This article is by Charlie Brooker for the Guardian.

The iPad . . . ideal for keeping your lap warm. Photograph: Kimberly White/Reuters

A star appears over San Francisco and a new gizmo is born. The iPad! At first glance it resembles an iPhone in unhandy, non-pocket-sized form. But look a little longer, and . . Nope. You were right first time.

Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. Apple excels at taking existing concepts – computers, MP3 players, conceit – and carefully streamlining them into glistening ergonomic chunks of concentrated aspiration. It took the laptop and the coffee table book and created the iBook. Now it’s taken the iBook and the iPhone and distilled them into a single device that answers a rhetorical question you weren’t really asking.

It’s an iPhone for people who can’t be arsed holding an iPhone up to their face. A slightly-further-away iPhone that keeps your lap warm. A weird combination of portable and cumbersome: too small to replace your desktop, too big to fit in your pocket, unless you’re a clown. It can play video, but really – do you want to spend hours staring at a movie in your lap? Sit through Lord of the Rings and you’d need an osteopath to punch the crick out of your neck afterwards. It can also be used as an ebook, something newspapers are understandably keen to play up, but because it’s got an illuminated display rather than a fancy non-backlight “digital ink” ebook screen, it’ll probably leave your eyes feeling strained, as though your pupils are wearing tight shoes.

The iPad falls between two stools – not quite a laptop, not quite a smartphone. In other words, it’s the spork of the electronic consumer goods world. Or rather it would be, were it not for one crucial factor: it looks ideal for idly browsing the web while watching telly. And I suspect that’s what it’ll largely be used for. Millions of people watch TV while checking their emails: it’s a perfect match for them.

Absurdly, Apple keeps trying to pretend it’ll make your life more efficient. Come off it. It’s an oblong that lights up. I’m sick of being pitched to like I’m a one-man corporation undertaking a personal productivity audit anyway. I don’t want to hear how the iPad is going to make my life simpler. I want to hear how it’ll amuse and distract me; how it plans to anaesthetise me into a numb, trancelike state. Call it the iDawdler and aggressively market it as the world’s first utterly dedicated timewasting device: an electronic sedative to rival diazepam, alcohol or television. If Apple can convince us of that, it’s got itself a hit.

Some people are complaining because it doesn’t have a camera in it. Spoiled techno-babies, all of them. Just because something is technically possible, it doesn’t mean it has to be done. It’s technically possible to build an egg whisk that makes phonecalls, an MP3 player that dispenses capers or a car with a bread windscreen. Humankind will continue prosper in their absence. Not everything needs a 15-megapixel lens stuck on the back, like a little glass anus. Give these ingrates a camera and they’d whine that it didn’t have a second camera built into it. What are you taking photographs of anyway? Your camera collection?

And don’t bring up videocalls to defend yourself: it’d be creepy talking to a disembodied two-dimensional head being held at arm’s length, and besides, the iPad is too heavy to hold in front of your face for long, so you’d end up balancing it in your lap, which means both callers would find themselves staring up one another’s others nostrils, like a pair of curious dental patients. (Videocalls are overrated anyway. You just sit there staring at each other with nothing to say. It’s like a prison visit: eventually one of you has to start masturbating just to break the tension.)

Personally, I’m not sure whether I’ll buy an iPad, although I think – I think – I’m about to buy an iBook. Yes, I was a dyed-in-the-wool Mac sceptic for years. Yes, I’ve written screeds bemoaning the infuriating breed of smug Apple monks who treat all PC owners with condescending pity. But being chained to a Sony Vaio for the last few weeks has convinced me that I’d rather use a laptop that just works, rather than one that’s so ponderous, stuttering and irritating I find myself perpetually on the verge of running outside and hurling it into traffic. (That’s a moan about Sony laptops, not PCs in general, by the way. I’m keeping my desktop PC, thanks: that’s lovely. Smooth as butter. Better than I deserve, in fact.)

I just hope buying an iBook won’t turn me into an iPrick. I want a machine that essentially makes itself invisible, not a rectangular bragging stone. If, 10 minutes after buying it, I start burbling on about how it’s left me more fulfilled as a human being, or find myself perched at a tiny Starbucks table stroking its glowing Apple with one hand while demonstratively tapping away with the other in the hope that passersby will assume I’m working on a screenplay, it’s going straight in the bin.

The iBin. Complete with built-in camera. $599.99.
Original article at The Guardian.

