Tuesday, June 18, 2013

MMS APIs are Unlocking the Mobile Future - ProgrammableWeb.com

This guest post comes from Anthony Rossano. As CTO of?Mogreet, Anthony directs all backend services, API, and messaging system development and operations. As a data geek, Anthony loves Ruby, NoSQL, clustered databases, key/value store, and stuff like that. ?To learn more about Mogreet, text the keyword Mogreet to 51515 (msg&data rates may apply).

Everybody knows about SMS these days, and as it has become a regular part of daily life here in the United States, so too have simple, easy-to-use SMS APIs become available for developers to use. But few people know that MMS ? Multimedia Message Service ? is just as common and pervasive a part of the U.S. mobile ecosystem, and that MMS APIs are also available.

MMS APIs (like the Mogreet MMS APIs) provide developers with access to the telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S., and make it easy to both deliver images, audio and video to mobile phones, and also to receive back the same types of media from mobile users.

MMS is a great way to engage with mobile customers, sending them the images and video they crave while giving those users a channel to communicate back to the developers with text, images, video and audio.? MMS fits perfectly into the life of today?s mobile users, who are creating and sharing their own content at breakneck speeds.

MMS was created way back in April 2003 by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) in partnership with the 3GPP, a consortium of carriers and mobile service providers. It quickly became a standard feature on virtually all the cellular phones sold in the U.S. and around the world. However, while use cases in the U.S. remained few and far between, folks in Europe, Japan and elsewhere took to the technology like fish to water. They understood that rather than being constrained to text ? and a measly 160 characters of text at that ? MMS messages could include audio, images and video, and had long form text content as well. This quickly meant that enterprising developers and users came up with all kinds of innovative uses.

In Japan, publishers began to deliver serialized novels in daily and weekly installments directly to mobile phones via MMS, and a phenomenon of Japanese commuters reading long form content on mobile devices while riding the subway to work was born.

In the U.K., film studios began to promote movies with short trailers sent directly to mobile phones. In France, store chains began to build mobile subscriber lists and send shopping coupons. In Belgium (and all over Europe) rail services sold tickets via the mobile web, and delivered proof of purchase via MMS to show train conductors doing ticket checks.

Here in the U.S., the carrier networks have supported peer-to-peer MMS for a long time ? anyone who has sent a picture from their phone to another mobile has used MMS. But commercial use has lagged behind the technology. Mobile developers simply didn?t know that available APIs from the carriers (AT&T and Verizon) or third parties enabled sending long messages and multimedia content directly to users.

In 2013, roughly a decade after MMS was born, we are finally starting to see some uptake of MMS messaging capabilities on home soil. Airlines are beginning to offer mobile ticketing with scannable ticket codes delivered via MMS, the major networks are all running mobile loyalty and fan clubs that deliver behind-the-scenes content and interviews to rabid fans, and forward-thinking marketers are even using MMS to receive user generated content like pictures and video.

The next wave of MMS use here in the U.S. will certainly start with sharing content: from user to user; from application to users; and from content providers and marketers to users. Developers will drive and shape that trend by building innovative, engaging and useful applications that connect users.

That explosion of utility might just open up the world of commerce on mobile phones: in the near future you might be able to buy BART tickets and have them delivered as MMS to your phone, or redeem MMS coupons for discounts on your next coffee purchase. You may soon be able to show a pass for club entry on your Mobile, and send in pictures of your besties dancing the night away via MMS to a picture sharing service.

One thing is certain ? the mobile phone is the communications and computing device for this decade and probably the next. It?s in everyone?s pockets, every day. MMS has played a major part in the mobile digital lifestyle everywhere else in the developed world, and now that MMS APIs are widely available to developers, we?ll finally see the U.S. catch up.

Source: http://blog.programmableweb.com/2013/06/17/mms-apis-are-unlocking-the-mobile-future/

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GCHQ Intercepted Foreign Politicians' Communications At G20 Summits | UK News | The Guardian

The Guardian:

Foreign politicians and officials who took part in two G20 summit meetings in London in 2009 had their computers monitored and their phone calls intercepted on the instructions of their British government hosts, according to documents seen by the Guardian.

