Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Dual International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI)

Dual International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI)


When we think of mobile telephones we mostly think in terms of them of having a single International Mobile station Equipment Identity number. For two decades, whether for an analogue or digital mobile 'phone, we have often associated, to assist in showing importance of, and drawing anology about, that mobile 'phone serial numbers are alike to vehicle chassis numbers - in essence IMEIs are intended to be unique numbers.
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Because of that unique numbering scheme, it follows that each mobile phone should only have one IMEI. That has changed and mobile 'phone manufacturers can include two IMEIs. The two IMEIs can be viewed via the label under the battery pack (see photo below Samsung SGH-D888), or by entering *#06# (asterisk, octothorp, 0, 6, octothorp).
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Having reviewed the Standards and other documentation and found no definitive statement about the requirement for a dual IMEI numbering scheme, I put out some enquiries and I am grateful to those who assisted. I am told it would appear the occurrence of the dual IMEIs are due to there being two radio chipsets in some handsets. As I understand it, also, I won't find anything in the Standards about this matter - just yet. Moreover, it does not automatically follow that a handset having Dual SIM/USIM slots implies or infers that the handset has two radio chipsets, thus two IMEIs.

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Evidentially, of course it is noted this matter impacts in numerous ways when conducting examination using automated physical and/or logical harvesting of data and the much-needed handset (manual) examination.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Staggering figures for mobile phone text and data usage

Staggering figures for mobile phone text and data usage
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The Mobile Data Association (http://www.themda.org/Page_Default.asp), a not-for-profit organisation, that provides accurate and factual statistics relating to mobile telephone usage in UK, publish their findings month-on-month. Examples of published stats for April and May 2008 (http://www.text.it/home.cfm) identify staggering figures for text and data usage in the UK. Moreover, their latest findings reveal a huge upward spike in text messaging and data-based communications, often at the expense of conventional voice calls.
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MDA Chairman, Steve Reynolds, added "There are powerful signs all around that mobile Internet access will supersede traditional PC access. The MDA predicts that mobile Internet will become a true rival for traditional desktop internet access." Steve Reynolds comments will further underpin how mobile device wireless data communcations are replacing fixed computer systems.
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UK Figures for SMS Text Messages (Sent):
May 2008 - 6.5 billion
April 2008 - 6.3 billion
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UK Figures for Mobile Internet (WAP Users):
May 2008 - 16.43 million
April 2008 - 17.46 million
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UK Figures for Picture Messaging (Sent):
May 2008 - 46.52 million
April 2008 - 47.13 million
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The UK possibly has, when measured alongside other countries, the most highly developed mobile phone communication usage in the World, or at least in the Western World, and is producing statistics that do not suggest there is a UK or even a global "downturn" or "recession" when it comes to mobile traffic.
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From an evidental point of view these statistics and trends shine a very bright torchlight on how underfunded the UK criminal justice legal aid system really is, particularly for experts (like myelf) when I am working for the defence, and particularly so in the Captial where most of the technology crimes takes place. Put simply, we could reach a stage in the criminal justice system where technology is wrongly used to accuse an individual or is used in a crime and in such manner that it wont be properly assessed or scrutinised due to underfunding that much crime using the technology goes undetected and unrecognised by the courts thus perpetrators become immune to prosecution also.