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Mobile Phones and Accessories Online Store

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:14:31 +0000

Selling mobile phones and phone accessories through an internet online shop is one of the most economical or cost-efficient ways of running a business. Because the store is online, overhead costs are reduced significantly. Vendors don’t need to invest heavily on a stock of units; there is no need to rent storage nor selling space for the items; furthermore, there is no need to pay utilities and wages. An online mobile phone and accessories store can operate from one’s home and the items purchased from suppliers only when orders are confirmed.

The success of an online mobile phone and accessories store depends mainly on the reliability of the site’s web hosting provider. A site that is always down; does not supply enough images; and has insufficient information is a major no no. Potential customers will be just buy their units elsewhere. To to make sure that a web host you want reliable and well worth the subscription fees, it is wise to refer to web host reviews.

Web host reviews, such as the Blue Host Review, are independently run websites that rate the general services of web hosts. Through theses reviews, customers are able to see how other customers rate their experience with the said provider (on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest) and also read their feedback on the services received from this firm. Host reviews make finding a reliable web host for websites ranging from personal pages to more online stores and portals a whole lot easier

Future smartphones technology

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:27:48 +0000

Smartphone processors are getting faster and smaller, memory gets bigger and they become ever more integrated into our lives. In 2011, for the first time, Smartphones outsold mobile phones and Smartphone and Tablet sales exceeded desktop and notebook sales. The majority of Internet access is now done on mobile devices rather than desktop or static devices.

So what does this mean for the existing or soon-to-be Smartphone user? What else can we expect to see the Smartphone, which is essentially a computer that can make/take calls rather than a phone that can surf the web, do in the next four or five years?

1. SECURITY

Security is upmost in users’ minds, specifically how secure their data is and their Smartphone itself. Chip and PIN technology is already used now to secure phones and Google uses a 2-step notification system so if you access a Google app on your phone for the first time, you have to input a code, supplied to you by them, to prove you are the user who requested it. A free app called ‘Google Authenticator’ exists for this purpose already. Several security packages for Smartphones exist already to allow users to wipe their phones remotely of data if they are misplaced or stolen, allow the user to track the phone using GPS capability if it is taken, and allow it to ‘scream’ to alert others that it has been taken against the owners will. We will see data security becoming more personalised to the owner and biometric technology will become more common so instead of inputting a four digit pin to gain access, a user will place their thumb over the camera or even use it to take a picture of their iris, to scan either, and prove they are the owner of the phone.

2. HOME INTEGRATION

The Smartphone will become a central component in the home as programmers and designers use this shift in human behaviour to their advantage. Light sensors will recognize the presence of the Smartphone and turn on/off when the user enters/leaves a room; home or garage doors could lock or unlock through the phone’s presence or by remote command, heating and air conditioning will only function if a Smartphone is present, or will allow the user to control them at will. In the same way that a Smartphone can control a remote computer desktop today, in a couple of years, you will be able to control most of the electric components of a modern house.

3. CAR INTEGRATION

Texting and Driving is a modern curse but the technology that created the problem will solve it. Cars will sync with the phone as a desktop does today allowing car functions to be controlled by the user using their voice. They will be able to compose and send texts and emails, have them read aloud and play their music through the cars stereo remotely or sync it to the car’s hard drive. In the next couple of years, HUD displays will become more prevalent in cars and the smartphone will be integral to this. You will use the phone to unlock the car, set the temperature, start it remotely, and set security protocols so the car will only start or drive when the phone is inside. Haulage companies will be able to use the Smartphone to track exactly where drivers are, and also use recording and camera capabilities to record journeys through cameras in the car. Vital in the case of accidents, crimes or even to play back memorable journeys.

4. WALLETS

Google Wallet launched this year and this NFC (Near Field Communication) technology or similar, will allow the Smartphone to replace the debit and credit card. Users will sync their financial details to a secure, cloud-based ‘wallet’ that the phone will access when it touches a special pad in a store or restaurant – it will then debit/credit the account automatically. This is happening today and will only become more commonplace.

5. GPS COMMERCE

As location-based check-in websites like Foursquare become more popular and the idea of checking-in takes hold, Smartphones and their integrated GPS technology will take customer targeting to new levels. Instead of receiving an email or text of great new deals, the Smartphone will tell the user of any sales or offers when they walk or drive within 20 meters of a Starbucks or a Sears! Another benefit for retailers is that they won’t need to hire students to hold signs saying “GOLF SALE” if Smartphones can direct customers to you when they walk by.

