The last proper Bank Holiday is over and the Summer holidays have come to a dismal, damp end.
I, like so many others are back to work (or school) this week which means a fairly depressing atmosphere has descended on the UK.
Luckily, I only have to work four days this week, but as this is primarily a mobile industry blog - I have a reason to be "excited":
Giffgaff are rolling out 4G as standard across their new PAYG bundle ("Goodybag") range on the 2nd of September. The basic PAYG tariff will also have 4G rolled out from this date, and this should be completed by early October.
Why am I excited? My village is served by 4G Vodafone and O2 coverage.
O2 (giffgaff's parent network) runs on O2), but O2 have failed to meet customer expectations and have only provided 2G and 4G, so unless you're willing to pay a premium for 4G (and receive a smaller data allowance), you can't get data for miles around here.
Now that giffgaff are providing a "free" 4G service, I'm happy. I have my first (bargain) 4G phone (a Nokia Lumia 635), so I'm good to go!
Since most networks don't make such a big announcement when they roll out 4G services, it is probably worth checking your area via the relevant networks' coverage maps - you might be in a 4G area without realising it.
Would you like a free giffgaff SIM with five pounds of free credit upon activation? Click my affiliate link here: https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/terran_federation
Monday 31 August 2015
Sunday 30 August 2015
Amazon Fire Phone Continues to Burn
Google wants to know everything about everyone in the world. Amazon wants to sell stuff to every one of those people.
When Amazon stormed the market with their Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, many were highly impressed that the tablets were so good for the price. Of course, these tablets are very good value with very good quality screens, but they serve a dual purpose: To provide a retail outlet for Amazon's ever growing range of digital products.
Buy an Amazon Fire tablet, and you discover that you haven't bought an Android tablet at all; you've bought a portal into Amazon's catalogue of music, books and films.
Not that there's anything wrong with this.
If you don't mind stumping up £79 a year for a range of Amazon's services and products, then owning a Fire tablet used to be one of the few ways in which you could watch their TV programmes and films.
Thankfully Amazon have added a few more "perks" to their Amazon Prime £79/year services such as Prime Music and Prime Instant Video, which you can now watch on any Android tablet.
So Amazon created a range of great Fire tablets to market their products. These tablets have been available at reasonable prices, and their frequent special offers have helped to drive sales.
So, who would have thought that Amazon's Fire Phone would have been such a massive disaster?
By all means, please read Techradar's less than positive review at the link above, but in a nutshell the Amazon Fire Phone failed due to it's massive price on release, and it was only available on the O2 network at first - What was Amazon thinking? It's not the iPhone!
The reviews were all unfavourable, too, with the unintuitive interface and fancy face tracking cameras leading to all sorts of problems for users. Add to that the specifications, which were days away from being outdated by the next big smartphone release. On top of all of these problems, it wasn't even an Android phone, and it was even more of a Amazon salesman than the Fire tablets.
The price quickly fell, but this still couldn't attract customers.
Within the last month, I've seen the (unlocked) Amazon Fire Phone on sale through Amazon for £99, and I still wouldn't buy it at that price. For what it actually does, I'd still not be tempted if it was £50.
The Wall Street Journal recently published a piece about Amazon laying off dozens of employees from their research and development "Lab126".
There are reportedly other products still in development, though these could also be shelved as the company looks to concentrate on their existing best sellers such as the Kindle Fire tablet range.
According to ARS Technica, Amazon are still sitting on a big pile (a £54M pile!) of unsold Fire Phones - They will take some shifting.
The thing is, did anyone want an Amazon Fire Phone anyway? The tablets sold well because of the price, quality and the fact that they were bought as media viewers.
The tablet market is vastly different to the smartphone market, even though in theory they perform very similar functions - A family will buy one or more tablets for viewing media on, but smartphones tend to be something that customers want (or are forced) to continually upgrade.
Tablets on the other hand last for years, or until they get sat on - or your toddler spills the drink from their Tommee Tippee cup all over it.
Less than five years ago, consumers still wanted a "Facebook Phone", and former hotshot Android phone manufacturing luvvie HTC obliged by releasing the HTC First, aka the Facebook Phone in 2013.
This smartphone was an absolute disaster, even though HTC had already tried to market two "Facebook Phones" two years earlier in 2011; the HTC ChaCha (nicknamed the HTC "ChavChav") with a physical keyboard, and the HTC Salsa.
Back in 2011, both of these smartphones were pretty good and HTC was still a well respected brand, but even though people actually wanted a Facebook Phone, it appeared that HTC had chosen to try to sell something that it thought that people would snap up - Much like Amazon thinking that a Fire Phone would sell as well as their tablets.
Amazon, if only your Fire Phone had originally retailed at the current £99 that it is now, you would have had something that people would have bought and maybe progressed on to buying a bigger phone in the future - much like your Kindle Fire tablets.
Amazon missed a big trick right at the start with their over-pricing: The tech media had speculated for months that the Amazon Fire Phone might even be free, due to the tie-ins to the Amazon ecosystem. When it arrived with its original £399 price tag for the entry level 32GB model, its nauseating face tracking software and its blatant, built-in Amazon tie-ins, it's no wonder why this smartphone crashed and burned, and still burns to this day.
When Amazon stormed the market with their Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, many were highly impressed that the tablets were so good for the price. Of course, these tablets are very good value with very good quality screens, but they serve a dual purpose: To provide a retail outlet for Amazon's ever growing range of digital products.
Buy an Amazon Fire tablet, and you discover that you haven't bought an Android tablet at all; you've bought a portal into Amazon's catalogue of music, books and films.
Not that there's anything wrong with this.
If you don't mind stumping up £79 a year for a range of Amazon's services and products, then owning a Fire tablet used to be one of the few ways in which you could watch their TV programmes and films.
Thankfully Amazon have added a few more "perks" to their Amazon Prime £79/year services such as Prime Music and Prime Instant Video, which you can now watch on any Android tablet.
So Amazon created a range of great Fire tablets to market their products. These tablets have been available at reasonable prices, and their frequent special offers have helped to drive sales.
So, who would have thought that Amazon's Fire Phone would have been such a massive disaster?
By all means, please read Techradar's less than positive review at the link above, but in a nutshell the Amazon Fire Phone failed due to it's massive price on release, and it was only available on the O2 network at first - What was Amazon thinking? It's not the iPhone!
The reviews were all unfavourable, too, with the unintuitive interface and fancy face tracking cameras leading to all sorts of problems for users. Add to that the specifications, which were days away from being outdated by the next big smartphone release. On top of all of these problems, it wasn't even an Android phone, and it was even more of a Amazon salesman than the Fire tablets.
The price quickly fell, but this still couldn't attract customers.
Within the last month, I've seen the (unlocked) Amazon Fire Phone on sale through Amazon for £99, and I still wouldn't buy it at that price. For what it actually does, I'd still not be tempted if it was £50.
The Wall Street Journal recently published a piece about Amazon laying off dozens of employees from their research and development "Lab126".
There are reportedly other products still in development, though these could also be shelved as the company looks to concentrate on their existing best sellers such as the Kindle Fire tablet range.
According to ARS Technica, Amazon are still sitting on a big pile (a £54M pile!) of unsold Fire Phones - They will take some shifting.
The thing is, did anyone want an Amazon Fire Phone anyway? The tablets sold well because of the price, quality and the fact that they were bought as media viewers.
The tablet market is vastly different to the smartphone market, even though in theory they perform very similar functions - A family will buy one or more tablets for viewing media on, but smartphones tend to be something that customers want (or are forced) to continually upgrade.
Tablets on the other hand last for years, or until they get sat on - or your toddler spills the drink from their Tommee Tippee cup all over it.
Less than five years ago, consumers still wanted a "Facebook Phone", and former hotshot Android phone manufacturing luvvie HTC obliged by releasing the HTC First, aka the Facebook Phone in 2013.
This smartphone was an absolute disaster, even though HTC had already tried to market two "Facebook Phones" two years earlier in 2011; the HTC ChaCha (nicknamed the HTC "ChavChav") with a physical keyboard, and the HTC Salsa.
Back in 2011, both of these smartphones were pretty good and HTC was still a well respected brand, but even though people actually wanted a Facebook Phone, it appeared that HTC had chosen to try to sell something that it thought that people would snap up - Much like Amazon thinking that a Fire Phone would sell as well as their tablets.
Amazon, if only your Fire Phone had originally retailed at the current £99 that it is now, you would have had something that people would have bought and maybe progressed on to buying a bigger phone in the future - much like your Kindle Fire tablets.
Amazon missed a big trick right at the start with their over-pricing: The tech media had speculated for months that the Amazon Fire Phone might even be free, due to the tie-ins to the Amazon ecosystem. When it arrived with its original £399 price tag for the entry level 32GB model, its nauseating face tracking software and its blatant, built-in Amazon tie-ins, it's no wonder why this smartphone crashed and burned, and still burns to this day.
Carfest South Draws to a Close
Today is the final day of Carfest South 2015, and in many ways I wish that I'd been there. (There are some brilliant bands and singers performing tonight, including Take That, Level 42, The Shires and Midge Ure, amongst others.)
Despite being a local, I thought that I'd actually see more cars around the village than I have done, and I was absolutely gutted this morning when I heard from @CarfestEvent's rather inactive Twitter account that the parade of cars (including ~50 Ferraris) had been cancelled due to muddy conditions getting off the site. (Not sure how things will end later today then - especially since the Army helped to lay two miles of temporary roads on the site over seven days ago.)
I wish that this bad news had been better publicised, as there were people in the village turning up to watch this, much as they did they other day to watch Chris Evan's "Dirty Dozen" drive through the village on the B3400.
Maybe next year...
Despite being a local, I thought that I'd actually see more cars around the village than I have done, and I was absolutely gutted this morning when I heard from @CarfestEvent's rather inactive Twitter account that the parade of cars (including ~50 Ferraris) had been cancelled due to muddy conditions getting off the site. (Not sure how things will end later today then - especially since the Army helped to lay two miles of temporary roads on the site over seven days ago.)
I wish that this bad news had been better publicised, as there were people in the village turning up to watch this, much as they did they other day to watch Chris Evan's "Dirty Dozen" drive through the village on the B3400.
Maybe next year...
Saturday 29 August 2015
Carfest South / Celebrity Chefs
I'm enjoying seeing the occasional car pass our home in Overton from Carfest, but I wish that there were a few more!
I'm keeping an eye on my friend's Facebook page as well; she's loving Carfest and has had her photograph taken with James Martin, Tom Kerridge and Paul Hollywood - not a bad haul of chef selfies!
Apart from this, Overton is quiet this weekend - as are the mobile and tech websites.
I do have a small article planned but I'm saving this for tomorrow as news items are so few and far between.
- Unlike the tech websites, I'm not recycling my articles throughout the week!
I'm keeping an eye on my friend's Facebook page as well; she's loving Carfest and has had her photograph taken with James Martin, Tom Kerridge and Paul Hollywood - not a bad haul of chef selfies!
Apart from this, Overton is quiet this weekend - as are the mobile and tech websites.
I do have a small article planned but I'm saving this for tomorrow as news items are so few and far between.
- Unlike the tech websites, I'm not recycling my articles throughout the week!
