Best Buy Mobile Survey Reveals Cell Phone Buyer Frustrations

In conjunction with the launch of its first Best Buy Mobile location in Canada, the retailer conducted a survey to find out what frustrates Canadians when it comes to the purchase of a mobile phone.

Not surprisingly, 60% cited dealing with service providers because of things like unbiased advice, the inability to change their service plans, and pesky hidden service fees. Best Buy's Director of Wireless Solutions, Phil Johnston, says that service providers "aren't giving transparent, unbiased information to their customers."

Of customers who own a mobile device, 74% say that a salesperson who's knowledgeable about service plans, not just devices, is "essential" to their shopping experience. (What on earth do the remaining 26% care about?) Just shy of 58% seek out a neutral, objective salesperson to walk them through mobile options as well. (Again, what are the other 42% thinking?)

Call me crazy, but I'd focus on getting rid of the hidden fees altogether instead of just revealing to the customer that hey, there are all these other fees that you'll be nickeled and dimed for. But that's up to the carriers, not the retailers, so I digress. In terms of working with what we've got, so to speak, being upfront and direct with the customer always helps; and it'll build credibility for any business.

Further to contract considerations, Best Buy Mobile's survey also discovered that 44% of new mobile phone buyers aged 35 to 54 say they struggle to get their fancy, new device up and running once they get home. While this might not have applied to the phones of yesteryear that simply charged up for 24 hours and were ready to go to make phone calls the next day, today's new data services can be overwhelming. How do I access the 'net from my phone? How do I set up my e-mail account on a BlackBerry? I bought a Bluetooth headset and a Bluetooth-equipped phone, but now how do I get them to talk to one another? To industry members, these questions sound silly. To the average consumer, they are often head-scratchers.

Not surprisingly, the survey ties in with strategies that Best Buy is taking with its new Mobile standalone and store-within-store locations, including employing non-commissioned salespersons, and a walk-out working program that will provide coaching and set-up up for customers before they leave the store. The neatest aspect of the service, in my opinion, is a machine that the salesperson can use to transfer all the data from your old phone to your new one in a matter of minutes. Now that's service!

The survey was conducted online by Angus Reid Strategies on August 25 and 26, 2008 with 1,003 Canadians.

Are People Really Using Mobile Multimedia?

A major trend in the mobile phone arena is toward multimedia functions: the ability to download and/or listen to music on your phone, watch videos, capture photos, and browse the 'net. People must be asking for these features, or else we wouldn't be focusing so much attention on them, right? According to a recent study by research firm Parks Associates, U.S. consumers aren't exactly making use of all the fancy features available on their phones.

More than half of U.S. consumers surveyed that own a video-capable mobile phone, for example, said they've never watched a video clip on it. Interestingly, almost 40% have never played a song on their phone either! Close to 60% said they've never browsed the 'net on their mobile. This isn't surprising, though, since even the most basic phones today have web browsing capabilities and, with the high cost attached to occasional browsing, you're better off waiting until you get home!

So does this mean that consumers don't really want all the features that are being incorporated into these devices, or have they simply not reached past the eary adopter phase? Assuming these numbers are similar in Canada, we could certainly attribute them to high price tags attached to utilizing such services. Unless you purchase a pre-defined package, per/kilobit Web browsing, for example, typically costs $0.05/kb. As you can imagine, this can get pretty darned costly!

In addition to the cost factor, Parks attributes the lack of consumer uptake of mobile multimedia to the fact that people simply aren't familiar with the services, and what exactly they can offer.

"Buy before you try is always a tough sell," explains John Barrett, Director of Research at the company. "Many consumers are hesitant to pay for a new, unfamiliar service, but they will remain unfamiliar with the service until they or someone they know uses it."

Barrett suggests that a "free taste" could help entice customers to get on board with features like mobile video. He uses Japan and South Korea as examples of countries where such services are free, and there's widespread adoption . In Italy, he adds, additional fees are required, and usage has, not surprisingly, been limited there. "It's in everyone's interest to offer some free programming."

