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According to Cellular-News, six people have been arrested in Mozambique for sending cell phone messages calling for protests over high food, water and electricity prices.

Monday's state radio report says they were arrested a day earlier in Nampula for trying to spread the protests to that northern province.

Read full article.

Two US marketers ave started an ad campaign calling for Yom Kippur to be a “No-Device Day” for people of all faiths. The Jerusalem Post reports.

“You don’t have to be Jewish...to atone for your texts on Yom Kippur,” one ad reads, featuring a picture of shamed golfer Tiger Woods.

Another ad, accompanied by a picture of Mel Gibson, reads, “You don’t have to be Jewish to give up drunk dialing for Yom Kippur.”

Since starting their initiative in June, more than 10,000 people have signed the pledge on the Web site, http://offlining.com, to have 10 device-free dinners with their families.

Read full article.

Nasa says it is developing a car-sized satellite that by "no later than 2018" will plunge into the sun's outer atmosphere for an up-close study of its super-hot corona.

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An interesting analysis from the San Francisco Chronicle on how Twitter is not as mainstream as you think.

Our own experience, in other words, suggests that Twitter is still mainly a tech phenomenon, albeit a profoundly powerful one, while Facebook has totally gone mainstream.

But that's ridiculous, you say. Of course Twitter has "gone mainstream." Look how many followers Britney Spears has. Look how many Lady Gaga has. Look how many Ashton Kutcher has. These are mainstream celebrities, and Twitter users are NUTS about them.

But compared to the number of global citizens who are desperate to follow Lady Gaga's every twitch, it's actually a relatively small number. (To put the number in context, according to Wikipedia, Lady Gaga has sold 15 million albums and 51 million singles as of August 2010). And the same goes for Britney Spears, Ashton Kutcher, and most of the other Twitter bigs.)

Read full article.

A former Pakistani Test cricketer has alleged that a national player had hidden a mobile phone inside the right earpiece of his helmet while waiting to bat during an international match. NOTV Cricket reports.

Under ICC's regulations, players are not allowed to use cell phones on the ground during international matches, a move designed to prevent communication between match-fixers and players during matches.

The annonymous player has passed on the information to the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

Read full article.

SamsungBlogSA: RT @SimonBotes: #Samsung #Galaxy Tab gets fring: http://tinyurl.com/33wtcgn

A clever use of Foursquare.

MTV is partnering with Foursquare to offer check-ins as part of its "GYT: Get Yourself Tested" campaign. Users can get badges by checking in to health clinics to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

The goal of the campaign, MTV has said, is to make STD testing as common as going to the dentist or getting a check-up. Users who unlock the GYT badge-it is Foursquare's first cause-related badge-will be eligible to win backstage passes and a trip to New York.

Read full press release.

After training carrier pigeons to carry cell phones in pouches on their backs, Brazilian mobsters taught a 17 year old boy how to use a bow and arrow to smuggle cell phones into a prison in southern Brazil. He was caught because one of the arrows struck a guard in the back.

According to the AP, the teen was able to shoot at least four cell phones into the prison before he was caught late Wednesday.

Jeffrey Bruma has signed a new contract that ensures his future is at Chelsea until at least 2014.

The 18-year-old, who has been with the club since 2007, became a professional last summer and has since made his Chelsea first team and Dutch full national team debuts. He was also a major player in the youth team’s FA Youth Cup triumph last season.

He has made four substitute appearances for the first team, including one in the Community Shield last month but has since undergone surgery on a hernia.

Speaking to the Official Chelsea Website today having put his signature to the new deal, Bruma was pleased his progress has been recognised.

‘I am very happy to stay here,’ he said. ‘I have been working to improve all the time I have been here and a next step is getting your next contract, and now it is time to improve again.

 

Read more: http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0%2C%2C10268~2141953%2C00.html

 

PewResearchCenter on adults, cell phones and texting:

Texting by adults has increased over the past nine months from 65% of adults sending and receiving texts in September 2009 to 72% texting in May 2010.

Adults who text typically send and receive a median of 10 texts a day; teens who text send and receive a median of 50 texts per day.

5% of all adult texters send more than 200 text messages a day or more than 6,000 texts a month.

Heavy adult texters -- those who send and receive more than 50 texts a day -- also tend to be heavy users of voice calling.

Read more.

Spotted on Switched, Textees. Though you would think otherwise, apparently they make texting easier.

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According to the Ottawa Citizen, a Nova Scotia church is offering its congregation a chance to have members' cellphones, laptops and mobile technology blessed -- but Rev. Lisa Vaughn isn't promising the power of God will rid the gadgets of viruses and other kinks.

While Vaughn is not aware of similar blessings elsewhere in Canada, she said a pastor in London's business district conducted a similar blessing recently based on the old tradition of Plough Monday; parishioners brought in their farm equipment for a blessing. Sunday's service is the same concept, but with a much more modern touch.

Watch video of Rev. Lisa Vaughan blessing tech gadgets

Related:

-- UK Vicar blesses mobile phones and laptops

-- Japanese Shrine Blesses our Gadgets

As hundreds of thousands of pilgrims throng the Grand Mosque in pursuit of blessings in the last 10 days of Ramadan, the growing phenomenon of irritating mobile phones is disturbing the worshippers. Arab News reports.

Ringtones from thousands of mobile phones have reached the level of spoiling the pious and spiritual air at the holy mosque. It has almost killed the tranquility of worshippers. Moreover, on a tour of any nook and corner of the holiest shrine in Islam, worshippers are also encountering the flashes of cameras, Al-Riyadh Arabic daily reported.

The moment when the obligatory prayers are over, a tsunami of ringtones from tens of thousands of mobile phones seem to befall on the ears of the faithful. Various musical ringtones compete with the chanting and supplication of the faithful. The most unfortunate aspect of this phenomenon is that a large number of Umrah pilgrims are using mobile phones while performing the lesser pilgrimage. It seems that some pilgrims cannot finish the ritual without making mobile phone calls. There are some others, who are not at all concerned about the extent of annoyance and inconvenience they are causing to other pilgrims.

Related:

-- Kenyan Mosque jams mobile calls

-- Turkish imam to fine owners of ringing mobile phones during prayers

-- Links to Fatwa Against Ringtones articles

A coalition of law enforcement agencies has arrested four Nuestra Familia gang leaders and 30 gang members. Several of those caught were allegedly given orders to commit murder and other violent crimes by imprisoned gang leaders who were serving time in Pelican Bay State prison, which is near the Oregon border. The imprisoned leaders of Nuestra Familia sent them encrypted messages via cell phones.

[via The San Francisco Chronicle]

SamsungBlogSA: RT @palesa08: I took the @BeeTagg QR Code Reader for a quick spin on the Samsung Wave http://j.mp/9tnVgE

SamsungBlogSA: RT @GlennZA: Samsung Galaxy S, you will be mine... Going to love this little #MXit project... << What project are you working on?