VoIP News: June 2008

Google has denied that its much vaunted Android G-phone is behind schedule, insisting that the phone will be on sale by the second half of the year. The phone ,which is rumoured to have a retail price of as low as £120, is nearly completed and a prototype version of the Android phone was showcased at the Mobile World Congress in February. The Android is not a phone in itself; it is a software program developed using "open source software" - where the code is free to view and reuse giving it the potential to develop a limitless amount of features.

Mobile WiMax is "unfeasible" as a mobile access technology, a research company has stated. According to Frost & Sullivan, the technology - which has a wider reach and bandwidth than conventional Wi-Fi - faces several challenges that are likely to make it unsuccessful as a form of mobile access. The report noted that problems for the technology occur when challenges from dual Wi-Fi/ cellular mobile phones arise.

NatWest is handing out a £50 voucher redeemable towards 3's mobile broadband service to youngsters who open a new student account. The bank is also offering further assistance to new account holders by giving away a £100 discount on Asus laptops. Meanwhile, students who sign up before the end of October will receive a free Microsoft Lifecam that will help them keep in touch with friends and family back home.

A growing number of European consumers will purchase notebook PCs that are capable of surfing the web, according to a new report. Research from analyst firm Berg Insight indicates that the number of notebooks with HSPA/LTE mobile broadband connectivity will reach 49 million in 2013, a vast increase on the 8. 4 million last year.

Men are far more likely to surf the web on their mobile phone handsets than women, according to a new study. Research conducted by Opera Software shows that 88. 1 per cent of people using mobile internet are male, with the majority of aged between 18 and 27 years old.