TechWire

iPhone 4: it's the battery life, stupid

So here it is: the correctly predicted iPhone 4. And here are its main features:

-- Video calling (but not out and about, only in wi-fi hotspots)
-- Higher resolution display
-- A 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording
-- Steel casing that is thinner than the current iPhone
-- An updated operating system to accommodate (some) multi-tasking
-- A new multi-axis gyro system

Not one of these features compares in popularity to the question I've been asked time and time again: does it have a better battery life?

It may be an unfashionable issue, but battery life is a crucial issue that many smartphone manufacturers ignore. It's the elephant in the room. Why have all these superb connectivity applications when you have to go running for a charger every few hours? Currently, the iPhone struggles to last a full day of moderate to heavy use. It has spawned a side-industry in battery-boosting accessories, such as the Fuel Lite or Novothink. But adding these gadgets onto the iPhone creates heft. All of a sudden, we're heading back toward Gordon Gekko land.

The good(ish) news is that the iPhone 4 gives "up to" 40 per cent more battery life. It does this partly by reducing the size of the screen (which is a bit of a cheat). Will this make it a more attractive device? Maybe. But at least it should get it to last until tea-time.

The new iPhone will be available in Ireland in late July. O2 Ireland has confirmed that it will be carrying the handset.

Why we should sell the naming rights to Irish public places and utilties

It is time to start selling the naming rights to national landmarks and infrastructure to raise cash. Public streets, parks, utilities and buildings should be available for branding purposes.

We should start with Dublin Airport. If the DAA was to receive an offer of, say, €100m from an international firm -- Visa, Nestle or someone like that -- for five or ten years of naming rights, they should be allowed to accept that offer. (The airport would hence be known as Dublin-Visa Airport.) Similarly, if a company such as Renault or Toyota offered €10 million for five years' naming rights of the M50, the National Roads Authority should be allowed to accept that.

Sure, people would object. Until you dangle a little money in front of them. Then they could have the choice: take the money away and revert to the old name ('Dublin Airport', 'the M50') or keep the cash and live with the new names. Guess which option the Irish people would take?

Of course, part of the deal would require the Irish media coming on board. In particular, this would mean name-checking the sponsor each and every time the asset was discussed on air and in print. But that shouldn't be a problem, judging by how easily (and cheaply: a few private tours and tickets did the job) the mass media were bought with regard to the 'Aviva' stadium.

And if individual media outlets don't play ball? Simple: no VIP flight lounge access or Westlink passes for them. Just as there might have been no concert tickets available to music hacks who dared to continue referring to the Point Depot, instead of the 'O2'.

And if certain individuals object, in the way that they did in reference to Lansdowne Road constantly being referred to as 'the Aviva'? Simple: we dismiss them as being 'against Irish sport' and retarding 'progress'. That seems to work.

So it's time to get on with the great Irish naming-rights sale.

I once thought that selling the naming rights to national cultural and sporting focus points (such as our national stadia) was vulgar and lacking in dignity or class. I naively thought that self-respecting media pundits might take tradition and cultural legacy more seriously than a few euro from the highest bidder.

But that former version of me was living in the wrong country. Yes, we all mention Aviva three times a day, now. But look at the money we got from it! Cha-ching!

It is time to leverage our assets while we still can.