First Number News Archive
White House gets first telephone in May 1879
Mon 14 May, 2012 // FirstnumberIt is hard enough to imagine a life without making social phone calls to your friends and family, but try to think what phone-less life must have been like for those trying to run a country back in the day! The White House got its first telephone installed in May 1879, when President Rutherford B. Hayes was in office.
Social networks and smart phone app help shed weight
Fri 11 May, 2012 // FirstnumberMore and more research has led to the belief that obesity could in some cases be caused by an addiction to junk food. Doctors hope treatments similar to Alcoholics Anonymous could help tackle the growing trend.
Belgian learner drivers asked to pass Texting and Driving Test
Fri 04 May, 2012 // FirstnumberA Belgian road safety campaign group launched a controversial campaign this week to prove just how dangerous it is to write text messages behind the wheel. By falsely informing young motorists of a new law, the Responsible Young Drivers group was able to persuade them to undertake a driving test that required them to type a message while maintaining control of the car.
Destination of the Month: Spain
Tue 01 May, 2012 // FirstnumberSpain is one of the top 3 most visited countries in the world. So what possible excuse could you have not to go and explore it yourself?
New app launched to combat phone distractions while driving
Fri 20 Apr, 2012 // FirstnumberA new app launched in Las Vegas this week aims to eliminate driving distractions caused by the use of mobile phones. The patent-pending Drive Safe Mode app works together with your phone’s GPS to assess the car’s driving speed. As soon as it senses the car is moving, the app locks the mobile’s screen.
Celebrating 39 years of mobile phone calls
Mon 16 Apr, 2012 // FirstnumberDid you know almost 40 years have passed since the first mobile phone call was made? April 3rd, 1973 was just a regular day in New York until Martin Cooper, the then general manager of Motorola’s Communications Systems Division, rocked the world with a series of calls made from a chunky but wireless device. With a touch of irony, Cooper first phoned his rival at AT&T’s Bell Labs and is rumoured to have said: “Don’t know where to call?”
Text messages improve well-being
Fri 13 Apr, 2012 // FirstnumberText messages can enhance the receiver and sender’s mood, new research has revealed. Psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley discovered depression sufferers feel more cared for and valued when they receive text messages. In fact, most people taking part in the study reported an elated mood in response to the texts sent to them as part of the study, prompting them to reply about their moods and responses to daily interactions.
Hope for UK mobile phone users to get free 0800 calls
Fri 06 Apr, 2012 // FirstnumberCalls to ‘free’ 0800 numbers currently cost mobile users an often unknown sum of up 21p a minute. Many consumers are left bewildered after being hit by expensive bills at the end of the month as the term “freephone” is misleading, and guidelines on costs for calls made from a mobile are confusing. Industry watchdog Ofcom has addressed the issue in its new plans to make 0800 numbers free to call from mobiles, as well as landlines.
Destination of the Month: Australia
Wed 04 Apr, 2012 // FirstnumberThe great Down Under is simply too big to be explored in its entirety so visitors face the tough challenge of choosing which areas to discover. Thankfully, wherever you decide to go, fabulous natural wonders are right on your doorstep. Even some of the country’s biggest cities are home to exotic sights and wildlife. Book your holiday of a lifetime now to experience…
Justin Bieber’s Twitter phone prank goes wrong
Fri 30 Mar, 2012 // FirstnumberJustin Bieber is facing legal action after a Twitter prank went terribly wrong earlier this month. A Texan couple are suing the pint-sized pop star after receiving hundreds of calls from fans trying to reach the Biebster himself.
Celebrating the Life and Achievements of Alexander Graham Bell
Tue 27 Mar, 2012 // FirstnumberThis month we’re celebrating the life and achievements of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, born on March 3rd, 1847 in Edinburgh. Well and truly a man to be admired, the world-renowned Scotsman developed his groundbreaking idea after adopting his father and grandfather’s interest in elocution.
Bangor church row over mobile phone mast on spire
Fri 23 Mar, 2012 // FirstnumberA church spire may not be the first place you would expect to find a mobile phone mast, but at Bangor Church of Ireland this was, until recently, reality. That is, until one of the parishioners and member of the Select Vestry expressed his concern over what kind of material the mast was allowing to be transmitted, namely pornography and other illicit content.
Destination of the Month: United States of America
Wed 14 Mar, 2012 // FirstnumberThe USA is a dream destination for many. The promise of so many different adventures in each of its 51 states means most visitors also want to return. Get to know just some of the fun activities you could get up to when in the USA minus the conventional New York shopping trip, Orlando Disney World visit and Las Vegas gambling adventure.
Mobile phone jamming on the rise
Fri 09 Mar, 2012 // FirstnumberGoogle has reported a rise in the number of searches for mobile phone jamming devices, illegal in many countries across the world. The increase in searches comes after news broke last week of a frustrated Philadelphia resident who used a jammer to “shut up” fellow passengers on public transport.