Read the whole story at The Guardian

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/16/g20-london-computers-monitored_n_3451190.html

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Quick Faxless Payday Loan - For Those Under Financial Constraint ...

What is important for quick cash?

If you need instant cash, you have to look for a fast means of getting quick funds. If it is taking too much time it is really useless for you. You should find out resources which provide instant cash within few hours so you can benefit from the acquired funds on the right time. You can ask about such resources or you can make a survey on your own. On the other hand, it is very well if you employ online resources to get to such place...

What makes quick fax-less payday loan exceptional?

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Well, there are lots of things which are not associated with conventional loans systems and which make quick loans exceptional. For your help, we are brining out a few such things.

-These loans are too simple and easy to be acquired.
-They offer simplicities in processing.
-You don't have to waste your time in complicated procedures
-You don't have to think about faxing at all; yeah, these loans don't need any kind of faxing so you can acquire these credits very easily without faxing
-You don't have to think about your credit check. Well, it is another tremendous aspect of these credits that they don't need credit check. So, it does not matter if you have bad credit record.
-Loan application is too simple to fill. So, you really need to give huge confidential information!
-You can get instant cash with 2 to 3 hours on the very same day you apply for your loans.

Requirements to get quick fax-less payday loan:

Well, you have to deal with a few obligations to acquire instant cash. These are simple requisites which need fulfillment before you get instant cash. Though each lender and finance company has its own terms and conditions but few requirements are same for all. In the following piece of writing we are talking about such common requisites so please have a look!

- First of all, you should have United State's nationality in your hand so; you can apply for such credits. It is because quick funds ask for USA nationality which you have to provide. If you don't have USA nationally you cannot apply for such funs.
- Next is your age. Age is another critical factor to think about. You should be of at least 18 years to get quick loans. If you are above 18 it is very well however, if you are below 18 years you cannot get quick finances...
- Next is your bank account, a verified bank account is a must for such loans. This account should be active as well. This account is used for the transfer of funds and the same account is applicable for repayments of your loans. So, you have to provide with a verified and active bank account...
- After that, you have to give a proof of your monthly salary. It is ideal if you are earning above $1000 per month. Without this proof you cannot go ahead for your funds...

These were a few obligations which must be fulfilled to get instant funds... that mean you have to think about these things...

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Source: http://jesusbrel.blogspot.com/2013/06/quick-faxless-payday-loan-for-those.html

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Monday, June 17, 2013

Seeking a Multi channel Retail Solution - Small business forum ...

G'day,

A fried has an existing retail store doing product sales and service/repairs. They have an extensive web site, plus an online ecommerce shop built using Zen Cart. They currently have an accounting system (CashFlow Manager) but no POS system, stock system or customer management system.

The Zen Cart online shop doesn't integrate with the accounting system. Plus Zen Cart isn't easy to make mobile device friendly and can't properly handle the stock control for the different sizes and colours of stock items. There are currently some 2000 products in Zen Cart, but most of them have colour and size attributes, so it's actually more like 15,000 separate SKUs.

It's time for him to get real and exploit the full benefits that a fully integrated, multi-channel, mobile capable retail setup can deliver to the business.

I figure he needs at least the following elements:

POS System - Fully functional retail POS system that integrates to a stock system and customer system, plus other channels (e.g. Magento web site, eBay and Amazon) and takes EFTPOS payments (e.g. Tyro), plus PayPal payments. Ability to use an iPad or Android tablet as the POS input/display device with Wi-Fi integration to cash drawer, receipt printer (e.g. Epson TM-T88V-i), portable bar code scanner, and portable EFTPOS terminal. Integrate with accounting system (e.g. Xero).

Stock System - Stock control and sales reports for all channels. Handle purchase orders, product management, warehousing, supplier management. When a product sells in any channel (store, online, eBay or Amazon) the other channels are updated accordingly. Ability to use a wireless hand held stock control scanner, or smart phone app, to check and update store and warehouse stock counts.

Customer System - All channels share customer information in a central customer system. Able to create email lists and handle email campaigns. Maybe integrate with the likes of MailChimp.

Magento Integration - Fully integrate a Magento ecommerce web site with the stock system and POS.