We’re all addicted to mobile phones

admin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:11:41 +0000

Australians are so dependent on their mobile phones that many of us feel disconnected with the world when we accidentally leave it at home. Sure, our phone may have woken us up in the morning with a built-in alarm, but we spend the rest of the day missing out on Twitter updates, a Facebook fix, and possibly even forgetting a lunch date without our phone calendars. Heck, some of us may even have online Scrabble withdrawals and feel anguish when we have to take a break from throwing animated birds at animated pigs.

Mobile phones play such a huge part in our day-to-day lives that advancements in app technology are taken, largely, for granted. Rewind to 1981 however, and things were very different. Car phones that resembled bricks – both in weight and size – were breaking ground, so to speak. For then 21-year-old graduate engineer Mike Wright it was exciting.

“To me it was the most modern technology you could get your hands on,” says Wright, now 51 and Telstra’s executive director of networks and access technologies.

“When I first got to use the network I rang a friend, it was his birthday, and I spent the whole time convincing him I was actually on a car phone. It was such a radical concept. Nobody could get their mind around that you could actually make a phone call from a car … it was a big step forward in technology.”

Thirty years ago this month, the very first phone call was made on Australia’s first public mobile network, built by Telecom and then Telstra. That call was made on a car phone system, which weighed 14kg and had a 45cm handset (pictures).

“The phone itself cost in those days $5000, which is about the equivalent of $17,000 today,” Wright said.

“It was about the price of a new Commodore … so they really were a high-end, sophisticated if you like, product.”

In the beginning, coverage was only available in the greater Melbourne area, Telstra says. Today, the Next G network spans more than 2.1 million square kilometres. Mobiles now are also incredibly light, with the average one weighing just 200 grams.

They’re also much more intelligent. In 1981, mobile phones stored just 16 numbers and were only installed in cars. As an extra feature, owners could be alerted to an incoming call by the car horn or flashing headlights.

“Back in 1981 I never imagined there would be more mobile devices in Australia than people, and that they could be used to watch live TV, someday feature 3D content and become a critical way to how we connect,” says Wright.

During those early years, Wright was working for Telecom in Brisbane and oversaw the installation of the first mobile phone switch in the city.

“We called the first Telstra network the `007 network’ because that was the number range it used and, while in today’s terms it was more like a `Zero-G’ network, it was the foundation of Australia’s modern mobile phone industry.

“In just 30 years we’re now building a 4G network – that’s five generations of mobile evolution so far in my career.”

Australians are so attached to their mobiles that for many the devices are almost a security blanket. According to a Telstra consumer survey, 50 per cent of Australians feel panic-stricken within five minutes when they think they’ve lost their mobile phone, while 25 per cent admit to feeling panic after less than a minute.

The telco has also found that nearly one third of Gen Y-ers check their mobile phones in the mornings before they use the bathroom, have breakfast, or go online. And, the survey showed that nearly half of Australians rank mobile phones as the innovation they value the most, over laptop computers and microwaves.

It also appears our obsession with mobiles will grow, with Wright predicting a future with even more interaction.

“We’re going to see increasing demand for data,” he says, “… and that demand for smartphones and tablets has been insatiable, so for the short-to medium-term we’re going to see the growth of network traffic continue to explode and then beyond that we really see people having multiple devices connected.

“You already see it now where you can buy a GPS unit that’s got real-time traffic; you can get a book reader and download a book.

“Beyond that we really will start to see photo frames that you can real-time get photos on, cameras that you don’t have to go rummaging through the drawer trying to find the cable because they will upload with a chip in them automatically … your car will become connected and the end game is probably your dog collar with a chip in it, so you know where Fido is.”

Mobile technology in Australia

Coverage – In August 1981, the mobile network was limited to greater Melbourne (the service launched in Sydney in December 1981, Brisbane in 1983 and reached all Australian capital cities by 1985).

Today, the Telstra mobile network covers 2.1 million sq km and reaches more than 99 per cent of the population.

Customers – Less than 1300 phones connected to the 007 network in its first year. Today, more than 11 million services are on Telstra’s Mobile Network, and in total 22 million people have mobile phone service in Australia.

Texts – In 1981, no one had heard of texting. In 2009/10, Telstra customers sent 9.4 billion text messages.

