Disqus - Latest Comments for murphym1971

Re: Vote: Will you be buying a MiFi personal wireless hotspot device?

murphym1971 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:32:55 -0000

It's a little bit more elegant than a USB dongle, but it's another thing to keep charged and in my bag. Plus, I already have joikuspot premium on my phone.

Falls into the nice to have category, but my plan is that my next netbook will be one with a built in SIM slot...

Re: How secure are your mobile calls?

murphym1971 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:14:57 -0000

The issue is not the technology. It's never the technology. How many commercially sensitive conversations have you overheard on a train/in a hotel lobby/etc?

Super secure phone line/voice mail/whatever will always be defeated by stupid or naive behaviour.

As Mike42 says, if you're in a multi-bn deal environment, you'd better have your own spooks looking after you. This kind of solution, neat and cool though it is, just can't be good enough.

Re: French government building a mobile portal

murphym1971 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:07:58 -0000

Oops. My spoken French is way better than my written!

Re: French government building a mobile portal

murphym1971 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:06:11 -0000

Might have to check that out.

Curious to note that it's not .mobi ;) <ducks and runs>

Re: Mobile Web is Rubbish

murphym1971 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:55:22 -0000

I maintain that kizoom is the exception in terms of its quality, and still it is easier and quicker to use the text service. The main reason I still use kizoom is price.

Agree totally about the economics, and this is the #1 thing that hampers any company trying to sell app-based solutions to operators.

Interesting observation about google, is that they are very good in doing the "app" work server side.

Re: Mobile Web is Rubbish

murphym1971 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:27:09 -0000

I agree that mobile devices are different. And in some way, that's the point: the web that's targeted at PCs isn't going to work on different devices. Google have more than a vested interest in persuading us that browsers are the way forward, so you have to take their comments in context. And yet, how do I access my Google mail on my device? Via the gmail mobile app. Hmm....

ICANN may have approved the .mobi domain for mobile, but there is still much debate about whether or not that is the best solution, and confusion still runs rampant. Both facebook and google seem to have .mobi registered but redirect to .com, and both promote m.****.com rather than ****.mobi

Whatever the reason, I don't know how in general whether there is a mobile optimised version of a site i want to go to, and if there is, what its address is.

Re: Mobile Web is Rubbish

murphym1971 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:41:32 -0000

Hey twom,

I think we're actually agreeing quite a lot here. There is a bit of semantics going on - by "mobile web" I do mean "using the mobile browser on my phone" and I think you're saying the definition should be broader. I'm not sure where your "web applications" site; they either run in the browser or they don't?

Where we disagree is that I don't think you can say that the shortage of non mobile friendly sites is not a limitation of the mobile web. Or more importantly, I don't think it matters whether it is or not. The reality is that it's a lottery going to any given web site on your mobile phone. So the experience is rubbish.

Lots of ways this could be fixed, including custom mobile site development, which I think is what siruna do? Which kind of implies that there's a problem that needs to be fixed?

Re: Mobile Web is Rubbish

murphym1971 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:29:00 -0000

A point I (tried to) acknowledge in the article. The iPhone has a nice browser. I like using the iPhone browser. But

(a) that only covers off the millionth of a percent of phone users who have iPhones
(b) it's preferable to use an app, where one exists (LinkedIn, twitter, facebook, etc.)

Re: Wither instant messaging (Nokia?)

murphym1971 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:51:12 -0000

Of course there's a load of process stuff to go through, but OZ/Nokia has completely stopped acquiring new operator customers. Not slowed down, not hiccuped, completely stopped.

When I've worked in big companies that acquire smaller companies, usually what happens is that one day you have a new set of products to sell and a target. Or the acquired company sits on its own in a corner and carries on as it did before for a couple of years. Either way, you still go after new customers...

Re: Malcolm Murphy and the worst service ever

murphym1971 — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:46:29 -0000

Mike, part of that is Three's fault.

