WebOS Future is Open Source -HP makes code available to developers

Today, HP concluded months of deliberation, u-turns and negotiations with the announcement that it will open source WebOS instead of keeping it in-house or selling it off to suitors like Amazon.

This is good news because it ends months of uncertainty which have severely tested the patience of developers and undermined businesses that had already committed to WebOS. The fact that no hardware plans have been announced is perhaps not as big an issue as it seems -if the open sourcing of the code works, then the hardware is likely to follow.

It still remains unlikely that WebOS will, at least in its current state, pose any real challenge to Windows or Android. Though sometimes, the power of the community in open-source environments can make the difference, so it is too early to write it off altogether.

Key to the future is not only the development of the code base and the hardware available to run it, but also the distribution for the software or apps developed in WebOS. With over 100 sizeable App Stores out there, the App Catalog needs some attention as well. Hopefully HP will, as part as its committment to continue investing in WebOS, not forget this, and give the WebOS App Catalog a long needed update to keep its appeal. 

Mobile World Congress 2012 -WIP Jam and Party

BARCELONA- With Christmas less than three weeks away, it can be easy to forget that the Mobile World Congress, the world´s largest trade event for the mobile sector, is also round the corner.

For the joy of mobile app developers everywhere, WIP is organizing the WIP Jam event for developers within the grounds of the Fira complex on the 1^st March 2012 (in Auditorium A, to be precise). This will be preceded by the WIP Party the previous evening at the Rock Museum in the Richard Rogers-designed Las Arenas (upstairs in the Rock Museum venue).

Both events are NOT TO BE MISSED. The WIP Jam event will have the successful formula of short presentations and many breakout sessions to talk about topical issues in mobile, facilitated by familiar faces in mobile development. The WIP Party will have free food and drinks and a Jameoke (for those up for some singing).

You can sign up to the WIP Party by clicking here  

Integrating NFC in mobile apps – implementation costs

In this guest post by Magnus Jern, he sums up the current opportunities and challenges of implementing NFC mobile solutions.

NFC has been around since 2003 but it´s not until now that technology and adoption are ready for commercial deployment. It is embedded in the latest Android handsets, including the Nexus S. RIM are including it in all their new devices and Apple want to equip the iPhone 5 with an NFC chip, despite rumours they would not. Nokia is launching a series of devices including NFC, starting with the C7 and most other handset manufacturers will include NFC in their devices within the next 2 years.

According to Wikipedia: “Near field communication, or NFC, is a set of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or less. (…) This enables NFC targets to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not require batteries. NFC peer-to-peer communication is also possible, where both devices are powered.”

The technology is enabling new and exciting mobile interactions such as loyalty cards,  identification, travel tickets and micro-payments.

What is the cost of implementing NFC in your mobile applications?

The implementation of writing and reading data on the application side is fairly straight forward, just a few API calls that most developers will already be familiar with.

So the cost of implementing NFC in an application is very small compared to the cost of setting up the backend infrastructure that may be required to support it.  A typical NFC application, which reads an NFC chip once to authenticate that the user has been in a certain store or redeemed a voucher, could cost as little as 10-20.000 euros to implement, but NFC itself can be added to existing applications very cheaply.

So what’s next?

During the coming years we will see thousands of different applications including NFC. Some of those will be ground-breaking and others will quickly be forgotten. Banks, retailers, transportation businesses, fast food restaurants and events companies will all be experimenting with the possibilities. Watch this space.

NFC - The best enabler for the future mobile wallet?

There has been talk of NFC as a big driver of the mobile wallet since at least 2008, and the idea of using NFC has been toyed with by operators for some time. Anything that adds value to what a mobile phone can do is clearly going to be appealing to mobile operators (especially if it locks subscribers in or has a proprietary element to it), though the numbers of different stakeholders involved is still holding back NFC. Retailers, financial institutions, operators and manufacturers all have a role to play but also all have different vested interests in how it should be deployed.

The curious thing is that NFC is touted as the cornerstone of mobile transactions, mobile payments and mobile banking in the future. The reality is that NFC was never conceived for this kind of use case. Born out of RFID technology, some of the earlier uses were in tracking physical goods (from cows to library books!). This is relevant because security and encryption of NFC is a key blocker for further deployement of mobile payments (or other secure uses, like accessing buildings).

Even though NFC chips can only be read optimally at a distance of 20cm, the radio frequencies emitted can be captured a few metres away. I remember attending a panel discussion earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress where a  PayPal executive was asked what was stopping them from developing mobile payments with NFC. The answer was that it was simply not safe enough.

This could change though -if NTT DoCoMo was able to deploy over 100,000 "NFC keys" to their mobile subscribers allowing them to unlock the front door to their homes with their mobile phone back in 2008, then securing NFC transmissions further should be possible.

I believe though that from securing NFC communication for simple use cases like unlocking doors to that of making payments, there is still a long way to go. But then, at the same time, there are sceptics who still believe online use of credit cards is unsafe, so a great deal will be down to popular perception. Apple...please lead the way....

HTML5 for Mobile -better than native apps or a "flash" in the pan?

Interest in HTML5 is definitely hotting up-and not only from within geekland. Leading corporates are keen to "something different" that hasn´t been before, and HTML5 is definitely flavour of the month.

There still are several issues with HTML5 that mean that its adoption has been limited or, at best, what has been adopted were the "easy bits" of HTML5 that are more stable than the more racy components (the location component, for example).

Specifically in terms of mobile browser adapted sites, the examples are even thinner on the ground. The Financial Times´s recent move to switch from a native iPhone app to a HTML5 site instead could be seen as a watershed event.

However, while HTML5 is great for showing content, clearly it is not a replacement for native apps which call native features of the handset (camera, accelerometer etc). Can you make an image in an HTML5 mobile site animate when you shake the phone...no, you cannot (and yes, some clients ask for it!).

You can see a great comparison by Michael Mahemoff of some pros and cons of developing native vs HTML5 apps here: HTML5 vs Native apps comparison. Overall, the point is that web apps are closing the gap on native apps..this is true in many ways, but then the gap in some cases was very large.

Testing Mobile Websites using Mobile Emulators

I am a keen follower of Mobiforge.com (formerly known as dev.mobi) since they provide a great set of practical guidelines for mobile development.

In a recent post, Mike McQuillan provides one of the clearest set of guidelines I have seen recently on how to use mobile emulators for testing mobile websites.

With around 4500 mobile devices on the market today, testing across all platforms and devices is a big challenge. Emulators are a big help in this area (even though from experience, they come with a caveat of never being able to completely replicate 100% of what individual handsets will do).

Emulators are broken down into three main types:

• Device emulators - These are generally provided by device manufacturers and simulate the actual device. Device emulators are excellent for testing your site or application on a particular device or set of devices.
• Browser emulators - These simulate mobile browser environments. Whilst useful for determining the functionality available in a particular mobile browser, they are useless for device-specific testing.
• Operating System Emulators - Microsoft provides emulators for Windows Mobile, and Google provides an emulator for Android. These run within a simulated mobile device environment and provide access to applications running within the operating system, e.g. a Web browser.

Web-based/browser emulators are the quickest to install and access. A good point Mike makes is that despite Nokia still being a leading handset manufacturer, there are surprisingly few handset emulators for their devices.

In order to access all the emulators from device manufacturers, you will need to register on the relevant Developer Portal. If you are looking to test a mobile website for iPhone and don´t have a MacBook there is no need to panic.

You can find a PC-friendly iPhone emulator at: http://testiphone.com/. I actually tested this with my blog (which is mobile-adapted) but the emulator failed to reproduce my website correctly, so I would treat this emulator with caution.

You can find more detailed instructions on each emulator (including set up screenshots) in the MobiForge article by clicking on this post´s title.

DroidCon hits the UK -Android Developers Invited in London

LONDON -If you are passing by London at the start of October, make sure you don't miss out on DroidCon 2011, taking place at the Islington Design Centre on the 6th and 7th of October.

This is the UK's largest Android-only development event taking place this year and will include some big names in the Android world. The first day features a Bar Camp and Developer Camp. The second day will be a conference day with presentations from Android experts worldwide.These include Richard Hyndman and Nick Butcher from Google and Mark Murphy from CommonsWare.

The Super Early Bird tickets are now sold out, but you can still grab some Early Bird discounted tickets at 150 GBP.

There were will be plenty of goodies and related discounts for attendees, including a special delegate discount on my book, "Location Aware Applications" published by Manning (US). Check back here soon for the discount code and more updates on the event!

AppWorks o2 Oslo- Summary of Mobile Tech Conference

App works olso location everywhere 05.2011 rf slideshare

View more presentations from Ric Ferraro

OSLO- Appworks is one of the leading mobile conferences in Scandinavia (organized by Mobilen.no, famous for their Telecruise conference that takes place on a cruise ship) and it was a real pleasure to speak about Location-Aware apps during the 1-day event at the end of May.

The conference attracted a great mix of mobile entrepreneurs, developers and 'big guns' like Samsung, LG, Blackberry, Nokia and HTC, with a conference format running in parallel to a workshop format (Klubbscenen).

Location-based services were one of the main items on the day's agenda, so it was perhaps provocative of me to kick off my keynote by stating that Location-Based Services were extinct today. The reasons for stating this is that location is no longer a service but a feature that is embedded everywhere. You can see my full slide deck above, by the way, and check out the other themes I presented.

Location on mobile is also firmly in the mainstream today -with Facebook in particular achieving what Foursquare couldn't.I'm a big believer in the fact that contextual search (with mobile apps knowing what I'm more likely to be interested in according to time of day, previous searches, ambient temperature etc) will unlock the full potential of location. It is still early days for this, but as Google (and others) invest in research in this area and processing power on mobile devices keeps increasing, we will see some real examples of this soon.

There were some great presentations at the event by other speakers - I particularly enjoyed the ones by John Valentine (from SCVNGR), Megan Miller (on usability of iPad apps) and Ola Larsen (from RIM). Ola showed a video that I thought was pretty cool, on Hyper-Augmented Reality. You can see the video below and get an insight into what one version of the future of AR could be like. Enjoy!


Augmented (hyper)Reality: Domestic Robocop from Keiichi Matsuda on Vimeo.

AppWorks Oslo- On Embedded Location and Location Privacy

OSLO -I will be speaking about 'Location, Location, Location' at the AppWorks Conference at Latter at Aker Brygge in Oslo on the 24th May and will join John Valentine from Scvngr, Christophe Joyau from Nokia and Mette Lykke from Endomondo in the first conference session on "Location Based Services".

This is interesting, as the first point I will be making in my presentation will be that "Location Based Services" are extinct. Readers familiar with my blog will know that I have mentioned this point before. What do I mean by this? 

The point is not just a semantic one. We are now in a world of "location everywhere", with location becoming a pervasive and embedded element of mobile. In fact, you could argue (and I certainly do) that location has gone mainstream. Cue Facebook Places and Twitter, for example.

While location today is powerful, it is still lacking an edge. That edge could come from adding context to location, and so provide a cooler mobile experience (including predicting that you are about to head for a restaurant or go shopping).

Location privacy has been and continues to be a very hot debate. Expect this to remain the case 40 years from now. At the same time, it won't matter. The new digital native generation considers this a moot point. To get free digital services, it goes without saying that some invasion of privacy is required (even if it is only to better target 'harmless' ads).

At the same time, players in the mobile ecosytem can buffer themselves against the worst privacy storms by using common sense. The main rule being, don't store users' private data unless you really have to.

I will be covering more points in my presentation-those who will be there, look forward to meeting you. For the others, please check back on my blog for the Slideshare version.

Ethical Shopping Mobile Apps

I was inspired by a CNN report on Ethical Shopping apps to take a look at what could be an increasingly popular segment of mobile apps. Ethical apps have an element of community involvement, shopping, sharing with friends and continuous updates that make them a compelling proposition not just for the conscious shopper.

There are several country-based apps currently available on iTunes:

1. The Good Shopping Guide priced £2.99 aimed at the UK market

2.  The Good Guide (free) aimed at the US market

3. Shop Ethical $2.49 aimed at the Australian market

4. Barcoo (free) developed in Germany but available in English

Barcoo and the Good Guide are also available on the Android market.

One of the key features of these apps is a barcode scanner, with both the Barcoo and The Good Guide apps providing this, though some app developers exclude this as smaller brands would 'slip through the net'.

