Mobile World Congress- Part 1, 30 Must Do and See Things While You Are Here!

If you are here at the Mobile World Congress Barcelona, then now is the time to check out some of the great things Barcelona has to offer. Here is a 3 part series of articles from an American visitor Delaney Drew, who wrote down a wish list of places and things she wanted to do. It's a great list, so take a look and maybe you should visit some when you get some spare time, or maybe next time you visit Barcelona.

If you are at the MWC - Make A FC Barcelona Stadium and Museum Tour.

Before coming to Barcelona I put together a list of thing I thought were a “must” in order to get the most out of my time here. I want to share it with you because it gives a great jumping off point for anyone interested in visiting Barcelona.

1.    La Boqueria - Barca's largest open air market.

2.    Grab a coffee at Cafe de l'Opera, the cafe opened in the 18th century and has been open every single day since 1929.

3.    Enjoy a view from a'top the Mirador de Colom (Christoper Columbus statue that looks out over the Mediterranean Sea and Barcelona).

4.    See a concert at the Gran Teatre de Liceu.

 

5.    Drink from Font de Canaletes, it is said that whoever drinks from this fountain will come back to visit Barcelona.

6.    Have lunch at Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats), one of the first place Pablo Picasso displayed his work and the artist’s frequent hang-out.

7.    Visit Museo de la Xocolata - CHOCOLATE MUSEUM, need I say more?

8.    Spend an afternoon reading in the Parc de la Ciutadella, a beautiful park in the middle of Barca.

9.    See the Castellers de Barcelona in action, people all over the city compete to make the tallest human tower.

10. Ride the Barceloneta Cable Car, a cable car that runs from the Port to Montjuic.

If you are at the MWC - Make A FC Barcelona Stadium and Museum Tour.





If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2014 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 647 044 889, because you can be sure we can do it.  

Mobile World Congress Barcelona - Mobile World Capital

Here is another great article by Sascha Segan, about Barcelona and how it is the mobile world capital. So, if you are coming to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, read on and remember, that we will be adding something new every day, so keep coming back.

MOBILE WORLD CAPITAL
In 2011, Barcelona beat out Milan, Munich, and Paris to become the first Mobile World Capital: a showplace city for mobile technologies, where new mobile solutions are devised to change the way people do things in their day-to-day lives.

The most prominent element of the Mobile World Capital is Mobile World Congress, the world's largest mobile technology tradeshow. But there are also three other major components, two of which you'll be able to see at the show.

Mobile World Centre
Part museum, part event space, part retail store, the Centre is the public face of mobile technology 365 days a year. It'll be housed on Plaça Catalunya in central Barcelona, and it'll be open in time for MWC 2013.

I haven't gotten to see the exhibits at the Centre, but I'm sure they'll be a thrill for any mobile geek. Head to Catalunya station via Metro lines 1 or 3, or bus H12 direct from the Fira.

Mobile World Hub
Barcelona is transforming itself into a hotbed of mobile development. The "Mobile World Hub" is a combination of industrial incubator services, university programs and even legal frameworks designed to speed up the development of new mobile solutions.

How can you experience the Mobile World Hub? Ask any of the companies exhibiting at the Catalunya Pavilion at the show, many of which will be involved. Many new companies will be housed in 22@, Barcelona's innovation district. Find out more about that neighborhood at www.22barcelona.com; you can visit by taking Metro Line 4 to Llacuna.

The Mobile World Hub idea has already started to pay off for consumers, with Barcelona developing an impressive, useful array of mobile apps. To find them, search for "ajuntament de Barcelona" on your smartphone platform's app store.

Mobile World Festival
We get MWC. The Mobile World Festival is what everyone else gets. Mobile World Festival's focus is Barcelona Mobile Summer Week, a week of entertainment events with mobile technology angles, but other Barcelona events and festivals now have mobile components, including the Sonar and Primavera Sound music festivals, Formula 1, and FC Barcelona.

Here's an example: last year, Mobile World Capital helped add on a "Phonetastic Sitges Mobile Film Festival" to the annual Sitges film festival outside Barcelona, with awards for the best short films produced on mobile phones.

For more on the Mobile World Capital, see www.mobileworldcapital.com.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com by Sascha Segan

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2014 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 647 044 889, because you can be sure we can do it.         

