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Monday, January 7, 2013

TheFonecast.com newsletter: 7th January 2013

Time to catch up with everything mobile

Mark Bridge writes:

Happy New Year!  It’s been three weeks since our last newsletter and a fortnight since our podcast of mobile predictions for 2013, so there’s plenty to catch up with.

Although we took a bit of a break for Christmas, telecoms regulator Ofcom was especially busy. Not only did it reveal the bidders in the UK’s 4G spectrum auction, it also published its latest mobile phone complaints research – once again, O2 is causing the least trouble – and launched a consultation about protecting consumers from price rises during fixed-term contracts. That’s a particularly touchy subject for Three UK following a recent ASA adjudication.

When it comes to innovation, we heard that the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system was heading to smartphones, Toyota was planning built-in Qi wireless charging for one of its cars and free WiFi was coming to Scottish train journeys.

RIM settled its patent disagreement with Nokia but revealed a drop in quarterly revenue and profit, Google arranged to sell the non-mobile Motorola Home business, Telefónica said it had chosen Nokia Siemens Networks for O2’s 4G rollout in the UK, Kodak sold its digital imaging patent portfolio to a collection of tech giants, US mobile operator Sprint agreed to acquire broadband provider Clearwire and René Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, announced his retirement plans.

We learned that SMS and WiFi had both been in demand over the festive period, that over 100 million 4G LTE mobile devices were shipped worldwide last year and that more than a billion new smartphones and tablets had cameras in 2012.

Phew. For a holiday period, things have been pretty busy in the mobile industry. And there’s more to come. The consumer electronics CES show opens in Las Vegas tomorrow… and we’re already preparing for Mobile World Congress in February. The next few weeks will be very busy indeed – but stay tuned to our free podcasts every week and you’ll always keep up-to-date!

Every Monday morning we summarise the past week’s mobile industry headlines in our newsletter. To receive it, simply register your email address at TheFonecast.com by clicking the link at the top right-hand corner of our home page.
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Opinion Articles

SpinVox visit offers a few clues about the technology

Mark Bridge writes:

So, dear reader, let’s start at the beginning. Once upon a time, a mere five years ago, there was SpinVox. A company created with help from entrepreneur Christina Domecq – whose surname offers a clue to her family’s background – and Daniel Doulton, the man behind the Psion series 5. (Sherry and portable computers; two of my favourite products. But I digress).

The company’s promise was simple: to turn voicemail messages into SMS text messages.

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That just about covers it

Mark Bridge writes:

In my last article I looked forward to a world of cyborgs… but feared that decent battery life could stifle my dreams. And this week I’m on a similar theme, despairing that the UK’s mobile coverage problems probably won’t be solved before the Silver Jubilee of Vodafone and Cellnet’s networks.

To illustrate my worries, let me tell you a story.

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What price for a hands-free conversation?

Iain Graham writes:

When you get up tomorrow morning and get in the car, why don't you screw up three £20 notes and lob 'em out of the window?!  Oh, and whilst you are at it, take out your driving licence, and put three points in the penalties column!!

Why would you do that, I hear you ask?

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The Singularity is… errm… on its way, I think

Mark Bridge writes:

I’m an optimist. I’m not quite sure why I’m wired that way but I’m perfectly happy with it. Much as you’d expect, I suppose. And although I tend not to tap-dance in the gutter when it’s raining, I firmly believe that life is like a musical.

That’s probably why I’m such a fan of what’s become known as ‘the Singularity’; a point when technology and evolution are expected to combine. As computers become smarter, so they’ll be able to build smarter computers themselves – and before you know it they’ll be repairing people and improving the design. If all goes well I’ll look like a combination of Robocop and Jude Law.

“Fascinating”, I hear you say. “Bring on the medical nanobots. But what’s all this got to do with mobile phones?”

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Web Browser vs. Application Stores

James Rosewell writes:

Anyone involved in the mobile industry will have hardly failed to notice the hype surrounding mobile application stores led by Apple. Application stores provide a really simple way for consumers to install applications on their mobile phones. They’re so simple I heard Iain Graham had used one the other week!

However they don’t solve the fundamental problem of handset compatibility.

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