If you’ve played online games for any length of time, you’ve likely seen a few curious things happen, at some point. For example, one of the other players may have jolted about, teleported from location to location, or seemed to run on the spot for several seconds. These are signs that you, or the other player, are suffering from the online gaming curse of lag.

It is often extremely frustrating, and can ruin an online gaming experience. After all, being the loser of an online game due to your own skills is bearable, but losing because your opponent is teleporting about, and impossible to hit, is just plain unfair. As such, gamers are often understandably upset when lag occurs.

But, it often helps to keep in mind why lag occurs, exactly, and understand that it is sometimes impossible to avoid.

Why Does Lag Occur?

Lag is a result of players falling out of sync with one another. Or, to be more precise, computers or consoles falling out of sync with one another. Synchronisation loss occurs due to enormous amounts of information having to be sent back and forth, often across enormous distances, and unexpected hiccups forming in that information exchange. Since online multiplayer allows users to play with one another in different countries, the connection can be extremely unstable, and information hiccups occur all too often.

It is, of course, not the fault of the user that these hiccups occur, and expressing frustration to the player will in no way fix the problem. Staying civil during online games with strangers should be at the top of everyone’s list.

Solutions For Lag Problems                                                                         

There is often no permanent, all in one solution for problems revolving around lag. Since the factors that cause lag are often completely out of people’s control, sometimes it simply has to be endured until the connection between players improves.

One key aspect to keep in mind with online gameplay is that the shorter the distance between players, the less likely lag is to occur. Hence, a person should always attempt to engage with players in their own region. Many online games offer the player an option of which region they would like to look for players in. If it is possible, a player should stick to their local region. This is not always possible, however, given that players of the same game may well not be nearby. If you can play with players all within the same region you’ve basically discovered the gamers equivalent of a no deposit bonus casino, as you’ll enjoy enriching gameplay with little to no interference.

Manage Your Internet Connection

Another factor to keep in mind is that information transfer on the Internet should be carefully managed. If playing an online game, no other programmes that use the Internet should be running in the background. All webpages should be closed, in order for the game to be allowed as much bandwidth as possible.

If the game still suffers unacceptable lag, it sadly means that the game may not be playable online in your region. There are, however, likely other games that will operate better in the area, and have less of a focus on a flawless connection being required. Rather look into these games, which will offer a better playing experience.

It is obvious to every gamer that physical copies of games, on disks, are becoming more and more rare. There is, since the rapid of advancement of Internet speeds, less and less reason to buy a physical copy of a game. Buying a game online, and downloading it, is infinitely more convenient, especially given the lightening fast Internet speeds available.

But does this mean that physical copies of games are set to disappear completely? Is the era of walking into a video game store and browsing physical copies set to vanish completely, leaving us with only the option to purchase games online, and never have a hard copy of the game? For the most part, it seems that future is going that way. But what about collectors editions and other such concepts?

The Internet Is The Future

Virtually every region in the world now has access to fast Internet speeds making playing at NZ casinos online possible from just about everywhere . These connections are also fast enough that downloading an average video game is not much of a hassle. Assuming that a video game download is about 40GB, and an average internet connection these days is, at the least, 10 megabits per second, it will only be required to wait a few hours while the game downloads. Or overnight. But most prefer this option to having to drive to a shop, pick up a disk, drive back home, insert the disk, and install the game manually. Plus, physical disks run a risk of getting scratched and damaged, which all but ruins the copy permanently.

Online distributors also have the benefit of of offering exceptionally good deals on games, made possible by the fact that at online distributor does not have to worry about the costs of shipping physical copies. In other words; there are very few benefits to physical copies at all, in fact almost none. An online alternative is simply the obvious choice and even if it doesn’t stop a game from crashing, it will have a far smaller price tag attached..

Physical Is Premium

A new trend, however, has seen that collector’s editions, or premium editions of games, are only available as physical media. These versions of modern games often come with other special items with the copy of the game, such as action figures, maps, and other novelty items. The cost of this copy of the game will generally be a great deal more than the digital download, but comes with the prestige of being bought only by gamers who consider themselves enthusiasts.

For this reason it seems like physical copies will never be entirely obsolete, but perhaps geared only towards those who are willing to pay extra. In some cases, the premium physical copy of a game will still require information to be downloaded before the game works, meaning that the benefit of the physical copy lies only in the extra items included. Either way, many top AAA games still release premium physical copies, which prove to be popular, depending on the status of the game franchise.

What does seem to be likely, however, is that many modern games will stop releasing standard physical copies, in favour of easier, cheaper, and more convenient digital options.

Virtual Reality has quickly become mainstream.  What was initially, and not so long ago, a sci-fi type phenomenon, has quickly evolved into a technology that is available to more and more users.  Developers continue to improve upon and evolve the current VR technology with the result that there is now an overwhelming variety of VR Helmets to choose from on the market.  Here we take a look at some available options, and compare them.

Best VR Headsets For PC And Console

1. The HTC Vive

The HTC Vive helmet was made in partnership with PC Games company, Valve, and operates with Steam, which is Valve’s gaming ecosystem.  HTC comes with 70 sensors which gives 360 degrees head tracking.  It comes with a 90Hz refresh rate which is what helps to prevent users getting motion sickness.

What sets the Vive apart from other headsets is that it has Lighthouse tracking which allows users to move around while wearing the headset.  It does mean loading some additional sensors in your house, but the effects it creates are worth it.

The Vive has the ability to go wireless, and eye tracking is currently in development, and this could make it ideal for playing CAD casino games in the future.

2. The Oculus Rift

The Oculus Rift is probably the most well-known VR headset on the market.  Funded by Kickstarter, and developed by Palmer Luckey and American entrepreneur, the Oculus Rift was bought by Facebook for $2 billion and landed Lucky squarely on the Forbes 2016 wealthiest entrepreneurs under the age of 40.

The Oculus Rift plugs into your PC’s USB and DVI ports tracking your head movements to provide 3D images on its screens.

The Rift also has the 90Hz refresh rate helping with preventing motion sickness and uses 2160 x 1200 resolution which works at 233 million pixels per second.

