Cheaper Mobile in France?

The founder of Free, the low-cost French Internet access company, is promising to bring down the price of cellphone service if he acquires a mobile license. Xavier Niel,(photo) who forced down the price of Internet access in France to one of the cheapest in Europe with a €29.99 ($44) triple-play (Internet, TV, phone) offer, has been negotiating with French authorities for the fourth mobile operator’s license. With 4 million subscribers, Free is the No.2 Internet service provider in France.

Niel, CEO of Free’s parent company, Illiad, says he could save the average French household €1000 annually in communications costs if he is granted the license to operate in France. Existing licenses are held by SFR, Orange (France Telecom) and Bouygues Telecom.

Apple Reprimanded on Ads

British regulators have slapped Apple for running misleading ads. The Advertising Standards Authority said claims that “all parts of the Internet are on the iPhone” in Apple ads are not true since the phone’s browser cannot handle Java or Flash, two technologies widely used on the Internet. Viewers complained that the phone could not handle many sites with animation and video content.

Apple has countered that the ads were intended to highlight the differences between the iPhone and other phones that can only display cut down versions of many web sites or sites chosen by the mobile operator.

Hunting Chinese Gymnasts

Internet hackers in China have joined those in the U.S. seeking evidence that several gold medal Chinese gymnasts were under age. The New York Times reports that tipsters in China have pointed American Internet investigators to documents that purport to show that He Kexin and several other Chinese gymnasts were under the minimum age of 16 when they won four gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Chinese officials have insisted all the gymnasts met the age requirements.

The search for the truth has turned into a battle between hackers and censors. As quickly as documents turn up indicating the gymnasts were under age, they disappear from official government Web sites. Blogger Mike Walker says he has found at least four official documents indicating that He Kexin was 14 years old. Since 1997, Olympic gymnasts must be at least 16 to participate in the games.