Rewrite Film Festival

Young film makers asked to enter mobile phone film competition

Southwark Playhouse and two Street Geniuses has launched the Rewrite Film Festival, a film competition with a twist. All entries must be filmed on a mobile phone, though each entry can be edited on a computer. Applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 20 with the winners receiving cash prizes as well as having their films shown at a gala event on 7 September. Submissions must be made between 1 and 31 August, with a cost of £5 per film.

Each applicant must base their film around one of three categories; Remake a film or short scene from a television program, Reprogramme people's perception about something that you are personally concerned with, and Rewind where you take the audience back to a moment in the past and change it in someway.

Entries can be made via post or email. For further information, visit www.rewritefilmfestival.co.uk.

Bluetooth bracelet released for mobile phone users

New vibrate alert bracelet arrives with built-in light show

A new Bluetooth bracelet has been released which has been designed to alert you about incoming mobile phone calls. The idea is to wear the item on your wrist. If you receive a call it will silently vibrate. This bracelet is ideal for those users who, when carrying a mobile phone on silent mode, find that the vibration isn't strong enough because it's buried in a pocket, possibly surrounded with other items. Also, for ladies who walk around with three ton of possessions in their hand-bag, it can be tough to sometimes even hear a phone ringtone.

Featuring a stand-by time of 60 hours it takes three hours to recharge and comes with a charging LED. It is sized at 7.1 x 1.2 x 0.5cm and weighs 178.2g.

Find & Go with Vodafone UK

Send Multimap results from your PC to your mobile for free

Vodafone UK has introduced a new mapping service after teaming up with Telmap and online navigation specialists Multimap. Customers can search for a destination on their PC using the Multimap website, before sending the information, for free via an online texting service to their mobile phone. Find & Go then provides maps, local searches and navigational directions free of charge. In addition both drivers and pedestrians have access to 3D maps and directions as well as "turn-by-turn" spoken instructions, though this will cost an additional £5 per month. The service also gives reference to millions of points-of-interest, such as hotels, restaurants and attractions.

Find & Go is currently available on 14 handsets. If the handset doesn't have GPS, a Bluetooth GPS key ring will need to be purchased in order for the service to be used. A three month subscription is included on the Nokia N78, 6120 and N95 8GB, while all other compatible handsets will receive a one month subscription.

The Free & Go service can be purchased from any Vodafone retail store, through telesales or directly from Vodafone live!.

OneStopPhoneShop top selling mobiles

Top selling mobile phones at OneStopPhoneShop last week.

HTC Diamond Orange Black

Clearance Nokia 6300 Black

Samsung SGH F480 Black

Nokia N95 Black 8gb

Sony Ericsson C902 Black

Sony Ericsson W350I Black

Samsung SGH F480 Orange Black

Samsung SGH J700 Pink

O2 pay monthly SIM only

Sony Ericsson C902 Orange Black

Carphone stores put faith in miniature laptops

THE CARPHONE Warehouse has begun selling the Asus EeePC, the latest in a new line of "netbooks" that are designed for basic tasks such as word processing and web browsing, in a small laptop format.

Aimed at business travellers, students and those who need an ultra-portable notebook without the large price tag, the Asus EeePC is designed to be thrown in a bag and taken on the move.

The device comes with Windows XP, a seven-inch screen, a small keyboard and 4GB flash memory hard drive. Extras such as a CD or DVD drive have been eliminated, but the EeePC includes Wi-Fi and an integrated webcam.

The Asus device is expected to become popular with PC users, here, with the computer maker appointing Sharptext as its official distribution partner in the Irish market.

The new product is part of the Carphone Warehouse's strategy to start selling a range of laptops.

The company is hoping to replicate its success with mobile phones in the laptop market, subsidising the devices and selling them with mobile broadband bundles.

"This is us putting our toe in the water in terms of laptops in general," says Tara Blake, spokeswoman for Carphone Warehouse.

The company will offer a number of laptops in store and expand the range to about 30 on its website, including brands such as Fujitsu Siemens, Toshiba and HP.

The Carphone Warehouse has already sold the majority of the 1,000 EeePC units it initially stocked, offering it with mobile broadband from 3 Ireland. The unit is priced at €329 with a broadband bundle - it is also available without the broadband deal, priced at €349.

The EeePC could have a rival in the coming weeks, with Carphone Warehouse already planning to sell its own WebBook from August 1st.

Made by Elonex specifically for the Carphone Warehouse, the WebBook will come with a 10-inch screen and an 8GB hard drive.

The wider Carphone Warehouse group is moving into laptop sales. "Sweden was the first, then Belgium and France. We're at the later end of it," Blake says.

The UK branches began stocking laptops last month and initial sales have been good.

However, Irish customers won't see any of the "free" laptops as advertised by the company's British business, which are funded by bigger subsidies than are available in the Irish market.

The expansion from selling mobiles may signal bigger things to come for the firm, which recently agreed to form a joint venture with electronics retailer Best Buy to sell consumer electronics in the fast-growing European market in a £1.1 million (€1.4 million) deal.