The "3 months free" offer has pretty much been standard across various industries. Perhaps the mobile phone industry should look into adding such promotions to encourage customers to use these advanced features and functions.

What's Had More Influence: the iPhone or the iPod?

The iPhone has stirred up the wireless industry like no other mobile device has. We haven't seen this much hoopla surrounding a product launch since, well, since the iPod came to market back in 2001. It's incredible that Apple has managed to challenge existing industry standard with not one, but two of its portable devices; especially since the company's history is as a PC manufacturer! But which product will have more of an impact on tech society as we know it: the iPod or the iPhone?

There's no doubt that the iPod is winning that race already. Not only because the device has been in existence for almost seven years now, but also because it has literally changed the way people listen to music and access content. Coupled with iTunes, the iPod defines a generation that surfs virtual albums on-the-go, and, arguably more important, downloads music from the 'net rather than purchasing physical CDs in store. The iPod used to be given flak as a device that encouraged low-quality music consumption and discouraged an appreciation for true audio. But with increasingly high-end docking systems, compatibility with a host of A/V receivers, and even audiophile tube amps from companies like Fatman, the iPod has been transformed into a gadget that simply encourages music in every way possible. And with the addition of photo and video playback, it has also helped fuel the shift toward portable media players, not just portable audio.

Meanwhile, the iPhone, which found its way into the U.S. market a year ago, has already shaken up the wireless industry. I'm not just talking about here in Canada, where the upcoming release of the highly-coveted gadget has caused consumer protest against high data rates. In the U.S., Apple managed to gain the kind of control over distribution and pricing of the phone that no other wireless manufacturer has been able to accomplish. Many have argued that the iPhone has begun an era where the wireless handset manufacturer has more control in what the consumer ultimately pays and receives, not the carrier.

So while the iPod has had a major impact on the industry, the iPhone, which is essentially a highly-sophisticated iPod that adds a larger screen, mobile phone, web browser, and WiFi functionality, will extend that reach. Add to these features its ability to accept third-party applications, and essentially transform into a full-fledged on-the-go computing device, and the iPhone will reach markets that the iPod merely skimmed.

The bottom line? Both of these devices have been influential to the technology sector. Perhaps 7 years from now, we can revisit this question again to see what each product has evolved into.

Happy Independence Day to our neighbours to the south!

Rogers Says it Will Lower Price Plans

Rogers Wireless COO Nadir Mohamed said yesterday at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto that the company would finally be lowering data rates to fit in line with today's cellular landscape.

Unlike the way things used to be in what seems like eons ago, mobile devices are now used for everything from surfing the 'net to sending and receiving e-mails, editing documents, streaming music and video, and even playing games. Naturally, the inflated data rate charges that are inflicted on Canadians are simply no longer relevant for the growing group of data-intensive users.

Many are reporting that this move from Rogers will be a huge leap for wireless services in Canada. But I'll wait and see the details and fine print of the actual data plans before making a judgement call. (Official announcements are scheduled to be revealed some time prior to the iPhone's arrival in Canada on July 11).

Despite what many reports are implying, Mohamed did not blatantly confirm (to be fair, nor did he deny) that the plans would actually apply to devices other than the iPhone. A representative from Rogers already confirmed to me last week that Rogers would indeed be developing a new plan for the iPhone, but made no mention about whether this plan would cross over to other devices. If anything, Mohamed seemed to focus predominantly on the iPhone and BlackBerry's upcoming Bold device (launch date TBA). Will more attractive data plans be available for owners/buyers of other smartphones as well? If I were to make an educated guess, I'd say that Rogers will offer a new plan for the iPhone and Bold, and eventually roll out new plans across the board upon monitoring customer response.

