Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

o2 gets Palm Pre for Christmas in the UK

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Poor old Orange. They didn’t get the Palm Pre. And I think they really could have done with it. Neither did Vodafone but it’s not as if they need it, do they?

o2 — usually connected with the iPhone when you’re talking about the UK, is now set to become the official Palm Pre exclusive operator, reports New Media Age.

But not until Christmas.

Even though the Pre is due to hit the United States in 14 days, the British Pre fans are going to have to wait another 6 months. Sorry.

What an arse? ;-)
The solution? Fly to San Francisco and pick one up… if you’ve got a spare few thousand dollars.

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Originally published on Mobile Developer TV and automatically republished here on Mobile Industry Review. View the original post.

Jonathan Jensen on Thursday – Did you get an iPod Touch for Christmas?

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

29-12-2008-11-33-28The days around Christmas and New Year do tend to be a bit of a blur but I am publishing early this week deliberately!

Whilst it may no longer be the latest gadget the 2nd Generation iPod Touch is still probably (in my view) the best standalone music player out there. I say this in part because it does so much more than just play music and of course gives you access to the App Store where you can find a wealth of free and inexpensive apps to download to your Touch.

When Truphone announced recently that they now support the 2nd Generation iPod Touch, it got me thinking about the significance of using WiFi in the Touch to turn the device into a phone. It struck me as a hugely innovative way to take advantage of the App Store and extend Truphone’s reach into the consumer space.

To start using Truphone on the Touch all you need to buy is a microphone adaptor, as the software is a free download from the App Store. You don’t even need to buy an expensive Apple accessory to get a microphone, as Truphone has produced their own Truphone branded microphone adaptor which will shortly be available in the shops. What is neat about the Truphone microphone adaptor is that you continue to use your existing iPod headphones (or any other headphones you choose) by plugging them into the microphone adaptor and the microphone adaptor into the Touch. Calls to other Truphone users are free which is surely an incentive to get your friends with Truphone compatible devices to also sign up. Plus you can of course make cheap calls to the usual worldwide destinations by adding credit to your account.

If you’ve got an iPod Touch, the chances are you also have a mobile, so what’s the point of using Truphone on your iPod Touch? Truphone on the Touch is not a replacement for your existing mobile. For a start, you can’t yet receive calls. However, it’s a great way to make cheap international calls which your mobile operator would charge you a fortune for. Plus, it will shortly support instant messaging across Live Messenger, Yahoo and Google Talk. Skype connectivity is also on the way. Suddenly Truphone on the Touch starts to become a complementary communications tool to your existing mobile phone.

Something else that struck me about this development is that the microphone adaptor is the first piece of Truphone ‘hardware’ to appear instore and this will put the Truphone brand in front of people who might otherwise never have seen it, creating a another route to market for Truphone.

Happy New Year!

Jonathan’s also at Sevendotzero.

RumourMill: iPhone Nano arrival gathers Christmas weight

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

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News has reached us from the phone accessory case maker XSKN’s website and via TrustedReviews the iPhone Nano could be a reality after all. As the well known company has started making and selling cases for that exact handset.

Since the beginning of time, well, the last few months really, rumour of a new Apple phone has come to light. In keeping with the existing iPod range, the Nano model being their smallest has been attached to this speculative concept.

Although to be entirely honest the Shuffle is the smallest, but who in their right mind would buy and use a screen-less key-less mobile. Hence, the Nano being the next obvious choice in the iPhone’s lineage naming.

XSKN a popular maker of cases for mobiles now has a range of cases especially designed to fit the iPhone Nano. A plethora of ‘masks’ can be seen on their site, all adding to the possibility of the new phone being just around the corner.

What adds even more weight to the expected news of the Nanos arrival is that you can already buy the cases, even before the phone has been official announced or even confirmed by Apple.

With Mac World being only a few weeks away, the likelihood of the handset being unveiled seems a distinct possibility after all. And with 17 different styles of the casing’s finishes to choose from, you’ll be hard pushed not to believe the phone will be here soon.

Either way they could just be hedging their bets here, or they know something that we don’t know we should know but have known about the knowing all along.

