DISQUS

Mobile Industry Review: Podcast Episode 10

  • stevelitchfield · 1 year ago
    Of course the E71 HAS AUTO-FOCUS! RTFM. It's optional - press 't' to focus down to 4cm if you want to 8-)
  • Ben Smith · 1 year ago
    Steve: You're right. Not sure who said it didn't, but a punishment beating will be issued forthwith.
  • DanLane · 1 year ago
    Sorry, that was me!, when I pushed the button to take a pic it didn't autofocus... holding the T button is a stupid stupid idea, they should have implemented a two-stage button like EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD does.

    You can punish me, but the real blame lies with Nokia :P
  • Mike42 · 1 year ago
    C'mon guys - Episode 10! ("the difficult tenth episode" ?)

    Surely we can get some levels sorted? Overall it was too quiet, and on the walk to work this AM Mr Lane was so quiet I had to pause him every time a car went past (note to self: possible RFID-enabled feature for Dan 2.0? )

    You hurt the ones you love, hence my whingeing.

    /m
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    I was about to say 'blame Ben' but I think the blame lies squarely at the foot of Macleod.

    (as declared by Mr Lane in the accompanying video)
  • DanLane · 1 year ago
    Given the levels of inaccuracy in the bile I spewed forth this week it's probably for the best that my levels were lower than everyone else :P
  • Ben Smith · 1 year ago
    Yeah - it's crap, but you should have heard it before the clean-up. We record live 'in person' and this week the mixer decided it wanted to buzz badly - what you heard is the most audible outcome of the 'noise soup' it produced. Other options are being investigated, but I'd love to hear some recommendations.
  • TerenceEden · 1 year ago
    FACT:
    You cannot make a 999 / 112 call in the UK without a SIM. Additionally, you cannot call 999 /112 if you are unable to get a signal on your network - you will not roam from, say, Orange to Vodafone if you've no Orange coverage and need to make an emergency call. Your phone will attempt to make a call - but it will not connect.

    There is provision in the GSM spec to do in country roaming for emergency calls but, AIUI, no networks in the UK (and very few worldwide) allow this.

    SPECULATION:
    It was explained to me that it was requested by the emergency services to prevent hoax calls / pocket dialling. If there's no SIM, there's no way to trace the handset.

    On a technical level, there's a problem if you've roamed from, say, O2 to T-Mobile with sending and receiving texts and calls. There's no provision for billing between UK operators in that respect.

    (not speaking for my employer)
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    Thanks for the clarification dude.
  • juliancooling · 1 year ago
    Interestingly in country roaming for emergency calls does work in Oz. My phone would often switch the operator tagline on the screen to 'Emergency Calls Only' when I was out of my operator's coverage area (which in Australia is remarkably easy to acheieve).
  • TerenceEden · 1 year ago
    But did you ever try to make an emergency call? Maybe it's different in Oz - but even in the UK the phones say "Emergency Calls Only" or "SOS". The phone will try to make an emergency call, but it won't succeed.

    I'm not suggesting that anyone should ring the emergency services on a whim - but if you're relying on that functionality in an emergency you should test it. Worst case scenario, it works and you can tell the operator you miss dialled.

    t
  • juliancooling · 1 year ago
    I didn't ever try it - the only time I called emergency services by mobile I was in range of my provider. However from the regulator's website:

    in any area covered by the GSM network - when you are out of your service provider's coverage area but are in another carrier's mobile phone network coverage area, your call will be carried on the other carrier’s network;

    http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_100575

    Given that no carrier could hope to cover the continent and the specialist carriers didn't even start to try and also the the Australian market is very strongly regulated and the biggest carrier was government owned, it seems a no brainer.

    It is one of those sorts of things that catches Australians by suprise in the UK. If the government are going to worry about public safety via cameras, why wouldn't you regulate to ensure your most accurate life-threatening reporting method has the most reliable coverage possible (including SMS for the deaf etc)? Everybody in Oz knows that no matter what their commercial relationship with their carrier looks like (including out of date SIM cards or stuck in Pinnaroo pop 550 with one mobile mast), they can report an accident as a public service: it is part of the culture of the country. Why would you start regulating emergency calls on VoIP when mobile which is ubiquitous isn't even sorted out?
  • DanLane · 1 year ago
    Worst. Podcast. Ever.

    Unfortunately after spending well over an hour trying to get the mixer working (with Whatley's only contribution being criticism and the eating of my crisps) we'd lost what little charisma we had to begin with.

    We'll try and do an especially good job next week, or your money back!
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    The crisps were those rubbish 'baked' ones from Walkers.
    Didn't help.
  • DanLane · 1 year ago
    I look forward to a blog post from you discussing both the real and theoretical consequences that salt and vinegar baked crisps have on effecting change in social media. :P
  • Ewan · 1 year ago
    I'd like to point out that I enjoyed listening on the veranda of my spa
    water villa
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    Git.

    I for one, loved your musical intro... Heh.
  • TerenceEden · 1 year ago
    Why not have each one of you Skype / VoIP in and then mix it? Or, set up a conference call and some phone recording software?
  • Ewan · 1 year ago
    We've discussed this. You don't get the same level of interaction as you do
    when you're physically there :\
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    Yeah. What Ewan said. In all fairness, we are still learning the ropes...

    I'm sure we'll crack it soon enough.
  • Mike42 · 1 year ago
    ....meaning people can't nick each other's crisps?

    ...or highlight how pointless waving a phone/camera around is when the audience are time/place-shifted?

    We are getting close to being able to play SMSTN Podcast Bingo:

    Criticise Nokia
    Defend Nokia
    Criticise Apple
    Defend Apple
    Tell James to stop WTFA (waving the phone around )
    Bag Orange
    Praise 3
    Use the term "Nokia are shit"
    Move Swiftly Along
    Pause for siren
    Comment on type of siren
    Use the term "Nokia are rubbish"
    Mention how the new (insert Korean mfr here) phone is brilliant for Normobs
    Praise the Flip

    I'll be waiting, card/marker poised, for #11....

    {ducks}

    {seriously chaps, best listen this side of CRAVE. Note: need girls. Get Helen in.}
  • Ewan · 1 year ago
    Someone Mike's got hold of the agenda for Podcast 11!
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    Hahahaha - Love it.

    Mike has a point mind, but hey - at least we know he's listening.

    ...and I always wave my phones around. You know that.
    It's like a recurring theme.
  • Ben Smith · 1 year ago
    Girls? I met one of those once...

    Actually, there are a few pending invites.
  • Mike42 · 1 year ago
    Did you show her your QWERTY?

    Will be nice to have a feminine touch. Can't wait for Ewan's reaction to the first Cath Kidston-themed mobile review.
  • Ewan · 1 year ago
    Don't get me started on Cath ...
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    Yeah - Shame LJ's just flown off to China for 3wks. She'll be up for it though, deffo.

    I should be seeing the lovely Technokitten at Glastonbury at some point, so I'll ask her then...
  • James Whatley · 1 year ago
    And Orange ARE rubbish.

    Sorting out Glasto stuff this week - decided to try 'Glastonav' from Orange - Surprise Surprise it doesn't work. Brilliant.

    http://www.glastonav.co.uk
  • Ben Smith · 1 year ago
    We have done that - episode 9 was done that way, but we generally prefer to do it in person... It is an appealing prospect from a 'get a clean audio feed' perspective though.
  • ana · 1 year ago
    Hats: $50
    photo comparison: priceless
  • Ewan · 1 year ago
    Agreed!