Posts tagged Which
Which bank is using interactive reality ads?
Mar 27th
THE Commonwealth Bank will take its first step in merging the world of mobile phone and newspaper advertising today when it launches one of the world’s first interactive augmented reality campaigns.
The ad, which runs in News Limited’s free commuter paper MX in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne this afternoon, will allow iPhone owners to download an application that will turn a full-page Commonwealth Bank ad into a fully interactive 3D world on their phones.
And the bank plans to make this the first of a number of press ads using the application to draw consumers in and educate them about its online and mobile phone services.
The campaign, which also ran in News Limited’s Sunday newspapers (sister publications to The Australian), is aimed at driving awareness of how the bank’s award-winning real estate application works.
Consumers who see the ad will be prompted to download a free 3D application from iTunes.
Once running, pointing the camera of the phone at the ad will reveal an entire neighbourhood, complete with moving people and cars and businesses, which can be explored by moving the phone and pressing interactive buttons on the phone screen.
Paul Kouppas, chief technology officer at digital agency Explore Engage, said that the company had developed the app in a similar manner to developing a video game.
“It is obviously a fine balance between entertainment and business,” he said. “But we wanted to make sure that it was simple to use.”
Last week, the bank’s real estate application, which allows people to look at the sales history of a property, view inside homes for sale and get estimates on the value of a home using GPS co-ordinates and the internet, won the “best of show prize” at
the Australian Interactive
Media and Internet Association awards.
The bank hopes that while many apps are used once and then discarded, the 3D app will become a foundation for future interactive press ads to demonstrate its products.
“We are constantly looking for ways to better engage with our customers and ensure they have a positive experience with our brand,” general manager of consumer marketing Mark Murray said.
“The augmented reality press advertisement is a fun and interactive way to communicate the benefits of the app to the customer, and this is something we’ll be looking to do more of in the future.”
SIMON CANNING
From www.theaustralian.com.au
House fire which killed three children ‘was caused by mobile phone charger’
Dec 30th
Did mobile phone charger left on overnight trigger fire that wiped out three children?
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:55 PM on 30th December 2010
The family of three children killed in a devastating house blaze have revealed the fire may have been started by a phone charger.
The brother of Samantha Hudson, who is in hospital still unaware her children have died, says they have been told a Sony Ericsson charger was the likely cause.
Now safety advice on the use of mobile phone chargers has been issued in the hope of avoiding another similar tragedy.
Ms Hudson, 27, was found clutching William, nine, AJ, five, and Maddie, three, in her arms after flames tore through their home in Bridlington, East Yorks., seven weeks ago on November 11.
All four of them were pulled from the house by firefighters, having been overpowered by toxic smoke.
Her brother Peter Hudson, 30, said: ‘The focus of the investigation has been on something that was plugged in. It looks like it could have been a phone charger.’
Jo Bullock, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, has warned that people need to switch off appliances, such as mobile phone chargers, when not in use.
She said: ‘Thankfully, incidents like this are quite rare, but people need to be aware that electrical items do start fires.
‘This is a sad case that highlights the need to be careful about what you leave on overnight.
‘People should also ensure they do not overload sockets and check their smoke detectors are working.’
It has emerged the fire broke out in the living room and quickly spread through the ground floor, leaving Ms Hudson and Maddie trapped on the first floor and William and AJ asleep on the second floor.
When she heard the smoke alarm, Ms Hudson grabbed Maddie from her bedroom and rushed to the boys’ bedroom.
Mr Hudson said: ‘I can just imagine Maddie screaming and panicking. Sam must have breathed so much smoke in as she took her up the stairs.
‘I have been in the house myself and seen the heat damage and I don’t know how she managed to get up there.
‘She was found with all the kids cuddled round her. They were all unconscious but all together. She probably won’t remember anything about what happened, which might be a good thing.
‘We have been told there will be an inquest when we can ask questions, but that won’t be for a few months. We are always saying to ourselves “what if?” and “if only”.’
Doctors fear Ms Hudson could be permanently brain damaged as a result of inhaling smoke.
She remains in Scarborough General Hospital, where she is breathing without support, but is largely unresponsive.
Mr Hudson said: ‘She is like a stroke victim. She can’t move her arms or legs or talk or understand anything. Sometimes, she will make eye contact with us or squeeze our hands, but that’s it.
‘My mum is still cracking up, crying every time it is mentioned. My dad is not normally an emotional person, but I have seen him cry more in the last month than I ever have in my life.’
Humberside Fire And Rescue Service said they have established the fire began in the living room of the property, but would not reveal how it started. Any suspicious circumstances have been ruled out.
A spokesman for the service said: ‘The investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing and we anticipate it will be completed early in the new year. At this stage it is not possible to speculate what the cause may have been.’
