It said that during the last three months of 2011 it saw its largest ever acquisition of new customers to date, with a record 313,000 new additions.

The company which is the UK’s largest mobile operator said the increase was due to customers choosing to upgrade to smartphones with data packages.

Data packages are usually sold with more expensive pay monthly contracts.

Have you recently become an Everything Everywhere customer, if you have which network did you choose Orange or T-Mobile? 

How has your experience been so far, good or bad?

Share Your Opinion!

Pingit is a downloadable App available on iOS, Android and Blackberry; users also have the option of registering online to receive payments. Transferring your money is as safe as any other transaction according to Barclays who have almost certainly staked their reputation on the service. Security for this app/service is protected by a five digit pass code set by the user.

Three points to consider

• Barclays current account customers can send up to £300 a day
• Non Barclays current account holders can only receive money (Will soon change)
• The Pingit app is free to download

Downloading and Signing Up

If you are a Barclays current account holder, have a UK mobile number and either a Apple iPhone, Blackberry or HTC Smartphone you can download the Pingit app. When you have downloaded the app Barclays will link your current account and UK mobile phone number to the Pingit app so you can send and receive money using your contacts list on your handset. Full instructions are provided during the sign up process.

Making A Payment

Making a payment using the app is easy! Choose who you want to send money to from your contacts list, select how much you want to send and confirm the payment. Barclays will send the recipient a text message informing them how to access their money.

Receiving Money

If you don’t hold a current account with Barclays but still want to be able to receive money from people using the Pingit app, you will need to register your mobile phone number at  Barclays.co.uk/pingit

When a mobile number is registered with Pingit, your account details are then linked to your mobile number so that users can pay you.
When a payment is received you will get a text message confirming the payment has been made, and the details will appear on your current account statement.
For full details and a detailed FAQ visit Barclays Pingit Help/FAQ

Our Opinion

Could this be the beginning of the mobile payments revolution we’ve been hearing so much about in the last 12 months? The answer is we just don’t know and it’s much too early to say. One point of concern that instantly pops into my head when thinking about this kind of thing is security.

Security will make or kill this service and to be a little pessimistic about it, people’s perception of security will have the final say.

We all know trust is a huge issue with anything that requires a huge amount of security. For instance years after the take up of the internet, high speed broadband and the mobile web many people still remain scared to pay online using their credit and debit cards.

Are you a Barclays current account holder, what do you think?

Share Your Opinion!

Having survived being placed in a washing machine and a mini explosion when it was featured on the Gadget Show, the Griffin Survivor iPhone 4 case really does live up to it’s claims of being the most protective case Griffin have ever made. The case is available from Mobile Fun now, costing £29.95.

Manufactured with a shatter-resistant polycarbonate frame, the Griffin Survivor is then coated in a shock absorbing silicone. The case also has a built in screen protector, so your iPhone is 100% protected in the Griffin Survivor.

Even the ports for the charger, headphones and other features are protected with hinged plugs, so they’re still fully accessible, but are fully protected.

The best iPhone case available for use outdoors, the Griffin Survivor has been tested and certified to meet or exceed the US Department of Defence Standard 810F and the UK Department of Defence Standard 00-35, so it’s made for extreme conditions such as dirt, sand, rain, shocks and a host of other environmental factors.

The Griffin Survivor also comes complete with a heavy duty clip so it can be attached to your bag or belt, meaning it’s easy to carry around.

This case is one of the most reviewed iPhone cases sold. Here’s what some of our customers said about the Griffin Survivor:

‘Bought this to protect my phone if my two year old got hold of it. Caught her two days ago banging it on the table and shouting’ work!’. Despite vigorous attempts the phone is perfect. Buy this if you have a toddler’

‘If you are a construction worker then this case is for you. I watched the video and thought it can’t be that good. I was wrong I have dropped my phone from 10 ft and it survived.’

‘This case is a MUST for all us clumsy people who manage to tread on our phones ! A great case for those who pursue outdoor activities, particularly where horses are concerned. Although a little bulky this is a true robust case offering fantastic protection to our precious and expensive phones – would not be without it and wished I had had it for my last two smashed phones.’

A couple of questions for the reader?

