The FBI's questionable activities included turning wireless phones into tracking devices and mandating that phone companies collect signaling information for the government. Cell Phones, Elephants and War Few people have any idea that an obscure mineral used to coat electronic parts in cell phones is a critical factor in the Congo's civil war. But I wouldn't want to use my cell phone to convey the happy news to my family and friends, because the murderous mineral might be coating some of the electronic parts inside its guts.
Coltan is also the fuel that keeps the Congo's endless civil war burning.
Universal' Cell Phone in the Works Current thinking on multimode, multifrequency handsets holds that such mobile phones are still several years away, mainly because of their significant power requirements. But Tropian, a Silicon Valley company, has developed a pure digital radio system that it said will allow a single mobile phone to work from virtually anywhere in the world. The company also said it will reduce its domestic workforce by 5 percent as a cost-cutting measure. Kyocera Claims 'First' with Smartphone Pact Kyocera Wireless Corp. has announced an agreement to supply ePhones with its model QCP 6035 smartphone. In exchange, ePhones will provide software installation, service activation, programming, distribution and customer support for the smartphone to enterprise customers.