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Thursday, April 22, 2010

The iPhone and its data are still uneasy bedfellows

Mark Bridge writes:

Being an optimistic cynic isn’t easy. But, hey, I do my best.

Which is why I smiled benignly when I heard this week that WiFi provider The Cloud was offering a free app to O2 iPhone users. It's a simple tool called FastConnect and it'll make it easy for those O2 customers to find free WiFi access via hotspots powered by (you guessed it!) The Cloud.

FastConnect's features include a directory and automatic connection to all The Cloud's WiFi hotspots.

Lovely.

Except... hang on a mo... O2 UK iPhone customers already get free WiFi from The Cloud. And the iPhone is famously easy to use. So why has The Cloud bothered to create this app?

Here's what Steve Nicholson, The Cloud's CEO, has to say.

“We strongly suspect only a fraction of O2 iPhone customers are aware of this free service and would consequently encourage them to download the app from the app store to get quick and free access to our network.”

A-ha. So most of O2's iPhone users – either through accident or design – don't care about their free WiFi. Yet they're still going online. And that means they're probably hammering O2's data service. Not a good thing, as O2 has already admitted.

Which brings me to today's puzzle. Now, you might think that each O2 customer who didn't use free WiFi was good news for The Cloud. Unused capacity is money saved, right?  Which would mean The Cloud had little incentive to encourage uptake of the free offer. Yet here's 'WiFi made simple', with CEO Steve promoting WiFi as “the only solution in delivering an acceptable service” for mobile video and even daring to knock his mobile network mates by suggesting “that traditional cellular networks will struggle to deliver acceptable quality”.

So... whose idea was this app?  O2, I'm just asking...

 

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Opinion Articles

Monitoring road quality with a standard smartphone and the Roadroid app

Resurfacing repairs required? There's an app...

Mark Bridge writes:

In the past five years, what started as an advertising message - “there’s an app for that” - has become a challenge to developers. It’s become part of 21st century culture. And it’s become an totem for journalists to pin their most outrageous app-based stories to.

Roadroid doesn’t need the attention-grabbing headlines.

Author: The Fonecast
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Product review: Nomad ChargeCard and Nomad ChargeKey

Connect and charge your smartphone on the move

Mark Bridge writes:

What would you say to a tiny little device that enabled you to recharge your smartphone almost anywhere, whenever you wanted?

This is pretty much what a US-based company called Nomad is promising. In fact, they sent me two of their latest products to try.

Author: The Fonecast
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Big announcements from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and LG

Podcast transcription - 4th June 2014

Mark Bridge writes:

Every week we produce a half-hour podcast that covers all the biggest news headlines for the UK mobile phone industry.

Thanks to a special offer from Scribie.com, we can also offer a transcription of last week’s programme.

Author: The Fonecast
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Last week at The Fonecast: 9th June 2014

Apple prepares for the future

Mark Bridge writes:

Apple kicked off its 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last week with an announcement about the forthcoming iOS 8 operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. There was some catching up, some innovation and a couple of new services designed to work with home automation and health/fitness devices. What’s Tim Cook’s plan? We’ll have to wait and see.

Author: The Fonecast
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Using Bitcoin on a mobile phone: it's much easier than I expected

Mark Bridge writes:

Bitcoin, as Wikipedia tells me, is a peer-to-peer payment system introduced as open-source software in 2009. It’s a ‘virtual currency’ that can be used for transferring money and for buying products or services, although only if your chosen retailer accepts Bitcoin.

Author: The Fonecast
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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
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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