Monthly Archives: March 2012
There’s no enough women at MWC Barcelona
Rating: Will MWC lose out to CTIA Las Vegas?
Probably Europe’s largest gathering of muggers, pick-pockets and thieves has now finished. That’s because they all descended on Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress which ended last Friday [2nd March 2012]. So they’ve left again. GoMo News normally runs stories about the level of thefts encountered by those wending their way to Catalonia for the world’s largest cellular based event. But it’s not news any more as it happens every year. Despite our advice to the contrary, the show’s organisers have stuck ardently with Barcelona Continue reading
Apple hits 25 billion app downloads milestone
Rating: One lucky Apple fan collects $10,000 prize
Apple has hit its 25 billion app downloads milestone as we predicted here. If you visited theappera.com here you would have noticed that the person who downloaded that particular app would have won a prize worth $10,000. That lucky person turned out to be Chunii Fu. Continue reading
Channel 4 claims exclusive interview with Reding on data theft
Rating: Commissions MWR InfoSecurity to prove allegations
Viviane Reding, vp of the European Commission has spoken exclusively to Channel 4 News about smartphone apps developed to mine personal data and pass it to advertisers. A quarter of all UK mobile users are on Android. They downloaded 100,000,000 Apps in January alone.These users grant apps permission to access certain features on the phone and Channel 4 News has discovered that these permissions are then being ‘handed on’ to a network of advertisers. Continue reading
Job of the day…..EMEA Business Development Director
EMEA Business Development Director
This global Mobile Media company is hiring for a strong Business Development Director to recruit Apps Developers and Publishers in EMEA.
This is an excellent opportunity to join one of the fastest growing Mobile Media companies
For more details please contact Aspire Mobile, the leading provider of Mobile Media Professionals Continue reading
Ones that got away @ MWC 2012 – SmartTags
Rating: Sony Mobile puts NFC tech to good use
Sony Mobile has come up with an ingenious use for NFC (Near Field Communications) proving that the technology does far more than merely facilitate transactions. At MWC 201 it was demonstrating the Sony SmartTags. These are billed as working with NFC handsets but GoMo News suspects they only work with the Sony Xperia S and Xperia P models at present. They are designed to cut down the repetitive task of reprogramming your handset depending on time of day/location. So you could have one tag for the car; one for the office: one for the bedroom; and one for walking the dog (out in the open). Continue reading
Data theft via mobile apps exposed
Rating: Sunday Times points finger at US based LeadBolt
A dramatic report compiled by two journalists for the Sunday Times – Robin Henry and Peter Newlands has exposed how personal data is being stolen from victims phones through downloaded apps. The victims can’t possibly have thought they had agreed to provide such information. Why, for example, is an app called Extreme Flashlight sending the app user’s email address and telephone number to servers based in India. The list of other countries receiving this ‘stolen’ personal data is intriguing because it includes Israel and the USA as well as India and China. The report singled out LeadBolt in particular becuase its own privacy statement claimed it didn’t indulge in such practices. Continue reading
Brits’ phones to roam on Eurostar in time for Olympics
Rating: French blow raspberries at Boris Johnson’s London Tube
The French really do have a good sense of humour. A deal has just been struck between the Eurotunnel group and four French operators which will enable those travelling on the Eurostar to make and receive calls plus send texts via 2G and should also provide a degree of data access via 3G. The system is very definitely based on technology developed by France’s own Alcatel-Lucent. However, it doesn’t appear to use ‘leaky cables’ but instead appears to be a modified version of GSM-R. The R stands for Rail more information see here. The joke, however, is that although the deal will be officially sealed on March 6th [2012], it should be working in time for the London Olympics. But Brits who use it will be subject to high roaming charges. Ordinary French folk won’t have to pay so much. Continue reading
Image recognition technology and supercharged QR codes launch to accelerate retail sales
New technology from Mobile Money Network allows shoppers to instantly identify and purchase products
Press release