"We've gone from mobiles to mobile broadband to laptops," Blake adds. "Over the next year or so we'll wait and see what happens with Best Buy.

"We will be opening Best Buy stores here; how that will work in terms of what we sell and what they sell, it still hasn't been defined yet."

The first Best Buy store in the UK is due to open its doors in 2009.

© 2008 The Irish Times

Half of UK mobile owners surfing Web on handsets

Britain is fast becoming a nation peopled by hunchbacked youths with over-developed thumbs and a penchant for vicarious thrills.

That's the view of a survey, which has found almost half of mobile-owning Brits surf the Web on their handsets everyday, and well over half check email on the move on a daily basis.

Mobile social networking is also popular with many gadget-owning Brits, the survey conducted by ICM Research and the London School of Economics (LSE) for mobile network Vodafone has found.

More than 45 per cent of mobile users access Web sites every day via their mobile device, according to the survey, while a whopping 62 per cent check emails daily and more than a fifth (24 per cent) have subscribed to social networking on their phones.

ICM Research and the LSE said 3G has been oiling the wheels of mobile Internet services as it makes on-the-fly Web access easier.

Other factors helping to drive mobile Internet consumption in Blighty include networks signing contracts with free email providers, such as Google Mail and social networking Web sites like Facebook.

New pricing structures, which include data in the voice and text tariffs, have also helped.

Unsurprisingly, use of mobile social networking is substantially higher in the 18- to 24-year-old age group. But there is also significant interest in accessing the mobile Internet across all age groups, according to the survey findings.

Professor Leslie Haddon of the Media and Communication Department at LSE said the lower figure for mobile social networking use compared to email reflects the latter's longer established presence in the market.

He said in a statement: "This is a strong indicator of how email has been integrated into the lives of those who use it. But despite the lower figure for social networking sites it suggests that a significant minority have already become somewhat dependent on using them as well."

The survey also found the main barrier to mobile email and social networking adoption is the perceived threat of high bills -- with almost half (41 per cent) of respondents saying they would be 'very likely' to use the mobile Internet more often if cost was not a factor.

Original post

Industry starts finalising its plans for Christmas.

Prepay 3G iPhone and mobile broadband set to star this year...

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The prepay 3G iPhone and mobile broadband are set to be the big hitters this Christmas as the industry starts finalising its plans.

The fourth quarter always produces a spike in sales for operators, manufacturers and retailers, with an additional 750,000 prepay, contract and Sim-free devices sold in December 2007 compared with November and January.

The big products lined up for this Christmas include the prepay 3G iPhone, a dongle from Virgin Mobile and new laptops from Phones 4u and Carphone Warehouse.

One senior manufacturer source said: ‘Everyone is making their commitments, finishing their ranges, signing terms and conditions, and trying to agree price points. Most will have their Christmas plans finalised within the next week or so.

‘Typically, Q4 sees products launched with slight variations, such as new colours. Last year a lot of new-borns were launched, in Q4. The same will happen this year.’

The biggest gains are traditionally made in prepay sales; by the end of the fourth quarter of 2007, Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2 and Orange added a total of 715,000 prepay customers to their networks – twice the number of prepay customers they added during the third quarter of 2007.

O2’s proposed Christmas launch for the prepay version of the 3G iPhone will ensure that high-spending prepay customers are catered for.

3 has another Skypephone up its sleeve, and the internet-call handset, which looks similar to the original, with a dedicated Skype button in the centre of the device, is anticipated to be aimed at the sub-£100 prepay market.

3 released its first handset dedicated to Skype in October 2007, and the second version is expected to be on shelves at a similar time this year to give it time to bed in before the Christmas rush.

Mobile broadband is expected to be huge in what will be its first mass-market Christmas, with further price reductions expected from the networks.

Virgin Mobile is looking to capitalise on the booming interest in laptops by releasing its own mobile broadband dongle in time for Christmas.

It will also be the first festive period where laptops will be bundled with dongles, and Carphone Warehouse is expected to attract a young laptop audience with its own-brand Webbook, which combines various colour options and a low price tag.

But Carphone will face competition from operators, as 3 begins bundling dongles and laptops and is certain to be followed by other players.

Phones 4u will also have a strong range after signing an additional four big-name brands to add to its Fujitsu range.

Festive megapixel race

This Christmas will see manufacturers engage in a megapixel race.

Sony Ericsson’s eight-megapixel camera phone, the C905, has been slated for a Q4 release. The device, which will come with a Xenon flash, auto-focus, smart contrast and image stabiliser, and a 2GB memory stick, will be aimed squarely at the mid-to-high-end contract market.

Samsung showcased the first eight-megapixel device in 2005, and is expected to have a handset released in time for Christmas.

Korean rival LG is also rumoured to have an eight-megapixel device in the pipeline, the KC910, but LG refused to confirm the speculation.

And the internet is rife with talk that Motorola will attempt to recapture some of the success it had with the RAZR, with its own eight-megapixel device, which according to reports has been codenamed ‘Alexander’.

