Apple releases firmware updates to address notebook problems

Apple has issued several firmware updates for fixing glitches in its latest batch of Mac notebooks.

These updates are released for the new MacBook, MacBook Air and Macbook Pro, produced in October 2008. However, Apple withheld any information about issues except disclosing that the EFI firmware improves stability. Read more

Mobile operators eager to promote mobile web usage on iPhone-type devices

Mobile operators are looking for iPhone-type devices to enhance mobile web usage and there are chances that more handsets are going to come out in market which specialise in set of selected functions. Read more

iPhone 3G widens O2 UK customer base

The launch of iPhone 3G has helped O2 UK add three-and-half times more mobile customers to its base in third quarter, repeating its last year performance in the same quarter.

Financial results published by Telefonica, the Spanish parent of mobile operator, described O2 UK’s performance as best-ever third quarter in 2008.

O2 UK now has 19.1 million strong customer base which is 6.6% more than it was in third quarter of 2007. It is also the largest-ever customer base in the UK.

According to Telefonica’s statement, the biggest contributor to O2 UK’s growth was its UK exclusivity on the iPhone 3G handset and O2’s ‘Simplicity’ pre-pay tariffs. The statement also pointed out that O2 UK’s regional sales structure was one more factor which helped in achieving impressive performance in the small-business market.

The financial results also indicated that fewer customers (1.3%) left O2 UK in 3rd quarter of 2008 than in the same quarter in 2007 (1.75%).

Though average revenue per user (ARPU) registered a fall, total ARPU remained unchanged since O2’s data ARPU continued to grow.

Data ARPU was up 8.9% year-on-year due to significant rise in mobile internet usage. Revenues from Non-SMS data jumped by 61.1% on a year-on-year basis.

By the end of third quarter, O2 UK had 267,090 DSL broadband customers.

Nokia predicts weaker world market for mobile phones

Nokia is predicting bigger downturn in worldwide mobile phone market than it predicted in the fourth quarter and was expecting further fall in 2009.

Nokia is forecasting sale of 1.24 billion phones worldwide, which was previously estimated to be 1.26 billion. It said that hand set market and overall telecom equipment sales were expected to go down next year.

Nokia’s shares fell 7% to 9.56 euros, lowest since August 2004. According to Global Crown Capitals’ analyst Tero Kuittinen, this is a warning which has coincided with marked deterioration in the demand for consumer electronics.

Nokia, in its statement, claimed that slowdown in global economy accompanied by the currency volatility contributed to sharp decline in global consumer spending. The euro zone is now under recession and the economic growth has sharply slowed down around the world.

According to Nokia’s estimates, mobile device volumes of the industry for the fourth quarter would be 330 million, much below 346 million market forecast reported in Reuters’ poll this month.

The world’s leading phone maker is however expecting that its market share would remain at the same level in the fourth quarter or go marginally up compared with third quarter, but felt that sales and profitability are likely to suffer.