Mobile internet – Using a mobile network for internet access had not been imagined back in 1981. Now, Telstra’s mobile broadband network supports more than 10 million internet capable phones, tablets and data cards.

Base stations - Thirty years ago, there were three base stations in Melbourne and five base stations in Sydney. Today, there are more than 7400 base stations across Australia.

Costs – To buy a mobile phone it cost $4995 plus a $350 installation fee in 1981, compared to today where a customer can buy a phone from Telstra for less than $35 outright.

Hands-free facility is no safer than hand-held one in mobile phone

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:05:35 +0000

A wide-ranging US study has found no conclusive evidence that using a hands-free phone system while driving is any less dangerous than talking on a hand-held device. The Governors Highway Safety Association study analysed more than 350 scientific papers on distracted driving published between 2000 and 2011.

From the research, it concluded that drivers are no less distracted when using hands-free than when talking on a hand-held phone. It did, however, report that texting while driving is most likely riskier than simply talking on the phone.

Despite the increased level of distraction, the study also found that in dangerous driving situations, the average driver paid less attention to their phone conversation and focused more on the road, bringing their level of concentration close to that of a driver who was not using a phone.

Although it acknowledged the increased risk of using a phone while driving, the Governors Highway Safety Association believes states should conduct more research before completely banning the practice.

Using a phone while driving is banned in nine US states and texting while driving is banned in 34.

The report encouraged greater investment into road surface safety features like rumble strips, as well as the implementation of distracted driver communication programs and distracted driving policies and programs for workplaces.

In Australia it is illegal to touch a phone while you are behind the wheel of a car with the ignition on.

What do you make of the findings? Do you agree that using hands-free is just as distracting as using a hand-held device? And should phone bans exist, or are they unnecessary? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Drive safety improved by sms and phone call blockers

admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:57:47 +0000

The statistics clearly show the dangers of texting while driving:

One US study found that drivers are eight times more likely to be involved in an accident while texting, and that texting while driving is equivalent to driving under the influence of four shots of alcohol

The National Safety Council in the US estimated 28 percent of all American vehicle accidents – or 1.6 million per year – are related to mobile phone distraction, and texting is believed to be responsible for between three and 18 percent of the total

A 2006 study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre into the effects of text messaging while driving on young people found that the time drivers spent with their eyes off the road increased by up to 400 percent when sending and receiving messages

A poll by Telstra at the beginning of this year found that almost one third of Australian drivers admitted to sending and receiving texts while behind the wheel.

These startling numbers have led to the development of systems that attempt to remove the distraction of mobile phones, by automatically blocking texts and phone calls when the car is in gear.

New Berlin engineer, John Looby, is the man behind one such new system that connects to the vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port and disables texts and calls until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

Mr Looby believes the simple and inexpensive device could one day become as common as airbags and seatbelts.

Ford Motor Co is set to feature a similar system in its 2011 vehicles equipped with MyFord or MyLincoln Touch. Called “Do Not Disturb”, mobiles paired with the onboard SYNC system will not receive texts and all calls will be forwarded to voicemail. Ford’s system does not restrict voice-activated outgoing calls.

Some GPS-based smart-phone applications also block texting when they detect the phone is moving, but have their limitations, as they cannot tell the difference between when the owner is driving or simply a passenger.

According to the Australian Road Rules, the only time a driver is allowed to touch a mobile phone when a car is not parked is if they are handing it to another passenger in the car.

Texting, hand-held talking, emailing, turning the phone off and on, and operating any of the other functions are all banned. Resting a phone on any part of the driver’s body, besides in a clothing pocket or pouch, is also illegal according to the road rules.

Don’t do these too often in your phone

admin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:40:14 +0000

Chances are, you no longer have an unlimited data plan on your mobile phone. Just a few years back, unlimited data plans were the norm, but now these all-you-can-eat options are rapidly disappearing. AT&T did away with unlimited options last year, and Verizon Wireless followed suit this year, moving to a similar tiered model. And even if you don’t have an actual data limit, your so-called unlimited plan may very well come with a speed cap: If you use too much data, you’ll see your speeds decrease significantly.

So, what’s a data-hungry smartphone user to do? It’s more a question of what not to do. Cutting out the following five major “don’ts” is a good way to ensure that you won’t run out of data before you run out of month.

