Archive for May, 2008
Ah hah! A new series from SMS Text News!
A mobile operator is a kingmaker, when it comes to mobile startups. If you can pitch your application or service successfully to a mobile operator, very quickly, you could find yourself with hundreds of thousands of customers — if not millions. They’re a lot [...]
Continue ReadingJonathan Mulholland knows a thing or three about the mobile industry and I always enjoy his perspective. This weekend I’m pleased to bring you his thoughts on iPhone 2.0.
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I think there are remote Amazonian tribes, isolated from western civilization deep in the jungle, who have heard that the 3G iPhone is coming [...]
Continue ReadingIf you’ve got some questions for us to ponder on today’s podcast, will you let me know or post a comment below?
Also: if you’ve got some shout-out requests, whack them over and we’ll do them.
On today’s podcast in alphabetical order:
- Dan Lane of Howler Tech
- Ben Smith of an unnamed consultancy firm
- James Whatley of [...]
After the Papa John’s story we brought you recently, here’s another, UK-specific:
Papa John’s UK has launched a text-to-win competition offering consumers the chance to win a year’s supply of pizza. Nice. Do try their chicken dippers too.
The campaign, which invites consumers to ‘Txt the Papa,’ will give away a [...]
Have a read of this familiar tale from Epok founder, Ron:
I’m out with some friends at a bar in London. And we decide to get something to eat. But it being London, it’s pouring with rain and there’s not an empty taxi in sight.
Someone knows an Italian restaurant nearby, eventually he gets their number, but [...]
I just picked up the news about Txt2Reg launching here in the UK. I’m sure I’ve seen a similar concept a while back. Anyway, here’s what the website asks on it’s frontpage:
Ever spotted someone in a car you fancied meeting or chatting to?
Our new mobile text service will now give you the chance [...]
Blyk, the ad-funded MVNO, has launched a ‘media.blyk.com‘ service for advertisers considering using their service to reach over 100,000 youngsters directly.
It’s a smart step toward reaching out to advertisers. It’s the average 29% response rate that snares immediate interest, though, I reckon.
If you’re looking for more information on Blyk and their model, their media [...]
All together, the MAXroam team reckon that in the 9 months since their launch, they’ve notched up over a million dollars worth of roaming fee savings on behalf of their customers. I can well believe it. Stick in a MAXroam sim and more or less wherever you go, it’s free to receive calls [...]
Continue ReadingSo here I am again commenting on Orange and data.
Whilst we’ve had some educational fireworks with Vodafone over the past few days, at least it works. At least the company is committed to mobile data. At least they’re talking about it — more than that, they’re advertising the hell out of it.
Orange, on the [...]
I’ve an email in from an Hutchison source telling me that they’ll be offering Apple’s iPhone to their Hong Kong and Macau subscribers later this year. Hutchison is thus Apple’s second ’significant’ network deal after SingTel announced they’ll be going live with it across Singapore, India, Philippines and Australia.
No news on whether it’ll be [...]
The Israeli Government is getting serious about text spam (reports Cellular News). That’s a pretty serious statement! Have a read:
Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset has approved a bill banning the sending of unsolicited SMSs to mobile phones with fines of up to NIS200,000 (US$61,000) per infraction. The bill also forbids unsolicited phone calls of a [...]
Not what you think.
Ricky, our BlykWatch correspondent, came across this rather smart o2 viral challenge for students. 40 multiple choice questions that you have to answer as soon as possible. Get as many points as you can for your Uni and win a bucketload of iTunes and National Express vouchers.
Here’s the a pic [...]
I just popped down to the Orange UK shop to get an account setup there.
The chap said, “Sure sir, no problem, we just need a proof of ID and a proof of address.”
“A what?” I said, momentarily stunned.
“We need a passport, driving license, something like that and a utility bill.”
“Er, you … you what?” I [...]
Have you got your entries in for the Esendex Two-Way SMS competition? You’ve still got time, but the closing date is fast arriving — this Friday.
It’s really straight forward to enter and to start creating a demonstration application. What’s more, Esendex will give you all the facilities you require, including a two-way number [...]
If you’re a mobile developer — games, applications, anything like that, and you regularly test your applications out on an array of handsets, then I want to know. Big time.
Next week, SMS Text News begins our UK mobile developer roadshow. This has been something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. [...]
Is it time to go mobile only and cut off your landline?
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More and more I think to myself – do I really need a landline phone at home? A landline always feels to me like a hangover from the days when people called a location, not a person. They phoned the home number and asked [...]
I’m most certainly not Ambassador material for S60. But if you think you’re made of better stuff (no free handsets, alas), check out the S60 Ambassador site.
Via AllAboutSymbian
I kid ye not. Intomobile has the goss.
Continue ReadingReader Jonathan got me on instant message and sent me over the link to this Youtube video showing just how far Android has come.
I just can’t wait to see these things hit the real world. When talented developers get hold of them, that’s when the mobile industry will really take off. Have a [...]
Nice one M:Metrics — and nice one to SMS Text News regular reader, Ed Cave (who’s just recently joined M:Metrics). The news broke this afternoon that they’ve been acquired by comScore, everybody’s favourite global leader in digital measurement. The deal makes sense. It gives them direct in-roads to the mobile industry and [...]
Continue ReadingNext month, starting June 16th, we’ll be bringing you SMS Text News live from a desert island in the middle of nowhere.
I’m going to be exploring the possibility of working remotely. I’ve emailed Iridium to see if they can lend us a satellite data system to enable us to produce the site. The [...]
For those of you who may not have, erm, speakers or if you find the accents of Ewan, James and Dan a bit hard to follow, have no fear! Behold the SMS Text News Podcast 4 transcript for your reading pleasure.
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SMS Text News PodcasT #4
Hello, I’m Ewan MacLeod, your host. Welcome to SMS Text [...]
The SMS Text News team are off to the Jawbone Noise Assassin launch next week. Expect muchos QIKing and updates. We’ll give the product a go and see how it performs. Me? I’m not a big bluetooth device user, ever since I bought a Sony Ericsson headset to work with my [...]
Continue ReadingAME Info has a few lines about the new ‘Q-Cash’ system that’s shortly going live in the Emirate to enable people to pay for their taxi fares by text. This will be perfect if you come out of the restaurant or office without any cash in your pocket. Or if it’s tipping it [...]
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Ewan on 