Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Monday, July 9, 2012

Last week at The Fonecast: 9th July 2012

MeeGo... and me come back again

Mark Bridge writes:

It was a good week for technology stories hitting the mainstream news, thanks to the apparent appearance of a Higgs boson, Sir Alan Sugar’s YouView online TV service and football goal-line technology.

Mobile-related news hasn’t been quite so big, although plenty of well-known names have turned up in the headlines. What’s also been turning up – rather more than usual – is the presence of WiFi.

It all started when communications infrastructure company Arqiva agreed to acquire Spectrum Interactive, the biggest WiFi hotspot provider you’ve never heard of. Spectrum provides WiFi services in more than 2,000 UK locations on a wholesale basis, which means the venue owner usually puts their name on the hotspot.

Next, a new report revealed the UK had broadband wireless services on more trains than any other European country. Right on time, Nomad Digital announced its plans to equip Northern Ireland’s trains with free WiFi – and it was followed by London’s eco-friendly minicab company greentomatocars offering free in-car WiFi.

You could argue that traditional mobile networks could be feeling a bit threatened by all this... but you could also argue that the traditional mobile network is adapting. Telefonica’s had a particularly busy week, expanding its mobile commerce deal with Visa Europe, signing billing agreements with some of the internet’s biggest players and adding an online sports club to its O2 UK loyalty scheme.

Telefonica was also in on Mozilla’s big announcement, which was that the ‘Firefox’ brand will be used for its forthcoming HTML5-based mobile operating system. Expect the first Alcatel and ZTE Firefox-powered smartphones to arrive on Telefonica’s Vivo network in Brazil next year

Talking of networks, there’s yet another in the UK. This one’s called Samba Mobile and is an ad-funded data-only MVNO. Consumers watch video ads to ‘top up’ their account with free credit – which is certainly one way to avoid ending up on the wrong tariff.

And along with a new virtual network, the world saw a new smartphone company. Jolla is based in Finland, from where it’s planning to adapt the MeeGo platform for a new device that’ll be released later this year.

However, not every bright idea involving a smartphone ends well – which is why I’m concluding this week’s newsletter with a warning. In fact, a double warning. Don’t try to dry a mobile phone in the microwave. And don’t try to cover up the fact you’ve tried to dry a mobile phone in the microwave.

Last month it was reported that a Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphone had apparently suffered a small explosion. After plenty of online speculation and an independent report, it now looks very much as though the damage was caused by one of the customer’s mates trying to cure some water damage.

Oops.

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.
Print
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Opinion Articles

The art of accessory sales is changing

Mark Bridge writes:

We're told it's not merely 'sales'. No, it's an art. "The art of selling". And with over 4 million hits on Google, you could easily argue that the art of selling is more popular than painting.

The same goes for the two sub-categories of cross-selling and up-selling. They're arts as well, you know. Mystic and creative disciplines...

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Secure mobile phone calls explained

The security of 3G and GSM mobile phone calls has been questioned recently. Mark Bridge spoke to Dr Simon Bransfield-Garth, Chief Executive of Cellcrypt, at Mobile World Congress to find out how real the problems are. The interview was included in our podcast on 19th February 2010; here's an edited transcript of the interview:

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

‘The App is Dead. Long Live the App’ at Mobile World Congress

James Rosewell writes:

Apps (defined as games, information services, social networking video and web content among other things) dominated MWC10 with debate focused on the provision of radio network capacity to support them, the technologies used to create them and the methods for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to monetise them. Given the fragmentation in technology and the investment needed from MNOs to provide capacity coupled with a lack of reward for MNOs, we would be forgiven for thinking the App as we know it is not long for this world. However new technologies offering broader platform support, plus smart network investment coupled with new business models, mean the App will evolve and come of age ready for 2011.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Windows Phone 7 Series at Mobile World Congress

Mark Bridge writes:

We queued in the rain outside the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza hotel. We sat on the floor in a basement room. And we watched on TV as Steve Ballmer announced Windows Phone 7 Series.

The life of a reporter is not a glamorous one.

Author: The Fonecast
1 Comments
Article rating: No rating

HTC Smart could start a smartphone price war

Mark Bridge writes:

I’ve previously talked about a report from 2009 which warned how touch-screen phones that weren’t true smartphones were pushing down ARPU. Consumers thought they were buying something that was relatively advanced but were being seduced by form over function.

This week HTC stepped in to the arena with the HTC Smart, described by HTC's Peter Chou as "a more-affordable smartphone". Although it may not fit everyone’s definition of a smartphone, it certainly ticks most of the boxes. It has an open operating system, Qualcomm’s Brew platform, which has over 18,000 available applications and has been installed on over 1200 handset models worldwide.

Author: The Fonecast
1 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First99100101102104106107108Last

Recent Podcasts

Reviewing our 2015 mobile industry predictions... and looking forward to 2016

Podcast - 15th January 2016

Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge return to review their mobile industry predictions from last year. Which mergers, partnerships and developments did they forecast correctly... and which didn’t work out as planned?

Later in the programme, the team anticipates some of the topics that will be hitting the headlines during 2016.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast from Mobile World Congress 2015

Podcast - 6th March 2015

Mark Bridge learns about the mobile technology trends at Mobile World Congress 2015 by chatting to James Rosewell of 51Degrees, Dr Kevin Curran from the IEEE and Chris Millington of Doro.

They talk about wearable devices, wireless charging, mobile operating systems and much more... including some of their favourite products from the exhibition.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Looking back at February: from security scares to multiple MVNOs

Podcast - 27th February 2015

We're taking a look back at the biggest mobile industry news stories from February 2015, including allegations that the UK's security service tried to breach SIM card security by hacking into one of the world's biggest SIM producers.

We also talk about the planned BT and EE merger, the creation of two new UK virtual networks, some acquisitions in the mobile payment arena and a new Ubuntu smartphone.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Interview with Chris Millington of Doro about mobile retailing, wearables and technology for older consumers

Podcast - 24th February 2015

In today's programme Mark Bridge talks to Chris Millington, who's Managing Director for Doro UK and Ireland.

They discuss the state of mobile retailing in the UK, the future of wearable devices and - as you might expect - smartphones for seniors.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

A month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

Podcast - 30th January 2015

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
12345678910Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«June 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
272829303112
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
1234567

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement