Prepaid Market Set to Be the Fourth Quarter’s Battleground
Watching market developments over recent weeks I can’t help thinking that the prepaid segment will be the one that makes or breaks the fortunes of mobile device manufacturers and network…
Mobile Market Offers a Few Bright Spots amid the Economic Gloom
There’s been a lot of talk recently about a “credit crunch” and even an impending meltdown of the economy. Things are certainly getting tougher: the German economy shrank for the…
Nokia Challenges Operators with Prepaid Deal for Comes With Music
On 2 September Nokia announced it will launch its first Comes With Music phone in the UK. Carphone Warehouse has secured an exclusive deal to offer the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic…
Mobile Internet Devices Stuck in the Twilight Zone
Last week I went to the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. A major theme that grabbed my attention was the focus on a new product category — the mobile…
Samsung Takes a Corny Approach to Going Green
Samsung recently announced a range of eco-friendly phones, including models which use up to 50 percent bioplastic for their outer cases. Bioplastics are derived from renewable material like corn oil…
Finding a Standard for Mobile Barcodes
I’ve been handing out my new business cards over the past week or so. People are initially bemused by the mobile barcode on the back. Once I show them how…
The Subjective Nature of Image Quality on Camera Phones
As the performance and specification of camera phones improves I’m finding it increasingly difficult to judge image quality. Ultimately its in the eye of the beholder which is just so…
Wireless Peace in Our Time?
A decision by Nokia and Qualcomm to settle their long-running intellectual property dispute over wireless technologies comes as welcome news for the mobile industry. It’s unclear whether the agreement was…
Having a Party on the QR
Walking down Brick Lane in London over the weekend, I saw this poster: It’s advertising a “secret” party somewhere in the area. The location is given in a QR barcode,…
Bone-Conducting Bluetooth Earpieces Set to Revolutionise Hands-Free Experience
You may already be aware that Bluetooth headsets have improved dramatically in recent years. Noise-cancelling technology is a mass-market selling point, with products such as Aliph’s Jawbone and Motorola’s H12…