[LINK] Telco Trivia

[Paul Brooks]

Because it will shortly be Friday....

http://www.totaltele.com/View.aspx?ID=93870&t=2&en=1

Managers take calls in their PJs, survey shows. Plus other strange 
stories from the past seven days in telecoms, including bathroom bungles 
and beauty basics.

**

*Pyjamas threaten future of video conferencing*
44% of CEOs or equivalent level senior managers would prefer /not/ to 
include a video element in conference calls... because they are often 
sitting at home in their pyjamas, according to a new survey into the 
habits of smartphone and PDA users published Tuesday by Avaya.

Smartphone users are twice as likely to take a call from a toilet than 
'traditional' mobile users, the survey also revealed, while 17% of the 
2,200 respondents said they had taken a nap during a conference call, 
and more than half admitted to participating wearing a bathrobe or less.

*HP grooms beauty queens*
HP plans to change the way people shop for cosmetics by offering a 
mobile beauty consultancy service.

Last week the tech firm unveiled its new colour-matching technology and 
explained how it can be applied to the cosmetics industry.

Described by HP as a "virtual beauty consultant in the palm of their 
hands," the technology enables shoppers to photograph themselves holding 
a specially designed colour chart using their camera phone. They then 
send the photo to an advisory service which responds by SMS with 
recommendations on the shades of makeup that are best suited to their 
complexion.

HP insists that the technology also has other applications, including in 
the healthcare industry, and is seeking partnerships with retailers and 
manufacturers.

*Broken iPhone going for over $1,000*
Bids for what remains of a broken iPhone currently being listed on eBay 
have passed the $1,000 mark.

The handset in question was made famous among YouTube aficionados when 
it was blended by Tom Dickson of blender manufacturer BlendTec on the 
company's online show, 'Will it blend?'

The iPhone last week turned to dust very shortly after Dickson said, "I 
think I'm going to push the smoothie button."

Unfortunately the smashed iPhone – which comes with a BlendTec blender, 
a 'Will it blend?' DVD and T-shirt – is only available to customers in 
the U.S. The auction ends on 20 July.

*£342 million down the pan*
Still on the subject of broken mobiles, research by SimplySwitch.com has 
revealed that U.K. mobile phone users drop 855,000 handsets down the 
toilet each year.

Based on the overall cost to replace a consumer's mobile, the comparison 
site claims this adds up to £342 million worth of flushed handsets.

Although bathroom-related mishaps claim the most phones, 810,000 are 
left in pubs, 315,000 are driven off in taxis, while 225,000 are left on 
the bus.

Further still, the research showed that more than 115,000 end up in the 
washing machine, and nearly 60,000 are chewed up by dogs.

28% of men surveyed admitted breaking or losing a phone in the last 
year, compared with 26% of women.

"Of the 18 million new handsets bought in the U.K every year, roughly 
4.5 million will end up lost or damaged," said Karen Darby from 
SimplySwitch.com.

Let's just hope these unlucky mobile owners are feeling flush...