Cx

Finally, the rumored “Google Phone” that we have been hearing and following closely has finally been confirmed and released. At Google’s press conference on January 5th, 2010 they finally gave us all the juicy details revolving around the Nexus One.
Some may wonder “What is so great about this phone? It is just another phone!” The Nexus one is NOT just another phone, it is in a category all its own. This phone will be bringing many changes along with it. So take a look at the rest of this article and judge for yourself.
The Nexus One runs on a 1GHz snapdragon processor with a 3.7 inch WVGA Amoled touchscreen display. The phone has a height of 119mm, width of 59.8, depth of 11.5, and wieghs only 130 grams with the battery. Along with 512 MB of Ram and flash it comes with a 4 GB microsd card which is expandable to 32 GB. (Sounds nice already, doesn’t it).
The camera is amazing with 5 megapixels, auto focus, 2x digital zoom, and a Led flash. Not only can you take pics but you can record videos. The recorder at 720×480 pixels can capture up to 20 frames per second, depending lighting of course. HTC and Google also included a 1400 MHz battery with talk time lasting 10 hours on 2G and 7 hours on 3G. Stand by time is pretty decent also with approximately 290 hours on 2G and 250 hours on 3G. Not only do the specs look great on the Nexus but with animated wallpaper, multi colored led, 3.5 mm headphone jack, GPS, accelerometer, and proximity sensor makes this phone pretty great and a must have.
You are probably wondering by now how you get your hands on this sucker? Well, you have two options at the moment, you can purchase it unlocked through Google at google.com/phone for $530 or with a new 2 year contract wit T-Mobile you can get the phone for $179. Either way you have to buy the Nexus online, but there are some benifits free shipping, Google will try to have the phone to you by the next day, and you can also get custom engraving on the phone then they will have the phone to you with in 72 hours. Also all you Verizon and Vodaphone customers the Nexus One is rumored to be available soon.
Only time will tell if the “Iphone Killer” will live up to all the hype surrounding it these last few months. Truthfully, I believe the Nexus One won’t only live up to all the hype but will do much more by changing the way people use their phones along with opening a whole new realm of possibilities in the “Mobile Phone World”.

Heaven DeHoff
http://heavendehoff.wordpress.com/

We all know 2009 was a tough year – but at mygoodpoints we actually came out alright. It was in early January of this year that we made our debut as a company, negotiating those first unsteady steps before landing in Ireland’s nonprofit community.

Then, in April 2009, we battled through Vodaphone’s dragon’s den-style competition to secure a position and funding on their World of Difference Initiative. Quite a blessing and we counted it.

By May, we had closed a deal with Microsoft for free software and secured support from KPMG, whose sterling work helped us achieve charity status with the Revenue Commissioners (a CHY number) in under three months – an amazing turn-around! – making us the first online charity in Ireland.

Leveraging our new charity status we were in September then able to garner half a million Euros worth of free ad words and staff volunteer support from Google Ireland.

Meanwhile, Digital Trading and Cream Graphics armed us with engineers and graphic designers to build our first version of the platform. Finally we closed the year by winning a place on a new programme from NDRC (National Digital Research Centre) with investment into our usability testing in 2010. (They also provided office space!)

All in all in 2009, we garnered somewhere around 1 million Euros in support, services and professional volunteer time.

www.mygoodpoints.org – let’s launch it

We expect our website to launch in the Spring of 2010. Mygoodpoints will provide consumers with an online account or wallet where they can gather all their unused loyalty points and value and donate these directly as cash to support the charity projects of their choice, at home and overseas. Following this, members receive feedback directly from the field, letting them see the real and direct difference their donations are making in people’s lives. Watch this space.

Right now we’re completing the build on our platform and putting the website through some usability testing (i.e., we’re figuring out whether users will like it). Let it be known that we’re looking to our growing community of supporters (that’s you!) to act as guinea pigs and tell us what about the site works, and what could be better. So if you free to help do give us a shout and we’ll put you to work!

Dublin to New York

Later this month, the team branches out from Ireland to conquer new territory in the United States. Killian will be on the hunt for more funding in New York while also following up on contacts he made there in 2009, including movers-and-shakers from the Clinton Global Initiative, the Jeffery Sachs-led Millennium Promise and DonorsChoose.org. In particular DonorsChoose.org have been great providing us with mentorship, support and even office space in New York, for which we are ever grateful! Do check them out, they are super!

For the second time in three months, Killian will meet with his contacts at the Rockefeller Foundation, the iconic philanthropy organization known for supporting terrific start-ups and businesses in all corners of the world. Fingers crossed we can inspire them to get onboard and help fund mygoodpoints in 2010 and beyond!

Closer to home, we’ll pursue new funding opportunities, including the new Arthur Guinness Fund, which continues the philanthropic legacy of the Guinness family supporting Irish social entrepreneurs. We have managed to get shortlisted by the Fund, and we’re counting the days until January 19, when we go forward to the next round of the competition. Stay tuned…

2010 – in it to win

All in all some great progress in 2009 but as Killian likes to say, this is a 50-round boxing match – and we’re only halfway through the very first round. Plus, we haven’t yet helped to alleviate poverty or fund a single charity project and until that starts we really will have achieved nothing. We still have a lot to do.