It's long been said that Canadians pay one of the highest rates for cellular services of all the developed countries. While U.S. carriers are launching unlimited data plans left, right, and centre, we have no such truly unlimited offering in Canada. I doubt we will see comparable plans to the U.S., any time soon, but hopefully we can take things one step at a time to create a more affordable wireless landscape that properly recognizes and tailors to the usage habits of mobile users today.

On that note, the Wireless Spectrum Auction, which is where telecom companies bid for the airwaves required for cellular services to operate, is still underway. Industry Canada has set aside a portion of Spectrum for a new entrant into the wireless space, which could potentially see another GSM/3G carrier enter the Canadian market. Mohamed reportedly refused to comment on the Auction.

Koodo is the New Mentos

Do you remember those old, really annoying Mentos commercials where a guy would pop a Mentos into his mouth and somehow, problems would magically disappear and he'd turn into MacGyver? Everyone hated them, yet everyone remembers them, and constantly talked about them at the time. Well, Koodo Mobile is like the new Mentos: I can't watch TV, walk downtown T.O., or scoot through a shopping mall without seeing a retro 80s fitness gal in tights, or a weird, mustached gym teacher-looking dude plastered everywhere. What gives?

Koodo Mobile appears to be marketing itself in much the same way Virgin Mobile does: as an "alternative" concept to pesky mobile phone contracts and hefty bills. Really, though, you're still dealing with one of the big threes. In actuality, Kodoo is owned by Telus, and operates on the carrier's CDMA network. I won't get into specifics of the service, but there are a number of pre-packaged plans, as well as a la carte items, that are pretty much comparable to other service offerings (see http://www.koodomobile.com/ for more information). The gist is that Koodo focuses on "basic" users that just want to talk and text with their phones, and not really do much else.

So how does Koodo differentiate itself from Telus, and the other carriers? Via something called a Koodo Tab, which lets customers charge up to $150 toward a mobile phone to their "tab", to be paid out in increments of 10% of the balance each month. Once the "tab" is cleared, points will continue to accumulate on a new tab that can be used toward a new phone once you're ready to upgrade. When you think about it, although the service doesn't include a locked in contract, it is similar to signing up for one and getting the phone for free. Let's work out the math: if your phone bill is $40.mo., this means $4 is paid toward your mobile phone each month. It'll take, you guessed it, just over three years to recoup the $150 cost for the phone. Unless, of course, you go over your monthly minutes, in which case you'll pay it off faster.

Koodo doesn't place its emphasis on getting rid of hidden fees and cumbersome contracts like Virgin Mobile does (although the latter company recently introduced hidden fee-free contracts). Koodo takes its primary focus right to cutting down on costly bills; hence the whole "fat-free" fitness theme. But when I really examine the details, it isn't that much cheaper than other carriers.

For example, for $40, you can get unlimited nationwide talk and messaging to up to 5 numbers, 100 anytime minutes, unlimited text messages, and free evenings and weekends after 7 p.m., plus the regular stuff, like voice mail and caller ID. One neat thing is the elimination of that pesky System Access Fee, and the addition of per-second billing (instead of rounding off to the nearest minute). But in digging deeper, I did find some hidden stipulations. For example, the five numbers do not apply to customers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and the so-called "unlimited" local calling from 7 p.m. starts on the Monday and only goes until 8 a.m. on the Thursday, recommencing at 7 p.m. on Friday. What happened to Thursday and Friday during the day? Also "detailed billing" is oddly listed as an a la carte option for an extra $3/mo. So what exactly does "regular" billing entail?

Nevertheless, Koodo Mobile sure is making a splash here in Canada. Fat-free mobile? Not quite yet. Some hidden fees need to be trimmed down, and some weight taken off the costs before we get there.

CTIA WIRELESS: "Cool" Stuff

Regardless of the trade show, you'll always find "cool stuff" that makes you say "now that's a great idea!" CTIA WIRELESS was no exception when it came to cool factor.

