In a bid to capture the lead in the ongoing 3G price war among telecom operators in India, Vodafone has further reduced its 3G tariffs. But instead of simply slashing the prices of its 3G plans, the telco has taken a mixed approach, which involves reducing the tariffs of existing plans, retaining the current tariffs but increasing the data limit of existing plans and also adding new plans to the mix.
Prepaid
For prepaid customers, an all-new pay-a-day plan has been introduced where the company is offering 25 MB of 3G data for a price of Rs 26, but the validity is only for a day. There is also a plan of Rs 44 that has been added and it provides 150 MB of 3G data for a week. These are good options because they allow subscribers to get a feel of 3G before opting for it full time. Most of the other operators already offer such plans.
As for the monthly plans, a new one has been added that gives you 300 MB of 3G data for Rs 102 and finally, a plan worth Rs 1,501 has also been introduced that offers 10 GB of 3G data. But this plan only has one-month validity, compared to the two-month validity period of Rs 850 and Rs 1,250 plans. So it is obvious that this one targets people who are frequent surfers and download a lot of stuff (video, music, movie, etc.) on a regular basis.
Post-paid
For post-paid subscribers, the company has kept the pricing of the 3G plans same as before but increased the data benefit. A post-paid subscriber paying Rs 100 (the cheapest available plan) will now get 300 MB of 3G data but earlier, it was only 200 MB. And for the most expensive plan (Rs 1,250), subscribers will get 8 GB of 3G data, instead of 5 GB (60 per cent increase) that they were getting earlier.
The price slash and addition of new plans do improve Vodafone’s position, compared to other players in the market. You will also find detailed information on the plans offered by the other telcos here, here and here.
As we have mentioned before, there may be a host of reasons behind the price war (Bharti Airtel probably did it because of the launch of its 4G services in the country while others did it in a bid to stay in the competition) but finally, the users will benefit the most from such a move. But as of now, we need to wait and watch how other players respond to Vodafone’s move to make 3G data all the more affordable.
(Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal)
China Mobile support likely to make Apple's next iPhone a 'true world phone' - Apple Insider
By Neil Hughes
Published: 09:15 AM EST (06:15 AM PST)Apple's next-generation iPhone is expected to launch in October with support for China Mobile's proprietary 3G network, making it a "true world phone," according to a new report.
In his checks with suppliers, Shaw Wu of Sterne Agee has heard that support for China Mobile's TD-SCDMA 3G network will be a "key feature" of Apple's sixth-generation iPhone. China Mobile is the largest cellular operator in the world, with more than 650 million mobile subscribers.
Wu noted that trials for high-speed 4G long-term evolution networks are currently underway in China, but widespread adoption of LTE is likely to be 2 to 3 years away. In his eyes, strong 3G support is "critical" for the next iPhone to find success with China Mobile.
In addition, Apple is also enhancing support for Chinese-language users with iOS 6, which he thinks will make the iPhone an even more attractive platform for customers in China. With iOS 6, Siri will be able to understand and speak Mandarin and Cantonese, while the software update will also offer easier Chinese character input and integration with popular Internet services like Baidu, Sina Weibo, Youku and Tudou.
Beyond enhanced support for China and compatibility with China Mobile, Wu said the next iPhone will feature three key improvements: a new form factor, a slightly larger screen, and a 4G LTE wireless modem.
"We believe these new features will likely help drive a significant upgrade and new user cycle more powerful than what we saw with the iPhone 4 and 4S," Wu wrote in a note to investors on Thursday.
He expects the next iPhone won't arrive until October, placing it a full year after the launch of the iPhone 4S. In the meantime, he expects Apple to sell 27 million iPhones in the June quarter, and 25 million in the September quarter, ahead of the launch of the next-generation model.
"This is more of a function of the transition ahead of the upcoming 6th generation iPhone refresh likely in October timeframe as opposed to weak demand," Wu noted.
Burger King shares continue to climb - AP - msnbc.com
NEW YORK — Shares of Burger King Worldwide Inc. continued to rise Thursday, the second day of trading since the world's second-largest hamburger chain's return to the New York Stock Exchange.
THE SPARK: Rather than an initial public offering, Burger King returned to the public market through a complex deal that it announced in April. The owner of the Miami-based chain, 3G Capital, sold a minority stake to Justice Holdings Ltd., a London-based entity that was specifically set up to invest in another company.
Justice then suspended trading on the London Stock Exchange then emerged as Burger King on the Big Board.
Only 16 percent of Burger King shares were available for sale to investors; the founders of Justice Holdings will hold onto their 13 percent of shares for at least one year as part of the deal. 3G Capital will hold onto its 71 percent stake for at least six months.
THE ANALYSIS: 3G Capital has been overhauling Burger King's operations since acquiring the chain in late 2010. In the U.S., the company in April launched its biggest menu expansion ever in hopes of attracting a broader customer base. The chain is also looking to aggressively expand its footprint overseas, given the saturated market at home. This month, Burger King announced partnership deals to open several hundred restaurants in Russia and 1,000 in China over the next several years.