Symbian says could expand ties with Google. OneStopPhoneShop.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Smartphone software maker Symbian said on Wednesday it could expand its collaboration with Google Inc to the operating system level as it moves to grant free and open access to its software platform.

"We already work together and so whatever collaboration, if there is an opportunity, we will be happy to collaborate with them," Symbian chief executive Nigel Clifford told reporters in Tokyo.

"And that could be on the application level or that could be on the more fundamental operating system level."

Symbian currently uses Google applications such as maps and search engines on its platforms.

Symbian software is used in some 60 percent of smartphones -- mobile handsets with computer-like capabilities -- but Apple Inc's iPhone or new categories of phones based on Google's Android software could challenge that dominance.

Symbian's closest rivals are Linux-based phones and Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, but they occupy only 12 percent and 11 percent of the market, respectively, according to data provided by Symbian.

Nokia, which holds 47.9 percent of Symbian, said last month it would buy out other shareholders of Symbian for $410 million (204 million pounds) and make its software available to other phone makers without charging royalties, in response to new rivals such as Google.

Nokia will contribute Symbian's assets to a new not-for-profit organisation, Symbian Foundation, in which it will unite with leading handset makers, network operators and communications chipmakers to create an open-source platform.

Members of the Symbian Foundation include Sony Ericsson, Motorola Inc, NTT DoCoMo, AT&T Inc, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments Inc and Vodafone Group Plc.

Nokia will give Symbian and its S60 software assets to the foundation, while other members said they will lend their UIQ and MOAP software to create a joint Symbian platform in 2009.

Symbian was formed a decade ago in London by a consortium of top mobile handset makers looking for a standardized way of building software to run new phones.

It was the descendant of software used to run Psion electronic organizers popular with business professionals in the 1990s.

(Reporting by Sachi Izumi; editing by Sophie Hardach)

Watchdog clamps down on mobile service vendors

LONDON (Reuters) - Vendors offering mobile services such as ringtones and SMS news alerts could have such services temporarily suspended if they fail to allow users to easily stop subscriptions, regulator PhonepayPlus said on Thursday.

The watchdog for premium phone-paid services said it would clamp down immediately on vendors who did not offer easy get-outs as it launches an eight-week consultation on measures to improve business practices and boost customer trust.

"Any failure will mean we will use our emergency powers," PhonepayPlus Chairman Alistair Graham told a news conference. "We've got an immediate problem in the mobile sector and we want to get to grips with it."

Faster, third-generation telecoms networks and new devices such as Apple's iPhone are making premium-rate mobile services more available and attractive while increasing the need to improve business practices, PhonepayPlus said.

Sales of mobile premium-rate services rose 20 percent to 464 million pounds.

Yet the watchdog said a lack of trust meant most consumers never used such services and noted overall sales including landline and mobile services fell 10 percent to 1.07 billion pounds in the year to end-March.

Britain was hit by a series of scandals last year surrounding TV shows and quizzes that encouraged viewers to call in using premium-rate numbers but then misled them about the results, for example by keeping the competition open after they had chosen the winner.

Customer complaints in the past year more than doubled to over 8,000.

PhonepayPlus said consumers were too often signed up for subscriptions without realising it -- and found it hard to unsubscribe.

They also received unwanted and sometimes expensive marketing messages, while pricing was unclear.

The watchdog said its concerns were shared by other European regulators, and said it had participated in a European Union-wide investigation into mobile premium services, whose results are due to be released later on Thursday.

"It's essential that we address this. Only by working together to build trust among consumers will we see a growing, sustainable, vibrant market for phone-paid services," said PhonepayPlus Chief Executive George Kidd.

The watchdog pledged to come up with measures to make costs and conditions clearer and to provide for easy ways of opting out of receiving promotional messages after consulting with operators and so-called aggregators.

Aggregators such as MX Telecom, mBlox and WIN link telecoms carriers and content providers such as music labels and video producers.

(Reporting by Georgina Prodhan; Editing by Jason Neely)

Tougher rules against phone 'spam'

Tougher rules to protect consumers from unsolicited mobile phone services and intrusive text messages could be in place by the winter under new proposals.

Operators will be forced to introduce clearer pricing for premium rate mobile phone content and will not be allowed to sign consumers up to subscription services without their express approval, regulator PhonePayPlus said.

Under a separate rule, any subscription service that prevents customers from stopping it easily and quickly will be immediately shut down.

Other proposals will ensure consumers receive fewer and more targeted promotional text messages and are able to make more informed decisions about the services they buy.

The mobile premium content market grew to more than £460 million in 2007/08, with 38% of UK consumers buying ringtones, pictures and games or participating in television programmes and competitions, the regulator said.

PhonePayPlus said it received more than 8,000 complaints over the last year, a 108% increase on the year before.

There was anecdotal evidence of consumers, including young people, being charged several thousand pounds as a result of bad practice by content and service providers.