Data on the 'ethical footprint' of specific brands is normally gathered from Ethical Trade Associations like Fair Trade or Friends of the Earth. According to William Sankey of the Ethical Company Organisation in an interview for The Guardian although there is growing awareness of the benefits of fair trade and organic goods, there is less information that gives consumers an overall ethical footprint of the product and the company behind the brand. 

"Shoppers may be surprised to find that often there is not a price premium [on ethical goods]," he said. Beko, for example, makers of the cheapest larder fridge is also the top-scoring ethical brand in this category. 

As mobile commerce takes on a bigger role in terms of overall e-commerce and electronic payments, there is a gap available for Fair Trade Bodies to supply their Ethical Product Databases to online stores and so allow shoppers to make more informed purchasing decisions.

Indoor Positioning -Cloud Support for Location Apps?

Indoor Positioning Systems (occasionally referred to as IPS) are hotting up...Navteq recently announced the launch of their Destination Maps service enabling "orientation, guidance and routing for interior spaces"

According to Navteq, Destination Maps "moves the industry beyond the interactive floor plan maps available today and into a three-dimensional data model essential to a more advanced exploration and guidance experience.  It does this by providing pedestrian-specific attributes unique to interior requirements like stairs and elevators as well as recognizing different floor levels (called Z-levels) that are essential for applications to "understand" movement between floors once inside a venue and generate routes and guidance.  NAVTEQ Destination Maps also include a Virtual Connections feature that enables more intuitive guidance by recognizing how pedestrians "cut across" open areas."

Hopefully, the NAQVTEQ development will come hand in hand with more widespread deployment of Femto cells within buildings, to get over those annoying network black-spots that still plague mobile subscribers in certain areas.

A number of location start-ups are looking to capitalize on the promise of indoor location, including Dubai-based GloPos and Swedish start-up Qubulus.

Qubulus co-founder Frank Schuil recently contributed to an article for TheNextWeb explaining where indoor positioning can benefit the current application market the most. Here are a couple of ideas from that article suggested by Frank:

1. Airport apps

In this case indoor positioning can benefit all parties. Consumers can meet other travelers in their proximity, get point of sales notifications from the shops in the airport and know how long it would take to walk to the gate based on their current position.

The airport can monitor the mobile traffic for crowd control, staff management and alerts and the airlines can locate passengers giving them a push notification to start walking towards the gate just in time to prevent delays.  There are already some nifty mobile apps out there that could easily extend their service this way like GateGuru and American Airlines’ recently released Android app.

2. Point of sales apps

Location-based coupons in one way or another have always been the holy grail of the LBS industry. To be able to target a consumer with the right message at the point of sale can drastically improve the ROI of any marketing campaign.

The problem to date is that shops are often inside malls and that products are always indoors. Without indoor positioning the point of sale has proven to be too distant for people to act upon the offer. To get people to buy into an offer indoor positioning needs to drop down to <1m accuracy and become a commodity that existing services can seamlessly integrate into their service to trigger the consumer in the physical space. As a reminder to those who see the possibilities of trigger marketing; the key is not to be as intrusive as the  mall screens in the Tom Cruise movie hit Minority Report.

One of the traditional issues with IPS was the need for building owners (such as shopping mall owners) to make an investment in (expensive) transmitting technology. New technologies based on hybrid positioning, smarter algorhythms and cloud-based infrastructure could take IPS beyond it's current niche markets.

Mobile Health (M-Health)- Some Lessons from the Mobile World Congress 2011

BARCELONA - Business at this year's MWC was brisk. So brisk, in fact, that I hardly got round to attending any mobile seminars. Pity. However, the good folks at the GSMA have now released some of the presentations given at these seminars for all attendees to read.

M-Health is one of a number of applied mobile use cases that holds great potential, both in terms of the breadth of applications possible and, critically, in terms of the cost savings achievable for increasingly cash-strapped public health services.

Below is a presentation given by Alessio Ascari and Lisa Ellis from McKinsey on the opportunities and challenges of M-Health.

A Glimpse into the Future Business and Technology of mHealth

View more presentations from Ric Ferraro

Guest Post: NTT DoCoMo 3D Lynx phone..challenger to LG Optimus 3D?

LG wasn't the only manufacturer with a 3D phone at the Mobile World Congress 2011: NTT Docomo also showcased the Lynx 3D model produced by Sharp.

