“Kodak has invested billions of dollars to develop its pioneering digital imaging technology, and we intend to protect these valuable assets,” he added.

The patent at issue relates to a technology invented by Kodak for previewing images on a digital camera-enabled device. Kodak says this is a “fundamental” method employed by Apple’s devices to take pictures.

Based on the deliberation of the full Commission, the ITC’s final decision is expected by September 21, 2012, Kodak said.

Nokia axes Skype client on Lumia 610, claims user experience wasn't 'up to par' - engadget

It took nearly a full month, but Nokia has finally been convinced that Skype is indeed incompatible with low-memory Windows Phones. In reaching out to a spokesperson, the company confirmed to us that it has decided to yank the official client from the Marketplace on the Lumia 610. The device -- which utilizes a scant 256MB of RAM -- originally allowed the service to be downloaded despite Skype's claims that 512MB was the minimum amount of memory required for the app to function properly. The internet phone service, as it turns out, was correct: Nokia, stating that the user experience is "workable" but not "up to par with Nokia's and Skype's expectation," has pulled the plug on any future downloads. Users who managed to snag the app before it disappeared can still enjoy (or hate, depending on your experience) it on their Lumia 610, but until Skype is able to lower the memory restrictions, it looks like everyone else is out of luck. Head below for the full translated statement.

Nokia attaches great importance to the launch of products and services to bring the user experience, so even if the Skype Windows Phone version on the Nokia Lumia 610 does, but after intensive testing, we found the user experience does not guarantee to Nokia and Skype the expected level. Therefore, we do not recommend users to use Skype on the Nokia Lumia 610. Nokia Lumia 610 users in the Windows Phone Marketplace will not be able to download Skype, Windows Phone version. Skype, Windows Phone version will continue to open to other users to download.