News

Orange announce flat rate internet!

Today Orange announced plans to launch its new flat rate pricing for data, making it easier for users to understand the costs involved when browsing the mobile internet.

From June, five new bundles, starting from just £1, mean both Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go customers can browse safe in the knowledge they will know exactly how much they will pay.

The five different pricing bundles are:
Orange Pay Monthly

Orange Pay As You Go

so put in place a price cap for customers who don’t sign up to a bundle. These customers will be able to browse the mobile internet as they do now, but will only be charged up to a maximum of £1.50 per day (Pay Monthly) or £2.00 (Pay As You Go).

Furthermore, all Orange customers will now have free access to their own personalised Orange World homepage, as well as news headlines and favourites. Customers will also benefit from free mobile internet searches and can browse the full catalogue of downloadable video, games, music and ring tones for free. If they see something they like while browsing, they pay just for the download, not the download traffic or any other hidden data charges. They can also make use of the Orange Local service for free throughout the summer (July – September inclusive), letting them know where they are and what they can get up to with information on restaurants, bars and local services.

Jean-Pascal Van Overbeke, Vice President Mobile & Convergence for Orange, says “Our new pricing structure makes it easy for our customers to understand exactly what they are getting and for how long when they access the mobile internet. Customers can get access to the web on the move, without the fear of being caught out by any hidden charges.”

Posted By: Matt

[Technorati tag(s): GPRS, 3G, wireless, Unlimited data, Orange, Tracy & Matt]

O2 announce XDA Argon

O2 today announces that it is adding to its Xda portfolio with the launch of the O2 Xda Argon. The Argon looks like being the O2 version of the HTC Panda/HTC P6300. Here is the O2 press release:

Powered by Windows Mobile® 5.0 platform and featuring Microsoft® direct-push email, the Xda Argon provides quick reliable internet access and familiar easy-to-use Microsoft Office applications, making it the ideal tool for busy mobile professionals.

Building upon the success of previous Xdas, the device offers key features for both corporates and SMEs. Boasting a large 3.5 inch colour touch screen and with no moving parts or keyboard, the O2 Xda Argon is a robust, compact PDA perfect for deploying business applications on the move. The large colour screen also makes reading documents and data entry fast and simple.

Additionally, users benefit from seamless synchronisation with Outlook® and the ability to open, edit and send Microsoft Office Excel® Mobile and Word Mobile attachments quickly and easily as well as viewing existing presentations using Powerpoint.

The device also features a 2.0 mega pixel camera, including video capability and MP3 player, enabling users to watch their favourite videos or downloads on the large colour screen wherever they are. In addition, Bluetooth® support allows integration with car kits and hands-free headsets.

The optional accessory of the award winning CoPilot® Live satellite navigation software and Bluetooth GPS receiver makes the Xda Argon the ultimate business tool for the mobile professional.

For international users, the Xda Argon offers tri-band functionality, supported by a battery life of up to 200 hours standby and up to 4 hours talk time for making all those important calls.

Tim Weston, Head of Marketing for Xda at O2 says; “The introduction of the new O2 Xda Argon is yet another example of our commitment to our customers. Its robust, compact design makes the O2 Xda Argon the perfect device to compliment any modern lifestyle and provides a cost effective business tool for customers who want all the functionality of a PDA, with a large screen and no keyboard.”

O2 XDA Argon Specification

Posted by: Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, O2, O2 XDA Argon, HTC Panda, HTC P6300]

Orange Simplifies Pay As You Go

Orange today reveals its new look talk Pay As You Go range, which will make being a customer much more simple by offering flat rates, added value and great rewards. Launching today, the all-new Orange Speak Easy plan guarantees customers that it will cost them a flat rate of 15p a minute to call almost anyone on any network at any time.

Orange will also launch Reserve Tank, a £2.50 overdraft facility that makes it possible for Orange PAYG customers to make that essential call even after they have used all of their pre-paid credit. Orange is the first UK operator to offer its customers with such a Pay As You Go overdraft facility.

