Monthly Archives: November 2012
2nd WIMA NFC USA
[ November 27, 2011 9:00 am to November 29, 2012 7:00 pm. ] Organiser: WIMA
Venue: San Francisco Arirport Marriott Waterfront Hotel
Location: San Francisco, USA
Web: www.wima.mc
For WIMA NFC USA 2012 WIMA is building on previous innovation and enabling greater business opportunities within the event by adding new and exciting elements to drive forward the NFC ecosystem. Continue reading
Apple shakes up senior management
Rating: How long will consumers pay extra for the Apple brand
The recent management changes at Apple have obviously sparked something of a controversy. The big question is can Apple keep charging a premium for its products when they are now not blazing a massively innovative trail? The iPad Mini was playing catchup. The iPhone 5 only arrived after the company had launched the 4S to everybody’s surprise. It’s a tricky one and a challenge for new Apple boss, , Tim Cook. Personally, GoMobile News doesn’t envy anyone who has to both step into Steve Jobs shoes whilst simultaneously having to deal with the existing work ethic/culture that is Apple. The loss of Scott Forstall, who led the team behind iOS mobile OS. Continue reading
Tree saving apps sponsored by Invasive Alien Species
Rating: Apple provides fast turnaround for iOS version
It seems that AshTag – the organisation which is backing Britain’s efforts to track and stop the spread of the Ash tree dieback disease in the UK, can move fast when it comes to smartphone apps. See our previous story ‘A smartphone app may help to save Britain’s Ash trees’ here. The organisation says it has only a short window of opportunity to help identify the spread of the disease before Winter sets in. After that identification of diseases becomes more difficult. Hence the organisation has been grateful for the help it received from Apple. It now has both iOS and Android versions of its smartphone app. Continue reading
MACH Offers Real-Time revenue leakage detection for network operators
Unique in-memory computing technology enables real-time revenue checks
CashBack Revenue Assurance solution reduces exposure for operators, dramatically enhances customer experience
Press release
October 31st 2012. MACH, the leading provider of cloud-based managed communication services, today revealed that telecom operators worldwide are increasingly looking for revenue assurance solutions that offer real-time leakage detection to correct errors and reduce losses. The move to all-IP networks has led to real-time billing and rating driving a need for online revenue assurance solutions that also offer real-time protection, reduce exposure for operators and enhance customer experience. Continue reading
iPhone 5 leads Apple clawback of UK smartphone market
UK smartphone sales showed a distinct shift in favour of Apple in the six weeks to the end of September, latest data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel reveals.
Sales of Apple’s flagship iPhone 5 accounted for 28 per cent of the UK market compared to 21 per cent in the preceding six weeks, though the figures covered only nine days of iPhone trading. Continue reading
Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 now shipping
Focused ramp-up of first Windows Phone 8 smartphones over coming weeks
Press release
October 29th 2012. Nokia has announced that the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Nokia Lumia 820 will reach the first operators and retail outlets in select countries this week. Both phones will appear in stores in France and the UK this week, then Russia, Germany and further select markets throughout the rest of November.1 In the USA, AT&T will introduce the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Nokia Lumia 820, Verizon Wireless will sell the newly announced Nokia Lumia 822, and T-Mobile will offer the Nokia Lumia 810. All three will have phones in stores in November. Continue reading
Adfonic introduces DSP to provide greater transparency for ad agencies
Rating: Real-time bidding removes eCPM pricing obscurity
Adfonic reckons it has addressed some of the traditional challenges the mobile advertising industry has faced which have held back spend on mobile advertising. So it has introduced its mobile demand-side platform (DSP) called Madison which it claims gives large-spending advertising agencies and brands greater transparency, control and efficiency. Thanks all thanks to access to a broad range of real-time bidding (RTB) inventory. For example, it takes RTB to the per impression level, thus removing eCPM pricing obscurity and solves the problem of a lack of transparency. Continue reading
Microsoft fights back with Windows Phone 8
Rating: Kid’s Corner could be the dark horse here
Microsoft finally introduced the much-heralded Windows Phone 8 (WP8) yesterday [October 29th 2012] – waiting three days after the official launch of Windows 8 itself. We’re not quite sure why. After all, the new versions of Windows all boast a similar look and feel, the same technology core, plus the same built-in SkyDrive cloud service. Microsoft says Windows Phone 8 is built to work seamlessly with Windows 8 PCs, Microsoft Surface devices and the Xbox 360 console. It didn’t say which version of the Surface, though. At the Press conference in San Francisco (a place usually more associated with Apple), Microsoft showcased WP8 handsets from Nokia, Samsung and HTC. In terms of what WP8 offers, we’d say the latest version of this mobile OS seems to have three main new features: – Live Apps; Rooms; and Kid’s Corner. It also pumped up the Windows Phone Store. Continue reading