First, Yahoo! is launching its new onesearch 2.0 for mobile phones that promises to offer easier search, better results, and voice integration. The latter point is the most interesting, in my view. With this feature, you can not only type in your desired search words, but also dictate them orally. Say the requested search term, like "restaurants, las vegas" or "ctia show", and Yahoo! will search its server, while also sending back a confirmation note to double check that it heard you correctly. If you want to try it out, the service is already available in trial for owners of select Blackberry devices at www.m.yahoo.com/voice. I haven't been able to try it out just yet (since I don't own a Blackberry), but it'll be interesting to hear some feedback on how well it works.

Did you ever think a mobile phone could be used as a medical alert device? If not, you'd be surprised to hear about MyRapidMD, which provides an application that can be sent to your mobile phone, and includes all of your pertinent medical information in case of an emergency, like blood type, known allergies, and serious medical conditions. The company is working with mobile phone carriers and manufacturers, as well as first responders, in an effort to deploy the technology globally. Here's how it works: sign up for an account online: a lifetime subscription is US$19.95 and there's a US$5.95 renewal fee every year. Enter all of your details, and upload a recent photo. Then enter your mobile phone number, and send to any Java or Web-enabled phone. The information arrives in the form of a Web link as a text message: click the link, download the app, and away you go! It will either appear as an icon right on the home screen (it looks like a little asterisk); or may end up in the "games and applications" folder, depending on the particular phone. In the event of an emergency, first responders can find this information on your phone and use it to both identify and treat you accordingly. How will they know that you're a subscriber? When you sign up, you receive a slew of items, including a sticker that can be adhered to the back of your phone, a wallet card, keychain, car window sticker, and 'fridge magnet. If you're weary about leaving your private information "out in the open", so to speak, you can set the details to "private", at which point a first responder will be given a 1-800 phone number to call. Once he provides your subscriber number to the call centre rep, he'll gain access to the pertinent information. If this system saves even one life, it makes sense.

Another neat product that caught my eye is the backup pal (US$49.99), a little circular doo-hickey that, as the company's signgage indicated, is so simple, "even a monkey can use it". What does it do? Backs up up to 4,000 contacts from a mobile phone so that, if you switch phones, or your mobile gets lost or stolen, you can easily import the information back into a new phone. The device comes with six adapters, including ones for Samsung, Nokia, and Motorola phones, as well as a mini USB connector, which lets you connect other popular handsets, like the BlackBerry. All you need to do is connect your phone, hit the large "back-up" button, and wait. When you get a new phone, connect it and hit "restore to phone" to upload all the contacts from the device. backup pal is powered by 3 "AAA" batteries, and uses flash memory so that the information always remains safely stored, even when the batteries have depleted. $50 for peace of mind makes sense!

Finally, I was strangely drawn to a display called PetsMobility, which claims to be the first cell phone for your dog. Huh? What it really is is a waterproof GPS collar that uses the CDMA network to provide tracking information on your pet's whereabouts. Using computer software, you can establish a "geo-fence", i.e. a perimeter in which your beloved creature is not permitted to go beyond. If it does, you can be notified via your mobile phone, then use the PawTrax tracking system to find the animal. As strange as this device sounds, I can somehow manage it flying off store shelves.

As for the image above, it really has nothing to do with anything written here, but I had to give the company kudos for finding a unique way to get people's attention at the show. Yeehaw for wireless!

CTIA WIRELESS: This Show is HUGE!

Today was the first official day of CTIA WIRELESS, which takes place until April 3. Attending for the first time, my initial expectation was that I'd see a moderate selection of booths, many of which would be at the enterprise and developer level rather than the consumer and retail area. Boy, was I wrong on both accounts. CTIA WIRELESS occupies both North and Central halls in the Las Vegas Convention Centre, making it bigger than even the annual PMA photo industry show, which typically just fills South hall. In terms of applicability, a quick run through of the show floor brought forth the realization that there are a lot more companies that fit the consumer and retail audience than we thought. And a trip up 180-feet in the air to demo a new product (nope, I'm not kidding) put the icing on the cake that proved to me that the wireless folks really mean business.

