From 1:00pm today, 24th August 2012 – Samsung began roll out of the Android 4.0.4 Maintenance Release 2 update for GALAXY S III handsets sold by Vodafone in Australia.

The update is released in a staggered process, which means not everybody can update at the same time.

This is a maintenance release and is designed to address some small bugs and introduce minor features. Your day to day experience with your device will broadly remain the same.

The update is available either using Wireless Upgrade (OTA) or by synchronising with Samsung Kies.

Where to now?

Learn more

Visit our Support Knowledgebase for full instructions on what’s included in this update and how to install it to your device.

Need help?

The Vodafone Community is a great place to get help from other customers and our Help & Support Team, or just share your favourite thing about the update.

Book in for a service

If you don’t feel comfortable installing the update yourself, or experience an issue after the upgrade our Service Centre can help. Find out how to book your device in for a service.

Give us a call

If you’d prefer to speak to us over the phone, our Technical Support Team is here to assist. View our contact details and current wait times.

Hi Everyone,

Please find below our network developments for this week.

Regards,

Peter Ryan,
General Manager Network

New Sites On-Air

HUAWEI swaps

As part of Vodafone’s $1bn network investment, we’re busy with many programs upgrading the network. One of which is installing new equipment at all of our sites to improve performance and prepare our network for 4G.

This is achieved through the Huawei Swaps Upgrade program which commenced in 2011 and we’re well on track with the rollout.

Future New Sites On-Air

Sites in testing and planned to come On-Air in next couple of weeks:

For more information on updates regarding the network:

• Check out our previous Weekly Network Updates
• Vodafone network services update
• Network Improvement: Role of Transmission Sites
• Network Improvement – Role of Network Sites
• Customer Update: Network Improvement
• Vodafone Network status page

Welcome to this week’s Weekly Wrap! This post will give you all the information we currently have on software updates working their way through our labs.

When will Jelly Bean be available for my phone?

We’re excited at the release of the latest version of Android and would be delighted to see this update roll out to our customers.

In addition to the recent upgrade for the Nexus S, at this stage the only other confirmation we have received regarding Jelly Bean is for the GALAXY Nexus.

We do not have any further information regarding potential upgrades to any other existing devices.

As more information is received from manufacturers, it will be added to the Weekly Wraps so be sure to check back each Wednesday for the latest news.

What will this post tell me?

The information in this Weekly Wrap only details information on software updates that manufacturers have advised are currently under preparation for submission, or have physically provided to Vodafone for testing and certification. Although you may hear news about updates from around the web and overseas, please be aware that local delivery timelines can differ. This is due to local hardware variants and Australian regulatory requirements.

What will this post not tell me?

We rely on our manufacturing partners to develop software updates prior to submission to us for testing and certification. We will only provide news on an update once the manufacturer has confirmed its forthcoming availability to Vodafone. However, due to the fluid nature of this development process, delivery schedules may shift and a previously communicated update may not enter testing.

What’s in the labs?

The table below lists all updates that are currently undergoing the various stages of testing.

Devices which are listed in bold type indicate a change from last week:

Historical Information

This section details past updates for non-Android platforms. For information on past updates to Android devices, please see our Android Software Updates page.

BlackBerry OS

Windows Phone

Symbian and MeeGo

Sony have advised that the Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich platform upgrade for Xperia arc handsets sold by Vodafone in Australia is now available.

This is a platform upgrade and will introduce a number of new features and enhancements. Some menu items have moved and the user interface has been refreshed.

This update is only available via Sony’s PC Companion software, so you will need a PC or Mac to complete the upgrade.

Where to now?

Learn more

Visit our Support Knowledgebase for full instructions on what’s included in this update and how to install it to your device.

Need help?

The Vodafone Community is a great place to get help from other customers and our Help & Support Team, or just share your favourite thing about the update.

Book in for a service

If you don’t feel comfortable installing the update yourself, or experience an issue after the upgrade our Service Centre can help. Find out how to book your device in for a service.

Give us a call

If you’d prefer to speak to us over the phone, our Technical Support Team is here to assist. View our contact details and current wait times.

From 21st August 2012 – HTC began rolling out a maintenance release software update for HTC Explorer handsets sold by Vodafone in Australia.

This is an important update for your device and both Vodafone and HTC strongly recommend users install it.

This software is available as a Wireless Upgrade and does not require a PC to install.

Where to now?

Learn more

Click here to visit our Support Knowledgebase for full instructions on what’s included in this update and how to install it to your device.

Need help?

The Vodafone Community is a great place to get help from other customers and our Help & Support Team, or just share your favourite thing about the update.

Book in for a service

If you don’t feel comfortable installing the update yourself, or experience an issue after the upgrade our Service Centre can help. Find out how to book your device in for a service.

Give us a call

If you’d prefer to speak to us over the phone, our Technical Support Team is here to assist. View our contact details and current wait times.

If you’re a customer with us and you’re looking to upgrade your existing service, we have an offer for you with the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 4S 16GB

Was $5 per month, but now

$0 upfront (save $120)

on our $59 plan
over 24 months.
Total min cost $1416¹.

How to take up this offer?

For more information and to take up this offer:

• Call us on 1300 658 855 or,
• Visit your nearest Vodafone store

What can I do with an iPhone 4S?

We’ve written heaps of articles on our blog, but here’s a couple we think you’ll like to get the most out of the iPhone 4S.

How to shoot awesome slow motion video at 60fps?

How to shoot an awesome slow motion video using nothing but your iPhone 4S?

> Read the article

‘Pair’ up with your partner with this app

Love social networking but want a more intimate app for you and your special someone? ‘Pair’ makes the magic happen. Read more.

> Read the article

You may be interested in

• Need help with your iPhone? Visit our support area
• Top Photo Apps on the iPhone
• 5 coolest lens accessories for your iPhone
• How to transfer contacts to your Apple® iPhone®

Terms & Conditions
1: Offer valid until 31.08.2012 (unless extended) or while stocks last. Offer only available to the mobile number(s) specified above. Offer only available to approved existing Vodafone customers upgrading, or 3 customers moving to Vodafone only, who upgrade their service to the offer above. Minimum monthly spend $59. Early Exit fee: $64 ($5 iPhone 4S 16GB + $59 Plan) x months left on contract. Offer will appear on your bill as a $5 credit for months 1-24 of your contract. Any charge or cancellations within contract period voids $5 credit x months remaining on contract. If you have upgraded in the last 90 days, we regret that this offer does not apply to you. You remain liable for any charges incurred on your current contract until you upgrade. Eligibility may be subject to a further credit check, the provision of ID documentation and the payment of any overdue charges associated with your existing voice plan until you upgrade.

Bruce Uhlhorn, one of this year’s Vodafone Foundation World of Difference participants gives us an update on a day in the life, working with Radio Lollipop.

Instead of writing ‘a day in the life’ moment, I thought I’ll give you some insight into my most recent trip to Perth working with our Radio Lollipop WA team – some great developments, not to mention exhausting.

Wednesday

Arriving at Perth airport I was met by my local team and ushered off to my hotel. I must admit I felt a bit like a VIP, as I was being fussed over and ushered around.

However, I discovered that the personal guide was absolutely necessary as my hotel was 12 km north of the city!

In the evening we headed off to the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) to meet the Radio Lollipop Wednesday night crew and, join them on their ward rounds.

I really enjoy this part of my visits as its what we are all about. The volunteers and the radio broadcast are engaging with the children in hospital, their siblings and parents, all while having heaps of fun.

One boy in particular, his forehead creased in pain, didn’t really want to do anything except maybe play chess.

Fortunately, one of our Radio Lollipop volunteers is a chess player. It’s wonderful to see the boy’s pained forehead ease and his pain-frown disappear as he becomes engaged in the game.

He relaxes into it and for a while at least, his pain goes away. The stories I hear and witness energises me and reinforces my belief in what we do is having a positive effect for the children.

Afterwards, over dinner I hold my first meeting with Jeanette Shorto, my fellow Radio Lollipop Australia Director. We map out almost every minute of the next three days.

Thursday

I’m off to the city to meet with one of my proposed advisory board members. A traffic accident means the freeway quickly becomes a car park and I miss the meeting!

We re-schedule for lunch, it turns into luncheon meeting without lunch! Being so passionate and engaged in our conversations, we completely forgot to order any food.

At the end, we had consumed two glasses of water and an orange juice.

We had covered a lot of ground in our talks and I walk away hungry, but happy in the knowledge I have recruited a new supporter.

In the afternoon, I headed back to the Radio Lollipop studio at PMH. An interesting fact about the PMH is that this has been the centre of our operations in Western Australia for the past 25 years.

Heaps of admin stuff eats up the rest of the afternoon until I rush off at to meet with Eugene Suares, Vodafone WA State Manager.

My meeting with Eugene leaves me feeling confident of the strong support from the local Vodafone team.

My next stop was a planning meeting with the Radio Lollipop station management team which, just secured a generous donation from the Perth Arena – a ‘Golden Ticket’ to raffle as a fund-raiser.

It’s a great prize; free entry to every event at the Perth Arena for a year!

The winner and a friend will get to see George Michael, Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, the Hopman Cup, the basketball and a heap of exciting performers and events for free!

To be in it to win it, head over to our golden ticket competition page for all of the details at www.goldenticket.net.au.

Friday

Friday morning started with breakfast with Rob Johnson MP. Rob is our long-standing Chairman of Radio Lollipop Australia and during our breakfast, we map out the discussion we will have over lunch with our invited advisory group members.

Rob has generously organised a lunch at the Parliament House dining room to kick off our advisory group activities.

Lunch was a great success and afterwards, I had the good fortune to meet with the senior management of a mining company who could potentially partner in our endeavours.

This meeting was completely unplanned and, was the result of one of the advisory group lunch guests organising a spur of the moment meeting with the senior executives of the company he is a director of.

Maybe we make our own luck? Fingers crossed we may have struck a bit of gold.
 
After the meeting, I did a bit of ‘Bruce time’, which involved meeting up with a ukulele group and indulging myself in some spirited strumming and singing.

The weekend

Winding up my visit, I started the next morning as I left it last night, spending it out the in the sunshine with the ukulele group strumming uke with a great group of people.

I was then off to visit our Radio Lollipop RoadShow that’s currently being refurbished.

The Radio Lollipop RoadShow our mobile stage and broadcast centre that is being readied for delivery to Brisbane via Melbourne.

A Melbourne hospital has invited Radio Lollipop to demonstrate our service at their ‘Children’s Week Expo’ being held in October.

We will use the RoadShow vehicle as our broadcast centre at that event and afterwards it will then be taken up to Brisbane.

As the pictures show, it is already looking great with a slick new paint job and the rest of the fit-out under way.

The Radio Lollipop RoadShow trailer being refurbished – cant wait until it’s finished.

As my visit to Perth concluded, I was looking back at the wins that we achieved with the Radio Lollipop WA team. They are an awesome group who do everything to make my job so much easier – thanks team!

You may be interested in

• Vodafone Foundation: A Play Up celebration!
• Riding to cure MS with TeamVodafone
  
• Vodafone employees passion for OzHarvest
  
• Vodafone Foundation:  Jodi’s work gets noticed

Samsung is not only dominating the smartphone market in China, but now according to a recent article by China Daily, wants to enter the fashion market as well.

Samsung’s clothing group store, 8ight Seconds, will open a new store sometime in 2014. 8ight Seconds already operates five stores, this new addition will be the first outside of South Korea.

With the massive success of their GALAXY Series with their most recent edition, the Samsung GALAXY S III, do you think this move by Samsung to enter the Chinese fashion market will work?

You may be interested in

• Find out the latest news on Samsung software updates
• Vodafone Foundation’s charity ‘hackathon’ event
• Read our latest app review series: Download or Delete
• User guide for the Samsung GALAXY S III

Continuing on from our sporting fix from last week, a classic game brought to life on your Android smartphone.

Pinball Pro is the number 1 pinball game on Android and, is consistently featured on the trending apps section of Google play.

The gameplay

Two words to describe the gameplay – uber simple. Start off by selecting the scene to play your pinball (three to choose from), once the game loads touch and hold any part of the screen to load the ball, then release to shoot.

To control the flips, tap the left side of your screen to move the left flip and the right to control the right flip. It’s that easy.

The verdict

With nice graphics, quick responses and an average rating of 4.3 stars out of 5, the only negative aspect of this game is the tendency to completely skip time from work as the fun, old school gameplay, entrances you.

A definite download in my opinion.

> Download Pinball Pro

Looking for a new phone? Visit our Hot Offers page

You may be interested in

• Download or Delete: Virtual Table Tennis 3D
• Download or Delete: Final Fantasy III review
• Download or Delete: Major Mayhem review
• Download or Delete: Amazing Alex review

Hi Everyone,

Please find below our network developments for this week.

Regards,

Peter Ryan,
General Manager Network

New Sites On-Air

HUAWEI swaps

As part of Vodafone’s $1bn network investment, we’re busy with many programs upgrading the network. One of which is installing new equipment at all of our sites to improve performance and prepare our network for 4G.

This is achieved through the Huawei Swaps Upgrade program which commenced in 2011 and we’re well on track with the rollout.

Future New Sites On-Air

Sites in testing and planned to come On-Air in next couple of weeks:

For more information on updates regarding the network:

• Check out our previous Weekly Network Updates
• Vodafone network services update
• Network Improvement: Role of Transmission Sites
• Network Improvement – Role of Network Sites
• Customer Update: Network Improvement
• Vodafone Network status page