Italian blogger Flavio, has the details and the hands-on photos in this guest post (see link above to click through to Flavio's tech news site).

LG Optimus 3D had a lot of coverage during the last Mobile World Congress, but it wasn't the only 3D Android smartphone we have seen. The Japanese carrier NTT Docomo showed the Sharp Lynx 3D SH-03C, which also has a stunning 3D effect on its 3.8" display even though it has only a single-core 1 GHz processor and runs Android 2.1. Here some photos:

Specifications of this smartphone:

* Android 2.1 (upgrade to 2.2 arriving on Q2 2011)
* Single-Core 1 GHz processor
* 512 MB RAM + 512 MB ROM
* microSD up to 32 GB support
* 3.8" touchscreen ASV (Advanced Super View) TFT display
* Screen resolution: 480 x 800 px
* Capable of 3D content without 3D glasses
* 9.6 Mpx camera with AutoFocus
* Video capture at 720p HD with 1280 x 720 px even on 3D mode
* GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA networks
* Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS connectivity
* Size: 123 x 62 x 13.4 mm
* Weight: 140 grams
* Battery: 1400 mAh

Mobile World Congress 2011 Summary -Quick thoughts

BARCELONA- As usual, it has been a hectic 4 days at the MWC this year, with many exhibitors, new trends and, of course, plenty of gadgets on display.

Overall, the impression is that there were more visitors compared to 2010 and renewed optimism for the sector as a whole, following the gloomy economic backdrop to the 2010 edition.

There were rafts of new gadget announcements, with the LG Optimus 3D smartphone with 3D viewing as well as recording capabilities (no goggles required!) capturing the attention. You can see photos from the LG stand above during the Optimus demo.

Rare was the announcement of new products that didn't mention a tablet-type device, both 10 inch and 7 inch. Each tablet type will fill a different usage niche -though on a personal level, I prefer the 7 inch versions (like the sleek Blackberry Playbook on show) rather than a larger tablet than gets closer in size and weight to a laptop device.

On a geographical level, the might of the Chinese industrial powerhouse was evident, with an even bigger presence than last year in terms of exhibitors and, from the various Chinese OEM's I spoke to, a  clearer mobile strategy following the tentative moves of the last couple of years. It is clear that many of these manufacturers would like to re-grade their products and move them up the value chain by giving them brand support (rather than white-labelling for operators).

Finally, when it comes to the OS domain, let's just take a second to pause and consider the rise and rise of Google's Android system. Within one year, Android has risen to the top of the pack and for many stakeholders, is THE operating system of choice. It is not unrealistic to project that in one year, the once mighty Symbian/Java combo will be relegated to the bottom of the pack. Quite how the Microsoft WindowsPhone tie-up with Nokia will pan out is difficult to see, but the potential for it to be a contender cannot be denied.

Mobile World Congress 2011 Agenda -The Definitive Event Planner

BARCELONA- Due to popular demand, I am sharing an excellent summary of the main Mobile World Congress 2011 events happening within and without the Fira grounds during the four days of 'mobile madness' from 14-17th of February in Barcelona. I normally aim to keep my blog posts nice and short to help reading them, but today is an exception...

Special thanks to MobileMonday for compiling the list (Photo Credit: LeCool Magazine).

Sunday, February 13th

EVENT: Showstoppers Invite Only
TIME: 17:00 to 20:00
LOCATION: Husa Rey Juan Carlos, Avinguda Diagonal, 661, Barcelona

EVENT: SonyEricsson Press Conference: Xperia Family Invite Only
TIME: 18:00 to
LOCATION: Opium Mar, Paseo Marítimo 34, Barcelona

Mobile Sunday Barcelona 2011-01-15
WHEN: Sunday, February 13, 2011, 7 PM
WHERE: VINTAGE, Carrer de la Fusina, 7, 08003 Barcelona
WEBSITE: http://www.m-trends.org/2011/01/mobile-sunday-barcelona-2011.html

The sixth annual Mobile Monday Sunday – an unofficial, informal and generally cool and funky gathering of mobile bloggers and their chums is hosted by Rudy de Waele (m-trends.org), meets at one of the coolest bars in Barcelona, the VINTAGE, that has a spacious, jazzy, loungy atmosphere with various rooms and salons. On offerfor 500 guests is drinks and nibbles, a heated terrace, sofas, private salons, four screens and a dancefloor. Attended by start-ups to VCs, operators to handset manufacturers, making an influential crowd. This is also a unique chance for you to meet the most influent bloggers writing about mobile and to meet the MobileMonday global chapter founders all in one spot.

