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Monday, October 3, 2011

Last week at The Fonecast: 3rd October 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

It’s time for my summary of last week’s mobile industry news… and what a week it’s been. Not just for me – I made my first-ever visit to Over The Air on Friday – but for the world of mobile devices.

The big news came from Amazon, which introduced four new Kindle eBook readers. The really flashy one is the Kindle Fire, an Android-based WiFi tablet with a browser that relies heavily on information in the cloud. At the moment there’s no mention of the Kindle Fire reaching the UK, although that seems unlikely to remain the case throughout 2012.

Samsung revealed the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus, successor to its original 7-inch tablet, while Orange, NTT DOCOMO and Sharp announced a fascinating Android smartphone that promises an instant conversion of 2D content into 3D. This one is launching in France; no, still not the UK but at least it’s closer than the United States. Sadly, Nokia didn’t have good news last week – it looks as though around 3,500 more jobs are being cut.

There’s also been a lot happening with operating systems. Tizen promises to be the new MeeGo, according to The Linux Foundation. Let’s hope it has a longer, happier life. Samsung became the latest company to sign an Android-related patent licensing deal with Microsoft. And Windows Phone 7.5 ‘Mango’ began its worldwide roll-out.

Mobile money was another headline maker. Visa Europe prepared the ground for person-to-person payments and spending alerts. ABI Research optimistically predicted that NFC payments would become mass-market within five years. Payment processing provider WorldPay announced a partnership with The MoBank Group. Isis, the US-based mobile commerce venture announced last November, added HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson to its list of supporters. There was even news about mobile payment regulation, with PhonepayPlus promising to look at the problems of app-based mobile payments.

But – as far as the mainstream media is concerned – all this will pale into insignificance in less than 48 hours, when Apple announces something. Probably an iPhone 5, maybe an iPhone 4S, almost definitely without the presence of Steve Jobs. And it seems that something like two out of five mobile phone users plan to buy it. Which leaves me with a simple question. Is it you… or will it be me?

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Opinion Articles

Review: BeeWi BBS020 solar-powered hands-free Bluetooth car kit

Mark Bridge writes:

Persuading mobile phone users not to hold their phone when they’re driving should be a simple task. It’s dangerous, it’s against the law and the penalties include a fine plus points on your licence.

But even then, there’s often an excuse about convenience and usability. Some people don’t like wearing headsets, some don’t like wires and some simply forget to charge the batteries.

That’s why a new hands-free Bluetooth loudspeaker from French company BeeWi caught my eye.

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The simple case of the disguised iPhone 4

Mark Bridge writes:

I remember the launch of Carweek back in the 1990s. It was a motoring magazine produced as a weekly glossy newspaper; a novel format, although one that probably led to its demise. 'Spy shots' of prototype cars seemed then – as now – to be much sought-after, despite them often not showing much resemblance to the finished product. Indeed, I often wondered how you could possibly road-test the handling of a new car when it was covered with unflattering body parts that served to disguise its shape.

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Maria Sharapova and the 'geek porn' of unboxing

Mark Bridge writes:

'Unboxing' is - or was - the new geek porn. We know this because The Register told us so in 2006, when the practice of video recording the unpacking of new consumer electronics products started to become popular. Just over two years later The Independent tried to tell us that unboxing was still the new geek porn but, by then, conventional porn had probably returned to... er... pole position.

Why do I mention this?  Well, Sony Ericsson has just published its own unboxing video featuring tennis player, model, charity worker and Sony Ericsson brand ambassador Maria Sharapova.

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Scaremongering news stories? There's an app for that

Mark Bridge writes:

Here’s a news headline that caught my eye.

Shotgun certificate up for renewal?  There's an app for that

Or, if you prefer…

Police to allow gun users renew licences with iPhone app

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Mobile payments: solutions get dumber while cards get smarter?

Mark Bridge writes:

Last week I spotted a couple of mobile-related news stories that involved payment company MasterCard. One came from CPI Card Group, which had introduced a “next-generation, MasterCard-approved payment tag” (a.k.a. 'sticker') that enabled “any mobile device to be used to make payments anywhere using the worldwide contactless MasterCard PayPass standard” (by sticking it on the back).

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