Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Monday, August 9, 2010

Carnival of the Mobilists #234

Mark Bridge writes:

Welcome to TheFonecast.com for this week’s Carnival of the Mobilists, an itinerant online publication that contains the best mobile-focussed writing from the previous seven days.

The summer holidays may have reduced the quantity of online commentary for Carnival #234... but the quality remains unaffected.

Let’s start with my ‘Post of the Week’, written by Steven Hoober from Little Springs Design. He looks at the design of battery indicators on portable devices and explains why many are over-engineered. Such a tiny thing – yet so many ways to get it wrong!

Talking of batteries, Antoine RJ Wright has been asking what needs to happen before we all ditch our computers for mobile phones. Perhaps unsurprisingly, better battery life is at the top of the list.

Mobile technology’s been in the mainstream press too, with the security of BlackBerry devices being scrutinised by individuals and governments. C Enrique Ortiz has been taking a look at the implications of a BlackBerry ban in certain countries.

Ajit Jaokar has written an article about using wireless sensors in conjunction with Twitter and WordPress. The technology can be used to automatically post online updates in the event of a forest fire. Very clever.

And Judy Breck at Smart Mobs suggests we take app store growth predictions with a pinch of salt.

Time to take a break from all that reading. Peggy at MSearchGroove has produced a podcast that investigates how small businesses can benefit from mobile marketing – and why mobile marketing is a particularly good fit for small businesses. Given that the smallest businesses often have particularly good relationships with their customers, a permission-based mobile campaign can make a lot of sense.

I’ll conclude my list of entries with a recent post of ours about smart meters. It’s what would probably be called “Smart Meters 101” in the USA… but as we’re not there, we’ve called it “Everything you need to know about smart metering in the UK”. There's the choice of a podcast or a transcript depending on your preference.

You may have spotted a gap in the hosting schedule for Carnival of the Mobilists next week, which means there’s an opportunity for you (yes, you!) to step into the breach. Whether you’re a potential first-time host or a regular at CotM, have a word with Peggy Anne Salz and book yourself a place in history.

Well, that’s all from me. Thanks for calling into The Fonecast to read this week’s Carnival of the Mobilists. We at TheFonecast.com produce a free podcast for the UK mobile phone industry every week; you can find it on iTunes, you can pick it up from our RSS feed and you can listen or download from TheFonecast.com.

You can also follow us on your mobile phone; visit http://thefonecast.com and you’ll discover our sparkling new mobile website. Alternatively, text the word FONE to 07781482797 from your mobile phone and we'll send you a link by SMS. (Standard operator text and data charges apply).

Carnival of the Mobilists

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

giffgaff has an official voice worth listening to

Mark Bridge writes:

Yesterday I spotted a new blog page from O2-supported MVNO giffgaff. The company’s head of digital marketing Rob Gotlieb announced the finished version of a promotional film – and mentioned the official voice of giffgaff, voiceover artist Tom Oldham (who, interestingly, was also the voice on Vodafone ads at one point). And for a moment I thought “Official voice?  You what?”

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Mobiles go meddling in medicine

Mark Bridge writes:

“Okay, Mr Bridge, just relax. This won’t hurt a bit. I just need to… oh, hold on a moment, my phone’s crashed. I’ll just pop the battery out and we can start again.”

Some years ago I read an article in Fast Company magazine. Entitled “They Write the Right Stuff”, it explained how NASA’s software engineers couldn’t afford to make errors because any mistakes were likely to kill their colleagues.

That need to check, double-check and then check again was also one of the reasons the space agency ended up looking on eBay for tried-and-tested obsolete components. But now things seem to be swinging towards the opposite end of the scale.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

I want a mobile wallet - and I want it NOW!

Mark Bridge writes:

A few months ago James wrote about the slow adoption of mobile and contactless payments in the UK. Now we hear that Kenya’s M-PESA mobile money transfer service has arrived here. Yes, m-payments are finally going mainstream in the United Kingdom. Well, sort of. Well, alright, not at all really. What’s happened is that people in the UK are now able to send money to M-PESA users in Kenya. But what about the progress of mobile payments in the UK?

Author: The Fonecast
1 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Which mobile operating system will top the charts at Christmas?

James Rosewell writes:

It seems to be accepted that the Apple iPhone will be the top selling mobile phone this Christmas now it’s available on almost every UK network. The more interesting question is which handsets will hold the number 2 to 5 positions - and what operating system will they be running when the smartphone scores are announced in the new year?

Microsoft announced Windows Phone last week and I commented on the importance of persuading their heartland fans to move from iPhone and other platforms to Windows Phone. Disappointingly, finding a mobile retailer willing to sell a Windows Phone is not easy at the moment. Orange tell me they’ve withdrawn the one model they were going to offer from Toshiba. Vodafone didn’t even know what a Windows Phone was.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Life is toooo complicated!

Iain Graham writes:

I have just bought (well, been given) a new mobile phone!  It, of course, cost me nothing, because we still haven't learnt in this industry, but it came with the now obligatory, shrink-wrapped, 140-page instruction manual on how to use it!!  A perfect cure for insomnia!  I read the opening page or two and it might as well have been written in Serbo-Croatian for all the sense it made to me!!  (I then realised it WAS written in Serbo-Croatian and so I turned to the correct language section) and it was just as incomprehensible!

Even worse, the manufacturers (who are too tight to pay for the printing in the name of 'going green') put the instruction manual on a CD!!

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First106107108109111113114115Last

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

«December 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
2526272829301
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
303112345

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement