TechWire

Dear BlackBerry, Bubble Bash 2 isn't compensation for a week's email disruption

 

That’s it? You cut off our email and our web-browsing for three days and you offer us Angry Birds (or Bubble Bash 2, pictured) as compensation?
There must be some mistake here, Rim.
Offering a few BlackBerry apps for a day’s lost email is like offering me a ferry ticket to Swansea in exchange for a cancelled flight to Paris. I just don’t want the freebie.
Neither, I suspect, will many of the other millions of annoyed customers, whose email and internet business were seriously disrupted last week.
But don’t just take my word for it about the undesirability of your crappy offer. A BlackBerry owner is about ten times less likely to download an app to their device than an iPhone or Android owner is.
And it’s no mystery why. You, Rim, have a fraction of the number of apps that either Apple or Google have in their App Store and Market store, respectively. Those that are there often cost at least €5 each, way more than the 80 cents you spend on thousands of usable iPhone apps.
Even when you find something that looks interesting, the best you have to use it on is a small screen with a fiddly keyboard.
So you’ll forgive us, Rim, if we can’t help suspecting that you’re trying to kill two birds with one stone, here. You’re ‘apologising’ by trying to subsidise an unarguably lame part of your business.
Seriously? This is not a great way to win back friends. Especially seeing as many of your customers are on the cusp of leaving you anyway.
In the last six months alone, your BlackBerry market share in the US smartphone market has dropped from 24 per cent to 19 per cent (with Android market share going in almost exactly the opposite direction).
The same trend can be detected here in Ireland. Androids and iPhones are now becoming the default smartphones, even in conservative companies.
So spare us your mediocre apps offer, Rim. Give us a week’s free credit with our operator, instead. Better still, give us a month’s credit. It’s about the only shot you have of retaining business in the long run.

 

 

Where to get the best operator deal on an iPhone 4 in Ireland

Looking for an iPhone 4 in Ireland? Wondering which operator offers the best deal?

Irish operators have been pitching some interesting deals on the iPhone 4 over the past month or two. As always, there's a fair bit of marketing involved in the presentation of the offers. To cut through the PR-speak, here is a basic comparison of iPhone 4 prices, availablility and conditions.

I'm going to do two tables: one based on 'free' iPhone offers and one based on comparative monthly tariff charges.

                       Upfront      Monthly        Data         Minutes/texts    Contract
Vodafone          FREE        €100              1GB          700+700            18 months
O2                   FREE         €100             1GB          700+350            18 months
3                      FREE         €40              15GB*        350                   24 months
Meteor              FREE         €45               5GB          200+200            24 months
eMobile            FREE          €60               3GB         300+300            24 months

                       Monthly      Upfront      Data            Minutes/texts    Contract
Vodafone          €45              €280          0.5GB         150+150            18 months
O2                   €35              €260          0.25GB        250+250            18 months
3                      €40               free          15GB*          350                   24 months
Meteor             €45               free           5GB             200+200           24 months
eMobile            €45              €300          2GB             300+300           18 months

* A couple of additional notes, especially with regards to the distinction between "all you can eat" and a 15GB limit on 3's service:
1. The 15GB data allowance that I refer to is the level set out in its terms and conditions for what it calls 'All You Can Eat' data. While the inference is clearly that data use is unlimited, the 15GB level is a figure that the company has inserted for its own reasons, probably as a precaution against abuse. Privately, company executives insist that the 15GB level is simply a nominal level that will not be enforced. But that 15GB is the only specified data level that a customer can rely on if there is any dispute with the company as to 'fair use'. The problem is that there are several examples where 'unlimited' services spawn disputes that end up being decided on what is specifically, designedly set down in the terms and conditions. On the 'all you can eat' service's terms and conditions, this is what it says: "Should your data usage exceed 15GB in a billing cycle and your usage affect other network users, we reserve the right to limit your Service."

Leaving data caps aside, the 350 minutes/texts that 3 offers can be divided into wither texts or minutes. Finally, 3 says that its 'free iPhone' offer only lasts until June 30th.

2. eMobile plans quotes also give "unlimited" calls to Eircom landlines.

Finally, there are many different ways of comparing packages and mobile operators will always want to see the one that benefits their particular package ("what? You're comparing the devices without mentioning the free pink accessory kit you get with our offer? That's completely unbalanced!"). Also, I'm not going to go into all the add-ons (data, roaming etc) that operators offer: it defeats the purpose of a digestible table.

So there.

Microkia: win for MSFT, missed opportunity for Nokia

[I'll be blogging regularly from the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.]

Here’s why the Nokia/Microsoft deal looks like a win for MS and maybe something less than a total win for Nokia:

1. Microsoft gets access to a massive phone brand with enormous distribution. Yes, Nokia has been ailing. Yes it is floundering at the high-end. But it still has enormous muscle in getting its handsets in front of your face in shops. Consider that one in two phones in Ireland is still a Nokia (according to Mindshare’s research). Worldwide, the company still has over 30 per cent market share. Okay, it’s less at the top-end, but that is a massive visibility boost from WP&, no matter what way you look at it.

2. Microsoft gets to put Bing on a mass-market platform. You know where Google is hoping to make a heap of money out of mobile in the long term? Yep, through ads related to search. And the same goes for Microsoft’s Bing. This gives the niche search engine a Hulk-sized adrenalin shot.

3. Microsoft gets a boost for its starting-to-flounder Microsoft Office platform. Know where Microsoft makes the biggest single chunk of its money? That’s right -- licenses for Microsoft Office. And that business is coming under heavy fire from free -- or very cheap -- cloud-based rivals (such as Google Docs). Here’s a way to give Office a big push on mobile devices.

4. Microsoft gets its profitable gaming platform onto mobiles. Xbox Live is part of the deal: you’ll be able to use your Live account to download games, a service which will get more and more appealing as the smartphones get more powerful.

5. There are going to be lots of people ready with a big fat ‘I Told You So’ if people keep buying the smartphone systems they’re currently flocking to: iPhone and Android (Blackberry is falling back a little). Why didn’t Nokia do the deal with Android? We know they held discussions. Yes, Google is pernickety about contolling the development and parameters of its own OS. But Google is the one with the product people want, here; if there is a dispute over who knows best in smartphone OS, Android beats Nokia, simple as that.

So what does Nokia get?

1. In fairness, Nokia gets an operating system that is more advanced and slicker than Symbian or MeeGo are ever going to be. WP7 is arguably third, behind iOS and Android. But it’s still a nice system. And it’s leagues head of current Symbian offerings, which has ruined the technically superlative Nokia N8. And MeeGo? We’ve been waiting for that for too long. As Stephen Elop said the other day in that famous ‘burning platforms’ memo, MeeGo may not even see the light of day at all this year. Let’s face it: Nokia’s OS efforts have become a big #fail.

2. Nokia also gets money. Apparently, Microsoft is happy to pay to get WP 7 onto Nokia’s array of handsets. That’s sure to sweeten the deal for anyone.

3. Nokia also gets to say that it has finally recognised that it is going down the wrong route.

 

 

Some mobile stats for Ireland

The people over at Mindshare Ireland have come up with an interesting infographic about mobile brands, usage and market share in Ireland.

More on the company's blog.

Tech bits 'n' pieces, Monday January 17th

Check out this extensive list of tweeting Irish journalists (arranged by publication/broadcaster) by @Ondaboos. Very handy for PR and marketing folks, I'd imagine. Also worth checking out @garethoconnor's media lists.

Looking for a deal on an iPhone 4? The 3 Store in Dun Laoghaire (no link, as offer not online) has em for €100. But it's a 2-year contract at €40 per month.

There's a couple of good Irish law blogs out there. Like Rossa McMahon's A Clatter Of Law and TJ McIntyre's IT Law In Ireland.

Want to start a fight on Twitter or a blog? Here are the rules (says TechCrunch).

Facebook apps can now obtain your phone number and home address. (But only if you consent.)

Bloggers: sick of writing 'for free'? Seeking Alpha "pays $10 per 1,000 views".  (WSJ link)

Facebook beats mobile for teens (and other bits)

Damien Mulley has conducted a survey among 101 teenagers on their mobile and digital habits. It throws up some interesting trends. For example, more teens use Facebook than phone calls to contact mates on their mobile. (The Irish Times takes a slightly different tone in its coverage of the survey here.) Also, Meteor is cited as having almost half the teen market, with Nokia being the most common handset (though iPhone is "most desired). Both of these statistics are probably as much to do with parents and budgets than individual preferences.

What happens to your digital accounts when you die? That's what iDeparted.com is for. Mainly Twitter and Facebook, but also blogs.

Related: the blog of David Stewart, a much-missed Irish journalistic colleague, is still up. The last entry was written two weeks before he died, in 2006. Bit macabre.

A well-argued piece on why slashing 'fair-use' data allowances (as mobile operators are currently doing) isn't 'fair'.

Argos has (for once) a decent clearance sale on TVs. 32-inch 1080p Samsung sets for €300. (In its Santry, Dublin, store anyway.)

Live long and prosper. And do you come here often? Trekkie dating site.

Hacker translates DUP websites into Irish.

A first glimpse of Rupert Murdoch's new iPad newspaper. Not so promising.

Sky shelves its Irish broadband plans (for now)

It seems that Sky has nixed its plans to introduce broadband into the Irish market.

For the time being, at least. The satellite broadcaster, which has a broadband service in Britain, had been telling its customers for some time that a broadband launch was on the way. But it has recently changed its tune with punters, citing "differences" in the Irish market. Here's the Irish office's official word on the matter:

"Sky successfully launched broadband and telephony services to its British customers over 4 years ago. We would like to do the same in Ireland but there are a number of differences between the UK and Irish marketplaces. Sky continues to explore opportunities to launch broadband and telephony services in Ireland".

Decoded, this means that we'll be lucky to see a launch by the summer, if at all this year. Whether or not this news will come as a disappointment to anyone is unclear, as the service would, most likely, have simply been a rebadged Eircom product. And with 100Mbs services now in the market, 1Mbs satellite broadband isn't exactly a compelling prospect.

Other bits 'n' bytes...

Pay attention Leaving Cert students: good guide to Hamlet resources on Rathfarnham SCC's excellent education blog.

Anyone tried Volta.ie's movie download/rental/streaming service? Some good Irish films up there.

Rumours are getting stronger that the next iPhone update will include wifi hotspot capability.

Sometimes telcos do listen: Britain's T-Mobile has backed down (partially) after punters complained about its monthly data cap being reduced from to 500MB.

My colleague, David McWilliams, loves making up words. The latest one: bankocracy.

January's car market isn't doing too badly, it seems. There are at least 2,500 cars sold in Dublin (alone) in the first two weeks of the month. (As this pic shows.)

Daily tech notes...

 
With the cold weather possibly on the way back, be warned: Apple won't fix your broken iPhone if you use it below zero degrees celsius.

Speaking of smartphones and data allowances, got a Windows 7 phone? If so, better check it's not sending out between 30-50MB per day without you knowing. That's 1GB in 20 days, possibly leading to data bill misery.

Facebook is making its "new" profile layout compulsory, starting today. Hey, if it helps the company's stock price...

Notice an increase in your spam? You're not alone. Spam has rocketed in January, according to experts. And it's mainly down to one Russian botnet, Rustock (responsible for up to 50% of all world spam at its peak).

Nintendo: upcoming 3DS "might be harmful" to kids' eyes but, apparently, "is not dangerous".

My SBP colleague, Dick O'Brien, interviewed Ciaran Crean, co-founder of Mick's Garage. That company is going a bomb.

The first cinema-release movie coming out shot entirely on iPhones. By Oldboy's acclaimed director, Park Chan-Wook, no less.

Know what turns most people off eco-friendly hybrid cars? Their boring looks and design. The new Toyota Prius range, for example.

The first wannabe porn game for Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect. Can't see this one getting released.

Even before any of us have gotten Gingerbread yet, Android has a new mobile OS on the make: 2.4 'Ice Cream'. (Like hurricanes, they name each updated OS alphabetically, it seems.)

Anyone else think Pat Rabbitte bears even a slight resemblance to Angry Birds?

Irish operators' wifi dongle plans: a comparison

Looking for a 3G wifi broadband plan? It's a byzantine task trying to compare Irish operators' pricing and data plans. So here's a chart comparing Irish operators' (i) prepay wifi dongle plans and (ii) billpay wifi dongle plans.

 

Mobile operators sell two kinds of mobile broadband devices. One is a stick that slots into your computer's USB port. The other is an oval dongle (see picture above) that generates its own wifi signal. Up to five devices (laptops, iPads, smartphones, desktops) can use it at the same time. This is the one I'm focusing on in this post.

Note: this is aimed mainly at novices and beginners. In other words, where there has been a choice between various 30-day access packages, I've chosen the cheapest one available, based on an assumption that novices are less likely to be power-users. I've added in the higher data options in the fine print section below each table.