I felt pretty patriotic when, immediately upon entering North hall, I was stopped in my tracks by an oversized red-and-white display with signage that read: "Canada". Hmm, I guess I should take a look! There I found, among many other companies, Ancaster, ON-based Solutions in Motion (SIM), which makes the neat BlackBerry Digital Pen, which we covered on our sister Websites when it originally launched late last year. This neat pen lets you handwrite notes on a special pad of paper, then converts them into digital text that's sent as an SMS to your BlackBerry. From there, you can do things like e-mail the note to a friend or colleague, or save it to the device. I had never tried out the Digital Pen live, so it was neat to get the opportunity to do that. Although it's accuracy on my one try wasn't 100%, you can edit notes on the phone once they've arrived; and it really is a neat way to jot down information, and create an automatic digital copy of it.

Moving on and throughout the show, it was apparent that tracking software, asset management, and RFID via mobile devices is a burgeoning market. Basically, such technologies help companies better manage inventory, installation professionals, delivery trucks, and such by being able to track, and keep a live log of data. Stay tuned to the next issue of Marketnews Magazine for more information on some neat companies offering such services in Canada.

Bluetooth headsets are, of course, all over the place. The trend seems to be toward designs like Jabra's BT8040 (reviewed in the February 2008 issue of here's how! magazine) that fit in your ear, and forego a hook altogether. This sounds like it might be uncomfortable or unsecure, but many companies use advanced rubber pieces in varying sizes that make the fit perfect. And, of course small, sleek, and sexy devices are all the rage. I haven't yet seen as many Bluetooth speakerphones as I expected to see, even though I think this category makes so much sense. "Sales guys often times don't understand Bluetooth speakerphones, and so they have a hard time explaining their benefits to customers," said a rep from Jabra. He also noted that California and Washington would be implementing new laws this summer that will require a Bluetooth device be used at all times when driving. Once these laws come into effect (not to mention that similar laws have already come into effect in Quebec and Nova Scotia), sales of Bluetooth speakerphones (and Bluetooth devices, period) will likely skyrocket.

After hours of walking the show, it was time to head off to the second intimate press event (the first was last night), which was held in the Bellagio Hotel. Here, navigation seemed to be a big focus. One stand-out product was the Garmin nuvifone. Set for Canadian availability in Q3, this device, which was kept under wraps in a glass dome, is sort of like a portable navigation device first, and a 3G mobile phone second. Using HSDPA data connectivity (which means it will likely be available through Rogers Wireless, although this hasn't actually been confirmed), the nuvifone acts as a phone, navigation unit, and Internet browser. The device has a generous touch-screen, and can also play back music and videos, and even take 3 MP images. In my eyes, the nuvifone clearly represents where the industry is going: if your portable device isn't a phone, you'd better add phone functionality. And if your phone is just a phone, you need to start looking at some advanced secondary functions, like navigation and music playback.

Another company that stood out was Miami, Fl-based BlueDasher Technologies, who introduced themselves to us by announcing that it was their "birthday". The brand spanking new company is adding a new twist to navigation by providing street-level photography of streets all across the U.S. (Canada and Europe coming in future) so that mobile phone and PC users can not only find out how to get to a destination and navigate to it via a map, but also see the roads as they actually look in full 360-degree rotation, complete with surroundings, road signs, trees, etc. How do they do it? The company sends vehicles out on the road to capture photos every 10 feet. The technology could be especially useful for those in the real estate market, but there are other viable situations as well. For example, a company rep noted that one could consult the images to find out exactly where a restaurant's parking lot is; or a couple with kids could easily look for housing close to a school. To demonstrate the way it works, BlueDasher typed in the address of my vacation spot in their hometown of Miami, and instantly, there it was. Neat!