Mobile World Congress - Applications You Need for Your Phone

As the Mobile World Congress Barcelona, draws ever closer, this artcle examines some great applications you could download onto your phone to help you during your MWC 2014 Visit.

If you are at the MWC - Make A FC Barcelona Stadium and Museum Tour.

MUST-HAVE APPS
Mobile World Congress will have its own app for iPhone and Android—make sure to take a look in your platform's app store under "GSMA." The official event app allows you to access all the event information such as the event schedule, exhibitor listing, venue map, social networking, and more. Download these other apps as well to get the most out of Barcelona.

Android and iOS Apps:

Google Translate is a must, supporting both Spanish and Catalan.

• Android
• iOS

Google Maps offers solid transit directions in Barcelona.

• Android
• iOS

A prop d'aqui is the official city app and helps you find everything from beer bars to late-night pharmacies and Wi-Fi hotspots near your location.

• Android
• iOS

TMB Virtual, the official local transit app, displays bus stops and offers a trip planner.

• Android
• iOS

OANDA Currency Converter is the best app for converting between a single pair of currencies—for instance, your home currency and the Euro.

• Android
• iOS

Windows Phone Apps:
Bing Translator supports Spanish and Catalan, and it accommodates voice, text, and camera input.

iBus Barcelona may not be the official Barcelona transit app for Windows phones (there is none), but it does let you punch in bus stop numbers to find out when the next bus is coming. For transit directions, point your device browser to: www.tmb.cat/en/.

XE Currency comes from a well-known name in foreign exchange, converting easily between Euros and your home currency.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com by Sascha Segan

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2014 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 647 044 889, because you can be sure we can do it.         

Things to do in Barcelona

Although everything in Barcelona is an experience there is a difference between the Barcelona the tourists know it and the real Barcelona as the locals know it. We can help you find all the authentic Catalan flavors and experiences.

If you are visiting Barcelona and you want to make a Private Tour, Day trip, see the Attractions or go on an Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out www.barcelonaeventorganisation.com or call us on +34 647 044 889, because you can be sure we can make your stay perfect.    

Mobile World Congress - Latest GSMA News at MWC Barcelona

Here is the latest information from the GSMA which details keynote speakers and news about next weeks Mobile World Congress Barcelona.

 

If you are at the MWC - Football Tickets for the FC Barcelona v Real Madrid Match on the 26th February (Copa del Rey) available HERE

The GSMA today announced the details of the Mobile World Live keynote taking place next week at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2013, along with other keynote speakers in the conference programme. The GSMA also provided further updates across other programmes at the event, including the NFC Experience, App Planet and Partner Events. Mobile World Congress will take place 25-28 February at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

"Mobile World Congress 2013 is shaping up to be our biggest and most exciting event ever," said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. "From the exhibition to the conference programme to targeted programmes such as App Planet and mPowered Brands, along with many educational seminars and meetings, there's something for every attendee. We are looking forward to welcoming the mobile industry to Barcelona and to our new home at Fira Gran Via."

Mobile World Live Keynote: Focus on Mobile OS The GSMA announced the speakers for its Mobile World Live keynote taking place at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, 26^th February in Auditorium 1, Hall 4 at Fira Gran Via. This Mobile World Live keynote will feature a panel of CEOs who will explore today's mobile OS market and the innovations shaping the future of smartphones and other connected devices. Speakers for this exciting session include:

• Mitchell Baker, Chairman, Mozilla Foundation
• Imad Sousou, Co-Chair, Tizen
• Mark Shuttleworth, Founder, Ubuntu 

The Mobile World Live keynote is open to all Mobile World Congress attendees holding Gold, Silver, Platinum or Press/Industry Analyst passes. Mobile World Live TV will also broadcast the session live on screens throughout Fira Gran Via, on a dedicated channel reaching 21,000 rooms in nearly 160 hotels across Catalonia and on local channels to households throughout the region. Further, the keynote will be streamed live to the Mobile World Live app, which is available as part of the official Mobile World Congress event app, and to the Mobile World Live website. Mobile World Live TV is sponsored by Platinum Sponsor Windows Phone; Gold Sponsor Acer; and Silver Sponsor Mobily.