(i) PREPAY WIFI DONGLE BROADBAND PLANS

Operator                   3            O2         Voda     Meteor    Emobile

Dongle price:           €70         €60        €60        €70*         €60

1 day access            €5           €4           €3          €3           €3

1 week access          €10          --           €10         --             --

1 month access        €15         €20         €20        €20           --

Out-of-bundle MB      €1          €0.02*     €0.19    €0.02*     €0.02

 

(ii) BILLPAY WIFI DONGLE BROADBAND PLANS

Operator                    3         O2        Voda      Meteor    Emobile

Dongle price:            €10      €30        €40*        €40          €40

1GB                          €10        --            --            --             --

5GB                            --         --            --           €17           --

10GB                          --         --           €20         €20          €20

15GB                         €20      €20         €25*         --             --

20GB                          --          --            --           €25           --

30GB                         €26*       --            --            --             --

Out-of-bundle MB      €0.05   €0.02     €0.02       €0.02       €0.02

* Now here's the fine print (including data caps) on PREPAY plans:

3 Ireland: 1 day access up to 500MB. 1 week access up to 2GB. 1 month access up to 1GB. HIgher-priced 1 month packages are also available for up to 20GB (€35). 3 also has a current offer where pre-pay broadband dongle comes with 1GB of free data pre-authorised. However,  wifi dongle is currently out of stock. O2: 1 day access up to 500MB. 1 month access up to 5GB. Out-of-bundle charge of 2 cents per megabyte applies until the session is over and then you must take out a new full-price top-up. O2 also offers a "free 24 hour pass" when you initially sign up. O2 also has a special dangle purchase price of €80 with €40 credit. Vodafone: 1 day access up to 500MB. I week access up to 2GB. 1 month access up to 5GB. Add-on data allowances of 500MB (€3), 2GB (€10) and 5GB (€20) are available on prepay plans. Meteor: dongle is €60 if purchased online. 1 day access up to 500MB. 1 month access up to 7.5GB. Free access to Eircom public wifi hotpots with subscriptions. Meteor's high speed broadband access coverage is limited to large urban areas. Emobile: 1 day access up to 500MB. 1 month access up to 7.5GB.

* And here's the fine print on BILLPAY plans:

3: 30GB tariff of €26.24 is a promotional tariff, ends Feb 28th. O2: purchase price is based on 18 month contract. For 12 month contract, €50 purchase price applies. For 6 month contract, €60 purchase price applies. Vodafone: 15GB (€25) plan also gives higher speed, free modem ('up to' 14.4Mbs download) on 18-month plan. A reduced rate of €17 per month is available to Vodafone bill pay phone customers. Meteor: Prices based on 12-month contracts. For 18-month contact, 20GB product falls to €20 per month. Wifi dongle costs €20 extra if bought with 5GB or 10GB plans. Free access to Eircom public wifi hotpots with subscriptions. Emobile: 12-month contract applies

So which one do I use?

I've used wifi dongles from 3, O2 and Meteor, on and off. Of these, I've found 3's dongle probably to be the fastest and the widest in reach. Meteor gives a great perk in the form of free wifi at Eircom public hotspots, but its own high speed 3.5G coverage is far more limited than its rivals. I only recently started using O2's Hotspot wifi dongle and have found it to be a reasonably decent service.

OTHER ISSUES/QUESTIONS

1. How wifi broadband dongles work with your computer/tablet/smartphone: when you turn the dongle on, it emits a wifi signal (based on the sim card housed within it). You will see the dongle's wifi signature in your device's wifi detector. Simply choose it, enter the given password and you're connected. Up to five devices can access this wifi signal at the same time. The dongles are rechargeable: you will get between 3 and 5 hours use from a single charge, generally.

2. Where do they work? Anywhere that you find a 3G mobile phone signal (which is all urban areas and most towns or large villages). I have used dongles with little problem in remote West Cork (Beara peninsula) and rural Mayo (Erris and Belmullet).

3. Do they suffer form the same constrictions as mobile phone signals? Yes. So for example, they work less well in basements or deep inside a large building (unless there are extra transmitters in the building, such as a shopping centre). So if you normally have difficulty picking up a strong mobile phone signal in your home or your office, you will also have difficulty using one of these devices for your internet access.

