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The Asian electronics manufacturer HTC has officially announced the pre-order of a product creating the latest buzz in the crypto world – their blockchain-enabled smartphone called Exodus 1. According to the Exodus website, the smartphone can only be purchased in cryptocurrency – for 0.15 Bitcoin or 4.78 Ethereum – which, at the moment, converts to around 960 US dollars. The expected shipping date is December 2018, making the Exodus phone the perfect end of year gift for blockchain enthusiasts. The new smartphone will have a 6 inch Quad HD+ display, 16 MP dual rear and 8 MP dual front cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Yet these usual specifications are not what makes this phone unique. The intriguing blockchain side of the phone will include a hardware cryptocurrency wallet called Zion, which was developed by HTC. To keep…

Grand X, a subsidiary of the leading South Korean mobile operator Kakao, has unveiled the test version of their blockchain platform called Klaytn. At the moment, the testnet version of this service-centered blockchain platform has only been offered to 10 partners of Kakako, along with a publicly available whitepaper to outline the network potential and capabilities. If all goes well, the mainnet version of the network is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2019. According to the information in Klaytn’s whitepaper, this network focuses on a seamless user experience for all parties, including developers and end users. “The popularization of blockchain requires providing a practical blockchain service for mass adoption thereby validating the value and utility of blockchain technology. To achieve this, Ground X has designed Klaytn that can provide an easy and friendly environment for end users, service providers and developers all at…

The South Korean mobile carrier, KT (formerly Korea Telecom) has unveiled the world’s first blockchain-based commercial network, as reported by the Korean Herald. The telecom giant has implemented a blockchain layer on top of their ultra-speed nationwide commercial network to ensure maximum security and transparency for retail and business users. “Public blockchains have low processing speed and capacity, while private blockchains have low transparency. By applying blockchain onto our ultra-fast network, we have overcome both obstacles,” commented the head of the Blockchain Center at KT’s Institute of Convergence Technology, Seo Yeong-il. The mobile carrier expects to achieve the impressive number of 100 000 transactions per second by the end of 2019, while their current blockchain network capability is 2500 transactions per second. Furthermore, KT has already implemented this disruptive technology in their user identification process, eliminating the need for personal IDs and passwords. The company is also working closely with…

At the recent Sino-German Economic Forum, China Mobile and Nokia signed a one year framework agreement valued at 1.36 billion euro (9.927 billion yuan) to support the Chinese operator’s transition to 5G infrastructure, while maintaining seamless connectivity. Under this agreement, the Finnish corporation will be providing the Chinese telecom with cutting edge end-to-end technologies for the next generation network, in addition to mobile, fixed, IP routing, optical transport and customer experience management technologies along with their service expertise and support. The two companies have been in partnership since 1994, when Nokia supported the first GSM call on China Mobile’s network. In addition to collaborating on 5G, both companies are moving forward together and have agreed to conduct research and tests on artificial intelligence and machine learning. “This is a highly significant agreement with our longstanding partner that consolidates Nokia’s position as a leading provider of next-generation technologies and services in…

The mobile operator, Vodafone Ukraine, intends to launch their 4G network for the 1800 MHz band on 1 July, 2018. The expansion of  the 1800 MHz band network will allow Vodafone to cover a wider territory, enabling access for millions of Ukrainians to 4G mobile Internet. This fourth generation service will be available in 50 settlements across 10 main regions of Ukraine: Kiev, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odessa, Mikolayiv, Poltava, Sumi, Kirovograd and Kherson. Besides the advantage of wider coverage, Vodafone is excited about the higher speed, improved connection stability and faster network response times for their mobile users. The other two major Ukrainian operators, LifeCell and Kyivstar, who won the 1800 MHz 4G LTE mobile license along with Vodafone at an auction held this March, will also be introducing similar services in early July.

New technologies, especially in wireless communications, is helping increase VoIP services. As smartphones, laptops and tablets are being more available worldwide, VoIP services are also growing and the competition between different providers is leading to a constant update in their offers. The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy that is spreading in companies is another key factor in this demand on VoIP. Devices like phablets (a mix between smartphones and tablets like the Galaxy S9+) are replacing computers on many aspects. The PMR (Persistence Market Research) expect the market to grow up to US$ 194.5 Billion in the next seven years. Most of this increase will be from long distance VoIP calls that could represent US$ 120 Billion in revenue.

Apple might be looking to save you from yourself with its new version of iOS, that any users will be able to get in septembre 2018, if they have an iPhone 5S or above. Since its beginning in 2006, iOS was more focused on keeping you hooked to your device that pushing you to keep it away from you. During Apple’s WWDC 2018 that took place this week, the Cupertino-based company seems to focus on helping its customers manage their time more effectively with their smartphone. And to help users on this topic, Apple seems to be concerned with iPhone addiction. As Google started focusing on that issue, Apple wants to take the lead on addiction to connected devices. An app called Screen Time will help iPhone users manage their time on their phone, get rid of useless notifications, change the setting of the screen to be less appealing. Another…

Apple has integrated in its iPhone an instant messaging system called iMessage. It allows to send any data (audio, pictures, videos or text) through any Apple device: phones, tablets or computers, and even their watches. In 2016, VoIP-Pal sued Apple, AT&T, Twitter and Verizon for patent infringement based on its U.S. Patents. This year, new lawsuits are being launched solely against Apple, for the infringement of four U.S. Patents, that are linked to the way iMessage processes routing, rating and billing of communications transferred through networks. Those actions are not related to the one that started in 2016. iMessage and Facetime are concerned by those accusations of infringement. Voip-Pal pretends that their patents are used to conduct audio, video and text to other devices by associating them with a specific user so it can route properly the communications. The plaintiff owns a portfolio of patents on VoIP technology. It is…

Telecom Secretary in India, Aruna Sundarajan expressed concerns about the country’s lack of quality mobile network services. She pointed out the fact that more towers and fiberisation is needed to follow the growth of subscribers. She said, during the second 5G India conference, “In a country where data is growing at 500 per cent, we need much more infrastructure. You need at least double the number of towers, at least double the size of fibre. Otherwise, where will the quality come from? So, they (operators) are working on that We are driving down hard on the service quality areas. We are beginning to see visible changes as a result of it. But it is not enough.” In a situation where call drops occur more often, falling service quality is concerning users and professionals. Manoj Sinha, the Telecom Minister, replied by confirming that the government is committed to “ensure quality of…

After months of battle and negotiations, the third and fourth largest wireless carriers in the U.S.A. finally agreed on a merger. The fusion between the two companies is one of massive proportions in terms of capital and clients, as it will be a $26 billions all-stock deal and will concern 127 millions customers. The main goal of this deal is to give birth to a strong opponent to AT&T and Verizon. Actually, the announcement might be due to T-Mobile’s fail to acquire a company called Straight Path a year ago, that focuses on providing technology, in the 28 GHz z to 39 GHz millimetre wave spectrum. Verizon, who won the bid gets an advantage in the 5G market. In order to be competitive in this new 5G technology the merger became necessary. T-Mobile and Sprint tried to merge 7 years ago, in a much different environment and the failed, as…