Philippines - Cops to use SMS to check gun licenses

MANILA, Philippines - Police officers will use short messaging system (SMS) or text messaging to verify the ownership of firearms whose bearers are accosted during the election period, a Philippine National Police official said yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, chief of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Division (FED), said the use of text messaging for policemen manning checkpoints would surely help them in immediately verifying the gun ownership of certain firearms.

Petrasanta said the SMS program would be launched within the month in preparation for intensified implementation of checkpoints to ensure honest, peaceful and orderly elections.

“We will soon launch this SMS program for members of the PNP to allow them to verify real-time,” he said, noting that the program will be in operation round the clock since it is computerized.

Petrasanta said if the person is not the rightful owner of the firearm he or she will be charged with illegal possession of firearms. He clarified that only the gun’s registered owner can keep it and only a person with a permit to carry a gun outside residence (PTCFOR) can bring a gun outside his house.

He warned gun owners that they will need a PTCFOR even if their gun is in their car since “cars and other vehicles are not considered an extension of your home.”

Source: By Cecille Suerte Felipe on 15th November 2012

China - now has over 200 million 3G subscribers

China added 10.08 million new 3G subscribers September to reach a total 3G user base of 202.64 million,China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said.

Telecom operating revenues were 106.36 billion yuan ($16.83 billion), bringing the cumulative year-to-date total to 895.27 billion yuan ($141.66 billion), up 12.1% over the same period of 2011.

Mobile subscribers grew by 12.50 million to 1.085 billion, and fixed-line subscribers dropped by 0.24 million to 281.94 million.

A total of 79.03 billion SMS messages were sent during September, bringing the total for the first 9 months of 2012 to 676.61 billion, a 3.6% increase over the figure during the same period of 2011.

Broadband added 2.28 million new registered users in September to reach a total of 170.57 million. Dial-up increased by 1.03 million users, lifting the total dial-up user base to 5.73 million.

Source: By  Tony Zhu on 24th October 2012

Philippines - Smart Money brings cashless parking system

e-Park via SMS: what an advanced mobile solution technology

Smart and parking operator Wi-Tech Solutions & Development have launched an e-Park initiative and is a project of Smart Money. Users of Smart Money, the electronic wallet service, can conveniently pay parking fees through SMS when they park their vehicle along the Roxas Boulevard service road in Manila, site of the first cashless and automated street parking system in the Philippines. After parking on any of the 90 slots between Pedro Gil Street and the Magsaysay Center on Roxas Boulevard, vehicle owners with a Smart Money account need only text a code to have the parking fee automatically deducted from their mobile wallet. The parking rate is PHP 10 per hour. Vehicle owners can occupy a slot for a minimum of two hours. Thirty minutes before they reach the time limit, Smart Money users will receive an SMS reminding them to either vacate the slot or send additional load using the same code to extend their use of the parking space.

Vehicle owners who have no Smart Money account yet can pay in cash to e-loaders in the area who, for a minimal fee of PHP 3-5, will then use their Smart Money account to remit the payment to the e-Park system. Those who wish to get a Smart Money account may visit smart.com.ph.

Source: By telecompaper on 8th October 2012.

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