Product Reviews Net » O2 http://www.product-reviews.net Information on the latest gadgets, technology, news and product reviews Sun, 27 May 2012 08:13:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Free Wi-Fi from O2 on the menu for popular restaurants http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/free-wi-fi-from-o2-on-the-menu-for-popular-restaurants/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-wi-fi-from-o2-on-the-menu-for-popular-restaurants http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/free-wi-fi-from-o2-on-the-menu-for-popular-restaurants/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:37:28 +0000 Chris Maugham http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=147941 Some of you may already be aware that UK network carrier O2 will be providing free internet access to London during the 2012 Olympic Games, well it seems their generous nature is continuing to spread elsewhere. Those of you who like to venture out for evening meals quite often particularly will be pleased to hear that O2 will also be provided free Wi-Fi to participating Tragus restaurants including Bella Italia, Strada and Café Rouge.

The announcement came after the company signed an agreement with Tragus that promises their free Wi-Fi service which will also be available to non-O2 mobile customers. As Fresh Business Thinking reports, it marks the first deal that O2 has struck with a restaurant chain and will see over 120 restaurants receiving Wi-Fi hotspots to begin with.

O2 had previously only offered exclusive discount for the participating Tragus restaurants with their O2 Priority Moments service and will continue to do so, meaning this new deal simply builds on an already successful partnership. The offers that are currently available include two courses and wine for just £12 and they are available in all three participating Tragus restaurants.

Tragus will now be able to offer a service that shows consideration toward a large group of customers who appreciate the Wi-Fi options by partnering O2. As this kind of service is still non-existent in other restaurants, despite demand, it gives their restaurants an extra element of preference when consumers consider where to dine out. It also opens up an area of marketing and publication they didn’t have before meaning new offers and exposure is possible, loyalty rewards are also said to be on the way.

Are you pleased to see free Wi-Fi services hitting these restaurants? Will it persuade you to eat there more often than other restaurants?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/free-wi-fi-from-o2-on-the-menu-for-popular-restaurants/feed/ 0 O2 says sorry for security breach, maintenance blamed http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/o2-says-sorry-for-security-breach-maintenance-blamed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=o2-says-sorry-for-security-breach-maintenance-blamed http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/o2-says-sorry-for-security-breach-maintenance-blamed/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:29:21 +0000 Gary Johnson http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=147948 Earlier this morning we told you about the surprising security problems affecting O2 smartphones when connecting to the internet and visiting websites. Now after fixing the problem O2 says sorry for the security breach and is blaming maintenance.

The issue meant that user’s phone numbers were displayed when users visited websites from their smartphone, which has led to the apology. O2 finally responded after a massive amount of users took to Twitter to voice their anger about the issue.

The company did stop short though with their apology and only commented on the concern caused according to TechRadar. The company said that it saw the reports from this morning, and after investigating they fixed the problem this afternoon. They finished off by saying “we would like to apologize for the concern we have caused”.

When the company was asked how long the problem had been running for, O2 replied by saying that it was between January 10th and 1400 hours this afternoon. O2 added that besides the usual trusted partners other website owners may have had access to user’s phone numbers.

The carrier blamed the problem on “technical changes we implemented as part of routine maintenance”, and added it had the “unintended effect of making it possible in certain circumstances for website owners to see the mobile numbers of those browsing their site”

Even though the problem has now been fixed it will have caused a lot of embarrassment of the carrier, without even mentioning the worry it would have caused for users. Are you an O2 customer?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/o2-says-sorry-for-security-breach-maintenance-blamed/feed/ 0 Twitter erupts as O2 accused of sharing phone numbers http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/twitter-erupts-as-o2-accused-of-sharing-phone-numbers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=twitter-erupts-as-o2-accused-of-sharing-phone-numbers http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/twitter-erupts-as-o2-accused-of-sharing-phone-numbers/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:44:22 +0000 Gary Johnson http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=147921 There are often concerns how our personal data is protected as we rely on the internet and our cell phones more than ever. There are often security breaches with hackers gaining access to various websites, and now Twitter erupts as O2 is accused of sharing user’s phone numbers.

O2 customers reacted furiously this morning after it emerged that when they visit a website via their smartphone, the carrier sends the site their phone number. This serious security flaw means that any malicious website can get hold of your number and use it with a phishing attack or other scam.

