Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
DD - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6400217.stm
Burgers paid for by mobile phone
Visitors to fast food outlets in Japan will soon be able to pay for their burgers with their mobile phones.
Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo is teaming up with McDonalds to offer electronic payments and special promotions for mobile users.
Using mobile phones to pay for goods is a massive growth area as operators look for new ways to make money.
Japanese mobile owners are leading the way, paying for food and train tickets via their handsets.
Tracking habits
For Julie Ask, an analyst with research firm Jupiter, the partnership illustrates the need to have upfront agreements and co-operation for the chain needed for electronic payments to be a success.
"Otherwise it suffers from the chicken and egg problem. POS [Point of Sale] equipment is needed to interoperate with technology in the cell phones. Carriers and handset manufacturers need incentives to add cost into the cell phones. There has to be a network for it to be interesting to anyone," she said.
The deal could also provide invaluable information about customer behaviour, she said.
"It gives both McDonald's and DoCoMo the opportunity to track consumers and their eating habits. Cash is more likely to be used in small transactions. Electronic payments will allow user behaviour to be tracked and used for marketing purposes," she said in her blog.
Increasingly mobile phone operators are experimenting with electronic payments.
Mobile credit card
In the UK, YourRail is working with Chiltern Railways to offer commuters the chance to buy tickets with their mobile phones.
Users buy their ticket on the internet and it is delivered to their mobile phone in the form of a barcode. Gates are currently being installed at Marylebone station which will scan phones.
In Japan, DoCoMo set up a service which allows customers to use their handsets as a credit card.
By April there were around 3m wallet phones in Japan using a pre-paid credit system where users topped up their account, often via a website, before using their phone to pay for something.
The joint venture between McDonalds and DoCoMo - worth 300 million yen - will see McDonalds Japan holding a 70% stake, with DoCoMo owning the rest. It is due to begin in July of this year.
C W - I will say when it comes to sporting events IMHO the teams / players involved have a lot to do with who is going to watch. Case in point once Tiger was eliminated from this past week's match play who actually watched. Certainly weren't many fans on the course watching in person. At least for the two holes I tuned in to watch. (edit ) for yesterday's final.
But Jonesi assumming ( yeah I know what that makes us ) the rest of the court dual goes in Neom's favour, then Dupont will be paying us - in a way. Or is that just too much wishful thinking.
Does ape boy actually have a real job or is he paid to pump out this Scanbuy hype.
For yours and the rest of us I sure hope that tennis thing wasn't it.
World class sporting event ??
Well on a different topic I should know about the One water in the UK this week. I was speaking to the folks over there and they had never heard of it.
So a quick google and they found it and learned that it is not carried where they shop, Sainsbury's. So deciding that the water charity was an extremelly worthy cause, my step mother has emailed there head office to suggest they carry One as well as the other brands.
She also found that One is sold through out the UK and will be travelling to the nearest Tesco store to purchase the bottles. If there is a code on it she will send the label air mail to me. Just incase her digital camera skills aren't up to scratch.
I will keep you posted. Have a good day all.
Grant
The 'bottom' - how many new floors are we going to see ?
It's getting harder to kick anything upstairs as the floor gets lower and lower and...........
Someone grab the steering wheel from Chas .......please !
It's going to be one of those weekends, one burbon one scotch one beer........
Attention Scanbuy and anothers walking all over our patents.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6388273.stm
Microsoft faces $1.5bn MP3 payout
Microsoft must pay French phone equipment firm Alcatel-Lucent $1.52bn (£777m) after a US court ruled the IT giant had infringed audio patents.
Alcatel had sued Microsoft, saying two patents related to the standards used for converting audio into MP3 files had been breached.
Microsoft, said it may appeal against the federal jury's decision, saying it was "unsupported by the law or facts".
Alcatel said it was pleased with the San Diego court's decision.
"We made strong arguments supporting our view " said an Alcatel-Lucent spokeswoman.
Concerned
Microsoft said it had already licensed the MP3 technology, paying $16m to a German firm Fraunhofer.
