Monthly Archives: October 2011
The BlackBerry free app fiasco continues
Rating:Great PR disasters of our time No: 3
It looks like the RIM/BlackBerry Thank You gift programme is going to go down in the UK history books as a PR fiasco on par with Gerald Ratner calling his company’s jewellery “total crap” or Hoover’s free flight promotions promotion. The situation isn’t getting any better with GoMo News readers joining in the general rant of the wisdom of providing handset owners with free apps they don’t want in place of compensation for three days loss of email/internet usage. GoMo News continues to monitor the situation and is struck by the obvious lack of co-ordination behind the free apps campaign. Continue reading
MMA stresses global entries for forthcoming awards
Rating: “And the winner of the best in class is …”
Significantly, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is emphasizing its global reach with the announcement of the marketer and agency finalists for its 2011 Mobile Marketing awards for innovation, creativity and Leadership. There are entries in the running from South Africa, France and Hong Kong. The association claims that the finalists represent the best-of-the- best in mobile marketing from across the globe. The winners will be revealed at the forthcoming MMA Awards gala stage in Los Angeles, USA on November 17th [2011] which is held in conjunction with the MMA Forum Los Angeles Continue reading
Oracle report confirms demand for data and apps
Rating: Mobile users window shop online for handsets
A new report from Oracle confirms a handful of trends in the mobile/cellular sector which GoMo News has always highlighted. For example, the Oracle survey shows that data usage is increasing at a rapid pace as tablets, smartphones and apps saturate wireless space. More importantly, however, this report has attempted to quantify the fact that mobile users are consuming apps; shopping online; and that they still have absolutely no idea how safe information held in the mobile space actually is. Continue reading
Telegraph implies signal blocking will affect Olympics
Rating: Think laterally -more alternatives than swapping to O2
A report in the Daily Telegraph here has caused mayhem by implying that only 02 customers will be able to make and receive calls in the corporate entertainment areas of the forthcoming London Olympics. The report alleges that this is thanks to a deal struck between O2, BT and the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG). The really contentious part is where the story says, “A combination of an O2 sponsorship deal and signal-blocking technology could spell chaos for mobile phone users.” Continue reading
AppCircus London at TechHub on November 16th
[ November 16, 2011; ] AppCircus is coming to London on November 16th at TechHub, the community and workspace reflecting the vibrancy and global outlook of the technology scene in the Shoreditch/Old St area.
The AppCircus will gather London’s talented developers to showcase their apps in front of a jury of industry experts. The winner receives a nomination for the Mobile Premier Awards, to be held in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress 2012.
Don’t miss this opportunity to show the world about your new ideas. A professional jury and a vibrant audience will dedicate you their time to get to know your app, and that is priceless! This event is open and free to developers; start-ups and any other organization with apps on any platform, giving a great chance to present live their applications on stage.
RIM responds to app criticism
Rating: More free apps appear including Shazam
RIM – maker of the BlackBerry handset – seems to have responded to pressure from the media – including GoMo News, naturally – and has started making more of its ‘Thank you gift’ apps available. It’s gone from two to four in a very short space of time. We had already revealed that the EA game Bejeweled had been added yesterday [October 28th 2011]. Now Shazam Encore – the app which we were waiting for – has suddenly made an appearance. It seems that RIM has done all of this in haste, however. Continue reading
How to install Kindle on a UK TouchPad
Rating: Beating the non-US block on a webOS device
It’s just like Google’s Music beta service which the search engine company is determined to restrict to US citizens only. For some reason Amazon in its infinite wisdom has decided not to allow non-US citizens to use the Kindle app on webOS devices. This seems to be despite the fact that the iOS and Android versions of the Kindle app are global. So GoMo News had to search for a way to beat this blocker. And thanks to a posting on Amazon’s own Kindle forum here, we’ve discovered a solution. This solution will cover installing other webOS apps which for some reason aren’t available via the HP App Catalog. It assumes you’re using a Windows based PC to install apps onto a webOS device. Continue reading
IceWarp claims customerbase unaffected by RIM outage
Rating: Keep BlackBerries – lose RIM dependency
Whilst RIM has offered its enterprise customers one month of free technical support (see previous story here), IceWarp claims that its customers with BlackBerry devices were “largely unaffected” by the RIM outage. That’s because IceWarp’s software architecture enables users to bypass the RIM infrastructure and connect a BlackBerry device directly to a corporate email server. Like many of RIM’s competitors, IceWarp’s product uses SyncML or ActiveSync standards to ensure emails bypass RIM’s infrastructure. Alternative software vendors like IceWarp might prove the ideal solution for IT and network mangers who don’t want to abandon their BlackBerries – given that they are highly efficient email terminals. However, by adopting a solution like IceWarp means there’s no need to throw the BlackBerry out with the bath water. Continue reading