3. Sony PlayStation VR

PlayStation is a good introductory piece of VR equipment.  Although not as advanced as the            Rift or Vive, the PlayStation VR is still excellent quality and its price makes it the most affordable option in quality VR Technology today.  There is also a large variety of new titles available for playing on the Sony VR.

4. Samsung Gear VR

VR Tech is notoriously expensive so developers have worked hard to solve this issue by creating VR technology that can be used on a smartphone.  These headsets can be plugged into phones and mostly retail for under $100.  It is important to note that certain devices will only work with certain smartphones, so it is wise to check before making your purchase.

Although the Samsung Gear VR does not have a lot of changes to the look of the device on a regular basis, it does get a boost from its creators at least every 12 months.  The biggest boost this year so far is a new controller which gives players additional immersion into their VR world.  The entire experience on the Gear VR will be directly relating to which Samsung phone you use, but across the board, the Gear has a wide 101 degree viewing angle as well as a dark tint to reduce glare.

5. Google DayDream View

The Google View is currently only compatible with a few phones – some of Motorola’s, and the Google Pixel phone, but this is set to change in the near future.  Google has touted the view as being 30% lighter than any other VR device on the market.

The view comes with a great selection of launch apps as well as a bundled handheld controller.

It’s convenient

Arguably the biggest factor in your mobile’s favour is just that – it’s mobile! You can play whenever and anywhere you want, provided you have an internet connection. If you play on sites like Play Cosmo you don’t even need internet access. Instead, just download the app and hone your skills on the free-play games when you can’t find a 4G or Wi-Fi signal.

Even if you’re at home, the smartphone is the easiest and quickest way to get started – or carry on playing – the casino game of your choice. Just pick up the phone, tap the app icon, or go to the website and start playing. By contrast, laptops are heavier and slower to turn on.

Tablets do have larger screens, which many see as their main advantage over smartphones. Yet they are also more cumbersome. Plus, screen size is becoming less of an issue as smartphone screens begin to hit the 7-inch mark.

Many see smartphones as essential devices that they take everywhere. Of course, their smaller size makes it more convenient to do so.

It costs less

Most desktop computers cost between £300 and £2000. Smartphones are generally cheaper, ranging from £100 to £500. Plus, many phones come free with monthly contracts. This makes the mobile handset a more affordable way to enjoy your favourite casino games or slots.

Powerful

Last year, a Venture Beat article predicted that mobile graphic capabilities would soon surpass those of consoles. For years, better graphics and higher speeds have been the key advantages of desktops and consoles over smartphones – but not anymore.

The latest smartphones have stunning graphics, allow you to enjoy live dealer casinos and talk with other players with next to no latency. Smartphones now give you everything you need for a truly immersive gambling experience.

More creative

Many operators make slots and casino games especially for smartphones. The low cost of developing the titles translates to a huge variety of games to choose from. And since it is faster and cheaper to produce mobile slots, operators tend to try out new concepts more readily. The result of this is a remarkable level of creativity that just didn’t exist prior to the smartphone.

Community

Mobile phones first existed purely as a means of talking with others while on the move. When smartphones came along, they added gaming to the mix. This makes the modern handset perfect for reaching out to other players, despite the fact many see them as unsociable. Use your smartphone to share banter, post screenshots and seek advice on social media or forums before, after, or even during your game.

Interestingly, the bottom line decline in growth was even more pronounced than initially predicted, with a drop of 7% being reported as total revenues increased by just 1% to $399.2 billion. GfK reported that 1.3 billion smartphones were sold around the world in 2015, and while this generated a sizable turnover it below even conservative expectations for the market as a whole. GfK had predicted that growth would fall by a minimal amount of 14%, but this was more than double the final rate recorded.

So despite a record financial quarter in terms of sales volumes and revenues, the smartphone market has clearly hit a wall in terms of growth and innovation. This is no surprise, even when you account for the huge range of handsets and branded smartphones that are available in the current marketplace. Many of the mobile upgrades that we see during the course of the year are nominal at best, while the range of available features has scarcely improved or diversified over the course of the last year or so.

Even the rise of online gaming has not been able drive higher levels of growth in the smartphone market. While casino outlets offer innovative gaming platforms and informative resources such as this ‘how to play roulette’ feature, the handsets themselves do not offer unique selling points or value propositions.

This is in contrast with the tablet market, which has far greater novelty appeal (particularly for gamers) while these devices feature a wide array of more specific features. This market has yet to peak or reach its zenith, meaning that it may well make up ground on smartphones over the course of the next five years.

It would appear, according to Nokia’s twitter account, that the arrival of the much anticipated Nokia/Windows phones will be sometime around Q4 2011 with the main bulk of arrival due in 2012.

With noise from the Nokia camp being suspiciously low in the last few weeks, anticipation is high and a feeling is in the air that something is about to be announced of some magnitude.

Nokia tweeted the following:

“We cannot confirm local availability but the 1st Nokia w/ WP devices will ship in Q4 and with volumes in 2012,”

The new Nokia codenamed Sea Ray was first shown on video by our good selves back in June, when it was “leaked” in a rather contrived way to the blogosphere, since then things have gone a little quiet.

I suspect that a first round of releases could be with us in late October, so stay peeled for further news.

This is a major step for Stephen Elop and will be his crowning or damning in terms of how he will be judged as the relatively new CEO of Nokia.

Windows 8 – A trick in the back pocket?

If all fails with the release of the new Windows 7 phones from Nokia and Microsoft, there is still one last hope left, and that is the arrival of Windows 8 as an operating system with the new “Metro” style interface designed to be PC, tablet and smartphone capable.

Nokia senior vice president Marco Argenti has recently said this in relation to Windows 8 O/S:

“Personally, I’m most excited about what’s new with Metro, and how much momentum Nokia and Microsoft are building together, creating an opportunity for you, here and now,”

With the release of Windows 8 O/S due soon and tests being run in Beta as we speak. Nokia are hoping that the new “Metro” style interface will be perfectly suited for running smartphones and that applications will be developed in the magnitude that they are for Apple and Android. If this comes true it could signal the start of an exciting new dawn for both Microsoft and Nokia, though it is very much make or break for the two technology Goliath’s in my opinion.