Friday 28 August 2015
Carfest and Overton
Today has been day one of Carfest South.
I've been disappointed to see so few decent looking cars pass through the village of Overton.
Chris Evans you need to encourage more of a parade through the village!
Sunday will be good though: 50 Ferraris paying through the village should be a great sight!
Overton is a nice little place, but half of its population are incredibly stuck up and detest everything, yet are willing to do nothing about local causes unless they can be seen to be doing something "trendy".
There have already been complaints about the cars revving engines whilst giving rides through the village - I have yet to see ANY evidence of this.
Seriously, some residents here should move back to whichever pious place kicked them out in the first place.
I'll put some mobile news up in this blog over the weekend, but today I've concentrated on my Twitter account (search for @aiikon1).
If you're at Carfest, don't forget to keep an eye on my Twitter account for up to date announcements from Overton.
I've been disappointed to see so few decent looking cars pass through the village of Overton.
Chris Evans you need to encourage more of a parade through the village!
Sunday will be good though: 50 Ferraris paying through the village should be a great sight!
Overton is a nice little place, but half of its population are incredibly stuck up and detest everything, yet are willing to do nothing about local causes unless they can be seen to be doing something "trendy".
There have already been complaints about the cars revving engines whilst giving rides through the village - I have yet to see ANY evidence of this.
Seriously, some residents here should move back to whichever pious place kicked them out in the first place.
I'll put some mobile news up in this blog over the weekend, but today I've concentrated on my Twitter account (search for @aiikon1).
If you're at Carfest, don't forget to keep an eye on my Twitter account for up to date announcements from Overton.
Thursday 27 August 2015
CARFEST SOUTH 2015: Mobile Networks Around Overton that Work
Carfest South 2015
This is a massive influx of vehicles and people to a small rural area in North Hampshire over the course of this August Bank Holiday weekend. Carfest (www.carfest.org) is part of BBC Children in Need and is hosted at our local farmer producer, ex racing driver Jody Scheckter's Laverstoke Park Farm in Overton.
Before you ask, it has rained a lot here in Overton this week. There has been some flooding on the roads and the state of the fields is not just wet: It's sodden.
Chris Evans' Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 this morning stated that the organisers have laid two miles of temporary road on the site and that the ground is well and truly churned up into thick mud - and this was just to set up the event!
Exhibitors will be arriving from tomorrow (Friday) morning, so by the time it opens to ticket holders the site is likely to be a bit of a mess, even though the weather forecast for this weekend isn't too bad.
Onto my main reason for this post:
Overton is a small rural village, and Laverstoke Park Farm is a little distance from Overton (about one country mile). The mobile networks around here are all patchy, but the situation gets worse the further away you are from the towns and villages.
With tens of thousands of people attending Carfest at any one time, there will be a lot of photography, sharing and social media updates, not to mention the usual smartphone tasks such as email, mapping, etc. So which network will work best?
If you have a spare phone and SIM card, will you be better off bringing that?
Overton has a decent, reliable 4G service on Vodafone, which stretches quite far into the surrounding countryside to the South (where Laverstoke Park Farm is located). Data speeds on HSDPA are around 1-5mbps when downloading and 1-2mbps when uploading.
O2 has 4G coverage in Overton, but this vanishes as soon as you escape the village. O2's 2G is much more patchy than Vodafone's 2G once you are out into the Hampshire countryside. Data speeds are ok, but O2 is prone to "stacking" calls, texts and throttling data if its masts get overloaded - which is a definite possibility this weekend.
Three is acceptable. Data speeds are ok, but often much slower than you would expect in large towns and cities. Calls drop often and texts are frequently delayed. Three is poor around here as it tends to give you a data connection but you later discover that people have been unable to call you for hours.
EE is utterly useless. You might just get a useable 2G signal in Overton, but finding a data connection is hard to come by and usually times out before anything can be done.
Also remember that there are very few masts around here, so congestion (especially on O2 as I have already mentioned) is highly likely.
There is a possibility that Vodafone will roll out one of their mobile network masts to such a large event, and I would hope that Vodafone do in fact do this as they are a local company (based up the road in Newbury).
Watch out for the mobile radar traps which will be positioned in and around the village - They've been making me nervous each time I pass them on my way to work.
Enjoy Carfest and all of the attractions it has to offer.
If you can use your mobile, don't forget to follow my blog here for important updates, and I will be Tweeting directly from my Twitter account here: twitter.com/aiikon1
Should you be looking for the best Pay As You Go bundle deals, then my website is here: mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com
Windows Phone 10: You Might NOT Get It
Do you have a Windows Phone running WP8.1?
If you do you are probably expecting a free upgrade to Windows (Phone) 10.
As you are already aware, this has been delayed for several months.
Early this year, Microsoft told customers that not all Windows 8.1 phones would be upgraded: Phones with less than 1GB of RAM might not run Windows 10 properly, and there has been talk of a few different versions of Windows 10 making it onto people's mobiles.
It has just been announced that there are some Windows Phones which simply won't make the upgrade to Windows 10 - namely those with less than 8GB of memory.
Fortunately, there aren't that many models around with less than 8GB, though the year-old Nokia Lumia 530 falls into this category.
I feel sorry for this little phone. It had to carry the torch for the excellent, budget, Nokia Lumia 520, but failed to live up to it's predecessor in so many ways.
The Nokia Lumia 530 is still being sold at quite a price (£50-60 in many cases!) and it really doesn't meet this price tag, so anyone thinking of buying one should really think again - especially since the cheaper, superior, Microsoft Lumia 435 can be had for £40 or less.
It looks like the road to Windows 10 is still a bumpy one for some Lumia phones, though most are likely to be absolutely fine.
If you do you are probably expecting a free upgrade to Windows (Phone) 10.
As you are already aware, this has been delayed for several months.
Early this year, Microsoft told customers that not all Windows 8.1 phones would be upgraded: Phones with less than 1GB of RAM might not run Windows 10 properly, and there has been talk of a few different versions of Windows 10 making it onto people's mobiles.
It has just been announced that there are some Windows Phones which simply won't make the upgrade to Windows 10 - namely those with less than 8GB of memory.
Fortunately, there aren't that many models around with less than 8GB, though the year-old Nokia Lumia 530 falls into this category.
The Nokia Lumia 530 is a relatively new phone, yet the 4GB of memory it comes with has denied it any chance of a Windows 10 upgrade.
I feel sorry for this little phone. It had to carry the torch for the excellent, budget, Nokia Lumia 520, but failed to live up to it's predecessor in so many ways.
The Nokia Lumia 530 is still being sold at quite a price (£50-60 in many cases!) and it really doesn't meet this price tag, so anyone thinking of buying one should really think again - especially since the cheaper, superior, Microsoft Lumia 435 can be had for £40 or less.
It looks like the road to Windows 10 is still a bumpy one for some Lumia phones, though most are likely to be absolutely fine.
Leicestershire; I knew there was a reason why I didn't go there
Police crime statistics are just in and if you value your tech, keep it safe in Leicestershire:
The English county has taken London's No. 1 place in the league table of places where your mobile and/or other electronic devices are most likely to be stolen.
Many (many) years ago I went to an open day at Leicester University when I was looking for a place to study BSc Botany (I have no idea how I ended up doing the jobs that I've done over the years!).
To be honest, I wasn't impressed with the place, and when even the lecturers warn you how "dodgy" the town is, it doesn't fix a great impression in your mind.
I remember the coach tour of the campus and surrounding areas: It was bleak with a sense of metropolitan dread.
I was not sorry to leave, and Leicester University was not my first choice.
Anyhoo; this news has made me think of how lax we all are with our mobiles, tablets, etc. when out and about.
Many people fifteen years ago kept their precious mobiles hidden from view (a strange thing to do with a fashion accessory), and I remember the TV adverts warning people not to stand outside pubs with the green glow of your mobile's LCD screen lighting up your face in the dark - making you a prime target for muggers.
These days, mobiles have begun to get more and more expensive, with flagship devices costing well over £600, yet people flaunt them and leave them in full view on bars.
You can even whip them out and pay for things like a CHIP and PIN card.
What thief wouldn't want to get their nasty hands on your phone?
My first large screen phone was the Samsung Galaxy S3, and my local pub was pretty safe. However the first time that I cautiously produced it from my pocket a bunch of blokes noticed it and commented on it's size. Some things are hard to ignore, and an opportunist or pre-planned mugger could always be on the lookout.
Ok, now there are so many similarly designed, large screen phones around a thief could steal one, only to find that it's worth less than £100.
But, £100 is still quite a bit of cash, plus the information your phone holds could potentially be worth a great deal more.
I feel that people are now far less cautious with their mobiles and other electronic devices.
In many ways it's hard not to have them on show, as we use them so much during the day.
Many places are dodgy, and common sense tells you not to get out your brand new iPhone in most places unless you really enjoy making yourself a target.
That TV campaign to try to prevent mobile phone theft would do well if it was re-run and updated, as I think that we have all become complacent about theft.
These types of crime can and do happen everywhere, so remember to make your personal data secure and avoid flaunting your fashionable new phone around in public.
(If you were wondering, I went to my first choice of university: The wonderful University of Wales, Aberystwyth.)
Four Days off Work - But I'll still be writing here!
I have written a few blog posts this evening which are scheduled for posting automatically during tomorrow morning, but our company has now adopted a nine day fortnight working pattern, so I'll be off work for four days from Friday.
I shall keep writing my blog and Tweeting away on Twitter, so don't forget to come along and have a read.
Unlike most of the technology websites, I don't stop at weekends - I actually write and post more!
I shall keep writing my blog and Tweeting away on Twitter, so don't forget to come along and have a read.
Unlike most of the technology websites, I don't stop at weekends - I actually write and post more!
Wednesday 26 August 2015
Wileyfox Makes Waves
New mobile manufacturer Wileyfox has - as I predicted yesterday - already started to make the tech media sit up and take notice of their just-announced Android smartphones.
The most obvious comparison is down to the affordability of Wileyfox's two mobiles: The £199 Storm, and the £129 Swift. Both are incredibly well-specced, SIM free and are dual sim, which is becoming a popular feature in the UK due to our patchy network coverage and overpriced data plans!
So what are other technology writers comparing Wileyfox's new mobiles with? The Moto G and the OnePlus Two - as I predicted.
Seriously, though, Wileyfox look to be able to produce a couple of great products here, and sell them at the right price.
A week ago, if I was in the market for a new Android phone I would have certainly gone for the new (2015) Moto G. With these two new phones from Wileyfox on the scene, I am certain that I would be having second thoughts about buying a Moto G, and if I'd already bought one, I think that I would be experiencing something else - Regret.
I commend Wileyfox for hitting the market so subtly with such great products. I really wish them a massive amount of success for the future, and as I said in my blog yesterday, I would sooner buy British than risk a Far Eastern Samsung-alike compromise.
Wileyfox, your marketing is already done. I suspect that your phones will soon be selling in droves, purely down to word of mouth.
The most obvious comparison is down to the affordability of Wileyfox's two mobiles: The £199 Storm, and the £129 Swift. Both are incredibly well-specced, SIM free and are dual sim, which is becoming a popular feature in the UK due to our patchy network coverage and overpriced data plans!