Flash memory leader SanDisk really summed up the essence of the show by explaining why the company views the wireless industry as one of its primary drivers going forward. SanDisk's current campaign centres around the idea that we need to "wake up" our phones and use them to the max of their capabilities. So much content can be placed onto a mobile device, and with 8 GB microSD cards already on the market, SanDisk is making sure that, as more and more functionality becomes available, it can in turn be supported by flash (and even embedded) memory. As more and more people bring their phones out of perpetual slumber, we'll only see advancements in the category become greater.

After today, I see that there's more ground to be covered at CTIA than I could ever have imagined. It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings. As for my comment earlier about being 180-feet up in the air, well, you'll have to stay tuned for our video footage to find out more! Visit www.marketnews.ca/videos.asp or www.hereshow.ca/videos.asp to see what went down. You'll also find video demonstrations of various products introduced at the show, including those mentioned here.

CTIA WIRELESS: Am I in PC Land?

I realized after the "pre" show event, which took place in the Wynn Hotel on Monday night, that CTIA WIRELESS is really just as much a computer show as it is a wireless one. As I peek at badges as people walk by (come on, you all know you do it!), I notice tons of media outlets that have either the word "computer" or "laptop" in it. And really, don't wireless and PC go hand in hand? Often times, they do.

So much content and accessibility is available on mobile phones these days, from music to movies, games, e-mail, Internet browsing, etc. Much of this will either originate from a PC, or will be something you also enjoy on a PC. So it's no surprise that many of the technologies on display at the event help you better connect a mobile phone with a PC.

Take a company like mspot, for example, that offers a slew of mobile music services (the company works with both Bell and Telus in Canada). Using mspot's new subscription-based Remix application, customers will be able to take music from a PC (DRM-free, of course) and instantly transfer it to a mobile phone. The customer just needs to download software onto his PC, then he can simultaneously download tracks to his phone while they're being played back from the computer. mspot has already forged its first partnership for the service in the U.S. with AT&T. Another neat service (which I can imagine plenty of teens and "tweens" enjoying) is called Make-UR-Tones, which lets you take pretty much any song and make your own cut of it to become a 30-second ringtune for your phone. mspot has partnered with EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, INgrooves, and IRIS to offer a selection of over 250,000 songs. Talk about personalization!

Meanwhile, on the more business-oriented side of things, French company Gemalto, which focuses on digital security, is offering a way for traditional wireless carriers to compete with the burgeoning VoIP category. More and more consumers are moving toward VoIP services like Vonage and Skype for making phone calls when they're out of town, mainly because it's cheaper. Gemalto offers a neat doo-hickey called the Upteq Smart Dongle that contains the customer's mobile phone information, and plugs into a PCs USB port. Once inserted, incoming phone calls will ring on both the handset and via a virtual dialpad on the customer's PC screen. He can then choose to pick up the call using the computer rather than the mobile phone, and thus circumvent a hefty long distance bill. Since Gemalto is a security company at heart, you can bet your bottom dollar that password authentication is required to actually use the dongle, since it contains all of the owner's mobile phone information. Gemalto already offers the Upteq Smart Dongle through Orange Business Services, the leading mobile network operator in France. It really is an ingenuis idea, and the perfect answer to the question: how can one compete effectively against VoIP services. Now, if someone could find a way that the traditional landline phone could better compete against VoIP...but that's another issue altogether...

When you really think about it (and I mentioned this in the previous post without even realizing it), mobile phones really are just like mini computers. In that respect, I'm preparing myself to see a whole different breed of propeller heads on the CTIA WIRELESS show floor.

As an aside, the Wynn Hotel truly is the classiest looking hotel in all of Las Vegas. I can't help but feel like I'm in an old Vegas movie when I walk in there!

CTIA WIRELESS: Viva Las Vegas!

