Placecast is announcing a fairly significant partnership with European carrier O2 to enable geo-fence marketing campaigns for a number of brands for the carrier’s users.
Via, O2 More, an opt-in service for O2 customers; brands like Starbucks and L’Oreal will send the carrier’s users exclusive offers and information via SMS and MMS on their mobile phones when they are inside a geo-fenced area around a store or other location. → Read More
The reports from a few days ago that the Jajah deal with O2 closed at $200 million were correct. Telefónica Europe (aka O2) just announced that it bought Jajah for 145 million Euros ($207 million) in an all-cash deal.
Jajah, which provides Internet calling services and thus competes with Skype, was on the block since at least November (which TechCrunch was first to report on), following Google’s purchase of much-smaller Gizmo5. → Read More
Last month, we wrote about the VoIP startup Jajah being the target of a bidding war. Today, it appears that war is over, with the winner being O2, and the price being $200 million, according to a report sent out by the financial website TheMarker, and being circulated by Reuters.
It was believed that Microsoft and Cisco were two other companies that were vying to get the company. Back in June, the company served up its 1 billionth VoIP call. While the company has some 15 million subscribers of its own, many of the calls originate from Yahoo Messenger, which has used Jajah since 2008 for its VoIP calls. They also have a deal in place with Microsoft. → Read More
There appears to be a good old bidding war going on for another VoIP startup, Jajah, following yesterday’s news about the acquisition of Gizmo5 by Google, a source in Silicon Valley with knowledge of the talks informs us.
Details are scarce at the moment, but Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Telefónica Europe (O2) are said to be looking to buy the venture capital-backed company for a price ranging from $200M to $400M. We’re digging for more information. → Read More
If you’re part of the very, very, very small segment of Crunch readers who happens to live in Germany, and you’re an O2 customer, and you bought a TG01 – look out! Your new toy might make your computer feel a bit woozy inside. → Read More
We’re all quite excited here to find out that O2 and Movistar will get the Palm Pre in GSM form, opening the phone up to unlocking, hacking, and all sorts of molestation. UK, Ireland and Germany will get the phone on O2 and Spain will get it from Movistar. When, you ask?
Christmas.
That’s right: by the time Palm pinches off the GSM Pre Apple will have probably released iPod Touches with cameras and the HTC Hero, an Android phone that I wouldn’t kick out of bed for eating crackers, will be dancing on the Sprint Pre’s grave. It’s like Palm wants to fail. → Read More
In case the last HTC Touch HD pics didn’t satisfy your craving, this massive gallery certainly will. Also, the site causally mentions that O2 Germany will be the first carrier worldwide to launch the WME smartphone sometime in November with a 659 Euro price tag. No word when that exclusive deal is up though. theunwired via wmpoweruser via BGR → Read More
A study from O2 has found that strangers are more connected to each other than they ever have been.
According to the study, the average person is now connected by just three degrees within a shared “interest” instead of six. In fact, it found that people are usually a part of three main networks: family, friendship, and work. → Read More
I like to pound on AT&T when given the chance, but I can’t justifiably rag them over iPocalypse. Apple dropped the ball when the iTunes servers crashed from everyone and their mother trying to update their first gen and/or activate the 3G model. They didn’t even bother sending out a release over the matter, which is sort of a PR no-no, IMO. But what else is new these days? Walt ragged on MobileMe earlier and for good reason. It stinks. Apple has a big fat FAIL rating at the moment. I’ve grown ever so close to my iP3G and barely ever touch my beloved BlackBerry anymore. However, it’s not all puppies and rainbows. The transition from 3G to EDGE and back is horrendous. But I won’t go any further then that. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the iPhone 3G shortage. Wherever you go it seems that the iP3G is sold out and, let’s face it, cheaper hardware will do that sort of thing, but AT&T stores are a barren wasteland compared to Apple stores. Again, not their fault since Apple hordes them, but today they’ve gone ahead and updated their press site with info on inventory. We’ve seen incredible demand for iPhone 3G since it launched — and subsequently sold out — on July 11. Many customers have opted to purchase iPhone 3G through direct fulfillment, which lets them purchase the device at their convenience and return to the store to pick it up as soon as it arrives in to the store. For those customers who have ordered through direct fulfillment, and have not yet received their iPhone 3G, here’s a quick update on our current inventory: * As of July 23, direct fulfillment customers are receiving their iPhone 3G, on average, 13 or 14 days following purchase. * Delivery times vary based on the specific model a customer chooses (8 GB, 16 GB white, 16 GB black). AT&T handles direct fulfillment on a first-come, first-served basis, giving everyone an opportunity for stress-free shopping. As we receive new inventory from Apple, we are shipping it out immediately to fill customers’ orders. We hope to begin re-stocking our stores as soon as we can, but first priority goes to those customers who purchased through direct fulfillment. Looks like I found a reason to rag on you, AT&T. It’s nice that you’ve updated the site regarding the iP3G shortage → Read More