So what are other technology writers comparing Wileyfox's new mobiles with? The Moto G and the OnePlus Two - as I predicted.
Seriously, though, Wileyfox look to be able to produce a couple of great products here, and sell them at the right price.
A week ago, if I was in the market for a new Android phone I would have certainly gone for the new (2015) Moto G. With these two new phones from Wileyfox on the scene, I am certain that I would be having second thoughts about buying a Moto G, and if I'd already bought one, I think that I would be experiencing something else - Regret.
I commend Wileyfox for hitting the market so subtly with such great products. I really wish them a massive amount of success for the future, and as I said in my blog yesterday, I would sooner buy British than risk a Far Eastern Samsung-alike compromise.
Wileyfox, your marketing is already done. I suspect that your phones will soon be selling in droves, purely down to word of mouth.
EE Customer Service Update
Yesterday, EE annoyed me greatly by rejecting the IMEI number of a phone sold by them which I wanted unlocking.
My blog has been interspersed with updates about my experience with EE, which started off well and has quickly descended into the mire over the last eleven days.
Following on from yesterday's text from them telling me that they cannot unlock my phone due to the IMEI number I supplied being incorrect, their customer service centre was due to get another call from me today.
Here's what happened.
I explained the situation to EE's representative. He was polite and looked into the details and confirmed my IMEI code.
He then put me on hold whilst he checked some details, after which he said that the IMEI code has been rejected.
Not standing for this, I asked him to check again and - amazingly - the code was correct, but the lady who took it down the first time omitted the last two digits!
He went on to assure me that they would "Look into unlocking my phone in the next ten days".
I expressed (politely but firmly) that I was not a happy EE customer, as they had screwed up and I was going to have to wait yet another ten days for them to unlock my phone.
I was very pleased when he said that because I will have to wait, there will be no charge [£8.99] for the unlocking service, which I was very happy with.
The customer service representative went on to say that it takes EE ten days to obtain the unlocking code from the phone manufacturer. I quickly mentioned that Vodafone and the other networks do it on the spot! He then told me that EE is such a large network and the largest in the UK, that they have to deal with so many customers and that Vodafone are tiny by comparison!
Altogether, I'm not pleased with EE's customer service. Their representatives range from helpful and friendly to just plain impossible to understand. However I get the feeling that the "bad" customer service I and many others experience is actually down to poor management controls.
Maybe EE really is a massive behemoth now that it comprises EE, T-Mobile and Orange, but if they can't handle it, customers will vote with their feet.
Overall, I'm happy with the resolution provided today, but over twenty working days to obtain an unlocking code? Really??
My blog has been interspersed with updates about my experience with EE, which started off well and has quickly descended into the mire over the last eleven days.
Following on from yesterday's text from them telling me that they cannot unlock my phone due to the IMEI number I supplied being incorrect, their customer service centre was due to get another call from me today.
Here's what happened.
I explained the situation to EE's representative. He was polite and looked into the details and confirmed my IMEI code.
He then put me on hold whilst he checked some details, after which he said that the IMEI code has been rejected.
Not standing for this, I asked him to check again and - amazingly - the code was correct, but the lady who took it down the first time omitted the last two digits!
He went on to assure me that they would "Look into unlocking my phone in the next ten days".
I expressed (politely but firmly) that I was not a happy EE customer, as they had screwed up and I was going to have to wait yet another ten days for them to unlock my phone.
I was very pleased when he said that because I will have to wait, there will be no charge [£8.99] for the unlocking service, which I was very happy with.
The customer service representative went on to say that it takes EE ten days to obtain the unlocking code from the phone manufacturer. I quickly mentioned that Vodafone and the other networks do it on the spot! He then told me that EE is such a large network and the largest in the UK, that they have to deal with so many customers and that Vodafone are tiny by comparison!
Altogether, I'm not pleased with EE's customer service. Their representatives range from helpful and friendly to just plain impossible to understand. However I get the feeling that the "bad" customer service I and many others experience is actually down to poor management controls.
Maybe EE really is a massive behemoth now that it comprises EE, T-Mobile and Orange, but if they can't handle it, customers will vote with their feet.
Overall, I'm happy with the resolution provided today, but over twenty working days to obtain an unlocking code? Really??
EE Customer Service - The Rot Has Set In
Following on from my recent very positive, then slightly less positive experiences with EE's customer service, my saga continues...
I'm trying to get a PAYG EE phone (a Nokia Lumia 630, if you're interested) unlocked.
I was assured that this would be no problem at all.
After a week, I enquired to find out why I still hadn't received my unlocking code, and was told that It will take ten days to get my code.
Today was day ten.
EE sent me a text telling me that the IMEI code which I supplied was wrong, therefore they cannot unlock my phone. I should then log onto the EE website and input my IMEI code there.
I feel let down by their customer service. I have the IMEI code written down, and it was read back to me at the time. A further verification by tapping in *#06# revealed the same code.
EE: It's not me - it's you.
Your customer service department can barely speak English, so I'm guessing that expecting them to get a 17 digit number correct is asking far too much.
EE, you can expect a phone call from this customer today. I'm not happy anymore.
EE, I heard that your customer service was poor, and I can now confirm that yes, it really is that bad.
I'll let you know how I get on...
I'm trying to get a PAYG EE phone (a Nokia Lumia 630, if you're interested) unlocked.
I was assured that this would be no problem at all.
After a week, I enquired to find out why I still hadn't received my unlocking code, and was told that It will take ten days to get my code.
Today was day ten.
EE sent me a text telling me that the IMEI code which I supplied was wrong, therefore they cannot unlock my phone. I should then log onto the EE website and input my IMEI code there.
I feel let down by their customer service. I have the IMEI code written down, and it was read back to me at the time. A further verification by tapping in *#06# revealed the same code.
EE: It's not me - it's you.
Your customer service department can barely speak English, so I'm guessing that expecting them to get a 17 digit number correct is asking far too much.
EE, you can expect a phone call from this customer today. I'm not happy anymore.
EE, I heard that your customer service was poor, and I can now confirm that yes, it really is that bad.
I'll let you know how I get on...
Wileyfox Mobile: A Great Android Phone from the UK?!
Yesterday I read with interest of Wileyfox - a brand new mobile handset producer from the UK.
I am tired of hearing about the OnePlusTwoPlusOne, or whatever version the world is hankering after this week due to their invitation-only retail outlet.
The influx of Chinese and Far Eastern Samsung-alikes is bewildering, and let's look at this honestly - you're buying a "similarly" specced phablet from a dodgy retailer in the Far East.
It won't be quite as good as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, but it'll be a third of the price (or less). It will come with problems and compromises, but hey! It will be cheap.
Or, you could go even cheaper and buy a really naff Chinese mobile in the hope that you'll get used to its foibles, but you won't - It will go wrong, but more likely you'll go back to your old phone because it didn't really live up to your expectations. But hey, It was cheap.
I've long had admiration for Kazam, another British phone maker who make a range of Android phones that they retail themselves through their website and outlets such as Argos.
Kazam's phones are tough, come with free screen replacements, have dedicated support and are dual sim, but most run Android KitKat, with no sign of an update in the pipeline.
So why am I so excited about Wileyfox?
British used to mean quality, but successive Governments have somehow managed to kill off our manufacturing industries, leaving people with the preconception that British means shoddily put together and badly designed.
This isn't necessarily true, but I've had my fair share of poor quality British items over the years. And they are not always cheap.
Wileyfox is British, and their newly-announced handsets sound absolutely great.
There will be two to choose from; the higher-specced Wileyfox Storm, and the Wileyfox Swift. Both run Cyanogen OS - so no worries about any outdated versions of Android here.
Consumer-wise, I'm not sure how the public will take to Cyanogen. If you wanted this very effective and highly customisable operating system, you usually had to root your phone and invalidate its warranty, so to see Cyanogen appearing on more phones is interesting and good in equal measure.
The Register has a very concise article about the Storm and the Swift here.
There are three things which appeal to me massively:
1) The specifications of both phones is truly excellent.
2) The price of both phones is truly excellent.
3) They are British, so you stand a fairer chance of these mobiles actually being good, rather than a cheap compromise from the Far East.
I love a good buy, and whilst both phones sit in the mid range price bracket for an Android phone, both are really great value: The Storm is £199, whilst the Swift is £129 - Both are SIM free and are unlikely to be taken up by the networks.
After the recent launch of the Motorola Moto G (2015), the tech new websites went crazy about what great value this phone is. The new Moto G is great value, and having owned (and still using) the 2013 Moto G I would definitely recommend the 2015 version.
But these two mobiles from Wileyfox are something else. If they don't turn out to be too British, if you know what I mean, they are far, far better than anything else at this price point and will give phones like the OnePlusTwo a serious run for their money.
I hope that Wileyfox and these new phones are a massive success.
Monday 24 August 2015
4G Use Will DEVOUR Your Data Plan!
Using 4G on your mobile will chomp through your data allowances so quickly, you'll be hit with a £200 phone bill at the end of the month.
Your home will be repossessed.
Your children will be taken from you.
You will never even be allowed to use The Internet again in your lifetime.
Of course, none of this is true, but for many thousands of people, they really do believe that using 4G will use up their data allowance so quickly that just watching a 30 second YouTube video will leave them massively out of pocket.
This urban myth does need to be dispelled, as I hear it time after time and it now appears to be self-perpetuating.
Firstly, being able to use a 4G connection does mean that yes, data allowances can be used up more quickly.
However - it still only consumes/sends the same quantity of data that a 3G connection would.
If you are one of those Luddites staring at this article in pure disbelief, then don't worry: Downloading a 10MB mp3 music file will happen much more quickly over a 4G connection, but like it's 3G connection counterpart - it's still a 10MB file.
Of course, there will be some customers who discover that it is quick and easy to download/upload all sorts of stuff from/to the internet using their smartphones, and those customers may be shocked at the speed in which this can now happen (depending upon how good or bad your network is).
It's easy to sit there and download a few dozen tracks in quick succession, without realising that you've used 400MB of your data allowance.
To be honest, I firmly believe that many of these 4Gphobes have been using a substandard mobile data connection for years, which is why this new 4G witchery is laden with so many nasty surprises.
For anyone who has experienced Three's 3G data speeds, you possibly will have been very satisfied with them.
I was on Three's The One Plan for years, and with the unlimited data that was supplied with this plan, I could never be bothered to turn on WiFi on my phone because the data speeds were so good - and that was only on 3G.
Given that Three now offer 4G at no additional cost, it seems ludicrous that anyone would really need faster data speeds than those already offered by Three's 3G service.
So, Three have unlimited, very fast 3G - But if you are stuck with a slow data connection the use of EE's "buffer face" will be an expression that you will already be familiar with.
For those customers of Network X who have, until the advent of 4G, been hamstrung by slow internet speeds, these new data speeds must feel like "office broadband for the home".
At this point, I will mention about being charged extra for less, as those who have already jumped on the 4G data bandwagon will probably already have realised that they have had to modify their data usage - Not because they are using more, but the fact that they can use up their (now smaller than 3G) data allocation, faster.
- Maybe this is where the urban myth originated from; a 1GB of 4G data allocation can quickly be used up by streaming an hour of video, but the data use remains the same as over a 3G data connection.
