The UK Mobile Report

Videoconferencing gets renamed, re-marketed, but don't hold your breath

In the late 1980s firms like BT spent millions telling us that videoconferencing was the next big thing. But the technology was clunky, expensive, and was contradictory to the junket culture that we all know and love. BT and the likes were particularly keen to push the technology in the recession of the early 1990s, putting out press releases with headlines like 'Videoconferencing booming as firms cut expensive costs of travel'.

Seems like videoconferencing as a way to waste a lot of money is back again - now renamed as 'telepresence' - beam me up Scottie.

I haven't had a chance to see it in person but although the quality has probably improved massively the costs still don't seem to add up.

This New York Times piece will make the PR fairly happy but it doesn't point out the rental costs, only giving the full installation cost of $350,000. If it was so good we could expect to see it commercially available in major hotels - but no sign of that yet. Perhaps everyone is doing it for pennies on their webcams anyway.

How Facebook is tracking you

This ZDnet article is depressing.

It claims that Facebook tracks its users when they buy stuff anywhere on the internet, using the controversial Beacon tracking service.

I suspected having a Facebook account was invasive, but this is clearly a step too far.

The best iPhone applications are....

I don't have the time or the inclination right now....but thanks to the wonderful Michael Gartenburg at Jupiter Research I can present you with a list of sorts:

News and Information:

Bloomberg news
eReader
AP Mobile news
Movies
NetNewswire

Media and Social Network:

AOL Radio
Facebook
Last.fm
Pandora
Tuner
Twitteriffic

Games:

Aqua Forest
Bejeweled 2
Columns
Crash Bandicoot
Hold 'Em
Ms. Pacman
Tetris

Go to his web page immediately. The man is a genius.

UK Mobile Report nominated for award

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Skyhook brings Wi-Fi-based mapping to the UK

Skyhook Wireless, supplier of a positioning system using Wi-Fi and GPS to calculate location has launched in the UK.

The system is gaining high profile partly because it is embedded in every iPhone, and partly because - thanks to using Wi-Fi hotspots as location points - it is more accurate than GPS alone and also works better inside buildings.

This morning I met Ted Morgan, Skyhook CEO, over here from Boston on a flying visit.

If you want to get an overview of the service I advise you to have a look round Skyhook's excellent website.

Here are the key points of our chat:

- The company makes it money by providing software and has registered 30 patents to protect it
- It is likely to announce another device deal by year end with 'a global supplier' - no clues yet
- It makes most of its money from licensing the software but also expects some shared ad revenue from apps developers

- Key applications are currently navigation, games with location elements, and friend finders (such as BuddyPing)
- There are currently 40 location applications available for iPhone users in Appstore
- $17m has been raised in funding to get the company where it is today, Intel is a shareholder, and for a while so was Nokia

The amazing thing is Skyhook relies on mapping all the  W-iFi hotspots in the UK using cars that travel every road in the major conurbations to pinpoint their locations. It is also mapping cellular mast locations - what a huge enterprise!

Ted Morgan says that the company has not got too far with operators yet because of their concerns about doing the right thing about privacy issues. He also says Facebook - who he has talked to -
"doesn't really get it when it comes to location services." Or is Facebook just playing things close to its chest?

But he admits that location details are already available to operators but says that at the moment users are not really aware of that as a privacy issue - confirming the view that it is all about perception at the moment. Could privacy concerns hold back the roll-out of location-based services? It's definitely one to watch.

He also predicts that navigation is going to be the killer app with users mounting their iPhones in their cars - something that should concern the likes of TomTom and Garmin.

For the moment at least having the software on iPhones means that users can experiment and Apple and the operators can find out what works and what doesn't. It would seem that Apple is suddenly at the forefront of learniing how to make the most out of location-based services - unless that is Nokia announces something similar very soon.

Here is Skyhook's latest release if you want a bit more tech background:

Skyhook Wireless, provider of the Wi-Fi Positioning System and XPS 2.0, the hybrid positioning system, today announced its formal launch in Europe. The launch includes a massive coverage expansion throughout the UK and Europe and the establishment of sales and operational offices in the region. Skyhook's launch will be showcased at tonight's Mobile Monday London event, “Enabling location based applications.”

Skyhook has already mapped over 16 million Wi-Fi access points in Europe, and now provides coverage to over 130 million people in Europe.  Skyhook's fleet of  200 European data collection specialists has driven over 750,000 kilometers to date and continues to expand coverage every day.

 

“Skyhook's European expansion is an important step towards our goal of delivering consumer-ready location across any environment, indoors or outside, in rural areas or downtown, in Berlin or Boston” said Ted Morgan, CEO of Skyhook Wireless.

 

European application providers are taking advantage of Skyhook's European expansion. UK-based BuddyPing and Rummble and Dublin-based Locle are integrating Skyhook's software into their applications. By working with Skyhook's positioning system, these cutting-edge mobile social networking and search applications are responding to the consumer demand for fast, accurate, and reliable location determination in all environments.

 

El Regio turn mashup on Google's spycars

El Regio, tech bible to the online masses, has declared webby war on Google's nefarious streetcars by creating a clickable map showing you who spotted them and where. What a superb service to the paranoid amongst us. See it here if you must. But remember Google isn't really evil, it just wants your data, your email, your searches, and a nice picture of your street. It promises that if your beloved dog Rover is in shot it will put fuzzy bricks over its face to make sure it doesn't become a target for dog kidnappers from Columbia.

I for one look forward to mooning the Spycar when it comes down my street.

EC to act on cost of international texting

The EC is to lay down the law on cutting the high costs of texting across borders, after the industry failed to take voluntary action.

The move has been welcomed by 3 UK which took the opportunity to call for action on data roaming too.

Kevin Russell,  Chief Executive Officer, 3  UK on EC statement today on text
and data roaming:

"It took the EC to intervene on behalf of the consumer on voice roaming, and
we're glad it intends to do the same on texts.  We share the Commission's
concerns that data prices remain too high and are a likely cause of "bill
shock".  We are pleased to note that they are still looking closely at data
roaming and the possibility of a wholesale safety net.  Data roaming is
rapidly becoming a big issue as sales of mobile broadband modems soar and it
is absolutely logical that people want to take advantage of mobile access to
the internet when they are travelling across Europe.  If "bill shock" is to
be avoided, we think similar action will be required on data, or customers
will continue to face excessive charges.

"We’re concerned enough about the problem that we have made it necessary for
3’s Mobile Broadband customers in the UK to “opt in” if they want to take
advantage of data roaming outside of 3's networks.   We offer roaming on 3's
international networks within the customers home contract -- a service known
as 3 Like Home.  We are so concerned about bill shock that we recommend that
customers have a £50 limit put on their account to ensure they don’t
overspend  when they roam off 3's networks and  find they have a roaming
bill that ruins their post-holiday spirit.

"We believe the recent cuts of up to 40 per cent for data are not an
effective response to Ms Reding’s challenge, as even then customers are
still being charged more than 100 times what they are charged at home for
using mobile internet services while roaming.   More importantly for them,
they will still be finding they are charged very large amounts for
individual experiences, such as down-loading a music track, a video or a TV
programme.

"The industry has failed to get wholesale prices down to levels at which the
market for data can take off and, therefore, regulatory action is necessary.
We have offered every operator in Europe a reciprocal wholesale data roaming
deal of 25 Euro cents per MB, but only five out of  more than 90 networks
have taken us up on it.

"Data roaming is a clear example of lack of competitive pressure on
wholesale rates. We believe regulation is necessary if prices are to fall
enough for customers to get a good deal and for the roaming market to take
off in line with the rapid growth we are now seeing in domestic markets.  We
are really in danger of seeing customers confused by being in the fast-lane
for mobile internet take-up at home then finding they are in the very
fast-line for prices when they head off on their travels."

Top Five iPhone 3G videos

The nominations are:

Here's a basic one care of the folks at Engadget.

Not a great demo but you get to see a few apps, a bit of GPS, and a few language changes - anyone for kanjii? It all looks very colourful and well integrated to the PC.

This demo from CNET is a bit better on the unboxing side of things showing you exactly what you get but a bit short.

This Boy Genius Report makes a comparison of the new iPhone with the old one. Bit arty.

A guy from AT&T (which is a network provider in the US) has a good unboxing video on Youtube with a focus on the Appstore, browsing (very fast), email, powerpoint, browsing while being on a call

A video made by one of the first buyers at the New York store - pretty unique because it shows the whole conversation with the salesgirl, but boy does it take ages just to get that phone! When she says "sorry this is taking a little while' it's something of an understatement. It seems a lot more expensive over there - she over charged a $35 'activation fee'.

And the winner is ............The guy from AT&T - not cheesy, just a superb round-up of features

Apple boasts of 1m iPhones sold

The people's poser phone is selling like hot cakes apparently. Apple has flogged enough to confidently put out the news that one million have been sold worldwide in the last three days. It was less forthcoming on explaining why hundreds of UK buyers were left unactivated, but let's not rain on their parade, it's another poke  in the eye for Nokia et al.

Website highlights plight of angry iPhone buyers

Users angry about lack of activation  48 hours after buying kit

An iPhone buyer who bought his phone on Carphone's website and who is unable to activate his phone has opened a website to share news with many others suffering a similar plight at http://autumnskies.co.uk/iphone/

Latest news on the site is that O2 and Carphone are not answering calls - either that or it's impossible to get through to them.

The site lists 54 customers by name who have failed to get connection. Most bought from Carphone, some from Apple and O2 stores. The majority ordered online on 7th July.

One problem appears to be customer details stuck in the Carphone system. O2 has said it will give an update this afternoon but on Friday it admitted system problems causing many buyers to have problems.