In 2007 the regulator found 33 mobile services had breached regulations and fined them more than £360,000. It had already imposed fines of more than £390,000 in the first six months of this year.

PhonePayPlus chief executive George Kidd said: "There is a clear lack of trust among many consumers about mobile premium services and this is small wonder when you consider the kind of harm that is being done to them by some providers.

"It's essential that we address this. Only by working together to build trust among consumers will we see a growing, sustainable, vibrant market for phone-paid services."

For teens, the future is mobile. Onestopphoneshop.

SAN FRANCISCO--Marketers convened this week to figure out how best to reach teens on the Internet. The answer: It's all about the mobile phone.

Advertisers are clamoring to reach teens in digital environments because that's where they're spending much of their time--either online, with cell phones or playing video games. What's more, teens wield an estimated $200 billion annually in discretionary spending.

Fuse, a marketing agency based in Vermont, talked in recent weeks to senior technology executives from companies such as Sony, MTV Networks, Yahoo, and Nokia to find out what the future of technology will look like for the teen market.

Among the predictions: Mobile phones in the United States will surpass the popularity of desktops for teens. Only an estimated 20 percent of teens currently own a smartphone such as the iPhone, but mobile phone and content companies are counting on the idea that smartphone adoption will spread fast among teens in middle America and other areas.

"The iPhone is just the beginning of the all-in-one device. Uses of mobile devices will expand to include all kinds of bar code applications and prepaid debit card payment methods," said Bill Carter, a partner at Fuse, who presented the findings here at the YPulse 2008 National Mashup, a two-day conference on teens and technology.

That's likely why geographic ad targeting to teens via the phone is expected to explode in the coming years. Right now, mobile phone providers analyze an estimated 4 billion Internet Protocol addresses to provide street-level targeting to consumers. Companies like U.K.-based Blyk, for example, are reaching teens through the phone with ads and information on nearby nightspots. Teens sign up for the service.

"When you combine this new technology with teens giving their permission to market to them, the growth could be exponential," Carter said.

But, he said, mobile phone providers likely won't succeed as the entertainment leaders for the phone, despite their efforts to sell ringtones, games, and music. Other companies like Apple, Google, and Yahoo will be more effective at "side-loading" the cell phone with services.

Case in point: Most teens download music to their iPod that's been ripped from a friend's collection as opposed to bought from the iTunes music store. "There's a natural gravitation to get content on a device that's different than the one the manufacturer intended," he said.

As a corollary, he said that most teens will eventually buy subscription-based music services, much like the cable TV model. He predicted that Apple's iTunes will offer an unlimited monthly download service for music. Mobile phone companies, too, will launch music subscriptions on the smartphone.

Another prognostication: Other technology platforms will save, not kill TV networks, Carter said. The analog-to-digital conversion will make it possible for teens to watch live TV on portable devices. The technology will help the television networks target programming to specific audiences, and that will buoy the cost of advertising, he said.

"The device is inconsequential compared to the content," he said.

iphone or not iphone that is the question?

Rivaling the iphone ? What do you think ?

The HTC Touch Diamond mobile phone has arrived and boy it re-defines the view of the next generation mobile phone. With a sharp 2.8-inch touch screen which is set in stunning brushed steel and has flawless faceted edges.

With HTC vibrant touch-responsive user interface, TouchFLO 3D, and ultra-fast HSDPA internet connectivity, means you’ll get a high-class mobile experience. Plus use the 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus and store all you multimedia files with the 4GB internal memory. Plus HTC Weather – provides a constant view of the weather at home and abroad.

Finally find your destination quickly and efficiently with the built-in GPS facility.

• Use the 2.8-inch touch screen display with four times the pixels of most phones
  
• Admire the impressive Vibrant TouchFLO™ 3D user interface
  
• Capture all your pictures with the 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus
  
• Surf and download at fast broadband speeds via HSDPA internet connectivity
  
• Store all your multimedia files with the 4GB of internal memory
  
• Always know your destination with built-in GPS facility

What's the verdict?
all comments welcome

Our Top Seller

13% of UK users access internet via their mobile

The UK has the second-highest number of mobile internet users compared to the rest of the world, research by Neilson Mobile has shown.

Around 12.9 per cent of mobile phone subscribers use the internet, bettered only in the US where 15.6 per cent of users access the internet via their mobiles. UK mobile internet users are also 60 per cent more likely to interact with on-line marketing than the average user.

Neilsen Mobile notes that on-line marketing should be an "important part" of any companies' marketing mix. However, the firm warned that "publishers, marketers, connection speeds must continue to improve" their services in order to meet consumer internet expectations.

UK mobile users visit an average of 5.5 domains per month, with men accounting for two thirds of those users that interact with advertising.

Italy and Spain have the highest mobile internet use in Europe after the UK, with 11.9 per cent and 10.8 per cent of subscribers accessing the internet respectively.

Can mobile marketing match internet advertising?

