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Monday, May 21, 2012

Last week at The Fonecast: 21st May 2012

A different kind of share for Facebook CEO

Mark Bridge writes:

What a week for Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Not content with transforming his company through its stock market flotation, he then went on to marry. What does this reveal?  Well, he’s clearly capable of multi-tasking and he’d rather wear a suit for social occasions than for work.

A few days before Friday’s share sales started, Facebook acquired the technical team behind Android photo-sharing application Lightbox. There’s no mention of costs but I doubt it came close to the staggering $1 billion paid for Instagram. Lightbox’s online service will close in mid-June.

It was also a good week for mobile payments (yet again, some might say) as iZettle announced the beta release of its mobile payment service in the UK. iPhone and iPad users can attach a plug-in chip-card reader that can turns their device into a credit card terminal.

The ever-increasing versatility of mobile phones was emphasised by new research that didn’t just show an increase in the number of smartphone users (and a boost in Android’s popularity) but an increase in the number of downloaded applications as well.

Meanwhile over in the world of business, research commissioned by BT showed that over 80% of IT managers thought a Bring Your Own Device policy gave businesses a competitive advantage. Perfect timing for Cortado to combine its cloud desktop app with mobile device management, I’d say – and for HTC to promote its business-focussed HTCpro service (even if getting hold of HTC phones isn’t so easy for some people).

Is all this the honest truth?  Well, it seems the easiest way to find out is to send a text message. A new study from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research has suggested that people are inclined to be more honest when they’re texting and also tend to give answers that are more precise. Mind you, it’ll probably be a while before SMS is used in every research situation.

yor honR, im tellin you, I wz not ther

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.
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Opinion Articles

Beer o’clock

Beer o’clock

at Mobile World Congress 2014

James Rosewell writes:

I noticed a new phenomenon at Mobile World Congress this year: Beer O’Clock. Come 5pm Monday through Wednesday, companies with larger booths would break out the Cerveza, Vino, Cava and a small number of Orange juices. All very sociable and fun… until the music started.

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Last week at The Fonecast: 3rd March 2014

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Mark Bridge writes:

So, that’s another Mobile World Congress in the bag. Yes, it was bigger than ever. Just like last year. Just like the year before, too.

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IBM, smartphones and a graffiti wall: what's the real message?

Mark Bridge writes:

I was ready to poke fun at IBM for its sponsored graffiti wall at Mobile World Congress this year. Graffiti and IBM don't have a comfortable history, as anyone who remembers the Linux campaign from 2001 will tell you.

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Last week at The Fonecast: 24th February 2014

Are you ready?

Mark Bridge writes:

Some companies have saved their big announcements for the week of Mobile World Congress. Samsung and Nokia, for example. Others have issued a press release in advance.

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When customer service stops working: a complaint about Vodafone

Iain Graham writes:

Vodafone’s admission last week that ‘some customers’ may have been experiencing issues with mobile services came three weeks late for me. I’ve been having my own ongoing battle with the network since the beginning of the month.

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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.

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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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