If you have ever found yourself 10 cents short while you are waiting in line at the local coffee shop, don’t worry because soon all you’ll need to do is whip out your mobile and you could be sipping a hot cup of joe in no time.

Using their own staff as guinea pigs, National Australia Bank, Telstra and Visa have joined forces to launch a trial of their new ‘contactless mobile payments system’. Around 200 staff at the companies’ Docklands offices will be given new mobiles that will effectively allow them to pay for goods worth up to $35, all with a single swipe.

NAB spokesman Anthony Wheaton, who will participate in the trial, believes the new system is best suited for fast moving people who purchase low-cost goods like coffee and lunch on a regular basis. Using this system, consumers will not have to carry a wallet, but rather just take out their mobile and swipe it across a reader, saving a lot of time. With the system it seems everyone is a winner, from the consumer to the retailer.

Twelve retailers have agreed to trial the system, which will require the installation of a special credit card reader. The ‘contactless’ system works by using ‘near field communication’ (NFC) technology, a wireless technology that allows various electronic devices to talk to each another.

Juniper Research claims that early adopters will start to buy NFC devices as early as the beginning of 2009. By 2013 they predict that one in five phones around the world would carry NFC technology.

The system does require each customer purchase a new phone, which may be a giant factor in Australian consumers picking this up right away. Although this does sound kinda cool, I personally wouldn’t be forking ot a load of money to buy a new phone, especially considering I like using cash at coffee shops, because how else are you supposed to give tips?

Telstra have listened to the cries of their customers and have upped their data plans dramatically. The $10 mobile data package now includes an impressive 150MB per month (up from 20MB), while the $29 mobile data package includes a whopping 300MB (up from 80MB). Excess data charges have also been massively reduced, so customers don’t end up with shock-inducing bills. Subscribed customers will automatically be rolled over to the plans, without even lifting a finger. Finally, Telstra take a leap in the right direction, after fumbling about with ridiculous iPhone plans.

“No really, I am”

Telstra has just openly admitted that it needs to make a personal connection with customers, instead of focusing too much on technology. Telstra have spent the last three years pumping advertisements out related to new broadband and phone technology, without caring too much about how their brand is perceived by us Aussies.

In an attempt to win back the hearts of customers, Telstra have just started running a new ad campaign, in time for the Olympics, that uses the famous ‘I Am Australian’ song, written by Bruce Woodley, to associate the Telstra brand with Australian pride. This strategy might sound familiar because it’s the same one they used back in 2004.

The new ad campaign launched on the World Youth Day weekend and features a new recording of the song by Sydney band The Botanics. The catchy commercial features cinematic images of regular Australians and actually works due to the close proximity of the Olympics. The ad should work to restore the emotional connection that customers once had with Telstra, before it spent all its advertising budget trying to make Australia understand just what the Next G Network really was. The goal of the campaign is to make Australians feel proud and patriotic as the Olympics draws closer. Australians must soon unite against a common enemy and Telstra realise this.

In the upcoming weeks Telstra will release a follow up commercial that uses another recording of the song, this time by popular singer Katie Noonan. The sequel will feature a family that is brought together by the birth of a child. Instead of being patriotic and powerful, this ad will focus more on family bonding, in an effort to drive home the fact that Telstra is a family-friendly brand.

Warning: If you love media, do not buy an Apple iPhone 3G if you live in Australia!

The Apple iPhone 3G fails at being a true multimedia device. Almost all of the great mobile content that is offered by Optus, Vodafone, Telstra and other content providers like MobileActive and Jamster is not available on the new iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3G is incompatible with a lot of the content services and does not support flash. The cost of using the iPhone to browse is a lot higher in Australian then it is in other countries. For example, in the US, iPhone customers are treated to unlimited web browsing!

As a result, once again us Aussies are hit with massive bills as soon as we try and access online video or stream musc. With petrol prices soaring, getting a hefty mobile bill could really set the average Australian back.

Mark McDonnel, telecom analyst at BBY, said Apple was purposely limiting the device’s ability to access other content sources in order to force Australians to buy their content from its own iTunes and Apps stores. They are trying to create a monopoly on the market, which should not be encouraged. Consumers need to rally together and boycott the iPhone to ensure this does not happen.

“Of course, Apple has its own platform and it’s a question of whether people want to adapt to fit their content onto the Apple platform, so I don’t see the technical barriers as insuperable but they do impose costs and delays,” he said.

