Virtua Team Talk

We are getting used to the idea of using mobile phones for almost everything these days. The device that not so long ago was just used for cordless telephone calls has now become our portable diary, alarm clock, filofax, GPS, music player and much more.

When we go shopping though, we traditionally turn to our trusty credit card or cheque book to pay for goods and services. But all that looks about to change.

‘Everything Everywhere’ (the parent company of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK) is about to roll out a new ‘mobile payments service’ in partnership with Barclaycard that is set to change the way we think about financial transactions. Some analysts believe it will be the biggest revolution in payments since credit cards were introduced over 40 years ago.  (It was reported recently that Apple were looking to compete with Paypal as a payment mechanism through iTunes accounts but this hasn’t transpired yet.)

A spokesman for the new innovation, which is due to be released by the Summer of 2011, claimed that “very soon using your mobile to buy a ticket for a show, a coffee and a sandwich or a magazine will soon be the norm.”

Not only will mobiles become payment systems but at specific retail outlets customers will be able to pay for goods and services just by waving their mobile phone against a ‘contactless reader’.

In Turkey a similar initiative is already in use that was developed for iPhone users by a company called Wireless Dynamics. To use the service iPhone users simply attach a Wireless Dynamics ‘iCart’ accessory to the iPhone handset to download an app that enables the payment system to work. Once the Visa based mobile card is activated users simply launch the app and touch their iPhone onto the point-of-sale reader without any need to enter a PIN number.

Now that a number of security based teething problems have been resolved the new ‘credit card mobile phone’ seems set to revolutionise the way we think of ‘money’. For die-hard traditionalists this might seem like a step too far but for the younger generation it is probably just another step towards the so-called ‘cashless’ generation. Whether you support the idea or not this way of doing business is likely to become the norm over the next few years as pounds and pennies disappear into antiquity. Next time someone asks if you can lend them a fiver you will simply tap your phones together, say ‘cheers’ and five pounds will seamlessly leave your account and credit theirs.

True, it will be sad to hear the death knell of jangly coins. One day we will point to coins in a museum cabinet and tell our grandchildren “We used to carry those around in our pocket once upon a time…”

In the spirit of not only providing all our readers with scintillating and stimulating news and anecdotes I recently came across this rather useful set of tips which I’m happy to share with you.

Have you ever accidentally dropped your mobile phone in the sink? Or accidentally left it in your trouser pocket and then your trousers got put into the washing machine? Or have you ever left your phone out in the rain? If any of these situations sound familiar then these tips are definitely for you!

Most people believe that a water damaged phone cannot be repaired and that they will simply have to purchase a new one but sometimes this need not be the case…

So here they are then. Some top tips you could try in order to try and save your phone:

1. If you are able to take the phone out of water quickly, there is a high possibility that your phone will not be permanently damaged.

2. If your phone is wet then do not switch it on. If you switch on the phone, a short circuit will take place which will internally damage the phone.

3. Make sure you remove the battery immediately to ensure there is no chance of a short circuit. To check whether your phone is water damaged or not you need to look for a white square or circle that can be present with or without red lines at the corner of the battery. If the lines are present in pink or red colour it means your phone is water damaged.

4. If it is a GSM phone, you need to quickly remove the SIM card so that you can take a backup of the contacts. This step is not applicable on CDMA phones.

5. Try to remove as much water or moisture as possible. You can do this by using a dry cloth or paper towel. Do not shake the phone while drying though because this can cause water movement inside the phone.

6. You can suck the water out of the inner inaccessible areas of the phone by using a vacuum cleaner. This step should only be performed if your phone is completely drenched with water though. Don’t use a hair dryer though. A dryer does not suck air but blows it. This could move water towards smaller components of the phone.

7. Place the phone in a bowl of uncooked rice overnight as rice has high affinity for absorbing moisture. You can also use a desiccant for the same purpose. Also make sure you frequently change the position of the phone so that the all the areas of the phone get dried equally.

