Category Archives: iphone
Novel way to push the iPhone from O2 – leasing
Rating: You’re only stuck with it for 12 months
One of the biggest problems facing smartphone owners – certainly in the UK – is that their smartphone has become way out of date before the end of the contract. Especially since consumers are signing themselves up for 18 and 24 month contracts. This is a problem especially for would-be iPhone owners because there’s little point trying to look cool with your Apple device if its so old it won’t even upgrade to iOS 5.0. So, O2 UK has come up with what it believes it a novel solution – leasing the iPhone. That way there are no up front costs for the device. Plus, at the end of the 12 month contract, customers will be able to return the device to O2 and take out a newer handset (assuming the iPhone 5 does finally launch) on a similar scheme. Or, alternatively update to another O2 contract. Continue reading
Apple blames supply chain issues for coming second with iPhone 4S
Rating: Well, if you’re up against the world leader what do you expect?
Apple has largely blamed supply chain issues for its failure to take the Number One slot in a UK chart for better selling smartphones. It was pipped by the Samsung Galaxy S II which just so happens to have been the best-selling device (in the UK) for eight consecutive months. The Press Association reported that The 4S’ failure to snatch the top slot from a smartphone which has been around for ages was “because retailers cannot stock it quickly enough to keep up with demand.” Observers seem to overlook the fact that this particular Samsung handset is an Android handset. Continue reading
The best audio file format for your smartphone
Rating: A definitive answer from Lemonrock
Some of our keenest readers might recall a story we wrote recently concerning the various formats in which audio can be stored including the infamous Ogg Vorbis. (See our previous story here). This raises the question – what is the best format to use when storing audio on your mobile phone or tablet? Well, Mac MacLaren is the head honcho at Lemonrock and he’s supplied GoMo News with what we can only describe as the definite answer. MacLaren outlines the main digital files formats below and the answer is to go for ALAC. But – as he says – these things are all objective because some people are quite happy with an MP3 file which is the commonest format. Continue reading
iPhone unseats Blackberry in Enterprise Market
Apple’s iPhone has overtaken the Blackberry in the enterprise sector for the first time according to the Mobile Workforce Report by iPass.
This comes as the research also found that 95% of mobile employees now use smartphones, up from 85% in 2010.
The quarterly report states the iPhone has achieved 45% market share, knocking Blackberry off the top spot for the first time. Continue reading
DoCoMo still has hots for the iPhone
Despite rumours persisting across the blogosphere since 2008, the iPhone has yet to reach DoCoMo, Japan’s biggest mobile carrier.
Currently the iPhone 4S is available on Softbank (formerly Vodafone Japan) and KDDI’s au network. Continue reading
SecureSafe adds SecureCamera to its iPhone app
Rating: Access your travel docs anytime, anywhere
A new feature has just been added to Apple iOS high security file system app – SecureSafe from DSwiss. It now features SecureCapture, an integrated camera upload feature that turns an iPhone or iPad into a SecureSafe Camera. Securesafe is an online data storage service which is designed to keep files highly secure for Apple device owners. In effect, SecureCapture does away with the need for separate scanning and thus becomes a multi-purpose storage app. The most important feature – from a security perspective – is that photos are not stored in the phone’s camera roll. This app is therefore capitalising on the growing demand for cloud based secure storage facilities. Continue reading
Apple won’t surge past Samsung in smartphone sales
Rating: Tired of waiting, some switch to Android
Reports stemming from South Korea say that Apple will be unable to overtake Samsung in the smartphone sales stakes. The reports quote Thomas Kang, director of wireless smartphone strategies with Strategy Analytics, as saying, “Apple will rebound tremendously but it won’t be enough to catch up with Samsung.” One factor here was that the release of Apple’s latest handset – which turned out to be the iPhone 4S not the iPhone 5 – was delayed by around a month. This meant meant the US based electronic devices company had a poor Q3 2011. The research company also attributes Apple’s poor showing to the fact that some potential iPhone buyers got bored of waiting and switched to Samsung – which is fast emerging as the leading vendor of Android phones, of course. Continue reading
iPhone 4S available for free in Hong Kong
Rating: Of course, you have to sign a two year contract
GoMo News received a missive from Hong Kong operator, CSL, which uses the 1010 brand for its network. As of November 11th [2011], it’s actually possible to get an iPhone 4S for free. This applies to the 8GB and 16 GB versions not the 32 GB or 64 GB versions. You have to sign a two year contract and the minimum one appears to be HK $177. That about £14 so you’d be spending a minimum of £340. Continue reading
Robot Pub group to offer pub grub & drinks ordering via iPads
Rating: No more fighting your way to the bar
