Mobile phone use isn't linked with eye cancer

The latest edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute says mobile phone use isn't associated with the risk of melanoma of the eye (uveal melanoma). Researchers in Germany looked at the association between phone use and risk of uveal melanoma, finding no statistically significant association between mobile phone use of up to about 10 years and uveal melanoma risk. [Source: ScienceDaily.com]

Germans use mobiles to control street lights

The village of Doerentrup in Germany is using mobile phones to save electricity and reduce carbon emissions. Street lamps are switched off at 9pm but local residents who've registered their mobile phones with the council can call a special access code to switch individual street lights on for 15 minutes. [Source: BBC News video, audio]

Vodafone chasing German cable TV company?

Vodafone is apparently thinking about acquiring Germany’s largest cable company Kabel Deutschland. Vodafone already offers fixed-line and broadband services via Arcor; buying Kabel Deutschland would enable it to offer fixed-line, broadband, mobile and TV services in Germany. [Sources: RapidTVNews.com; BroadbandTVNews.com]

T-Mobile launches UK femtocell trial

T-Mobile is running a femtocell trial in the UK, Germany and Poland, according to a report on Unstrung.com.

T-Mobile lost information about 17 million German customers in 2006

Rather belatedly, Deutsche Telekom has admitted that its T-Mobile subsidiary in Germany had confidential data about 17 million customers stolen in 2006. The missing information included telephone numbers, dates of birth, postal addresses and email addresses. The company says it's now reinforced security procedures and has no evidence that the missing data has been misused. [Sources: Yahoo.com; DW-World.de]

T-Mobile gets German court to ban VoIP software

T-Mobile in Germany has taken VoIP company Sipgate to court, complaining that Sipgate's software only works on 'jailbroken' (unlocked) iPhones. The Higher Regional Court in Hamburg agreed that Sipgate makes use of "unfair business practices" because unlocking the iPhone is a breach of T-Mobile's contract terms, which means Sipgate can't be used in Germany. The ban does not apply in other countries. [Source: TheRegister.co.uk]

UK leads the world in mobile music

Although the USA is the world's largest retail market for music, the UK leads the mobile music market in Europe. eMarketer says mobile music revenue in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain is expected to reach over £700 million by 2012, up from £134 million in 2007. In addition, advertising-supported mobile music in these five countries is expected to reach £85 million in 2012, up from less than £2½ million in 2007. [Press release]

Nokia resolves German concerns

Nokia has announced a plan in association with the the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Bochum to help employment in the area following the closure of Nokia's Bochum facilities. Nokia is spending 20 million Euro on the project and is also adding the proceeds from the sale of its Bochum property. It has previously announced a redundancy package for workers. [Press release]

Mobiles are changing birds' songs

This isn't a new story but it's back in the news again. Apparently wild birds are imitating mobile phone ringtones, according to German ornithologists. [Source: IPSnews.net]

Blyk expands again

Ad-funded virtual network Blyk has said it’ll be expanding into Germany, Spain and Belgium in 2009. The mobile network, which offers free calls and texts for 16-24 year-olds, already operates in the UK and has previously announced plans to launch in the Netherlands. [Press release]

Nokia agrees compensation for German workers

Nokia has agreed a 200 million Euro compensation package for the 2,300 workers who'll lose their jobs when Nokia closes its manufacturing plant in Germany. The company was criticised by many people in Germany when it announced the closure of its Bochum facility earlier this year and its plans to move manufacturing to a cheaper European location. Around 300 staff are expected to be re-employed within Nokia's other German sites. [Nokia press release]

German truck driver escapes 'driving with a mobile' offence

A German lorry driver has escaped a penalty for driving while holding a mobile phone - because he wasn't making a call, just using it to keep his ear warm. Walter Klein told a court in Hamm that he'd just recharged the phone and was using its warmth to sooth his earache. He produced an itemised telephone bill that showed he hadn't been using the phone when he was stopped by police. [Source: Ananova.com]

T-Mobile blocking access to Nokia's Ovi service?

T-Mobile could stop selling any Nokia handsets that offer access to Nokia's Ovi online multimedia service, according to a report in German magazine WirtschaftsWoche. T-Mobile Germany is reported to have dropped 5 Nokia phones from its range in the last five weeks, currently offering 10 Nokia phones - none of which support Ovi services. The two companies are apparently in negotiations about Ovi. [Source: Cellular-News.com]

Germany wants Nokia subsidies back

Nokia's plans to close its German manufacturing plant have prompted the state of North-Rhine Westphalia to ask for €41.3 million (£30.8 million) in corporate subsidies from 1999 to be returned. Nokia says it is "astonished" and describes the claim as "without merit". [Nokia press release]

Mobile calls to overtake fixed-line calls this year

The volume of voice calls on mobile phone networks will soon exceed that on traditional fixed networks in Western Europe, says according to a new report from Analysys Research. It says mobile calls will overtake fixed-line calls in the UK and generally in Western Europe by the end of this summer. Mobile voice usage has already surpassed fixed voice in France, although Italy isn't expected to experience this until 2009, with Germany following in 2010. [Press release]

Official iPhone figures from Germany

Telecoms.com reports that T-Mobile Germany has released details of its Apple iPhone sales. It's sold 70,000 iPhones since the handset launched in November, which is being compared with unofficial reports of 70,000 sold in France on the France Telecom network and 200,000 in the UK on O2.

Nokia row continues in Germany

Nokia's plans to close its Bochum factory in Germany have led to officials checking whether the company has received too much state subsidy. Subsidies were based on the total number of employees at the factory, with a spokesman for the economy ministry suggesting that Nokia had hired 14% fewer employees than they'd originally promised. Other press reports say Nokia's management board had been discussing problems with the plant for over 4 years. [Source: AFP via Google]

Nokia closing German factory

Nokia has said it will stop making mobile devices in Germany and will close its Bochum site by mid-2008. Around 2,300 Nokia employees will be affected by this decision. Manufacturing will be moved to other European Nokia sites that are more cost-competitive. Two German MPs have already said they're responding by boycotting the Nokia brand. [Sources: Press release; DW-world.de]