Mobile Broadband 1624% increase

With 90% of the UK population now having access to 3G coverage, it seems the Mobile Modems’ finest hour has finally arrived as volume sales grew by a staggering 1624% in May 2008 vs. 2007. This booming product group is available in two main formats; the PCMCIA 3G Card Modem and the modem that connects to a laptop through a USB port, also better known as the Mobile Dongle.

The shape of the market took a significant turn in January 2008. Sales started to rocket combined with a shift of the products' form factor. While sales of PCMCIA 3G Card Modems led the market for most of 2007 and still accounted for nearly half of the Christmas sales, Mobile Modems with USB have been heavily dominating sales, with a share over 95% YTD May 2008 since the beginning of the year.

In spite of the strong year on year value growth (766%) for total mobile modem sales this May, average prices dropped considerably over the last 12 months by £20 to £20 in May 2008. This price decline is mainly driven by the fact that the majority of Mobile Dongles are purchased with a mobile data contract, in which case the modem is often given to the end-consumer for free. However, when a Mobile Modem with a USB is purchased as part of a pre-paid scheme, the end-consumer has to pay a one-off fee for the device.

Chantal Brel, Senior Account Manager at GfK, comments: "Two important barriers that have been holding back the mobile broadband market from growth are now removed: complexity and cost. Operators' mobile broadband offers have become a lot more comprehensive and affordable for the general public. And while sales of laptops with integrated 3G are still insignificant with less than 1% share in May, there is still enormous growth potential for the Mobile Modem market for the future.”

The increasing demand and usage of digital content by consumers along with the time and money spent on this sector is an important driver of the mobile broadband market. The dongles are acting as a 'personal key' to the digital world. To be able to access the Internet wherever you are and whenever you want is becoming more and more important in this technological age. Sleek design and funky colours are also key as the mobile modem must reflect consumers' digital lifestyles and values. Extremely portable, personal and plug-and-play, the market is ready to be dongled.

Dongles and Laptops

original post

Touch Diamond extended battery

Touch Diamond users who are deperately asking for an extended battery option will be able to buy the battery soon. Expansys in UK has just put up a pre-order page of the Diamond Extended Battery, comes with a back cover to fit the bigger battery.

This should be the official extended battery offer from HTC, according to the retail packaging and it has a model number BP E270 on it. The original battery is BP S270, which is a 900 mAh battery. With the new battery, you will be getting a total of 1340 mAh. The thickness of the HTC Touch Diamond body should be increase a little with the new back cover replaced.

Expansys has put it up for pre-order at 80 USD a piece at the moment.

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Nokia signs Warner Music Group

Warner Music available through Nokia Music Store and Comes With Music

Users of the Nokia Music Store will now have even more choice with the announcement that Warner Music Group will also be providing music content to the service. Warner Music Group has joined Universal and Sony BMG and will be seen as a major coup by the manufacturer. Accessible via a PC or compatible Nokia device, the Nokia Music Store allows consumers to browse for new music, search for favourite tracks, artists or albums, as well as finding recommendations from other users. Purchased songs can be downloaded directly to your Nokia or PC and can be transferred between the two.

Warner Music will also be available on Nokia's impending Comes With Music service. Scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2008, once a "Comes With Music" device has been purchased, the consumer will have unlimited access to Nokia's music content for an entire year. At the end of the end twelve months, though your subscription will need renewing, all the music downloaded will be able to be kept in your permanent library.

Ofcom's top ten roaming tips

Ofcom sets out ten tips for keeping down the cost of using mobile phones and downloading data whilst travelling abroad.

1. Enable your mobile phone: Check with your mobile provider that your phone has been enabled to use abroad. Operators are obliged to provide this information to customers.

2. Check your handset: Check with your mobile provider that your handset will work in the country you are travelling to

3. Check the prices before you leave: Contact your mobile provider to check your tariff before you travel to help avoid unexpectedly high bills.

4. Ensure you are getting the best deal: Check international packages offered by operators before you travel to ensure you are getting the best deal

5. The pan European tariff only applies to voice calls: Remember that the pan European tariff (Eurotariff) which has helped to reduce the cost of calls, only applies to voice calls, not to texting and data downloads. It is available from all operators, across most European countries but is not available in Switzerland, Turkey or Croatia.

6. Check your bundles: Don't assume that the price of calls made abroad are included in your bundled package.

7. Don't forget voicemail: Remember that calling your voicemail from abroad can cost the same as making a call to the UK - check with your provider if in doubt. Unlike at home, you may be charged every time someone leaves a message on your voicemail. If you want to avoid these charges, you can switch off your voicemail before you leave the UK.

8. Using mobile internet abroad: Be aware that when connecting to the internet via a mobile handset, dongle or data card (a portable modem which provides internet access via the 3G network) whilst abroad could cost significantly more than when using them at home.

9. The local SIM option: If you are out of the country for a long period time, it could be cheaper to buy a local SIM card that can be used in your handset or a local dongle.

10. Alert your operator immediately if your phone is lost or stolen: If your phone is lost or stolen when you are abroad remember that you could be liable for the cost of the calls made in that country. Make a note of the contact details of your operator before you travel to ensure that you can get in touch with them as soon as possible to report the loss.