It makes me wonder how frivolous the Vodafone 4G customer is on their current TV advert with his 4G data allocation on the Vodafone network. He keeps a crying child happy, pleasing everyone on the bus, which is lovely - but he must really want some peace and quiet on that bus trip.
Your home will be repossessed.
Your children will be taken from you.
You will never even be allowed to use The Internet again in your lifetime.
Of course, none of this is true, but for many thousands of people, they really do believe that using 4G will use up their data allowance so quickly that just watching a 30 second YouTube video will leave them massively out of pocket.
This urban myth does need to be dispelled, as I hear it time after time and it now appears to be self-perpetuating.
Firstly, being able to use a 4G connection does mean that yes, data allowances can be used up more quickly.
However - it still only consumes/sends the same quantity of data that a 3G connection would.
If you are one of those Luddites staring at this article in pure disbelief, then don't worry: Downloading a 10MB mp3 music file will happen much more quickly over a 4G connection, but like it's 3G connection counterpart - it's still a 10MB file.
Of course, there will be some customers who discover that it is quick and easy to download/upload all sorts of stuff from/to the internet using their smartphones, and those customers may be shocked at the speed in which this can now happen (depending upon how good or bad your network is).
It's easy to sit there and download a few dozen tracks in quick succession, without realising that you've used 400MB of your data allowance.
To be honest, I firmly believe that many of these 4Gphobes have been using a substandard mobile data connection for years, which is why this new 4G witchery is laden with so many nasty surprises.
For anyone who has experienced Three's 3G data speeds, you possibly will have been very satisfied with them.
I was on Three's The One Plan for years, and with the unlimited data that was supplied with this plan, I could never be bothered to turn on WiFi on my phone because the data speeds were so good - and that was only on 3G.
Given that Three now offer 4G at no additional cost, it seems ludicrous that anyone would really need faster data speeds than those already offered by Three's 3G service.
So, Three have unlimited, very fast 3G - But if you are stuck with a slow data connection the use of EE's "buffer face" will be an expression that you will already be familiar with.
#BufferFace
For those customers of Network X who have, until the advent of 4G, been hamstrung by slow internet speeds, these new data speeds must feel like "office broadband for the home".
At this point, I will mention about being charged extra for less, as those who have already jumped on the 4G data bandwagon will probably already have realised that they have had to modify their data usage - Not because they are using more, but the fact that they can use up their (now smaller than 3G) data allocation, faster.
- Maybe this is where the urban myth originated from; a 1GB of 4G data allocation can quickly be used up by streaming an hour of video, but the data use remains the same as over a 3G data connection.
It makes me wonder how frivolous the Vodafone 4G customer is on their current TV advert with his 4G data allocation on the Vodafone network. He keeps a crying child happy, pleasing everyone on the bus, which is lovely - but he must really want some peace and quiet on that bus trip.
Vodafone 4G "A Happy Bus Journey"
For the best value deals on PAYG for unlimited data, take a look at my website http://mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com/
These packages are getting rarer and more expensive these days, so if you realistically only use a maximum of 5GB of data on your mobile, then head on down to the "Heavy Users" section of the Bundles page of my website.
Sunday 23 August 2015
How Use(less) is Voice Recognition on a Mobile?
Speech recognition has been around for decades. Heck, my first IBM compatible PC ran on Windows 3.11 for Workgroups and I installed some speech recognition software from Willow Pond Audio.
Combined with an external microphone that I plugged into the PC, I could set up voice commands such as "Computer. Open Microsoft Works".
It was hit and miss, slightly slow, but it did work.
Twenty years later and my first proper PC is massively underpowered compared to even the most basic mobile phones, so has voice recognition improved in the last two decades?
For many people, voice search (or voice recognition) is now part and parcel of their smartphone's operating system. Less than ten years ago, with the dawn of Bluetooth connectivity, voice dialling and recognition became useful, and for the most part, it worked.
In 2015, things have improved slightly, but we are still a very long way off being able to properly control our mobiles and connected devices by using voice recognition.
Apple's Siri stands out as possibly the most widely recognised voice search program on a mobile phone, mainly due to the massive uptake of the iPhone. Does Siri do a great job, or is "she" more of a novelty?
Google's own Google Now is a clunky affair, made too big for it's own boots through attempting to connect every aspect of our lives from plane tickets, online orders and telling us how far we've walked in the last month. Saying "Ok, Google" can be a lot faster than swiping/typing away on the on-screen keyboard, but let's face it - you look like a plonker talking to your phone when it's clear that you aren't making a call.
Microsoft's version, Cortana, has emulated a more "personable" response in "her" replies, but "she" is still very hit and miss.
Just before Google Now launched, I tried Samsung's S-Voice on my Galaxy S3.
The first time that I used it I was amazed (or was it more of a novelty?). However, the first time that I needed to use it in anger whilst I was in my car, it failed miserably. Repeatedly.
Google's voice search does work far better, and disabling S-Voice was a godsend, but all of these methods rely upon having a decent internet connection.
Many people (at least in the UK) do have good 3G connectivity, though I hear many stories of how even in large cities maintaining a fickle stable internet connection can be infuriating. Not being able to use hands-free on your phone due to this lack of internet connection renders the technology worthless.
Only two weeks ago, I was driving to work through the beautiful Hampshire countryside when I needed to make a hands-free call. The smartphone that I had to hand was a Microsoft Lumia 535, so I thought that I could rely on Cortana to help me to call a colleague at work.
Cortana dutifully obliged me by opening and sat in my mobile's cradle, awaiting my bidding.
Two attempts to get her to call a colleague failed. At first she couldn't understand what I was trying to say - This is never a good start for voice recognition.
Then, Cortana opened my Met Office app for me. Once again, not at all what I wanted.
Being rural Hampshire, my tenuous link to the internet was lost, and then Cortana revelled in telling me that "The Internet and I aren't speaking at the moment".
I gave her two more chances before giving up and waiting until I saw my colleague at work.
Hello! Cortana?? I'm on the phone!!!
I just don't get it. Why should a smartphone packed with all of the latest technology, processors and RAM be totally unable to undertake simple tasks without a data connection?
Ten years ago, there were plenty of phones with voice dialling. You could just ask them to call a contact, and the number would pop up and could then be dialled.
Smartphones really aren't that smart if this basic functionality is lacking.
I did have a slight dig at Microsoft on Twitter a few days ago, when they posted a Tweet about how Cortana could help you learn something new every day. My reply was "@Lumia it's a pity that #Cortana can't learn anything without being connected to the internet.
She can't even make a phone call without data", which sums up my feelings about voice recognition in general.
Saturday 22 August 2015
FREE CREDIT from Mobile by Sainsburys
Mobile by Sainsburys customers can receive £1 of free credit by testing "YES" to 40773.
Every few months, Mobile by Sainsburys have a free credit offer, usually you have to top up by £10 to get any credit, so this simple text is worth it for a free quids worth of credit.
On Mobile by Sainsburys, £1 gets you 12 minutes of calls, plus one text message, so they aren't giving away much, but it's a freebie, so why not?
Every few months, Mobile by Sainsburys have a free credit offer, usually you have to top up by £10 to get any credit, so this simple text is worth it for a free quids worth of credit.
On Mobile by Sainsburys, £1 gets you 12 minutes of calls, plus one text message, so they aren't giving away much, but it's a freebie, so why not?
Giffgaff Network to Provide 4G as Standard
PAYG network giffgaff informed their existing customers a couple of weeks ago that 4G will be provided as standard on all of their "Goodybags" from the 2nd of September.
These 30 day bundles have been available in two flavours for a while - 3G and 4G.
Giffgaff are simplifying their existing range of bundles which ought to lead to less confusion for customers.
I have already written about these changes in this blog a while ago, but the best thing about this change is that 4G will be rolled out to all giffgaff customers - not just those who buy a Goodybag.
Yes, that's right: PAYG customers who have 4G phones will be able to make use of O2's 4G signal on the giffgaff network.
Giffgaff only offer 20MB of data for 20p/day on PAYG, then charge an extortionate 20p per MB, so if you do use any significant amounts of data - buy a monthly Goodybag.
However, for light/casual users, the fact that you don't need to buy any sort of monthly bundle to get 4G is unheard of.
Personally, this is great news, as my village has only 2G and 4G coverage (nice to see that O2 aren't trying to force customers onto 4G plans, isn't it?).
I've just purchased my first 4G phone so that I can take advantage of the O2 data signal around here. Vodafone are ok, but when I'm using a giffgaff sim I do like to be able to use data occasionally!
All giffgaff Goodybags will be 4G enabled from the 2nd of September, and PAYG giffgaff customers will find that they will be updated to 4G from this date - though the migration will not be instantaneous for all PAYG customers (4G migration will be completed by mid October, according to giffgaff.
This is good news for some giffgaff customers (there will be many who dislike the new Goodybags), and giffgaff, by providing 4G coverage to PAYG customers, is once again doing something different within the mobile industry.
giffgaff's 3G data speeds have, for some customers, been criticised in the past, so hopefully 4G will be a good solution. If you want to try out giffgaff for yourself, use my affiliate link HERE to get a free giffgaff sim with five pounds of FREE credit and find out if this PAYG network is for you.
These 30 day bundles have been available in two flavours for a while - 3G and 4G.
Giffgaff are simplifying their existing range of bundles which ought to lead to less confusion for customers.
I have already written about these changes in this blog a while ago, but the best thing about this change is that 4G will be rolled out to all giffgaff customers - not just those who buy a Goodybag.
Yes, that's right: PAYG customers who have 4G phones will be able to make use of O2's 4G signal on the giffgaff network.
Giffgaff only offer 20MB of data for 20p/day on PAYG, then charge an extortionate 20p per MB, so if you do use any significant amounts of data - buy a monthly Goodybag.
However, for light/casual users, the fact that you don't need to buy any sort of monthly bundle to get 4G is unheard of.
Personally, this is great news, as my village has only 2G and 4G coverage (nice to see that O2 aren't trying to force customers onto 4G plans, isn't it?).
I've just purchased my first 4G phone so that I can take advantage of the O2 data signal around here. Vodafone are ok, but when I'm using a giffgaff sim I do like to be able to use data occasionally!
All giffgaff Goodybags will be 4G enabled from the 2nd of September, and PAYG giffgaff customers will find that they will be updated to 4G from this date - though the migration will not be instantaneous for all PAYG customers (4G migration will be completed by mid October, according to giffgaff.
This is good news for some giffgaff customers (there will be many who dislike the new Goodybags), and giffgaff, by providing 4G coverage to PAYG customers, is once again doing something different within the mobile industry.
giffgaff's 3G data speeds have, for some customers, been criticised in the past, so hopefully 4G will be a good solution. If you want to try out giffgaff for yourself, use my affiliate link HERE to get a free giffgaff sim with five pounds of FREE credit and find out if this PAYG network is for you.
Friday 21 August 2015
EE's Customer Service: I'm Not Convinced Yet
I'd just bagged a new PAYG Nokia Lumia 630 for the bargain price of £40 including a £10 monthly bundle which I heard I could convert to credit and use this to pay the £8.99 unlocking fee.
