Tag Archives: Sunday Times

Google’s mixed messages over Glass apps

Published on Monday, June 3rd by Tony Dennis

Can you or can’t you do facial recognition?

As anyone who has ever covered high tech can tell you, with any radical new technology, what people actually do with it is frequently not what the inventor envisaged. The sex industry is a classic example of doing this. Now it seems that Google is putting out mixed messages as to what people can or cannot do with their latest Glass (ie glasses) technology. It told The Sunday Times that “it would not allow developers for its Google Glass eyewear to develop facial recognition applications that would let users scour the internet to identify strangers.” Helpfully, the newspaper then published the information on how to obtain the necessary API to do so. Hmmm. Continue reading →

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Bad news for Apple – there’s already a Droid watch app market

Published on Monday, April 15th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Watch apps could prove useful bandwagon

GoMo News is extremely grateful to an article written in the Sunday Times [April 14th 2013] by Mark Harris, alerting us to the fact that’s there’s a complete sub section of the mobile apps sector we haven’t really identified before. What we are talking about are apps specifically designed for intelligent watches. These are ‘smart watches’ which link to a smartphone via a Bluetooth link. The reason for growing interest in such devices is, of course, the numerous rumours that Apple is plotting to release some kind of iWatch. The most interesting aspect here is that some software houses have already developed watch apps that are compatible with multiple devices. So Apple is faced with the prospect of apps appearing for the iWatch that have already been out on Google Play for a considerable time. Oh, dear. Continue reading →

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Web ads bashing intensifies in newspapers

Published on Monday, December 10th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Mobile ad industry needs more champions to speak out

Never mind the Festive season, it seems that bashing the internet advertising industry has become an open season – especially amongst the printed Press. On Sunday [December 9th 2012] the UK’s Sunday Times ran a story saying entitled, ‘One click unleashes a spying free-for-all’.* The complaint was about ‘cookies’ which were triggered when a reporter visited popular e-commerce/retail sites such as Marks & Spencers, eBay, John Lewis and Currys. The newspaper’s reporter found that in the space of 15 minutes a total of 600 cookies were uploaded – only 250 of which belonged to the sites visited. GoMobile News is not suggesting the report was deliberately unbalanced. Just that the reporter could only find one person to defend the practice. Worse still no mention was made of the mobile web. Continue reading →

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iphone is the most snatched handset – official

Published on Monday, December 3rd by Tony Dennis

Rating: Don’t emerge from Tube station using it

According to a report in the Sunday Times here, in London (England) the iPhone is the most common handset snatched by muggers. The Metropolitan Police say that although iPhones only account for around 28 per cent of total phone sales, they make up 28 per cent of handsets reported as stolen. This report contains a great deal of information on how to avoid a handset mugging and how to prevent personal data theft. Did you know for example, is that a typical modus operandi is for the mugger to be on a pedal cycle and swoop passed as you come out of a train station? Those planning to attend the MWC 2013 in Barcelona should take notice. Continue reading →

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Cate is a love cheats’ charter app

Published on Monday, October 15th by Hans Cett

Rating: Proving popular with the women

When GoMobile News spotted an article about an Android app called Cate (Call and Text Eraser), we were immediately struck by a similarity between this app and one which we had written about previously here. It is very similar to an app called ‘Redmenu’ which had been developed by the company of the same name. At the same time we were urging Redmenu boss, Gyan Ghuman, to turn it into a B2C app. He’s probably going to regret it because Neal Desai, has already had 10,000 downloads of his app which at $4.99 or £3.22 works out at around $50,000. Somewhat unusually, this app is currently only available for Android devices but iOS and BlackBerry version are underway. What does Cate do? Well, we’ve previously coined the term ‘lover cheats charter’ for it. Continue reading →

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Mobile firms do well in Tech Track 100 league

Published on Monday, September 24th by Hans Cett

Rating: Keep an eye on Mobilewebadz & Omnifone

Writing about the UK’s Top Twenty ‘cool’ brands today [24th September 2012], (see here) GoMobile News remembered that we hadn’t mentioned the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 league table which appeared on 16th September [2012]. Just like the CoolBrands survey, high tech companies which are mobile orientated in particular did really well. Two companies which definitely deserve a name check are Mobilewebadz (4th) and Omnifone (20th) which both secured high places. Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Ad&Mktg, Mobile Music, Mobile Operators, Music, mobile news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Discoverability probs to hit 4″ iPhone 5 apps

Published on Tuesday, September 18th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Is there room for a 4″-aware app recommendations site?

