photo credit: ITU Mobile Usage Chart

An unbelievable 2/3 of the planet’s population uses cell phones. At the end of 2009, 4.6 billion people were cell phone subscribers. This is up from 1 billion users in 2002. Even in developing countries the number of cell phone users was up to 50% of the population.

67% of all people on Earth use cell phones!

The ITU (International Telecommunications Union) predicted we would reach 5 billion cell phone subscribers by the end of 2010. (See my blog 5 Billion Cell Phone Subscribers in 2010.) And according to the ITU, the cost for cell phone service has become less expensive, dropping by about 15% globally between 2008 and 2009.

Also included in this report were statistics for Internet usage. While cell phone subscriptions are rising rapidly, Internet access is not rising as rapidly. At the end of 2009, 25.9% of the population had broadband Internet access. Compared to the 67% using cell phones, Internet access isn’t spreading as quickly. The exception to these statistics is China, which accounts for about one third of people in developing countries with Internet Access.

I have said it before. The trend is for people to ditch their land line phones in favor of only having cell phone service. With the dropping prices from the major cell phone service providers, it only makes sense to keep the mobile phones over the stationary land lines. (See my blog New MagicJack for Cell Phones.) And with the growing popularity of Smartphones that provide effective Internet access, I see the numbers of cell phone subscribers rising even more rapidly.

photo credit: 5 Billion Cell Phones

5 billion cell phone subscribers by 2010 was the announcement made last week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the industry’s biggest trade show. We had 4.6 billion in 2009, so the prediction isn’t a wild guess. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Stalker Note

The new Android app, Recognizr, would allow you to use your cell phone camera to snoop out someone’s identity. You could take a photo of someone’s face, and then know that person’s name, schedule, profile, and latest tweets. Created by the Swedish development company, The Astonishing Tribe, the new app in development would bring a whole new level to the lack of privacy. It uses a 3D modeling and facial recognition software. James Bond has come to the real world. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Intel+Nokia=Intokia

Nokia just rolled out its new Maemo phone, after 5 years in development. It combines their Linux Maemo software platform with Intel’s Linux based Moblin to create the new platform, MeeGo. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Is the DOJ monitoring your cell phone activity?

The US Department of Justice wants carte blanche to monitor your cell phone activity. The DOJ told an appeals court last week that it doesn’t feel it is necessary to get a warrant to monitor your cell phone history. The information they would gather would be dates, times and call duration, and which cell towers the calls used, effectively disclosing every move you make. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Cyberbullying is everywhere!

Cyberbullying, just another part of the dangers of the Internet, right? With the growing use of social media, text messaging, sexting, video and photo sharing, Cyberbullying is growing proportionally. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Boys vs Girls on cell phones?

How boys and girls differ in using their cell phones may start as early as middle school. Sheila Cotten, a sociologist at University of Alabama at Birmingham, asked 1,000 middle school students to describe the ways they use their cell phones. The poll results gave Ms. Cotten some surprises. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Xbox Live Games goes mobile

Microsoft fulfills your Xbox dreams! Unfortunately this app will be available exclusively on Windows Mobile phones. That’s right… no iPhones, BlackBerry phones, or even the new Droid phones. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Signal Boosters or Blockers?

CJAM Cell Phone Threat Scan Service (CJAM-CTS) blocks signals in areas where mobile service is not welcome. This is a HUGE help in schools and prisons (is that the same?) where cell phones are a big no-no. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Whipping as Punishmnet

A Saudi judge ordered a 13 year old girl to receive 90 lashes AND 2 years in prison for being caught with a cell phone at school. The rest of the story is that upon being discovered with the banned cell phone, the girl physically attacked her teacher. Small wonder the judge imposed a harsh sentence. Read the rest of this entry »