In addition to the Mobile World Live keynote, the GSMA announced further keynote speakers in the Mobile World Congress conference programme, including:

• Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association
• Chet Kapoor, CEO, Apigee
• Peter Bale, GM, CNN International Digital

For more information on the Mobile World Congress conference programme, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/conference.

New Updates for the NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress
As part of the new NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress, the GSMA, in partnership with Accenture, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Assa Abloy, CaixaBank, Connecthings, Gemalto, Hotel Santos Porta Fira, Mobile World Capital, Open Trends, Sony, Telefonica and Visa, will showcase an integrated range of mobile NFC services. Attendees with NFC-enabled handsets will be able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations throughout Fira Gran Via and in the city. As a reminder, attendees with NFC-enabled handsets (Android 4 and above, BlackBerry 7.1 and Windows Phone 8 operating system) can opt into the NFC Experience and the NFC Badge. Attendees then have full show entry with the NFC Badge and their physical badge, but without the need to repeatedly present a physical photo ID to gain access to the venue.

CaixaBank, Gemalto, Telefonica and Visa, together with the Mobile World Capital, are delivering a payments application as part of the NFC Experience. The application, which was developed using wallet technology developed by Telefonica Digital, will be offered on Xperia™ T smartphones provided by Sony Mobile Communications to 3,500 Mobile World Congress attendees. The app will come pre-loaded with €15, allowing attendees to make payments at contactless payment terminals across Fira Gran Via. In addition, the app will allow payments in all "contactless" point of sale terminals (POS) rolled out by CaixaBank around Barcelona, including more than 16,000 POS in stores, commercial centres and city markets, as well as 1,000 taxis.

Another element of the NFC Experience is the NFC Challenge, a competition open to exhibitors with commercialised NFC-related apps, products, services or solutions. Submissions will be secretly evaluated at the exhibitors' stands by a team of judges during the first two days of Mobile World Congress. The winning company and their submission will be announced Wednesday, 27^th February during the App Planet Open Forum, taking place in the Hall 8.0 Theatre District, Theatre A. More information on the NFC Experience is available at: http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/nfc-at-mwc/.

Updates on Mobile World Congress Featured Programmes
The GSMA announced new app developer conferences (ADCs) as part of App Planet, as well as two new Partner Events. In App Planet, Supporting Sponsor developerprogram.com will be holding an ADC on Thursday, 28^th February. On Wednesday, 27^th February, the App Planet Open Forum presented by APPNATION will feature executive roundtables and presentations from companies including Amazon, AT&T, Ericsson, Google AdMob, Twitter and Windows Phone. The GSMA also announced two new Partner Events: "Innovations in Enterprise Mobility" presented by AirWatch on Monday, 25^th February and "Bringing the Community Together @MWC!" presented by MobileMonday on Thursday, 28^th February. For more information on Featured Programmes at Mobile World Congress, please visit http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/featured-programmes/.

Media Welcome Reception Sponsor and Demonstration Showcases

HTC is sponsoring the first official Mobile World Congress Media Welcome Reception taking place on Sunday, 24^th February from 17:00 to 19:00 at Fira Gran Via. This networking cocktail reception will offer accredited press and industry analysts the opportunity to meet with leading players from across the mobile ecosystem and preview the week's activities in relaxed social environment. The reception will feature demonstration showcases from AirWatch, Gigamon, MicroStrategy, Mobeam, Neonode, Rubicon Project, Sandvine, Symphony Teleca and Trend Micro. For more information, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/press/.

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital also includes the Mobile World Centre, the Mobile World Festival and the Mobile World Hub, programmes and activities that will span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com.

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Source:  www.gsma.com

If you are at the MWC - Football Tickets for the FC Barcelona v Real Madrid Match on the 26th February (Copa del Rey) available HERE

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.  

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/02/19/4628175/gsma-announces-mobile-world-live.html#storylink=cpy

What! No Samsung Galaxy S4 at MWC 2013 Barcelona?

The burning question on everybody's lips is....Will Samsung launch the Galaxy S4 at Barcelona Mobile World Congress 2013 or not?!  Here is an interesting article that we found which says not. Read on..
 

