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Oonagh Reidy

Finally! Vodafone Extend iPhone Warranty

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Vodafone follows the Optus lead and moved to extend phone warranties to 2 years.
This is the mobile providers’ latest bid to sweeten its customers following the fallout from the PR nightmare that ensued following its repeated service interruptions that hit its network late last year.

This was quickly followed by a Privacy Commission investigation into lack of security for Vodafone consumers’ online information. 

“We are also introducing 24-month warranties across all our handsets and mobile broadband modems including Apple iPhones so all now come with additional free protection from the cost of repairing a device for 2 years from the date it’s purchased,” they said in a statement released yesterday. 

This followed warnings by the ACCC that providers could not give shaky guarantees on its devices and the introduction of the Australian Consumer Law on 1 January last which strengthens consumer rights in the grey area of contract terms.
 It also gives them more power to act on recalcitrant retailers. 

In 2010, both Vodafone and Telstra were investigated by the ACCC and pledged to give extended warranties for all phones sold but excluded Apple handsets. 

Many of the phones sold by these carriers are subject to a 24 month line rental contract, which means that if an iPhone breaks during the contract lifetime, the consumer could be left without a handset, whilst still being obliged to pay contractual charges.
 
However, Vodafone previously stated: “Most customers who visit our Service Centres will walk away with either a repaired or refurbished handset of the same model within an hour.”

 

Optus extended its handset warranty program to 24 months covering all current Optus Post-Paid Mobile handsets, including the Apple iPhone 4 in November last.

“Retailers take note – you cannot wipe your hands clean of a faulty product just because the manufacturer’s warranty period has ended, particularly when your product is supplied in conjunction with a lock-in contract that is longer than the manufacturer’s warranty period,” Chairman of the ACCC, Graham Samuel warned in October.
 

Lasoo Looks to Mobile Apps for Growth

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Retail comparison site Lasoo is set to overhaul its creative offering account, according to an AdNews report out today.

The self proclaimed “leading pre shopping website” which features catalogues and price comparisons from the likes of Dick Smith,Myer, Big W and mobile computing e-store MLN, as well as brands including Panasonic, and Officeworks,  is reviewing its account, worth over $7 million, as the growth in online retail rockets.

The site generally does not allow purchases to be made on its online turf, instead it redirects browsers to the retailer’s site for purchase.

Whoever bags the lucrative deal will be responsible for the creation of mobile apps on other platforms including Androids, which are now seen as a critical ingredient to the e-commerce marketing mix.

It was among the first to launch a retail application for the Apple iPad in May last.

Sydney-based Lasoo is said to have approached five agencies, with a decision is said to be announced in the near future although mystery surrounds who the winner will be.

The company have been without an agency of record for more than a year and worked with ad agency Twenty20 in a creative capacity from launch in 2007.  

 

The website scores 1.1 to 1.2 million visits a month and more page views than any other shopping site, according to Lasoo MD, Paul Marshall.

Retailers currently pay for the listings, although Marshall earmarked this to be changed to a performance-based operation with payments for each interaction, earlier this year.

NBN In Cartel With Telstra And Optus, Claims Internode

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As the NBN plan was announced, the second largest broadband provider claimed it amounts to a cartel between Optus, Telstra and the government.
In a blog posted on Sunday, Internode’s MD, Simon Hackett said he supports the government’s original 14 points of interconnection model,  despite opposition being voiced from the competition regulator, the ACCC, who recommended an increase in the number of connection points, claiming the current number would reducing competition in backhaul markets.

The parties who contested the number to the ACCC included backhaul providers AAPT, Nextgen Networks, Optus, PIPE Networks, Telstra and the Competitive Carriers Coalition (CCC).

Carriers like Optus, VHA and TPG also back a ‘low consolidation’ approach, calling for the establishment of up to 400 or 500 points of connection to the fibre network.

