Mobile Digest

BBC and Sky are the big players in British mobile TV

A new study by an audience measurement group shows that the two main players in the relatively small British mobile TV market are the BBC and Sky. It looked at mobile users' watching of channels, websites and content titles, and found the most popular services were BBC with 33% and Sky Sports with 29%.

28% of mobile web users visited the BBC website via their mobiles, and 23% visited Sky Sports online. Only 3% of mobile users actually watched TV.

70% of mobile TV and Internet users are male.

Telephia’s European MD Reza Chady said that the BBC and Sky’s mobile strategies were working:

“Consumers are tapping into three screens—television, PC and mobile phone—for their news and entertainment. Broadcasters must develop an integrated strategy across the three screens to reach, maintain and expand their audience.”

Buy a Nokia N93 - get Mission Impossible 3 on miniSD

The Nokia N93 has been in the shops for a few months now, but Vodafone are giving it an extra push, offering a copy of the Mission Impossible 3 movie free on the miniSD card bundled with the handset.

The offer coincides with the release of the movie on DVD. Obviously this isn't going to be cheap way of picking up the movie, more an attempt by Vodafone to pitch the N93 as an all-round media device rather than a mobile handset. Quality might not be good enough for your average film buff either, with the card just 512MB in size, there must be some serious compression going on. And of course, there's the 2.4-inch screen.

Saying that, the N93 does have a TV cable or you can stick the card into your PC for a bigger picture. Price of the N93 varies with your contract, check with your local store for details.

Vodafone website

Train company to offer tickets via mobile phone

Another use for your mobile phone, this time as a train ticket, with the news that Chiltern Railways is set to offer tickets via mobile handsets.

The railway, which operates from London through to the West Midlands, is set to introduce technology that sends a barcode to a mobile phone via sms, which passengers can then scan at the station ticket barrier. The rail networks hopes it will make tickets easier to buy and ease queuing at stations. The company said mobile ticketing will be available before the end of the year for a three-month trial.

The network isn't the first to introduce mobile ticketing - Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus trialled a similar scheme earlier this year and a similar scheme already operates successfully in Helsinki.

Chiltern Railways

Friday interview: Yahoo's Mitch Lazar on mobile social networking

There's huge amounts of interest around mobile social networking right now, and in particular over who's best placed to make the most of it. Following Tech Digest's feature on the issue, and the follow-up interview with MTV's Angel Gambino, now another big name joins the debate.

Mitch Lazar is vice president of business development for Yahoo's Connected Life initiative, so is heavily involved in Yahoo's mobile ambitions - including bringing its social networking and Web 2.0 properties to mobile. Read on to see what he has to say.

How well will sites like MySpace, Bebo etc transfer to mobile?

As mobile phone functionality increases (radio, internet, e-mail, camera) so does their role in everyday life. For example, we're all taking photos on our phones now which means we can visually, as well as vocally, share our experiences as we have them. By opening the door of on-line communities to mobile device interaction we give access to a whole new universe of contributors and users.

For example, Yahoo! has made Flickr available by mobile - users can take, upload, and tag photos straight from their Nokia phones and share them with global communities. In time other services like Yahoo! Answers, our new social search service, will then be a natural extension... users asking other users questions as they think of them.

Will they dominate the mobile social networking space, or will they face stiff competition from mobile startups, or even the operators?

Users rally around known brands and sources, going where the communities are. Yahoo! has around 500 million users many of whom have invested time in our products like Mail and like our blog service 360, and as such are rooted there. No doubt new entrants will emerge but that's the nature of the environment.

What challenges will they face?

We recognise that there will, of course, continue to be technological challenges such as multiple formats and screen size etc. Our strategy is to work through them in partnerships, with content owners, device manufacturers and operators, to provide a high quality mobile internet experience.

For example, earlier this year we launched our Yahoo! Go for Mobile client, which allows consumers to access their favourite Y! services including Mail, Messenger, Search and Photos all in one place on their phone.

We partner with handset manufacturers including Nokia and Motorola as well as operators Hutchinson 3 in Europe to increase awareness and availability of the product, and believe that these partnerships are proving to work to everybody’s advantage.

Hitachi unveils transflective IPS LCD screen for mobile phones

TV on your mobile is likely to be much bigger news next year - but there could be a problem with seeing your screen in the daylight. Which is where Hitachi's transflective IPS LCD screen comes in.

The IPS LCD screen is a thin panel with improved outdoor visibility and - so they claim - with a much higher picture quality and wide viewing angle, using the world’s first Transflective IPS-Pro system. All this improves visibility in bright outdoor conditions for mobile phones, particularly when it comes to TV reception.

The Transflective IPS LCD module now in commercial production provides improved visibility in bright outdoor conditions using a reflection unit fitted to the picture element structure, so that reflections from bright outdoor lights lighting up the LCD can also be used for displaying images. As a result, images are generated in the usual manner by transmissive lights from the backlight in indoor environments where the brightness is comparatively low, and illuminated by reflective lights in bright outdoor conditions.

Commercial production started in September, so expect it in your mobile sometime next year.

Hitachi website

RoamCon - control and secure your home with your mobile phone

RoamCon is a system of controlling your entire home, courtesy of the net, Wi-Fi and your mobile phone. So probably best not to leave your handset lying around if you invest in it.

It's very much "home of the future" territory, but available now, offering core surveillance and security and control of heating, lighting, smoke detection, gate operation and home entertainment - all from a single interface. Your home can be monitored live via the net or mobile, while images can also be recorded to browse later. Via the mobile phone you can also switch cameras - and if the system detects an intruder or event it can notify you by text message or by email and stream video to your mobile. And you can monitor your home no matter where you are in the world.

Check out the website for the full breakdown of services and if you want it in your home, prices start at £3,000.

RoamCon website

Bluetrek Skin Bluetooth earpiece - fashion for heads

Bluetrek has a new Bluetooth earpiece on the market - knowns as Skin - the first in its 'Fashion for Heads' range, apparently aimed at those who want to make a fashion statement with their technology.

The idea, it would seem, is to treat your Bluetooth headset as an accessory, matching it up the way you might match up earrings, a watch or a bag. The Bluetrek Skin is lightweight, slimline and with a layer of black synthetic fabric that gives it a 'velvet effect' look. But enough about its looks - we buy these things for a practical use, no matter what the company says. This one offers 12 hours talk time, 17 days standby, a range of 10 metres and has an LED to indicate power levels.

Available at the end of November for around £60.

Company website

CoPilot Live comes to Sony Ericsson's Symbian UIQ-based smartphones

Good news if you want to add sat nav on your Sony Ericsson smartphone - you now can, with the announcement that CoPilot Live navigation is now compatible with Sony Ericsson UIQ-based handsets, initially the M600i and P990 handsets.

This latest version of CoPilot Live offers GPS to the same level as a dedicated system - but on your phone, using the phone's functionality - the touch screen, processor and built-in speakers. You get turn-by-turn voice directions (as well as on-screen), detailed maps and points of interest (from Navteq), a new route if you miss a turning and ccess to a safety camera database, with your current speed and the limit displayed on screen.

For prices and availability, check with your mobile operator.

CoPilot website

ThinkGeek's budget retro handset with Bluetooth

With Hulger's vintage-styled Bluetooth handset retailing for around £100, there's an obvious gap in the market for a cheaper version - after all, these things are never going to be more than a novelty. ThinkGeek has taken up the challenge - offering this retro Bluetooth handset for $40, which is around £21.

For your money you get a quirky, vintage handset that wirelessly connects to your phone using Bluetooth 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2. Its range is around 30ft and you can make or receive calls for as long as the phone is charged. Unfortunately, they don't make clear how long this is.

If you're after one of these handsets, but don't see yourself using it much past that amusing first night in the pub, it doesn't seem a bad price to pay.

ThinkGeek website

Via Gizmodo

Orange and Microsoft to launch mobile Live Messenger

Microsoft and France Telecom (who operate mobile phone services under the Orange brand) have announced a deal whereby Microsoft will supply a mobile version of their Windows Live Messenger (previously MSN Messenger) for use by Orange customers.