Do you own an iPhone 4 or 4S,  if you do how do you protect your precious smartphone from the elements or accidental damage?

If you don’t use the Griffin Survivor, has your current case lived up to the manufacturers claims?

MobileFun the UK based online mobile phone and accessories retailer have agreed to keep you up to date with their recent news, reviews and mobile phone & accessory offers.If you look above and move your cursor over the retailers section you will see a list of retailers that have agreed to take part in keeping you up to date with everything that is going on with them. You will find MobileFun news, reviews and product offers there.

About MobileFun

We are the Birmingham based MobileFun.co.uk and are one of the UK’s leading internet retailers for “everything mobile”; offering a range of sim free phones, mobile phone accessories, ringtones and mobile java games. Mobile Fun has offices in the UK, Germany and France and delivers products to over 50 countries worldwide. Mobile Fun won the title of Online Retailer of the Year at the Mobile News Awards 2011 and was ranked 6th in the Experian Hitwise Top 10 websites of 2010.

With fast paced advancement in the development of mobile technology and tough competition in the market, mobile phone companies stress more on the design of a handset to be sleek and have useful features. Today’s mobiles have got slimmer than ever and with this their keypad buttons have become tiny or in a lot of cases become none existent, and as they say every feature has its own advantages and disadvantages.

However not everyone thinks the same; and PrePayMania’s Big Button phone is a new arrival on to the market. It has been developed to help the elderly, visually impaired and people who find larger buttons easier to use with its excellent features. This mobile phone is not only slim but has large buttons that stand out and have been designed with the visually impaired in mind. The buttons are big and easy to press, unlike some QWERTY and Slider phones where your thumb can easily get in the way leading to incorrect key strokes.

The display is 1.7 inch LCD which is visibly clear. An extremely loud ringtone and an extra strong vibration can really help people who have hearing problems. The phone is a useful tool for anyone as its main feature is its SOS button built on the back of the handset, which stores up to 5 emergency numbers. With just one touch on this SOS button, the phone will automatically send pre entered emergency text messages to emergency contact numbers. Then sequentially each of these five emergency numbers will be dialed until the call is answered. In case there is no emergency number set, the phone will automatically dial 999. It also comes with LED flash light torch that may be useful depending on the users needs.

This is an incredibly easy mobile phone to use. One touch is all you need, there are no over complicated menus or processes to access multiple features. One touch to call, to listen FM radio, to see during the dark and one touch is all you need even at a time of emergency. Nothing could be more useful and a better gift for your grandparents or other people you care for. It’s not every day that you find a £29.99 phone that’s main aim is to ensure the safety of vulnerable people and peace of mind for others.

Do you own a Big button mobile phone, know someone that does? Or just want to Share your opinion with us!

In addition there is a selection of pay as you go, pay monthly and accessory deals from various retailers to view. If you are reading this and already own the Sony Ericsson TXT, we would welcome your opinion. You can share this either below by commenting on this post or by visiting our Sony Ericsson TXT page and sharing your thoughts about it there. Look for the Rate the TXT box below the handset image.

About the Sony Ericsson TXT

The Sony Ericsson TXT is a QWERTY Phone and an extremely easy one to use, but don’t let that make you think this handset is just a basic model because it isn’t! The TXT has been designed to make messaging friends and family a simple task. The full QWERTY keypad has separated keys and shortcuts, that make emailing, texting and social interactions a breeze.

Like I mentioned earlier the TXT is a fully featured mobile phone and comes full of pre installed applications such as Facebook, Twitter and GoogleTalk. Everything Sony Ericsson thought of when designing this handset had to include ease of use and speed of access, as such there is an easy 2 step Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail setup application which on its own is a massive time saver.

Apart from the apps and ease of use there are also the more regular features you would expect on a modern mobile such as a 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, FM radio, Wi-Fi, expandable memory and much more!

What Sony Ericsson Say About The TXT

The Sony Ericsson txt is a feature phone with features inspired by XperiaTM at an affordable price. As a sister phone to the previously announced Sony Ericsson txt pro it gives you excellent support for messaging on the go with a full QWERTY keyboard and incorporates an SMS shortcut key for quick and easy messaging. It also comes with an embedded “friends” application that lets you instantly follow Facebook and twitter updates from your selected top five friends. It comes with Wi-Fi, a 2.6 inch screen and a 3.2 MP camera.

