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Friday, March 4, 2011

This week at The Fonecast: 5th March 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

It’s hardly worth mentioning the new iPad, is it? Not because I’m unimpressed – although I’d describe it as more of an upgrade than a brand-new product – but because everyone else has been talking about it so much. And we’ll be doing some more talking in Wednesday’s podcast, so let’s move on!

Until the launch of iPad 2, the hot topic in the UK involved the disappearance of Vodafone’s network in the south of England. A very literal disappearance; equipment was stolen from the company’s Basingstoke exchange after it was ram-raided. Voice and text services were back online around 12 hours later, which – depending on your perspective – was either pretty impressive or disappointingly slow.

Other bad news this week came from the Android Market, where more than 50 applications were waiting to steal your personal data. They’ve all gone now, thanks to prompt action from Google – although, as many have pointed out, it’s unlikely this would have ever happened in the Apple App Store.

In cheerier news, mobile ticket technology company Masabi says the mobile rail ticket application it developed for thetrainline.com now works on most smartphones and feature phones. The next step is the creation of on-screen tickets… just as soon as rail operators start supporting this feature. It seems the ‘mobile wallet’ really is getting closer.

That’s certainly the impression James and I gained at Mobile World Congress last month. In this week’s podcast we talked about the mobile payment and m-commerce products that were on show – and there’s an interview with Mary Carol Harris of Visa Europe.

From mobile-connected credit cards to mobile-connected air conditioning. A partnership between Vodafone and Bosch plans to make it easier for companies to deploy M2M (or ‘machine-to-machine’ connections, for those who prefer real words). Apparently lifts, escalators and air-con units could soon come with their own SIM card.

Other partnerships in the news included Motorola Mobility investing in mobile game developer Moblyng, Facebook acquiring mobile messaging service Beluga, Nokia and the Vietnamese government, Opera and INQ – and Qualcomm and Gameloft.

But perhaps I’m wasting my time telling you all this. After all, it’s the National Day of Unplugging on Saturday. Haven’t you switched off yet?


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Opinion Articles

How the right mobile phone technology can turn anyone into a spy

Mark Bridge writes:

A few weeks ago I received a phone call out of the blue. It went something like this:
“I think my partner's cheating on me. How can I get into the GPS on his phone to find out where he is?”

I'm no secret agent. Nevertheless, it got me thinking.

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To SIM or not to SIM; that is the question

Mark Bridge writes:

The last couple of weeks have seen the ‘embedded SIM’ making headlines.

The term ‘embedded SIM’ has previously been used to describe non-phone equipment with a SIM card pre-installed in a built-in 3G modem. Technically the modem was embedded, not the SIM – but it looks as though genuinely embedded SIMs could be just around the corner.

Author: The Fonecast
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How we could use mobile technology to destroy personal privacy

Mark Bridge writes:

Head to any major city, look around and you’ll see tourists recording their visit. Some have digital cameras, some have phones and some are shooting video.

It’s the same kind of scene when you go to a concert. The performer on stage will be looking at a sea of blue faces, all illuminated by their smartphones. This, I reckon, could be the beginning of the end of privacy.

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What's the value of mHealth?

James Rosewell writes:

Any healthcare solution involving some component of mobile technology seems to come under the banner mHealth. A solution that captures information about diabetes sufferers' blood sugar levels via prompted text messages and relays this information to a physician would be considered mHealth. Providing feedback to the diabetes patient about a change in dosage following review by the physician makes the solution even better. Linking devices that automatically monitor blood sugar levels and dispense insulin involving a remote computer and physician to monitor the real-time situation moves the solution on a level still. All these examples show how mobile technology can be used to improve quality of life.

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How to mess up a customer relationship with SMS marketing

Mark Bridge writes:

Do you want to know how to foul up your customer relationships?  How to use mobile marketing to reduce customer loyalty?  Then gather around, dearly beloved, for I have a case study you're sure to appreciate.

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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

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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.

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Interview with Chris Millington of Doro about mobile retailing, wearables and technology for older consumers

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In today's programme Mark Bridge talks to Chris Millington, who's Managing Director for Doro UK and Ireland.

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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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