Text 7. EU warns of hidden ringtone charges

The European Union is cracking down on shady websites that are wrongly selling or charging for mobile phone services. The EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva has warned the public that they may be paying hidden charges for ringtones, news feeds, video games and wallpaper. Many sites are cheating people out of their money, especially trend-conscious teenagers, who like to keep up to date with the latest phone fashions. An EU investigation into 500 sites discovered that 80 per cent were misleading consumers. "Far too many people are falling victim to costly surprises from mysterious charges, fees and ringtone subscriptions [that] they learn about for the first time when they see their mobile phone bill," Kuneva told reporters.

The Reuters news agency reports that the value of ringtone sales in 2007 within the EU was in the region of US$1.10 billion. Among the companies under Ms Kuneva’s microscope are industry giants such as Vofafone and VeriSign. Failure by these providers to address the commissioner’s concerns could lead to heavy fines or site closures. The investigation identified a number of common dishonest practices. These include unclear price information, not telling the consumer about taxes, and not making it clear to consumers they were signing up to a subscription. Kuneva warned: "We need to get a clear message out particularly to teenagers and children. Be on your guard. It's all about the small print….Make sure you are not signing up for more than you bargained for."

Text 8. First homerobot on sale

A Japanese company started selling a futuristic home robot on September 16. The meter-high humanoid may make housework a thing of the past – for the rich. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries put its internet-linked Wakamaru robot on sale at a price of $150,000. Just 100 of these home helps will initially be available. The robot is the idea of Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita. He said his creation was “designed in the shape of a human being so that it is not considered simply a machine” and that it has an “independent personality”.

The robot has an impressive number of features. It is capable of recognizing up to ten individuals by name and has a vocabulary of 10,000 words. It can also navigate its way around the house. The Wakamaru site explains three major functions that will help the lives of the robot’s users: It can live with the family and provide daily schedules; it can speak with the family and be a friend; and it has its own role of looking after the house when no one is home. However, the price needs to come down to make it affordable by all.