Google Product Search Integration - Automatically publish products in Google Shopping results.

Mobile Commerce - Web site fully supports customers with smart phones and tablets. Customers can make online, phone and in store payments using their smart phones and PayPal.

eBay Integration - End to end integration with eBay and the stock system, web site and POS. I think he could sell significantly more if he could easily have complete integration with eBay.

Nice to have:
Amazon Integration - End to end integration with Amazon and the stock system, web site and POS. I figure it will be sooner rather than later that Amazon starts selling in Australia. Similar stores in the UK market do very well via Amazon.

As an example of how I see it working, here is 'A Day in Retail'.

Retailer arrives at shop, turns on computers and POS system.

Retailer logs into stock system and gets a report of online orders that have come in via the web site, eBay and/or Amazon. Pick and pack the orders with receipts ready for dispatch. Customers have paid online using PayPal, or some other merchant facility and funds will transfer to the Commonwealth Bank account.

Customer comes in and purchases a few items. Retailer/assistant uses the POS terminal to process the sale. Customer pays using cash, the EFTPOS terminal using VISA/MasterCard, or PayPal on their smart phone.

Retailer/assistant takes a customer phone call and makes a phone sale. Order entered into the system and the system calculates the Australia Post charges. Customer pays using a credit card, PayPal or direct deposit. Order picked and packed with receipt ready for dispatch.

Assistant arrives and prints off a shop floor replacement report. Then restocks the shop shelves from the warehouse.

Assistant checks for any new online orders, picks and packs them with receipts. Assistant does the early afternoon run to Australia Post.

Assistant checks in new deliveries and prints bar codes for existing stock lines and labels them.

Retailer adds new stock lines to the stock system with pics and descriptions. Then pushes the new items out to the POS system, web site, Amazon and/or eBay as appropriate.

Retailer gets stock reports and places orders with suppliers for new items. Orders sent via email with purchase orders attached.

Retailer adds some slow selling and/or clearance items to the eBay store.

Retailer sends out the fortnightly email to customers which includes some product promotions.

Retailer checks into the accounting system (e.g. Xero). Imports details of POS, phone and online transactions and payments. Imports details of orders received and made. Reconciles all bank transactions. Gets all the key business reports: Trial Balances, P&Ls, Balance Sheets, Debtor and Creditor Analysis are created from the detailed sales data from the other systems.

Platform

I'm extremely keen for the new setup to be as mobile and smart phone friendly as possible for both the retail business, the online channels and the customers.

It would be great if the new PayPal mobile payment service could be used.

I think it's time to move to a cloud based accounting system (e.g. Zero). Possibly cloud based POS/stock/customer system(s) as well.

After quite a bit of research I've failed to come up with any solution that is likely to be able to achieve the key goals. I guess some things like the PayPal mobile payments are too new to be widely supported yet. Plus while a few solutions do integrate POS/stock/customer and an online shop, I haven't found any that might also handle eBay and Amazon as additional channels.

So is there anyone out there already doing anything close to this, or know of something in development that would?

Best regards, Lloyd Borrett.


Last edited by Lloyd Borrett; 23 hours ago at 02:01 PM.

Source: http://www.flyingsolo.com.au/forums/talking-technology/25886-seeking-multi-channel-retail-solution.html

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Car bombs, shootings kill 30 across Iraq

By Aref Mohammed

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Attacks across Iraq targeting mainly Shi'ite Muslims killed at least 30 people on Sunday, police and medics said, intensifying fears of a descent into all-out sectarian war.

Ten years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Sunni leader Saddam Hussein, a stable power-sharing compromise between Iraq's Sunni, Shi'ite and ethnic Kurdish factions is still elusive and violence is on the rise.

More than 1,000 people were killed in militant attacks in May, according to the United Nations, making it Iraq's deadliest month since the intercommunal strife of 2006-07.

Regional sectarian tensions have been inflamed by the conflict in Syria, Iraq's neighbor, where Sunni rebels are fighting to overthrow a leader backed by Shi'ite Iran.

Two car bombs exploded minutes apart in the predominantly Shi'ite southern oil hub of Basra, 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad, killing at least five people and tearing off shop fronts.