So yes 2010. Yeah. Bring it on…

What business goals do you have for 2010? Send us your comments!

Motorola parka. Razr-menestyshittinsä jälkeen se on kutistunut ja surkastunut. Vain tappiot ja ongelmat ovat kasvaneet. Googlen Android käyttiksellä sen piti päästä jälleen jaloilleen ja kiivetä takaisin TOP-3:een ja nousta voitolliseksi. Motorola saa nyt unohtaa moiset haaveet ja firma voi alkaa miettiä lähestyvää konkurssihuutokauppaa Nortelin tapaan. Millä se voisi pärjätä kisassa Googlea vastaan joka päättää Androidin sisällön ja aikataulut ja tuo uudet ominaisuudet ensimmäisenä omaan luuriinsa kuten nyt tänään julkistetussa ensimmäisen Googlen nimellä myytävässä Android-luurissa kävi. Googlen Nexus One on ensimmäinen Android 2.1 luuri joka tulee markkinoille. Miksi kukaan ostaisi Motorolan Droidia jossa on vanhempi versio käyttiksestä? Motorolan tilannetta olen käsitellyt mm. näissä 30.10.2008 ja 3.2.2009 päivätyissä kirjoituksissani. En enää usko että Google tulee ostamaan Motorolaa. Miksi se ostaisi? Ei se halua sotkeentua luurien valmistamiseen ja niiden perustekniikan suunnitteluun. Se määrittää ominaisuudet joita se haluaa, toimittaa siihen luuriin uusimman käyttisversion ja joitain applikaatioita ja hoitaa sitten markkinoinnin ja myynnin itse. Sinällään Motorolan CEO:n ensikommentti Nexus One luurista on aika urhea: “This expansion of the ecosystem is healthy for both of us, Jha says“

Google ottaa omalla luurillaan ison riskin. Suurin riski luonnollisesti on se että se suututtaa nykyiset kumppaninsa kuten jo joulukuun puolivälissä kirjoitin. Tappamalla Motorolan ja mahdollisesti SonyEricssonin (Se voisi tietty käyttää Microsoftin mobiilikäyttistä mutta uskon Microsoftin vetäytyvän mobiilikäyttisbisneksestä kokonaan ja liittoutuvan Symbianin ja QT:n kautta myös Maemon kanssa jonne se tuo sitten yksinoikeudella applikaatioitaan) ja iskemällä myös Samsunging ja LG:n bisnekseen sillä on lojaaleja tukijoita vähemmän. Pärjääkö se yksinään, en usko. Se tarvitsee kumppaneita mutta onnistuuko se pitämään ne? Yhtähyvin ne entiset kumppanit voivat hypätä open source Symbianin kyytiin jossa on enemmän ominaisuuksia, paremmat virransäästötoiminnot, isompi globaali kattavuus. Tai jos ihme tapahtuu hypätä Microsoftin kelkkaan joka ei olisi kilpailija vaan kumppani ja käyttistoimittaja. Riski voi tietysti kannattaakin ja Googlen brändi vahvistuu ja se nousee USA:ssa Applen ja RIMMin haastajaksi älyluureissa tosissaan. Tämä uutinen on erittäin huono myös Palmille.

Muutamia huomioita Googlen Nexus One luurista ja bisnesmallista. Se myy luuria USA:ssa pelkästään uudessa verkkokaupassaan. Puhelin on GSM/WCDMA-tekniikkaan pohjautuva ja tukee seuraavia WCDMA-taajuuksia: 2100 ja 900 Mhz eli T-Mobile USA:n käyttämiä taajuuksia. Luuri ei siis toimi AT&T 3G verkossa ja T-Mobile (TMO) on USA:n 4. suurin operaattori. Puhelimen voi ostaa lukitsemattomana 530 dollarin hintaan (N900:n hinta USA.ssa on 549 dollaria) tai sitten TMO palvelun kanssa (180 dollaria etumaksuhinta kahden vuoden sopparilla).Google siis yrittää USA:ssa samaa kuin Nokia eli myydä lukitsemattomia luureja ja ainakaan Nokia ei tuolla mallilla ole siellä oikein pärjännyt. Saa nähdä pärjääkö Google paremmin ja avaako se samalla ovea myös Nokialle. Google aikoo tuoda myöhemmin USA.ssa CDMA variantin luuristaan joka toimisi jo keväällä USA:n suurimman operaattorin Verizonin verkossa. Euroopassa Vodaphonen kanssa sillä on jo jonkinlainen sopimus ja varmastikin muitakin kiinnostuneita operaattoreita löytyy. Google pelkää selvästi Applen multitouch patentteja koska laitteesta puuttuu multitouch vaikka se on kapasitiivinen. Mitenkähän Googlen patenttineuvottelut Nokian kanssa ovat edenneet? Nokiahan omistaa mm. Proximity sensor-tekniikan patentin joka tässä luurissa on mukana. Saa nähdä toimiiko tämä yhtiö tässä asiassa fiksummin ja asiallisemmin kuin Apple, näin uskoisin.