SHARE ACTION: Burger King stock was up $1.17, or almost 8 percent, at $16.18 in afternoon trading. They closed up 3.5 percent at $15.01 Wednesday after opening at $14.50.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
iPhone 5 to be true 3G/4G world phone, says analyst - CNET News
The iPhone 5 will not only offer a major refresh but expand its appeal around the world, according to one analyst.
The sixth-generation iPhone is expected to sport three big improvements, says analyst Shaw Wu. Picking up intel from suppliers, Wu sees a new form factor, a slightly larger screen, and 4G LTE support built into Apple's next flagship phone. These features should help the upcoming iPhone outscore the iPhone 4 and 4S at picking up new customers and enticing existing ones to upgrade.
Other reports and various rumors have pointed to a redesigned body, a 4-inch screen, and support for LTE in the next model iPhone.
But given China's status as the world's biggest smartphone market, Apple will also make sure the iPhone 5 will appeal to Chinese consumers, according to Wu.
The phone will work with China Mobile's proprietary TD-SCDMA 3G network, says the analyst. Both China Mobile and China Unicom have been testing 4G LTE. But full adoption of LTE is a few years away, so support for 3G is crucial if Apple is to gain further traction in the Chinese market.
iOS 6 has already paved the way for greater support in China by giving Siri the ability to comprehend and speak Mandarin and Cantonese. The new OS will also offer an easier way to input Chinese characters and integrate with several Chinese online services, such as Baidu, Sina Weibo, Youku, and Tudou. Combine iOS 6 with the iPhone 5, and Wu sees Apple a few steps closer to a deal to offer the iPhone through China Mobile.
Neo-Nazi hate groups 'make money from British corporations without them knowing' through YouTube ad revenue system - Daily Mail
Far-right groups 'could obtain payments' from BT, O2 and Virgin Media through Google AdSense
Experts say YouTube 'hiding corporate irresponsibility behind freedom of speech'
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Neo-Nazi groups are allegedly making money from firms like Virgin Media, BT and O2 by uploading YouTube videos which take advantage of the site's advert revenue sharing system, it was claimed today.
Extreme far-right groups like Combat 18 and Blood & Honour are making use of the video sharing site's automatic addition of adverts to their videos.
Revenue-sharing deals in place under Google's AdSense programme allow YouTube members sharing non-copyrighted videos to benefit from adverts which appear in boxes to the right of their uploads.
Revenue generating: Far-right organisations like Blood & Honour are making money from large corporations through YouTube and Google
Google's AdSense programme aims to give funding to popular non-copyrighted YouTube videos
And with some of this advert revenue being directly passed on to the video owner, extremist groups are making money from large British corporations without them even knowing.
When Google was alerted this practice it was said to have deleted the videos, but according to the Guardian there is no indication that anything has been done to stop it being repeated.
One of the YouTube videos links to The Turner Diaries, a novel described as 'the bible of the racist right'
Groups like Combat 18 and Blood & Honour use YouTube videos to peddle far-right views and generate support among their numbers, as well as opposition and hatred towards minority and ethnic groups.
This goes directly against YouTube's user policy, which claims to strictly prohibit hate speech.
YouTube today denied that adverts next to videos would necessarily provide revenue for content providers.
A spokesperson said: 'Seeing ads next to videos on YouTube does not indicate that those content providers are making money as a member of our partner programme.
'Ads can also be shown next to videos if they contain material that rights holders like the music industry have registered through YouTube’s automated Content ID system.'
A Google spokesperson had previously told The Guardian: 'YouTube's community guidelines prohibit hate speech, and we encourage our users to flag material that they believe breaks the rules.
'We review all flagged videos quickly, and we promptly remove material that violates our guidelines.
'Videos with ads showing because of content claims created by YouTube's automated content ID system are subject to the same removal policies after they've been flagged by users.'
AdSense allows popular non-copyrighted videos to join Google's partner programme and generate revenue.
As well as generating funds through ad revenue, the YouTube videos are also a platform for extremist groups to provide links to their own literature and other Neo-Nazi websites.
Far-right mass killer Anders Breivik is one of many thought to have received support from the Neo-Nazi online community
One of the links on one of the YouTube videos is to the Turner Diaries, the 'bible of the racist right' novel which has been linked to several hate crimes.
The trend is also worrying as the likes of Norweigan mass killer Anders Breivik are known to have received support from online communites.
Expert have accused YouTube of 'hiding its corporate irresponsibility behind freedom of speech', while others have criticised the site for appearing to condone the Neo-Nazi message.
Facebook users crown O2 arena top London landmark - Daily Telegraph
The seven other cities featured in the list are: Berlin, New York, Melbourne, Paris, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, Seoul and Tokyo.
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