"We are concerned that this decision opens the door for Alcatel-Lucent to pursue action against hundreds of other companies who purchased the rights to use MP3 technology from Fraunhofer, the industry-recognized rightful licensor," said Microsoft lawyer Tom Burt.
There are a number of long-running patent disputes between Microsoft and US-based Lucent Technologies which Alcatel is taking over - with a further five set to go to court.
Beam
News Group International is a sub of News Corp. Here is the link.
http://www.newsint.co.uk
Here's to a good day for all and maybe just maybe a few green numbers for a change ??!!??
And still more from the Light Agency website. Parts of this might have been posted already but here are the UK Mobile marketing awards top 50 companies. Read through and you'll see a few familiar names - namely Sponge coming in at # 6 and then followed by I-Play.
I-Play not only mentions the Fast and Furious game but their '24' game. Dot here with the qode window and the '24' result.
Further down you'll find the Light Agency itself. All in all a good read.
http://www.thelightagency.com/files/PDF%20DOWNLOADS/PRESS%20RELEASES/O2_Real_Business_50_to_Watch_in....
http://www.shopscansave.com/home.htm
And this has been updated on the Light Agency website as well.
DD I see that since Jackson's in the UK have decided against running the Light Agency's ( Mobot partner ) SHOPSCANSAVE program the m-bar-go website has been updated. Low and behold there is News Group International again.
http://www.shopscansave.com/home.htm
Bob - Happy hour is anytime in my house (hic).
Sorry couldn't resist.
Jonesie
I also note that 3 is listed. As we know they are connected to the UK soccer News of the World deal. Also 'I Play ' is connected through the mobile game involving the TV show 24.
Have a great day.
Awards list from Barcalona.
http://www.gsmawards.com/winners.shtml
Yes it would be nice. With less than a third of the season left a small trial with a couple of the bigger teams - Man u Chelsea Arsenal or Liverpool - could be beneficial.
I have family in the south west of England and they are watching for the ONE water bottles and checking the newspaper for QODE. As of last Saturday nothing as of yet.
Grant
Sorry if someone has already answered but this season ends at the end of April and the next season starts in the middle of August.
Memory might be off here but I think our patents were good in 7 European countries. Did this list include France ?
I am sure Great Britain, Germany , The Netherlands and Belgium were included.
DD from Barcalona - wish it was our 'killer app' they were talking about - good read though
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6355449.stm
Last Updated: Wednesday, 14 February 2007, 00:01 GMT
Living the converged media life
By Tim Weber
Business editor, BBC News Interactive
At the 3GSM trade show in Barcelona, mobile operators and phone makers are placing huge bets on convergence - the coming together of mobile phones, television and music players. But does it work?
The 3G phone in my hand certainly has novelty value: people get excited when I show it off.
Not that the Nokia N73 is a particularly special phone. It's more what I can do with it.
Whether I'm in the office, in a cab or on a train, at the click of a button I can watch dozens of television channels, plucked straight from my very own television set-top box at home.
A clever, silvery, brick - called Slingbox - allows me to control the set-top box remotely using the internet. As a technology, it's not new, but the Slingbox software for mobiles is.
Now listen to this...
Another piece of software, called Orb, gives me access to all documents, pictures and music on my home computer.
Using the mobile phone, I can browse pictures, read documents and listen in good quality to music on my PC's hard drive.
Instant messaging (with MSN Messenger and Yahoo) can also be had on this Nokia; a special eBay application makes online bidding easy.
And then there is Skype, the software to make cheap international calls to traditional phones and free internet phone calls to other Skype users.
All this and more is part of the software bundle offered on X-series phones by UK mobile phone operator 3.
The best part: the service comes with a fairly low flat fee; it would take very heavy usage indeed to reach the limits of 3's internet access deal.
Does it work?
To my surprise, it's very straightforward to set it all up.
The Slingbox, for example, comes with the most foolproof manual I've ever seen and excellent online instructions for tweaking my router's firewall to make it work.