I came across a really useful illustration that explains some of the differences between the offerings that companies deliver in terms of mobile payment systems. It is quite useful to learn the terminology and the differences between the many variations of mobile payments if you are looking to do research on this area.

As always it is about a language and if you don’t know what things are called you are a little bit stuck when it comes to researching and seeking advice!

So here it is courtesy of Mobile Payments Today:

A lovely graphic that dispels myths and aims to inform in a nice amusing manner.

Nice one:

With thousands of applications in both the App store and Android marketplace life becomes tough when you decide to search for a new game or news application when confronted by so much dubious variety.

Enter Discovr Apps:

A totally free application for both Android and the iPhone and created by Jammbox, this app has been developed to aid your search for new applications that are similar to ones you already enjoy.

So if your into the BBC app and want a news app that might be of a similar quality and in your language, then you are easily able to “discovr” other apps that fit into your search criteria, if you want to purchase the application then simply click on the link to the app store of your choice but before that you can compare and read descriptions and screenshots of the app.

Great for wasting time as well as useful:

The application has a novel way of providing you with six recommendations and when you click on any of these a further six based on that application so you are continually drilling down in terms of relevance and potentially of interest, a bit like stumbleupon. This app is great to beat the algorithms that seem to bring up the same old same old in both the android and apple app store, so you are sure to find some fresh new apps of interest and check out what they look like and sound like before you take the plunge to purchase.

Number 1 download in many countries:

The popularity of the application has meant that it has been number 1 in terms of downloads in 17 countries including Germany, so why not give it a try, at a cost of absolutely nothing you have very little to lose!

Microsoft are putting a lot of hope in the hands of Mango, they have largely failed to set the smartphone market alight with Widows 7 so far, and they are needing a success with the new makeover, having added 500 features to improve Windows 7 will Windows Mango come to the rescue for Microsoft’s failing smartphone attempts.

Social services included natively

Windows is no longer wanting to reply on additional clients/applications to offer social service so Mango users and will now incorporate Twitter within the phone operating system.

Watch a demonstration of Facebook on Mango

But what made Windows think that people want to watch a 23+ minute video to show a few features!

Also check out the guys face on 8.18…hilarious!

Looks interesting though and is a real alternative to the look and feel of Android and iOS….but 15,000 apps is pretty poor in 2011.

Lets hope their deep integration of apps has no negative effect on performance and power consumption.

Marketing magazine has suggested that Nokia will not be waiting to see what happens with the new release of Smart Phones with the Windows 7 O/S and will be spending huge £80 million in making sure that a six month campaign gets to as many people as possible and that the phones are indeed a huge success.

With so much resting on Nokia and Microsoft we can fully understand the need to finally bring out the big gins and show the World that the two floundering giants finally mean business.

Nokia may struggle to break even this year with profits and market share down so this project really needs to start bringing in the rewards financially, could this therefore be a last throw of the dice for the Finnish mobile device maker of old?

October 2011 Nokia Windows phone 7 marketing campaign:

The campaign will be set to run from October, and will tie into the soon to be announce Windows Phone on Nokia device

“We are excited about the Nokia with Windows phone, but it’s not our policy to comment on specific campaigns for unannounced products,”

The Nokia Windows partnership is crucial but is far from guaranteed to bring in the riches with an admission earlier this week by Steve Ballmer, that Windows Phone 7’s success in its first year was going from “very small to very small” since its launch. Time will tell what the outcome will be for these seasoned tech giants now they have joined forces.

There are so many rumours out there for the strangest of things to be added to the new iPhone 5, with the latest rumour suggesting that the next iPhone will come with a 3D camera.

It is looking increasingly likely that the device will come with an upgrade in some areas but actually may just be an updated iPhone 4. However, conflicting reports are suggesting there may in fact be two iPhones this year, the iPhone 4S which will be the slight remodelling of the iPhone 4 and a new generation iPhone 5 that will incorporate more innovations ad technology.

So what would an iPhone 4S look like?

Well it seems likely the iPhone 4S would result in a similar if not exact same body shape as the current iPhone 4. This would obviously have some other tweaks though it may be just a complete upgrade of the innards and the chassis will remain the same.

The changes to the inside would likely include a new dual core set up in a similar vein to that of the iPad 2. This would see the new version of the phone having a dual 1GHz core and twice the processing power of the current iPhone.

The phone will also likely get a new upgrade of iOS 5; this will mean no need to physically connect to iTunes, access to the iCloud, a new Twitter integration and a number of other changes to the way the phone works which would keep it at the top of innovation. Apple will need to do this with the speedy updates and inventiveness that Android is showing.

The new iPhone 4S would also perhaps see an upgrade in camera – perhaps to 8mp and maybe a higher resolution for recording which would mean 1080p recording. This would be an upgrade that would be welcomed by iPhone 4 customers. If the reports of a 3D camera hold any weight it would probably not make an appearance on the 4S, which would most likely be marketed as a more affordable version of the Apple phone.

The device may also get a few new ports such as HDMI or DLNA connectivity. You may also see Apple allow its phones use with the NFC chips on offer increasingly throughout the shopping centres in the country, although this rumour is unlikely as Apple bosses have stated that they do not feel the system is sophisticated enough just yet. However, it is unlikely that either iPhone shall have Flash support as we know how much of a dislike Mr Jobs has towards Adobe’s efforts.

The screen may also stay the same and the Retina Display is still the best in the market and this would likely not change, meaning the same for iPhone 4S. It is difficult to say just yet whether the two iPhone rumour is true or not, and many are sceptical considering that it goes against Apple convention. If the rumour turns out to be false then it will be very interesting indeed to see whether the next iPhone is a tweaked 4S or a whole new 5.

Are you looking forward to the iPhone 5 or happy with an update to the iPhone 4, if so what do you think should be added to the phone to make it more appealing?