"We heard a bang and rushed outside," said Ali Fadhil, who was working at a nearby bakery. "I saw cars on fire, dead bodies covered with blood, and wounded people lying on the ground screaming for help."

"When police arrived, a second blast struck which was more powerful, leaving the street in a state of total destruction."

Another car bomb exploded in a busy market in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, killing at least seven people, and blasts also targeted Shi'ites in Nassiriya, Kut, Hilla, Tuz Khurmato and Mahmudiya in southern Baghdad.

Near the northern city of Mosul, gunmen shot dead six policemen at a checkpoint in Hadhar, police said.

No group claimed responsibility for the attacks but Sunni Islamist insurgents and al Qaeda's Iraqi wing have increased their activities this year, seeking to provoke wider confrontation between Sunnis and Shi'ites.

Sunnis in Iraq resent Shi'ite domination since 2003 and have been crossing into Syria to fight against President Bashar al-Assad. Iraqi Shi'ite militia and Lebanese Hezbollah guerillas have also joined the war on Assad's side.

(Additional reporting by Kareem Raheem, Mustafa Mahmoud, Ali al-Rubaie, Ziad al-Sanjary, Suadad al-Salhy and Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/car-bombs-shootings-kill-20-across-iraq-police-071957453.html

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Analysis: Iran moderate's poll triumph is mandate for change

By Marcus George

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian voters weary of years of economic isolation and tightening political restrictions threw down a blunt demand for change on Saturday by handing a moderate cleric a landslide victory in a presidential election.

Having waited throughout Friday night and most of Saturday, millions of Iranians at home and abroad greeted Hassan Rohani's victory with a mix of euphoria and relief that eight years under hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were finally over.

That Rohani, a former nuclear negotiator, trounced hardline "Principlist" rivals most loyal to the theocratic system and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Friday's contest left many in the Islamic Republic in shock.

A second surprise was that the country's first presidential poll since a disputed re-election of Ahmadinejad in 2009 appeared to be free and fair.

His victory goes some way to repairing the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic, badly damaged four years ago when the disputed poll led to mass unrest. And it may herald an increase in political space for the sort of reformist groups which bore the brunt of the security crackdown that ended the disturbances.

"Though hardliners remain in control of key aspects of Iran's political system, centrists and reformists have proven that even when the cards are stacked against them, they can still prevail due to their support among the population," said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council.

After final results were announced and the nerve-racking wait came to an end, Iranians reveled in having delivered their message to Iran's theocratic leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose loyalists dominated the field of candidates.

From the streets of Tehran came reports of a festive atmosphere, as crowds of Rohani supporters dressed in his campaign color purple gathered to celebrate his emphatic victory. Some chanted "Ahmadi Bye Bye" heralding the imminent end to incumbent Mahmoud Ahamdinejad's presidency.

The long wait quickly became the subject of rich humor. "Don't be in a rush. It is the first time they are counting votes. They didn't expect it would take so long," quipped one Facebook message, alluding to the widespread allegations of vote-rigging four years ago.

ECONOMY AND SANCTIONS

Victory will be followed by the colossal challenge of putting Iran back on its feet, repairing the damage done by eight years of growing mistrust between Tehran and the West.

Iran has been battered by economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies over its nuclear activities, resulting in soaring inflation and unemployment.

While Iran maintains it will not develop nuclear arms, it has refused to curb what it says is its rights to nuclear power.

With such a strong mandate and a clear intent to reach out his hand, there will be guarded hope that the 64-year-old cleric can progress nuclear talks. But with Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, deciding state policy, Rohani will face limits to his area of operations.

"(Mr Rohani) will choose the core cadre at the foreign ministry and Supreme National Security Council and this can definitely have an impact. But the general orientation is decided by the Supreme Leader ... and naturally Mr Rohani will cooperate with him," said conservative member of parliament Ahmad Tavakoli, the ISNA news agency reported.

Equally intractable will be the issue of two reformist leaders who have been under house arrest for more than two years over their role in what critics have decried as their seditious role in the post-election protests in 2009.

Throughout the campaign Rohani supporters have stirred the memories of 2009, chanting the names of the two imprisoned leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, at campaign events and intensifying calls for their release.