Ominaisuuksia:

• Näyttö 3.7″ AMOLED kosketusnäyttö 800×480 resoluutiolla ja kapasitiitisella tekniikalla mutta ilman multitouchia. Ilmeisesti Google pelkää Applen haastavan sen oikeuteen Multi-touch patenteistaan. Resoluutio on sama kuin Nokian N900:ssa mutta se on hivenen suurempi (3.5″). Apple jää auttamatta kakkoseksi surkean resoluutionsa takia, N900 jää hivenen)
• Kamera on 5 Mpix kennolla varustettu (Apple jää kakkoseksi, tasoissa Nokian kanssa mutta uskon että Nokialaisessa on parempi linssi, kenno, optiikka ja softat. Sen verran hyviä kuvia tuolla saa)
• Videokuvaus 720 x 480 resoluutiolla 20 freimia sekunnissa. Voittaa Applen leikiten, häviää N900:lle “Video recording at up to 848 × 480 pixels (WVGA) and up to 25fps“)
• Tukee wlanissa uutta n-standardia. Apple ja N900 eivät tue.
• Maksiminopeus  HSDPA 7.2Mbps HSUPA 2Mbps eli Applen 3GS:n kanssa tasoissa (N900:lle ei pärjää 10Mbps/2Mbps).
• Sisäinen muisti surkean pieni:  512MB Flash 512MB RAM ja SD kortilla 32 Megaa lisää. (N900:ssa 32 GB sisäinen muisti ja muistikortilla 16 Megaa lisää. Applikaatioille 1GB muistia: 256 MB RAM, 768 MB virtual memory)
• Kooltaan laite on pieni ja kevyt ja aika näppärän näköinen
• Qualcommin 1GHz Snapdragon Prosessorissa riittää potkua
• Wlan paikannus sisäänrakennettuna mitä ei vakiona löydy Nokiasta eikä iPhonesta
• N900:n ominaisuuksista tuettuina eivät ole qwerty-näppäimistö, UpnP, FM transmitter, FM radio ja TV-Out pikaisesti katsottuna. Mahdollisesti muutakin puuttuu.
• Luuri tukee ääniohjattavaa näppäimistöä eli mihin tahansa tekstikenttään voi syöttää tietoa puhumalla. Hieno ominaisuus.  Olisi aika hieno sanella autoillessa tekstareita ja lähettää niitä koskematta luuriin. Ja että luuri lukisi ne tekstarit ja mailit ääneen.

Laite on siis hyvä mutta ei pärjää mielestäni ominaisuuksiensa puolesta Nokian N900:lle. Applen iPhonen se kyllä voittaa kevyesti ominaisuuksissa. Sinällään hauskaa on se että nyt kun Googlesta tulee Applen suora kilpailija laajentaa Apple mobiilimainosbisnekseen ja tulee sitä kautta myös Googlen kilpailijaksi.

Mielenkiintoinen liike Googlelta ja laittaa taas pelin sääntöjä ja asetelmia hieman uusiksi. Applen kilpailu kiristyy USA:ssa. T-Mobile voi voittaa uusia asiakkaita ehkä lähinnä AT&T:lta. Yleistyyko lukitsemattomien luurien myynti joka voisi avata ovia myös Nokialle? Kauanko Motorola räpiköi hengissä? Entä SonyEricsson? Entä Palm? Suuttuvatko Googlen kumppanit? Siirtyykö Samsung ajan mittaa enemmän oman uuden Bada-käyttiksensä puoleen? Saako Symbian tästä lisää potkua? Miten Androidin markkinaosuus kehittyy? Sinällään ei se Googlekaan kaikessa onnistu mitä se tekee. Googlen oma videojakopalvelu ei pärjännyt alkuunkaan Youtubelle ja G:n oli pakko ostaa Youtube. G:n Chrome selaimen markkinaosuus on jäänyt 3-4% nurkille eikä näytä juurikaan siitä nousevan. Kuluttajajärjestöt ovat yhä huolestuneempia Googlen leviämisestä joka puolelle, jopa internetin nimipalvelimiin. Yhtiö joka kerää dataa nimipalvelimiensa, selaimensa, mobiilikäyttiksensä, hakupalvelunsa, Gmailin, GTalk jne. kautta missä ihmiset surfaa, mitä mailaavat, mitä tsättäävät ja puhuvat ja kenen kanssa, mistä ja koska kuulostaa melkoisen Orwellimaiselta. Itse pyrin käyttämään nykyään mahdollisimman vähän G:n palveluita. Chromea en ole edes asentanut ja olen silloin tällöin käyttänyt Microsoftin hakupalvelua. Mikään mullistus ja vallankumous tämä luuri ei ole.