Click here to see Ofcom's video guide to roaming

Cycle to charge your Mobile

You can recharge your mobile phone while you peddle your push-bike. According to the Smart Planet website, O2 has revealed a new mobile phone battery charger. In fact, they will be showing the device at the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London from 3rd to 6th July. The company will be displaying an array of the new chargers attached to bikes for you to try - although the cycles will be fixed to the ground but you'll be able to get the general idea. You can plug in your own phone and peddle away to recharge your mobile, if you wish.

However, don't get too carried away with the idea. The bike-based charger is not, yet, due for general release. The device is only being shown at the show to bolster O2's green credentials. They've obviously seen Oranges' wind/solar powered tent at Glastonbury, then.

However, once the bike-based charger is in the wild, surely it can only be a matter of time before O2 does the decent thing and release the thing for general sale?

Smartplanet

To buy or not to buy?

To buy or not to buy? Savvy shoppers increasingly seeking third party approval before buying online

New research from Quidco into the online purchasing decisions of 2,000 British consumers suggests retailers must embrace community sites to attract 'marketing resistant' shoppers and drive online sales.

According to the research, commissioned by Quidco and carried out by pollsters YouGov1, 62% of all shoppers consult online communities - such as cash-back, price comparison and review websites - before making a purchase. Just 27% of consumers go directly to the retailer.

When asked which factors encouraged them to use community sites, the top three answers from consumers were: they offer me unbiased facts about products and services (32%); they trusted the views of communities more than merchants (27%); and the communities help me find the best deal available (27%).

With online retail spend in the UK expected to hit £44.9bn by 2012, the implication is that third party community sites can't be ignored by retailers wanting a slice of these revenues.

Paul Nikkel, Co-Founder of Quidco, argues that a change in perception is needed: “In the past, some retailers may have perceived third party communities to be 'middlemen', but this research shows consumers clearly value them as trusted brands in their own right. Yes, they like the cost savings on offer, but actually they value the community elements and independence more highly. In the offline world, retailers are found in the places where consumers hang out en-masse - often strong shopping centre brands like Bluewater - and they need to do the same online.”

OneStopPhoneShop is going from strength to strength on the buy.at network!

Buy.at is pleased to announce an enormous increase in overall programme performance since January. The success of the growth period of OSPS is thanks to the hard work and dedication of all affiliates, as well as the great fresh and innovative offers that are available to access and link to whilst still hot off the press. Having such a fast moving brand and web offers being updated on an hourly basis, customers keep coming back for more.

With amazing free gifts such as the brand new Nintendo Wii available alongside extremely competitively priced mobile phones – offered at a time when traditional gaming retailers had the consoles on pre order -OSPS strive to achieve their “We will not be beaten’’ mantra on all occasions.

Commitment to offering the best deals makes the 650% growth in sales during the past six months quite justified and thoroughly deserved.

Exclusive handsets are a massive pull to customers, with something suited to everyone. Next day delivery keeps the brand exciting and extremely convenient – after all when you manage to get a bargain deal on a hot new mobile you don’t want to have to wait for it. Being a part of The Carphone Warehouse means handsets advertised on the OSPS site is always available, stock managed to perfection, and gives them great bargaining power to get the best deals for your customers!

The OSPS site is extremely affiliate friendly; there are no telephone numbers which could encourage leakage, ensuring affiliate conversion is always at its best. The site is very welcoming and easy from a customer perspective – quick, simple and secure. Average conversion on the programme stands at 1.97% which is extremely strong in a very competitive sector. A lot of time and research goes into the creation and maintenance of the offer specific GIF and Flash creative available in the buy.at management area – this is dynamically updated onto affiliate sites so brand representation is always fresh, vibrant and highly relevant.

To top this all off, commissions are very generous, with the chance to earn up to £37.50 per sale! Hard work is always rewarded - OSPS really appreciate the effort and enthusiasm affiliates put into advertising their brand and are happy to reward this with regular incentives for affiliates whether on an individual, group or programme wide basis.

Feedback is always welcome; as account manager I love hearing from affiliates – can I help to make campaigns convert better / give any advice / assist in any way? Please feel free to contact me on donna.mccrate@buy.at

OSPS really appreciate hearing from affiliates, existing or potential, to get their take on where they are, how they are doing and what they could be doing better. They believe there is no better way to improve than by following the ideas of the experts - the affiliates.

Nokia Corp is buying out Symbian Ltd

Nokia Corp is buying out other shareholders of handset software firm Symbian Ltd and will open the software for royalty-free use in a move seen as a response to new rivals such as Google.

Symbian's software is used in two-thirds of so-called smartphones with computer-like capabilities and 6 percent of all cellphones, but open-source platforms such as Google's Android as well as Apple's iPhone will challenge its dominance.

Currently, its closest rival is Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. "The move's a shrewd response to growing threats from other providers of mobile phone software," said Geoff Blaber of UK-based research firm CCS Insight, citing the open-source LiMo Foundation as well as Google and Apple.