1. Become a Video Junkie

It’s an obvious but unavoidable fact: Watching streaming video is one of the fastest ways to tear through your data plan. For instance, watching a 90-minute feature-length Netflix movie on your tablet consumes about 225MB of data. If your data plan limits you to 200MB of data per month, you might miss the dramatic conclusion of Death Race 2000.

Netflix isn’t the only culprit, of course. Other bandwidth profligates include YouTube, a host of mobile TV and video services offered by carriers such as T-Mobile and AT&T, and video that your friends post to Facebook. Whatever the source of the excessive demand may be, it can wait until you’re back on Wi-Fi.

This advice applies to other video apps, as well. A 1-hour video chat can cost you as much as 450MB of data use. Over time, a remote-webcam app that works as a home security camera can eat through the megabytes, too.

2. Let the Music Play

Music, too, can chew up a lot of data. If you let a streaming-music app like Pandora run while you go for a jog, ride the bus to work or walk around town, your data use will climb surprisingly quickly.

In my casual tests, I used Pandora for just 10 minutes over 3G and consumed more than 4MB of data. That level of usage works out to a rate of more than 24MB of data per hour. And at that rate it would take only 8 hours or so to reach a 200MB limit.

One tip: If you can’t bear to be away from your music, you can reduce Pandora’s audio quality to conserve data. To do this, simply turn off the setting for ‘Higher quality audio’.

Downloading tunes to your phone may be a better option if you’re on the go, but be sure to take care of downloads when you’re connected to Wi-Fi. Downloading a single song uses about 5MB of data, so a whole album’s worth of music will add up quickly. And don’t even think about downloading videos without Wi-Fi. The same goes for apps: they seem small, but they add up quickly.

3. Get Lost

A mobile mapping app like Google Maps may keep some of its maps cached, but if you’re looking for a new route, it will probably have to hit up a server in the network to get the information you need. Pulling fresh map images down to your phone–especially if you frequently update the route as you travel–can gobble up large amounts of data.

Other location-tracking apps, such as family safety apps and phone locators, can use lots of data, too, depending on the features they offer. For example, a family safety app that offers to deliver information about your surroundings, such as the number of registered sex offenders nearby, must compare your location against a database of information, thereby pushing your data usage upward.

When it comes to driving directions, it’s possible to get where you’re going without using much data at all. Navigation apps from GPS device manufacturers such as TomTom and Navigon come preloaded with mapping and points-of-interest information, so they don’t have to make a data call to the server to get it. The trade-off for their ability to minimize data transfers, of course, is that most GPS apps are huge, occupying a lot of your phone’s storage.

4. Play Games

It’s no surprise that online, graphics heavy, multiplayer games use up a lot of data, quickly.

What’s that? But even a seemingly simple, nondemanding little game, like Angry Birds can drive up your data bill. That’s because many free versions of games for mobile devices are ad supported–and those get to your phone over your data connection. On top of that, when you get a high score and want to brag about it, that information, too, gets transmitted over your data connection.

5. Share

Sharing is nice. When you’re 5. Or when you’re visiting someone face-to-face. But if you’ve just captured the cutest snapshot ever of your little darling, or discovered the funniest video you’ve ever seen, don’t send it right away. Don’t post it to Facebook or YouTube. Don’t send it as an email attachment. Remember: it can wait. Wi-Fi is your friend. AT&T estimates that over its 200MB-per-month data plan, users can upload 50 photos per month (among other routine wireless tasks).

But if you’ve already watched more than your share of videos, played plenty of games, and downloaded too many maps, your photo limit is even lower. And don’t even think of uploading videos.

How to Keep Track

Keeping tabs on how much data you use is not as complicated as you might expect. You don’t need to convert kilobytes to megabytes and multiply by gigabytes. You just need to check with your carrier: Most of them offer an online tool for monitoring your data usage. And most phones come with built-in data meters, too. It may seem like a hassle, but the time you invest will lead to more savings for you.

Apple rush to launch iPhone

admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:37:58 +0000

Sprint and T-Mobile USA customers may not have to wait that long for a shot at the next iPhone.

That’s according to Piper Jaffray analyst Chris Larsen, the latest to weigh in on the mounting speculation that carriers beyond AT&T and Verizon Wireless will get the next iPhone. Last week, Citadel analyst Shing Yin said he believed Apple would begin selling the iPhone for Sprint later this year.