Millions overpay for mobile use – Which? survey
Dec 29th
Millions of mobile phone users regularly pay more than they need to for their phone usage, according to the consumer body Which?.
A survey by Which? Mobile, released today, found that an estimated 10 million users pay for extra calls, texts and data usage on top of their monthly line rental.
The consumer group said the findings were “not surprising” as 6 million people either did not know or had only a vague idea of their monthly limit for call minutes. Five million were unsure of their text and data allowances. This is despite seven in 10 people claiming to check their mobile bill at least once a month.
Which? said consumers could save money by switching to a tariff that better suited their phone usage, but 18 million people had never switched mobile phone provider.
Tom McLennan, head of Which? Mobile, said: “You could be spending hundreds of pounds more than you need to on your mobile every year if you’re not on the right tariff.
“If you regularly spend more than your line rental, check your bill to see where you’re incurring the extra charges as you may be able to save money by moving to a tariff with more minutes, texts or data.
“If you never go over your agreed line rental, it’s because you’re not using up your allowance so you may be able to save money by finding a cheaper tariff that reflects your usage.”
Mobile phone companies have faced criticism for anti-competitive tactics that effectively lock customers in to long-term rolling contracts. They also generate more complaints than any other industry, leaving 4.1m people unhappy with their service every year.
Official figures showed that last year 3.3m customers had to wait three months or more for their phone or broadband provider to resolve a problem.
Parents have complained that mobile operators refuse to block calls when their teenage children exceed agreed limits.
The Office of Fair Trading has attempted to put rules in place that would allow customers to shop around, but according to consumer groups it has been defeated by the main players which offer inducements to maintain their customer base.
A network sharing scheme between the French-owned Orange and German T-Mobile network was referred to the European authorities earlier this year.
The OFT said it was minded to block the deal but later withdrew its complaint after the two mobile operators agreed to modify their plans. The merger was approved in February and the company adopted the name Everything Everywhere in May.
The Which? survey questioned 1,271 adults aged 16 or more, but teenagers are even more likely to exceed their agreed monthly usage, according to Ernest Doku, communications expert at uSwitch.com.
He said: “It’s generally difficult and expensive to quit a contract completely before the end of the term – you will usually be made to pay for the remaining months. But there is some wiggle room: most mobile phone companies will allow you to switch to another of their tariffs if you are exceeding the limits set by your existing tariff every month.”
Alternatively he suggested that users opt for a “pay as you go” mobile or a provider that flashes up a warning on the mobile screen if they are about to exceed their inclusive minutes, download amounts and texts.
Tesco takes this idea one step further by cutting off the service once the agreed usage level has been reached.
Comparing CDMA And GSM Mobile Phones: Which is the Best Choice?
Sep 25th
Mobile phones today, run on one of two major telecom standards: GSM and CDMA. While choosing a carrier, you have to know whether you are going for CDMA or GSM, because each has its own unique features, advantages and drawbacks. A random decision may adversely affect your user experience.
So, let’s try to find out which among GSM and CDMA is the best choice.
CDMA or Code Division Multiple Access is the dominant network standard in the US since it was developed by Qualcomm. GSM or Global System for Mobile was developed way back in 1987 by the GSM Association and has greater international acceptance than CDMA.
CDMA Vs. GSM Phones
In terms of coverage comparison, CDMA is easily outdone by GSM. CDMA is currently supported in the US and parts of Asia while GSM is available almost all throughout the world. However, in smaller cities, towns and rural areas in the US, CDMA networks are stronger.
With a quad band mobile phone (850-1900 MHz) you can travel almost anywhere in the world and yet be connected via GSM. With CDMA that is not the case and so if you travel a lot, internationally, there is no doubt that you should get a CDMA phone.
As far as data access is concerned, CDMA scores with technologies likes EVDO making data transfer at speeds up to 2mbps a possibility. GSM used EDGE as a dedicated data transfer technology till very recently, but now HSDPA is in the horizon which should match up to EVDO.
The standard procedure followed by CDMA carriers is to program the user account information in the phone itself. So, a change of phone has to be done via the carrier, which will reprogram the same information in the new phone. GSM carriers provide removable SIM cards which can be shifted between phones, so you are more in control of how you use your number. However, a new removable User Identity Module cards are now available on some CDMA phones.
CDMA phones are generally known to consume more battery than GSM phones because their operations are more complex.
So, your choice of opting for CDMA or GSM cell phones should ultimately be decided by what you need. Simply put, unless you are a frequent flier, CDMA is as good as GSM as an option. The best Verizon Wireless phones such as the Motorola Droid X and the BlackBerry bold are CDMA devices, while AT&T offers amazing GSM phones such as the iPhone and the Samsung Captivate. So, take your pick!