The lady who I spoke with was very helpful and most importantly didn't question that fact that I'd only just bought the phone and hadn't even been an EE customer for the mandatory six months you need to accrue before getting a PAYG phone unlocked through them.
She told me that I'd have my unlocking code supplied to me via email by the 19th of August.
Today, I phoned EE's customer service again, as I still haven't received my unlocking code.
The guy that I spoke with was helpful, but informed me to wait another two days, as it could take up to 10 days to get the code. I'm pretty sure that this wasn't explained to me the first time that I called them.
Now, I have heard bad things about EE's customer service many times before, so my initial experience still holds firm; they were very helpful.
Maybe I'm just getting a bit twitchy because of the reviews that I've read, but I did worry slightly over whether I would get my unlocking code.
The fact that the £10 of credit is still in my account makes me slightly more worried, and the fact that today's CS assistant at first seemed like he might have been checking my non-existent EE account to see if I was eligible for an unlock code.
I'll wait another couple of days. If all goes well, I'll let you know!
PAYG Mobile Deals Website Updated!
My website http://mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com/ is now fully updated with only the best hand picked Pay As You Go mobile bundle deals available.
The main changes are to the very important bundles pages.
This change has been brought about by Three's quietly announced price increase to their very popular PAYG bundle which gets you unlimited data, 300 minutes and 3000 text messages.
The original price was £15 for a 30 day bundle. This has now increased to £20 for the same bundle.
In my mind (and quite a few others'!) this £5 increase has pushed this bundle firmly into the realms of contract pricing - In fact, Three's cheapest unlimited data tariff is £17 a month on a 12 month contract. Whilst this gets you unlimited data and 3000 texts, you'll only get an allocation of 200 measly minutes - and a shocking 35p/minute charge if you run out of minutes!
- Also, don't forget that Three will now increase your payments annually in line with RPI increases, so after a year or so you should really be looking around to check for a better deal.
Giffgaff are also meddling with their monthly bundles from the 2nd of September - 4G will be standard, though the choice of specific 3G and 4G bundles (aka "Goodybags") will be consolidated, leaving some customers with a poorer deal.
- I'll update my website again when those changes come into play.
The main changes are to the very important bundles pages.
This change has been brought about by Three's quietly announced price increase to their very popular PAYG bundle which gets you unlimited data, 300 minutes and 3000 text messages.
The original price was £15 for a 30 day bundle. This has now increased to £20 for the same bundle.
In my mind (and quite a few others'!) this £5 increase has pushed this bundle firmly into the realms of contract pricing - In fact, Three's cheapest unlimited data tariff is £17 a month on a 12 month contract. Whilst this gets you unlimited data and 3000 texts, you'll only get an allocation of 200 measly minutes - and a shocking 35p/minute charge if you run out of minutes!
- Also, don't forget that Three will now increase your payments annually in line with RPI increases, so after a year or so you should really be looking around to check for a better deal.
Giffgaff are also meddling with their monthly bundles from the 2nd of September - 4G will be standard, though the choice of specific 3G and 4G bundles (aka "Goodybags") will be consolidated, leaving some customers with a poorer deal.
- I'll update my website again when those changes come into play.
Thursday 20 August 2015
Finding time to update my website and moving home...
I need to update my PAYG mobile tariffs website (http://mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com/) now that Three have upped the price of their unlimited data 30 day bundle (from £15 to £20!), but I'm busy with other things at the moment.
Yesterday, we came very close to putting our home on the market, but looking at what we have compared to where else we're could live, we thought better of it!
I will update my website ASAP, so please bear with me and remember that Three's unlimited data bundle is now rather expensive: If you need unlimited data, look towards getting a contract deal.
Yesterday, we came very close to putting our home on the market, but looking at what we have compared to where else we're could live, we thought better of it!
I will update my website ASAP, so please bear with me and remember that Three's unlimited data bundle is now rather expensive: If you need unlimited data, look towards getting a contract deal.
Wednesday 19 August 2015
Google's Massive Marketing Mistake
By now, the world is aware that the latest version of Google's Android operating system has been formally announced.
Android 5.0 (Lollipop) is old hat (already!).
Android 6.0 is the new flavour of Google's Android operating system, and much to my chagrin it has not been named after a certain "M" Monickered popular sweet, but instead after a Much More Mundane Morsel - It is Android Marshmallow.
Marshmallow? Those puffy conglomerates of sugar and air are a good choice for an Android OS name, but following on from Google's partnership with KitKat to name Android 4.4, this seems like such a Massive, Missed Marketing Moment.
I'm not even a Massive fan of M&Ms. They are ok, but I much prefer their comical TV adverts.
Maybe I'm Missing something.
Maybe, More to the point, Google has Missed something. The king of consumer-driven Mass Marketing Mustn't have overlooked such a collaboration with M&Ms?
Maybe it's the typical blandness of Marshmallows which has affected My judgement, but My Mind is Made up: Google have Missed a Massive opportunity here.
Ok - I'll stop typing all of the capital "M"s now.
Google seems to play with it's marketing. It's company's systems probably know more about us than we would like, yet we still put our trust and faith in the company with our personal data, habits, and even our darkest secrets.
But, for all of Google's potential scariness, we somehow manage to find fun in using their highly functional and effective products (or at least some of them) - How many of you have stopped to watch or play with Google's latest logo, whenever a new one appears? They are interesting and fun.
It is easy to be sucked in by Google's insistence on using primary colours in their logo and brand, and it is a very recognisable brand - even though eBay and Trivago do appear to be ripping it off.
Of course there is a possibility that this formal announcement of yet another(!) version of Android is rightly annoying me - and it should be annoying you too, if you have recently bought an Android phone: Your new device is already outdated, and may as well be a year old.
The current top of the range flagships may, eventually, get an upgrade to Android Marshmallow, but as I have said so many times before, you will have to wait.
If you are lucky, this wait will be less than six months, but of course by that time Android N will be more than just a rumour.
Due to the way that Android and the handset manufacturers (and the network operators!) work, you might have to wait even longer, by which time your flagship phone will be truly old hat - if you even get an upgrade at all.
Android fragmentation continues apace, and apart from buying a device running the very latest version of Android every year, you will always be more likely to lay yourself open to all forms of malware.
Few of us can realistically be bothered to purchase a new handset or device every year (specifications don't actually change that much in a year), so there will always be a game of catch-up going on.
Google, if you are listening - and the fact that I'm using Blogger, and regularly use Google's services means that your code is crawling through this text - please slow down with your Android version releases. The world needs to catch up, and apart from die-hard Android and some tech fans such as myself, not everybody can afford to try to keep up with you!
Android One for developing countries didn't work, so now you are trying to build smartphones for less than $50 - Don't you realise that a $50 phone is all that many of your First World Country residents can afford?
Google's quest for world domination means that at some terminal point, the only things receiving upgrades will be Google's own devices when they become self-aware.
- I know that statement is tongue-in-cheek, but look at the way things stand right now: If you have a lovely Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, your OS is now outdated. It will, hopefully, be upgraded to Marshmallow at some point, but that could be sometime next year.
Even Google's own Nexus programme has been farmed out to other developers/manufacturers, so the "type" Google flagships running stock Android really aren't the same as they were less than five years ago.
I'm not a soothsayer. I cannot tell you how this progressive mess will be fixed. All I know is that at some point Google will have to consolidate it's operating systems, otherwise the world will be a non-functioning, disjointed place where The Internet is a broken, unconnected, wiry tangle.
Microsoft (these days) at least have the decency to say that most people can get a free upgrade to Windows 10, on their laptops, mobiles and tablets. One OS to rule them all - and it looks like our children will grow up in a Windows 10 world.
I grew up in the BBC Micro and Commodore 64 world. They were stable devices that went on for years. Innovation and the pace of technology was much slower (but more interesting) back in the 1980s. The current drive to fill slightly incremental changes in hardware and software isn't inspiring or innovative. To be honest it makes me want to stick to an older, stable OS.
Apple, BlackBerry and Microsoft have all reached a point where their upgrades work on a biennial cycle, or thereabouts. Consumers know that they won't be left behind, and that their device will probably expire before it becomes totally unusable. Android on the other hand is working to make even the most expensive devices obsolete within twelve months.
These "developments" make me long for the days when I carried a Nokia Series 60 Symbian mobile around with me; it worked. But, I always wished that it would connect with a cloud service (even before they properly existed) so that my important contact, calendar and notes would be saved and available to my other Symbian devices.
Symbian S60 lasted for years (relatively, in today's ever-advancing technological climate).
Windows Phone is the nearest that we have to this simplicity. Google should have had this simplicity nailed years ago, but has since made things way too complicated: Android Donut (1.6) was lacking, but showed promise. Each and every early Android revision added functionality, but also an element of complexity.
This constant evolution has made many aspects of Google's Android OS fantastic and worryingly accurate in many cases, but in so many other ways this has created a world where a just-announced Marshmallow isn't the thing to make consumers believe in the operating system.
Android 5.0 to version 6.0 is a big step. Android 4.4 KitKat was good, but in my opinion the step up to 5.0 Lollipop was a step too far - I hate the Lollipop OS (Material Design is lovely, though). Hopefully Android Marshmallow 6.0 will be a big step away from Lollipop and let's hope that Google - or Alphabet - leave things alone to settle down for a couple of years at the very least.
Android 5.0 (Lollipop) is old hat (already!).
Android 6.0 is the new flavour of Google's Android operating system, and much to my chagrin it has not been named after a certain "M" Monickered popular sweet, but instead after a Much More Mundane Morsel - It is Android Marshmallow.
Google - I thought that you wanted to dominate the world through your consumerism?
Why not M&Ms?
I'm not even a Massive fan of M&Ms. They are ok, but I much prefer their comical TV adverts.
Maybe I'm Missing something.
Maybe, More to the point, Google has Missed something. The king of consumer-driven Mass Marketing Mustn't have overlooked such a collaboration with M&Ms?
Maybe it's the typical blandness of Marshmallows which has affected My judgement, but My Mind is Made up: Google have Missed a Massive opportunity here.
Ok - I'll stop typing all of the capital "M"s now.
Google seems to play with it's marketing. It's company's systems probably know more about us than we would like, yet we still put our trust and faith in the company with our personal data, habits, and even our darkest secrets.
But, for all of Google's potential scariness, we somehow manage to find fun in using their highly functional and effective products (or at least some of them) - How many of you have stopped to watch or play with Google's latest logo, whenever a new one appears? They are interesting and fun.
It is easy to be sucked in by Google's insistence on using primary colours in their logo and brand, and it is a very recognisable brand - even though eBay and Trivago do appear to be ripping it off.
Of course there is a possibility that this formal announcement of yet another(!) version of Android is rightly annoying me - and it should be annoying you too, if you have recently bought an Android phone: Your new device is already outdated, and may as well be a year old.
The current top of the range flagships may, eventually, get an upgrade to Android Marshmallow, but as I have said so many times before, you will have to wait.
If you are lucky, this wait will be less than six months, but of course by that time Android N will be more than just a rumour.
Due to the way that Android and the handset manufacturers (and the network operators!) work, you might have to wait even longer, by which time your flagship phone will be truly old hat - if you even get an upgrade at all.
Android fragmentation continues apace, and apart from buying a device running the very latest version of Android every year, you will always be more likely to lay yourself open to all forms of malware.