O2 has confirmed that unsubsidized iPhones will be available in Apple retail stores, O2 shops and Carphone warehouses for roughly £350 ($685) sans contract. Ouch. → Read More
Aw, lucky!!! New O2 customers in the United Kingdom will be able to grab an 8GB iPhone 3G for free with monthly plans of £45 and up. The required contract is only 18 months, too. Mike Butcher of our TechCrunch UK site says… The news is pretty astounding. From going from a device which costs over £300 to virtually free at POS will supercharge iPhone sales in the UK and make it a real contender for mobile web startups as a platform. It will also suck out early adopters from other networks. Butcher also caught wind that new iPhones will be able to be ordered online from O2’s web site and “will be sent out as O2 gets them from Apple,” whereas it’s being reported that here in the US, the new iPhone won’t be sold online at first – you’ll have to camp out at an Apple store or an AT&T retail location to get one. → Read More
Rather than bombarding you folks with two successive 3G iPhone rumor posts, I’ll do so in one so as not to piss off the iPhone haters. First, Leander Kahney at Cult of Mac has a hot tip that the new iPhone will include the following: 3G GPS 2 x memory (16GB and 32GB) 22 percent thinner Better battery life We’ve already suspected all of the above to be true except the 22 percent thinner part. Second, UBS analysts are feel it in their bones that O2 will offer the upcoming handset for a mere £100 while the rest of Europe will see it for €99 sometime in July. → Read More
Register Hardware takes a gander at the S730 from HTC, also available on O2 as the XDA Atmos, and gave it a slightly above average score of 75 out of 100. The S730′s keyboard won some big-time praise as “one of the best HTC keyboards we’ve used,” according to the review, and the device’s form factor is described as “chunky yet comfortable”. Connectivity options include 3G HSDPA at 3.6Mb/second, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. The S730 got dinged for its slightly-sluggish 400MHz processor and 64MB of RAM, Home Screen UI quirkiness, and the fact that there’s no included hands-free kit — it must be purchased for £14.95. Also, the screen and battery life seem to be so-so. HTC S730 Windows Mobile smartphone [Reg Hardware] → Read More
‘Tis their intention ta dry off and then buy an iPhone. Join ‘em? Pull a pint and twiddle your muff because Ireland’s O2 will be selling the iPhone (translation: “tha’ bleedin’ iPhone, ye ponce”) at $600 for the 8GB and $750 for the 16GB. For about $50 a month you get up to 1GB of data and the standard SMS and talk times. Don’t be a wee sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie! Get thee to the Carphone Warhouse! [photopress:o2plans.png,thumb,pp_image] O2 Confirms Winning Irish iPhone Exclusivity [Cellular-News] O2 Thanks for sending this in, Chris. → Read More
European telecomm O2 is expecting 200,000 iPhone sold in the UK by the end of the year while analysts expect up to 400,000 in the next few months. It’s this news that buoyed O2′s hopes in Europe and made everyone — including big Steve — purdy happy. The real takeaway, however, is that O2 will be carrying the 3G iPhone in Europe. O 2 has signed a multi-year deal with Apple for the iPhone and Mr Key insists Vodafone, for example, could not muscle in and take the 3G iPhone in the UK. I’m sure Vodafone or T-Mo could grab the contract if they wanted to, but I suspect the iPhone will go unlocked in its next gen form, ensuring everybody gets to try that sweet, sweet Apple pie. iPhone take-up the key as O2 targets Europe [FT] → Read More
The BBC visited five UK-based Carphone Warehouse stores to see if rumors were true concerning customers being told that if they didn’t buy insurance on their iPhone and they happened to lose it somewhere, it would cost them at least £630 and a whole new contract to replace it. While it’s true that they’d have to buy a new phone, the 18-month contract would not start over. → Read More
O2 is reporting that they sold “tens of thousands” of iPhones over the weekend, which means that tens of thousands of Brits are wandering the streets with mini-computers as we speak. O2 is very please and believes this is in line with expectations. As there are only twenty thousand people in Britain at any one time — they’re too polite to push onto the island so most of them stay on Ibiza until it’s their turn to come back — this means the majority of the population owns an iPhone. Excellent work, O2! iPhone sales are in line with expectations, says O2 chief [Guardian] → Read More
Do you live in London like Pete Doherty and have an iPod Touch? Well then! Leave that pipe at home and head out into the streets baby, ’cause you’ve got yourself some WiFi for that iPod Touch thanks to The Cloud. A new plan called Cloud Unlimited Music will be available today for £3.99 or ~$8 and allows iPod Touch users to access the internet as much as they want. Basically, it’s a pretty sweet deal. Thinking of getting an iPhone when it comes out on O2? Well go ahead and get one, ’cause The Cloud and O2 have partnered to offer you the same damn plan for the same price. If only us Americans could get iPhone WiFi plans for $8 bucks a month. Sheesh. The Cloud offers Wi-Fi access for iPod touch users [iLounge] → Read More