New products unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2012
Fri 02 Mar, 2012 // FirstnumberThe Mobile World Congress is a leading annual trade expo where the telecommunications and IT industries showcase their latest innovations in mobile technology. This year, companies flocked to Barcelona from February 27th to March 1st to show off what they have come up with in the past year and what surprises are in store for 2012. Here is a round-up of just some of the new features and devices consumers can expect to see on the market.
Smartphone users could be in for tax refund
Fri 24 Feb, 2012 // FirstnumberAs of this week, smartphones previously provided to employees as a ‘benefit in kind’ will fall under the general ‘mobile phones’ category and will no longer be taxed.
Mobile phone app could lessen reliance on cash
Fri 17 Feb, 2012 // FirstnumberNew smartphone app, Pingit, unveiled by Barclays bank this week could make cash payments a far less regular part of our lives. The app, available to download for free, lets users transfer money to anyone with a UK current account and mobile number, without sharing bank details.
Quick-thinking citizen captures phone thief on mobile phone camera
Fri 10 Feb, 2012 // FirstnumberA thief who took a chance at robbing a passenger on a train ran out of luck when a fellow traveller captured his actions on his mobile phone camera.
Roaming costs contribute to lost business in many Fortune 1000 companies
Fri 03 Feb, 2012 // FirstnumberRoaming bills acquired by employees on international business trips cost some companies over $1,000 per traveller per month, research has revealed. Many Fortune 1000 companies are seeking ways to control employee expenditure abroad. 24% of those surveyed went as far as to say the costs incurred have contributed to lost business.
Apple's iOS takes over from Google's Android as US favourite operating system
Fri 27 Jan, 2012 // FirstnumberBooming latest Apple iPhone sales have pushed Google's Android platform into second place in the US smartphone market, reports revealed this week. The research published by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed Apple's market share had doubled from a year ago.
Smartphones empower citizen journalists onboard Costa Concordia
Fri 20 Jan, 2012 // FirstnumberThanks to smart phone technology, content sharing opportunities and passengers in the right place at the right time, anyone with internet access can now “live through” what it would have been like to be on board the Costa Concordia during its ordeal on the rocky Italian coastline.
Make it a Christmas to Remember With Firstnumber
Mon 19 Dec, 2011 // FirstnumberChristmas, as the song goes, really is 'The Most Wonderful Time of the Year', but if you live far away from your nearest and dearest, then you'll know that managing to see everyone on the big day is not just difficult, but sometimes impossible, due to timing, holidays, and of ...
The Text Message Turns 19
Fri 09 Dec, 2011 // FirstnumberThis December marks the 19th anniversary of the text message, which was invented by Neil Papworth in 1992, when he sent Richard Jarvis, the Vodafone director, a text message at the staff Christmas party that simply read, “Happy Christmas”.
Thanksgiving with FirstNumber
Fri 25 Nov, 2011 // FirstnumberThough you may be far from the New World, you can still wish your fellow Americans a Happy Thanksgiving this year with Firstnumber.
Pakistan Telecom Watchdog Ban On 1500 Rude Words In Text Messages
Fri 18 Nov, 2011 // FirstnumberPakistan officials are demanding that mobile phone operators block all text messages that are found to be using offensive words. To help inform mobile phone users of which words are included in this strict ban, the country's telecoms regulator issued a comprehensive listing of over 1000 words and phrases that ...
Halloween at FirstNumber
Wed 26 Oct, 2011 // FirstnumberIt's scary how cheap it is to make international calls with firstnumber!
Just What Is On Your Phone?
Mon 24 Oct, 2011 // FirstnumberWith so much going on in the mobile phone industry, and all the attention focused on the information contained inside a phone, a new report has emerged that questions the very basics of phone use and hygiene.
Autumn with FirstNumber
Fri 23 Sep, 2011 // FirstnumberAs Autumn approaches and the leaves begin to fall, why not get in touch with distant friends and family. The harvest season is the perfect time to rekindle old flames, and re-connect with forgotten friends and relatives. With both Tropics experiencing 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness ...
Smartphones Now More Popular Than Ever in Europe
Thu 15 Sep, 2011 // FirstnumberRecent research from the market research company IDC has revealed that more people in Western Europe are choosing to buy these particular devices than ever before. The research, which was published on the 9th of September, found that smartphone shipments have outstripped normal mobile phone shipments for the first time in the second quarter of 2011.
TalkTalk Set To Raise Their Prices
Mon 05 Sep, 2011 // FirstnumberFollowing the announcement made by BT who are set to increase their landline and call prices by 5% this December, Telecom and ISP provider TalkTalk have announced a rise in it's home phone charge. The changes will come into place from October 1st 2011. The price increase will raise from ...
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