Monday, February 14th

Mobile World Congress Brokerage 2011
WHEN: Monday-Wednesday, February 14-16, 2011
WHERE: Fira de Barcelona
WEBSITE: http://mobile.b2bmatchmaking.com/p_index.php

This forum will bring together suppliers and users of mobile technology and know-how from all over Europe (and other countries such as Canada, Israel, United States and more) to discuss solutions and new opportunities for the future. The Mobile Brokerage Event 2011 is the ideal environment for: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), offering and those looking for new technologies; scientists and research institutes offering innovative RTD results; start-up companies and entrepreneurs; operators willing to meet innovators and added-value service providers.

Special Mobile Monday

• About: “A special event « Mobile Monday » will be organized on the Demo Area of the French Pavilion“
• Time: 14 February, 2011:3:00-3:50pm
• Location: French Pavilion, “Demo space” on 2E47, Fira Barcelona
• RSVP: None required. More information here.
• Cost: Free

Teleca Destination Innovation: Daily Cocktail Hour

• About: “We’ll be serving drinks and snacks every day during the show between 5 and 6. Visit us at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain between February 14-17 and see how our solutions give you an edge in the mobile world. We offer device manufacturers, consumer electronics and automotive companies ways to greater profit and shorter development times in Mobile Linux smartphones and tablets, In-Vehicle Infotainment and end-to-end applications. It’s your destination for real innovation.”
• Time: 14 February, 2011: 5-6pm
• Location: 8B79 in Hall 8
• RSVP: Not required
• Cost: Free

EVENT: Block Party! No RSVP required
Sponsored by RIM, NTT Solmare and Velti
TIME: 17:00 to 19:00
LOCATION: Hall 7, Stand 7B42, 7C44, and 7C58, Fira de Barcelona

EVENT: European Leaders – Hot Topics at MWC 2011 More Info — RSVP here
Sponsored by SVB, Hotwire, LD&A & Whitebull
TIME: 18:00 to 21:00
LOCATION: Hotel Omm, c/Rosselo 265, Barcelona

Mobile Premier Awards
WHEN: Monday, February 14, 2011, 3 PM
WHERE: Telefonica R&D Catalunya Headquaters
WEBSITE: http://www.mobilepremierawards.com

The Mobile Premier Awards are among the most influential events in the mobile industry and the point of reference in early-stage innovation during the Mobile World Congress, featuring 20 finalists from the AppCircuses events held during 2010. Participation is free and open to any start-up or developer with a mobile app! Registration will start 2:30 PM, drinks will be offered after the event in the same location until ca. 8 PM.The nominated apps for the Mobile Premier Awards 2011 edition include the AppCircus winners of the 2010 series of events and a selection of the best apps of the AppCircus Categories. All entries will be judged by an international jury (2011 jury TBC) in the week from January 17-22. The finalists to present at the event will be announced on January 24, 2011

Mobile Valentines Day
WHEN: Monday, February 14, 2011 7-11:30pm
WHERE: Alsur Cafe el Born: Carrer dels Carders 17, Barcelona.
WEBSITE: http://www.amiando.com/em/mvalentine/263571228

*RSVP required, please visit website.

Each year in February we get together to celebrate our true love to mobile devices by taking part in Mobile World Congress, which starts this year on February 14th. To share your passion to mobile we are happy to invite you to Mobile Valentine’s Day party at MWC 2011. Bring your good mood, networking skills and friends with you.

This event is sponsored by Mobile Europe Magazine, SPB Software and Camerjam, who make sure there will be enough food and drinks for all.

Tuesday, February 15th

BlackBerry Developer Day at Mobile World Congress
When: Tue, February 15, 1pm – 2pm
Where: Mobile World Congress – App Planet in Hall 7
Description: http://uk.blackberry.com/campaign/appplanet/

MWC 2011: Celebrate with Redknee!