Samsung has no big plans to announce its devices at Mobile World Congress 2013 that is going to begin from 25^th February, 2013 including the Galaxy S4. This was informed by the person who is aware of the launch plans of Samsung, according to CNET.  There were expectations that the much awaited Samsung Galaxy will be announced at Mobile world Congress 2013.

Samsung seems to have a plan to hold an event to launch Galaxy S4 as did it for the release of Galaxy S3 in 2012.  There are some rumors going around that 22^nd March, 2013 may be the date on which an even will be held for releasing Galaxy S4.  The handset may be displayed in the press conference that is scheduled on 22^nd March, 2013.

There are other companies which are not announcing their new products at Mobile Congress World 2013 such as BlackBerry which is launching its Smartphone in their own special event later this week and HTC will be releasing its device a week before MCW begins.  Mobile Congress World will still be the platform for many major announcements from companies such as Nokia, Huawei and so on.

Samsung S4 is a 5.0 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen device that comes with 1080 x 1920 pixels.  The display will be protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2.  It comes with an internal memory of 16 GB and expandable memory via MicroSD card up to 64 GB. It supports Bluetooth v4.0, WLAN, NFC, GPRS and EDGE.  There is a primary camera of 13 megapixel with autofocus and LED flash features and a secondary camera for video recording with 1080p@30fps.  Galaxy S4 comes loaded with Android v4.2 Jelly Bean operating system. It has 2 GHz quad core Cortex A15 Exynos 5450 processor.  There is a Li-ion 2600 mAh battery under the cover.  Accelerometer, proximity, gyro and barometer sensors can be found in the devise.

Samsung S4 specifications 

• 5 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
• Display resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• Runs on Android v4.0 Jelly Bean operating system
• 16 GB internal storage
• 2 GB RAM
• Expandable memory via microSD up to 54 GB
• Supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, WLAN, GPRS and EDGE
• 13 megapixel autofocus, LED flash primary camera
• Secondary camera with 1080p@30fps video recording

Source: http://www.aegindia.org

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.    

Continued Growth for Mobile Ecosystem Here!

Here is an article that we found regarding one of the fastest growing regions in Africa for mobile penetration and even when the most of world is suffering with economic crisis. Read on.. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions globally for mobile penetration, usage and revenues. While the world has been rocked by economic crises, the region's mobile ecosystem has seen continued subscription growth and now accounts for over 730 million connections, according to global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

 

This makes it one of the world's largest pools of mobile subscribers. Buoyed by the innovation of home-grown entrepreneurs, it has played a significant role in applying mobile to verticals such as education, healthcare and finance.
 

Challenges for mobile in the sub-Saharan region

There are, however, significant challenges for sub-Saharan Africa as a region, such as maintaining operator profitability and revenues as mobile penetration spreads to less affluent customers; and ensuring regulation keeps pace with the potential of the region. The solutions that arise have the potential to be a blueprint for the mobile industry across the rest of the planet.

These are some of the issues that will form the basis of a conference session panel discussion to be chaired by Bradley Shaw, South African managing editor of Africa Telecoms magazine, on Tuesday, 26 February 2013, at the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona.

In addition to the conference session promising to spark hot debate, it is hoped that some resolution can also be achieved to the common issues generated by the exponential growth in this sector across the continent.

This will be Shaw's fourth visit to the gathering of mobile-focused organisations and individuals which last year hosted over 67 000 attendees. He said that the importance of the sub-Saharan region had grown substantially each year, attracting increasing numbers of delegates seeking fresh opportunities and key learnings.

"Africa is an exciting space for the mobile industry as a whole," said Shaw. "Through mere necessity beset by the unique challenges presented across the continent, it continually evolves and shifts, often producing pioneering innovation picked up by the rest of the world."

Joining Shaw on centre stage will be:

Sifiso Dabengwa, group president and CEO, MTN Group

Manoj Kohli, CEO (International) and joint MD, Bharti Airtel

Omobola Johnson, minister of Communication Technology, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, Nigeria

Lars Linden, head of Ericsson, Region Sub-Saharan Africa, Ericsson

George Ferreira, COO, Samsung Electronics Africa

Nic Rudnick, CEO, Liquid Telecom

Source: http://www.bizcommunity.com

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.