They say it's the first service to converge PC and mobile-based instant messaging services. It will launch first in France and then roll out into other European countries, including the UK, during 2007.

Ultimately, it will allow France Telecom's 135m customers to interact with 240 million worldwide Windows Live users, though this will roll out in stages, with 'several million' FT users expected to have access to it by 2009.

Only certain compatible handsets will initially be able to run the service. By December, nine handsets will be capable of downloading the software, including 6 already in production. This will increase to several dozen by the end of next year.

There are no public details on pricing yet, but the two companies have said that it would be made attractive to young users. Orange also don't see SMS suffering as a result, as they say people want some messages to remain in a more private space.

Microsoft's deal isn't exclusive, meaning that similar services could roll out with other operators.

As Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger are now interoperable I wonder if this means that Orange users can IM both services.

SoundID Personal Sound Systems

'Just step over there if you want some privacy,' you say, fingering your SoundID in your pocket. Although this is technically a hearing aid - a powerful hearing aid at that - it seems inevitable that it'll be used for everything from eavesdropping on celebrities in public to eavesdropping on your lascivious neighbors. It's incredibly tiny, as hearing aids are wont to be, and has up to four modes. Amplification mode enhances sound in the immediate area, blanking background noise and kicking up conversation volume. Phone mode lets you pair with a (here's where that comes in) Bluetooth phone so you're not constantly shouting "WHAT? WHAT?" Then there's CompanionLink, which involves a microphone paired to your SoundID, and One2One, which connects two SoundIDs so neither of you has to shout "WHAT? WHAT?" The SoundMate model, with Phone, CompanionLink and One2One is $249 USD, where the SoundFlavor has all four plus a wireless mic, at $699. [GT]

[via Gizmodo]

Related stories: Scala Rider Bluetooth Helmet Headset | Bluetooth Squirrel to handle calls | Bluetrek water-resistant Bluetooth headset

O2 to offer free incoming calls for users roaming in Europe

O2 have announced that, along with Movistar in Spain, they will offer incoming calls free of metered charges to customers roaming in 35 European countries.

The "high roamer" service will allow customers to pay a £5 monthly fee which gets them a reduced rate of 25p per minute on outgoing calls, plus free calls in Spain, which is where O2 say most of their customers go when abroad. They will expand this to the 35 European countries early next year. This might encourage users to use their phones more when abroad.

O2

Vodafone adds Sharp's 3G 770SH and Sharp GX29 clamshell to its Christmas line-up

As we previously mentioned, Vodafone has added a pile of new handsets to its Christmas line-up, with many models exclusive to the mobile giant - including the Sharp 770SH 3G handset and Sharp GX29 clamshell.

The Sharp 770SH is an entry-level 3G clamshell handset, which will give you access to Vodafone's mobile TV services. Other than that, it has a 1.3 megapixel camera, an inner TFT screen and outer mono display, video calling, 20MB of storage (which can be boosted by microSD card), MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC+e music player, Bluetooth, USB and talktime of around 2 hours 40 minutes, along with a standby of 330 hours. It's available in a choice of black or silver.

The Sharp GX29 is a fairly basic 2.5G clamshell with just a VGA camera for taking your snaps. It's got a TFT screen with 256K colours, along with a second external mono display, Bluetooth, USB, voice memo and games. Battery life is 3 hours 40 minutes, with standby 250 hours.

Both should be in Vodafone stores in the coming weeks. Prices according to contract.

Vodafone website

LG's Shine phone the KV4200

LG has taken the wraps off its next generation, ahem, girl phone. The wonderfully named Shine series has arrived with the first model sporting the moniker the KV4200.

Its big selling point is that it has a screen that morphs into a mirror. Anyhow sister blog Shiny Shiny has the full details here.

ROK launches world’s first converged mobile and PC subscription-free TV service - FreeBe TV

Not content with offering a free mobile TV service to GPRS handsets, ROK has gone one step further - offering those TV channels free to PCs, with a PC-enabled version of FreeBeTV, the world’s first subscription-free mobile TV service - available from today, Wednesday 18th October.