March 2nd 2012. Mobile Money Network (MMN) is today launching the first truly transactional image recognition and QR code service through its instant mobile checkout Simply Tap. The launch is being marked by a promotion with Thorntons using outdoor advertising. An image of an Easter egg has appeared at several poster sites across central London today, allowing Simply Tap users to try out the technology and buy one of a selection of Easter eggs for just 1 penny. Continue reading
NFC set to major at SXSW in Austin next week
Rating: Maybe North America will finally wake up to the joys of NFC
There’s numerous predictions that NFC will be a hot topic at the forthcoming SXSW (South by South West) event in Austin, Texas held between March 9th-18th [2012]. Why should 2012 be the year that NFC moves towards the mass market in the USA? Well, there have been a number of key events. Top of the list must surely be the recent announcement from Isis mobile wallet that it plans to soft-launch in certain US cities by June of 2012. One location is Salt Lake City but the second is none other than Austin, Texas. Queue working demos at SXSW? Continue reading
Manufacturers of Android phones continue to compromise users’ security
Rating: So says MWR InfoSecurity in light of MWC 2012
According to MWR InfoSecurity, a UK based IT security consultancy, users of mobile phones are still being put at considerable security risk because manufacturers of Android devices are not doing enough to safeguard users security worldwide. “Android mobiles are being compromised daily exposing users to a real security risk,” said Ian Shaw, md with MWR InfoSecurity. He warns users to beware because manufacturers that they are just not doing enough. Shaw continued, “Manufacturers of Android mobile phones will once again be launching their latest models and as before, we will be warning users and manufacturers at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that not enough is being done to safeguard user information.,” Shaw says. The increasing lack of security controls on the phones are exposing users to fraud and other criminal activity, the company maintains. Continue reading
iPhone app makes social network sharing easier
Rating: Via.me shows intriguing potential
OK. Hands up those who don’t need an app that enables you to manage all your social media content in one place? Thought so. With Via.me from RadiumOne Labs userscan create, filter and share pictures, videos, audio content and text across all their social networks. As RadiumOne has correctly observed, most people possess multiple social media accounts. Hence, an ability to publish all types of content from a single tool is extremely useful. Continue reading
Facebook mobile advertising platform backlash
Rating: 64 % of UK consumers do not want advertising on their mobile
With Facebook finally announcing its mobile advertising plans (see our previous story here), the new advertising platform should mean that users will now see sponsored stories in their news feeds when browsing Facebook on their mobile phones. However, British and American consumers are warning of a potential backlash. As many as 67 per cent of US consumers do not want to be advertised to on their mobile phone. Which is kind of bad news for Facebook. Continue reading
ZTE Joins Global IT Leaders on Cloud Computing Standards Study Group
Press release
March 1st 2012. ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today
announced that it will join global information technology leaders on a
cloud computing standards study group.The group, formally called Study Group 13 (SG 13), is overseen by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Other companies in the
group include Microsoft, France Telecom Orange and the Korean
Electronics and Telecommunications Institute. ZTE is the only Chinese
company in the group. SG 13′s research includes work on standards
related to interoperability of cloud services and portability of cloud
data. Continue reading
Heroes of the Mobile Fringe a Festival at Mobile World Congress
[ February 26, 2012 to March 1, 2012. ] Heroes of the Mobile Fringe (working title)
This is taken from Helen Keegan’s Blog
My new thing, or at least one of my new things is the very unofficial fringe festival happening in Barcelona at the same time as Mobile World Congress. You’ll find a landing page at http://mwcfringe.com where you can add your email address to be updated, there’s a group on facebook (likes are always much appreciated and if FB is your thing, then you’ll see the updates in your stream too) and you can follow proceedings on twitter and Lanyrd. Continue reading
mPowered Brands at Mobile World Congress
[ February 27, 2012 to March 1, 2012. ] GoMo News is delighted to be a media partner with the Mobile World Congress and specificially mPowered Brands a special mobile marketing channel.
Please click here to find out more:
http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/mpoweredbrands-overview?MWCPBN=GoMo125125 Continue reading
