Author Archives: Tony Dennis
Apple’s iWatch could face patent challenges
Rating: More than just a legal dispute over names
GoMo News has already speculated in a previous story – ‘Apple faces major challenges over iWatch‘, that the iconic US company (Apple) is facing seriously technological challenges. If it truly is determined to introduce a digital watch (iWatch. In our view the only real path to follow is to use low power Bluetooth between a watch and a mobile device – iPhone, iPod or iPad. What we hadn’t appreciated before, however, was just how far an Italian manufacturer of digital watches, i’m Watch has actually got. Continue reading
GoMo is media partner for Global AR Summit
Rating: Key event in Shanghai for augmented reality sector
Having been key followers of events surround Augmented Reality (AR), GoMo News is delighted to announce that this publication has become an official media partner of the Global AR Summit 2013. The event will take place between May 23rd – May 24th in Shanghai, China. The organisers, DEMAND-LED are promising a star-studded list of speakers from Big Names such as Google, Sony, Nokia and Huawei. To register go here. Continue reading
MNOs should fight back with their own VoIP & VoLTE services
Rating: Go with the flow and buy into ‘open’ ecosystem
It’s easy to forget that until very recently, voice was the key revenue generator for mobile network operators (MNOs). However, the voice call sector is now being fought over by numerous players, including OTT providers such as Skype and Viber. Plus Internet giants, Facebook, has just announced the availability of its VoIP application in the UK. However, there is an opportunity for MNOs to fight back by offering there own VoIP based services. Continue reading
Apple’s WifiSLAM purchase impacts LBS advertising
Rating: Wif-fi best for indoor location
It appears that the major players in the mobile sector have spotted something of a big flaw in the potential for location based advertising. Once you have enticed smartphone owners inside a mall, how do you deliver precision messages to them? After all, it’s extremely unlikely that the GPS receivers inside their phones have direct line of sight with a satellite. For some time now, there have been ‘intelligent’ versions of GPS technology such as A-GPS (Assisted GPS). But the real answer lies with w-i-fi top up which is why Apple has recently acquired the indoor-GPS company WifiSLAM. Continue reading
GoMo has cosy chat with Amobee’s Trevor Healy
Rating: App that listens while watching TV ads
GoMo News was lucky enough to catch up with Trevor Healy, CEO with Amobee, when he was attending the recent Advertising Week Europe 2013 show in London. Some of his observations confirmed what we had suspected for a long time. Like many others, Trevor predicts that there will be serious consolidation in the world of mobile advertising. Most intriguingly, Trevor also revealed how his company is using sophisticated software to collect valuable data on user behaviour. Judging from the revenues that they bring in, Trevor claimed that there are only four or five major players in the mobile advertising space at present. Of course, one of them is Amobee. Continue reading
Industry needs to adopt a positive attitude to text driving
Rating: Help teach drivers to SMS hands-free
[caption id="attachment_41875" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="How is it smart to overlook the intelligence in mobile devices?"]
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Whilst listening to Radio Jackie, GoMo News was struck by the hugely negative attitude towards using mobile phones – and especially text/SMS whilst driving vehicles. An advert placed by Drive SMART – which is a partnership between Surrey Police and Surrey County Council, even suggested drivers might kill a child whilst texting on the move. This stance totally overlooks the fact that there is plenty of technology available out there to enable drivers to use the facilities of a mobile phone hands-free and therefore safely. Continue reading
MusicQubed to build on success with O2 Tracks
Rating: Talking to other MNOs about whitelabelling music service
After years in the doldrums, the music industry is finally beginning to pick up again – chiefly fuelled by digital music sales. One person hoping to capitalise on this is Chris Gorman from MusicQubed. He told GoMo News that he believes he’s found a niche which is lucrative for both the MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) and the music industry labels. Gorman says that rival services [eg Spotify] focus on the music enthusiasts who are prepared to pay to get want they want. By contrast, MusicQubed’s aim is to entertain the masses and that’s what it has just done as the power behind O2’s recently launched O2 Tracks music service. Continue reading
UK’s CESG/GCHQ adamantly denies failing BB10
Rating: Security body says we haven’t evaluated that platform yet
GoMo News carried a story yesterday [March 20th 2013] from The Guardian newspaper implying that the UK’s Computer Experts Security Group (CESG) – obviously part of GCHQ, had failed BlackBerry’s latest version of its OS (BB10) over security worries. BlackBerry has subsequently provided us with a major denial from a GCHQ spokesperson saying that no such review has been performed yet. Obviously it is hard for GoMo News to check the validity of such stories because the ‘spooks’ don’t exactly participate in cosy banter with journalists. Continue reading