W7 Mango owners told to wait for Windows Phone 7.8
Rating: Availability of Nokia Lumia 920 clear as mud
Well, yesterday [October 29th 2012] Microsoft finally introduced the long-awaited Windows Phone 8 (WP8) – a mere three days after the official launch of Windows 8 itself. However, it has left existing Windows Phone 7.5 (W7 Mango) owners hanging – having previously admitted that such smartphones won’t be upgradeable to WP8. Instead, we’re being told that, “WP7.8 will be announced soon. Hang in there,” by Nokia News on Google Plus of all mediums. Another source claimed to have got a similar reply from Microsoft itself. The availability of Nokia flagship WP8 phone – the Lumia 920 is also clear as mud. Continue reading
Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 8
Latest smartphones from Nokia, Samsung and HTC go on sale in November
Press release (US Version)
Microsoft has debuted Windows Phone 8, the latest version of the company’s smartphone operating system. Windows Phone 8 offers a truly personal phone experience, connecting you to the people and things that matter most. As part of the announcement, Microsoft revealed new features, including Kid’s Corner and Rooms, along with details and pricing for a range of beautiful new smartphones from Nokia, Samsung and HTC, each with their own differentiated designs, colours and features. Windows Phone 8 devices will go on sale in November at in the USA as well as at carriers and retailers around the world. Continue reading
Telefonica jettisons chunk of German O2 offshoot to reduce own debts
IPO is Europe’s biggest this year
Spain’s Telefonica aims to raise around £1.2 billion when its spins off nearly a quarter of its German O2 operation later this morning [30th October 2012]. Shares in the the Frankfurt-listed company are expected to trade at €5.60 per share, though some analysts have criticised the price as too high compared to other phone operators. The IPO is Europe’s biggest initial public offering this year and is needed to help shrink Telefonia’s €58 billion debt pile.
O2 is Germany’s smallest mobile operator with roughly 16 per cent of subscribers, trailing Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Dutch group KPN’s E-Plus. Continue reading
Ad recognition increased by 130% says madvertise
Rating: It’s all about rich media & cross-media
As something of a first, madvertise has revealed the findings from a study into advertising effectiveness study for a rich media campaign. The study was undertaken in Germany in collaboration with Interrogare. Hence references here are to Telefónica’s O2 Germany not the UK. The study analyses the effects of advertising on mobile rich media campaigns. It covered rich media, interactive ads, video,and non-standard banner formats. One of the most amasing discoveries was that ad recognition increased by 130 per cent. This followed a campaign by O2 (Germany) which ran the campaign alongside the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III. The aim was to promote the launch of a new tariff. Madvertise claims O2 integrated the ‘mobile’ channel into its entire cross-media advertising strategy. Continue reading
EE demos Nokia Lumia 920 4G on Oxford St
Rating: Sorry, sir, we’ll have to take those tariffs away
GoMobile News took advantage of a brilliant invitation from EE (formerly Everything Everywhere) to try out its 4G LTE network in person on London’s Oxford Street. We were able to play with any of the 4G LTE devices which EE will offer. Including the Nokia Lumia 920, of course. Only problem? The smartphone hasn’t yet gone commercial so a rather worried EE official had to swiftly remove the tariff information in case we published it. We have to admit that the demonstrations of 4G in action were impressive and we now ‘get’ why people would want to make the switch to 4G. It’s for the rich,busy execs and uber-geeks who are ‘time poor’. Continue reading
A smartphone app may help to save Britain’s Ash trees
Rating: GoMobile speculates on what features it should have
Currently the UK’s population of Ash trees is under attack from a deadly fungus called Chalara fraxinea also known as Ash dieback. Concerned organisations are launching a new web site today [Monday 29th October 2012] to provide information to concerned citizens. However, GoMobile News suggests that the proposed ashtag smartphone app might prove a highly efficient tool to combat the spread of the disease. Especially if it works anything like the way a popular Apple iOS app – leafsnap, does. Continue reading
Shazam launches Windows 8 version of it music discover app
Rating: Perhaps Jim’ll fix my RAZR i version for me
Somehow we don’t see a rush of desktop PC, laptop, netbook and tablets owners installing Shazam so they can hold their device up to a pub’s loudspeakers. Just because Shazam has launched a Microsoft Windows 8 version of its popular music discovery app. However, GoMobile News suspects this has a lot to do with its imminent Windows Phone 8 (Apollo) version. Shazam is, of course, the leading music recognition app but it only recognises commercial tracks. So there’s little point trying to get it to recognise what old rock number the band is currently slaughtering. We reckon that Windows 8 Users will utilise this version of Shazam for viewing tags saved by their mobile phone. If it works on their smartphone, of course. It doesn’t work on our Motorola RAZR i, though. Continue reading
