Mobile for cash schemes are set to get busier as a raft of new phones hit the streets and one of the latest is the Sony Ericsson Idou. Although the name might raise a few eyebrows, it’s the latest in the Walkman series of phones. And it boasts similar features to the iPhone and iPod; both of which have become somewhat of a holy grail for other mobile manufacturers.

Originally called the W995 Walkman whilst in development, it is described by industry experts as an iPod, or a Microsoft Corp Zune, which can make calls.  The Sony Idou is part of the Entertainment Unlimited Brand is a concerted attempt to steal some of the ground gained by the iPhone. The phone is sophisticated, but will it be ‘cool’ enough to rob the iPhone of its coveted position. The Idou boasts a 12.1 megapixel camera, Xenon flash and some advanced touch features which Sony describes as very intuitive. These include a full-touch menu which allows those using the phone to move between areas that store their favourite items and stored images. And the 16:9 wide screen format allows users to watch movies and TV series with some comfort.  The phone also allows users to talk through pictures, whilst sharing the experience with friends, or family.

The brand Entertainment Unlimited offers consumers a complete package which ranges from music, through to imaging, gaming, content services and software applications. And with over 100 million Walkman phones sold since 2005, no-one is doubting the Sony Ericsson Idou’s coming impact on the market.  As people pass over their old handsets for ones like the Sony Ericsson Idou, then mobile for cash schemes are going to the in-thing.

Via Phoneslimited

With the number of new phones being launched, consumers are going to have to keep an eye on all the cash for old mobiles initiatives and schemes. Just out of the starting blocks is a new HTC smart phone which bears a passing resemblance to a BlackBerry. But this HTC model, which is a successor to their T-Mobile Bash mobile, appears to be heading to AT&T this time.

The HTC Snap, as it’s known, is powered by Windows mobile 6.1 and is a nifty piece of kit, with a sleek and slim appearance. Black in colour, it measures 4.59 inch by 2.42 inch by 0.47 inch. It doesn’t have a touch screen, but makes use of a small track ball. This lies just below the 320 x 240 screen.

So, for those looking for cash for old mobiles and wanting to upgrade, what does the HTC Snap offer? It boasts a quick 528-MHz processor, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and a 2-megapixel camera. It also comes with a powerful 1500mAh battery which offers long life, even with the powerful applications blasting away at top speed.

HTC has also added to the Windows Mobile operating system by including an “Inner Circle” key which lifts emails from your list of favourite people to the top of your inbox.

The T-Mobile Dash was a great hit amongst the texting and emailing brigade, who were looking for value for money. But the new Snap models – there’s two in the line-up – operate their 3G on the 850 to 1,900-MHz and 900 to 2,100-MHz bands, whereas T-Mobile is on the 1,700-MHz band, meaning that AT&T looks the likely beneficiary.

Industry observers question Snap’s likely partner though, saying that AT&T is awash with similar devises, where T-Mobile would only really have the Blackberry 8900 as opposition. One thing is for sure though, the more Snaps sold, the more people are going to have to consider the cash for old mobiles schemes.

Via Tracy and Matt

If you fancy walking away with some of the £400,000 prize money being offered for the design of a new, secure handset – and help the cause of mobile phone recycling at the same time – then you should submit your application by the closing date of 22 May, 2009.

Created by The Design Council and backed by the Home Office, the competition is focussed on mobile phone security. The Design Council’s Chief Executive Officer David Kester is concerned that mobile phone designers are too driven by a product’s good looks and consumer appeal. This, in turn, he says, makes them more attractive to criminals, putting users at risk from attacks and muggings.

The Design Council highlighted the fact that the average teenager can be walking around with nearly £200 of accessories, making them viable and easy targets. And products which are naturally attractive to criminals, because of their cool appeal, are known as criminogenic. Which basically means if you covet an Apple iPod, then so does the mugger stopping you in the street

So, The Design Council wants a change of mindset, bearing in mind the enormity of the task when trying to down-play a product, yet still make it commercially successful. Their criteria for the challenge is in three parts:

1. how to make a mobile harder, or less desirable to steal;
2. how to make personal data more secure;
3. how to make online and mobile transactions more secure.

The Design Council emphasised the last point, given that handsets are going to be increasingly important when M-commerce – banking by mobile – takes off. So, if you fancy designing a terrible phone, then contact The Design Council. Also, make sure that your handset is compatible with the mobile phone recycling ethos which, arguably, is a bigger problem facing mankind.

Given a chance, prisoners would love to be able to consider one of the mobiles for cash schemes.  For a number of Brazilian prisoners, it seems the mobiles at any cost are the order of the day. In a desperate attempt to join the cell phone boom, these guys are employing pigeons to fly in their mobiles.

The prisoners desperate, or ingenious plans, whichever way you want to look at it, were foiled when guards apprehended two birds on their way to Sorocaba Prison, some 60 miles from Sao Paolo.  The birds were caught red-clawed carrying a small bag each, containing a mobile and charger, although the weight of such items must have proved quite a challenge for the birds.

The birds were stopped on two consecutive days, although Brazilian prison authorities were not sure how many phones might have got through using such methods. But how many Brazilian prisoners will take part in the mobiles for cash schemes in the future, remains to be seen.

Via.

It’s World Earth day on Wednesday (22 April 2009) and it’s the one day in the year that we’re meant to pause and consider just what we’re doing to this planet of ours, especially when it comes to mobile phone recycling.

Now, this is mostly a U.S. inspired event, so it might pass unnoticed in Europe, but it serves to focus attention on the state of the planet throughout the month of April. Go onto to the Earth Day site and you’ll get the idea, It’s a collection of festivals, rallies and general environmental activities.

The organisers say that: “Earth Day broadens the base of support for environmental programs, rekindles public commitment and builds community activism around the world through a broad range of events and activities.”

Started way back in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, it’s a chance for people to get eco-friendly and keep their green credentials for the rest of the year at least. So people are encouraged to install solar panels on their roofs, start mobile phone recycling and cut down on car use. And by doing so, also spread the word to others.

The day is trumpeted by the Earth Day Network which reaches over 15,000 organisations in 174 countries. In the U.S, itself there are over 5,000 individual groups and 100,000 educators who co-ordinate millions of community development and environmental projects throughout the year.

And one mobile phone manufacturer, Motorola, is taking the opportunity of World Earth Day to educate people about mobile phone recycling. They reckon that over 400,000 cell phones are finished with each day in the U.S., and that only 10% of these are recycled.

Not only do Motorola believe in not sending old phones to landfill sites, they have manufactured the first mobile phone made from recycled water bottles and by offsetting carbon dioxide emissions in its manufacture, they claim that the MOTO W233 handset is the world’s first carbon neutral phone.

So there you are, don’t let World Earth Day pass without doing something to make you, and the planet, a little greener. Whether it is a bit of mobile phone recycling, or taking all your plastic bottles to the recycling centre, it all helps.