Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Monday, December 16, 2013

Last week at The Fonecast: 16th December 2013

A Happy Tranquil Christmas for HTC?

Mark Bridge writes:

HTC experienced a bit of Christmas cheer last week when the threat of a sales injunction against the HTC One mini smartphone and a number of other devices was lifted. Nokia had previously won a patent-related court case against HTC but it seems that a sales ban was deemed too harsh a penalty.

Things didn’t run quite so smoothly for Sony Mobile, which had a complaint against it upheld by the ASA. Referring to the phone’s “exquisite aluminium frame” didn’t go down too well because the frame was actually a combination of aluminium and plastic... and you couldn’t see the metal anyway.

And while we’re talking about complaints, Ofcom has published the latest of its quarterly reports about mobile, fixed-line and broadband companies. T-Mobile generated the highest proportion of ‘pay monthly’ mobile phone complaints to Ofcom, while O2 was - once again - teacher’s pet.

But that wasn’t the only news from Ofcom; the regulator seems to have been particularly busy this month. It’s published new research that shows UK consumers are benefiting from lower-priced communications services than people in much of Europe and the USA - and it’s also planning to simplify charges for calling numbers that start 08, 09 and 118.

Finally, some app news - giving us an opportunity to use the inevitable “appy Christmas” pun. Music service Spotify fought back against its competitors last week by bringing free ad-supported streaming to mobile devices, while Facebook-owned picture sharing app Instagram launched a photo and video message feature to challenge Twitter - or maybe BBM. Could messaging become a battleground for 2014?

Well, that’s the kind of thought we’ll be entertaining on Wednesday when we present our final podcast of the year. Listen to our mobile industry predictions for 2014 - and enjoy a spot of time travel as we revisit our thoughts from Christmas 2012!

On Monday mornings we summarise the past week’s mobile industry headlines in a newsletter that’s very much like this article. 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.

Planning a visit to Mobile World Congress next year?  Sponsoring one of our special podcasts from Barcelona is a great way of getting heard by the people who matter. It’s the proven power of radio but at an affordable price. Click here for more details - or just drop us a line.
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

Last week at The Fonecast: 26th September 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

Welcome to a summary of last week’s mobile industry news from TheFonecast.com.

The biggest mobile-flavoured story from the past seven days was probably HP’s replacement of its president and CEO. Léo Apotheker is out after less than a year, replaced by former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. It’s not likely to affect the company’s plans for webOS tablets and phones… but it’ll be interesting to see what Ms Whitman does next.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Don't worry about Facebook Timeline... worry about your data, wherever it is

Mark Bridge writes:

I’m glad I don't work for Facebook. One minute everyone loves you, the next minute they hate you. Multiply that by the 500 million people now using Facebook every day and I’d be pretty insecure.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Not all mystery shopping is a complete mystery

Mark Bridge writes:

If you’ve worked in retail, you’re probably aware of the ‘mystery shopper’. This is someone who appears to be a regular consumer but is actually reviewing your performance. Perhaps they’re working for your employer, maybe they’re conducting an independent survey, they may even be reporting for a magazine or newspaper. But they’re about as welcome as a knock on the front door when you’re at home in the shower.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Only 17 per cent of advertisers have a mobile-optimised site

Google UK head of mobile advertising, Simon Morgan, considers the most significant developments in the field of m-commerce and crunches the mobile numbers.

Over the past year we've seen smartphones overtake PC sales for the first time. The number of people on the mobile web globally has doubled, reaching one billion and in the UK there are now 20 million mobile internet users. If we think of search as being a barometer of consumer interest, in just 12 months there has been a huge shift.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Geography meets Social Media on 'Geosocial' sites

Ted Landphair of voanews.com writes:

There’s a well-worn phrase in real estate: “location, location, location,” meaning that where a property is located, alone, means more than anything else when it comes to assessing its value.

But ‘location’ is getting new meanings in these days of smartphones and other hand-held devices.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First5960616264666768Last

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

«November 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
28293031123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
2526272829301
2345678

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement