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Orange today have announced that they will launch the iPhone 3G and 3Gs on their network on 11th November 2009, while this might be great news for some I would be very wary of what they have to offer.  This morning along with when they would launch they put a link to the tariffs they will offer to new and upgrading customers; and for the most part they are strikingly similar to what O2 have – Frankly I really doubt that any one will be spurred on the get the iphone on Orange over O2.

After doing some more investigative work (I’m excellent at this, probably because I’m anal about reading the fine print in contracts, I enjoy it.) it seems that Orange will cap their ‘Unlimited’ internet access for iPhone users to just 720mb, something which O2 don’t do.  Of course there is a fair usage policy (FUP) on O2 but it’s set ridiculously high, I regularly download around a GB of data a month and that’s perfectly easy on the iPhone and O2 allow it.

Orange seem to have decided one of two things:

1. iPhone users will use their data and pay for it.

2. Our shareholders need more money, so we’ll charge the same as O2 and make more money, as a pose to cutting the cost to attract more users from O2.

A smart move?

Never, in business, yes you want to make money but an easy way of doing that is being competitive.  O2 are the UK’s largest mobile phone provider and they have a huge share of the market, Orange don’t, what I would do is competitively price the tariffs to attract as many customers as I could.  Orange have seemingly missed a trick.  Capping the data usage on the iPhone is laughable what with all those streaming apps and Facebook checks to made during the day you can easily go over your data allowance in a week let alone four.  750mb is just not enough.

But wait…

Vodafone haven’t announced what they will do about their tariffs when the iPhone launches on their network in the new year, it remains to be seen if they will undercut both companies, but alas, I fear that we may see the same tariffs with tiny differences when they launch.

I have a confession to make.  It’s a very guilty pleasure of mine to partake in a somewhat trashy programme called Most Haunted Live.  In case you haven’t heard of it, stand by there’s a brief guide coming up.  The idea behind the programme is as it sounds; there’s a team of paranormal investigators who travel around the U.K (mostly) and investigate creepy-goings-on.

Whether or not you believe in the paranormal this programme is great Paratainment (Thanks must be given to: @SlapnutzUK for that great turn of phrase) – I like it because it is just that, great entertainment and something you can really giggle over.

This time around the show ran for eight consecutive nights broadcast through cable channel LivingTv, the crew were in the north-east of England looking at some creepy locations – interestingly enough I’d missed the first few nights, no great shame as the show is a breeze to catch up with.  Paul Ross (Our MC, presenter and also master of the ‘Shortest of Short Breaks) does a great job of continuously recapping the night over and over, and yes admittedly it does wear thin towards the end of the run.

It’s important to point out that the show is serious.  It’s serious about its intentions and tries to remain in the realm of reality, often they just about manage it, in between the ‘Wigging Out’ (A technical term) and the constant tirade of abuse directed towards Karl (the husband of the main presenter Yvette).  Yvette attempts to keep the team in tow and prevent a mass break down of the sombre mood into one of mass-hysteria – on night seven she failed miserably.

During a seance in an old pub, some of the crew began to feel nauseous, it must be said that this is categorically not the first time this has happened.  It’s a regular feature of the show, although I often wished that they would show the contents of a stomach once in while just to prove that they are really feeling green.  Of course this programme is relatively classed as family entertainment.  I would agree with this in part.  The only exception that would exempt it’s family status would be the vulgarity of the language in the show (not something that bothers me, fuck it, I couldn’t give a damn), but alas I fear this may disparage a mother from letting her young daughter watch a programme where the worst of the worst words are slipped out amongst other ones.

A thing of worth to note about Most Haunted Live is that it is great T.V.  It makes you laugh and will make you cry when they start to mess around on camera while orders are barked by Yvette in a militaristic style.  I would also suggest that you partake in the discussion on Twitter using the hash tag #mosthauntedlive, some of the people on the discussion are terribly funny and are worth a follow.

I must dedicate this post to them, without those people who entertain you via Twitter; Most Haunted Live would not be half as good as it is.