Although it’s my third time in this city this year, Vegas never gets old to me. There’s something about the air that rejuvenates you the second you arrive, even considering the three-hour time difference between Toronto and here. The weather is gorgeous, and the city is full of talk about the CTIA WIRELESS show, which officially begins tomorrow. Tonight is a big “pre” show event where a group of companies will exhibit in a smaller, more intimate venue (which is often times much more appealing than the crowded and loud show floor). I’ll have tons of great information from that show tomorrow. But before the event has even begun, I’ve already seen my first demo!

Nokia cleverly arranged a car service that gave the company the opportunity to show off its new Nokia Maps 2.0 software (now in beta version) by actually navigating us to the hotel. Although the functions the software offers aren’t new in the portable navigation category, per se, it’s amazing to see how quickly the mobile phone category is ramping up its offerings. Powered by Nokia, the service offers the standard address searches and favourites, but adds a new walking mode that does things like avoid one-way streets, and displays little “bread crumbs”, described the rep, as you walk along your route. The mapping software itself is more robust, with over 15 million Points of Interest (POI), and various viewing modes. It’s worth noting that Nokia showed off the software on the U.S. version of its new N95 handset, which is quite a nifty looking device; not to mention that it includes a whopping 8 GB of internal memory! And the screen itself showed off the vibrant colours of the map in all their glory. The device navigated us to our hotel safe and sound. Hopefully we’ll see this phone in Canada some time soon!

So there you have it. Before I even reached the hotel, I was one step closer to seeing what neat gadgets and technologies are in store at the show. Now it’s time to enjoy 20-degree weather!

Landline Users Fed Up With Fees

If you think that it's only Canadian cellular phone users that are ticked off about hefty monthly plan rates, think again. A recent study finds that landline phone users are equally as peeved by big bills.

Yak Communications discovered that a whopping 73% of Canadians (based on a survey of 999 Canadian home phone users) think their phone bills are too high; while 59% are frsutrated by unexpected rate increases. Almost half of Canadians don't understand why they have to pay a "system access fee" (a bone of contention in the mobile world as well), and 40% actually think this fee is mandated by the Government.

Yak's V.P. of Marketing Andrew Boone claims that many telephone companies rely on "consumer ignorance", although he admits that some of the onus should be on the consumer for not actually examining each bill with a fine-toothed comb.

A lack of choice in the mobile arena has always been a major issue, but this study claims that customers feel the same way when it comes to landline phone providers as well.

I honestly never thought to examine the home phone industry in such a light since I myself have done away with a home phone altogether, and strictly use my mobile phone (and the Internet) for communicating from home. But it appears that there are many angry home phone users out there that want more choice and, most important, more affordable billing. Hear, hear!

Nokia Could Shake up Music Industry

The music industry must feel like a maraca as of late, because every company under the sun is doing what it can to shake things up. From online digital music distribution sites (authorized or otherwise), to artists offering their tracks for free download, to retailers dropping CD prices. Now, popular cell phone manufacturer Nokia could shake things up yet again by offering a mobile phone that not only comes with the ability to access an unlimited number of music downloads for a year, but also lets the customer keep the tracks once the year is over!

To date, any company (to my knowledge) that offers digital music downloads will either permit access to tunes on only the device from which it was downloaded; or, in the case of unlimited downloading, will prevent access to the tunes once a subscription or contract has expired. In many cases, even if a customer can transfer or rip downloaded tunes to an MP3 player or recordable CD, they might be limited to a specific number of them (like up to 3 devices). Sure, we've just started to see DRM-free tunes hit the wire, which are 100% free from these such restrictions; but they're only available on a pay-per-use or pay-per-album basis.

With this new service from Nokia, aptly named Comes With Music, once a tune is downloaded, it's yours to keep and do with it as you like: burn to a CD, transfer to an MP3 player, or just store it on the PC. If you decide you don't want to continue downloading tunes once the year has completed, those tracks are still yours to keep, whether you downloaded 10 of them, or 10,000. The program currently includes Universal Music tracks, but Nokia says it's "in talks" with other major international labels to add their titles to the roster.