Googlen kurssi laski. Nexus One oli aika odotettu eikä julkistus tuonut mitään uutta. Jossain vaiheessa huhuttua mullistavaa bisnesmallia ilmaisina (mainosrahoitteisine) puheluineen ei tullut. Niin laski hieman Nokian kurssikin eilisen upean nousun jälkeen. Apple nousi hieman. Motorola laski yli prosentin, Palm jostain syystä nousi yli 2%.

*UPDATE* Alkuperäisestä kirjoituksesta jäi mainitsematta aika oleellinen asia. Nexus One luurin valmistaa HTC joka siis on suunnitellut ko. luurin Googlen vaatimusten ja speksien mukaan. HTC:lla on kyllä aika jännä bisnesmalli, se toimii sopimusvalmistajana ja myös kilpailee omilla malleillaan ja omalla brändillään omien asiakkaidensa kanssa. Saa nähdä missä vaiheessa eturistiriidat kasvaa liian isoiksi ja nykyiset asiakkaat ostavat sopimusvalmistuspalvelut muualta.

Toinen juttu on se että nyt kun Google Nexuksellaan on Apple iPhonen suora kilpailija niin mitä tapahtuu Aplen ja Googlen yhteistyölle. iPhonen paikannusratkaisu ja kartat perustuvat Googlen palvelulle. Noiden kahden välejähän on jo aiemmin kiristänyt se että Apple veti Googlen applikaatioita pois AppsStorestaan. Voisiko tässä käydä niin että jossain vaiheessa Google kieltää Applen käyttämästä omaa karttaohjelmaansa ja silloin iPhone olisi pulassa.

Barring a few odd professions, few people could claim that texting on the job leads to good things. Unless of course, you’re part of IBM’s Extreme Blue interns. Their new initiative, called SMS For Life, uses cell phones, texting and an e-mapping Web site to track and manage the supply malaria-fighting drugs in Africa. Faced with the constant problem of keeping track of medicine stock at village clinics, pharmaceutical company Novartis, mobile giant Vodaphone, and IBM teamed up to initiate a five-month pilot of the SMS for Life solution, covering 135 villages and over a million people in different geographic locations across Tanzania. Learn More…

Hotărâsem pentru 2010 c-o să fie un an bun. Eu i-am propus, el a acceptat. Fără lupte inutile de orgolii, ştia c-aş fi câştigat detaşat datorită cicălelii într-ale cărei nebănuite posibilităţi de exploatare mi-s expertă.

Uitându-mă înapoi – fără să mă fi strigat careva, am găsit perfectă decizia mea de-a lăsa Trecutului tot ce până ieri mă chinuiam să păstrez ancorat în Prezent, de la răcoritoarele carbogazoase la foşti vechi prieteni transformaţi în cunoştinţe, de la scrisorile folosite ca scuză pentru lipsa de comunicare la întrebările cărora le inventam răspunsuri interpretând subiectiv unele Tăceri…

Anul ăsta toate-au început altfel iar cu puţin noroc şi ceva mult mai multă muncă învîrtitul roţii o să cunoască motorul, maşina de tocat carne o să rămînă-n umbra aparatului de făcut sarmale, oamenii care nu mă iubesc au să regrete şi cei care m-au minţit cumva mă vor suna de Sărbători de pe un Vodafone să-mi spună că le pare rău pentru că, nu-i aşa, Puya rămâne un exemplu. Unora.

Ştiu, sufăr de Optimism şi nu par să-mi doresc măcar a mă vindeca, dar care mă-ndrăgiţi mă-ndrăgiţi şi defectă aşa că mă culc pe urechea cea stângă, liniştită oarecum că dacă se agravează o să fiu cel mult o zăpăcită simpatică. Nu-i aşa?

O să-mi fie greu să nu fiu rea, sau hai, răutacioasă măcar căci n-am scris pare-se niciodată mai bine ca-n vremurile de nestăvilită furie sau răscolitoare pasiuni reprimate şi n-am asortat nicicând mai corect cuvintele c-o culoare sufletească ca atunci când n-or fost toate roz.

Aşa că probabil am să fiu stângace la început încercând să păstrez pozitivă o Karma, dar cum nimic din ce încep nu abandonez, chiar de sfârşeşte cum nu fusese programat, încăpăţânarea ce-mi şade când la calitaţi, când la defecte n-o să mă lase să renunţ.

De astă dată am să vă promit şi vouă, căci ultimile dăţi când mi-am promis doar mie m-am iertat prea repede pentru nerespectarea cuvântului dat şi-apoi n-am să-mi permit ruşinea de a scădea în ochii voştri.