Hackett’s opposition to the low density POI model is based on a belief that it “means that all smaller players will be forced to buy access from their own (generally) capital city based networks, through to each of those 200 POIs, from one of the few players with that existing fibre backbone structure in place.”

“Because there will be very few of the big players, the access pricing to access the NBN POI’s will tend toward cartel behaviour,” he claims.

 

Following the NBN launch plan yesterday, the number of POI is now set to jump eight times its original number, to 120 points nationally.

108-130 POIs will be established in mainland cities and 81 POIs in regional Australia and six in Tasmania, according to the plan announced yesterday.

Warning! (Royal) Wedding Crashers On The Prowl

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It’s a case of lock down your PC, rather than your daughters.


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But royal wedding crashers are on the loose.

The British royal event of the century, the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton, will have the world eyes glued to both TV and online as audiences are expected to turn out in viral form for this highly anticipated event on April 29.  

And it is, according to Norton, the first e- royal wedding of this age with one fifth of Australians going online for updates and 7 percent watching the event live on a PC, in a survey by the computer security providers.

 And almost 90 per cent of Aussies said they are likely to tune in, aside from the estimated 2 billion that will be switching on to watch Kate and Will’s nuptials globally, according to estimates from the UK culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

However, viewers beware as it looks certain to attract cybercriminals looking to capitalise on the deluge of online activity, claims Norton.

Since March, security researchers at Norton have been tracking “malicious online activity such as spam designed to steal personal information” as well as links to harmful sites hidden in search engine results.

98 percent of Australians are unclear on what search poisoning is, and nearly one in 10 don’t have security software, says the security giant.  

It has released some tips to help them steer clear of cybercriminals:

 

·    Think before you click – Beware of emails or links that promise “leaked” footage, offer “scandalous” pictures, or purport to have “secret” information. Cybercriminals take advantage of sensational and shocking headlines to get you to click on links that could infect your computer

·    Go with what you know – While any site could potentially be risky, it’s best to avoid clicking on sites you’ve never heard of that show up in your search results. Stick to the official royal wedding website or go directly to reputable news sites to get the latest news and videos of the wedding

·    Protect your computer – Use trusted security software on your computer to block threats and make sure you’re keeping it up-to-date. Use  Norton Safe Web Lite and Norton Safe Web for Facebook – free, downloadable tools that identify risky sites before users click on them in search results and on their Facebook news feeds

And for those wishing to know more about cybercrime, hit the Black Market Experience at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Internode Speeds Up Tas Connections Ahead of NBN

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Upload speed now 25 megabits per second.

In a move that aligns broadband speeds in Tasmania with the rest of mainland Australia, Internode’s has improved its service there to an “upload speed of a 25 megabits per second (Mbps) service automatically increases from 2 Mbps to 5  Mbps,” the company said in a statement.

The 50 Mbps service upload speed is five times faster jumping 4 to 20 Mbps as is 100 Mbps, upgraded from 8 to 40 Mbps.  

The new speeds will facilitate improved use of business applications including videoconferencing and facilitate cloud computing when the NBN arrives, say Internode, and is the latest move by Australia’s second largest broadband provider to get up to speed with the national broadband rollout, which is gaining pace.

“A key benefit of these faster upload speeds is that they better support new and emerging applications, such as high definition IP videoconferencing,” says Internode’s Jim Kellett.

“Faster upload speeds also improve the performance of telecommuting via Internet virtual private networks, and support emerging business demands for cloud computing and networked data storage. Even general Internet usage like file downloads may be improved by faster upload speeds.”

In December, Internode’s MD, Simon Hackett voiced strong criticism against the NBN plan, claiming its high density interconnection model, amounted to a cartel between the government, Optus and Telstra.

108-130 points of interconnection (POI) will be established on the NBN in mainland cities and 81 POIs in regional Australia and six in Tasmania, it was announced in December.

The upgrades, which commenced January 8 are to be up and running within the end of this week, say the company.

Telstra Nabs Cisco Android Tab

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The new Cius Froyo 7 inch tablet is an enterprise only device.