Nokia will pay 264 million euros ($410 million) for the 52 percent of British-based Symbian it does not already own.

The Finnish company also said on Tuesday it and other top cellphone makers along with operators AT&T, NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone and chip makers Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics had formed the Symbian Foundation to develop the software further.

Nokia will contribute Symbian and its S60 software assets to the foundation, while other members will put in their UIQ and MOAP software to create a new joint Symbian platform in 2009.

"It offers us an opportunity to innovate faster on a bigger, united, more widely accepted platform," Kai Oistamo, head of Nokia's devices business, told Reuters.

"It also enables us to deliver new products, we believe, faster to the market." Nokia said Sony Ericsson, Ericsson, Panasonic and Siemens had accepted the offer for their Symbian stakes, and it also expected Samsung Electronics to accept.

"The biggest surprise is that Nokia gets full ownership all at once, and at a good price," said Karri Rinta, analyst at Handelsbanken. "This was a logical move. There was pressure for Nokia to increase its holding, especially since there were owners such as Panasonic and Siemens who were there for historic reasons."

Nokia to acquire social-activity service provider Plazes

Connecting People just got easier with services that track place and time

Nokia and Plazes (www.plazes.com) today announced an agreement for Nokia to acquire substantially all assets of Plazes, a privately-owned start-up company of 13 people with its principal operations in Berlin. Plazes provides a context-aware social-activity service that people can use to plan, record, and share their social activities: why they are at a given location at a given time, whether in the past, present or future.

"This acquisition helps Nokia to accelerate its vision of bringing people and places closer together, in line with our broader services strategy," said Niklas Savander, Head of Nokia Services & Software. "In addition to the key assets, through this acquisition Nokia will bring on a visionary team with an advanced understanding of social-activity services, as well as the technical ability to further develop this area."

By acquiring Plazes, Nokia will be able to extend its context-based service offering with social presence and time-based activity planning features. Plazes adds the elements of "place" and "time" to social networking through features that allow people to alert friends of their activity and location; review their own and others' past activities; share their experiences and make plans with friends, who are then able to respond with comments and suggestions as well as their own location information.

"Nokia shares our vision of the social activity space and of how we can together develop the service that Plazes provides today," said Felix Petersen, co-founder of Plazes. "We feel proud of what the Plazes team has achieved so far with its pioneering work in context-aware services and we feel even more excited about what's to come next."

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter 2008. After closing, Plazes will become part of Nokia's Services & Software unit.

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

About Plazes

Plazes AG is one of the pioneering web platforms for location sharing and publishing on the web today. Members of Plazes are able to update their location through their laptop or mobile phone, and update their online presence with their current, past and future whereabouts. That way Plazes provides location-based context and real-life value when coordinating with friends, family and business partners. Plazes AG is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland with a development office in Berlin, Germany. For additional information, please visit www.plazes.com

Top sellers last week

New and Clearance

Sony Ericsson K800i Version 2
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New LG KG800
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O2 pay monthly SIM only
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Samsung SGH J700 Pink
Samsung SGH F480 Black
Nokia N95 Black 8gb

Dialogue And AEI Launch UK’s First Mobile Ticketing Solution Using PayforIT

The first mobile ticketing solution using UK mobile payment initiative payforIT has been launched today by interactive mobile specialists Dialogue Communications and AEI Mobile. Mobile ticketing will enable party-goers to purchase tickets to a London nightclub via their mobile phone using payforIT, and to receive the tickets via SMS.

PayforIT is the cross-operator payment initiative that allows consumers to purchase goods and services via their mobile phone up to the value of £10. Dialogue and AEI Mobile will be working together to provide a mobile ticketing solution for Drum & Bass Arena event taking place at Scala Club in London on 15th August and tickets are on sale today for £10.

Guiom Peersman, Dialogue’s UK managing director explains: “We believe this is the first time payforIT will be used to purchase event tickets. People wishing to buy a ticket can text “Scala” to short code 81330 and in return will receive a WAP link to Scala Club’s mobile internet site. From there tickets are available for purchase through the payforIT payment system and the ticket will be delivered directly to the buyer via SMS

Original post http://www.slashphone.com

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MIDI to RING TONE

Standard MIDI files provide a common file format used by most musical software, they contain song information including the title, track names, and most importantly what instruments to use and the sequence of musical events, such as notes and instrument control information needed to play back the song.

There are millions of MIDI files on the interent, the bad news is that you cannot import a midi file directly into your mobile phone as a ringtone, the good news is that you can convert a midi file to RTTL or Keypress format and then send the ringtone to your mobile.

To Convert Midi Files into RTTL or key press format, you will need to download Composer for Ringtone Software, select a midi file, convert the file to RTTL or Key Press format.