Data roaming charges in Europe to be cut:

Having just returned from a fleeting busman’s holiday within Europe, I was seriously annoyed to find that my mobile bill had a data roaming charge applied to it.

As a regular flyer I always use local wi-fi and turn off the data roaming option as soon as I depart from the airport.

Data roaming bill from recent trip to Europe:

I have to blame my Samsung S2 for the charges incurred as it seems to turn data roaming on randomly (something I never had a problem with using my iPhone abroad).

Anyway, us Europeans are in for some relief as the EU is planning on imposing a data cap for data roaming charges that will bring the price of 1 MB of data to approximately 80p from next July, compared to the current levels of around £1-3 for 1MB and up to £5 per MB after a certain limit has been reached while abroad!

Currently O2 charge a massive £3.07 per MB in Europe and £6 for the rest of the World!

EU to “force” networks to comply:

The report in the Guardian this week highlights that the EU intends to push savings on to customers who travel throughout Europe as consumer groups throughout Europe have been calling for this type of action for a long time now.

Possibility to switch providers while abroad for data roaming savings:

People will also be able to switch providers to try and encourage competition in the market for overseas data roaming connections.

Better news still?

After a cap was introduced last week on the cost of overseas calls and texts, with a sliding scale from July 2012, we wonder if there will be a sting in the tail to go with the savings with prices across Europe to be capped at the following:

£0.28 per minute in July 2012, £0.25 per minute in July 2013, £0.21 per minute in July 2014.

Director general of the European Consumers’ Organisation – Monique Goyens, said:

“It’s reassuring that the commission is tackling the market’s structural problems by introducing decoupling of roaming from domestic telecom subscriptions, and at last acting on the increasingly important issue of data roaming. The current cap of €0.90 per MB is a slow start. Consumers should not be ripped off for surfing the net abroad.”

With the rise of Smart Phones and Tablets it is good to see the EU push a little onto the greedy networks who blatantly overcharge consumers for a service that they are now requiring and getting used to more and more.

Have you been stung by data roaming charges?

Do you think it is unfair to charge such large fees, or do you thin networks are justified in charging sizeable fees to use data abroad?

Google+ Android App Update

As Google obvioulsy own the Android app market and in line with the big G wanting to make sure that the Tablet and Smart Phone experience for Google+ is a much better affair than what Facebook currently offer, we have found out that the intriguing app version has already had its first update.

The Google+ app is only available from the Android marketplace and works on Android 2.1 Eclair or above.

Apparently the update fixes issues with the login for users who have multiple Gmail accounts and a slight upgrade to the user interface and also a new icon in the profile area.

Not having trialled Google+ myself I would be interested to here from people who are currently using Google+ and perhaps find out from the horses mouth exactly what people are thinking. So if you are one of the first few who have gained access, please do tell all.

Are you enjoying the experience?

What are your gripes and what do you like?

And that is just for starts:

With NFC (near field technology) becoming increasingly more sophisticated, the move to purchase goods and services other than tickets (M-tickets) will drive growth of Contactless payment systems for many of the Global retailers.

From Japan to Europe to the rest of the World the growth in NFC will allow users of Smart Phones to purchase goods and services with incredible ease probably signalling a reduction in employees currently needed to service the level of purchases that exist right now.

2013 Key Date For Global NFC Adoption

2013 is expected to be the year that significant growth in NFC usage is experienced Globally.

Already metropolitan transport markets in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe (Stockholm and Prague in particular) have taken to NFC.

It’s all about convenience and choice:

Howard Wilcox; author of the Mobile Ticketing For Transport Markets report, has stated that it will be convenience and choice that drive NFC adoption, and is quoted saying:

“Whether by expansion of SMS and bar code delivery or by NFC, at Juniper we see convenience and choice for users as key advantages of mobile ticketing. It will be 2013 before large numbers of NFC enabled devices are in peoples’ pockets and our new report forecasts the impact on transaction volumes.”

Train and Air

A really great opportunity lies in the more national and global areas of train and air travel, having a bar coded ticket that can be scanned would add extra convenience across these travel choices.

So what is the size of the potential market and what are the issues that need ironing out for success:

Two of the key findings from the report include:

[arrowlist]

• China and Western Europe will push the drive to adopting mobile ticketing for Transport.
• User experience will be paramount, if problems occur and persist in the months of use, people will be put off adopting or continuing using the new mobile ticketing options.

[/arrowlist]

Do you feel that mobile ticketing for transport will benefit you, or is it an added convenience that has no real benefits, perhaps fixing a problem that does not exist?

But even in the most remote of villages 3G connections are easy to access and 4G is on its way, couple this with being able to obtain a new Android smart phone for under $100 and you see that things are very different in South East Asia.

With 8 networks already in existence in Cambodia, users of mobile devices are spoilt for choice and with this competition comes aggressive pricing and as a result some very unique behaviour has emerged of native mobile users, dictated to by the operators.

Pre Pay SIMS dominate:

Some offer there SIMS for free, others come with credit.

And in marketplaces such as Phnom Penh’s Old Market, sellers report that people buy multiple SIMS to take advantage of offers.

Phones which can work with up to three SIM cards are both very popular and very cheap.

With a population of around 14 million, the government boast that there are around 10 million connections, while the mobile network operators will readily admit that at least half of these are used by active users, as the trend is to move from deal to deal.

Marketing tactics:

When walking down a main market street in Cambodia, the methods to entice buyers are nothing short of crude and in your face.

The most common method is to hire a booth with a DJ playing deafening music (some irony here it seems) to would be mobile users, a little touch of salesmanship via an MC and you have Cambodia’s guerilla marketing machine.

“With networks competing on price and service, customers are looking to upgrade – and take advantage of cheap 3G connections. Smart phones are being marketed heavily – and snapped up quickly.”

Beeline network:

Beeline are a majority Russian owned mobile network, and with black and yellow branding are trying to create a “buzz” across Cambodia.

Commercial director Benoit Janin is quoted saying:

“The mobile penetration rate is still low and the Cambodian economy is developing very fast,” – “This is an interesting opportunity for investors.”