For example, if you are on Telstra and have an Apple iPhone 3G then you can forget about Foxtel Mobile or Bigpond TV because they are most certainly not supported. If you are with Optus then you can no longer access their fantastic range of ringtones, wallpapers, music downloads or mobile TV channels, which include MTV, Ministry of Sound, Nickelodeon, ABC, CNN and SBS.

Vodafone succeeds at being the absolute worse choice if you want to indulge in media. The entire Vodafone Live portal doesn’t work and neither Apple or Vodafone seem to care, so why should the consumer?

“The iPhone 3G’s [web] browser, Safari, is an HTML browser - Vodafone Live operates on a PML browser, which isn’t compatible with the HTML browser,” Vodafone spokesman Greg Spears said.

I think the message is pretty clear here, the iPhone 3G is a terrible choice if you want access to mobile media in Australia

Getting an iPhone is easy, choosing a plan is not. After reviewing the pricing models above, it’s clear to see that Optus is the clear winner. You only have to look at the stats related to increased iPhone data consumption to understand that data is king. If you have an iPhone you are going to consume a hell of a lot of media, so it’s wise to choose the plan with the highest amount of allocated data, which is where Optus outshines all competitors. Telstra’s weak 5mb allowance is almost laughable. It’s an attempt by the carrier to protect their huge walled range of online content.

Telstra also looks to be struggling with iPhone supply. Read more about this here!

Telstra has finally joined the iPhone party by confirming the release of the anticipated handset for $279 on a $30 plan. Unlike Telstra’s competitors Optus and Vodafone, Telstra will only offer the iPhone on exclusive 24-month contracts, as opposed to allowing customers to purchase the iPhone outright.

Telstra customers can choose to buy the iPhone for $279 and then pay $30 per month over two years, or they can choose to receive the phone for free, but pay $80 per month over two years. The massive 16GB model will be available for a cool $399 on the $30 per month contract or included for free with a budget-breaking $100 per month contract. All plans include free Wi-Fi access at all Telstra hot spots.

Despite all the rumours, Telstra will release the iPhone on the same day as Optus and Vodafone. All three carriers are expected to go head to head in battle to secure a piece of the market. Three is still the only carrier without the iPhone, despite the public going nuts on the online petition! Telstra is still the biggest in Australia, with up to 9 million mobile phone customers.

Telstra’s consumer group managing director David Moffatt said the company was “Delighted to bring this product to (users) on Telstra’s high-speed Next G network. With iPhone 3G on the country’s largest and fastest 3G network, providing coverage to 99 percent of the population, more Australians will enjoy the iPhone 3G experience in even more places.”

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney played launchpad for the HTC Touch Diamond smartphone. HTC were quick to make the artistic comparison between the museum and the phone, making the phone seem like a more sophisticated choice then the upcoming iPhone. Perhaps this is a move to make the iPhone seem like a cool toy, instead of a smartphone that actually does the job you want it to do. The Diamond back features stylish diamond triangles that are pieced together like a modern work of art. It’s a pleasure to look at and to hold.

HTC CEO and President, Peter Chou, opened the launch by announcing that the Diamond represented the “future in mobile technology”, although he did emphasize that the touchscreen isn’t what people should focus on. HTC firmly believes that user-friendly and well-integrated Internet browsing will be the defining feature of this next generation handset.

The web browsing on the Touch Diamond is actually really impressive, with the device being able to intuitively wrap text to fit the screen. Details were also leaked about the various partnership deals that exist with popular social networking sites. While the YouTube rebroadcasting capability was described by HTC chief innovation officer Horace Luke as being, “the best YouTube use amongst any device.”

The Touch Diamond’s marquee weather feature was also visually demonstrated to the audience. This amazing feature graphically displays the weather, either where you are or around the world, in a style which is very similar to the enchanted ceiling from the Harry Potter books. In closing, Luke concluded by saying that the phone was built from the ground up to be “worthy of a museum of modern art.”

Mr. Chou was very enthusiastic about HTC’s ongoing partnership with Microsoft, with the excited CEO letting everyone know that “If it wasn’t for Microsoft, HTC probably wouldn’t exist.”

Telstra executive director and product manager, Ross Fielding confirmed that the price of the Touch Diamond, which is an exclusive Telstra Next G handset, would be $999 outright or a mere $80 on a locked-in plan over 24 months.