Aşadar… o să fiu un om mai bun! Vă promit!

So the article your Television is Ringing discusses how companies are moving more towards convergence in order to reduce costs by pooling their resources under one brand or name.  We have all played the game of Monopoly before  (and if you haven’t you should definitely give it a try- but basically you try to acquire as many properties so that you can eventually charge more when other players land on them. The players have no choice later but to pay you the higher price regardless of what the services cost previously.

Do Customers really want Convergonolopy?

What is interesting though when these companies are combining their services to make bundled plans is that they assume that customers want all these services: land line, cable TV, cell phone, and internet. For me though, with the added  internet capabilities of watching content online, and being able to call people via skype, I am moving away as a consumer from landlines and cable TV. These bundle deals are just a dying attempt by landline companies to retain their customers who move to mobile cell phones. The future is internet and cell phones – or just cell phones if Wifi is everywhere. The only way I would buy a bundle deal is if it was the equivalent to what I would spend on my cell phone and internet. 

Who will Succeed?

The companies which are hesitant to cushion the fall of the landline and cable companies by joining forces are the ones that will survive. The article mentioned specifically that Vodaphone was hesitant if not resistant to the joining of forces. Internet providers and cell phone provides will sell the new innovations that people can’t wait to have, not just the old technologies that are sold to them in a bundle.

I am not arguing that convergence should never happen. I have enjoyed bundled plans in the past. But for the future – the companies that will be more successful are the ones that stand apart and introduce new innovations, and not cling onto the past. The companies that retain control of pricing for their customers and enable highest choice of products while still keeping the price levels down. Basically, good companies will not only converge but will also diverge to maintain their autonomy and individuality in their brand in order to do things different for the customers sake – not just their own.

Inevitability

The game of “convergonopoly” can be brutal for the consumers. Even though right now they claim that their prices are cheaper by getting a bundle. Consumers soon will not need the “extra” services they offer. Vodaphone knows this…hopefully others will observe this inevitablity as well.  

Questions:

1) What companies do you think are most successful at converging? There are obvious gains but what do companies lose when they converge?

2) What companies other than Vodaphone would you assume would be more autonomous (perhaps divergent) paths in the future? Why?

DiGiCalling Cards , the online seller of prepaid phonecards and mobile top ups are providing Virgin mobile top ups online now. 

Virgin Mobile is one of UK’s leading mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) with more than four million customers. it was the first consumer brand to enter the mobile marketplace. It’s dynamic and popular and has won the hearts of all due to the excellent service.

You can buy the Virgin mobile top up vouchers easily from www.digicallingcards.com. First register on the website and then choose the voucher denomination that you wish to buy- £5, £10, £20.

Ways to top up your phone:
1)Phone 789 free from your mobile and follow the instructions
or
2)Simply text the voucher number for free to 789111

So topping up your Virgin mobile is simple at DiGiCalling Cards. Not only top up, we also have great customer service and support which functions round the clock.

Visit www.digicallingcards.com to buy your Virgin mobile top up voucher or any other top up voucher. We have them all here.

Looking for a genuine and simple mobile top up provider?

Then look no further…simply rely on DiGiCalling Cards. The online retailer of prepaid calling cards and mobile top ups has been around for sometime now. Long enough to have a large section of highly satisfied customers. This impeachable reputation was not built in a day. Over the years dedicated service and delivering more than promised, has made DiGiCalling Cards one of the best in this field.

DiGiCalling Cards has really simplified the process of recharging all mobiles. All popular top ups are available on their website. You can find Vodafone,Vectone, Lebara, Lyca, Virgin, O2, Orange and most of the reputed mobile vouchers in all denominations.

To buy the top up vouchers one has to register online on a SSL encrypted site and buy the top up vouchers through a VeriSign secured gateway. For topping up one has to follow the instructions and get instant top up. This saves the trouble of rushing to a store or waiting for a store to open. Top up vouchers are easy to buy online and can be bought anytime and from anywhere using any UK credit or debit card or a paypoint account.

Visit www.digicallingcards.com for instant mobile top ups.

Lebara top up e-voucher has simplified lives to a great extent. One has to simply register online and pay through a secure mode to buy these top up vouchers. At DiGiCalling Cards the payment process is VeriSign secured and the customers are saved the risk of internet fraudulence. Added to that the service is round the clock and the e-vouchers can be purchased anytime and from anywhere. Lebara Mobile top up also has great deals like 500 free minutes and SMS from Lebara to Lebara, half price calls and good international calling rates.

There are two ways in which a Lebara mobile can be topped up. One has to dial *#1345*, and enter the voucher number followed by #. Or one has to call 5588, follow the voice prompts and enter the voucher number. The instructions are clearly given on the voucher and call credit is added instantly.

