361 Podcast

This week the team are talking 'phablets' - those odd hybrid devices that exist between phones and tablets. We never really believed they were a good thing and we certainly never believed they'd sell well but they are and they have... and we are slowly (grudgingly) coming 'round to the idea. SHOWNOTES & COMMENTS: http://361podcast.com/episodes/s06e03-absolutely-phablet-ulous ** Sponsored by O2...

This week the team record 'live' from the travel industry's biggest trade show: the World Travel Market. After presenting the event's first ever mobile technology session they reflect on the topics discussed and suggest 10 rules for mobile travel apps. SHOWNOTES & COMMENTS: http://361podcast.com/episodes/s06e02-10-rules-for-travel-apps ** Sponsored by O2 Refresh is the tariff which lets you ge...

A lot has happened in the 6 weeks we've been gone so the team get caught up on the news , having had a little extra time to reflect. This week we cover: New iPhones and New iPads New Microsoft Surface Tesco’s Hudl and 'cheap tablets' Nokia’s 2520 tablet Who was mad enough to give BlackBerry $1bn? Our first reader’s question is "Who needs the other more to remain as the dominant player: Samsung or...

This week it's questions, questions, questions... We asked what you wanted to know and you told us! We talk about the future of Nokia, multi-OS handsets, the cost of 4G, keyboards on smartphones, Samsung in 5 years and even how the team got together. See the full list here: http://storify.com/361podcast/s05e08-ask-us-anything Thank you to everyone who's supported us in Season 5. We'll be back in a...

To emphasise the fact that this is definitely not a news podcast, this week the team reflect on all the recent news: Samsung's launch of the Note 3, a tablet with a long name and the Gear watch. Some other smart watches The Sony Silly Camera (possibly not the name they'll go to market with) Some Apple stuff Recorded prior to the Apple 5s / 5c announcement event we took a guess at what would be ann...

This week the team cover the sale of Nokia's smartphone and feature-phone businesses to Microsoft. Rafe schools us on how and why it really happened and we ask whether someone so knowledgeable about the deal really be blameless... really? The team reminisce about favourite Nokia phones and wonder how Ben made it to 2013 having never owned an N95. We also pause briefly (very briefly) to discuss how...

This week the team think about tablets - how do we use them, where will they exist in future, what (really) is 'post PC' and what are the differences in mobile vs tablet interfaces? We ponder the dominance of iOS and its total (current) overwhelming popularity. We also do a joke, complain about notification alerts, seek out alternative mobile email apps, ponder mid-range super-sized phones and for...

This week the team talk media - what we use, how we store it, who we trust, how we view it and our hopes / dreams for the future. How do the products and services differ between 'created' and 'purchased' media? We also live-cast a visit to the much under-rated rafeblandford.com. We also discuss the necessity for portable battery backup, that QR codes might (just) have some uses and Microsoft's Sky...

This week the team consider how to buy mobile devices and the best options for convenience and price. We discuss how we bought our handsets and why 'operator-supplied' isn't always the best. Additionally... Rafe sheds some light on how manufacturers are tailoring devices to score well in benchmarks, Ewan has a haircut, Ben gets angry about BlackBerry bugs and there's some more coughing.

This week the team talk about connected TVs - Apple TV, Google's new ChromeCast, hardware from broadcasters like Sky's Now TV and how mobile devices are becoming the heart of the viewing experience. We also re-introduce our 'things of the week' - Rafe's excited by the Lumia 1020, Ewan's seen some more cool wearable tech and Ben's excited about connected cars.

Posted here: http://361podcast.com/episodes/s05e03-the-3rd-ecosystem-enough-apps This week we re-visit the battle for 3rd place in the battle of the eco-systems... Is anyone winning and are Nokia or Blackberry the only players to consider? Are Firefox, Ubuntu or Jolla real contenders or could Android fragment into competing strands? The team talk about the crucial part apps play in equation - refl...

Posted here: http://361podcast.com/episodes/s05e02-wearable-tech This week the team talk wearable devices - smart glasses, smart watches, clever pedometers and even those clever 'sneakers' that Michael J Fox wore in 'Back to the Future'. What and why would you wear a device and what are the privacy implications?

Posted here: http://361podcast.com/episodes/s05e01-state-of-the-mobile-nation The team are back and - to say the least - a little time has passed since Mobile World Congress so a catch-up on the news is overdue. This week we look-back over Apple and Google's big announcements, consider the difficulty in describing the 'maturity' each platform has and Rafe Blandford does something odd to his cat.

The team stage a lavish (and largely imaginary) award ceremony giving awards for things such as 'best use of mobile', 'best future tech', 'best mode of transport' and 'best in show'.

The team discuss (well... argue) about the merits of NFC, which was very visible at MWC 2013. Ben argues it "doesn't work" and Ewan points out that it clearly does. Rafe suggests a longer-term view...

The team tour hall 3 - home to all the biggest exhibitors including Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, Huawei, ZTE and hosts GSMA to describe the stands and crowds.

The team wind-down after the final day of MWC 2013 and catch-up on some of the things they missed... Ben finally gets to see Sony's new hardware (and is impressed), Ewan looks at things behind the scenes (and is impressed) and Rafe finds some sapphire glass (and is impressed). Impressive stuff.

The team review their 3rd day at MWC 2013: Ben and Ewan see the HTC One and are impressed, the Q10 is spotted despite Blackberry's absence, Chinese knock-offs surprise us and Rafe finds a lone Symbian handset on a stand.

Ewan argues MWC is less exciting this year, Ben complains about his feet and Rafe explains it's the low-key news that matters. The team cover the interesting things they've spotted on the 2nd day of the show and realise how much there still is to see.

Live from Mobile World Congress the team preview the event and the trends we expect to see. Recorded live on the street.

The team review day one of Mobile World Congress including the Nokia, Sony, Firefox, busses and the panel that Ben and Ewan did.

It's the last show in season 4 but don't worry we have a very special guest in the shape of The Voicemail Podcast's own James Whatley and we're talking about Blackberry (again). Could Ewan be even a little right about a come-back? Is there anything possibly left to announce after all the leaks? We're not sure but the 'mood in the room' is warming to them (a bit). Don't worry - you won't have to wa...

We're back and - after re-capping some of the big news whilst we've been gone - this week we talk about Ubuntu Mobile. Ewan's enthused, perhaps even keen. Rafe is dubious the small firm can make a dent in the world of mobile ecosystems and Ben is - well - flat out confused why they're bothering.

This week the team are in a festive mood, assessing who's been 'naughty or nice' in the mobile industry: Ewan celebrates 'Snapchat' and puts Apple on the naughty step. Ben enthuses about 'good' high-speed 3G and savages Vodafone's SureSignal. Rafe dreams of a winter wonderland without handset subsidies and puts coal in Google's stocking for the loss of Exchange ActiveSync for Gmail users. Thanks t...

Our 'Question Time' event '361 Live' returns celebrating Internet Week Europe with a panel taking questions on the subject "Desktop Internet is Dead: Long Live Mobile Internet". On the panel: Tony Blake of Millenoki, Andrew Grill of Kred, Ilicco Elia of LBi
, 361's own Rafe Blandford & Ben Lethbridge of 4G network EE. Ben chairs and Ewan takes the questions. In this part - 2 of 2 - the panel t...