The coalface of mobile selling in Cambodia:

“The iPhone is our big seller,” says Butho, as he sits behind the counter of his Central Phone shop in Phnom Penh. “Nokia is going down and other smart phones are selling better, like HTC.”

Mobile Social Media in South East Asia:

Social Media is a growing phenomenon in South East Asia and Cambodia.

“They start by sharing things about their daily lives, like their wedding photos,” says Santel Phin, aka Khmer Bird a Cambodia blogger. “But more advanced users have started to talk about politics and the problems facing our society.”

So there you have it, the rise of the smart phone is well and truly Global, can you see the marketeers rub their legs in anticipation?

Apple versus Amazon app store claim – Rejected by District judge

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton has stated yesterday that she is probably going to deny the motion on the grounds that Apple has failed to show how consumers would be confused by the term Appstore.

I personally could not agree more, and like many, find it patronising that people could potentially get confused, by a generic term for something that means application, though this is a term Apple have used over the term “software” for many years, it is not uniquely their own word.

Irreparably Damaged?…..My Apps!

Apple had claimed that they would be irreparably damaged as consumers of Amazons app store will be confused and this would inherently lead to a loss of revenue.

Apple legal team idiotic:

The case for litigation against Amazon does seem like a total punt really as it is wholly possible to state that Amazon will introduce apps to a new audience and could potentially lose their own revenue to Apples own app store.

And Apples arrogance on the basis that we can use a “Smart” Phone but are all way too stupid to know there is an Amazon app market and also an Apple app market for each device is very patronising….surely this would work both ways mitigating any loss!

Comparing the term “App Store” to a Michigan based company who use “honeybaked ham” as a form of trademark, (I am lost at how this works) the likelihood is that Amazon will be allowed to carry on as you would expect using their own slight variation of the term App Store.

I do feel that Apple may have some kind of case if Amazons app store ends up with poorly qualified apps such as from the Google Android marketplace, but in law there seems very little you can do about a term that is similar to using toy store, pet store, or clothing store….as part of your personal brand….the word “app” can not solely be Apples surely!

Do you find it confusing that two companies are now using the same term?

In an article written the other day about what Oracle hope to achieve in damages from Google, the results of a re-examination are finally in and do not look that promising for Oracle after all:

In the re-examination of US Patent 6192476 – 17 of the 21 claims have been reject by the USPTO.

The big issue for Oracle V Google:

With this re-examination taking:

a) A long time,

and

b) Questioning just how much Oracle can expect to take to trial after this set back in only one area of its numerous claims.

It brings into sharp focus just how many legs this case has in the eyes of US law makers.

In May the Judge had asked Oracle to slim down it’s original claims from over 130, and it now looks likely that this will force Oracle to do just that or have to wait for re-examination of each area of patent under dispute….timely to say the least!

Should Oracle bow down to pressure?

So should Oracle narrow its claims as advised by the court and keep them happy or should they stick to their guns and wait to see the outcome and decision of the courts in moving forward with minimum changes to the current claims made against Google and the Android operating system.

An illustration below shows just what claims are being made against Google and what number are subjected to a re-examination process (still enforceable), and the total number of claims that are still surviving:

Summary:

“While the above table indicates there are presently still 122 claims surviving, no office action has issued in four of the cases. In the three cases where an office action has issued the stats are 66 claims, 16 claims not subject to reexam, 50 claims subject to reexam, 46 claims rejected, and 20 claims surviving. Consistent with reexamination stats that have been produced in academic studies showing 90+% of claims being rejected on reexam, here it is 92%. If that stat holds for the remaining four patents, Oracle will only have about 48 claims out of 168 that survive, and not all of those will be independent claims.”

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20110621192510777

An interesting battle is under-way in the US courts, just who the eventual winner will be we really do not know…still early days really.

Who do you think will win and what effects will this have on operations at each company?

So how are people using their mobile phones to make purchases?

A study by Microsoft shows some interesting ways in which people are using mobiles to browse, research and ultimately buy products using their phones.

Some key points from the illustration:

[arrowlist]

• With men aged between 30 and 49 spending the most money and time shopping on their phones.
• North America and Western Europe will lead the growth in this technology.
• Over 50% in these regions have used their phone to make some kind of purchase in the last year.

[/arrowlist]

The Next Gold Rush

So with the mobile industry keen to make connections with payment providers such as Paypal and Pizza Express and many other retailers.

We think the areas of M-Commerce will start to really become quite a hot topic in the next few months as more and more tests and trials will deliver key metrics for other competing retailers to chew over.

Could the next Gold Rush be on our hands, we personally think this is the start of a revolution in the way that money is exchanged for goods and services, so stay tuned.

Do you pay for things already using your SmartPhone, if so what are they and do you feel comfortable with the upcoming options that are being discussed or is security still a fear that restrains you?

Revenues And Customs Web Robot To Hunt Tax Cheats

HMRC’s new “connect” computer system helped to track down issues with incorrect tax liabilities from 2008-2010 has brought in a little brother to help monitor online tax dodgers. termed “Bots On The Prowl” we look at what this means for the average Joe using the web to earn a little more money.

Reports have been numerous about the poor level of service that the tax office has been producing for the last few years, and this looks like a way to let automation help in some way with the management of a modern countries tax system, now so much is online.

Web robots to scour the web for tax evaders on Ebay, and Gumtree.

In a seemingly open gesture by The Tax arm of Her Majesty’s Revenues and Customs HMRC’s Director of Risk and Intelligence Mr Wells said:

“By being open about our areas of interest for the coming year we hope to maximise that exchange of information and ensure we reduce the tax gap and help customers pay what they owe.”

Wells went on to say:

“It will be more expensive if we come and find people, so I urge them to come forward and disclose voluntarily.”

Moonlighting clampdown:

So for sake of argument if you were working in an office doing your 9-5 salaried job five days a week and in your spare time selling a few phones on Ebay or Gumtree, teaching piano lessons privately or putting up wallpaper for cash in hand etc these seem to be the people the HMRC want to find.

If you are not declaring this in your personal self assessment tax form at the end of the year, you would likely be looked into closer if you were found by the new robots that look for cross correlations of names and data that tie up existing anomalies with a persons financial situation.