Few of us can realistically be bothered to purchase a new handset or device every year (specifications don't actually change that much in a year), so there will always be a game of catch-up going on.
Google, if you are listening - and the fact that I'm using Blogger, and regularly use Google's services means that your code is crawling through this text - please slow down with your Android version releases. The world needs to catch up, and apart from die-hard Android and some tech fans such as myself, not everybody can afford to try to keep up with you!
Android One for developing countries didn't work, so now you are trying to build smartphones for less than $50 - Don't you realise that a $50 phone is all that many of your First World Country residents can afford?
Google's quest for world domination means that at some terminal point, the only things receiving upgrades will be Google's own devices when they become self-aware.
- I know that statement is tongue-in-cheek, but look at the way things stand right now: If you have a lovely Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, your OS is now outdated. It will, hopefully, be upgraded to Marshmallow at some point, but that could be sometime next year.
Even Google's own Nexus programme has been farmed out to other developers/manufacturers, so the "type" Google flagships running stock Android really aren't the same as they were less than five years ago.
I'm not a soothsayer. I cannot tell you how this progressive mess will be fixed. All I know is that at some point Google will have to consolidate it's operating systems, otherwise the world will be a non-functioning, disjointed place where The Internet is a broken, unconnected, wiry tangle.
Microsoft (these days) at least have the decency to say that most people can get a free upgrade to Windows 10, on their laptops, mobiles and tablets. One OS to rule them all - and it looks like our children will grow up in a Windows 10 world.
I grew up in the BBC Micro and Commodore 64 world. They were stable devices that went on for years. Innovation and the pace of technology was much slower (but more interesting) back in the 1980s. The current drive to fill slightly incremental changes in hardware and software isn't inspiring or innovative. To be honest it makes me want to stick to an older, stable OS.
Apple, BlackBerry and Microsoft have all reached a point where their upgrades work on a biennial cycle, or thereabouts. Consumers know that they won't be left behind, and that their device will probably expire before it becomes totally unusable. Android on the other hand is working to make even the most expensive devices obsolete within twelve months.
These "developments" make me long for the days when I carried a Nokia Series 60 Symbian mobile around with me; it worked. But, I always wished that it would connect with a cloud service (even before they properly existed) so that my important contact, calendar and notes would be saved and available to my other Symbian devices.
Symbian S60 lasted for years (relatively, in today's ever-advancing technological climate).
Windows Phone is the nearest that we have to this simplicity. Google should have had this simplicity nailed years ago, but has since made things way too complicated: Android Donut (1.6) was lacking, but showed promise. Each and every early Android revision added functionality, but also an element of complexity.
This constant evolution has made many aspects of Google's Android OS fantastic and worryingly accurate in many cases, but in so many other ways this has created a world where a just-announced Marshmallow isn't the thing to make consumers believe in the operating system.
Android 5.0 to version 6.0 is a big step. Android 4.4 KitKat was good, but in my opinion the step up to 5.0 Lollipop was a step too far - I hate the Lollipop OS (Material Design is lovely, though). Hopefully Android Marshmallow 6.0 will be a big step away from Lollipop and let's hope that Google - or Alphabet - leave things alone to settle down for a couple of years at the very least.
Monday 17 August 2015
OFCOM Mobile Coverage Checker
OFCOM have just launched their one-stop mobile phone coverage checker.
It is similar to the handful of other websites that try to pull in mobile coverage map data from the four UK mobile phone network operators, but provides a useful (if somewhat inaccurate) measure of what to expect from each of the four network operators.
Since it uses the network's own biased, frequently inaccurate and often misleading data maps, it still has to be taken with a generous pinch of salt - But this is a very positive step in the right direction and I am very pleased to see that OFCOM are using this to challenge the network's misinformation that 99% coverage of the UK population is 99% of the UK's land mass - There are thousands of square miles in the UK where you will struggle to get even a 2G signal on most networks.
Much like the rural broadband argument, there are communities who struggle with a poor or nonexistent mobile signal, and the networks refuse to install more masts due to the cost vs. benefit (i.e. enough subscribers to make money from phone contracts in a given area).
The mobile network operators should be more aware of the need to provide a service (which their customers are already paying for) when they travel through and visit these mobile "not-spots".
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, complained last Chrsitmas when he was on holiday in Cornwall and couldn't call his mate President Barack Obama.
At the time, he threw down the gauntlet to the mobile networks and insisted that they work together to provide roaming onto each other's networks and get rid of these mobile "not-spots", but the networks replied by saying that it was too expensive and they would have to charge everyone so much more to cover the costs.
So, all this comes at a good time for the networks to launch an offensive on each other's poor coverage. Three have already fired the first shot:
Three's #makeitright campaign tries to dispel the myth that their network has improved, and isn't as flaky as it was a few years ago. Unfortunately Three, your network still doesn't "make it right" - There are plenty of places where you can just about get mobile data, but try to make a call of send a text and you're out of luck.
The launch of this service from OFCOM is detailed in their page HERE.
OFCOM are asking for feedback about this service, as they quite rightly feel that many maps omit data which affects real-world use; i.e. topographical data where there is an area affected by a hill or some other feature which obscures the signal.
Users can submit feedback on maps in any given area, which OFCOM will review. This will hopefully, one day, be used to create accurate coverage maps for the whole of the UK.
If you like (or more likely detest) your mobile coverage at home, work or other frequently visited place, get your voice heard by sending your feedback
Here are some key points from OFCOM's website:
It is similar to the handful of other websites that try to pull in mobile coverage map data from the four UK mobile phone network operators, but provides a useful (if somewhat inaccurate) measure of what to expect from each of the four network operators.
Since it uses the network's own biased, frequently inaccurate and often misleading data maps, it still has to be taken with a generous pinch of salt - But this is a very positive step in the right direction and I am very pleased to see that OFCOM are using this to challenge the network's misinformation that 99% coverage of the UK population is 99% of the UK's land mass - There are thousands of square miles in the UK where you will struggle to get even a 2G signal on most networks.
Much like the rural broadband argument, there are communities who struggle with a poor or nonexistent mobile signal, and the networks refuse to install more masts due to the cost vs. benefit (i.e. enough subscribers to make money from phone contracts in a given area).
The mobile network operators should be more aware of the need to provide a service (which their customers are already paying for) when they travel through and visit these mobile "not-spots".
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, complained last Chrsitmas when he was on holiday in Cornwall and couldn't call his mate President Barack Obama.
At the time, he threw down the gauntlet to the mobile networks and insisted that they work together to provide roaming onto each other's networks and get rid of these mobile "not-spots", but the networks replied by saying that it was too expensive and they would have to charge everyone so much more to cover the costs.
So, all this comes at a good time for the networks to launch an offensive on each other's poor coverage. Three have already fired the first shot:
Three's #makeitright campaign tries to dispel the myth that their network has improved, and isn't as flaky as it was a few years ago. Unfortunately Three, your network still doesn't "make it right" - There are plenty of places where you can just about get mobile data, but try to make a call of send a text and you're out of luck.
The launch of this service from OFCOM is detailed in their page HERE.
OFCOM are asking for feedback about this service, as they quite rightly feel that many maps omit data which affects real-world use; i.e. topographical data where there is an area affected by a hill or some other feature which obscures the signal.
Users can submit feedback on maps in any given area, which OFCOM will review. This will hopefully, one day, be used to create accurate coverage maps for the whole of the UK.
If you like (or more likely detest) your mobile coverage at home, work or other frequently visited place, get your voice heard by sending your feedback
Here are some key points from OFCOM's website:
Each area has been ranked with a colour-coded system, with green showing the highest likelihood of mobile coverage and red the lowest. The map shows:
- Voice and data coverage by mobile operator;
- coverage inside and outside of buildings; and
- topographical information allowing users to identify areas where there are natural obstructions to coverage, such as valleys and hills.
Helping to improve mobile coverage and quality of service are priority areas for Ofcom. The new map is designed to support consumers in choosing a service that best suits their needs, while promoting competition between mobile operators.
Ofcom is inviting users to check their coverage experience and leave feedback, which will help refine and improve the tool, with a new version expected in the autumn.
I really would recommend that people look through these coverage maps and report any discrepancies to OFCOM (the process is simple, quick and easy with a well laid-out web form).
The networks are all too keen to report that the network in your area is "good", when in actual fact it's really not.
If you can't get a decent mobile signal inside your house, local pub or workplace, use OFCOM's reporting system to highlight this - You'll be helping OFCOM, but most importantly you'll be helping everyone who struggles with the networks' assumptions that they are doing a great job in providing coverage everywhere.
On a personal note, EE stands for Everything Everywhere, yet I can't get Anything Anywhere.
Three, on the other hand stick to their own coverage maps and will swear that "You are in a good coverage area", when you're almost unable to even call them from your Three handset.
We are customers. We pay the networks for a service which is frequently below par. Use OFCOM's reporting system to help yourselves and others, but if you are switching networks, look at OFCOM's coverage maps by all means, but try out a PAYG SIM before you commit yourself.
I really would recommend that people look through these coverage maps and report any discrepancies to OFCOM (the process is simple, quick and easy with a well laid-out web form).
The networks are all too keen to report that the network in your area is "good", when in actual fact it's really not.
If you can't get a decent mobile signal inside your house, local pub or workplace, use OFCOM's reporting system to highlight this - You'll be helping OFCOM, but most importantly you'll be helping everyone who struggles with the networks' assumptions that they are doing a great job in providing coverage everywhere.
On a personal note, EE stands for Everything Everywhere, yet I can't get Anything Anywhere.
Three, on the other hand stick to their own coverage maps and will swear that "You are in a good coverage area", when you're almost unable to even call them from your Three handset.
We are customers. We pay the networks for a service which is frequently below par. Use OFCOM's reporting system to help yourselves and others, but if you are switching networks, look at OFCOM's coverage maps by all means, but try out a PAYG SIM before you commit yourself.
Sunday 16 August 2015
The Problem Facing Mobile Networks
As is becoming painfully apparent, mobile data use has increased to the point where strains are being placed on every network, though EE and Three seem to be coping better than Vodafone and certainly O2.
The reason that EE seems able to be provide a consistent data service is down to their investment in network infrastructure, especially 4G. They also charge royally for using their services, and can afford to sell off their spare capacity to a multitude of MVNOs.
Three, on the other hand have built their entire network around being able to provide data services (though some customers may find that this is at the expense of calls and texts!).
Mobile data use continues to rise, and as more devices become connected, the networks must be able to provide a usable service. If the Internet of Things (IoT) ever takes off, then certain devices and items such as cars will need robust data connections, and this will add to the burden.
It doesn't help now that streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix are so popular on mobile devices now - A full length HD film can easily romp through 2GB of data. Less than ten years ago that amount of data use on a mobile device was inconceivable.
In a recent post in the giffgaff "community", a teenager was asking why couldn't "young people" buy monthly bundles which catered for their needs - i.e. instead of 500 minutes, substitute these for another few gigabytes of data - because she stated that teenagers don't need minutes or texts, but use lots of data.
This discriminatory statement rattled my cage a little: Why should "young" people get exactly what they want? (This is a product of the "want it now and pay nothing for it" society that exists in the UK.).