• About: “Redknee would like you to join us for drinks to toast to a successful Mobile World Congress 2011 and year ahead.  Come and join Redknee executives, our global operator customers, media and analysts for an informal meet and greet.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 3:30pm
• Location: Redknee Stand in Hall 1, Stand 1E37
• RSVP: For more information and to RSVP please contact Amy Wong at amy.wong@redknee.com.
• Cost: Free

The Global Mobile Awards Ceremony
WHEN: Tuesday, 15 February 2011, 3:45 – 5:15
WHERE: Conference center, Hall 5, Auditorium 1
WEBSITE: http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/awards/global_mobile_awards.htm

The Awards presentation will take place in a special ceremony during Mobile World Congress, followed by the official Congress Party & Awards Celebration event. The afternoon Global Mobile Awards Ceremony is included in Gold and Platinum Passes. The evening Congress Party & Awards Celebration is included in the Platinum Pass only, but may be added on to Gold, Silver and Exhibition Visitor Passes for an additional fee.

Cocktail Reception – Swedish Trade Council Pavilion

• About: “Since 2002, the Swedish Trade Council has managed the Pavilion at Mobile World Congress. In addition to the featured companies, the Pavilion will host a cocktail reception on Tuesday, February 15 at 4 p.m. The featured guest will be Dr. Marianne Treschow, the former Director General and member of the Board of the Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) and current Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) Associate for Scandinavia. There will also be opportunities to talk with some of Sweden’s leading mobile and telecommunications leaders regarding their plans for Mobile 3.0.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 4:00 pm
• Location: Swedish Trade Council Pavilion, Hall 2 F1, Fira
• RSVP: RSVP to mwc@swedishtrade.se
• Cost: Free

Enterprise Ireland

• About: “You are invited to attend the Mobile World Congress “Get Connected Reception” hosted by the Ireland Pavilion.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 4:30-6pm
• Location: Hall 1, Stand no. 1F17, FIRA Barcelona Spain
• RSVP: Not required.
• Cost: Free

EVENT: Sybase 365 Cocktail Reception RSVP Required
TIME: 17:00 to 19:00
LOCATION: Sybase booth, Hall 2, Stand 2A15, Fira de Barcelona

Women in Mobile Data: Cava and Canapes

• About: “Women in Mobile Data are excited to announce that Amdocs are kindly sponsoring their MWC2011 ‘Cava and Canapes’ networking event.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 5-7pm
• Location: Amdocs stand: B101 in Hall 8
• RSVP: Not required.
• Cost: Free, sponsored by Amdocs

EVENT: Ericsson Social Event Open to All
TIME: 18:30 to 20:30
LOCATION: Ericsson booth, Hall 6, Fira de Barcelona

GoMo News Blender
WHEN: Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 6:30-11:00pm
WHERE: Incognito BAR, Calle Fusina 6, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
WEBSITE: http://plancast.com/p/39xy

The GoMo News Blender now in its fourth year has become a symbolic, yet legitimate path of the institution that is the Mobile World Congress. Last year at the Blender, they drank the bar dry; twice! In 2010, readership on GoMo more than doubled and are hitting over 300K page views a month. Sponsors this year, for the second year running are Smaato and Diffusion PR who have doubled the investment, so there will be more food and drink for all.

Congress Party & Global Mobile Awards Celebration
WHEN: Tuesday, 15 February 2011, 7:45 – Midnight
WHERE: National Palace in Montjuïc
WEBSITE: http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/awards/awards_celebration.htm

This evening event provides attendees with fantastic high-level networking opportunities – while enjoying world-class entertainment. This year we’re pleased to feature Grammy and Brit award-winning singer/songwriter Duffy. Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Rockferry in 2009, and she was nominated for two other Grammy awards. The evening Congress Party & Awards Celebration is included in the Platinum Pass only, but may be added on to Gold, Silver and Exhibition Visitor Passes for an additional fee. See the website.