"We set out to create the music experience that people are telling us they are looking for: all the music they want in the form of unlimited downloads to their mobile device and PC," said the company's Executive V.P. and G.M., Multimedia, Anssi Vanjoki. "Comes With Music fulfills our dream to give consumers all the music they want, wherever they want it, while rewarding the artists who create it."

No specific information was provided as to how (or how much) the music labels will be compensated for the service, nor how much a subscription would cost after the one-year period (if you wanted to continue downloading tunes, for instance). However, the very existence of this program provides a good idea as to what we can expect with regards to the future of digital music.

What I find most interesting about this program is that, of all the companies offering digital music and portable music devices, it was a cell phone manufacturer that stepped up to the plate with the most appealing offer. Mobile phones could really give dedicated portable music players an unexpected run for their money: take one look at the iPhone, and you'll know what I mean.

Unfortunately, a spokesperson tells me that the Comes With Music service is not available in Canada (what else is new); but perhaps if we get more competition in the wireless arena, there will be more opportunity for such services to sneak into Canadia-land as well.

Armani Goes High-Tech

Back in May, I wrote an entry here about the colliding worlds of fashion and technology. Not only are products getting sexier looking, but CE manufacturers are now commissioning experts in fashion and aesthetics in order to advise them on the creation of more appealing designs. Meridian worked with Ferrari on its high-end, $3,000 F80 tabletop radio. LG Electronics worked with world-renowned fashion designer Prada for its KE850 phone. And Bang & Olufsen has relied on designer David Lewis since the 1960s to create the majority of the modern and funky products for which the company prides itself. Now, leading fashion designer Giorgio Armani is joining the foray by helping Samsung design a line of luxury portable and home CE products.

According to a press release, the products will be sold through Armani's direct-controlled retail network and "upscale consumer electronics stores" in major European countries as of November, with plans to expand distribution to other markets in 2008 (I doubt this will include Canada, but you never know!)

The first product to be introduced is, not surprisingly, a mobile phone. Since your phone is the one tech item that's always with you, it makes sense for it to be the most fashionable! The Giorgio Armani-Samsung luxury mobile, unveiled during Milan Fashion Week at the Armani/Teatro on September 24, is, of course, super-thin (10.5 mm, to be exact). A luxury LCD TV will debut in January 2008.

This just reinforces the fact that design is not only paramount in technology, but creating a luxury CE item has become an artform unto itself. Which designer is next to jump onto the tech fashion bandwagon?

Home Security Through a Webcam & Your Cell

Make-shift home security systems are becoming more popular, not to mention more effective as the power of the Internet is increasingly realized. A new service called HomeCamera (http://www.homecamera.com/) lets you use a standard web camera and mobile phone Internet browser to monitor the home while you're away.

How does it work? Log onto the Website, register to the service (which is currently free since it's still in the beta stage), enter the name of your webcam, and create a password. Then, just log on from your phone from anywhere in the world (obviously you’ll need to be somewhere where the Web browser feature is active), and take a photo of the area being monitored; or even scan pre-recorded images and short video clips. The service has a motion detection function that can automatically snap a shot when it detects movement (I wouldn’t suggest this if you have pets!)

Instead of randomly logging in to check on things, the system can also send updates to your mobile device. Right now, the only costs incurred for HomeCamera are those associated with your specific network carrier, like Internet browsing fees.

I’m a bit skeptical of how useful a feature it is to take photos remotely. If a burglar has entered the home, the likelihood that you'll actually catch him on in a still image is slim to none: it would be easy for him to sneak away quickly such that you might catch a stray leg as he bolts out the door! However, the video clip feature is pretty neat. HomeCamera says it hopes to add a real-time live video streaming option early next year.

As for the service's “free” availability, this is only until the official launch in October. However, existing subscribers will receive one year of free service. New customers will be able to sign up to a subscription package that suits their needs.

I haven’t signed up for an account yet, but I’m tempted to try it out. I’ll be sure to report my results here if I do!