But that means confronting powerful elements of the conservative establishment who may not yet be prepared to welcome people they call "seditionists" back into the fold.

"A Rohani landslide will have to deliver substance, not just cosmetics, and this requires quite a few people to admit that the last eight years have been an aberration," said Ali Ansari, professor at St Andrew's University in Scotland.

"I don't see that coming from the pages of Kayhan (a hardline newspaper). I still have reservations," he added.

SUPPORT FROM LIBERALS

The 64-year-old cleric has pledged to draw up and implement a "civil rights charter" and has spoken up for the rights of women and ethnic minorities. He was heavily critical of the atmosphere of tight security ahead of the election and garnered strong support from liberal Iranians as a result.

But voters seemed most preoccupied with the desperate state of the economy.

Between them Rohani and the runner-up Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf - the pragmatic modernizing mayor of Tehran who is very popular in the city for his clear managerial skills - took more than two thirds of votes cast.

Even many conservatives had called time on Iran's overtly ideological stance for not providing for the Iranian public.

"The defeat of the Principlists was necessary," read an editorial on the Tabnak news website affiliated to Mohsen Rezaie, a conservative election candidate and former head of the Revolutionary Guards who came fourth in the election.

"The Principlist current must understand that one cannot be inefficient and expect the people to still support them in throngs."

Despite widespread calls from conservative activists to get behind a single candidate, three big-hitters all remained in the contest, pulling their shared power base apart at the seams.

The man many expected to be at the front of the pack, current nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, slumped to third place.

"Iranians are worried about their future. (The prospect of) a Jalili presidency and a harsh securitized domestic environment - I think people thought it would lead to a situation of confrontation inside the country," said Farideh Farhi of Hawaii University.

Iranians may have to wait patiently for change because of Iran's multi-tiered power structure, which has gradually eroded the office of the president over the last two decades.

"Rohani's upset victory has effectively redeemed Iran's electoral system, which was tainted after the 2009 presidential poll," said Ali Vaez, an analyst at International Crisis Group.

"Remember that Iran is governed by complex institutions and competing power centers that inherently favor continuity over radical change."

(Additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati and Zahra Hosseinian; Editing by William Maclean and Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-iran-moderates-poll-triumph-mandate-change-181625359.html

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Brazilians demonstrate against Confederations Cup

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) ? Police say about 1,000 people in the Brazilian capital have protested against the Confederations Cup claiming the money spent to host the tournament would be better spent elsewhere.

The Saturday demonstration began in front of the National Stadium, where Brazil and Japan will meet in the tournament's opener, and then moved on to other parts of Brasilia.

Carlos Carone is a press spokesman for the city's public safety department. He says the demonstration lasted about three hours and there were no clashes between police and protesters.

However local media says police used tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

The protest came one day after police clashed with demonstrators angered by hikes in bus and subway fares in Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest city.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brazilians-demonstrate-against-confederations-cup-185234444.html

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Sunday, June 16, 2013

European commissioners say mobile roaming fees within the EU will end as soon as next year

European commissioners say mobile roaming fees within the EU will end as soon as next year

If you live anywhere in the European Union, you'll be glad to know that starting next year, you will no longer be charged mobile roaming fees anywhere within the EU. The change, which may go into effect as soon as July of 2014, would apply to voice calls, texting, and data according to The Telegraph.

Currently, if you roam outside of your home country anywhere in the EU, you are charged roaming fees on cellular phones and tablets. A recent vote by European commissioners in Brussels would bring that to an end. The change will see a 2% loss in revenue for carriers.

They expect the death of roaming charges to typically wipe 2pc off mobile operators? revenues, after several years of tightening regulations designed to put an end to shockingly high bills for holiday makers and business travellers. They argue that operators will gain in the longer term by customers using their mobiles more abroad, particularly to access the internet.

Regulators such as the EU and FCC have been looking into cell phone carrier practices pretty stringently lately with the consumers' best interests in mind. This is one example of that and it's good news for everyone.

If you live in the EU, how bad have roaming charges been in the past for you?

Source: Android Central via The Telegraph

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Cl10Al3Me2k/story01.htm

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Saturday, June 8, 2013