Here are more detailed instructions (you may wish to print out this page): Click here

Order a USB modem, get a FREE LAPTOP

T-Mobile USB Modem Stick + Acer Laptop

The Acer 5315 Laptop and the T-Mobile USB Modem stick allows you to break free and get online wherever you are, whenever you want. No matter where you are and as long as there is internet coverage, you can access the internet and all completely hassle free with no wires.

The Acer 5315 laptop sets a great new standard for affordable mobile multimedia, entertainment and now comes with the slender T-Mobile USB Modem stick. With features including Intel® Celeron® processor and a comprehensive 15.4" widescreen, the Acer is top-notch.

Whether visiting friends, studying in the University Park or just generally on the go all the time, you can be connected with the Acer 5315 Laptop and the T-Mobile USB Modem stick package.

• Be amazed by this great package including the Acer 5315 Laptop and the T-Mobile USB Modem stick
  
  
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COMING SOON - HTC DIAMOND

HTC DIAMOND™

Soon to be hitting the Coming Soon pages of OneStopPhoneShop is the HTC Diamond™, this sizzerling number will have you hooked with its impressive design and great array of features.

With a sharp 2.8-inch touchsreen disply set in a stunning brushed steel and flawless faced edges, this really is a next-generation mobile phone.

HTC Weather is included in the HTC Diamond - provides a constant view of the weather at home and abroad, so you'll never get caught out in the rain.

HTC Diamond features include:

• 4GB on internal memory
• TouchFLO™ technology
• GPS Navigation
• HTC Weather..................... and much much more!!!
  

Keep your eyes peeled for the release of this beauty, it's going to be big!!!

RELEASE DATE: JUNE 2008

Top Mobile Sellers

Top Mobile Sellers instore and online this week

Nokia 6300

Samsung U900 Soul Silver

Nokia N95 Black 8gb

O2 pay monthly SIM only

Nokia 6300 Black

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Sony Ericsson S500i Copper

Nokia 7500 Black

Samsung SGH J700 Silver

Nokia N95

Nimbuzz Offers Free Mobile VoIP in UK

Nimbuzz announces the UK launch of an application to provide mobile users and online communities with “free calls, chat and more.” Nimbuzz offers an all-in-one solution for free mobile VoIP calling, conference calling, instant messaging, chat and group chat, and photo and file sending across multiple IM communities, including Skype, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo!, AIM, Jabber and ICQ, plus 23 social networks, including Facebook and Myspace.

Once users download the Nimbuzz application for the mobile and register as a new user, contacts from their selected IM communities are aggregated into a single contact list with icons indicating real-time “presence” - which contacts are online or offline and from which communities.

The new Nimbuzz mobile VoIP application works worldwide on Nokia Symbian Series 60 devices when connected using a 3G or Wifi network (with a Windows Mobile offering for release in June). For GPRS/EDGE connections, or when using Java-enabled phones, Nimbuzz also offers its “hybrid-VoIP” solution (as used by Skype) - for making international mobile calls at local dial-in cost - in as many as 50 countries.

Nimbuzz is free to download and easy-to-use, but data usage is subject to network operator rates when used on the mobile, unless using a flat-rate data plan.

On the social networking front, Nimbuzz is breaking new ground by bringing voice and mobile chat to social networks. The new six-button Communicator widget brings free calling, chat, text and voice messaging and file sending to social networks, email signatures and personal websites or blogs. Also introduced is the unique “buzz” feature which alerts your friends “offline” to join you online for a call or chat.

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This week so far NEW and CLEARANCE.

Nokia 6300

Clearance Sony Ericsson W850i

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Nokia 6300 Black

Clearance Nokia 6500 Slider Silver

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Samsung U900 Soul Silver

Nokia N95 Black 8gb

Clearance Samsung SGH G600 Black

Clearance Nokia N95 8GB Black

Top selling handset with FREE Gift this week.

Nokia 6288 black clearance + Nintendo wii

A NEW LG MOBILE PHONE WILL BE HITTING THE STREETS SOON

Coming soon the LG KF750...........

The LG ‘Secret’ mobile phone aka the KF750 is hot and is here with a Touch-sensitive navigation panel (Haptics, this is a touch-sensitive vibration) and a sexy-slide-to-open design.

The LG KF750 is 3G enabled with a 5.0-megapixel camera and a secondary VGA camera that allows you to video call. With the 160MB of internal memory, you can store all your favourite tunes and top-quality pictures.

And if that isn’t enough, use the built-in FM radio to listen to the latest tracks out.

The LG Secret mobile phone is a top-end slider, so don’t miss out!

A NEW SONY ERICSSON MOBILE PHONE WILL BE HITTING THE STREETS SOON

Coming Soon the Sony Ericsson Z555i................

The Sony Ericsson Z555i mobile phone has arrived and is here to amaze with the latest ‘Gesture Control’ technology. This newest function means you can mute an incoming call or snooze your alarm by moving your hand over the Z555i.

Enjoy your music on the go and listen to the latest tunes with the built-in FM radio, plus you can surf the internet, play games and use the PlayNow™ facilities.

With its dazzling looks and top-notch technologies the Z555i will keep you entertained for hours and hours.