The changes to Orange Pay As You Go talk plans follows qualitative research among UK mobile phone users, citing loyalty rewards, better call rates to other networks and flat, easy-to-understand pricing as the most important factors when they choose their mobile network. To meet customers’ loyalty requirements, Orange is also changing the way customers redeem Magic Numbers, which discounts calls to their most frequently-called contacts. Now Pay As You Go customers can nominate three numbers when they join Orange rather than just one. Calls to Magic Numbers cost 15p for a whole hour.

Orange will also continue its new training programme for Orange store staff and independent retailers that sell Orange Pay As You Go phones and SIMs. Store staff will take part in the ‘Perfect Pitch’, providing them with the information they need to make customers’ choice of Pay As You Go talk plan simpler. Focused around three easy-to-understand pillars, the pitch will introduce customers to the new Speak Easy flat rate then explain the added value Orange customers get, such as Orange Wednesdays, Magic Numbers and Gigs and Tours. Finally, sales advisors will remind customers of the benefits of the ever-popular Bonus Top Up reward. Orange will also promote the new products on television, radio, outdoor and press over the next few months.

Pippa Dunn, Director of Pay As You Go, Orange UK said, “Customers have been telling us that they have yet to find a Pay As You Go plan that offers the right combination of value for money, rewards and simple pricing. The combined launch of Speak Easy, Reserve Tank and changes to our rewards will show our commitment to making it simpler for our customers to stay in touch.”

Posted By: Matt

[Technorati tag(s): Pay As You Go, PAYG, wireless, Orange, Tracy & Matt]

Samsung i600 now on Orange

We have have been talking about the Samsung i600 a lot lately and today we discovered that the device is now available on Orange, much sooner than expected!

I’ve been using the Samsung i600 for a few weeks now and have to say that it’s become the main device that I use and finally I’m back to smartphone after being a Windows Mobile PPC man for the past few years! I really like the i600.

We are hoping to get our hands on the Orange version of the i600 soon so that we can see what the difference is between the two. The Orange version looks more grey than black and I assume that MSN will be MIA again?!

Samsung SGH-i600 Specification

See for yourself on the Orange Website or check out our Samusung i600 video.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tags: smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Samsung SGH-i600, Orange, Samsung Windows Mobile blog]

Pocket Live TV 1.0 released

Makayama introduces Pocket Live TV 1.0, software that allows you to watch 100 live TV channels on your Windows Mobile phone.

Watch 100 channels from 10 countries live on your Pocket PC phone. With Pocket Live TV, your phone becomes a portable TV. Watch your favorite channels right in the palm of your hand.

Watch live TV from the U.S., U.K. Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Netherlands and other countries. So whatever you would’ve watched on the sofa, you can watch elsewhere instead. In the room next door, down the pub, or on the beach a thousand miles away. Take your favourite tv-series, talkshow, sport events or news programs with you on your portable device.

The most affordable way to get your television content in your pocket. No subscription, no bundled data-plan, just a one-time purchase of software.

Includes top news channels * , such as CNN, BBC, Sky News, Deutsche Welle and NBC. Music channels, such as MTV, Ministry of Sound and 3for12. Sports channels such the Baseball Channel, Eurosport and Sportbox. Get the latest weather forecast from the Weather Channel. And tens of general news and entertainment channels.

The channels are all broadcast over-the-internet, so if you have WiFi on you device, you can watch them for free, without data charges. Go to any Starbucks or free WiFi hotspot and watch free TV on your phone. It also works with UMTS, WCDMA, EVDO, EDGE and other wideband enabled Pocket PCs. Check out the free demo to see which channels from your country are available. Works on any Pocket PC (phone) with a WiFi or 3G connection.

You can learn more HERE.

Posted By: Matt

[Technorati tag(s): GPRS, 3G, wireless, Live TV, Makayama, Tracy & Matt]

Play-Off on the UK’s first video “gameshow” for mobiles

Orange has developed the first service of its kind to offer the nation’s wanabees and extroverts a platform to pit their unique and bizarre talents against one another other.