Sony Ericsson TXT Features

• 3.2 Megapixel fixed focus camera.
• 2.5 inch TFT 256k colour display.
• Bluetooth, Gprs, Usb, Edge, WI-FI.
• MicroSD memory card slot (max 32gb).
• Internal memory 120MB, 64MB RAM.
• SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push email, IM.
• Google mail, Goggle Talk, Voice memo.
• Social network intergration with Facebook and Twitter.
• Stereo radio with RDS, Track ID music recognition.
• Predictive text input, Video record and playback.
• Talk time 5h 40 min (3G), Standby Up to 476 h (3G).
• Organizer, Mp3 ringtones, Vibrate alert, Didital compass.
• MP4/H.263/H.264 player, MP3/eAAC+/WAV player.

Sony Ericsson TXT Video Overview

Currently available on Orange, T-Mobile and Virgin pay as you go from £79.90, and on Pay monthly contract from as little as £15 a month. You can view the offers here Sony Ericsson TXT Offers

Do you already have this handset? If you do please Share your opinion of it with our readers.

PrePayMania the UK based online mobile retailer have agreed to keep our readers informed with interesting news, reviews and the latest mobile phone offers. If you look above you will see in the navigation bar there is a new retailer’s section. Move your cursor over this and you will see a list of retailers that have agreed to take part in keeping you up to date with everything that is going on with them.

About PrePayMania

We are a Mobile Phone and Mobile Phone Accessories online store. We have over 10 years experience in the mobile phone industry with over 6 years trading online.
We strive to offer the best prices, together with good service to provide a smooth Internet ordering experience; we have great understanding with what the consumer actually wants so we cater for their needs giving them great brands, very competitive prices and free delivery

BlackBerry Bold 9790

into its increasingly popular pay as you go and pay monthly offerings this week. The 9790 is an addition to Three’s current Blackberry range and demonstrates performance and power in a slim, compact design.
The BlackBerry Bold 9790 provides the performance and power of the 9900 in a more compact and slimmer design. Like its predecessors the 9790 sports a typical QWERTY keypad, a 2.44” touchscreen and 8GB built-in memory, which expands up to 32GB if you add a microSD card. This should be ample enough storage which will enable you to store all your photos, music and video.

As a handset without social features these days is a “no no” Blackberry have preinstalled what they deem to be the most useful, BBM, Facebook and Twitter. Plus the Bold 9790 has the latest BlackBerry 7 operating system, which provides a richer and faster experience for browsing the internet and using your favourite apps.

In addition voice-activated searches and Augmented Reality software – allow you to point the 9790s digital camera at anything around you and thanks to GPS your phone will know what you’re looking for on the screen; alternatively you could point the BlackBerry Bold 9790 at a product and compare prices in any store or online.

The operating system also supports NFC (Near Field Communication) which means it has a radio frequency that can connect to other NFC devices – This will enable you to share photos, apps, songs or contact details with a friend just by tapping your phones together. In the very near future NFC with enable the adoption of mobile payments often referred to as, contactless payments. Whether Blackberry are planning on allowing this use for their handsets is another matter, and probably one we will talk about in the future!

The handset is available on the Three site now on contract tariffs Text 500, Text 500 AYCE, the Text 500, One Plan or alternatively can be purchased on PAYG for £319.99.

The handset boasts features that include:

• 2.44” Capacitive touchscreen
• Qwerty keypad
• 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus & LED flash
• 8GB built-in memory (expandable to 32GB)
• BlackBerry 7 operating system
• Geo-tagging, face detection, image stabilization
• Voice activated search
• BBM, Facebook and Twitter preinstalled
• Supports NFC (Near field communication)
• Marvel Tavor MG1 1GHz processor

Blackberry where in the news for negative reasons during 2011 and with a change at the highest level this year RIM (Research in Motion) are hoping for a turnaround in the company’s fortunes during 2012.

Will the Blackberry Bold 9790 do this? Share your opinion.