It says something about the array of fancy new innovations vying for your attention at Mobile World Congress that some incredibly cool developments can pass you by entirely. How – for example - did I manage to miss the unveiling of Sagem Orga’s ‘SIMFi’, which claims to be the world’s first SIM card with on-board Wi-Fi?

Maybe it was the firm’s rather uninspired press release? Or maybe I just automatically switch off when the subject turns to SIM card technology? Either way, I missed a trick because SIMFi is exciting. Very. And its impact could be massive.

It’s a simple enough concept. The firm has managed to embed a WLAN modem into a standard-sized mobile SIM card, effectively turning any mobile phone that uses the SIM into a Wi-Fi hotspot. How they managed to cram all this into something the size of a postage stamp I don’t know. Anyway, this allows the handset to become a tethering tool that can connect devices such as laptops to the Internet using HSPA without having to faff around with USB dongles, embedded modules and the like.

In this respect, the technology can be seen as a competitor to portable Wi-Fi hotspots such as Novatel’s ‘MiFi’ and 3 UK’s identically-named product, both of which launched last year. But while these products do the same thing, they exist as standalone products. SIMFi, by contrast, delivers the same functionality inside the phone itself, which means you’ll end up taking a Wi-Fi hotspot with you everywhere you go.

There are multiple use cases for this technology, and many more are likely to emerge as mobile networks become faster and more reliable. In theory at least, it means a clunky old Nokia could be used to wirelessly enable a whole household.

It’s early days and Sagem Orga was light on details around pricing and availability. One assumes the cards are not cheap to produce and they’re also likely to represent a serious drain on battery life. Then there’s the issue of what this means for mobile operators, which are unlikely to be keen to distribute SIMs set-up to allow third-party devices to access their networks – especially in the current climate of data network capacity meltdown.

Interestingly, Telefonica worked with Sagem Orga on the prototype showcased in Barcelona, and it was noted in the press release that SIMFi will “enable Telefonica to broadcast HSPA Internet access through Wi-Fi to notebooks and netbooks.” Seems the Spanish operator giant is at least planning some trials, which could give us some ideas around possible business models.

Whisper it, but we could be looking at the next killer app.

mablott@gsm.org

The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Member

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• Wi fi SIM (wanderjahre-computing.blogspot.com)
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• Weeny SIM Wi-Fi hotspot is here! But why? (go.theregister.com)

Whoa, Nelly! Isn’t this something? Apple has just posted details on its iPad battery replacement service, which is really not a battery replacement service at all. Check out the company’s opening line:

“If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.”

Now, let’s compare that to the verbiage found in the iPhone’s battery replacement program details:

“If your iPhone requires service only because the battery’s ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will service your iPhone for a service fee.”

We can see the puzzled look on your face from here, and we’re sharing in the same disbelief. Apple is actually saying that it won’t bother cracking open your withered iPad, replacing the battery and sending it back your way; instead, you’ll pay $105.95 (including shipping) for a completely different iPad, which certainly has its pros and cons. On one hand, you’re getting a new (or potentially refurbished, actually) iPad in around “one week,” but on the other, you’ll be waving goodbye to every morsel of personal data on the device that you send in — unless you backup beforehand, of course. Here’s Apple’s take on answering “will the data on my iPad be preserved?”

“No. You will receive a replacement iPad that will not contain any of your personal data. Before you submit your iPad for service, it is important to sync your iPad with iTunes to back up your contacts, calendars, email account settings, bookmarks, apps, etc. Apple is not responsible for the loss of information when servicing your iPad.”

Lovely, don’tcha think? Head on past the break for the full text.

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading Dead iPad battery? Never mind replacing it, Apple just sends another iPad for $99

From CNN.com

See how the Border Patrol is using the latest in technology to spot suspected illegal immigrants on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” today at 5 p.m. ET.

Fort Huachuca, Arizona (CNN) — It’s a frigid, dark night in the mountainous border region of southeast Arizona. A group of 31 suspected illegal immigrants are walking up and down rocky ridges toward Tucson, Arizona. They’re wearing small backpacks and stop to rest every few minutes.

This isn’t a scene unfolding before the eyes of Border Patrol agents on the ground. It comes from a video image provided by a Predator B unmanned aircraft 19,000 feet overhead. In fact, the nearest Border Patrol agents are far away.