4. What speed to they connect at? Generally 'up to' 7.2Mbs (download) and 'up to' 5Mbs (upload). (Some connect 'up to' 14.4Mbs.) In practice, it's about half that speed in urban areas and can be as little as a tenth of the advertised speed.

In general, I've been pretty happy with 3G broadband, mainly because I move about a lot. But it may or may not be the right service for you. 

8 Must-Have Apps For New iPad Owners

So you got an iPad for Christmas.  Nice, isn't it? Now comes the fun bit: looking for apps to use on the tablet.

There are over 300,000 of them out there: everything from spycams (currently the top-selling app) to fertility advice clinics. The App Store's charts will give you a good idea of some quality apps. But here are 8 apps that I've found to be truly excellent at various stages over the last six months.

When you're finished reading through them, why not take a look at my review of 15 quality business apps for the iPad?

1. Google Earth
The iPad was made for Google Earth. And vice versa. No other device shows off the application in as stunning a way. For the novice, it is an amazing thing to see the program zoom in from space to the driveway outside the house you are standing in. The application now incorporates Street View too, a brilliant way of researching other cities.
Price: free


2. Flipboard
Flipboard is a beautiful app that turns website feeds into magazine-style pages. Instead of scrolling, you 'flip' the page. You can customise it to suit whatever content tastes you have (its optional tech feeds include All Things Digital, TechCrunch and Engadget, for example). It'll take a little while to get the hang of customising it and will mainly appeal to frequent iPad users. But it's one of the loveliest, most creative apps out there.
Price: free


3. Angry Birds HD
It is the most successful game on either the iPhone or the iPad in the last 12 months. It's easy to see why: there are no high-octane laser cannons or RPG quests. Just a a few pissed-off birds looking for revenge on some cheeky pigs that have stolen their eggs. They get it by hurling themselves against the pigs' flimsy structures, using a giant catapult. What could be more fun? Very little, it would seem. The iPad version costs more than the iPhone version, but is worth it.
Price: €4


4. Facepad / Friendly
Bizarrely, Facebook has not yet made an app for the iPad. That has left the job of keeping you updated on Facebook to a number of alternative apps. While we've already mentioned Flipboard, either Facepad or Friendly would be the two best options for a standalone Facebook app. The Facepad, which has just launched is the simplest, cleanest-looking app. However, it's not optimised for the iPad's specs, so the screen is a tad blurry. Friendly is very nice app, giving you its own user-interface on your Facebook news, photos and friends.
Price: both free


5. Twitterrific
If you have a Twitter account -- and it seems very many of you do -- you've got to have a Twitter client for your iPad. There are some very nice paid Twitter apps. Osfoora HD has outstanding functionality and used to be a firm favorite of mine. But it kept crashing. And freezing. And crashing again. So it's back to (perfectly usable, efficient) basics with Twitterrific. Whatever you do, don't rely on Twitter's iPad app. It stinks.
Price: free


6. Pages
The iPad comes with Notes, a basic note-taking applications. It's fine. If you're looking for something with a little more power and flexibility, Pages is my choice. Based on Apple's word-processing program of the same name, it lets you easily incorporate images and other rich features into documents. And you can easily upload or email the pages out.
Price: €8


7. Documents To Go Premium
This is one I featured in the business apps roundup, but it's worth mentioning here, also. While Pages is a great standalone word-processing app, it doesn't incorporate Microsoft Word documents into it to work on. You can with Docs2Go. Not only Word, but Excel and Powerpoint, too. Not only that, you can synchronize the whole thing with your desktop computer's Microsoft Office suite.
Price: €14


8. Google
Yes, Google has its own iPad app. Granted, there's a (small) Google search panel in the default Safari web-browser app. But the Google app allows you to stay signed in using your Gmail or Google Docs account and keeps you updated if new communication comes in.

Christmas gifts on a budget: Samsung Galaxy Europa (Android)

Android smartphones are hot property this Christmas. It's not hard to see why, with close to 100,000 apps available.

Normally, these sophisticated handsets will cost you well over €200, unless you're willing to enter into a lengthy bill-pay contract (in which case you'll get them from free).

Samsung has come up with a budget-friendly version called the Galaxy Europa. It skimps on top-end features, sporting a meagre 2 megapixel camera and a plasticky casing. But its 2.8-inch touchscreen does a better job than most entry-level smartphones and it does a good job with Facebook, Twitter and web-browsing.