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It comes with 32GB memory inbuilt, SD card slot and connectivity options HDMI out port and a mini-USB port. It also boasts HD video (720p) and media station and will support Bluetooth.

Described by the firm as “ultra-portable, mobile collaboration business tablet that offers access to essential business applications and technologies.”

And it seems Cisco have gone hell for leather into the business market, creating an “app store”  specially for enterprise where Cius users and software vendors can exclusively buy and sell apps.

This strategy could help differentiate its tablet solution in a landscape marred by Apple devices which have meshed business users into a predominantly consumer space.

Furthermore the Cius will be compatible with its business hardware and software solutions, which could be another important selling point for its business clientele.

Telstra, who announced their intention to sell the tab earlier this week in Melbourne, has already stated the advantage it holds over the iPad, since users are not forced to use Apple’s software exclusively.

Cisco, which specialises in software and hardware solution for business is clearly eyeing this lucrative sector for growth potential and the Cius’ ability to sit in its newly released  IP handset station speaks volumes about the role it sees tablets playing in enterprise in the future.

Telstra says it expects the Cius to be sold as a component of enterprise IP telephony systems.

 

Businesses are expected to buy more than 10m tablets this year, accounting for more than one quarter of the market, according to Deloitte’s forecast.

The slate, which will go on sale towards the end of this year will be available in WiFi and 3G or 4G models although Telstra have yet to confirm a precise date.

Laser Appoints New Retail Head

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LASER Corp have just announced the appointment of its new Retail Business Manager, Robert Giannini.Reporting in to Dina Murphy, General Sales Manager, he will be responsible for accelerating retail sales throughout Australia as well as servicing existing customers nationally, the IT accessories giant announced today.

Robert brings over 20 years experience to his role and will be looking to expand and enhance the retail team at Laser as the company strives to strengthen its position in the retail market.

Chris Lau, Managing Director of Laser said, “Robert has a proven track record in the consumer electronics industry and has joined our team at an important stage as we seek to build upon achieving our growth projections.”

Giannini held several positions at Sony his last post being NSW Sales Manager, as well as IT accessories company Audion as Retail Account Manager.

Telstra To Shut 1/5 Stores..But Open 100 More

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Telco plans to cut Telstra owned stores from 103 to 80. But that’s not all.

It plans, in turn, to extend the number of licensed stores which will focus on selling highly profitable devices like tablets and smartphones, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The new stores will also focus on sales rather than service.

Earlier this year 100 new Telstra stores were announced, it was also said the telco was planing to sell TVs packed with content and application options, along with accessories “tailored to suit local markets,” according to CEO David Thodey.

And it now appears all 100 of the new shops will be owned by licensees.

The stores also look set to be smaller and in more locations.

It also hopes 70 per cent of its traffic will consists of ‘high-value sales,’ according to the report.

Recently, the Telco has started a major drive to push its customer service unit online and steer customers away from in-house service.

 

It has already invested $1bn in Project New – their major drive to improve consumer service and turn around the perceptions of the communications giant – and has predicted 30 percent of its interaction with customer will be done online by 2013.

Samsung Super AMOLED Plus Solves Pix Problem

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The makers latest technology appears to have eradicated a problem which has plagued screens – the PenTile issue, where green pixels are utilised more than blue or red, giving a grainy finish.


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The company has done this through using RealStripe technology meaning that the grainy colours that appear on screens of LCD’s, Plasma and CRT no longer exist.

This is because they usually use one red, green and blue subpixel per pixel. 

However, the Super AMOLED Plus, which was announced at CES in January,  will banish the imperfections to give a 50 percent boost in the subpixel count, claim the Taiwanese makers. 

This means there will be 12 subpixels instead of 8, helping to make picture images sharper and more defined. 

This screen innovation is now available on its newly released 4.3 inch and 4.5 inch Smartphones, which includes the soon to be released Galaxy S II, and is said to be available on devices in the second half of the year.