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Oonagh Reidy

Fanciful Kogan iPhone 5 “Sale”

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IS Kogan the “first retailer in the world” to sell the iPhone 5? Hardly.


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Kogan’s iPhone 5 sale is not what it seems, despite his brash claims.

Mouthy millionaire Ruslan Kogan is jumping on the iPhone 5 bandwagon in a big way and the fanciful Aussie e-tailer claims it is the “first in the world” to sell the new iPhone 5.

Kogan opened “sales” of the new unlocked 4″ slimmer and longer smartphone yesterday, hours out from its announcement by Apple in New York.

But in reality the “sale” is really just a pre-sale dressed up.

“We’ve beaten EVERYONE to the punch and are already taking orders today. We’re selling the 16GB model, unlocked, for $100 less,” Kogan’s blog declares.

But the reality is the iPhone 5 still won’t land on consumers doorstep until at least September 21 – the same day the telcos Telstra, Optus, Voda and Virgin will have the device sitting on their shelves and the likely delivery date for pre-orders.

The telcos haven’t opened up pre-sales yet, but are likely to do so along with releasing pricing plans in the next few days.

“Expected dispatch date is September 21st ” Kogan’s blog says.

But in the fine print underneath is a warning of delivery delays on i5:

 

“Please note Apple products may be subject to strong demand on launch, and availability of stock may be scarce or delayed. The “Expected Dispatch Date” is not a guarantee, and may be delayed (or brought forward) without notice. “

In other words, even if you order today, you still may get the iPhone after it goes on general sale.

SmartHouse contacted Kogan on the issue and are awaiting a reply.

The e-tailer is flogging an unlocked i5 16GB for $699, which it says is $100 cheaper than the Apple Stores and telco’s pricing (which is true), 32GB for $799 and 64GB model for $899. 

Forget Phones – Optus Jump On Smart Money Train

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Optus gets smart with Business SmartPay secure payment gateway. Business SmartPay is a managed bill payment system for retailers and financial institutions and Optus is the first ever telco here to get in on the act.



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Forget smartphones, SingTel owned Optus is now a smart payments partner for many leading financial institutions with SmartPay. 


So, what is it? “SmartPay provides a secure, automated end-to-end payment solution that allows your customers to make payments over the telephone, the Internet, or via your call centre 24 hours a day.” 

It also provides billing solutions, multiple payment options and reporting. 

The managed out-sourced solution is the first payment gateway from a telco to attain PCI DSS compliance in Australia and New Zealand, Optus said yesterday. 

This means it has Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) approval, which helps to protect against fraud, hacking and various other security vulnerabilities and threats. 

According to the Reserve Bank, Australians are embracing online payments in droves – with 60 percent of Aussies paying most of their bills online.

And the the biggest deterrent to making payment online is the fraud risk, so Optus says this seal of approval negates these online risks. 

“More and more people are transacting online, so protecting their personal data is critical,” said Trudy Holtzhausen, Acting Director, Fixed Products and Marketing at Optus Business.

“As the payments partner for many leading financial institutions, Optus wants to help its customers stay at the forefront of security standards.”

The certification required the telco to prove it could build and maintain a secure network with strong access control measures and ensure protection of cardholder data. 

Additionally, it must regularly monitor and test its networks as part of its vulnerability management program.

 

Optus partnered with ANZ Bank as its strategic partner to support the efforts to meet this global security standard.



ANOTHER Nokia Boss Jumps Ship As OS Burn Continues

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Nokia Chief Tech Officer has abandoned ship, citing personal problems.Besieged phone maker Nokia, once the powerhouse of the phone industry, has witnessed a steady spill of senior execs from its team, its latest casualty being Richard Green its Chief Technology Officer who has left for an unspecified period of time.

No reason was given other than a company spokesperson saying it was “to attend to a personal matter.”

Green had held the role for just about a year, having joined the Finnish giant in 2010, according to reports. Anssi Vanjoki, the Exec Vice President who ran Nokia’s Mobile Solutions also left last year having been in the job just months.

However, rumour has it Green’s defection was personal alright, as in his personal disagreement with Nokia’s decision to abandon its Intel based MeeGo OS in favour of Microsoft’s Windows, according to a local Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat.

Nokia N9 was among the handsets due for release on the fledgling platform.

Intel’s MeeGo open-source software platform was co-created by Nokia and Intel’s Linux-based platforms Maemo and Moblin, was tipped for launch in 2012.

“The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don’t have a product that is close to their experience,” its chief executive Stephen Elop wrote in the leaked internal memo earlier this year.

“Android came on the scene just over two years ago, and this week they took our leadership position in smartphone volumes. Unbelievable.”