A chance remark made by fellow hack, Matt Bingham, in his review of the iPhone 5 for the Sunday Times has got GoMobile News thinking. The screen on the iPHone 5 is larger than previous models. It’s now 4″ [inches] rather than 3.5″ as before. This improvement initially confused GoMoble News as we hadn’t realised how small the screen had been. Anyway, the extra ½ inch enables a sixth row of icons to be displayed on the iPhone 5′s main screen. But how will software developers let users know that their apps are 4″ aware? We have our own ideas about aiding discoverability for iPhone 5 users. Continue reading →

Posted in App stores, Apple, Mobile applications, ZTE, iOS, iphone | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Vodafone shareholders in line for loadsa dosh (some say)

Published on Monday, July 16th by Dave Evans

The Chancer asks … Is Vodafone about to become a new milch cow for shareholders, yielding record dividends?

According to Britain’s Sunday Times it is and, while the UK newspaper doesn’t reveal its sources, it nevertheless insists that Vodafone is about to get another injection of $4.5 billion from Verizon Wireless, its US venture with Verizon Communications. Moreover, the newspaper claims Vodafone will probably pass the money on to shareholders in the form of a special dividend. Continue reading →

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Rumours surface that RIM may split itself in two

Published on Monday, June 25th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Google, Facebook, Microsoft all potential buyers

The British Sunday Times newspaper has published rumours that Research in Motion (RIM) may well be considering splitting itself into two separate parts. It’s a highly believable plan considering another former leading handset vendor, Motorola, did actually divide itself into two divisions. In this case, according to the newspaper, RIM would hive of the handset manufacturing part from its secure network operations service. The Sunday Times didn’t name its sources but there’s a very strong hint that such a plan could have been dreamed up by JP Morgan and Capital Markets, the two investment banks called in by new RIM CEO, Thorsten Heins. Possible buyers mentioned include Facebook, Google and even Microsoft. Continue reading →

Posted in BlackBerry, Facebook, Huawei, Microsoft, Mobile Devices, Motorola, RIM, google, mobile developers, nokia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another PR disaster for RIM/BlackBerry

Published on Monday, May 28th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Ain’t our problem – speak to the operator, says RIM

Talk about failing to appreciate the Power of the Press. GoMobile News was stunned by RIM’s recent reaction to a request for information from the well-respected ‘Don’t Panic’ techie section in the UK’s Sunday Times. Did the struggling handset manufacturer answer the technical question? Nope. Instead it fobbed the newspaper journalist off. Now, Nokia might be ignoring our advice to start making Android handsets but it certainly responds to Press enquiries. We thought we’d detected a change in attitude @ RIM when the company under Thorsten Heins had invited some leading journalists and developers to briefings on RIM 10. But the Times incident raises parallels with the PR disaster which was the Network Operations Centre) outage in in Slough, UK. Continue reading →

Posted in BlackBerry, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Mobile Operators, RIM | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bank holiday tip – adding UK holidays to your iPhone

Published on Monday, May 7th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Severals ways to peel an Apple
Here’s a few good tips for those who want to add holidays to their iPhone’s calendar. It’s particularly apt for our UK readership where today [May 7th 2012] just so happens to be a May Bank holiday. This tip arose because a Brit had forgotten that extra Bank holidays [...]

Posted in App stores, Apple, Mobile applications, iOS, iphone | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Data theft via mobile apps exposed

Published on Monday, March 5th by Tony Dennis

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 →

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The UK is mobile application crazy says the Sunday Times App 500 list

Published on Thursday, January 19th by Bena Roberts

I will be looking forward to reading this at the weekend. But there are the highlights from the new Sunday Times App 500 list

According to new research released to coincide with The Sunday Times Apps List 2012 (first section published Sunday January 22) the majority of smartphone and tablet users believe that apps have made their lives better. In fact more than half say they use their phone more for apps than any other purpose such as emailing, texting or even calling. Continue reading →

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New Music service from Pure to launch

Published on Monday, January 16th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Get your free track by registering for Pure Music

Flicking through an article in The Sunday Times Ingear supplement, GoMo News spotted a new music download service which is set to be launched any time now by Pure in the UK. This will be a subscription service – £4.99 per month – and supported by at least two dedicated mobile apps –one for iOS and the other for Android. There’s a little incentive for showing interest in what will be known as Pure Music. If you go to the Pure web site now here and register, you will be rewarded with a few music track. Only the first 10,000 who do so will get this free track (which GoMo News reckons is worth up to 99 pence), so hurry. Continue reading →

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UK newspaper shows faith in W7 Mango

Published on Monday, December 5th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Sunday Times reviews 3 app for Windows Phone 7

It’s nice to see one of the UK’s most respected national newspapers buck the trend. But that’s what the Sunday Times has just done by reviewing three top Windows Phone 7 (W7 Mango) apps in its ‘Planet of the Apps’ regular feature. As reviewer, Matt Bingham, says, “WinPho mobile deserves to do better , being fast, competent and with 30,000 apps. It’s received a push with the launch of the first Windows Phone from Nokia … the Lumia 800.” Bingham goes onto review threw Mango compatible apps – Network Dashboard; Kinectimals and Send to WP7. Unusually for a publication connected to the News Corporation empire, you can actually get to these reviews online here. Continue reading →

Posted in App stores, Mobile applications, WP7, nokia | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment