Author Archive: Gareth

Apple tablet arrived and it is called Apple iPad !!!

It’s beautiful!

Answers to all Apple tablet questions will be known today!

It will be 6PM in London, UK, when the launch event of Apple will start today. While during the launch event of iPhone in 2007 nobody knew for sure whether this product will revolutionise anything, this time things are different: thanks to huge success of iPhone and iPod touch and their app store, now everybody expects that Apple’s product will be revolutionary…

Gigabyte GSmart Android appears

In our first podcast of the year, Matt from TracyandMatt.co.uk correctly predicted that Gigabyte would adopt Google’s Android OS and slap into on the G-Smart. They did.

The Gigabyte Android smartphone doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s part of the GSmart series – which, until now, included only Windows Mobile devices.

The new handset runs Android 1.6, it has a trackball and measures 103 x 54 x 13.4 millimeters. Mobile-review has some photos of the device:

iPhone first-aid app saves man trapped under rubble in Haiti hotel

As he lay in excruciating pain under six storeys of masonry after the earthquake struck, US film-maker Mr Woolley, barely able to move, was so convinced he was going to die that he wrote a moving diary for his two sons and wife, thinking he’d be dead when they read it.

Mr Woolley had suffered head wounds and a fractured leg, and was trapped for 65 hours. But he never gave up hope.

He downloaded a first aid app that told him how to make a bandage and tourniquet for his injured limb and how to stop the bleeding from his head.

The app warned him not to fall asleep if he felt he was going into shock, so he set his alarm to go off every 20 minutes to keep him alert.

Via Metro and StormyLeeUK

Yet another app about Mobile World Congress released

Mobile World Congress is the biggest most important event about cell phones. It takes place in European Union, in a warm country and at the seaside. Previously it was in Cannes, France and now it is in Barcelona, Spain. However one must point out that it is an event for professionals – mostly employees and managers from mobile operators and entry costs thousands of Euros and apart from cellphones itself also cellular network infrastructure is covered… so in fact it is a very professional event and if you don’t wear a suit you are confused for a homeless bum and asked out.

Previously we were reporting about the first iPhone app about Mobile World Congress and here comes the second one (we tried it! while it was constantly crashing over WiFi, it worked fine over cellular network strangely):

T-Mobile tariff shake-up

T-Mobile has pulled its Combi, Flext and U-Fix tariffs and introduced a new portfolio of flexible ‘pay monthly’ tariffs. The new tariffs are backed by upfront commission payments for third-party dealers that enable them to match the value T-Mobile affords customers via its direct channels.

T-Mobile national sales manager for independent partners John Fannon said: “The new tariffs are like a Chinese menu – it’s very easy to choose what you want… The greatest thing is the flexibility.
”The new 18 and 24-month deals are available from February 1.

Customers can select a free ‘booster’ from a range of bolt-ons as part of their contract, and choose further booster options from £5 per month.

Boosters include unlimited texts, unlimited UK fixed line calls, interent access to 1GB of data per month, plus various  international calling bundles. They can be chopped and changed each month.

Tariffs range from 100 minutes and 100 texts for £15 per month to 1,200 minutes and 500 texts for £35 a month. Customers will pay £5 more for 18-month tariffs than 24-month deals allowing equivalent monthly airtime.

Pre Plus and Pre go head to head

Direct from Precentral comes a video of the Palm Pre Plus and the original Palm Pre go head to head to illustrate the notable performance increase. Still no word on international options. Check out the video after the break.

Review: Samsung Omnia Pro

Samsung are no stranger to Windows Mobile and given that the Omnia was a bit of a hit Samsung have taken the name and produced a whole rake of mobiles that cover all form factors. We take a look at the Executive model, the Omnia Pro.

The fight for a 12 month contract

A consumer watchdog has called for more customer choice, after news that T-Mobile will stop offering 12 month contracts from February.

Government watchdog, Consumer Focus telecommunications expert, Nick Hutton said: ‘We need to see mobile-phone companies offering a range of contract-lengths, which suit consumers’ needs, rather than the existing trend towards longer contracts. Longer contracts may limit consumer choice and could potentially lead to higher prices for consumers.

He added: ‘Longer contracts suit some customers and allow providers to offer discounts on handsets. However customers who find they need to leave their contract may face high termination charges. If consumers are tied into such contracts and rarely switch it may also give less incentive for suppliers to offer the best price deal.’

There are now a limited number of 12 month contracts available, with one of the remaining being through offered through MVNO Tesco Mobile, for the iPhone.Others are available through Orange and Vodafone.

One industry source said: ‘Operators are concerned about churn and one of the ways to diminish opportunities for customers to move is if they are tied in. There is a definite trend towards longer contracts.’