I had to do a post on this. Long have I had a problem with people who wear bluetooth in-ear or on-ear microphone headsets. I don't mind it if you're a plumber - an ambulance man, heck, even a policeman. But wearing a bluetooth headset for 8 hours a day -- and taking one phone call from your insurance company trying to upgrade your policy each day - that's inexcusable. If you use your headset continuously for hours on end, I think I can manage dispensation. However I think walking about the place - all day - wearing it... No.

I was thus delighted to read this tweet via @caaarlo:

RT @phonescooper: LOL @theexpert calls bluetooth headsets "dipsh!t earrings"

So yes. That's my new description. Dipshit earrings. Love it.

Sophia in the Chiswick branch of 3 was very helpful. She can upgrade me for free to a Nokia N97 - but it'll be the equivalent of a 21 month contract. What do you think? Should I wait and hope 3 introduces an Android handset worth getting?

This is a very, very good deal for anyone wanting to talk to friends for free (either in the UK or abroad). I might pick one up!

My phone started to buzz this morning at about 930am with questions about SpinVox. Had I seen the news? How was I reacting? What next for the global behemoth? Are their days numbered?

Alex picked up on the news earlier and had a post up here on MIR quickly. I'm writing this on my BlackBerry so I will put in a link later on.

The jist of today's excitement is that 'hard proof' that SpinVox's use of a legion of 'sweatshop' transcribers has been obtained by some publications (particularly the BBC).

The use of humans in the transcription process for SpinVox has never been a secret. When I first sat down with 'Double-D' (Daniel Doulton), the company's co-founder, he was abundantly open about their use of humans to correct, enhance and revise their transcription engine.

For example, transcribing 'call me' (the only message my father ever, ever sends me via SpinVox) is pretty easy for a computer to learn, especially when it's got hundreds of thousands of examples to consolidate and learn from. However, 'Hi can you call me after you've spoken to Sofia and finished the synchronised three-stage backup process,' is a lot more challenging. It gets worse when you're giving mobile numbers or door numbers. Screw the rest of the text - I *need* that to be accurate.

My understanding of how SpinVox works is that when the system can't do a reliable 'call me' quickie translation, certain phrases are passed/escalated to humans for transcription.

I've no trouble with that per se. SpinVox's primary use case for me is voicemail transcription - so I need the phone numbers, door numbers, or anything critical to be transcribed properly. Once or twice there's been an error in a call-back number in my experience, but typically speaking, I have no trouble with accuracy. Because somewhere along the line, a human guaranteed it. How do I know this? Well, I don't - specifically - but I can't see how technology can be that good, yet. Otherwise we'd be using the SpinVox stuff for interacting with our phone bank accounts in realtime.

The key point for me is that humans were - or at least, supposedly - used sparingly. I didn't and don't mind getting semi non-sensical messages from SpinVox provided I can understand the rough meaning.

If you're telling me that every message I receive is being transcribed by a chap in Egypt, well, now I've got a problem. Next to nothing I receive by voicemail is 'secret'. But I don't work for the security services, or a billion dollar company. The moment the humans-for-escalation-only-illusion is shattered, I've got a problem. Further, I've got a problem with the mainstream tech media. Because my clients read that. And now that SpinVox is getting raked over by many, I'm potentially going to start getting comments and questions about my use of the service. Because every sodding time you call me (and get voicemail) a little SpinVox advertisement plays ('your voicemail will be converted to text by SpinVox' or something). Now I've got a strained look on my face.

They're nice, competent people at SpinVox. Only a few nights ago I sat with their COO, Paul, for a little while in a Chiswick Pub. A smart, competent cookie. I know their PR supremo, Jane - although I haven't met their head of PR yet. And of course, I know their Social Media Genius, James Whatley.

T'was James to whom I turned this afternoon, asking what was going on at SpinVox. For years James regularly contributed to SMS Text News (and later, as it became, Mobile Industry Review) and he thus kept me continually up to date on the company's news, sometimes often on a daily basis. He never needed to hawk me stories or updates - I was always a SpinVox convert, using their service heavily since I first got it. Alas that special relationship came to an end in late March with the MIR changes (subscription-only then re-launch as MIR 3.0 and I haven't spoken with James or SpinVox much at all recently.

But I thought I'd give it a go today. James is the default one-stop-shop for SpinVox questions, issues and business development for most of the internet. I'm not quite clear on James' status with SpinVox - Alex comments that he's part time/contract - and his usually super-dooper-active Twitter account (@whatleydude) has been silent since the 21st of July. I was hoping to see some updates, clarifications or a link to a response from SpinVox that I could publish or link to from here. Ah just looked at his Twitter stream and he's away 'til Friday.

No bother. I then looked up @Spinvox (232 followers vs James' 3,800). Nothing. Nothing since last week. Goodness me. You'd think someone would have grabbed the account and published something.

This aside, what does the future hold for SpinVox? Well, I hope they've hired some very good crisis PR professionals. Thinking of all the businesses I tried to convert to SpinVox (as an avid customer) in the past couldn't get past the 'but someone might be listening' issue. I wrote them off as a bit too narrow-minded. After watching the BBC footage - regardless of the argument - I think they'll never touch the service in future.

If the UK mainstream media - the broadsheets in particular - pick this story up, I think it's potentially game-over for SpinVox. I can't imagine a European operator going live with the service after such 'privacy' issues.

On the other hand, if Vodafone wanted a good deal from SpinVox, I dare say their CEO would get a really good multi-country special offer from a back-against-the-wall SpinVox management team.

As many are commenting, today's press - if it continues for a few days - could well kill the company.

Like contributor Alex, I think it's probably time for me to choose a new voicemail provider -- MIR Bell (the super dooper private telephony service I've mentioned before, is probably the way ahead for me). Alternatively I think I might swap to HulloMail.

Pop into Carphone Warehouse and take a look at their snazzy Nokia N86 handset. It sports an 8 megapixel camera and the super efficient N95 form factor - a real sweet spot for me. And at just 25 pounds per month -- probably on an 18-month contract -- I almost went into Carphone and bought one on the spot. (Then I took a deep breath and did a 'Shopaholics style' check. Do I need yet another mobile and mobile contract? No. Relax. Another deep breath. Move on). Who's got their eye on one?

Just been into the Orange store on Carnaby Street. They sold out of their new Android HTC Hero almost immediately. According to the chap I spoke to, most of Orange's London stores have also sold out completely.

The chap advised reserving one if, like me -- and, it seems, the rest of the UK -- you're really keen.

I popped into the o2 store on Chiswick High Street to see if it was possible to upgrade my old iPhone 3G to a super dooper iPhone 3GS. Unfortunately the answer was no.

Which I found strange. Given that a ton of people I know have done so.

I questionned the chap in the shop, Hassan, asking for clarification.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

Interesting.

"So how do we do business then?" I asked.

Hassan looked into the distance for a moment the responded, "Er, you need to pay off your whole contract balance. Then get another contract for the new 3GS."

"Riiiiight. Can't you just charge me for an upgrade as normal?" I asked, deflated.

"No."

Great. I thought he'd ask for my account details, check my contract end date, you know, make me a crazy price offer or something. But no.

Well then thanks for that o2. I did have my wallet out ready to spunk a ton of cash but your chap didn't want to take it. We move on.

I saw this as I was walking by... Five megapixels in this form factor? I might have to take a serious look at that. The N97 is lovely but the 6700 series are so lightweight! Good for the cut of your pinstripe or jeans pocket.
 
 - Taken at 8:38 PM on July 03, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu