$571,000 in Mobile Charges for Australian who had his mobile stolen.

Coming home from an overseas trip to find a surprisingly high phone bill is nothing new. But one Australian got the shock of a lifetime when a European trip came with $571,000 in mobile charges.
The bill - which would have been enough to pay for over 285 return flights from Sydney to London - was a nasty surprise that came on top of an unhappy theft.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman said the case occurred after an Australian traveller's smartphone was stolen in Europe. Rather than dump the SIM card, the thief evidently decided to phone up a storm that cost over half a million dollars.
The victim's father David took the cause up with the telecommunications carrier and pointed out that the theft had been reported to police. Some of the calls had been made to Somalia.
But the telco refused to wipe the record while insisting the full amount be paid.
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Simon Cohen said the case was one of 138,946 made by phone and internet users in financial year 2014. The body will release its annual report on Wednesday morning.

 Disputes from customers about being charged extra for exceeding their mobile internet download limits have become the top topic of phone user complaints this year. Photo: Glenn Hunt

It shows that the number of complaints about phone and internet services has reached a six-year low but anger from customers over excess download charges is on the rise.
The improvement in overall complaints was driven by falls in complaints about mobile services, which dropped by 20 per cent to 73,518 in financial year 2014 compared to 2013.
SingTel-Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia both experienced substantial decreases in customer complaints that were raised with the Ombudsman.
"We're seeing fewer complaints in terms of mobile coverage and mobile faults related we think to the significant investment by telcos in mobile infrastructure," Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Simon Cohen said. "So the steps being taken by the industry are positive."
However, disputes from customers about being charged extra for exceeding their mobile internet download allowance rose substantially to become the top topic of complaint this year.
"As networks become faster and consumers want to download more and as phones become better, it's a challenge to make sure there's a match between the sort of data consumers are using and the affordability of the plans they're on," he said.
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network chief executive Teresa Corbin said that customers getting hit with high bills should consider shopping around, with recent data showing most customers used 2 gigabytes of data while using plans with caps of just 1GB.
SingTel-Optus showed the biggest improvement, with overall complaints falling 46.9 per cent from 26,629 to 14,144. Problems with coverage, disputed bills and poor contract information all fell at the telco.
Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia also improved the most in mobile coverage, with complaints from both companies falling 60.7 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.
But Vodafone Australia's mobile coverage still reaped the most complaints in Australia despite the fact that it has fewer users than Telstra and Optus.
The Ombudsman received 8143 complaints about mobile coverage from Vodafone Australia's 5 million mobile subscribers in financial year 2014. In contrast, Optus' 9.4 million mobile customers made 1623 complaints while Telstra's 16 million subscribers complained 1526 times.
Telstra's overall complaints rose by 1.2 per cent to 58,009 during the financial year but Mr Cohen said the company also added over 1 million phone and internet services to its subscriber pool over that period.
Mr Cohen said the Ombudsman was working to provide contextual data to better rank the telcos as part of a big picture view.
"There are significantly fewer complaints about Vodafone from consumers than there were 12 months ago," he said. "But I don't intend to comment specifically about the proportions against each of those.
"We've been looking to contextualise our data and hope to be in a position shortly to work with industry to provide that context around the complaints information in addition to the pure trends."
A spokesman for Vodafone Australia said the fall in network coverage complaints was a pleasing sign its investments were paying off.
"We know there is more work to be done, and remain committed to improving our customer service," he said.
Fortunately for Australian travellers, the Ombudsman said efforts by all three mobile telcos to reduce international roaming charges had helped lower the number of complaints about the issue.
This meant that David's son – and the Somali-dialling thief – managed to get away scot-free.
"The matter was resolved without him having to pay the charges," Mr Cohen said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/biztech/mobile-phone-complaints-fall-but-excess-download-charges-the-biggest-gripe-20140917-10i0aj.html#ixzz3DXpMKgES

Apple’s iPhone 6 and iWatch: all the good, bad and hopefully true rumours

• 18 hours ago August 28, 2014 3:08PM

Band on the run ... A possible vision of the Apple iWatch. Source: Supplied

ANOTHER day, another Apple rumour.

It’s less than a fortnight to Apple’s biggest launch of the year . And to help Apple fans sing along to “On the 12th day of iChristmas, Tim Cook gave to me ...”, here is a quick guide to some of the best and worst rumours about the iPhone and iWatch.
1. The iPhone 6 will be unveiled on September 9:
This was is set in stone, assuming that stone is not quite solid and subject to change. Apple hasn’t actually announced a date for the iPhone 6, nor has it said it will call its next smartphone the iPhone 6. Actually, you could write a book about what Apple has not said, although it would be a very small book. With no words.
Re/Code’s John Paczkowski broke the news of this date back in August 22 and his leak still stands. We like this rumour much better than the old rumour that the 5-inch iPhone won’t be released until next year.
Rumour quality: Solid gold. This is as good as a certainty and will be confirmed in the next few days. Still not sure? Think about this: when they send out an invitation to an event on September 9, the reflection of the nine will be in shape of a 6. Dan Brown couldn’t write stuff that good.