“While we remain uncertain regarding the next-generation iPhone’s specs and features, we believe the most noteworthy change could be the device’s ability to run on more networks, specifically Sprint and T-Mobile in the U.S,” Larsen said in a research note today.

A move to all four national carriers would greatly expand Apple’s ability to reach the masses, critical at a time when smartphones running on Google’s Android software have overrun the market. Adding Sprint and T-Mobile would increase Apple’s addressable market by 30 percent, Larsen said.

The next iPhone is expected to be a universal device. Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said in April that the next iPhone will be a global device, suggesting that Apple will sell one device to both carriers. Larsen said there are few technical hurdles to ensure the phone is compatible with both Sprint and T-Mobile.

The current Verizon iPhone 4 already contains the Qualcomm chip that is compatible with the CDMA network used by both Verizon and Sprint, as well as the GSM network used by AT&T and T-Mobile.

“Our belief is that if Apple is already going through the trouble to make a device that has the ability to work on both major network technologies, why not include all the necessary spectrum bands to make one device work on all carriers,” Larsen said.

While T-Mobile customers were likely to eventually get the iPhone by virtue of the carrier’s pending deal to be acquired by AT&T, the real winner is Sprint, which would benefit from lower customer turnover and increased growth, Larsen said.

Newer mobile phone technology is prone of being hacked

admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:33:40 +0000

Making sure to have a secure Wi-Fi connection and keeping your phone password protected are two of the easiest ways to prevent yourself from being hacked, according to experts.

With the recent uncovering of the cell phone hacking scandal involving News of the World journalists, the relatively unsecured networks on which cell phones operate has begun to attract more attention, especially as phones with internet access are becoming more prevalent.

About 38 percent of American adults now own an iPhone or other mobile device that runs the Android, Windows or WebOS operating system, according to the Associated Press.

Mobile banking and GPS tracking are two of the biggest problem causing activities on the devices, which typically rely on less-than secure Wi-Fi.

“The problem is that information you provide for conveniences in your everyday life can be used against you by the people who want to steal your identity or break into your house while you’re away,” Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper said in a prepared statement.

Cathy Lewandowski, senior public relations manager for AT&T, said the best thing people can do to protect themselves is get informed.

“Avoid consumer scams and know what to look for to prevent being duped,” Lewandowski said. “Phishing and SMiShing, cramming and slamming—these common communication scams have funny names, but are serious frauds that affect consumers nationwide.”

The most common ways that hackers gain access to a phone’s information are by tricking a user into clicking on an unsecured link or by setting up a free Wi-Fi hotspot in a public place, according to Sharon Curtis-Flair, director of communications for the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.

Tips to avoid being hacked:

Change passwords frequently and use different passwords for different accounts. Make sure they have a combination of letters and symbols, not the names of your pets or children (especially if you have that information listed on a social network). If one password is hacked, the chances of other accounts being hacked becomes greater with repeated passwords.

Be careful using your phone or tablet for banking and make sure you use a secure network. If you are shopping online, consider using a credit card which provides more consumer protections than other payment forms such as debit cards.

In certain situations, smartphone apps that rely on GPS such as Google Maps, weather, or navigation can expose your location to people who may wish to harm you.

There are also apps that help hackers steal passwords or other confidential information. Guard your phone or tablet as if it’s a credit card. Log out and turn it off when you finish using it.

The safest course may be to assume that public “hot spots” are not secure and that other people can access any information you see or send over a public wireless network.

Your phone can tracked by Police

admin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:27:46 +0000

Sure, a smart phone could tell you just about anything you ever wanted to know. But it could also tell others just about everything about you, without you ever knowing. The Los Angeles chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has joined an investigation to find out to what extent, how and why law enforcement officials are using technology to track citizens. The Southland affiliate is one of 33 ACLU offices nationwide that have filed public record requests detailing the surveillance practices of local police departments.

“It’s high time we look into this,” said Hector Villagra, executive director of Southern California ACLU.

ACLU officials are concerned that rapidly advancing technology and increasing reports that cell phones can be used to compile information about users’ location could be prompting law enforcement officials to request personal information without sufficient reason, Villagra said.

Federal law and the fourth amendment require the government to obtain a search warrant or have adequate suspicion of a person’s wrongdoing before searching and compiling their personal information.

Villagra said his organization is concerned that police departments are creating files on people without linking them to any criminal investigations.

“A basic constitutional amendment is not being respected,” he said.