8. You can also keep the phone on absorbent towels or any other absorbent material such as a napkin or paper towel.

9. After you have tried all the above steps and waited for 24 to 48 hours, you can re-insert the battery and try turning the phone on. If your phone does not start, you should connect the charger to the phone to charge the battery. If it still does not start, check whether the battery is faulty or not.

10. If you are knowledgeable about the internal components of the phone, you could try disassembling it. Once disassembled, you can dry each and every part of the phone gently. Then re-assemble the phone and see if the phone works or not.

11. If none of the above suggestions work then seek assistance from the professionals or face facts – it may be time to buy a new phone.

So there you go then – another useful service provided by Virtua!

Anyone who knows the three Virtua directors, Rob Brown, Brian Watt and myself, Andy Watts, will know how passionate we all are about our cycling. That’s why we were all so interested this week to hear that Nokia has just released a mobile phone charging kit that uses a dynamo powered by a bicycle’s wheels.

According to Nokia any cyclist wanting to re-charge their handset using the kit will need to maintain a speed of about 4mph (6km/h). The charging kit is primarily intended for nations where bicycles are the most common form of transport but it will work with any phone using a 2mm charger jack.

Alex Lambeek the Nokia Vice President stated that. “Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing”

The phone charging times will vary by speed but a cyclist completing a 10 minute journey at 6mph (10 km/h) will produce enough power for 28 minutes of talk time or 37 hours of standby time. Also included in the kit along with the dynamo is a holder to secure a phone to a bicycle while it is being re-charged.

For us three cycling fanatics though, 4mph or 6mph is not what we would call cycling. Our 15-20 mile commute to work at over 20mph would give a good charge for phone calls for the whole day!

The charging kit will be available through Nokia’s stores worldwide by the end of 2010 and will cost about £12.50 (15 Euros). The phones have been designed for developing nations and in particular for places where the electricity supply is limited.

Personally I think this is a great idea and the ideal way to use dynamo power whilst enjoying a good work out at the same time. It’s also not just the perfect solution for cyclists in countries where the electricity supply is unreliable but also for anyone wanting to combine a little exercise with the opportunity to get their mobile charged up.

So the next time one of my work colleagues or fellow directors calls across the office –“Hey Andy – can I borrow your phone charger?” they can be very sure of my answer:

“On your bike!”

We all get used to routines, and for millions of us setting off to work every morning the usual ritual is making sure we have got the essentials; car and front door keys, mobile phone and wallet with credit cards and some cash.

But very soon, according to those in the know, we will all be throwing our wallets away because cash will be redundant and our credit cards will be replaced by a new mobile phone payment facility. Yes, just when you thought the humble mobile phone couldn’t possibly get any more complicated ‘payment technology’ has arrived – enabling financial transactions to be made via our mobiles.

Whatever your personal views might be regarding the future of cash and cheques, there is undoubtedly a steady move towards the increased use of mobiles to make payments. Some sceptics doubt that cash is likely to completely disappear for some years yet, but according to a recent report by the ‘Payments Council’ its decline is likely to accelerate as mobile payments technology becomes more commonplace.

A number of operators have been developing systems that operate safely, conveniently and cheaply for mobile owners over the last year or two and one of the first mass-marketed examples is the “Send Money” app for the iPhone launched recently by Paypal. This app allows two owners of iPhones to “tap” their phones together – by bumping them against each other physically – in order to make a connection and send money to each other.

The tapping may seem like bit of a gimmick, but the technology that lies behind it signals the way that future financial transactions might well be made.

Having accepted a connection which flashes up on the screen, one person can instantly transmit money directly from their bank account or an account they have set up with Paypal (which provides a holding account for each individual so they do not have to exchange their bank details). It might seem a little quirky at first but astonishingly around one million people have already downloaded it worldwide.

Will I use it? I’m not sure yet. Call me old fashioned but I still like the feel of a leather wallet in my pocket with a few crisp fivers and the clink of loose change.

Will my children use it? You bet – and somehow I think that the old adage of ‘tapping’ your dad for a loan will take on a whole new meaning…