Al Digital claims cyberthieves could clone Bluetooth phones steal identities and gain access to bank accounts and says that confidential information could be downloaded from certain other Bluetooth phones without the owner even being aware.

It was our work identifying system vulnerabilities and securing and encrypting systems that led us to uncover two specific security breaches said AL Digital director Adam Laurie.

Confidential information can be obtained anonymously from some Bluetooth phones. Normally this is only possible if the device is in discoverable or visible mode.

This safety net can be bypassed however he claims.

The memory of some mobile phones can be accessed by a previously paired device that has since been removed from the paired list. Not only can data be retrieved but WAP and GPRS gateways may be accessed without the owners knowledge said Laurie.

We also want to put pressure on the manufacturers to rectify the situation. Consumers should expect that their confidential data is not compromised by poor protocols

It is alarming to think of the consequences of a single Bluejacker gathering an entire corporate staffs contact details by attending a conference or camping outside their office with a Bluetooth device.

Urmen is charged with stealing a Sony Ericsson T610 valued at 177 from The Orange Shop at Whiteleys shopping centre in Queensway Paddington between June 22 and June 28 last year. He was also charged with dishonestly obtaining a telecommunications service – making calls costing 123.36 with intent to avoid payment. He was ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on February 6.

On the same day former Carphone Warehouse salesman Thando Made 26 from Kilburn London was fined 500 plus 55 costs for stealing a Nokia handset and a credit note which he used to buy goods from CPWs Oxford Street branch where he had been working for two years.

Made pleaded guilty to amended charges of stealing goods valued at 199 at around November 14 last year and a 200 Nokia handset around December 2.

The theft was discovered after an internal audit at the store which revealed Made had dealt with a customer who had returned a faulty phone and had been given a replacement.

The transaction was registered on the till as a zero transaction for 199 in respect of which gift vouchers were issued. Made kept the vouchers and used these to purchase goods. When the till issued the credit note it was like finding a 50 note on the floor and he was tempted to use it said Mades lawyer.

The stolen Nokia phone was found at Mades house when police searched the premises after his arrest. Made told police the handset was unlisted stock and he took it because he though it would not be missed.

David McQueen ARC Groups senior consultant and author of the report said:

This year we have seen a massive growth in camera-enabled phones with 15 per cent of handsets worldwide featuring built-in cameras or designated camera accessories.

ARCs study predicts that by 2005 130 million handsets with camera capability will be shipped globally. With the boost of 3G roll-out this figure is expected to increase to 210 million by 2008.

McQueen added: Asia Pacific will lead the way but Europe is expected to improve its market share through the continued take-up of mobile messaging services and as operators promote attractive services such as Vodafone live!.

ARC predicts that the worldwide mobile handset market will grow by 10.3 per cent with consumers buying 444 million handsets by the end of 2003 up from 402 million in 2002.

Despite continued delays to 2.5G and 3G network roll-out in the early part of 2002 there was distinct expansion by the end of the year and the market in 2003 has since staged a comeback argued McQueen.

* Camera phones and photo messaging are to be used by the emergency services to improve the treatment of accident victims. This follows an agreement between Orange and Fife Fire & Rescue Service. Crews will use MMS handsets to take pictures of casualties at an accident. The pictures will be sent to MMS handsets at the A&E unit at the local hospital.

The service is expected to change the way casualties are managed in the critical early stages of treatment following an accident. Consultants should be able to assess injuries and mobilise the appropriate medical teams deciding whether to wait for the patient to arrive or whether to travel to the scene to assist.

Consultant in the A&E unit Lorna McLeod said: We sometimes receive Polaroid photographs but actually seeing images beforehand allows us to assess how serious an accident is.

We apologise to him for the mistake.

Moyes began his career at Siemens in 1986 and went on to head up the UK sales division before assuming global responsibility for the mobile phones business in September 2003.

Jonathan Bate vice-president Northern Europe told Mobile News: Ian was not only a great mentor but also a good friend. He was one of the most professional bosses I ever had the pleasure of working with.

Detective chief inspector Chris Foster believes that between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of reported mobile phone-related street crime in London doesnt actually take place.

During the recent Operation Pavilion officers posing as customers who had lost their phones visited retail outlets. They asked for advice about how best to make a claim and according to Foster in 12 cases out of 96 shop staff encouraged his officers to file false reports to their insurance company.

Helpful advice dispensed by staff included suggestions that the crimes should be reported to have taken pace in areas without CCTV coverage and that phones should have been in jacket rather than trouser pockets. After having obtained a crime reference number the insurance companies would provide the victim with a voucher for a new mobile phone.

Giving this sort of advice is a crime said Foster. Its just not worth risking prison to make an extra sale. He urges the industry to accept that there is a problem and work with his officers to resolve it.

Id like to see retailers putting systems in place to make sure that all their staff know that they are breaking the law by suggesting customers make false claims. I want to see prominent notices in shops warning customers about the consequences of false reporting and the police will be informed of any suspicious claimants adds Foster.

Foster promises that senior retail management will be kept in the loop if further operations are mounted but says that his officers wont be involved in any fishing expeditions.

We want to work with the industry to target those individuals who encourage the false reporting of crime. We will only mount undercover operations when they can be justified as a result of intelligence received. There will be no mystery nicking.

Investigations have to be justified and will not be sanctioned unless there are reasonable grounds he concluded.

Several recent arrests have been made and individuals charged with incitement to commit deception. They will appear in court during January.

After a review of the High Court action brought by PNC Telecom and the allegations made in the national press against Mr Darren Ridge the administrators are satisfied that there is now no case to answer. The High Court action has been withdrawn.

Ridge had been accused by PNC of spending 400000 of company money without board authority on payments to non-PNC staff (Mobile News July 8 2002). Ridge denied this and claimed it was a ploy by PNC to avoid paying him under the terms of his contract. PNC went into administration last year only weeks after selling KJC and PNC systems to Vanguard for 3.5 million.

Check out www.mobilenewsawards.co.uk or e-mail queries to Lucy Glennon lucyg@mobilenewscwp.co.uk.

Darren Oxlade 26 of Bletchingley Surrey is charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding 40-year-old Tony OConnell with intent to do grievous bodily harm at his flat in Marylebone London on December 16 2003.

He is additionally charged with unlawfully entering the flat as a trespasser.

It is alleged that Oxlade attacked OConnell with a wine bottle leaving him with head wounds requiring 30 stitches.

Magistrates who transferred the case to Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court rejected Oxlades application for bail.

Other television feeds have been available for some time notably Bloombergs 24-hour news service. However this content is downloaded in the form of recorded clips – it is not live television.

The joint-venture between Channel 4 the shows producers Endemol and mobile video hosting company Vemotion represents a milestone according to Vemotion CEO Tony Antoniou.

I believe the user experience offered by our high-quality live video delivered over GPRS networks is better than any medium currently viable on any mobile phones on any network Antoniou told Mobile News.

Though Shattered is likely to have been watched on mobile by just a handful of keen viewers Antoniou is convinced this is just the start.

Plans are well advanced to make all Endemols output for Channel 4 (including Big Brother) available over GPRS networks.

Vemotions platform is scalable and according to Antoniou able to cope with simultaneous demand from millions of phone viewers. An additional server farm in Germany will cater for viewers in mainland Europe.

Though not all 2.5G handsets are currently able to receive the live video feed based on the latest international standard H.264 the Nokia N-Gage 7650 6600 and 3650 the Sony Ericsson P900 O2 xda and HP iPAQ are compatible. Other handset models are being added to the list.

The service is currently accessed via reverse-billed SMS for a one-off charge of 1 after which normal network GPRS rates apply.