IPTV FreeBe TV is a desktop application which offers instant access to a range of channels without a net browser. There's currently 12 free channels, including live news, music and sports. Free, ROK believes, is the only way encourage mass-market adoption of mobile and IP TV services - leaving advertising to sort out the revenue generation, with the mobile networks still picking up their percentage from the mobile data charges. ROK hopes the added PC service will encourage people to shift their viewing habits away from the traditional TV - considering both the PC and mobile as standard viewing tools.

In the longer term, the company plans up to 500 channels, but if you want to view the initial 12, you can download the application now. Windows only I'm afraid - and you'll need Real Player.

Find out more at the FreeBe TV website

Vodafone's exclusive Motorola V1100 coming for Christmas

One of the exclusive mobile phones Vodafone is launching in time for Christmas this year is the Motorola V1100, a 3G clamshell phone that claims a 'sporty design' (whatever that means). It'll come with mobile TV, Vodafone Radio DJ, and a 1.3 megapixel camera.

There's not a whole lot more information on the handset yet - no release date, pricing/contract details or other specs, so we'll just have to be content with the pic for now. More details when we get them.

Carphone Warehouse launch mobile phone auction site

The Carphone Warehouse has launched an online auction site dedicated exclusively to selling used mobile phones. It grandly claims it'll be in direct competition with eBay for the second-hand mobile market, and says there's a real need for it in the UK due to the increasing 'mobile mountain' of discarded old phones.

After an introductory month of free listings, a flat listing fee of £1.25 will be charged to the seller. £1 of this will be used to check that the mobile phone has not been stolen - a prerequisite for selling on the site is that handset unique ID numbers are registered.

Because many mobile customers change their phones every year on a contract, or simply to keep up with the latest fashion, old phones stack up quickly, but due to a lack of consumer demand (presumably they mean on the high street) and limited store shelf space they're hard to shift.

This site hopes to change that. Apparently Vodafone already sell end-of-line mobiles on the site, which has been in trial for 4 months and has sold 3,000 handsets per week directly to buyers.

I have to say I like the idea. What do you think?

MyMobileAuction.com

Sling Media and Symbian partnership for mobile TV viewing

Sling Media who make the popular 'TV-over-the-Internet' Slingbox, and Symbian who produce an operating system for smartphones, have partnered to bring a new mobile TV solution to consumers.

Sling Media will make a version of its SlingPlayer Mobile software available for Symbian OS in selected European and Asian countries before the end of the year, branching out to the US thereafter.

The solution will let smartphone users on S60 and UIQ use their devices as mobile digital TVs that can pick up any programme available from their home. SlingPlayer Mobile will be able to control a user's home PVR so they can watch recorded shows, manipulate live content and schedule new recordings.

lake Krikorian, CEO of Sling Media said that "People love their living room TV programming and simply want the ability to watch it on any device wherever they happen to be, whether at work on their PC, around the home on their wireless laptop, or on the go via their mobile phone. I've been using a beta version of the SlingPlayer Mobile on a Symbian smartphone, and it's pure sweetness."

Not surprisingly you'll need a Slingbox. This new solution simply extends the options you have for watching your home TV, Freeview, cable or PVR content on the move. If you've a Symbian smartphone, you don't need a Net-enabled PC to watch content, as it'll work over 3G or WiFi.

They've a large mobile customer base to work with, as Symbian OS is present in over 82 million smartphones worldwide.

iPhone tantalisingly close as Apple register trademark. Dual model rumours start.

An Apple iPhone or two could be a step nearer as there are reports of Apple officially filing for the 'iPhone' trademark. An analyst from Prudential Equity also believes that his 'sources' and 'recent checks' suggest that Apple could release two models - one a smart phone and the other a slim music phone. At least one of them will have wi-fi connectivity, and a keyboard for messaging.