Nokia clinging to handset lead by fingertips
Rating: Another bad quarter & Samsung becomes No: 1
Good news for Nokia mobile phone aficionados is that the company didn’t do as badly in Q3 2011 as some might have feared. The bad news is that if these trends are repeated in Q4 2011, Nokia could easily be overtaken by Samsung. It all kind of hinges on how well consumers react to Nokia’s first Windows Mango (WP7.5) smartphones. Data from Strategy Analytics showed that Nokia share of the global handset market fell by five per cent from 32.3 per cent for Q3 2010 to 27.3 per cent in Q3 2011. By contrast, Samsung’s share rose to 22.6 per cent from 20.9 per cent. However, if Nokia drops another 5 per cent in Q4 2011, Samsung’s share would only have to stay steady (and not even benefit from Nokia’s decline) for it to become the world’s No: 1 vendor of mobile phones. Continue reading
Registration for MWC 2012 has now opened
Rating: Get in quick whilst there’s still flights
How time flies. The GSMA – which organises the world’s premier mobile event – the Mobile World Congress – has just announced that you can register today [October 28th 2011] for the forthcoming event which takes place between February 27th and March 1st 2012. Notice how attendees no longer have to grovel to their loved-ones because the show usually takes in February 14th. So we can all be with our partners on Valentine’s Day. Whilst you are registering, you might as well take advantage of the 20 per cent discount the GSMA has negotiated with the Star Alliance airlines. Where hotels are concerned the GSMA claims that its official accommodation agency – Barcelona Business Pass (BBP), has managed to free room prizes at 2011 rates in most instances. Amazingly, even the Press can reputedly apply to register now. Which is important because you’d want full access to MyMWC – the app which lets you organise your visit to the show. Continue reading
RIM continues to try users’ patience
Rating: Two weeks and only two crappy apps!
When RIM suffered its three day outage, RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, said, “We have apologised to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence.” This doesn’t seem to be working. He also said, “We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience.” Part of that gratitude was to offer RIM’s enterprise customers a month of free technical support. Details are available here. Consumers, on the other hand, were offered twelve free apps. RIM promised, “The complete selection of premium apps will become available to download at BlackBerry App World over a period of four weeks beginning Wednesday, October 19th [2011]. Ten days later and only two apps (one a game) have been made available. * (See update below). This has led to considerable discontent amongst BlackBerry owners. One GoMo News reader wrote here, “Two weeks and only two crappy apps! What a sincere apology, BB!” Here we explain how to get the free apps if your BlackBerry won’t show them. Continue reading
AppCarousel claims answer to app discovery
Rating: Questionmarks over OS support and billing
Ahead of its official launch at the Appsworld conference next week [November 2011], Wmode has released details of its AppCarousel offering. The idea is to draw attention away from apps themselves and put the focus firmly back on brands and content. Just to be trendy, too, the company says that social networking will also play a part in the discovery process. The only thing which worries GoMo News is the phrase – [apps] can be viewed on any smartphone, tablet, or desktop. It would be nice to have a list of mobile OS supported because AppCarousel uses “visually engaging 3D” to show off apps. We can think of plenty of ‘smartphones’ that will struggle to display a 3D carousel. Continue reading
Smartphone gamblers rise – bingo hall goers decline
Rating: UK government wants to regulate remote gambling
There’s been a significant rise in the number of UK citizens indulging in ‘remote gambling’ , according to recently released figures from the UK Gambling Commission (UGC). Remote gambling incorporates gambling carried out over web-enable mobile phone handsets as well as home computers. Consequently, as the number of smartphone users continues to explode, the UK Gambling Commission is warning that this fuel the prevalence of problem gamblers amongst Brits. The flip side is that while smartphone gamblers grow, the number of people going to physical gambling centres – like old-fashioned bingo halls, is declining. What’s worrying the British government is that these mobile phone gambling casinos are mostly based overseas – including Gibraltar, of course. So it is calling for suitable action to be taken as a result. Continue reading
@4G World – great panels and interviews from the show
Below we have some fabulous shows, panels and interviews with leaders in the 4G space live from 4G World in Chicago. These are a must for for any competitor in the space.
Please watch below for insights on Cisco, NFC, Yankee Group and more…
SugarSync tech is behind Orange’s le cloud pro service
Rating: Cloud based syncing available to 2.7 million French users
Cloud sync specialist, SugarSync, has just announced it has been selected by France Telecom-Orange to provide personal cloud services to Orange’s 2.7 million business customers in France. SugarSync’s technology will be integrated into Orange’s ‘le cloud pro. It will provide synchronisation as part of a bundle of online applications. These include business management; collaboration; and e-marketing apps. The company claims that its software supports 95 per cent of all mobile devices – including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and even Symbian. On the desktop PC front, Sugarsync supports both Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh. Continue reading