Sprint and the state of Michigan are both suspected of violating privacy rights, according to the ACLU.

The cell phone provider received over 8 million personal information requests over a 13-month period, according to the ACLU, and law enforcement in Michigan tried to obtain information from mobile phone users within range of a planned labor protest.

About 60 percent of ACLU’s national chapters have requested the surveillance information of their local law enforcement entities, which were filed earlier this month.

“To get us all to agree on anything is remarkable,” Villagra said.

LA’s chapter is not the only Southern California entity looking into the matter. San Diego’s affiliate have joined the national effort, as well.

San Diego’s ACLU asked the local police department for all records pertaining to mobile phone tracking, Internet and social media investigations, GPS tracking devices and automatic license plate readers, public video surveillance cameras and facial recognition technologies, mobile forensic data extraction, and all other technologies used by the SDPD, ACLU’s Rebecca Rauber told NBC San Diego.

Public record requests must be acknowledged 10 days after they are received, but information gatherers can request up to two weeks’ extension.

Villagra expects the information to be available in about one month, at which point the ACLU will decide how to disseminate it to the public.

People would not know if their personal information was sought by law enforcement, Villagra said.

“Everyone should be concerned about that level of government surveillance,” he said.

Apple overtake Nokia from Revenue

admin — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:40:20 +0000

I’d say worst to first, but more accurately it’s nowhere to triumph. Could this happen in the record industry? Not only can it, it will.

There’s an ecosystem of major labels and radio and physical distribution based on ripping off acts. Will this sustain when the cost of production is essentially zero and physical distribution is almost dead and radio is moribund? Look at it this way. Could Simon Cowell leverage “X Factor” into a whole new label, a powerhouse he could build upon?

Of course. If he was smart.

In other words, Simon Cowell is leaving money on the table. But the twentysomethings who are going to take over this business will not.

Just like the iPhone looked nothing like a RAZR, the new record industry powerhouse will look nothing like Sony, where Doug Morris is wooing L.A. Reid to overspend like it’s still 1999.

The new powerhouse will be more like a manager, an agent on steroids, who takes twenty percent for maximizing revenue using new tools.

What are the new tools?

1. iTunes

Anybody can sell on an equal basis. Just pay a low flat fee price to Tunecore.

2. YouTube

It’s completely free. Not only that, if you can generate views, you can make money.

3. Bandcamp/Topspin

It’s fascinating that the major labels did not think of this and do not own this. Doug Morris and Universal build the money-losing Vevo that doesn’t generate enough cash to cover costs and pisses off consumers with advertisements and these two entities succeed based on fulfilling customers’ desires. Yes, consumers want product, a plethora of it, just not what the major labels think they do. They want t-shirts and vinyl and books and autographed merchandise, there are a zillion price points and a ton of revenue. You know how you know Topspin is good? The majors labels use it when they pooh-pooh almost all technological innovation. But Topspin and Bandcamp do not limit their infrastructure to those with big bucks and relationships, they’re open to everyone. The majors won on exclusivity, controlling distribution, those days are completely through and that’s why the major label ecosystem is dying.

Exhibition is still in flux. Is it Pandora or Spotify from the cloud or a new service? Rights holders have held back development by insisting on insane payments but at some point in the future a new service with new music might develop or the rights holders might become so desperate they make equitable deals…or an unknown with an unknown product akin to MTV may come by and sideswipe everybody.

Artists want two things. Exposure and money. Can you get them heard and seen and can they get paid. If you can deliver this, they sign up. And smarter younger artists will sign with someone new, their own age, as opposed to the forty and fiftysomethings tied in with the old system.

Want to make it in the new music management world? Be honest, be trustworthy and deliver. And acts will flock to you.

The iPhone was a better operating system. The app market didn’t flourish until down the line. There were stumbles along the way, like how to pay for the device, but people flocked to it. It was a hit. All we need is a hit act which doesn’t make a deal with the usual suspects and we’re off to the races. Just like Wal-Mart exclusive deals killed superstars signing with majors, a new hit act doing it for itself will kill the major labels.

Arcade Fire is a start.

But the breakthrough will be something more popular, something easily consumed, something with Top Forty appeal.

The labels should be very afraid. They’ve already lost fifty percent of their record sales in a decade and now they’re about to lose just about everything. This is what happens when you refuse to see the future. This is what happened to Nokia.