Lebara mobile comes with a convenient balance on demand feature which enables customers to find out their mobile balance instantly. One has to dial *#1345# to access the remaining balance or call 5588 to get an automatic balance in English.

Lebara mobile top up vouchers are offered online at www.digicallingcards.com

One can find out more about the recharge process and benefits offered by logging in to the website.   

Remembered your mobile top up in the middle of the night?

Mobile top up over and many calls still to go?

Now there is a safe and easy way to top your mobile. Simply go online. Click on www.digicallingcards.com and choose the top up you want. We have a whole range of mobile top ups…Vectone, Vodafone, Virgin, Lyca, Lebara, Orange, O2 and a whole lot more. The top up voucher is delivered instantly. You can top up within no time. Dial the access number from your mobile phone and follow the prompt. The instructions on the top up voucher are crystal clear and top up is fast and easy.

You also get a lot of freebies when you top up your mobile online. Right now Vectone top up is coming with free call credit and free weekend minutes along with some other deals. Some mobile top ups are being given t a discount in our website. This does not mean that you have to compromise in any way. You can still enjoy the best service and convenience.

Visit our website to take a look at the entire range of prepaid calling cards and choose your mobile top up.

Vectone mobile top ups account for 99% of UK mobile users. This is quite something and that too in a very less time. The Vectone users are satisfied and come back for more and more top ups.

Now this mobile top up is even better than before due to some freebies being given by the Vectone group. With every top up voucher one is entitled to free call credit. Which means that you buy for 10 pounds but you talk for about 12.5 pounds.

Not only that when you buy this top up voucher during weekdays, you get free minutes which you can use during the weekend. The free minutes range from 25 to 100 depending on the destination that you are calling.

Buy the Vectone mobile top up form www.digicallingcards.com and enjoy a whole lot of offers.

View our press release http://www.free-press-release.com/news-digicalling-cards-is-stocking-up-on-o2-top-ups-1257836996.html

The world is getting to be smaller and things are getting easier. Although technology has taken strides, we are hard-pressed for time. The world of online purchase really works out well for most of us. We need not spend hours on buying items that are easily available online.

Mobile phone top up is an item that is not only available online but can be bought easily as one does not need to actually see or choose the item based on aesthetics. One simply has to log in and start buying. Top up is instant and does not have a long waiting period.

 At DiGiCalling Cards almost all mobile top up vouchers are available online and buying is a simple and authentic process. The customers are more than satisfied with the system and more and more people have started buying online top ups. DiGiCalling Cards have Vodafone, Vectone, O2, Orange and a whole lot of other top ups. You can even buy calling cards from here.

Visit www.digicallingcards.com for all your calling needs.

Topping up your mobile is so cool with DiGicalling Cards. Simply register online and start buying the top up voucher that you need. We have a whole range of top up vouchers- Vodaphone, Orange,O2,Vectone, Lebara, Lyca and many others.

The online top up feature is being welcomed by all. You can simply login and buy the top up voucher and you can top up your mobile phone instantly. The payment process is VeriSign secured so you can be at peace about your money and internet fraud.

This is really good if you need immediate top up or kids inform you at the last-minute about the urgent top up that they need right now! In the middle of the night this can be a bit of a problem. Also during inclement weather conditions you don’t have to venture out to the nearest store in search of your mobile top up voucher. Snuggle up and buy online. Once you get used to the comfort of online topping up , you wont go to a store anymore.

The speciality about DiGiCalling Cards is that we offer 24 hours round the clock customer service comprising  an enthusiastic team of executives…ready to please! Visit www.digicallingcards.com for all your mobile top up and calling card needs.

DiGiCalling Cards brings you the Vectone top up mobile voucher with plenty of freebies. This is just what you had been waiting for!

Free call credit is what you get when you buy a top up voucher from us. Automatically, your voucher value is enhanced and you can talk a lot more than what you paid for. So, the Vectone mobile top up definitely makes your money go further than before. You must have figured out by now that it pays to recharge more often with Vectone.

Did you know about the free call minutes that you get with Vectone recharge vouchers? It ranges from 25 to 100 depending on the country you are calling. Now how does that sound?

For those who are thinking that we have got it all…wait! There’s more…you get unlimited calls to all local landlines at a minimum fee. So you need not worry about calling landlines anymore.

What are you waiting for? Click on www.digicallingcards.com and buy the Vectone mobile top up voucher online now…and get a whole lot more!

Vectone mobile top up is offering great deals and plenty of freebies. When you buy a Mobile top up voucher to recharge your Vectone mobile SIM, you get a lot more than you asked for. You get free call credit along with your voucher. If you opted for a 10 pound top up then you get a free credit of 2.5 pounds making the value of your top up voucher 12.5 pounds.