American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu has written "Our research indicates that an Apple-designed smart phone has moved from concept to prototype and recently has progressed to near completion as a production unit. We believe this smart phone has been in development for over 12 months and has overcome substantial challenges including design, interference, battery life and other technical glitches".

Apple have filed a number of patents recently, suggesting that something big is on the way.

Other rumours speculate that Apple will launch the iPhone in the US by partnering with the Cingular mobile operator.

Whether Apple will quickly try to enter the more crowded UK mobile phone market, which is more advanced than the US one, remains to be seen. Britain's consumer market could be harder to break into.

We'll probably hear about it from Steve at the San Francisco Expo next year.

Sagem launches the 600v 3G phone through Vodafone

Sagem is introducing its first 3G handset in the UK - the 600v, which will be exclusive to Vodafone.

Looks-wise, it looks like a fairly innocuous candybar handset, but there's plenty of features to make it worth a second glance if you're looking for a lower-priced phone, including a music player (mp3, AAC AAC+ formats), a good quality (262,144 colours) screen, integrated camera, Bluetooth and SyncML for switching/sharing files, Java games, 16MB of on-board memory (can be upgraded via miniSD card) and 4 hours of talk time, plus 400 hours on standby.

Available exclusively from Vodafone from Monday 23rd October, retailing for £69.99

Sagem website

Samsung launches Symbian SGH-i520 HSDPA handset

As we mentioned yesterday, Samsung has announced the SGH-i-520 smartphone, based on the Symbian operating system and Nokia's Series 60 (S60) user interface and offering HSDPA (super 3G connectivity).

HSDPA should mean internet downloads up to five times faster than standard smartphones. It's a slider and features a 2MP and VGA camera, 2.3-inch QVGA TFT screen, music playback for MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC+e/Real/WMA files, video playback in MPEG4/H.263/Real/H.264/WMV formats, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, full HTML browsing, mobile printing and 45MB on on-board memory, which can be boosted to 2GB via microSD card.

Still no news of a launch date, we'll keep you posted.

Samsung website

Vodafone unveils 3G Christmas mobile line-up

Vodafone has unveiled a large range of 3G handsets in time for the busy Christmas season. 10 of the mobile phones are made exclusively for Vodafone include 6 HSDPA phones from Motorola and Samsung for accessing the web at broadband speeds.

Vodafone have said that 5 of the 10 exclusive phones sourced from Europe, US and Asia will be priced at entry-level.

14 of its handsets will include Vodafone's Radio DJ service, whilst all the 3G handsets will have Vodafone live! for mobile TV services.

The range will also include two 3G phones from LG including the LG KU800 slider phone (pictured) and the LG L600V.

Vodafone will offer:
Nokia 6234
Motorola V1100
Motorola MOTORAZR maxx V6
Motorola MOTORAZR V3xx
Samsung ZV40
Samsung ZV50
Samsung Z560V
Samsung Z720V
Sony Ericsson V630i,
Sagem my600V
Sagem my800V
Sharp 770SH
Sharp GX29
Vodafone 710

More details on all of these over the coming days.

Vodafone

First set of generic dot mobi domain names to be auctioned

The first set of generic domain names under the new .mobi top-level domain is due to be auctioned off on 27th October at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East domain conference, Hollywood.

Unlike the free-for-all first-come first-served system used for previous TLDs, certain commonly used words and phrases will either be auctioned off or undergo a Request For Tender process by dotMobi. This should help to dissuade cybersquatters and ensure that some premium names are only taken by organisations who can provide quality web content for mobile devices.

The first set of 10 names are 'celebs', 'cheaptickets', 'flowers', 'fun', 'gossip', 'hot', 'laugh', 'party', 'stockquotes', and 'wow'.

"Given the strong demand for .mobi domain names, bidding at this initial auction will most likely be exciting," said Neil Edwards, CEO of dotMobi. "We anticipate that the winning bidders of these Premium Name sites will develop relevant and useful content for mobile Internet consumers."

Apart from 'stockquotes', perhaps, this set seems to be targeting the entertainment market - I wonder what sort of sites will develop from these snappy names.