The kind of people the HMRC are looking into are traders online, and private tutors who offer there services online but can hide behind a vagueness currently.

What about big business and their clever tax avoidance schemes that cost us many more billions a year?

Shall we all forget the HUGE amount of tax avoidance that is flaunted in front of our faces by the high street businesses that claim they need to stay competitive?

Vodafone, HSBC, Tesco, this list goes on and on, but we need them dont we, they provide us with love and goods and services we simply have to purchase…..bollocks.

Question of data privacy?

I just wonder to what level they are going to snoop, if they are actually going to look at bank accounts and email and IP addresses of traders and advertisers, this leaves a lot of privacy questions to be answered.

If however they are simply looking for adverts with blatant information…..John Smiths Piano Lessons – 16 The High Street, Dagenham, Call for best prices, etc.

Then we wonder if this robot would be as easy to avoid as simply never giving too much detail away on the actual advert or in your accounts on Ebay or Gumtree.

Or should “moonlighters” say that we have a subsidiary in Bermuda and that this is why we pay only around 60+% of everything we earn from our main job into the HMRC coffers (VAT, N.I, Duties, Income Tax).

The excuse to give the HMRC:

Due to the Global financial situation, and utilising our strategic subsidiary in the Caribbean, we are seeking to consolidate our precious spare time and resources, making sure we as a company are as competitive as possible in a Global market, with the threat of more redundancies and possible reduced hours and pay freezes, right now, we are trying to make some extra cash in our spare time to support a family and then spend this cash on the high street, thus propping up a failing economy and not paying even more tax for the privilege. So we have decided to put all the tax we should have paid the HRMC into our account in Bermuda for a rainy day.
…its OK, we still shop at Tesco’s while are there though, and buy Tetley tea for our minuscule breaks.

Until things are a little more fair in this country I can not help but fight for the guy on the street trying to make a bit of extra pin money to lead a decent life.

Rant over…best to pay your taxes though!

Ask Al.

MOD wants to spread the news to not spread the news, socially.

With a dig at Twitter, Facebook and FourSquare the MOD have set the tone of the videos as pretty surreal humour with a balaclava wearing “terrorist” making friends with the videos protagonists.

I personally think they are done quite well for the message they are trying to convey.

Why?

They fall into a number of set criteria for good viral video, around 1 minute or under, mildly humorous, different..i.e a bit surreal, and a clear message.

What good it will actually do with the unseen threat I am unsure.

Though it does seem like we are fighting teenagers, so maybe it is an inspired move to clamp down on nosey mobile phone obsessed youths on social networks.

So anyway here are the videos:

Personal Security Online 1

“Cor’ blimey your fit Mr terrorist”

Checking into FourSquare while utterly pretend wired, does seem a touch ironic.

Personal Security Online 2

“Fancy a cuppa Mr terrorist?”

So make of them what you will, they are well produced though.

Ah the tower of Babylon calls…manically of course!…we are all doomed!

Couple this with the International appeal of a broad section of its programming output and we can see why the BBC has decided to monetize its content to a wider audience on a non TV based platform.

So how much will it cost:

Well firstly you will need an iPad to access the content.

So that’s already around €400+ out of the pocket!

Without seeing exact figures we are hearing reports that the monthly fee will come to around €6 or under.

Obviously the UK license fee payer pays a full colour license of £145 a year considerably more than €6 a month.

So will the UK tax payer start moaning about subsidising Ex-Pats and the rest of Europe with the sale of its own license fee paid for productions?

iPlayer comes to Europe:

The BBC is set to makes it’s innovative iPlayer service available to Western Europeans with an iPad for a monthly subscription fee later this summer.

Here in the UK, access to the iPlayer is covered by the license fee we pay for our television service but the Beeb will introduce a monthly subscription to outsiders for access.

The official sums haven’t quite been done yet, so we’re still in the dark as to the official subscription fee; but it will be less than $10 (£6) per month. Sounds like a good deal, although you’ll have to shell out for an iPad to take advantage of it at first.

Not quite catch up TV:

Jana Bennett, President of global iPlayer, describes the European version of iPLayer as a very different beast more in-line with a video library service that curates old and new content and delivers this to peoples Internet connections.

She is quoted as saying:

“The freedom from catch-up means that we’ve got a lot more flexibility in terms of what we put on there and how we present it,”

International aims:

The desire is to spread the iPlayer to other regions and go global and we say why not.

BBC’s under huge financial pressure after governments decision to cut funding subsidy.

The funding gap that now exists with the BBC needs to be filled somehow.

For too long, the worlds (arguably) most respected broadcaster has pumped radio, TV, and print material into the homes and ears and eyeballs of billions internationally and in some cases without a great deal of recompense.

We are aware that BBC Worldwide is a highly successful commercial arm of the BBC aimed at selling the rights to content to a broader audience than the UK, including franchises, programming, magazines etc and that linking in with HBO and the likes of National Geographic to create programming makes much more commercial sense.

Monetizing a form of aggregation/syndication service like the iPlayer makes sense:

We are glad to see the BBC take the reigns with their existing content and try to package this up on a modern format (the iPad) to maximise the money generated from old and new content produced so they can hopefully continue to provide more niche services such as BBC Radio 6 which had been under threat recently.

Pay-Walls to become more prevalent?

Are we slowly seeing content producers successfully starting to put pay-walls up on their own content as a result of a new way of consuming media via SmartPhones, and Tablets?

NYT, The Times in the UK, and now the BBC iPlayer for Europe.

What do you think?

Should innovation come at a cost and should being an early adopter of new technology also have a premium or is this the start of an eroding of the way we all stand fairly equal (arguably) in the consumption of content via the Internet and with wireless and mobile technology, or is elitism starting to enter the mobile and web arena?

Your thoughts please…

Many people ask themselves which one should I go for?

This question is quite difficult to answer without a thorough understanding of the limitations of both and what they offer in terms of functionality.

And also of course what you are seeking from a device such as an e-reader or tablet.