Price: €90 (locked, pre-pay) from Meteor

HTC HD7: 60 second review

I've been using HTC's HD7 for a little while, now. I've found some pros and some cons with the phone and the new operating system from Microsoft.

Here are the system's pros:

1. The interface is initially pleasing. It's bright and clear.
2. The touchscreen is pretty flawless. It's no different from HTC's high-end Android phones. And that's good.
3. The battery life is surprisingly okay. This phone has a 4.3 inch screen, normally battery-drain hell. But the HD7 easily lasts a full day with moderate to heavy use.
4. It uses the standard Micro-USB charging system. That means that you can share chargers with loads o father people. No more emails around the office with: "does anyone have a skinny Nokia charger?" (Incredibly, Nokia has stuck with its own charger for the N8. Grrrrr.)
5. The photo and video quality is decent enough. The HD7 has high definition video recording. Increasingly, this makes a difference.
6. The operating system integrates your contacts really nicely. Facebook friends, for example, are added to the list.

Now here are some of the cons.

1. The number of apps available is lamentable. Going from an iPhone or an Android phone, this will hit you with a shock. No more Angry Birds when you're on the loo. No sharing files via Evernote.
2. Lack of content-sharing. On an iPhone or a Nokia, you're often able to instantly share photos, videos or other content to the most popular social networking services. Much less integration on Phone 7.
3. The Twitter apps are rubbish or non-existent. Twitter's own Phone 7 app is muck. It'll take you ages, for example, to work out where exactly the 'replies' section is. Okay, this is only important if you use Twitter. But I do.
4. The operating system can slow up. If you're trying to switch between apps or reverse your way out of an app, the HD7 is noticeable slower than either Android or iPhone. Okay, it's just a second or two. But still.
5. Xbox Live is limited. One of the great promises of this phone is its integration of your Xbox Live account. But when you try to use your account to download games, you'll find that loads aren't available 'for your territory' (Ireland). Booo.

For the purposes of this post, I've mixed in comments about the HD7 (the hardware) with Phone 7 (the operating system from Microsoft), as this is what you'll get when you go in to buy the phone.

Touchscreen gloves for the big freeze

Cold weather and touchscreen smartphones do not go together hand in glove.

Every time you need to take a call, you have to take a glove off. Why? Because wool just doesn't work on a touchscreen. Luckily, one canny manufacturer has stitched special conductive lining into the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of this pair of 'faux wool' (acrylic) gloves. The result is a fully functional phone and non-frozen fingers. They cost €15 including delivery from Firebox.com.

Alternatively, if you're still not getting a purchase on your touchscreen, you can try these forefinger-less gloves from Etre. They cost €35 (including delivery).

15 decent business apps for the iPad

The iPad is really starting to get down to business. There are loads of genuinely handy day-to-day work apps available for it, now. Here are 15 really decent work and productivity apps that I have found useful. (I've listed them alphabetically.)

1. Airsharing HD
It's all very well having a Dropbox, Evernote or Gmail account. But wouldn't it be great to be able to simply access your home or work computer remotely on your iPad? Then you could open, edit or copy over any of the documents or files you have on your stationary computer. That's more or less what Airsharing HD does. It allows you to wirelessly ‘mount' your iPad as an external drive to your main machine.
Price: €8

2. Bloomberg
If you like to keep an eye on the markets, this is the best iPad app out there. It provides instant access to every major stock market around the globe, including the Irish Stock Exchange. You can look any stock up to see its current and historical performance, as well as check any news headlines relating to it. The app also offers podcasts, currency information and a general news feed.
Price: free

3. Box.net
Along with Dropbox and Evernote, this is among the best cloud storage apps available for the iPad. Because it's accepted as a mainstream service, many other apps and services now synchronise with Box.net files and accounts.
Price: free for 1GB of storage, premium subscriptions available

4. Desktop Connect
One of the biggest productivity applications for the iPad is remote desktop sharing.That means being able to switch on your iPad and view the contents of your home or office computer. There are dozens of such apps for this task in the App Store. It's quite easy to set up and can prove very useful.
Price: €12

5. Documents To Go Premium
As good as Apple's iWork suite is, Microsoft Word and Excel are still the dominant currency in office productivity software. This fact makes Documents To Go a very useful app. It allows you to create, view and edit documents in Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. It also allows you to synchronise these iPad files with your desktop's Microsoft Office suite and a range of popular online storage services, such as Google Docs, Dropbox and Box.net. This vies with Quick office Connect Mobile Suite for the accolade as the best Microsoft Office synchronisation app available for the iPad.
Price: €14

