Archive for June, 2008
Last Friday, Virgin Mobile announced their intentions to buy off Helio, the mobile handset provider, from SK Telecom for 13 million shares in Virgin Mobile USA class A stock, the equivalent of about $39 million. This, combined with their launch of an $80 unlimited flat rate calling plan with no contract, shows the company setting its sights on a more professional class of consumers, a clear contrast from their current youthful customer base.
In acquiring Helio, Virgin Mobile USA will not only get over 170,000 subscribers (who spend more that 3 times more per month than the average Virgin subscriber), but will also get Helio’s stylish handsets and access into the emerging 3G market. Cellular-News reports that the typical Virgin customer spends only about $20 a month on pre-paid plans, but the purchase of Helio will allow the company to target consumers who spend between $40 and $70 a month.
Hopefully this step towards a new market will pay off and Virgin Mobile will be able to capture more US customers. The acquisition of Helio will most definitely be a step in the right direction, but the risk remains very high, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to steal market share from such dominant national carriers in the US. Either way, more competition in our mobile service can’t hurt right?
Technorati Tags: Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA, SK Telecom, Helio, acquisition, mobile, 3G, unlimited plan, handset
June 30th, 2008
I just realized when I went to renew my license at the DMV the other day that the Hands Free Driving law comes into effect on July 1st… Less than a week away! Anyway, while I was studying to take my driver’s test again (next time I’ll definitely remember to renew it), I saw the details and just thought I’d spread the word.
The basic law says, as of July 1st, it is illegal to drive while using a mobile phone in CA, unless it is through some form of “hands free” device . The law also sets a bar at 18 years old—if you are a driver under 18, you are not allowed to use a cell phone at all, headset or not. The minimum fine for first offenders is $20, and then $50 for subsequent convictions, but the DMV is quick to point out that this is the absolute minimum—fines can be up to three times these amounts. That would be a real expensive call! I guess the moral of the story is don’t use your cell in the car; if your state is light blue, dark blue or black, it’s probably not worth it… Or maybe just carpool more so that your friends and family can screen calls for ya.
Technorati Tags: family, friends, family and friends, cell phone, car, drive, law, driving cars, July 1st
June 27th, 2008
A lot people have been coming to our blog looking for info on the Blackberry Thunder. With the new iPhone 3G being just around the corner, I have been wanting to do a iphone 3G vs. Blackberry Thunder comparison for a while. Unfortunately, the data (especially for the Blackberry Thunder) is rather limited. This is what we know so far.
- The Blackberry Thunder is running on Verizon in the US. The iPhone 3G is for AT&T of course.
- Both have a full touch screen.
- Both support mp3s.
- Hmm… both of them are black?
See, that’s how little info we have on the Blackberry Thunder. But we do have a possible picture of the Blackberry Thunder / Verizon Thunder / Vodafone Thunder / Blackberry 9500 / or Blackberry Storm (the old nickname before Blackberry said that it’s not true). Again, all the pictures of the Thunder were made by BoyGeniusReport. Click here to read all the background info here:
Now take a look at the iPhone 3G. Click on the image to see the specs on Apple:
So what’s the conclusion? I have no idea. I think it’s too early to tell what the Thunder has so far. Maybe we can get a better comparision once Blackberry releases more data on the phone.
Technorati Tags: iphone, iphone 3g, cell phone, blackberry, blackberry thunder, pictures, images, apple iphone, blackberry 9500, verizon
June 26th, 2008
I just ran across this article a little earlier today. Sorry, I know it was written a couple months ago, but it’s still good regardless. Apparently, UK has been trying to make sending money to family and friends much safer for everything by creating a new customer charter for money transfer companies.
As you can imagine, getting the funds safely overseas is a major concern for everyone. The UK Department for International Development writes:
People in the UK send an estimated £2.3 billion a year to loved ones in over 50 developing countries – a key source of overseas funds for many economies. Yet many find the process difficult and insecure.
Charges vary widely and the total cost to send £100 to some countries can range from less than £4 to as much as £40.
You can see the article here.
They decided to start a site called http://www.sendmoneyhome.org, aimed to allow “consumers to search international payment companies and compare transfer methods, costs, and speed of transfer.”
So next time you want to send money overseas, make sure you do some homework first. When it comes to money, especially with your family and friends, there’s nothing better than having a peace of mind that your funds will get there safely.
Technorati Tags: family, friends and family, families, loved ones, money transfer, send money, family and friends, money, overseas
June 23rd, 2008
We shall call this the “use your phone” series. If you live in NYC, fly Delta, and like to fly from LaGuardia, you can now test out this new “check in with your cell phone” thing! Here’s a little summary:
Well, this is definitely new and pretty interesting. I wonder how successful this is going to be.
Technorati Tags: airline, fly, airport, cell phone, cell phones, cnet
June 20th, 2008
MasterCard announced a few days ago that they have reached an agreement with Obopay Inc. to offer fully integrated, on demand person-to-person mobile payment services in the United States. This is another huge step for our company, making the Obopay service an easily accessible option for all MasterCard customers. Under the agreement, customers will be able to use our mobile payment system via MasterCard MoneySend with all forms of MasterCard products, whether they be credit cards or debit cards or prepaid cards. A great sign that Obopay is contending for the lead in person-to-person payment services. For more details, take a look at the full article from CTIA SmartBrief.
Technorati Tags: mobile payments services, mastercard, moneysend, obopay, person-to-person, credit card, debit card
June 20th, 2008
I was out at lunch today and saw that another sign that mobile payments is becoming more popular, which is great since mobile payment is obviously the core of Obopay. Anyway, I took a picture of it:
I am surprised that paying for parking with your phone is not a bigger deal here in the Bay Area. I mean, if you have been to (or live in) the Bay Area should know how much we end up spending on parking meters, especially in San Francisco. It’s such a hassle finding coins to feed the meter too.
This paying by phone thing is great. I read somewhere a while back that they were trying to implement this for BART too. Not sure how that’s going, but can you imagine if you can just swipe your phone across the subway in New York? That’d be awesome!
Technorati Tags: cell phone, payment, bay area, san francisco, obopay, mobile payment, hassle
June 17th, 2008
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