Expect queues ... September 9 is expected to be the release date for the new iPhone as well as the new iWatch. Source: News Limited

2. The iWatch (aka iTime, iBand or iWearablethingie) will be unveiled on September 9:
This is hot news today, courtesy of another scoop from Re/Code’s Paczkowski who says Apple will use the iPhone 6 launch to show off a new wearable. Interestingly, he doesn’t call it the iWatch. Interestingly, he also doesn’t call it a iWheelbarrow. Analyse that for the next few hours and you won’t be alone. Also, Paczkowski calls it “a new wearable” rather than “thenew wearable”. Does that mean there is more than one, in the way a bigamist has “a wife” in here, “a wife” in there and so on until he’s doing the hokey pokey.
Rumour quality: Paying respect to Paczkowski, it’s good enough for us. One big question remains, however. Given there are so many leaked photos of the iPhone 6, why are there no leaked photos of the iWatch?
3. This is the iPhone 6 in a box. (By which we mean no, it’s not)
In the race to be first with the latest iPhone leaked pics, it’s easy to opt for speed over certainty. TechRadar, to be fair, didn’t say they were certain this was actually an iPhone 6 in a box. Still, the fact the same iPhone 6 box was shown off in a YouTube video about a fake Made in China iPhone rip-off is a fair sign that this rumour was way off the mark.
Rumour quality: Some rumours are rated as “hits”. This is a rumour that puts the ‘s’ at the other end of that ranking.

YouTube

4. I came, I saw, iWatched ... everywhere
VentureBeat broke the news that Swatch and Timex were working on dozens of models of iWatch. That broken news was still broken, when the watchmakers said they weren’t.
Rumour quality: Missed it by that much. To be fair, Swatch makes a iSwatch so really it wasn’t a rumour that was wrong - just misspelt.
5. Name game: What comes after 5S?
One of the biggest challenges for those of us writing about as yet unannounced Apple products is that they are so unannounced nobody has even announced their name. The next iPhone will be probably be the iPhone 6 for the 4.7-inch version and the 5.5-inch version will probably be called iPhone Air, or the iPhone 6L — as in L for “larger than the other one” or “lame name”.
Rumour quality: Definite, by which we mean the next iPhone will definitely have a name. Unless of course Apple repeats the mistake of the New iPad which was a brilliant idea for a name until offcourse the next new iPad came out.
6. The iWatch will measure 2.5 inches
Take your wrist. Draw a 2.5-inch square on it. Does that look good? As a runner who straps his iPhone 5S to his arm, I’m already considering hitting the roids so that the bigger screen 4.7-inch or 5-inch iPhones don’t make my stick-like biceps look even more stick-like. The idea that Apple’s wearable band would be as wide as a playing card — surely they’re joking. It’s not an ace idea. Do they come in pairs? (I’ll see myself out).
Rumour quality: Big deal, no way.

 http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/apples-iphone-6-and-iwatch-all-the-good-bad-and-hopefully-true-rumours/story-fn6vihic-1227040184143

Faulty iPhone Burns Through $30,000 Of Mobile Data

A supposedly “faulty” iPhone landed a man in severe financial trouble after the device racked up an astonishing $30,000 data bill — and UK network Orange tried to take the money from the bloke’s account.
Chris Bovis realised he had been cut off, so he phoned Orange for an explanation. That was when he discovered the network had tried to bill him $US14,000 for exceeding his data allowance. His bank had rather unsurprisingly refused the transaction, so Orange blocked his number. Orange also told Chris his next bill would be around the $US16,000 level.
The actual source of the problem is a little vague. Chris said the iPhone was even downloading data while switched off, with Apple employees agreeing it was broken in some way and replacing the phone. Orange eventually caved in and agreed to reduce his bill to $450, before completely giving up and writing off the entire amount. [Evening Standard]

Monkey Business

A tourist was taking pictures with her iPhone of this snow monkey in a natural hot spring, but she came way too close - the monkey grabbed the phone and played with it for quite a while. It even managed to make the built-in flash go off. Needless to say that the iPhone did not survive the underwater session that followed.