I recently called them up with a coverage problem. The script the guys in India are following seems to mandate me sending the handset back to them. There was no way the symptoms I described could be related to the handset - "I've put them SIM in a different handset and it still has the same problem" - but they wouldn't listen.

Very amusing conversation followed a couple of days later with a chappy in the handset repair team in scotland along the lines of:

3: "We're very sorry, but we can't find anything wrong with your handset"
M: "I'm not surprised, I did tell the guy but he insisted I send it to you"
3: "What problem were you having?"
M: "no signal, dropped calls, that kind of thing"
3: ???

And while I get the element of self care thing, that doesn't absolve the operator of their responsibilities. It's (admittedly) worse for Three, because I can't stick their SIM in any old POS handset I might happen to have lying around. But that's their choice - if they didn't say things like "we might chuck you off if you persist in using a non 3G handset" then I might not be so keen to have an appropriate handset.

Re: Malcolm Murphy and the worst service ever

murphym1971 — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:40:55 -0000

Mike, I don't have a problem that the credit limit is there to protect the service provider. But they shouldn't try and pretend they're protecting me. I was willing to assume the risk of losing the handset or (more likely) the enormous bills that turn up at the end of the month, but they wouldn't let me. And yes, I would hit the credit limit every month, if I hadn't embarked on my campaign to spend no extra money with Three.

I did pay via credit card there and then, not least since I had no option. I get the upside of cash back on my card, but it's still a pain. The bigger pain is when you hit that limit while you're travelling and/or actually scheduled to make a call. I asked if they could setup automatic CNP transactions for when I get close to my limt; again not an option.

So the upshot is that the operator makes it hard for someone who wants to spend a large amount of money with them. And when i'm spending that sort of money, that sort of service doesn't cut it for me.

And I don't care about the costs involved in them managing replacement handsets. As a consumer, I have a right to expect that when I buy something, it works. And it's up to the retailer, in this case Three, to manage their suppliers, in this case Nokia, correctly. And if they don't factor that into their costs, that is not my problem.

Re: Julian Saunders, CEO of Mobyko on Android’s ‘Gmail Walled Garden’

murphym1971 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:14:47 -0000

Funambol have announced they have a syncML client for android already available - for more info see their press release at http://www.funambol.com/news/pressrelease_2008....

Re: My Carphone Warehouse experience: Shockingly good.

murphym1971 — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:36:57 -0000

Ewan,

I'm confused. You ordered an 8GB on Sunday, there was a problem with the order and they didn't return your calls for two days. Then when you call again, they don't tell you what happened to your order, don't attempt to explain where what you ordered is, and persuade you to buy something else instead????

Which just happens to be more expensive...

And they persuaded you to buy insurance as well!?

And you're happy about it!?

I agree, that is great selling.

Re: Malcolm Murphy - Pick and Mix data applications

murphym1971 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:23:40 -0000

I see the point, but I'm not advocating walled gardens again - they won't work either.

The key things in my idea, which maybe I should have been more explicit about:
1. The per-application price is a fraction of the current flat rate price
2. It's "proper" internet.

The problem I'm trying to address is that even 5ukp a month is a hurdle that some users aren't able to jump right now. PAYG users have it worse of course...

Re: My shite 6300 has arrived

murphym1971 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:42:56 -0000

But you've got your contacts backed up to a syncml service like Zyb or Mobyko, haven't you?

Re: Malcolm Murphy - Worst Service Ever Part 2

murphym1971 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:39:50 -0000

Yes, you can, but I've got several hundred contacts in my mobile address book....

... still too much like hard work!

Re: Malcolm Murphy - Worst Service Ever Part 2

murphym1971 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:34:05 -0000

I haven't checked whether the number would be included. Going to look a little bit silly if it's not :(

I was trying to avoid the scenario where I leave a voicemail saying "please call me on my other number", but it might have to come to that.

I'll have to wait until I get my next bill to see, I guess.