I couldn't afford a mobile until I was in my twenties (the Nokia 3310 had only just appeared on the scene, changing the world forever), and I certainly couldn't afford a contract back then.
Only a few years ago, most teenagers were using lots of text messages, now that there are so many IM clients such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc, this need for decent SMS allocations has dropped considerably.
Over the years, contracts, phones and their tariffs have become lower in price, but now that smartphone use is booming, customers are having to pay more for less data.
In a way, we've had it too good for too long.
All of the networks are either capping data (not many unlimited data tariffs exist now), and/or they are charging more and more for data.
What will happen over time is that data use will continue to rise, and the networks will be forced to invest more and more in providing additional network infrastructure to accommodate this relentless increase. There is only one way that this will happen: Data will become ever more expensive.
When I had an unlimited data contract with Three, I used about 1GB a month. If I pushed it, I'd use 2-3GB in a month, but that needed me to stream a lot of music from my Amazon Music app!
Many people now require around 1-5GB of data per month, which isn't unreasonable. Anyone needing unlimited data really needs to think about just how much time they are actually spending looking at a screen which is a fraction of the size of most laptops!
This increasing data consumption will only end when public WiFi becomes widely available and is properly secure, but this is a long way off. Until then, we will all have to swallow the increasing cost of mobile data to keep the networks investing - Though I wish that they would also erect more masts in rural areas, most of which you still can't make a call in.
Of course, mobile data could become so massively expensive that we learn to use it frugally and stop mindlessly wasting it like so many other resources.
I moved my main mobile number to giffgaff and can't get a data connection in most places that I go to, and as a result I'm spending less time peering at my screen. I can't do much work on this blog, my website or even my Twitter account, which is annoying, but I've learned to live with it.
The days of unlimited, all you can eat data are numbered, and I hope that we don't find ourselves in a situation where 500MB of data is prohibitively expensive.
The reason that EE seems able to be provide a consistent data service is down to their investment in network infrastructure, especially 4G. They also charge royally for using their services, and can afford to sell off their spare capacity to a multitude of MVNOs.
Three, on the other hand have built their entire network around being able to provide data services (though some customers may find that this is at the expense of calls and texts!).
Mobile data use continues to rise, and as more devices become connected, the networks must be able to provide a usable service. If the Internet of Things (IoT) ever takes off, then certain devices and items such as cars will need robust data connections, and this will add to the burden.
It doesn't help now that streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix are so popular on mobile devices now - A full length HD film can easily romp through 2GB of data. Less than ten years ago that amount of data use on a mobile device was inconceivable.
In a recent post in the giffgaff "community", a teenager was asking why couldn't "young people" buy monthly bundles which catered for their needs - i.e. instead of 500 minutes, substitute these for another few gigabytes of data - because she stated that teenagers don't need minutes or texts, but use lots of data.
This discriminatory statement rattled my cage a little: Why should "young" people get exactly what they want? (This is a product of the "want it now and pay nothing for it" society that exists in the UK.).
I couldn't afford a mobile until I was in my twenties (the Nokia 3310 had only just appeared on the scene, changing the world forever), and I certainly couldn't afford a contract back then.
Only a few years ago, most teenagers were using lots of text messages, now that there are so many IM clients such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc, this need for decent SMS allocations has dropped considerably.
Over the years, contracts, phones and their tariffs have become lower in price, but now that smartphone use is booming, customers are having to pay more for less data.
In a way, we've had it too good for too long.
All of the networks are either capping data (not many unlimited data tariffs exist now), and/or they are charging more and more for data.
What will happen over time is that data use will continue to rise, and the networks will be forced to invest more and more in providing additional network infrastructure to accommodate this relentless increase. There is only one way that this will happen: Data will become ever more expensive.
When I had an unlimited data contract with Three, I used about 1GB a month. If I pushed it, I'd use 2-3GB in a month, but that needed me to stream a lot of music from my Amazon Music app!
Many people now require around 1-5GB of data per month, which isn't unreasonable. Anyone needing unlimited data really needs to think about just how much time they are actually spending looking at a screen which is a fraction of the size of most laptops!
This increasing data consumption will only end when public WiFi becomes widely available and is properly secure, but this is a long way off. Until then, we will all have to swallow the increasing cost of mobile data to keep the networks investing - Though I wish that they would also erect more masts in rural areas, most of which you still can't make a call in.
Of course, mobile data could become so massively expensive that we learn to use it frugally and stop mindlessly wasting it like so many other resources.
I moved my main mobile number to giffgaff and can't get a data connection in most places that I go to, and as a result I'm spending less time peering at my screen. I can't do much work on this blog, my website or even my Twitter account, which is annoying, but I've learned to live with it.
The days of unlimited, all you can eat data are numbered, and I hope that we don't find ourselves in a situation where 500MB of data is prohibitively expensive.
Friday 14 August 2015
Android Hardware QWERTY Phones Make a Comeback
With the upcoming BlackBerry “Venice” supposedly packing Android and their famed hardware keyboard, things are looking up for those of us who miss having a hardware keyboard to type on.
Over the years, screen sizes have improved which makes ageing techies like me grateful that I can; 1) see the keys and what I’m typing, and 2) actually hit the keys without masses of mistakes that are “loosely” corrected by infuriating autocorrect.
Like many people, I miss a proper keyboard. Swipe is fast, and for many it’s great, but there are times when you just want to press keys and buttons, mainly because it is more natural.
Also, anyone who has tried to compose a typed message in a bumpy environment such as on speeding public transport will have discovered that a capacitive screen is just awful, and you’ll probably accidentally send a message when trying to hit backspace! Hardware keyboards help to eliminate this by providing your fingers somewhere tactile to feel and press.
Apart from a brief, unsuccessful trial with a BlackBerry a few years ago, I’ve always wanted a hardware keyboard. When I was using Nokia’s Symbian smartphones, I longed for a hardware keyboard and was gutted that the Nokia 6790 (Nokia Surge) never made it to the UK.
The Nokia 6790 "Surge" S60 smartphone was the QWERTY slider that I needed back in 2009.
I used to type out calendar entries on alphanumeric dial pads, and when resistive screens started to become popular I found that the built in stylus was great, but not as much fun as a physical keyboard.
When I moved to Android, I even tried the tiny Sony Ericsson x10 Mini Pro with its slide out QWERTY keyboard, but this was too small to type on and it was actually faster to tap out a message using the diminutive screen.
The Sony Ericsson x10 Mini Pro was about the only QWERTY Android slider to find its way into the UK market. It was a popular "fashion" phone, due to its teeny tiny size, which was also its biggest drawback.
The US have had a few Android phones with slide out QWERTY keyboards, but the UK and Europe have been stuck with touchscreens for a very long time.
Now Samsung is changing things, too: Their Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy 6S Edge are to get their own optional add-on hardware keyboard accessories. Even with touchscreens of this magnitude, manufacturers are realising that there is a market for physical keyboards. See Engadget's report on this news HERE.
Hopefully smartphones with physical QWERTY keyboards will make a comeback soon and usher in a new era of handset design which has been missing for too long.
25,000 More Jobless in the UK. Will Science and Tech Survive?
Unemployment continues to rise in the UK, despite The Government's assurance that the UK economy is blooming.
It's "blooming" awful, unless you happen to be sitting at the very top of the economic food chain.
- Don't worry, this isn't a political rant, and I am writing this from the point of view of someone working in the science/tech industry.
My workplace was the place to go to for job security a number of years ago. It's one of the main reasons that I chose to work there a few years back.
Since I joined, this job security has ebbed away like a spring tide. Hundreds of employees have been made redundant this year, and on talking with ex-colleagues from previous workplaces, it is clear that there are many of us all facing a very uncertain future.
Ten years ago I moved from biological science into nuclear science. This was at the time when Tony Blair was promising the UK a "nuclear renaissance" which, ten years on, we are still waiting to see.
When I was working as a Technician, contractors would occasionally come down from Dounreay. These guys were all in their 50s, and often commented on how there was already a major skills gap in the industry, with few youngsters taking up work in the nuclear sector.
As with most things, this is down to jobs:
The UK job market is a tough, unpleasant place now. People don't get selected or headhunted these days, and recruitment agencies serve only to make money for themselves, leaving naive employers with a limited selection of box-ticking candidates to choose from.
The UK has some great science, engineering and technological businesses, but at this rate, skilled employees will be getting too long in the tooth to be able to restart industries such as the nuclear power industry.
Experience goes a long way, and without knowledge and previous experience many new businesses will have to struggle, which further adds to the situation.
It's "blooming" awful, unless you happen to be sitting at the very top of the economic food chain.
- Don't worry, this isn't a political rant, and I am writing this from the point of view of someone working in the science/tech industry.
My workplace was the place to go to for job security a number of years ago. It's one of the main reasons that I chose to work there a few years back.
Since I joined, this job security has ebbed away like a spring tide. Hundreds of employees have been made redundant this year, and on talking with ex-colleagues from previous workplaces, it is clear that there are many of us all facing a very uncertain future.
Ten years ago I moved from biological science into nuclear science. This was at the time when Tony Blair was promising the UK a "nuclear renaissance" which, ten years on, we are still waiting to see.
When I was working as a Technician, contractors would occasionally come down from Dounreay. These guys were all in their 50s, and often commented on how there was already a major skills gap in the industry, with few youngsters taking up work in the nuclear sector.
As with most things, this is down to jobs:
- There aren't enough to go around.
- Companies only want to employ highly experienced/educated people.
- Companies will not pay decent wages to new starters (PhD? How does £20k sound?)
- If you have a job in the science/tech industries, you are less likely to willingly leave it these days.
- Employers know that they can treat you as they see fit - Who would complain in such an uncertain job market?
- Entry level jobs are rarely available.
- Employers want candidates who are already working in the sector already (candidates would be taking a sideways move to another employer).
- Recruitment agencies are an absolute scourge: They are salespeople with little idea of anything specialist and pick out key words, rather than selecting good candidates.
The UK job market is a tough, unpleasant place now. People don't get selected or headhunted these days, and recruitment agencies serve only to make money for themselves, leaving naive employers with a limited selection of box-ticking candidates to choose from.
The UK has some great science, engineering and technological businesses, but at this rate, skilled employees will be getting too long in the tooth to be able to restart industries such as the nuclear power industry.
Experience goes a long way, and without knowledge and previous experience many new businesses will have to struggle, which further adds to the situation.
Twitter Removes 140 Character Limit for DM
As a recent Twitter convert, I've already had a few messages from my followers.
Some of those messages needed to be quite long and the limit of 140 characters per message has finally been lifted!
There are times when an email is a much more appropriate method of communication, but in absence of this (be it privacy, data protection, etc.) direct messaging, or DM for short, is what Twitter users have had to resort to.
I am very pleased that I have come to use Twitter at this stage in its evolution, as it means that I can properly connect with people and businesses.
Remember when you could only send single text (SMS) messages that were 160 characters long? Even I had to resort to the god-awful txt spk to be able to send "lengthy" texts!
This change to the DM character limit could also have come at an appropriate time, as Twitter does seem to have stalled as far as numbers of new users go.
I see this change as a very welcome thing, though it does mean that we have yet another instant messaging client to keep up with.