6. Evernote
The most popular online note-taking application works just as well on the iPad edition as it does on your computer or your smartphone. It also means you can access all of your notes, memos and documents (from years back, too).
Price: free

7. Financial Times
Europe's largest business publication has launched a special iPad edition of its newspaper. Access to the news content is based upon the same principle as its website. Those who register (supply a name and e-mail address) get access to most of the news sections. To read in-depth features, columnists and special reports, there are varying subscription rates, but the app itself is free.
Price: free


8. Instapaper
Getting on a plane? That means you won't be able to catch up on your online reading. What this app does is to record and save web pages you visit in a nice, readable format. You can open them up again offline later. It is very useful for getting access to your online newspaper subscription.
Price: €4

9. Keynote
Keynote completes the trio of iWork applications (alongside Pages and Numbers). It is the Mac version of PowerPoint. Its strength is in the templates it provides for multimedia presentations. These beautifully incorporate images and videos, as well as the usual bullet point slides.
Price: €8

10. LogMeIn Ignition
This is another, more straightforward, take on controlling a remote PC using your iPad. It basically allows you to take complete control of a PC somewhere else. You can create and edit documents, and even print from it. Instead of using a mouse, you can either point to where you want the mouse to click or leave it in the centre of the screen and move items onto it. This is probably the most user-friendly remote desktop apps you can get.
Price: €24

11. Numbers
Numbers is Apple's answer to Excel. As is the norm, it is a lot more user-friendly and pleasant to look at than Microsoft's popular spreadsheet application. It synchronises nicely with a host of web-sharing and print options.
Price: €8

12. Pages
Apple's answer to Microsoft Office is its iWork suite of applications. This is made up of Pages (Word),Keynote (Powerpoint, OneNote) and Numbers (Excel, Access).Apple is selling a modified version of each for €8. As a word processing program, Pages is a cinch to use and makes great use of images and online sharing.
Price: €8

13. PrintCentral For iPad
One of the iPad's acknowledged weaknesses has been its lack of external connectivity to peripherals such as printers (even though this has been improved a bit with 4.2's Airprint). If your printer is wi-fi connected, this is a brilliant way to get around the iPad's printing restriction. You can connect your iPad to any wi-fi printer, anywhere in the world. You can print virtually any type of document, including high resolution photos. A brilliant, indispensable app for those with a need to print off documents.
Price: €8

14. Side By Side
Another iPad weakness is the lack of real multi-tasking ability. For example, if you want to write documents or take notes while researching something online, you must exit the browser or app to open the word processing app. Side By Side is a very useful way around this issue. Aimed at multi-tasking when online, it divides the screen in two so you can browse on one side and open a productivity app (such as Google Docs or Evernote) on the other. Really handy.
Price: 80 cents

15. Webex
Cisco's online meeting tool is widely used among multinationals and corporates. It shows participants (via webcams) and allows them to talk, type and share documents live on air. The free iPad app allows you to be invited into a meeting that is scheduled or organised by someone else (who has forked out for a pricey Webex subscription). It will not put you into the picture of the meeting, however, as the iPad has no camera.
Price: free

3 Ireland's market share falls steeply in revised Comreg figures

*Note that I've updated the drop in market share from 50% to 37% (see below).

Ouch.

Following the revelation that 3 Ireland had been misreporting figures to Comreg earlier this year, the regulator has been busy revising all of its market statistics.

It has just released the new, revised statistics on its website. And it shows a fairly steep drop in 3 Ireland's market share compared to its original statistics.

3's market share was reported as being 9.2% (including mobile broadband) and 6.1% (excluding mobile broadband) of the Irish market. The real figures, say Comreg, were 5.8% (including mobile broadband) and 2.4% (excluding mobile broadband).

That's a whopping 37 per cent fall of its reported market share, including mobile broadband statistics. It's an even steeper 60 per cent fall in its phone-only market share (excluding mobile broadband services). The main benficiary seems to be Vodafone, which is now up to over 42% market share.

[Update: I originally quoted a fall of 50 per cent in that portion of 3's market share figure that includes mobile broadband; that was off the mark and a product of my gammy maths. The correct figure is 37 per cent, as 3 Ireland has correctly pointed out.]

* Both sets of figures quoted relate to Q1, 2010.