A new pub chain calling itself the Robot Pub group has hit on a great new wheeze. It’s going to install around 20 Apple iPads in tables around the premises. These will enable pub goers to beat the normal queues at the bar by ordering food and drinks via the iPad. The tables will be fitted with their own self-service taps which will also be controlled from the iPads. The first pub in the group – the Thirsty Bear – has opened on the site of the former Stamford Arms in Stamford Street – South East London. The new taps and iPads should be installed by February [2012] and be welcomed with a suitable opening party. Continue reading
360 degree video kit for iPhone coming to UK
Rating: Apparently the associated app doesn’t upload from outside USA yet
We noticed this product being mentioned by the Sunday Times as a Top Gadget of the week. It’s the GoPano Micro kit for the Apple 4 or 4S. What’s it do? Simple, it enables owners of those two Apple smartphone models to shoot video in 360 degrees. GoMo News was a little puzzled because this device appears to have been on sale for some time in the USA. However, it doesn’t seem to have been available legally in the UK until this week. We suspect it has something to do with the associated app not being able to upload to the GoPano web site from outside the USA. Apparently it will be in much demand from estate agents when it does ship in the UK, because they love to show houses in a 360 degrees format. Continue reading
AppsOTips offers iPhone app search database
Rating: Pre-launch it needs some community members
We all know how easy it is for an app – especially one for the iPhone or iPad – to get lost in all the hullabaloo. So it’s interesting to see that one company – Logical Infosystem – has decided to attack the problem by introducing a new search engine designed to help people find the apps they are looking for. The service is known as AppsOTips and can be found here. The site is currently indexing 54,512 apps. However, there’s something of a chicken and egg situation here. The idea is to build a global community of those looking for decent apps. You can’t do that without any members. So we’ve decided to give Raman Basu, co-founder of Logical Infosystem a bit of a hand and publicise its existence. Even though AppsOTips hasn’t actually formally launched yet. Continue reading
Get rich quick with Snappii iPhone app creator
Rating: promises to add Android & HTML5 support soon
At the risk of contradicting ourselves, if you want to get into creating your own mobile apps then starting off with an Apple iOS app seems like a good idea. Hence GoMo News decided to take a look at a service called Snappii which claims to enable the non-technical to create their own iPhone/iPad apps via templates. Being a North American business, the emphasis is very heavily on using the service to make money – so if you’re only in the market to create one app then it’s probably not for you. The good news, however, is that although Snappii currently only creates iOS apps, the company is promising to introduce support for Android and HTML5 (which means Windows Phone) in the near future. The clincher is that Snappii lists a number of apps created using its service which can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store. Continue reading
Malware threat maybe exaggerated
Rating: Beware of Netflix malware – Android.Fakeneflic
There’s a healthy debate going on as to how vulnerable mobile phones are becoming to attacks from viruses and malware. The FT (here) has just reported figures from Lookout Mobile Security which claims that between January and June [2011], there was a 250 per cent increase in the likelihood of users encountering malware on their mobile devices. By comparison, Juniper Networks says Google Android malware samples grew 400 per cent between June 2010 and January 2011. Against this, Craig Scroggie who is md for the Pacific region operations with Symantec, has stated that the overall volume of mobile threats remains low compared to computer-based threats. Writing in the Technology Spectator here, he claimed, “It is not accurate to say the anticipated ‘explosion’ has occurred.” Continue reading
iPhone 4S exceeds expectations in Japan
Apple’s new iPhone 4S has been out on sale for 2 weeks in Japan, and for the first time is available on the KDDI AU network as well as Softbank (previously Vodafone Japan).
According to figures by BCN Ranking, which surveys the views of specialist retailers but excludes sales figures from some of the biggest retailers including the Apple store, the iPhone 4S has surpassed expectations and is expected to a be a big winner in the difficult Japanese market. Continue reading
Ciena is happy with the iPhone 4S launch
Rating: But not for the reasons you might first think
The launch of the iPhone 4S has been described by Mervyn Kelly, EMEA marketing director with Ciena as, “Great news for consumers and Apple lovers and brings the promise of an enhanced customer experience and exciting new video applications.” There’s something which all of these gadget freaks just might have overlooked, according to Kelly. That’s the impact of the iPhone 4S on a mobile operator’s network With a device like the 4S, onsumers’ hunger for bandwidth will grow. Mobile HD video; social networking and other robust applications have become part of a new life style – which is exactly the market Apple’s new device is designed to address, Kelly believes. Continue reading