Additionally, you get free weekend minutes when you buy the top up voucher during the week. The free minutes rage from 25 to 100 depending on the destination of call.

There is even more! You get unlimited calls to landlines at a minimum charge. So you can make any number of calls to other landlines. Also when you call another Vectone mobile its is absolutely free.

What more could you ask for? Oh yes, there is even free roaming on incoming calls for the first 10 minutes duration. Well, thats really a lot from a mobile top up voucher, isn’t it?

The best part is you can buy Vectone mobile top up vouchers online from DiGiCalling Cards in an easy and reliable method.

Visit the website www.digicallingcards.com to buy your mobile top up voucher, Vectone and others too.

Now even O2 mobile top up vouchers are available with online retailer DiGiCalling Cards. This five year old calling cards company has a vast stock of mobile top up vouchers.

O2 has been directly involved in multiple activities right from school programmes to local community events. They have a number of charities and fund raising programmes and go all out of the way to help small businesses too. Recently O2 has come up with a unique method of recycling old mobile phones. Now customers can exchange their old mobile phones for cash.

DiGiCalling Cards sell O2 mobile top up vouchers and the denominations are £10, £15 and £20. The UK customer access number is 4444 form O2 mobile phone or 08456062277 from a fixed-line phone. Mobile can be topped up easily by dialing the access number and following the prompt. The online buying method is easy and safe. The transaction process is VeriSign secure and therefore entails no risk of fraud or misuse.

Visit the seller website www.digicallingcards.com for more details about O2 and other mobile top ups.

Need a mobile top up now and wondering what to do? Simply buy top up vouchers online. This is really great if you need the voucher urgently or at odd times. Basically its convenient at all times because online buying implies that you can just relax and buy from anywhere and anytime. No more rushing to the nearest store for your mobile top up.

At DiGiCalling Cards all mobile top ups are available easily. Whichever you need…vodafone, orange, o2 , vectone , lebara, lyca…you name it and we have it. Simply register online and buy mobile top up vouchers using your credit or debit card or your PayPoint account. Its fast and safe. The online buying process is VeriSign secure and so no worries about internet fraud or misuse.

Relax and buy online. Mobile top up vouchers from www.digicallingcards.com. Life is getting easier by the day…and you deserve nothing better. You work like an automaton throughout the day and even at home. This is the minimum comfort that you can afford. At least spare yourself that extra effort of driving to the store for a mobile top up. Visit us now.

Orange mobile vouchers are much in demand because of the increasing number of people using Orange mobile nowadays. This trend is more so in youngsters, especially those in college.

In fact the online top up facility of this mobile makes it more popular day by day. Gone are the days when one had to wait for a top up or drive down to the nearest store. The best part is that the ‘wait until morning’ rule is no longer applicable. These orange mobile top up vouchers can be easily bought online and recharge is instant.

Its great for parents of kids who ‘just can’t wait’ or worse still who make a beeline for your mobile because their’s is down and out. You simply have to register at www.digicallingcards.com and start buying the top up vouchers online. The recharge is immediate and you can sleep in peace. Even the payment is totally secure with VerSign and SSL encrypted. At DiGiCalling Cards the service is round the clock and you can be assured of great customer service.

Buy your orange mobile top up voucher today from DiGicalling Cards.

Now you can get a top up for your mobile easily. DiGiCalling Cards, the online retailer of prepaid calling cards and mobile top ups is offering easy and reliable mobile top ups.

One simply needs to register online at the website www.digicallingcards.com with some necessary details. Buying is through a VeriSign secure payment system. Top up vouchers can be purchased by using a credit or a debit card or through PayPoint account. The mobile access numbers are on the website. One simply has to dial the access number and punch in the voucher number. The service provider enters the new top up in the old number.

Online mobile top up vouchers make your life easy and convenient. You can recharge from anywhere and anytime. At DiGiCalling Cards customer support is round the clock and you can avail of it whenever you require.

Buy the mobile top ups online for Vodafone., Orange, O2, Lebara, Lyca and a whole lot of other prepaid calling cards.

Now mobile top ups have become very popular and indeed saves a lot of time and hassle. The best part is that you can continue the same mobile number. Imagine having to change your phone number every time the money ran out!

Now many phone companies are offering mobile top up vouchers of Vodaphone, Orange, O2, Lebara, Lyca and the whole lot. Topping up is easy and does not require any effort on your part. You simply have to call the access number of whichever phone you are using and enter your voucher number for instant top up.

DiGiCalling Cards offer these mobile top up vouchers online. With a track record of five successful years and a myriad of satisfied customers, DiGiCalling Cards has made it very simple to buy top up vouchers. The entire process is online. You don’t even have to venture out of your house. Top up can be done even in the middle of the night and need not be a pre-planned event.

Get your mobile top up anytime…anywhere from www.digicallingcards.com