Australian release dates have yet to be confirmed, however the phone will debut either late July or early August. Get excited people!

To see the official demonstration video from HTC, check out this clip:

Are you a total idiot when it comes to phones? Do you think WAP is the sound your fist makes when you slog someone? Think Bluetooth is an infection? Well have no fear, Telstra is about to release a batch of Mobile Phone Mentors that will come and explain the finer points of unlocking your phone. These friendly trainers will actually come to your house, set up your phone and explain all the cool features that you will probably never use anyway. “Telstra Mentors” are dedicated experts who specialise in advanced features like video calling, web browsing, MMS and more. With the size of user manual’s these days and the fact that the average 3G user doesn’t even make use of their browsing power, this is actually a good idea and should propel them to the top of customer service ratings, surpassing Optus.

Only the lucky ones, myself included, who live in Sydney will be able to get this service initially, however it is deemed successful Telstra will roll it out in all cities across Australia by the end of the year. Did I mention that it’s all free? Finally, Telstra do something right! Personally, when I think of a mentor, I can’t stop envisioning Mr. Miyagi rocking up at my house with a phone in hand.

Finally, it has arrived. After hundreds of blogs calling for an Australian release date, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the new 3G version of the iPhone on Monday, along with a lot of new third-party applications designed especially for the device. Aussie Apple fans can also rejoice because for once we have not been left out of the mix! The updated iPhone will use 3G wireless technology and run updated iPhone 2.0 software. It is expected to launch July 11 worldwide in 22 countries, with Australia included in the fold. Jobs also promised that by the end of the year, the iPhone 3G will be available in 70 countries. The iPhone will also be cheaper than its successful predecessor, with a 16GB version priced at only US$299 and an 8GB version that costs a mere US$199.

Optus are jumping on the bandwagon early by allowing pre-oprders of the Optus iPhone 3G. To register your interest just go here. Vodafone will also be releasing an iPhone, although no information has been announced regarding their plan. There has been no word from Telstra.

At the conference, Jobs showed the audience the difference between the new version and the old by loading the National Geographic homepage. The old iPhone took 18 seconds, while the 3G version took only 5 seconds. Jobs then highlighted the latest business features including push email, push contacts, push calendar, auto-discovery, global address lookup and remote wipe. At this point, Jobs handed the reins over to Scott Forstall, VP of iPhone software, to provide a highlight reel of some exciting applications. Standout applications included the eBay app that is used to track auction status and bidding, a band app that allows users to create music on the run and an Associated Press app that gives you a highly customisable news experience.

Steve then came back on stage to discuss new featuers like parental controls, contact searching, iWork, bulk delete, better language controls and much more. On the hardware side, he added that there will be longer battery life (eight to 10 hours of 2G talk, five hours of 3G talk, seven hours of video and 24 hours of audio), silver buttons, a new headjack and a custom back panel that can be black or white.

Phil Schiller took time out to demonstrate MobileMe, an innovative new cross-platform Internet service that can keep your contacts, calendar, e-mail, photos and files in sync between Macs, PCs and, apparently, any other kind of computer that can run a Web browser. When the handset ships in July, this US$99/year service will take the place of Apple’s old, also US$99/year .Mac service. A 60-day free trial will be available to new users.

The real juicy stuff came at the end of the keynote when Apple announced the new iPhone has 3G HSDPA networking on the 850MHz, 1900MHz and 2100MHz frequencies (which means that it logically can connect to Telstra’s Next G network), as well as real built-in GPS with support for AGPS for faster lock to satellites.

What is the new iPhone 3G missing? Click here to find out…

Do you want a full list of the new applications? Click here to check them out…

New figures released by Telstra show that their mobile customers have consumed around 80,000 hours worth of mobile TV during the month of April. The stats come from Telstra’s best friend, Foxtel, who supply what can be argued as some of the best mobile TV content available to the Australian market.

Roberto Vannini from Telstra has also been quoted in an interview claiming that the majority of Telstra mobile TV lovers are from an older demographic who tend to view the content during traditional prime time viewing periods.

Telstra Foxtel Mobile is essentially a selection of small videos that have been cut from regular Foxtel programming. Telstra subscribers will therefore only be served the best content available. This adheres to my ‘Melting Pot Theory‘ that I wrote about over at EzineArticles.

To find out more about Telstra Foxtel Mobile, including pricing, just go here!