Broadband and Me

Very interesting story regarding the future launch of the Gallileo satellite navigation system - BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Sat-nav looks to smart ideas

Analysts believe the value of the Galileo-enhanced business - equipment and services - could be worth well in excess of 10 billion euros a year by 2020, as sat-nav functionality wheedles its way into every corner of modern life…

and this telling littel snippet:

Small companies… must wake up now because in four years, they will have to move their businesses in a new direction for Galileo - Christian Stammel, Galileo Masters

It covers an excellent synopsis of what it will mean for the consumer and what possible applications there will be for small and medium size businesses.

BT’s all-in-one phone to debut next year - silicon.com

mobile handsets that can make mobile, internet and landline calls. The handsets will include Wi-Fi and traditional mobile technology, enabling users to make cheap calls by connecting to wireless hotspots when out and about or through their landlines with Bluetooth when at home

I had been predicting that this type of technology would make it mainstream for quite a while - better late than never. I am not entirely sure how these proposed BT handsets will work but I think the whole idea is generally a good one. Personally I would like to see my mobile phone switch to using a landline connection when I am in my house and reveert to mobile elsewhere…

BBC NEWS | Technology | ‘Low-tech’ video phones fight back

While its always worth looking forward, sometimes its worth looking at what you have. Article from the Beeb on the use of existing analogue wired technology to make video calls. While it looks expensive, as the article says, if operators ensure that standards are not proprietary, then all will benefit.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Mobiles ‘to replace handheld PCs’

Gadget lovers could find that their mobile phone fulfils all their needs in the very near future.
So says David Levin, head of phone software firm Symbian, reviewing the firm’s future prospects.

He said the falling cost of putting extras, such as cameras, into handsets would mean big changes for the consumer electronics market.

I think the vision is true. Whether Symbian lead it is another matter, especially given Motorola’s decision to pull out of the Symbian partnership.

My (or rather my Wife’s) new phone has a camera (BTW no one has suggested a good moblog approach )poyphonic ringtones and games. My colleague has an Orange SPV which gives him the PDA functionality, top games, a MP3 player (though not a camera) In an ideal world (and where I had more money!) I would like a mobile that does all of the above and more. A combination of phone PDA, Wifi synching and Internet connection (not just GPRS or 3G) and of course Bluetooth accessories like a headset. I’m never going to afford circa £500 though, so wait I must. Just as the operators will to work out how to make mre revenue from such products and making them mainstream

BBC NEWS | Technology | Mobile gaming ’set to explode’

This is good news for mobile phone companies, which have become increasingly desperate to find ways of getting more money from their subscribers.

They’re not the only ones!

Good to see coverage of the Games week. We as a team are going to ECTS this week, on Friday and are also popping into the Playstation Experience. Anyone fancy meeting there in the ECTS bar?