Happy Christmas

Thursday, December 25th, 2008

Happy Christmas and Season’s Greetings from us all here at Mobile Industry Review.

I trust Santa was good to you and that the package you have been eyeing under the Christmas tree for the last 10 days or so — the one that looked suspiciously like a well wrapped mobile phone box — really is a pre-release exclusive Nokia N97.

(Photos please…)

Jonathan Jensen on Thursday – My Christmas wishes

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

No it’s not Christmas Day! You’re not dreaming! This week I’m publishing two days early to catch you all before you head off to enjoy the festivities. Christmas is a time for wishes (or so my children tell me) so I thought I’d share my mobile wishes with you (mobile wishes – that sounds a bit sad doesn’t it?). Anyway here goes.

  • I wish for truly ubiquitous wireless coverage so whatever mobile device I switch on, wherever I switch it on, it will just work. Having no signal will seem as strange as having just one phone in the house fixed to the hall wall.
  • I wish for simplicity, certainty and predictability from mobile tariffs and bills. Those bills where you bust your text bundle or forgot you were roaming when you decided to download the Friends rerun will seem as anachronistic as booking a call to the USA via the operator and then taking out a second mortgage to pay for it.
  • I wish for a redefinition of the term ‘customer service’ to mean an organisation that (a) understands the term ‘customer’ and (b) understands the term ‘service’. According to Wikipedia, “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation.” Some mistake, surely?
  • Finally, I wish for peace and goodwill to all men; yes, even the mobile operators!

Now – time to wake up – it’ll never happen … Or will it?

Thank you all for reading my Thursday slot on Mobile Industry Review. I’ve enjoyed writing it and hope you’ve found it informative and at times entertaining. I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2009 – a long shot that one, I know, but we can dream …

Depending on Santa’s generosity – i.e. will he be putting something mobile in my stocking; I may or may not be back next week. If not I’ll be back in the New Year. Now shut down your PC and go join your friends and family!

Jonathan’s also at Sevendotzero.

Two Weeks and Nothing?

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

I’ve been away for a week (because I moved house); and it’s all been a bit hectic! Unfortunately I didn’t have the internet for about two weeks, and thus I’ve been cut out of the online world of MIR.

So when I got my connection back some time late last week, I was mildly hoping to see something massively interesting to inspire me to write about; some major piece of news – I mean it’s nearly Christmas after all – or just something that might catch my eye.

Now even on my trawl across the internet in search of mobile news, and the latest goings-on in this brilliant segment of society and business I was expecting something.

Did I?
No.

Am I happy?
No.

You see, even I, a relatively technological “young” person/student, who has a keen interest in the world around me, and with Christmas looming just around the corner, just something eh?

Well, apparently not.

Now maybe some good news, and/or surprises are waiting around the corner for the New Year; or maybe something spectacular will happen in the after-Christmas sales. Needless to say though, I was expecting some major news about something; a big price cut, or some other form of attempt to gain more consumer interest in this very dismal financial situation.

I know I’ve said numerous times now about the lack of real spark at the moment, and the generally poor attempts at gaining custom; and although nothing major, I’m quite amazed at how little I’ve read about anything enticing me – as a probable and likely customer – to go and spend money.

Maybe I’m wrong in my presumptions that the mobile market is avoiding the “Credit Crunch” and that when I walked down my high street the other day, Phones4U, CPW, O2, Three, and the numerous other shops which hoard the high street were meant to be relatively empty on a busy Thursday leading up to Christmas?

Hmm…

Well, I’ll try not to be so pessimistic, and I will believe that someone somewhere is planning something out to ensure that the mobile industry remains in-tact.

Got anything we can put into our Christmas Presents draw?

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Ben has been working tirelessly on the MIR Christmas Presents campaign over the past weeks. He raised the concept a few months ago and asked if the rest of the team thought it would be a good idea. We all agreed.

The two charities we are supporting are UK-based Childline and the international United Nations Foundation — both focusing on the health and welfare of children.

As of this morning we’re up to £1,100 in donations. James Whatley was particularly effective recently at Mobile Geeks of London, when he stood on a stool and demanded everyone in the room donate a fiver. Nice one James.