According to an article at Mobile News the operator is putting in a customer’s number via header information when they visit a website. The security flaw was first found by user Lewis Peckover, and the number appears in the header information so the website can display the page to suit the user’s smartphone an OS.

This data is not usually recorded by a website, but could be spotted by an administrator of the site, and can then be easily be used for malicious purposes. A similar problem is also affecting GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile, but it hasn’t been found on Everything Everywhere, Three, and Vodafone.

O2 has said they are looking into the matter and added that “security is our top most priority“, but will come as little comfort to affected users. The problem was still found to be happening this morning when using a Nokia Lumia 800 on the carrier. Update: It appears that O2 has now closed the loop hole.

Are you concerned about this problem?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/25/twitter-erupts-as-o2-accused-of-sharing-phone-numbers/feed/ 0 O2 ensures priceless Wi-Fi during London 2012 Olympics http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/07/o2-ensures-priceless-wi-fi-during-london-2012-olympics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=o2-ensures-priceless-wi-fi-during-london-2012-olympics http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/07/o2-ensures-priceless-wi-fi-during-london-2012-olympics/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:32:48 +0000 Chris Maugham http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=147104 2012 is finally here and as soon as that clock struck its final chime at midnight on January the 1st the campaign for the London 2012 Olympic Games really kicked off in the UK. The TV is now full of commercials advertising sponsors and others associated with the event. Now mobile operating giants and leading network provider in the UK O2 has announced they will be ensuring free Wi-Fi in London this year commemorating the sporting occasion.

According to the report at ZDNET the company has signed agreements with other network companies as well as local authorities which bind them to their promise of priceless internet in London during the event. Those set to benefit from the deal are residents in areas including Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster as well as visitors that are here to see the Olympics.

The agreement has been put in place so as to ‘ensure that the millions of visitors that come to the city have the best experience possible and can ,make the most of what London has to offer’ according to Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance at Westminster City Council, Councilor Phillippa Roe.

As a means of making up for the lack of profit O2 will be making from the deal, users of the free service will find their devices riddled with adverts. A one-off registration process will also need to have been undertaken in order to access the service. The service will also be limitless to a certain extent although the company has stated that ‘inappropriate use of the service’ will not be permitted. Check out the full report by clicking the link above.

Are you looking forward to the 2012 Olympic Games? Will you be taking advantage of this generous offer from O2?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/01/07/o2-ensures-priceless-wi-fi-during-london-2012-olympics/feed/ 0 Don’t want to buy an iPhone? O2 will lease you one instead http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/12/12/don%e2%80%99t-want-to-buy-an-iphone-o2-will-lease-you-one-instead/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=don%25e2%2580%2599t-want-to-buy-an-iphone-o2-will-lease-you-one-instead http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/12/12/don%e2%80%99t-want-to-buy-an-iphone-o2-will-lease-you-one-instead/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:28:47 +0000 Gary Johnson http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=146221 The mobile phone market is a quickly developing one with new handsets becoming available all the time. You may purchase the latest smartphone for it to quickly become superseded by a new model. Now if you do not want to actually buy an iPhone UK carrier O2 will lease you one instead.

The carrier is claiming to be the first carrier in the country to offer such a service as they will now lease smartphones to small businesses. The Register is reporting that the new O2 Lease service can be used to get hold of an iPhone 4S or other tech that staff may be demanding.

For £55 per month you will be provided with an iPhone 4S with 750 minutes of talk time, unlimited texts, and 500MB of data. This is a twelve month contract that also provides free insurance but you don’t get to keep the handset at the end of the contract.

You have to keep in mind though that many companies will want the latest handsets at not last year’s model, and in the long run could save such businesses some cash in these tough times. O2 will also allow you to simply stick the handset in the post instead of it just sitting around gathering dust once it has been replaced with the latest model.

The price for the iPhone on the O2 Lease program compares with what the carrier offers ordinary consumers via a two year contract. Currently it is not known what other smartphones O2 will be offering for lease, but with the added insurance it may persuade some consumers to ditch the traditional 18 or 24 month contracts to get the latest smartphone for their business needs.