The Tablet:

The tablet comes in a variety of shapes and sizes with offerings from almost all high end mobile technology companies, the most favoured include Samsung, Apple, Blackberry, Motorola HP and Asus devices.

The list is larger but will be covered in a separate article.

In terms of functionality of a tablet a number of areas are always on offer:

[arrowlist]

• Ability to connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi or 3GS or both.
• An operating system that allows Apps to be purchased from the iPhone app store or Android marketplace to offer differing software tailored to individual tastes and desires, news, tools, games, productivity etc.
• A large screen high resolution screen
• Touch screen interface to control options and functionality

[/arrowlist]

The E-Reader:



E-readers are primarily brought to you by Amazons highly successful “Kindle”, or the Barnes and Noble “Nook” Sony or the Kobo, recent reviews would suggest that the first two options listed are your best bets.

In terms of functionality of an e-reader brings anti glare reading of electronic books to a screen that is small enough to fit in most hand bags or bags in general…pockets at a push!

[arrowlist]

• Ability to connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi or 3G to download books from stores such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble, Borders, or Waterstones.
• Most have an option to save to a memory card and add books via USB if you have no Internet connection.
• Medium size screens….(the 7 inch can be a little small for some readers with poor eyesight)
• E-Ink technology – anti glare and helps readers reduce fatigue to the eyes.

[/arrowlist]

So the question is of course what are you seeking?

The beach to read:

If it is to sit on the beach and be able to read a whole library of books on a device that will last for ages with one charge, and also allow you to actually read the pages with the full glare of the sun beaming down, then your only option is something like the Amazon Kindle E-Reader – Your tablet will not only annoy you in terms of not being able to read, it will most likely not last that long and potentially get damaged (e-readers are a bit tougher we thing by and large)
It goes without saying that

On the way to work on public transport (reading):

Now this is a bit more tricky, and we would have to ask what are you reading? If it is daily news and some books, then I would say go for a tablet.

If it is books, and purely books alone then go for the e-reader, as it will provide a better experience but also be less desirable to be stolen.

Reasons to get a tablet:

You like flexibility and options and enjoy finding new applications to mess about with or indeed know of some that are so useful that you could not do without them go for the tablet options.

Summary:

There is no doubt that a tablet with a 3G connection can be taken almost anywhere, so if you are into social media, reading news, using the Internet in general for email and browsing the web you will have a best buddy in the tablet.

If however you are just looking for a useful device that allows your book collection to be portable and easily read anywhere then stump for the e-reader choices, as a master of one they make reading a whole lot easier on the eye than tablets can offer currently.

Some would say that the lack of options e-readers have is also more conducive to actually reading what you set out to do rather than browsing and getting lost on your mobile internet connection!

What do you think of e-readers?

A waste of time when for a little more cash you can have a tablet?
Or do they have a useful place in the mobile device market?

Editorial Staff]]> https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/tablets-vs-e-readers-which-should-you-choose/feed/ 0 https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/mobile-devices-set-to-rule-mobile-internet-speeds-to-eclipse-home/ https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/mobile-devices-set-to-rule-mobile-internet-speeds-to-eclipse-home/#respond Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:38:52 +0000 http://www.mobileinquirer.com/?p=124 Speaking at the open Mobile Summit in London yesterday, Adobes CTO Kevin Lynch states what he thinks to be the continual rise of mobile internet and what this will mean to the Tech industry at large.

In a speech titled “Changing Media” Lynch gave a lecture that was quite general in scope but picked up on key areas such as the inevitable rise of Smart Phones and Tablets giving way to a shift in consumer behaviour, desires and expectations.

Internet use to quadruple by 2015

With Cisco predicting that Internet usage will increase by a factor of 4 by 2015, the move to mobile Internet will not see any slowing down during this period.

So is it emerging countries that will be using all this new found Internet bandwidth?

No. It will be the rise of the SmartPhone and Tablet market that sees connectivity flourish and access to the Internet become even more in demand wherever we are.

And to put some figures to the claim, Cisco predict that there will be 15 Billion “devices” connected to the Internet by this time, equating to 3 Billion users…though I struggle to see how this makes any sense, the figure is still huge.

(I assume “devices” is loosely used and could mean SatNav’s etc)

Technical questions:

With mobile broadband speeds increasing and SmartPhones being packed with dual core processing, it is easy to see why the power that will be contained will entice users to ditch the PC.

But will the size restrictions be too much for the masses?

Will battery life be increased enough to deliver a quality user experience?

Will the mass of people taking up more and more bandwidth cause a meltdown?

If the question is will more people use the Internet via other devices than a desktop PC….?

My answer would be, by 2013…Yes.

The key question is how do we use the world wide web?



The real fineries in all this is how normal people use the Internet.

I do not see power users switching to purely mobile devices as working at a desk is a good solution for computer professionals, and the power needed in future apps/software will be best suited to dedicated PC’s with larger processing power, and large quality screens much needed for editing, design, and development.

But many people are not on the Internet at work and these people will now be using the web on the way to work, in their spare time at work and when they are at home.

This is the key shift.

You can now Instant Message, Facebook, Tweet, Read, and Engage with the web to such a huge scale now that many people do not really need that desktop in the corner.

Question?.

If all you need from a PC is to log into Facebook, Email, buy stuff from Amazon, IM your friends in New Zealand, read the news, and browse the Internet in general.

Why do you now need a bulky PC?

This is a paradigm shift that is being discussed, and adopted globally, proven by the ever growing ubiquity of SmartPhones like the iPhone and Android based devices on HTC, Samsung etc and one that I personally feel is inevitable;.

The truth?

Most people are pretty general users of the Internet and they do not need desktops.

Start taking your money out of Microsoft now!

Over to you:

Does the obvious move to mobile Internet have you scared?

Or do you embrace the now easier way to connect with friends and family and browse the web freely?

Or does the mobile Internet you know not live up to expectations and leave you wanting more?

Tell us all!