Samsung to launch slim Symbian SGH-i520 HSDPA smartphone in Europe?

According to various online rumours, Samsung is set to launch the SGH-i520 HSDPA (super 3G) smartphone in Europe this week - more specifically, at the Symbian Smartphone Show, which opens tomorrow (Tuesday) in London.

The  SGH-i520 is based on the Symbian operating system and Nokia's Series 60 (S60) user interface. The slider handset is just 1.8cm-thick and is expected to feature full PDA functionality, a 2.3in display, Bluetooth 2.0 on board and a two megapixel camera.

We'll hopefully have more details after the official launch - along with a shipping date for the UK and Europe.

Samsung website

Via The Register

Mint offers credit card payments via sms messaging

We recently covered HSBC and First Direct's forays into banking via text messaging. Well, they're not alone - credit card provider Mint (part of the Royal Bank of Scotland) is getting in on the act, offering the TextDebit service for paying off credit card bills in conjunction with Telrock.

The service allows Mint cardholders to pay their monthly balances on their mobile phones from pre-registered debit cards, as well as being able to request balance inquiries and available credit balances, view mini statements and pay outstanding balances in full or part amount anywhere in the world. It all uses sms - register your card with the company for the service, then use the service via passwords assigned to your phone, with transactions only taking place once authentication by both parties has taken place.

Telrock hopes their system will become the standard for sms banking - which is likely to be next year's big growth area in personal banking.

Mint website

Acoustic Energy and Orange launch Orange-branded Bluetooth speaker system

So, you've got a Bluetooth-enabled phone full of tunes and you want to listen to them in the living room. What do you do? Well, Orange hope you'll go out and buy their stereo Bluetooth loudspeaker system.

The Orange-branded (and Acoustic Energy-made) stereo Bluetooth speaker system uses Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) technology for wireless wide bandwidth stereo over distances of up to 10m, which can then be played back through the 20w amplifier. It's plug and play - as long as you have a compatible phone, PDA, PC or MP3 player. Just select a track or playlist, press play and the Bluetooth loudspeaker system blast out your tune. For improved stereo, the stereo mini-monitor loudspeakers can be detached from the Bluetooth receiver/amplifier unit and separated by up to 2m. And if you haven't got Bluetooth, you can plug your device into the speaker system.

The Orange Bluetooth wireless loudspeaker system will go on sale this month at selected Orange shops at around £89.99.

Orange website

Vodafone and Phones 4u link up: Carphone Warehouse unhappy

Vodafone has done a deal with Phones 4u that will ensure P4U is the only third-party UK company allowed to sell Vodafone mobile contracts. This ends the previous partnership with the Carphone Warehouse who can now only sell pay-as-you-go phones on the Vodafone network.

"Phones 4u is fully aligned with the Vodafone strategy of delivering a superior customer experience. This strategic deal will... ensure we can target all key customer segments through their channel of choice," said Voda UK CEO Nick Read.

OK, but some are speculating that Vodafone is doing some kind of payback for CW getting increasingly involved in broadband by acquiring AOL.

Not surprisingly CW aren't happy, saying that it will limit consumer choice as Phones 4u will now be working towards selling Vodafone quotas. Vodafone had apparently approached CW prior to inking the P4U deal, but CW declined as they said they sold phones based on what was best for the customer, not the mobile phone companies.

Asono Freebit H1 Bluetooth headset

The pulse races ever so slightly when I see a new product from Norwegian firm Asono - previous efforts, such as the DAB1, have an interesting design not often seen in the mainstream. Alas, the Asono Freebit H1 Bluetooth headset seems to lack any such quirkiness.

The stand-out feature is the ergonomic design, which allows the Freebit H1 to fit comfortably within the ear muscle without clamping the ear or blocking the passage between the ear canal and your surroundings. This, according to Asono, means comfort and improved sound. It's also got a number of patent-protected improvements for functionality, but it's not clear what these actually are - what is clear is that it offers 9 hours use between charges, 200 hours standby time and a working range of 33ft.

The Asono Freebit-H1 will be available before Christmas, priced at around £56.

Find out more