Do you think leasing a smartphone is a good idea?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/12/12/don%e2%80%99t-want-to-buy-an-iphone-o2-will-lease-you-one-instead/feed/ 0 O2 to begin trialing 4G in London, UK waits patiently http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/11/14/o2-to-begin-trialing-4g-in-london-uk-waits-patiently/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=o2-to-begin-trialing-4g-in-london-uk-waits-patiently http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/11/14/o2-to-begin-trialing-4g-in-london-uk-waits-patiently/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:05:20 +0000 Gary Johnson http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=145028 Last month we told you about BT and Everything Everywhere were to begin testing 4G mobile data technology in Cornwall, which at the time was the first trial of its type in the country. Now we have news that O2 are to begin trialing 4G in London as the rest of the UK waits patiently for the technology to become available.

Gizmodo UK are reporting that O2 is to start to trial the technology in central London after putting up more than 25 4G masts in the area. Covering a total of forty square kilometers the trial will run until June next year using the 2.6GHz spectrum band. This has been approved by Ofcom ahead of next year’s expected 4G spectrum auction in the country.

Chief Executive Officer of Telefónica UK, Ronan Dunne, who are O2s parent company said “Today’s launch of the UK’s first 4G London trial network demonstrates our commitment to delivering 4G to our customers at the earliest opportunity”.

Dunne continued by saying that the company was getting the foundations ready for when its 4G network finally launches in the UK. There will be around 1,000 people taking part in the trail, and will be provided with 4G dongles to access the 4G service.

We have reported before that many parts of the UK still can’t receive a reliable 3G signal, as the carriers concentrate on areas of the country where they can see a return on the massive investment made when 3G licenses were auctioned off. It is not thought a 4G service will be provided before 2013 in the UK with auctions taking place towards the end of next year.

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/11/14/o2-to-begin-trialing-4g-in-london-uk-waits-patiently/feed/ 0 O2 trialing UK VOIP service, potential Skype beater http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/10/13/o2-trialing-uk-voip-service-potential-skype-beater/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=o2-trialing-uk-voip-service-potential-skype-beater http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/10/13/o2-trialing-uk-voip-service-potential-skype-beater/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:38:17 +0000 Chris Maugham http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=142915 Skype has been one of the leading companies in revolutionizing the way we communicate with one another over the internet. Their VOIP service and video calling technology, allowing callers to talk to anyone in the world via the internet, remains largely unchallenged. It has also made its way into various other services including Facebook. Now O2, one of the biggest UK networks is about to try their hand at a similar service they are calling O2 Connect.

Their VOIP service will allow O2 customers to make calls to others in the UK mobile or landlines via the internet, but unlike Skype it will be limited to just in the UK meaning users of the service will not be able to make international calls. According to 3G the service is to be trialed to begin with using 1000 smartphone owners who will be chosen and who get to experience the service free.

The company intends on bringing in certain charges when O2 Connect starts rolling out properly, although no details about how much the service will cost have been disclosed. Whether or not the charges will be inclusive on certain tariffs or will just be charged as added extras also remains to be seen. The service does not have to be used in just O2 hotspots it can be used over any Wi-Fi network.

For now O2 are only allowing Android and Apple iPhone users to apply for the service, but we expect other smartphone users such as BlackBerry owners will also be able to use the service when it becomes fully functional. Until then however we will all just have to carry on using Skype on our devices. Will you be using O2 Connect when it launches or will you prefer Skype?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/10/13/o2-trialing-uk-voip-service-potential-skype-beater/feed/ 0 O2′s iPhone 4S stock reserved on launch day http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/10/09/o2s-iphone-4s-stock-reserved-on-launch-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=o2s-iphone-4s-stock-reserved-on-launch-day http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/10/09/o2s-iphone-4s-stock-reserved-on-launch-day/#comments Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:36:22 +0000 Daniel Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=142448 The rush to pre-order an iPhone 4S from the limited stock on Apple’s Store saw them sell out pretty fast, with shipping dates moving to at least another week longer. This confused a few people that thought the iPhone 4S would fail; they couldn’t understand why everyone jumped on the wagon when the new iPhone was a minor update in their opinion, although these same people may not fully understand something called “Siri”.

If there were only one new feature in Siri, this alone would change everything for iPhone 4S buyers, and is the very reason you’ll only get Siri on the new iPhone, to increase sales in our opinion.

Today we heard that O2’s iPhone 4S stock would not only be limited, but also reserved for those loyal to O2. This will not make everyone looking for the new iPhone happy, although we have to smile at what O2 has done, stepping away from the majority of brands that love to look after new business more than their existing customers.