It’s not all about charity though. Oh no. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we’ve got a raft of prizes that you could win — it’s a charity draw you see. Every £5 or $10 that you donate gets you one ‘chance’ to win.

The prize rack is looking pretty nifty at the moment:

# A Dell Mini Inspiron with 3G broadband from Vodafone
# An Apricot Picobook Pro Netbook
# Sony Ericsson C902 Titanium – O2 ‘Quantum Solace’ Special Edition
# 3 Skypephone S2
# 2 x Nokia 6650 – T-Mobile exclusive
# Sony Ericsson W595 – Three exclusive
# Jabra BT8030 bluetooth headset / speaker combo
# Jabra BT2050 mini bluetooth headset
# SuperTooth Voice In-Car bluetooth speaker
# 5 x Free Spinvox accounts

If you’ve got a product or service that you’d like to donate, drop Ben Smith a note and we’ll put it up. But please be quick! The draw is this Wednesday.

Finally, if you’ve had a pretty good year of it — despite the credit crunch joy that’s been surrounding the financial markets in recent months — think about the children. To put our £1,100 in context — just over half of this, roughly £600 — is enough to deliver 60 one-to-one counseling sessions for children distressed by abuse who are asking for help for the first time.

It’s really easy to donate. Click on the relevant link at the page below. Donate a bit of cash. Forward the email receipt to Ben and that gets you entered.

Make a donation here.

“Mobile-Crushes” – They end now!

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

Now I know I’ve said it a couple of times in the past few months, but I’m looking for a new phone. The reason I haven’t yet bought one isn’t because I can’t be bothered to purchase one, or because I can’t afford one; in fact I’m more than happy to now pay a little bit more for a mobile than I previously would. The problem is I haven’t yet found anything… Well until the other day.

My Mum gets Carphone Warehouse letters in the post; and the other day I arrived home from School, seeking out any interesting post for myself, when I came across a little Christmas brochure. I expected to see the usual mix of non-interesting and far-fetched mobiles, which have very limited appeal to someone who is as indecisive as I.

Then I came across the LG Cookie.

I’m not an LG fan by any means, yes their phones are nice, and I have to say although I appreciate the minor attempts at creativity with their naming processes; previous experiences of LG’s have taught me that they’re not my cup of tea. Should I mention I’m not a fan of their interfaces, or just generally how they work and feel?

However, the Cookie did catch my eye! It looks nice, it’ll be a new experience, it’s a touch-screen (another learning curve), and also the ability to use an on screen QWERTY keyboard, and importantly its price.

I don’t know what to do.

Now this could just be a sporadic urge to go and spend money, and get something just because I’ve seen it, and I like the price; but then I think… LG. An interface I know I won’t like, and will struggle to get grips with, and I fear I’ll see all the flaws in my purchase just after I’ve broken that “unbreakable seal” on the box.

It’s hopeless! I do this with every wonderful find I come across, and I deliberate an item and a possible purchase so much that it either becomes outdated and therefore useless, or I decide I don’t like it although secretly still wanting it, or I’ll find something else to admire and want.

I know for one, I can’t be the only person who does this; and I know for one that it’s probably a good safety precaution my mind has implemented to stop such impulse buying – a trait I really try to avoid at all costs.

Now I wonder, why is it I find mobiles such as the Cookie, and previously before it the LG KS360 before that, and there was also a Sony mobile before that too; why is it I loose interest, and forget about it, and then find some other mobile-crush?

Could it just be that no matter how lovely one major aspect or feature of a phone is say, it’s price, a new built in gadget or a sleek, slender design; it really isn’t enough to make a mobile good, or at-least good enough to buy.

What I’m beginning to see is that mobiles tend to be about one major factor, be it its connectivity, a particular design focus, a built in application, the camera, the media, the price, or its “technological achievements”.  I don’t want just one particularly above average feature as reason to invest in a mobile; I want a device that has equally good features which aren’t just surfing above the acceptable quality in phone.

So my next mobile-crush won’t be on a weak whim, a spur-of-the moment encounter, it’ll be something which offers more than one better than alright feature, and something I won’t fall out of love with.

Feel free to e-mail me anything at Samantha@mobileindustryreview.com


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