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Last week at The Fonecast: 21st May 2012

Mark

A different kind of share for Facebook CEO

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Mark Bridge writes:

What a week for Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Not content with transforming his company through its stock market flotation, he then went on to marry. What does this reveal?  Well, he’s clearly capable of multi-tasking and he’d rather wear a suit for social occasions than for work.

A few days before Friday’s share sales started, Facebook acquired the technical team behind Android photo-sharing application Lightbox. There’s no mention of costs but I doubt it came close to the staggering $1 billion paid for Instagram. Lightbox’s online service will close in mid-June.

It was also a good week for mobile payments (yet again, some might say) as iZettle announced the beta release of its mobile payment service in the UK. iPhone and iPad users can attach a plug-in chip-card reader that can turns their device into a credit card terminal.

The ever-increasing versatility of mobile phones was emphasised by new research that didn’t just show an increase in the number of smartphone users (and a boost in Android’s popularity) but an increase in the number of downloaded applications as well.

Meanwhile over in the world of business, research commissioned by BT showed that over 80% of IT managers thought a Bring Your Own Device policy gave businesses a competitive advantage. Perfect timing for Cortado to combine its cloud desktop app with mobile device management, I’d say – and for HTC to promote its business-focussed HTCpro service (even if getting hold of HTC phones isn’t so easy for some people).

Is all this the honest truth?  Well, it seems the easiest way to find out is to send a text message. A new study from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research has suggested that people are inclined to be more honest when they’re texting and also tend to give answers that are more precise. Mind you, it’ll probably be a while before SMS is used in every research situation.

yor honR, im tellin you, I wz not ther

Start your week with a reminder of the latest mobile headlines. Simply register at TheFonecast.com by clicking the link at the top right-hand corner of our home page and we’ll send you this weekly news summary by email.

The Fonecast is sponsored by 51Degrees.mobi. More details about advertising and sponsorship opportunities are available on the About us section of our website.

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Opinion Articles

ExclusiveLast week at The Fonecast: 26th November 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

It’s time to ‘ketchup’ with last week’s biggest mobile industry news stories - and where better to start than with HP’s claims of ‘saucy’ behaviour?  It’s launched an investigation into last year’s acquisition of UK company Autonomy, claiming the software company had ‘spiced up’ its valuation. Condiment-based puns aside, it’s a serious matter that could see key players from the deal charged with cooking the books.

ExclusiveOperation Mobile as military prepares to synchronise with smartphones

Kevin Deal, Vice President of Aerospace & Defence at IFS North America, writes:

It is difficult to believe that the idea of a hand-held mobile phone was an alien concept only a few short decades ago. From brick-sized analogue devices to wafer thin smartphones with processing capabilities comparable to those of laptops, new technology is constantly pushing the boundaries of what we can expect from our phones. And, in a reverse of the normal pattern of technology innovation, a development driven by consumers is set to have an important impact on aerospace and defence (A&D).

ExclusiveLast week at The Fonecast: 19th November 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

The last few days have been particularly busy for UK telecoms regulator Ofcom. It started the week by announcing its rules for next year’s UK 4G mobile spectrum auction – expect services to go live in around six months – and it ended the week with plans to avoid a 5G capacity crunch.

ExclusiveConsumer privacy, opt-in marketing and the future of mobile

Mark Bridge writes:

Today’s consumers receive a seemingly never-ending stream of online information from their social networks, from websites, in their email and on their mobile devices. But is there a way to let individuals stay in control whilst also helping companies advertise their products?  According to nFluence Media, there definitely is.

To find out more, I spoke to Henry Lawson, co-founder and CEO of nFluence, and started by asking him to explain exactly what nFluence did.

ExclusiveDoro aims at the sweet spot for easy-to-use mobile phones

Mark Bridge writes:

Here’s a statement that’ll come as no surprise to anyone who works in the UK mobile industry.

For many people, their mobile phone isn’t just a communication device. It’s a personal statement.

Of course it is. Why else can you buy a gold-plated iPhone, a diamante-encrusted Blackberry or a Samsung Galaxy SIII in colours “inspired by the Earth’s richest materials”?

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