O2 said they want to “look after existing customers first” and that you need to be a customer for at least one month before October 4, 2011 if you want one of their initial iPhone 4S stock.

Do you think more brands should look after existing customers rather than new business? Will you be ordering an iPhone 4S, or have you already pre-ordered? You can read about Three UK’s offerings for iPhone 4S here.

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/10/09/o2s-iphone-4s-stock-reserved-on-launch-day/feed/ 3 O2 HTC Rhyme release date set – UK exclusive http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/09/21/o2-htc-rhyme-release-date-set-uk-exclusive/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=o2-htc-rhyme-release-date-set-uk-exclusive http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/09/21/o2-htc-rhyme-release-date-set-uk-exclusive/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:54:17 +0000 Jamie Pert http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=140935 Earlier today we told you all about the recently revealed HTC Rhyme, well if you are a UK consumer looking to get your hands on this interesting smartphone we have an interesting tweet for you to check out.

The tweet was posted last night on the official O2 Twitter feed, we have added the tweet in its entirety below:


Breaking news – we’ll be the only UK network to have the just announced HTC Rhyme! When can you get your hands on one? From 17 Oct!

As you can see the tweet doesn’t really mix its words, O2 UK will be the only carrier in the United Kingdom to offer the Rhyme and it will arrive on October 17 – the official tweet can be seen here if you don’t believe us.

The HTC Rhyme is by no means the most impressive smartphone we have ever seen in terms of technical specifications, however we are told that the design team behind this smartphone has ensure that it fits your life thanks to some impressive and unique accessories – that said at the moment we still remain a little sceptical.

Remember you can find out all about the HTC Rhyme here, we are told that certain accessories will come with the HTC Rhyme as standard, but we aren’t sure which ones – if HTC throw a few accessories in such as the docking station, the Rhyme Charm and the Bluetooth car speaker we are sure that this will be a popular O2 offering, if not we are looking at a glorified HTC Desire, which is nowhere near as impressive as the HTC Sensation.

As we have previously mentioned we will soon talk about the HTC Rhyme accessories in details, for now we want to know whether you will be keeping a close eye on the HTC Rhyme and whether you think it should be regarded as a top or mid-end smartphone. Let us know in the comments section.

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/09/21/o2-htc-rhyme-release-date-set-uk-exclusive/feed/ 0 O2 secrecy over UK iPhone 5 release date http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/09/13/iphone-5-release-date-are-o2-the-next-carrier-to-give-game-away/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=iphone-5-release-date-are-o2-the-next-carrier-to-give-game-away http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/09/13/iphone-5-release-date-are-o2-the-next-carrier-to-give-game-away/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:18:01 +0000 Gary Johnson http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=140531 The iPhone 5 is widely thought to be coming sometime next month, even though there is no official word from Apple that any such device is planned. Only a few days ago we told you about the Vodafone product pages that were advertising the Sure Signal booster. The product listing had a variety of compatible devices, which included the iPhone 5 and details of the product such as storage options. Now today with the iPhone 5 release date are O2 the next carrier to give the game away?

KnowYourMobile have an article that claims they have been contacted by a source who claims to have spoken with a representative from UK mobile carrier O2. This conversation allegedly involves the proposed release date for the iPhone 5, and the O2 employee said the device will be coming to the UK on October 21st.

While there has been plenty of speculation the handset was coming during October, we haven’t heard an actual date for that month. If the news is true Apple will be pretty miffed that carriers are leaking information before the new flagship smartphone is even revealed to the world.

Only yesterday we had reports that the iOS 5 operating system had begun being sent out to iPhone 5 assemblers for installation. This followed news that the software was already in the hands of carriers for final testing ahead of release.

There are many consumers who already have Apple mobile devices that are looking forward to the release of iOS 5 and the new features it will provide. The O2 staff member didn’t reveal any information regarding the iPhone 5 except the date. Apple iPhone fans are hoping for a bigger display and improved camera amongst the new features of the iPhone 5.

Hopefully there will be no issues surrounding the antenna and the devices signal this time round, unlike what we saw with the iPhone 4. If O2 has let the cat out of the bag, they can expect to be hearing from Apple pretty soon.

Do you think an October 21st date for the iPhone 5 is realistic?

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