This Photo was taken at the scene of the crime and is in the running for the People’s Choice Award of the 2014 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Boy found to be allergic to his iPad, and he isn't alone

Unexplained rash? Check your iPad. It turns out the popular tablet computer may contain nickel, one of the most common allergy-inducing metals.
Recent reports in medical journals detail nickel allergies from a variety of personal electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones. But it was an Apple iPad that caused an itchy body rash in an 11-year-old boy recently treated at a San Diego, California hospital, according to a report in American peer-reviewed medical journal Pediatrics.
Nickel rashes aren't life-threatening but they can be very uncomfortable, and they may require treatment with steroids and antibiotics if the skin eruptions become infected, said Dr Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at Rady Children's Hospital, where the boy was treated.

An undated photo provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows a rash on an unidentified 11-year old boy from a nickel allergy.

The boy had a common skin condition that causes scaly patches, but he developed a different rash all over his body that didn't respond to usual treatment. Skin testing showed he had a nickel allergy, and doctors traced it to an iPad his family had bought in 2010.

Doctors tested the device and detected a chemical compound found in nickel in the iPad's outside coating.
"He used the iPad daily," she said.
He got better after putting it in a protective case, she said.
Whether all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel is uncertain; Apple spokesman Chris Gaither said the company had no comment.
Nickel rashes also have been traced to other common products including some jewellery, eyeglass frames and zippers.
Jacob said evidence suggests nickel allergies are becoming more common, or increasingly recognised. She cited national data showing that about 25 per cent of children who get skin tests for allergies have nickel allergies, versus about 17 per cent a decade ago.
She said doctors need to consider electronic devices as potential sources when patients seek treatment for skin rashes.
AP
 http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/boy-found-to-be-allergic-to-his-ipad-and-he-isnt-alone-20140714-zt7gi.html

End of service as Vodafone closes Crazy John's ​After a turbulent few years and a wind down of its business, Crazy John's will cease to exist in September, affecting 100,000 customers.

Australian mobile provider Crazy John's is set to finally close in September this year as Vodafone retires the brand and brings 100,000 remaining customers across to its suite of plans. However, the telco has warned that not all plans provided by the online-only Crazy John's brand will be "replicated" at Vodafone.
Crazy John's has ceased offering plans to new customers, and existing customers are being warned that their service will be "deactivated" by September 30, 2014, their SIM will stop working and users will lose saved data such as messages and contacts on this SIM.
"For most Crazy John's customers, we've been able to create a replica plan at Vodafone," said a notice on the Crazy John's website. "To get started, you'll need to swap your current SIM for a new Vodafone one by your allocated transfer date.
"Unfortunately not all Crazy John's plans are able to be replicated. If your current Crazy John's plan cannot be replicated on Vodafone, don't worry -- we still have some exclusive plans we can offer you."
Vodafone has described the move as "the last stage of a transition to a single brand", bringing Crazy John's completely under the Vodafone umbrella and closing the book on one of Australia's more recognisable mobile retail chains.
After opening its first store in Victoria in 1991 and growing its footprint across Australia, Crazy John's was bought out by Vodafone Hutchison Australia group in 2008, a year after the sudden death of the company's founder, John Ilhan.
Just five years later, in February 2013, Vodafone announced it would be closing all Crazy John's retail shopfronts and begin winding down the business, ceasing upgrades and closing off prepaid services in August 2013.

Apple's largest ever iPhones said to start mass output next month

The current iPhone, the 5S, has a 4-inch screen. Photo: Getty Images

Apple suppliers in China will begin mass production of its largest iPhones ever next month, according to people familiar with the plans, as the smartphone maker faces increased competition.

Apple is ramping up on two bigger devices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. One model will have a 4.7-inch display, compared to the 4-inch screen of the current iPhone 5s, that may be available to ship to retailers around September, said two of the people. A 5.5-inch version is also being prepared for manufacturing and may be available at the same time, the people said.

The new iPhones will also be rounder and thinner than previous models, said one of the people. Production of the 5.5-inch model is more complicated than the smaller version, resulting in lower production efficiency that must be overcome before manufacturing volume can be increased, said the person.

Apple is getting ready for its annual unveiling of new iPhones after rivals including Samsung and HTC released smartphones with displays that are as large as 5.7 inches. Consumers have been gravitating toward larger-screen devices — in China, 40 percent of mobile gadgets based on Google's Android operating system that were sold in 2014 had display sizes of more than 5 inches, according to an estimate from Forrester Research.

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Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is under pressure to reignite Apple's sales growth and the iPhone, which generates more than half of the company's annual revenue, remains his chief weapon. Last year, the smartphone produced $91 billion in revenue alone, more than the total sales of Oracle, Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter combined.

Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California- based Apple, declined to comment.

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/apples-largest-ever-iphones-said-to-start-mass-output-next-month-20140625-zskxi.html