You can connect with me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/aiikon1
Some of those messages needed to be quite long and the limit of 140 characters per message has finally been lifted!
I am very pleased that I have come to use Twitter at this stage in its evolution, as it means that I can properly connect with people and businesses.
Remember when you could only send single text (SMS) messages that were 160 characters long? Even I had to resort to the god-awful txt spk to be able to send "lengthy" texts!
This change to the DM character limit could also have come at an appropriate time, as Twitter does seem to have stalled as far as numbers of new users go.
I see this change as a very welcome thing, though it does mean that we have yet another instant messaging client to keep up with.
You can connect with me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/aiikon1
Thursday 13 August 2015
SEX APP STUNT EXPOSED
On Wednesday, the casual sex and adultery app Tinder (or is it actually a dating app, or a bit of "harmless" fun?) was noted on Twitter to be desperately justifying its position as a "real" dating app, rather than just a way for its users to hook up for casual sex.
Tinder's widely reported Tweet meltdown is definitely worth a read, but news just in according to Adweek reveals that the whole thing could have been a major PR stunt that was effectively set up between a Tinder employee and Vanity Fair writer Nancy Jo Sales, who wrote an article about the flirtatious swiping app last week.
The article (available HERE) does appear to point a suggestive finger towards a veritable PR honeypot - Which no doubt has peaked some interest in both the free sex with strangers app and Vanity Fair.
EE Power Bar - The Situation Gets Worse!
Oh dear, EE. I wrote yesterday about how pleased I was with your customer service. But today I read on The Register an exclusive article that reveals the extent of the EE Power Bar problems.
If you have an EE Power Bar, or know someone who has, I would strongly advise you to read the original article on The Register here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/13/ee_power_bar_wrong_ce_marking/
The original recall included EE Power Bars with the marking "E1-06", but according to The Register there could be many more Power Bars out there which pose a risk of personal injury through explosions or fire.
It may also be of concern to many that the "CE" safety marking isn't correct on other models of the EE Power Bar currently in circulation.
As I have said on several occasions already, would you trust a "borrowed" lithium battery item such as this that has been (mis)handled by several not-so-careful owners?
What I find worrying is that these Power Bars might have not even passed the correct safety checks prior to issue.
It's worrying that the first Power Bar victim, Katy Emslie, was quite severely burnt whilst her EE Power Bar was charging overnight from her laptop.
If you are at all worried about your EE Power Bar, or you know someone who has one, I would recommend that you don't use it and return it to an EE shop.
If you have an EE Power Bar, or know someone who has, I would strongly advise you to read the original article on The Register here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/13/ee_power_bar_wrong_ce_marking/
The original recall included EE Power Bars with the marking "E1-06", but according to The Register there could be many more Power Bars out there which pose a risk of personal injury through explosions or fire.
It may also be of concern to many that the "CE" safety marking isn't correct on other models of the EE Power Bar currently in circulation.
As I have said on several occasions already, would you trust a "borrowed" lithium battery item such as this that has been (mis)handled by several not-so-careful owners?
What I find worrying is that these Power Bars might have not even passed the correct safety checks prior to issue.
It's worrying that the first Power Bar victim, Katy Emslie, was quite severely burnt whilst her EE Power Bar was charging overnight from her laptop.
If you are at all worried about your EE Power Bar, or you know someone who has one, I would recommend that you don't use it and return it to an EE shop.
Wednesday 12 August 2015
iPhone 6C - It Had Better Be Cheap
With the rumored iPhone announcements pencilled in for September the 9th, there are also leaks that the new "cheap" iPhone - the iPhone 6C - will be announced around this time.
Techradar has created a small "wish list" of features that they hope we will see on the "C" version of the iPhone this time around.
As readers will know, I'm not an iPhone fan - They are just too expensive, and not premium enough for the money.
So when the original iPhone 5C was announced I had hoped that we might see a version of an iPhone that you could comfortably buy for less than £200, or perhaps even cheaper.
After all, it was looking like "C" might stand for "cheap", and the plastic body was a clear case of mimicry of the Nokia Lumia colourful, plastic casings.
Unfortunately, Apple still thought that a cheap iPhone was a premium product, and whilst the iPhone 5 was in demand, the colourful 5C sat forlorn on the retailers' shelves.
When the iPhone 6C is announced, I hope that Apple have learned something and will apply a suitably cheap price tag to it - iPhones are popular, but that doesn't mean that a substandard version in a plastic case is worthy of a premium price tag.
If you want a plastic smartphone that "just works", then head towards the Microsoft Lumia range - especially if you are unwittingly tying yourself in to Windows 10.
Techradar has created a small "wish list" of features that they hope we will see on the "C" version of the iPhone this time around.
As readers will know, I'm not an iPhone fan - They are just too expensive, and not premium enough for the money.
So when the original iPhone 5C was announced I had hoped that we might see a version of an iPhone that you could comfortably buy for less than £200, or perhaps even cheaper.
After all, it was looking like "C" might stand for "cheap", and the plastic body was a clear case of mimicry of the Nokia Lumia colourful, plastic casings.
Unfortunately, Apple still thought that a cheap iPhone was a premium product, and whilst the iPhone 5 was in demand, the colourful 5C sat forlorn on the retailers' shelves.
When the iPhone 6C is announced, I hope that Apple have learned something and will apply a suitably cheap price tag to it - iPhones are popular, but that doesn't mean that a substandard version in a plastic case is worthy of a premium price tag.
If you want a plastic smartphone that "just works", then head towards the Microsoft Lumia range - especially if you are unwittingly tying yourself in to Windows 10.
EE Customer Service: A Positive Experience
I've heard many bad things about Orange, T-Mobile and EE over the years - mainly their poor attitude towards customer care.
I was an Orange PAYG customer for about a year and a half, but never had any reason to contact their customer service department.
Last week, I bought a cheap Nokia Lumia 630 (to replace my spare smartphone that I keep in the car) from EE's eBay store for the bargain price of £39.99
- This is for a brand new handset, with a £10 bundle included!
I'd heard that EE will unlock PAYG phones for the fixed price of £8.99, and that the £10 bundle could be used to unlock this handset (it is locked to EE), but I was taking a gamble.
I popped in the SIM card and fired up the "My EE" app. When browsing through the options, I quickly found the "unlock my phone" section within the app, and was dismayed to see that to unlock an EE PAYG phone you need to have had an account and SIM with them for at least six months. (You still have to pay the £8.99 unlocking fee.)
I did have a quick look around for EE unlock codes, but these were typically around £12 on eBay, which was an added expense for a cheap phone, so I thought I'd take a chance and phone EE's customer service section.
Whilst navigating the automated options, I eventually got to speak to a lady who guided me through the process and requested the IMEI of the phone. Once she had this, she asked me for my contact details and asked if I wanted to cancel the £10 bundle and convert this into calling credit - which I could then use to pay for the unlocking. This is exactly what I had been hoping for!
She said that the unlock code would be sent to me by email in the next seven days.
So, I was expecting to end up stuck with a locked EE phone for six months, or at least endure a prickly experience trying to convince EE's customer service department that they should unlock my brand new phone using their £10 bundle.
I have been really very pleasantly surprised with the ease and helpfulness that I've experienced from their customer service department.
Well done EE, and thank you.
I was an Orange PAYG customer for about a year and a half, but never had any reason to contact their customer service department.
Last week, I bought a cheap Nokia Lumia 630 (to replace my spare smartphone that I keep in the car) from EE's eBay store for the bargain price of £39.99
- This is for a brand new handset, with a £10 bundle included!
Nokia Lumia 630
I'd heard that EE will unlock PAYG phones for the fixed price of £8.99, and that the £10 bundle could be used to unlock this handset (it is locked to EE), but I was taking a gamble.
I popped in the SIM card and fired up the "My EE" app. When browsing through the options, I quickly found the "unlock my phone" section within the app, and was dismayed to see that to unlock an EE PAYG phone you need to have had an account and SIM with them for at least six months. (You still have to pay the £8.99 unlocking fee.)
I did have a quick look around for EE unlock codes, but these were typically around £12 on eBay, which was an added expense for a cheap phone, so I thought I'd take a chance and phone EE's customer service section.
Whilst navigating the automated options, I eventually got to speak to a lady who guided me through the process and requested the IMEI of the phone. Once she had this, she asked me for my contact details and asked if I wanted to cancel the £10 bundle and convert this into calling credit - which I could then use to pay for the unlocking. This is exactly what I had been hoping for!
She said that the unlock code would be sent to me by email in the next seven days.
So, I was expecting to end up stuck with a locked EE phone for six months, or at least endure a prickly experience trying to convince EE's customer service department that they should unlock my brand new phone using their £10 bundle.
I have been really very pleasantly surprised with the ease and helpfulness that I've experienced from their customer service department.
Well done EE, and thank you.
Tuesday 11 August 2015
Google Alphabet
Last night I saw the news on Engadget that Google is restructuring and is forming a parent company called Alphabet.
I replied to Engadget’s post saying that I wasn’t looking forward to the @alphabet.com email address or log in process.
This was in jest – Google isn’t going to be renamed Alphabet, though if Gmail did become AlphabetMail I wouldn’t be happy using it to log in to Google’s services.
At the time I stated this in Twitter I hoped that nobody had the username @alphabet – Or Google had already purchased the handle. Someone was going to get a lot of mentions.
As it turns out, that someone is Chris Andrikanich. His Twitter account must be a very messy place at the moment – Though if he wants to cash in I’m sure that Google, sorry, Alphabet might want to purchase his handle for their own use.
Maybe it was reckless of me to use the @alphabet mention, but at least I’m not the only one.
Moto G 2015 - and why you should buy one
In 2013, Motorola released the Moto G Android smartphone. It was a great phone for the price, but many people still wanted a lot more from their smartphones, so headed to the major manufacturers and “respected” brands.
Motorola had been languishing for many years, following the various reissued RAZR phones. Their credentials weren’t the best: I had only ever owned one Motorola phone and I found that texting was a horrifically complicated experience.
Motorola’s Android phones had generally been small, rugged phones that were nice little things that lacked the features that most people were really interested in – Then they released the Moto G.
The only site to rave about this new phone was HotUKDeals. Barely a day went by without someone saying that other phone deals were rubbish because “it’s not a Moto G”.
What the Moto G did was provide a really great stock Android experience for about £125
When I got fed up with my slow, poorly performing Samsung Galaxy S3 last year, I decided to give Android one more try and bought a cut price Moto G – It was fantastic. The screen was sharp, battery life lasted me all day, the camera was poor, but the phone was good enough that even a keen photographer such as myself was happy with this compromise.
Now the 4G Moto G 2015 has been released, the internet seems to have gone crazy for this phone, with tech websites raving about it.
If you are still spending hundreds of pounds on expensive top of the range phones and contracts – but never really use the features, you really ought to consider ditching this high-end obsession and trying out a Moto G 2015.
2013’s Moto G was great, but not without its flaws (limited storage at 8GB and a poor camera). The latest version has come a long way in these last two years, and there is enough there to keep most people happy. This isn’t a cut-price Android experience, it is a great experience on a budget.
If you are after a new Android phone, don’t just head for the top of the range phones, when this could well be just what you need.
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