However, the abandon ship strategy adopted by the phone maker has had more than a few critics from internal sources, with 1000 staff staging a walk out when the initial deal with Microsoft was announced in February.

This couldn’t come at a worse time for Nokia as it looks to unleash a stream of Microsoft based smartphones and possibly even tabs in a bid to play catch up with market rulers, Android and Apple, who now reign supreme in both markets.

 

Every one in three consumers in the US are now opting for an Android handset, according to recent figures from ComScore, with Blackberry holding 29 percent, followed by Apple 25 percent share.

However, some analysts belive Nokia will revive with its leg up from Windows and could Windows platform command 20.9 percent of global market share by 2015.

Acer Reveal MeeGo 10 Inch Tab To Run Intel Atom (& No Android)

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The notebook maker is turning its back on Android and looking to run MeeGo OS.


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Image: Taiwan Media

Running on low power Intel Atom family of processors announced in April this year, the new device will be known as Iconia M Series and powered by its MeeGo OS, a world first for tabs, announced yesterday at Computex in Taipei.

Intel’s MeeGo open-source software platform was co-created by Nokia and Intel’s Linux-based platforms Maemo and Moblin, tipped for launch in 2012, has arrived somewhat earlier than expected.

The brave move comes as Acer look to differentiate itself in a market flooded by Android tablet clones although it’s not the first time the Taiwanese brand has dipped its toes into multiple OS. Earlier this year it launched the 10.1 inch Iconia Tab A500 running on Honeycomb and also Windows 7 W500.

Weighing in at 700g, the touchscreen Iconia M500 will go on sale worldwide in the fourth quarter of this year, said David Lee, Acer assistant vice president of mobile computing, although no indication of pricing yet.

“The tablet is a combination of the MeeGo platform and Intel’s Moorestown low-power processor, and we’re still tuning its touch interface to achieve better user experience, ” Lee said at Intel’s netbook and tablet keynote.

Intel will also be hoping the Atom’s ability to run multiple OS will give it an advantage over chip maker rival ARM, who to date has dominated the slate market for chips, and plans to unveil more than 10 tablet models powered by the latest “Oak Trail” version of its new processors at the Computex which is ending on Friday. 

 

Nokia N9 was set to be the first first MeeGo smartphone device until it was canned following its partnership with Microsoft.

Pinch-Swipe-Zoom: iPad Facebook App FINALLY Hits

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It’s finally here: Facebook hits iPad with all guns blazing. The “hands on” 4.0 app, out today, promises to allow fingers to do everything from scrolling the News Feed to pinching pictures to zoom or swipe through albums.


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Facebook photos are also bigger and easier to scroll though and new swanky new app allow users upload self made videos straight on to their wall. 

Slight tweaks for tab configurations have also been made – games, apps, groups and lists are in the left-hand menu, meaning less digging around and messages and notifications are at the top of the screen.

“With the iPad app, you get the full Facebook experience, right at your fingertips,” and it’s fun to play around with, The Social Network said today.

“Use your fingertips to scroll through your News Feed. Give the screen a swipe to page through albums. Pinch a picture to zoom in.”

The app comes with a bunch of other new features: instant chat with friends, watch high-res videos inline, record HD video and stream to Airplay devices, and also let you play games and use apps in full-screen mode.

 

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The Social Network has made several improvements to its iPhone app and mobile apps promising a simplified navigation, faster search, more games and apps.

Head down to App Store to get 4.0 now.

REVEALED: Why ACCC Fears Foxtel

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The competition watchdog has revealed its real issue with proposed Foxtel-Austar merger. Telstra.


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Yesterday, the ACCC called a halt to the (proposed) $1.9bn merger, which would see the Pay TV giant Foxtel merge with regional player Austar and gain 97% domination of Pay TV market in the process.

The ACCC’s main areas of concern is the market supply of (non-Foxtel) subscription TV and broadband and telephone services in regional areas, it said today.

Read Austar, Foxtel Respond To ACCC ‘Inquiry’

In other words, a much larger Foxtel, which is 50% owned by Australia’s largest telco Telstra, with heightened access to regional markets, could wreak havoc on competition in such areas and prevent other players from entry, particularly in a ‘bundled’ world where Internet, IPTV and phone services are all flogged in one attractive package. 

The Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has now kicked off “market consultation” on the proposed undertakings offered by Foxtel’s Management in respect of its Austar buy out and is calling on its rivals, which would include the likes of Optus, iiNet, Internode to give their views on the proposals.

“The proposed undertaking has been offered by Foxtel to address the harm to competition which is likely to arise as a result of the proposed acquisition,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said today.

“The proposed acquisition would bring together the two main subscription TV industry players in Australia each with a substantial customer base and significant access to key content.”

“This would in turn give Telstra, Foxtel’s largest shareholder, greater market power in fixed broadband and telephony markets,” Sims warned.

According to the terms of the undertaking given by Foxtel, it will be prevented from entering into exclusive IPTV rights  for channels including Sky News and ESPN, unless another bidder wishes to do so. And ditto for video-on-demand movie rights.

By reducing content exclusivity, the proposed undertakings the watchdog are insisting Foxtel obey, aim to lower barriers to entry and promote new competition in telecommunications and subscription TV markets, the ACCC says.

It expects the undertaking will create opportunities for new and existing competitors to “develop differentiated and more affordable subscription television offerings.”

 

Internet TV is set to boom and become even cheaper and more plentiful (fetchtv starts at $9.95) in an NBN world, thus to allow the creation a new Pay TV or telco monster would be a nightmare scenario.

The watchdog said it was is conscious that any remedy must balance the need to reduce barriers to entry without dampening incentives for content suppliers or subscription television operators to be innovative and competitive.

Following market consultation, the ACCC will decide whether to accept or reject the proposed undertaking.

Get Set: Top Gear On-Demand Hits As Facebook ‘Credits’ Unleashed

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Get The Stig, on credit. Facebook ‘Credits’ has hit town. And so has Top Gear. Car nuts can now get Top Gear shows ‘exclusive’ to The Social Network.


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Fans of Clarkson, Hammond and May’s zany antics can now access their favourite Top Gear ‘specials’ via Facebook on BBC Worldwide VOD (video on demand) app. 


The service let fans watch your favourite Top Gear bits over and over again. 

For 48 hours actually – once rented, via the official Top Gear fan page, and payable by Facebook Credits, its  latest brainchild, “a trusted space to store payment information.” 

“Four of the show’s most iconic episodes will now be available to rent using Facebook credits over the next four weeks,” BBC said today. 
 
The Polar Special was unleashed today, with others “staggered” for the coming weeks, – the second is the US Road Trip – the biggest British TV show ever on Facebook.  
 
As well as Down Under, the episodes will be available for Facebook users in New Zealand, Europe, USA, Australia, Canada. 

Credits can be purchased within an app, or through the payments tab within the users account settings.
The BBC have even geared up custom-made apps for ultimate Top Gear nuts to run alongside the episodes where they can test their series’ knowledge and answer trivia on the Facebook official Top Gear fan page. 
 
That should please a few fans – Top Gear and The Stig Facebook fan page’s have over 14 million friends altogether. 
The unveiling of the Credits system also marks a major commercial push from Mark Zuckerberg’s brainchild and is telling of the direction his social network is going in, while cutting out the middle man (i.e Android and iOS). 

Top Gear has amassed a huge following on Facebook with almost 14 million friends following the show and The Stig.

“We’re always looking at ways of adding value for the core fans of the show so it’s entirely appropriate that we should be one of the first TV shows to make its premium content available via Facebook,” says Adam Waddell, Top Gear, Managing Director. 

 

To get with Jeremy and the boys, ‘like’ the official Top Gear Facebook page Here.


Viewers can also download favourite episodes or apps from iTunes.

Zombie Robots To Make iPad 2, iPhone 5

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Welcome to the Zombie nation: Apple third party supplier Foxconn is to hire more than 1 million robots to make iPad 2 and iPhone 5.


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That’s according to Foxconn owner, Terry Guo, China Business News reported yesterday. 

Currently, the controversial electronics manufacturing giant uses more than 10,000 robots along with employing the services of 1.2 million workers to make Apple cult products like iPad and iPhone. 

 And it’s not just Apple Foxconn contracts to – several other well known names employ its services also. 
 The robots will be used to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers, Foxconn Chief says. 
The contract manufacturer has, in the past, been the subject of intense scrutiny and criticism over its work practices following a spate of worker suicides, injuries and workplace accidents at its plants located mostly in the south of the China. 
Three workers were killed and more than 15 injured as recently as May following an explosion in a plant located in Chengdu region. 
 But Guo’s factories have now set up a robotics division and plan to have 300,000 of them up and running by next year, meaning they will almost certainly be making the iPhone 5, due out later this year and iPad 3. It is thought the move to robotics will slash rising Chinese labour costs and boost plant efficiency. 
 Up to half of all manufacturing could be carried out by the robots in future, replacing humans, experts say. However, Gou has said he wants to move 1 million employees “higher up the value chain.” 
 What, making or cleaning the robots maybe? 
 

Well, apparently Gou envisions his slave driven workforce (think 24 hour work days, no holidays, no talking at work) to perform task like “research and development, innovation and other areas that are equally important to the success of our operations”. 

 Lets hope he treats the robots better than he has his workers.