Silverstreet & Tranglo GSMA MWC 2011 Party
WHEN: Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 9 PM
WHERE: Hyde Club, Pasaje Domingo 3, 08008 Barcelona
WEBSITE: http://www.tranglo.com/events/tranglo-networking-party-gsma-mwc-201…

*RSVP by February 9, 2011 to: Barcelona@silverstreet.com/ barcelona@tranglo.com

Wednesday, February 16th

WIP Jam Party @ MWC “Carnival of Nations Party”
WHEN: Thursday, 16 February, 2011, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM
WHERE: Marmalade, Riera Alta 4-6, 08001, Barcelona
WEBSITE: http://www.wipconnector.com/wipjam/mwc2011party

This is “THE” Developer Party at MWC so make sure you come and connect with all the members of the mobile ecosystem. This won’t be just any boring old party. By popular demand, we are bringing back “Jameoke” for the third time – bigger and better than ever! Best practice up for the fun!

EVENT: Intel AppUp Application Lab: MeeGo Series RSVP here
TIME: 09:00 to 12:30
LOCATION: Barcelona Activa, Llacuna, 162 – 164, Barcelona

EVENT: Intel AppUp Application Lab: MeeGo Series RSVP here
TIME: 13:00 to 16:30
LOCATION: Barcelona Activa, Llacuna, 162 – 164, Barcelona

EVENT: Teleca AB Cocktails and Snacks No RSVP required
TIME: 17:00 to 18:00
LOCATION: Teleca AB booth in Hall 8, Stand 8B79, Fira de Barcelona

EVENT: openET Alliance Launch Party RSVP here
TIME: 17:00 to 19:00
LOCATION: Hall 1, Stand 1E56, Fira de Barcelona

MobileMonday Networking Cocktail with Marseille-Provence
Robert Maury, CEO of Provence Promotion and Jari Tammisto, CEO of MobileMonday are happy to invite you to the Mobile Monday networking cocktail event by Marseille-Provence on Wednesday 16th February 2011 at 17.00 at Mobile World Congress, Hall 2, French Pavilion at Aisle 2F49.  RSVP Here.

Swedish Beers
WHEN: Wednesday, February 16, 2011, TIME TBC
WHERE: TBD
WEBSITE: Check Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2456995682

Swedish Beers is an ad hoc (roughly quarterly) networking event for folks with an interest in mobile technology, mobile marketing and mobile media. You don’t have to be a geek to attend, and they actively encourage people to join us from all industries – media, creative, marketing, mobile, telecoms etc.

MWC Beach Lounge with UK technology journalists and PRs

• About: “To end Mobile World Congress 2011 in style, UKTJPR (UK Tech Journalists & PRs) is having its biggest event to date. Thanks to Qualcomm and Huawei, we are hosting an Ibiza style party at the trendy Bestial Beach Lounge restaurant.  The party will kick off at 20:00 – beer, wine and buffet food being served between 20:30 to 22:30. At 22:30 the fully free open bar starts, and the party gets into full swing. We have a DJ to provide the tunes, a large outdoor heated and covered terrace and relaxing indoor chill-out areas.  Qualcomm will be providing shuttle buses to bring people to and from the venue. Numbers are limited so if you are able to attend, send us your hotel details and we will arrange for the buses to pick up from convenient locations.  There will be a special Huawei-sponsored giveaways at the party with details to be revealed soon… The doors will close at 02:00, but for those still standing the venue is next to club Opium with easy access to taxis.“
• Time: 16 February, 2011: 8pm-1:30am
• Location: Bestial Beach Lounge Villa Olympica C/ Ramon Trias Fargas
• RSVP: Required. More information here.
• Cost: Free sponsored by Qualcomm and Huawei

Thursday, February 17th

Barcelona MLOVE Party

• About: “In celebration of MWC, you are invited to take part in our first Barcelona MLOVE Party on the 17th of February – the final after work party!  To dance and talk the night away, please check-in to reserve your space in the prestigious and secret party location.

With a focus on small format conferences, local meet-ups and “camps” – MLOVE brings together mobile passionistas in an atmosphere of inspiration, communication, learning and understanding. MLOVE participants debate about the future of mobile and how little things can make the world a better place. The second MLOVE ConFestival 2011, www.mlove.com will take place June 29th to July 1st in an ancient castle in Europe.”

• Time: 17 February, 2011: 7-10pm
• Location: During MWC, the location details will be announced
• RSVP: On Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130601037001088#!/event.php?eid=177300312303628
• Cost: First drinks free. “Many thanks to friendticker and MxO for sponsoring the MLOVE party.”

WipJam @MWC App Planet: See my earlier blog post on this here