China"s Xiaomi takes aim at Apple with new phone

BEIJING, (AP) — Rising smartphone star Xiaomi is moving upmarket and taking aim at Apple’s iPhone.

The Chinese manufacturer, known for ultra-low-priced handsets, on Thursday unveiled a new model that Chairman Jun Lei said is comparable to Apple’s iPhone 6, but thinner, lighter and much cheaper. The phone starts at 2,299 yuan (US$375), less than half the 5,288 yuan (US$865) price of an iPhone 6 in China.

Xiaomi, founded in 2010, passed South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co in the second quarter of last year as the best-selling smartphone brand in China by number of handsets sold. The company is expanding into India and other developing markets but has yet to announce plans to enter the United States or Europe.

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China"s Xiaomi takes aim at Apple with new phone

Cell phone thief fined $20,000

Cell phone thief fined $20,000

A 19-year-old construction worker who robbed a female complainant of her cell phone was fined $20,000 or ordered to serve six months imprisonment in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Charged with simple larceny is Andrew Walker.

The court heard that on the day of the incident, the accused robbed the complainant of an Alcatel cell phone and as he tried to escape was chased by persons. He was later seen by the police and apprehended.

His attorney begged Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey for leniency.

“What caused you to do it?” the magistrate asked.

“I really never want to do it,” he responded.

“I promise, I won’t do it again. I swear, I won’t do it again,” he added. The magistrate then told him, “Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin. If I could sing I would sing it for you.”

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Cell phone thief fined $20,000

Pittsburg residents warned of possible Jamaica phone scam

PITTSBURGH, United States, July 24, 2014, CMC – Residents of suburbs in Pittsburgh have been warned to beware of a telephone scam believed to be based in Jamaica.

The warning came from the District Attorney for Allegheny County who said the callers.

claim to work for a legitimate sweepstakes firm – Publisher’s Clearing House and tell residents they’ve won a prize but must first send a check to cover processing fees.

Zappala says the callers have targeted residents of Whitehall Borough and South Fayette Townships in recent days, and that IDs have indicated the calls are being placed from Jamaica’s ’876′ area code.

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Zappala says residents should always refuse to send money when they’re contacted by phone about any sweepstakes prize or similar offer.

Residents have been told to avoid the calls altogether by having their phone company block any calls from the Jamaican area code.

Meanwhile, in Jamaica, the Lottery Scam Task Force is reporting several arrests during a two-day multi-agency operation in the western end of the island.

So far, 41 suspects linked to lottery scamming activities were arrested in the back-to-back operations, which started on Monday.

Lottery Scam Media Liaison Officer, Corporal Kevin Watson, says the latest drive targeted persons who lured unsuspecting elderly United States citizens to Jamaica as couriers.

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Pittsburg residents warned of possible Jamaica phone scam

Three remanded for snatching phone

Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Three St James men charged in connection with the theft of a woman’s cellular phone in May were remanded in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, until July 28, to allow one of them to get a lawyer.

Ewen Doyle and Keith Forbes, from Montego Bay, are charged with robbery with aggravation against Alexia Reid, while Christopher Wedderburn, also from MoBay, is charged with receiving stolen property.

Allegations are that, on May 8 about 11 p.m., Reid was walking along Barnett Street in Montego Bay when two men, one armed with a ratchet knife, robbed her of her handbag and her BlackBerry phone. Reid reported the matter to the police and Doyle and Forbes were later pointed out in an identification parade.

It is further alleged that, on June 12, acting on information, police went to the Charles Gordon Market and saw Wedderburn with a cellular phone, identified as Reid’s. Wedderburn was subsequently held.

Presiding magistrate Wilson Smith was told that, despite the prosecution’s readiness, Wedderburn had not yet got a lawyer.

“I cannot afford a lawyer, your honour,” Wedderburn told RM Smith.

“That is why you have legal aid. If you do not have the money, you do not pay …” said RM Smith.

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Three remanded for snatching phone

Digicel launches Phone Recycling Programme for special-needs schools - Unused phones in exchange for tablets

Representatives and students of the Windsor School of Special Education and Digicel representatives, including Judine Hunter (left), programme manager, for special needs at Digicel Foundation, are all smiles at the handover of the educational pack at the recently held phone recycling launch. – Contributed

On Thursday, scores of persons gathered for the launch of an exciting Phone Recycling Programme that will see special-needs schools collecting unused mobile phones in exchange for brand-new tablets and accessories worth over US$700 each.

The recycling programme, an initiative of the Digicel Foundation, one of Jamaica’s leading supporters of the special-needs sector, was launched in partnership with Autism Ireland to improve the learning experiences of children with autism to help them reach their full potential.

At the launch, held at the Portmore Learning Centre, the foundation handed over educational packs that included an iPad, mini speakers, stylus, protective cover and screen overlay to the Jamaica Association on Intellectual Disabilities (JAID).

JAID, the oldest and largest organisation in the country providing services to persons with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, will be using these tablets to teach children social skills.

“Each school will be given a recycle bin for students, parents, teachers, visitors and other persons in their community to use to collect unused phones beginning June 23, 2014,” Judine Hunter, the programme manager for special needs at the Foundation, said.

“What is important about this programme is that students with special needs will not only have an opportunity to benefit from the latest technology, but they will learn about how important it is to recycle.”

The recycling programme will end on September 30. The foundation will hand over educational packs to its special-needs partners during the school year. The Digicel Foundation will also donate $100,000 to the school that collects the most phones.

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Digicel launches Phone Recycling Programme for special-needs schools - Unused phones in exchange for tablets