Comprehension Questions.

I think i had the easiest questions.....

Students know to come to my blog for an easy riiiiiiide =D

Homework Task for the 16th...Mate.

Record labels are predicting that this month's launch of three new mobile phone music services will usher a return of rising sales after years of decline.

Apple's music-playing iPhone grabbed the headlines with its arrival in Britain last week. But music executives are just as excited about the new unlimited downloads service launched on Vodafone. At the same time Nokia, the world's largest maker of mobile phones, has opened a digital music store here.

The world's biggest music company, Universal, is backing the MusicStation, the Vodafone service. Rob Wells, head of digital at Universal's international division, predicts the £1.99-a-week subscription service will have mass market appeal. "We are at a turning point in the UK," he says, predicting digital music sales here could offset falling CD sales within a year.

Global sales have been falling since 2000, down another 5% to $19.6bn (£9.4bn) last year, according to industry group IFPI. Although digital sales are rising fast, at a tenth of the total market, they have yet to make up for tumbling CD sales.

One place where the gap has been closed is Japan. Total music sales there edged up 1% last year. Japan's success in offsetting falling CD sales - something the IFPI calls reaching the "holy grail" - is largely attributed to the prevalence of mobile downloads.

IFPI director of technology Richard Gooch sees lessons for other music markets. He says: "There are cultural differences, and there are network differences at play so it's not simply the fact of having a mobile music service but in those countries where they have moved towards the holy grail it's generally been on the back of mobile.

"Mobile is obviously extremely important because you have the market reach and secondly, the type of demographics that are very important to the music industry will almost certainly have music-enabled mobile phones." There are already indications that mobile music sales are picking up in the UK. The Orange UK network says its music sales jumped 70% over the past six months and it expects them to double by the end of 2007.

Comprehension Questions.
1) Which mobile network has opened a digital music store in England?
2) By how much did music sales increase in Japan last year?
3) In what period of time did Orange UK's music sales jump 70%?

The new Iphone - Is It Worth It?

The Iphone has finally been released on 9th November at 6.02pm.
People were already queuing outside the Apple Shop Regent Street branch more than 24 hours before the release to purchase the popular new technology or even to just get a glimpse of it.

Now that the long awaited phone (plus camera, plus mp3 player etc) has been released, the public have reviewed the phone to show the audience if it really is worth it...

Negative Review.
If you are a Network Admin who likes to remotely control his network from his phone, the iPhone isn't for you. If you like talking on the phone, listening to music, texting, checking email, sharing pics, surfing the net and other practical things....you will love this phone. I've had Blackberry and a MotoQ over the last few years and in hind sight, they were boat anchors. This is easily the best gadget I have ever purchased. The battery lasts 8 hours. That's not a normal 8 hours....there should be a new category of battery life called iPhone hours....because you will use this phone 20 times more than your existing phone....you are always doing something. People who say the network stinks are unknowingly hook, line and sinker for everything the iPhone does; because you are constantly using it in a high speed wifi network, you get spoiled, then you leave your office or starbucks and are forced briefly to do all of the stuff over the cell network...whose cell network is as fast as true wifi? Verizon wasn't even close.

Positive Review.
I reviewed the apple website before going to the store to see it in person. There is no doubt that the screen is less prone to scratches, especially with the nice plastic film deigned for it. Like all apple products, the iPhone is very intuitive. I was able to sync up my plantronics bluetooth without any hazzles. And unlike my Palm, I did not have to resync it every hour. I could speak to the programs, but I am sure all have experienced them or they are listed on the apple website. I think this is a great step forward, especially the ability to view pictures in larger size by turn the iPhone on its side. Another great feature is the resizing of text by merely spreading two fingers apart. Wow I can now see the text. For a product that is a "first" effort by Apple they have clearly surpased the competition. It now needs to be improved and expanded to include new offerings. But I have faith that will be forthcoming.

LOL Review.
Let me just tell you all, I like to hump women. This phone allows to me to go to websites to find women to hump.

NMT article and Comprehension Questions - Have a Butchers

Google has unveiled software it hopes will power a variety of future mobile phones and boost the web on the move.

The software could lead to cheaper phones as it is designed to speed up the process of making mobile services.

The firm is working with four mobile manufacturers - Samsung, HTC, Motorola and LG - but a Google branded phone was not announced.

The first phones using the so-called Google "software stack" will be available in the second half of 2008.

"This is going to bring the internet into cell phones in a very cool way," Andy Rubin, Google's director of mobile platforms, told the Associated Press news agency.

Mr Rubin's firm, called Android, was bought by Google in 2005 and the software it developed forms the basis of the new stack.

Google has formed the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), made up of 34 companies, including chip manufacturers and handset makers.

The move will be seen as a major competitor to Microsoft, Research in Motion, Palm and Symbian, who make the leading software systems for mobiles.

Google's Android software will be provided to handset makers free of charge and could lead to a price war for operating system licenses and potentially cheaper handsets. In the United States mobile networks such as Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile will carry the Google-powered phones.

'Unleash potential'

China Mobile, Telefonica in Spain and Telecom Italia are among the carriers that have signed on to provide services outside the US.

"This partnership will help unleash the potential of mobile technology for billions of users around the world," Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive and chairman, said in a statement.

Rene Obermann, chief executive of Deutsche Telekom, said Android would offer a "better than internet experience for mobile users".

Comprehension Questions

1. Which mobile manufacturers is Google going to be working with on the project?

2. What has Google formed that is made up of 34 companies?

3. Which mobile networks in the United States will be carrying out the Google powered phones?