A colleague of mine, though, was caught out because his television set-top box was not anywhere near his router or a telephone line.
If that's the case, some nifty technical footwork is required, at least if you want to avoid long cables trailing through your living room.
Orb was also easy to set up. Only Skype gives me headaches, not because of the sound quality, but because it constantly forgets my password.
The phone has two browsers - one labelled "web", the other "services" - which is rather irritating, because each has a slightly different way of navigating the web.
Annoyingly, the phone does not show websites in landscape mode, which would help with most websites. But there are plenty of sites out there that are optimised for mobile phones (the BBC's, for example, is on bbc.co.uk/pda).
The killer applications
X-series phones offer the usual 3G goodies, like music and video downloads, multi-media messaging and online games.
But I had to download the killer applications myself: the Google software that gives me control over my Gmail account, and Google maps, which can provide not just maps and directions, but satellite pictures as well ("see that silver car parked in front of that house - that's mine").
Most of the software on X-series phones can be downloaded and installed on smart 3G phones, although this is not always for the faint-hearted.
Thus it is up to the network operator to offer the right mix of call plan and software package to attract subscribers.
For now, 3's flat fee package is hard to beat, although rivals are catching up.
Vodafone just announced a string of deals that will bundle YouTube, MySpace, eBay, Google maps and Yahoo and MSN instant messaging on its 3G phones.
When the novelty value wears off
But will it be enough to persuade customers to get a new phone and contract?
Do people really want to watch television on the move, always worrying that they might miss that crucial scene in Eastenders just because their bus is going through a 3G dead spot?
Even though the Slingbox exceeded all my expectations, I didn't find the downtime to untangle the headphones and watch telly on my Nokia.
Not least because I had set myself one rule: only use the service when nobody is at home, because when I change channels on my mobile, I do so for everybody in the house.
My daughter would have words with me were I to switch from "Big Cook, Little Cook" on CBeebies to News 24.
And in these environmentally-aware times, do I really want to keep my home PC running all day, just on the off-chance that I might want to show somebody a picture or dig out some music?
Admittedly, I constantly found myself snacking on the latest news and my e-mail. And if this were my phone for keeps, I might invest in a micro SD card and make it my MP3 player.
Others, no doubt, will love the chance for instant messaging on the move.
The form factor
So will I go out and get myself a fully converged phone?
Probably not. Not yet, that is.
For starters, there is the speed.
If you are used to broadband, 3G feels really slow. The X-Series currently features only traditional 3G; new high-speed phones, using HSDPA technology, will be available later this year.
Then there is the cost. When would I really want to watch home TV on the move? When I'm travelling abroad and can't follow the travails of the Welsh rugby team.
But flat-fee deals end at national borders. Beyond that, roaming charges kick in - minute by expensive minute.
My biggest gripe, though, is the form factor. Answering e-mail using a numerical keypad is hard slog.
I still wait for slim smartphones with large touch-screens and slide-out keypads. A few phones - like Samsung's Ultra Smart F700 - are getting close, but they are expensive and not in the shops yet.
Nonetheless, there is something to be said for this converged world.
I'd love to have a device that replaces my phone, PDA and MP3 player.
And when, just before Christmas, my family and I were stranded at fog-bound London Heathrow, even my wife approved of my going online and checking out the airport's website, to see whether our flight was still on.
For a few hours, we became huge fans of the converged world.
A lot of new mobiles introduced today - would be real nice to one day see QODE come embeded in one.
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56559.html
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56556.html
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56565.html
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56560.html
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56552.html
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56554.html
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56555.html
Nokia and YouTube Cooperate on Mobile Video
Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:01 pm
Nokia today announced bringing YouTube videos to Nokia Nseries devices. YouTube videos will be accessible using the Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map through YouTube's mobile site. Also, YouTube video RSS feeds can now be consumed through the new Nokia Video Center application.
The Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map allows users to view videos on websites in a similar way as with PC web browsers. With YouTube Mobile now also compatible with the AVC video format, the single-click playback of videos is possible on mobile devices. The Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map and AVC video playback are standard features in all the latest Nokia Nseries multimedia computers.