Apple faces major challenges over an iWatch
Rating: It will have to use Bluetooth 4.0 to succeed
There have been so many stories speculating about a ‘forthcoming’ smart watch from Apple, that you would have thought that the iconic device manufacturer had actually announced the iWatch. Which it hasn’t, of course. However, the idea is by no means new and ironically Apple’s arch rival – Microsoft dabbled in smart watches as long ago as 1995. Does anybody else remember the Timex DataLink watch? here at GoMo Towers we still have two examples and were always big fans. Where Microsoft went horribly wrong was with its SPOT ( Smart Personal Objects Technology) watch. This utilised unused parts of the FM spectrum to receive information such as the weather. The big mistake here was that a SPOT watch couldn’t be used worldwide. If an iWatch is to succeed it must have global appeal. Continue reading
Why has Alt + F stopped working with latest BB OS
Rating: Tech support sends you round in circles
Given that at one point in time RIM/BlackBerry touted its built in ‘shortcuts’ as keyboard alternatives, GoMo News is shocked by the disappearance of Alt + F. In the good old days that shortcut would let you view all of the messages you’d flagged up. For later viewing, for example. Well, we are using version 7 of the BlackBerry OS and it is very definitely gone missing. It’s hard to paint a BlackBerry as the ideal solution for email on the go when existing users get left out. Continue reading
GoMo discovers more behind Nokia 73 difficulties
Rating: At least we manage OS upgrade
The scales have fallen from our eyes over the difficulties our readers are experiencing with Nokia N73 smartphone – especially those hailing from the Indian subcontinent. Being based over here in the UK, we hadn’t fully appreciated exactly where these N73 handsets were being sourced from. We now suspect that a great deal of the problems being experienced by users relate to the handsets being locked into one particular mobile network operator. Having acquired our own N73, we’ve made some interesting discoveries. We did manage the OS update, though. Continue reading
Red Bull invigorates its F1 branding with neat Spy app
Rating: Finally an app that puts F1 race meets in your diary
Whilst Vodafone has just announced its decision to pull its logo off the McLaren F1 racing cars next year [2014], Red Bull has re-invigorated its F1 branding with a neat little app. Called F1 Spy, the app claims to give deep insights into the glamorous world of F1 racing by reporting on “the real world of F1, not shown on the cameras.” Then, of course, Red Bull is behind not just one F1 race team but two of them. [Toro Rosso as well as Red Bull Racing]. Even though it is free, this app has a facility which GoMobile News has long searched for – the ability to insert the F1 racing meets into your smartphone calendar. It also runs on both iOS and Android. Continue reading
Bad news for Vodafone’s F1 fans
Rating: 2013′s last chance to get in those McLaren pits
It seems that Vodafone has conclude a review of its global sponsorship deals. The good news is that the mobile operator has discovered almost ubiquitous (90 per cent) awareness of the Vodafone brand in all markets where the company operates. Now for the bad news, fellow Formula One racing fans. Vodafone will end its engagement with the McLaren F1 team after the conclusion of the 2013 season. So, if you’ve been hoping to win one of Vodafone’s VIP days out to Silverstone (where the British F1 race is held), you better get your skates on because 2013 is your last chance. Continue reading
WorldPay extends it PAYG card payment acceptance to iOS users
Rating: Music festival traders ideal customers for wirelessly accepting payments
WorldPay has just announced extra capabilities for its Pay As You Go card acceptance service for UK small businesses. It has now been extended to include iOS compatible devices and an updated Android app means that customers have the option of printing receipts using a Bluetooth printer. WorldPay is also expanding its pilot programme, which already boasts several thousand users across the UK. The company expects to have a full roll-out of this service by Summer 2013 – just in time for the music festival season, we suspect. Continue reading
Tablets outperform smartphones on CTRs by 250%,says Adfonic
Rating: Android tablets increased share by 40% over Xmas
There is absolutely no doubt about it any more. According to Adfonic, the mobile ad buying platform, information contained in its ‘AdSnap: Tablets’ report shows that clickthrough rates (CTRs) on tablets outperform those for smartphones by 250 per cent for branding campaigns. In other words, for every one clickthrough on a smartphone, there are 2.5 additional clickthroughs on a tablet. Tablets increased their share of ad requests by 40 per cent in just 2 weeks over the Xmas [2012] period – driven primarily by Android tablets (especially the Kindle Fire HD). However, Adfonic says that role for smartphone campaigns. Continue reading