Editorial Staff]]> https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/mobile-devices-set-to-rule-mobile-internet-speeds-to-eclipse-home/feed/ 0 https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/android-os-helps-htc-1st-quarter-growth-for-2011/ https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/android-os-helps-htc-1st-quarter-growth-for-2011/#respond Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:55:25 +0000 http://www.mobileinquirer.com/?p=100 With Google’s open source Android operating system being adpoted at a phenomenal rate figures have shown that the relatively unknown handset maker HTC has found a very profitable partner.

Lets take a look at the Q1 highlights for HTC in 2011:

HTC Q1 Highlights:

[arrowlist]

• Q1 after-tax profit was NT$14.83bn, up 196.8% year-on-year. EPS was NT$18.36.
• Total revenues grew for four consecutive quarters since 1Q 2010 and reached NT$104.16bn in 1Q, up 174.5% year-on-year.
• Handset shipment for 1Q was 9.7mn units, up 192% year-on-year, 6% quarter-on-quarter.
• 1Q gross profit margin in line with original guidance at 29.3%.
• 1Q operating expense ratio was 13.4%, better than original guidance; 1Q operating margin reached 15.8%.

[/arrowlist]

In May HTC said its sales reached over $1.4 Billion which is over 2 times 2010 figures.

With rumours that Microsoft are looking to acquire Nokia after there purchase of Skype last month, we can not help but wonder what all the Nokia team are thinking right now, after being word leaders in the very near past.

Android Marketplace Figures:



Source: AppBrain

With Google activating some 350,000 per day, the Android marketplace is now so well stocked that it fully rivals that of Apples App Store.

Here you can buy all the applications that make your phone unique and keep you connected with friends or simply amused.

Microsoft and Nokia a classic case of sleeping giants?

It is no wonder Microsoft and Nokia must be feeling a little peeved, when in Apples case you have control of hardware AND software (applications) you truly do have vertical integration and the profits just grow!

But at the present time the “quietly brilliant” HTC seem to be doing what Nokia did so well for such a long time.

How do you think the mobile wars will pan out, will Microsoft ever be successful in creating a useful mobile product that rival the Android SDK or Apples iOS SDK?

Editorial Staff]]> https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/android-os-helps-htc-1st-quarter-growth-for-2011/feed/ 0 https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/mobile-tickets-offered-from-ticketnetwork/ https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/mobile-tickets-offered-from-ticketnetwork/#respond Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:33:46 +0000 http://www.mobileinquirer.com/?p=77 When will we finally be buying items with our mobile like we do our credit cards?

TicketNetwork the online ticket exchange for live event tickets has started offering visitors to the mobile variety of its website the chance to buy tickets via their Iphone and Android Smart Phones, making life simpler and cutting down on many other areas of potential costs and time wasting.

The mobile version has been designed from the ground up for smartphones, so lets take a look at what they have done and why.



Is this the future of ticket buying?

When the people behind TicketNetwork realized that a growing amount of their visitors were accessing their main website from smart phones the forward thinking team decided it was time to analyse what was happening and then tailor a smoother experience for these visitors and also look at areas that would have otherwise been difficult to implement from a traditional computer based visit.

So how have they made their mobile version work.

Users who visit the site via a smartphone are redirected to a mobile optimized site that allows users to search tickets by areas and niche, and also includes a one touch phone button so you can call a member of staff if you need some advice.

[pullright float=”alignright”]We know that mobile commerce is tremendously important and we know that mobile users are motivated shoppers.
[/pullright]

Jessica Cushing, e-commerce product manager at TicketNetwork goes on to explain some of the finer details about what they have learned since the new system has gone live.

[pullleft float=”alignleft”]The new mobile site loads quickly and allows users to do exactly what they came there for: to buy tickets.[/pullleft]

Basic Strategy:

Jessica then goes on to explain that their main strategy and aim when designing anything to be used by customers is always to make information as easy to access as possible, they have even gone so far as to incorporate seating maps into the smart phone version of the site and have found that the speed with which you can purchase has increased sales for tickets that are time sensitive (high demand for instance).

The future of commerce is mobile:

Here at mobile inquirer we can think of a number of ways that mobile technology can make life simpler and quicker when it comes to transactions, and we will be doing a report on some of the new payments systems that are looking to become household names in the near future.

Your thoughts and opinions?

What do you think will be the most interesting thing that comes from being able to pay for things instantly without the need for cards and a wallet, will QR codes become huge?

Editorial Staff]]> https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/mobile-tickets-offered-from-ticketnetwork/feed/ 0 https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/flickr-gets-a-pasting-as-competitors-loom/ https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/flickr-gets-a-pasting-as-competitors-loom/#respond Sat, 04 Jun 2011 11:27:56 +0000 http://www.mobileinquirer.com/?p=67 Flickr the popular photo sharing site owned and developed by Yahoo has taken a bashing recently for its bad user design…..we ask why?

When one of your own designers (Timoni West) publicly tears apart a fundamental design flaw in Flickr as part of the user experience in her own blog, you know that the rot is likely to have set in at the Flickr camp for some time.

So who is the main competitor on the scenes?

The name we keep hearing about is 500px a plucky little upstart that has just found itself with a Series A funding windfall of around $500,000 thanks to its attention to user experience and the various ways it aims to stick to its core ethos of helping photographers reach a wider audience.

How are they going to differentiate from the rest?

Community:

Flickr never really allowed much engagement with its sterile complicated interface.

Dig like buttons:

People love to vote and share its what makes the Internet social.

Ipad and Iphone support:

We all know how good photos look on an Ipad so they have developed a fancy HTML5 and JavaScript based app so you can look and share your photos with friend in style.

Flickr dead?

Well if the essence of Timoni’s post is to be taken in full context, the fact that it was written after a proposed total overhaul of the user experience was pitched a year ago and nothing actioned.

It does look like Flickr could be taking things way too slowly to steer a course of beneficial outcomes for the team and company in the near future, time will obviously tell.

Your voice?

So what do you think of the Flickr issues?

And when you have had chance to evaluate 500px let us know where you think they succeed and perhaps also are currently failing….we love to hear your constructive comments!

Editorial Staff]]> https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/flickr-gets-a-pasting-as-competitors-loom/feed/ 0