The Nokia Video Center also offers mobile video RSS feed and video on demand features for discovering, viewing and storing one's favorite content on a Nokia Nseries device. It combines branded video RSS feed services, internet videos and sideloaded videos from the PC into one single place.
Nokia Video Center will be available globally in the markets where Nokia Nseries devices are sold. It will first be preinstalled in the Nokia N95 device and thereafter in most of the new Nokia Nseries devices. Nokia Video Center will also be available as download version for selected compatible S60 devices.
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/56576.html
Kind of hard to figure that we are involved in this alleged not so secret meeting. I would have thought if that were the case there would have been some big time volume / buying the last few days of the past week. Subsequently pushing our pps up, even fractionally at best. Didn't happen so I am not holding my breath.
As for not being in Barcelona - does it matter. Think about it, where are all the revenue producing contracts from all the other shows we have been too ? We saved a few bucks on the air fare, hotel and meals.
I know I'm sounding a wee bit negative here, might have a little bit to do with the Guinness, but let's step back and look at the big picture. I'm about to raise the white flag here, a cool four point seven cents. And Chuckles had the nerve to build a shiney new house in where ever it is.
Good to here from you again Spanky - and congrats at getting out at 0.35. Put your hands up if you wish you had done the same. Yeah I thought so.
On the other half of the glass thing - Streets - great new look on the header here. How do we get you to replace Chas ?
Well thanks for the mini rant/vent. Believe it or not I truely hope February is our month and the mobile marketing world is turned on it's head. Because right now the only thing turning is my stomach.
They sure have - when you consider that Nokia phones have been all over Neom's 'Gowindow / qode window ' site. It was also my understanding that it was the phone of choice ( for demonstrations) at the shareholders meeting, and the word 'nokia' has been live for months in the qode window.
The horse racing has started, they are nearing the first bend and our Neom horse is still at the starting gate looking for a jockey ( CEO ). I need a scotch - who cares if it is lunch time.
Woogs please pass out what you're smokin !
I have relatives with their eyes open for the bottles. I thought they were to be out by March. Either way they will snail mail me a label and I will do my best to get it 'posted' here.
Well Jonsie I'm as frustrated as the next. But let's look at it from this point of view. If what was posted for a short time yesterday, before it was removed, about what was left of Neom's brain trust ( ROTFLMFAO when I use that term ) being in two days of planning the course for 2007, isn't the answer obvious.
Both news and games are not new - sorry. Games has worked ( gone to a yahoo site ) for a long time, even before the actual word 'yahoo' worked.
Great find Cab - thanks
http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/ces_2007/?p=4
Check out the video at the bottom of this article.
OT - Born in the 'peg, in the late 50s. Lived on Buxton Road , Waterloo St and Aggassi Dr. Been back three times since '65. Gotta say I like the southern Ontario winters much better. Bundle up and enjoy.
Have a great weekend everyone. Let's hope we get some clarity next week in our continued restructuring.
He needs a good posse with him as well.
This might be new in the QODE window - type in TIM and
( I don't want to get too worked up about this next one )
VODAFONE.
Doesn't go to their home page.
EDITED - disregard the above words - it is obvious there is a relationship with WIKIPEDIA - just tried a few more words and they also went to the free encyclopedia page for these words - in this case beer, grass, trees - I guess this could be endless.
Good morning and Happy New Year all - let's hope '07 is a safe one and a good one.
Good Morning and Merry Christmas everyone
OK good - thanks Hangdog - I'm trying to stay positive here but as Crusher will tell you I have let the odd 'rant' loose recently !
I guess we all feel like Clark Griswold waiting for that Christmas bonus !!!
Speaking of which - everyone have a great one.
Grant
Agreed - let's just hope none of them try and sell any stock at the end of the year. Tax trouble or not - that would help nail this coffin shut.
Do we really care what primate boy has to say ?
Yes that is a good link - has been active for a few weeks. Leads to the same site as ' LA ' does. I have tried a few other major cities, but no luck.