Play-Off has been designed specifically for the mobile phone – so it doesn’t matter if you’re on a bus, out with mates, on the factory floor or in the office – the competition lets you take part.

How it works:

The British public’s love of the game show format has run for many years – so, whether you look at X Factor, Dancing on Ice or even the Generation Game with a longing to have a go, or just have fun watching and voting on participants – Play-Off gives you the chance to get involved.

Challenge categories for launch include Face-off, giving those who think they are the sexiest person alive a chance to prove it, Dance-off, for those with the craziest dance moves to let loose and finally Weird-off for, well, the weirdest stuff!

“It’s all about fun and spontaneity” said Deborah Tonroe, Head of TV and Video at Orange. “Many of our customers love taking and sharing videos with their mobile phones, and many more can’t resist the opportunity to watch and vote in shows like this. We’re expecting 1000’s of viewers to watch and vote on the first competitions – so it’s perfect for anyone who fancies 15 seconds of fame!”

Play-Off is being produced for Orange by IMP Media, a company specialising in multimedia services combining mobile, internet and TV. Tony Cuthbertson, Director of IMP Media, said: “Play-Off picks up on a number of big trends in television and the internet and adds the spontaneous interactivity of the mobile phone to create something that’s completely new and fresh.”

You can find out what it’s all about by visiting Orange World on your mobile or by going to orange.co.uk. To be the next star of Play-Off, simply submit your clip at orange.co.uk or send it by MMS to (7469).

Posted By: Matt

[Technorati tag(s): GPRS, 3G, wireless, Unlimited data, Orange, Tracy & Matt]

Orange Unlimited Data – it’s nearly here!

According to The Times today, Orange are finally ready to introduce unlimited, uncapped 3G and GPRS data usage.

Although the £8 unlimited deal has been “around/not around/maybe around” for some time, there has never been any publicity or comment from orange about the tariff.

However, according to the same source, Orange feels that per-mb pricing is keeping customers away (No! really?). Although there’s no fixed date for the introduction of the new plans, the times have managed to get a fair bit of information out of orange.

So how do they shape up?

OK, so its not a web-n-walk killer, but it is a step in the right direction, and for the people who prefer orange, but have been looking at moving, it may be worth holding off a while yet.

Posted By: Mark

[Technorati tag(s): GPRS, 3G, wireless, Unlimited data, Orange, Tracy & Matt]

Vakaadoo iPod cases

The other day I came across a company called Vakaadoo. A strange sounding name but they do some great looking products!

Vakaadoo sell cases for iPod and have just released a new range of products, called iVak, for the iPod Nano second gen. Where other cases try to add carrying pouches and side clips, the iVak bypasses all of these needless features and goes along with what Apple had in mind while designing the Nano: a skinny, sleek design.

The iVak comes in seven bright colours to match whatever colour Nano you happen to own (White, Black, Red, Silver, Pink, Blue and Green). The package comes with the case, a headphone wire holder, a lanyard and a clear click-wheel protector.

Vakaadoo is a young, creative company committed to the production of artfully engineered, high quality accessories for personal entertainment devices. We inject the Vakaadoo spirit into everything we produce.

Find out more at Vakaadoo.com – we also hope to have an iVak to review shortly.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): iPod Shuffle, Vakaadoo, iVak, iPod, Tracy & Matt]

HTC Advantage now with £15 off!

Following on from the post we made yesterday about the HTC Advantage being in stock at Clove Technology, I’m here again to give you the good news about the money off voucher that we have just set up with Clove.

As with other Clove voucher offers, all you have to do is enter the voucher code below and £15 will be deducted from the purchase price at the checkout stage.

Voucher code: HTC15APR07

The offer is valid until the end of the month so hop on over to the HTC Advantage page on the Clove Technology website and bag a bargain!

At £575 (+ VAT) we are pretty sure that Clove are one of the cheapest suppliers of the HTC Advantage and our voucher will give you a further £15 off!

Posted by: Matt

[Post tags: smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, HTC Advantage, HTC, Clove Technology, Windows Mobile blog]