November 11, 2006
Why mobile will be the largest media market of all time
There's a great article by Fierce Wireless' Monthly Columnist Gerry Purdy. In this month's column, Gerry offers his analyis of the mobile media market and speaks to his theory that "Mobile will be the largest media market for advertising of all time." While that's a rather profound comment in light of the billions of dollars spent in advertising for print, TV, radio and Internet, mobile is destined to be very important - likely the most important - media market of all time.
Go read about it on Fierce Wireless.
Posted by richard ting at November 11, 2006, 02:48 AM
Helio Introduce GPS Buddy Tracking on Cell Phones
With instant messaging programs, it's easy to tell whether a friend is at the computer, ready to chat. Despite its immense popularity, the concept of the buddy list hasn't made a smooth transition to the mobile world.
Now a small cell phone provider named Helio LLC is introducing a service for its youthful target audience that not only lets you know whether a friend's phone is turned on, but tells you where that person is.
The new "Buddy Beacon" feature uses GPS satellite technology to track up to 25 fellow Helio subscribers. Their locations are plotted on a map displayed on the screen of a pricey new handset that's also being launched on Thursday.
The user can see the nearest address for each buddy's location. If one user notices that a friend is nearby, a call can be placed directly from the application. As you might expect, a person has to consent to being tracked on someone else's list of Beacon buddies.
The telecommunications bubble of the late 1990s included countless unfulfilled promises about the impending arrival of cell phones with robust location-tracking capabilities.
Posted by richard ting at November 11, 2006, 02:16 AM
VeriSign, Coca-Cola enable mobile payments
[from FierceWireless]
The idea of purchasing a soda via a mobile phone appears to have come full circle. Six years ago everyone was looking at Japan and saying, "They even have the capability to buy sodas from a vending machine with their mobile phone! Look how far ahead Japan is!"
Well, six years later, VeriSign's intelligent software is enabling wireless customers in Austria to make purchases at Coca-Cola vending machines. It's good to see other markets finally catching up with Japan, albeit six years later. VeriSign announced a deal with wireless carriers mobilkom austria and the ONE to bring this mobile payment function to more than 2 million customers. VeriSign developed the technical interface between Coca-Cola machines, cellular operators and the payment system for the more than 100 beverage vending machines around Austria enabled for mobile payment.
Posted by richard ting at November 11, 2006, 01:59 AM
November 10, 2006
Nokia: Growth opps in China
[from FierceWireless]
Nokia, the world's largest handset maker, said China provides the biggest growth opportunities for the company and the wireless industry in the years ahead, which is a sentiment in keeping with the company's strategy as outlined last month. China added nearly 49.7 million new mobile subscribers in the first nine months of 2006, bringing the country's subscriber base up to 443.2 million. Over the next three years, Nokia expects 160 million more subs in China. Current subscribers are going to want to replace their handsets: 55 percent of subs will do so this year and 80 percent will look for a replacement phone come 2010, according to Nokia.
"In China, the mobile phone is very much a substitute for a PC, meaning that people get their first Internet experience via mobile phones instead of PCs," Nokia's CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasuvuo said. "I think we can take value from the PC market in this domain--maybe more easily than in the markets that are dominated by traditional PCs."
Posted by richard ting at November 10, 2006, 11:50 AM
November 09, 2006
Nokia preinstalls Yandex search engine on phones for Russia
Finnish telecommunications equipment and mobile handset producer Nokia has started offering users of its smartphones a search engine provided by Russian major Internet portal Yandex, Nokia said in a press release Thursday.
Nokia's smartphones have an application called Mobile Search, which provides users direct access to search engines. A spokesperson with Nokia's Russian representative office told Prime-Tass that initially Mobile Search had access only to Yahoo's search engine, while now users would have an option to choose between the two engines.
The Yandex engine will be preinstalled in Nokia N80 Internet Edition smartphones, which is scheduled for sale in Russia sometime in January-March 2007, while users of Nokia's other smartphones can download Mobile Search with Yandex support from the company's Web site, Nokia said.
Nokia accounted for 26.5% of the Russian market's sales in physical terms in January-June, Russia's largest mobile handset retailer Euroset reported earlier.
Posted by richard ting at November 09, 2006, 05:50 AM
October 19, 2006
Fierce Wireless - Top 20 Wireless Industry Blogs
FierceWireless needs your input. They are putting together a list of the top 20 wireless industry blogs - the "Fierce Favorites". The team over there has nominated more than 50 blogs based on editorial quality, site usability and penetration among wireless industry executives.
Now they are inviting wireless industry insiders to vote for their favorite blogs. Vote for up to five of the nominated blogs. Voting ends at midnight on October 31st, and the 20 Fierce Favorites will be announced on November 7th.
Here's the full list of eligible blogs.
Posted by richard ting at October 19, 2006, 09:55 AM
September 25, 2006
Smarter Agent
[from npr.com]
GPS Is Smartening Up Your Cell Phone
There's a good chance that you are, right now, carrying around a tiny device that's picking up faint radio signals from space and keeping track of your location. It's a Global Positioning System -- or GPS -- receiver, built into your cell phone. A hundred million or so people in the United States have those devices, but few, up to now, have been able to use them.
Selling the GPS Idea
Cell phone companies didn't originally want to put GPS receivers into cell phones. But several years ago, the Federal Communications Commission required them to come up with a way to locate their customers for rescue workers and 911 calls.
Some companies, such as Cingular, adopted technology that locates a cell phone by analyzing how its signal is picked up by different cell towers. Others, including Verizon, Sprint, and Nextel, decided to install a GPS receiver in every cell phone. This generally determines location more accurately, although it doesn't work as well indoors or in dense cities.
Read the full NPR article.
Check out Smarter Agent.
Posted by richard ting at September 25, 2006, 10:57 AM
September 13, 2006
WESC x Nokia 3250
Nokia’s tri-band 3250 has a three-position swiveling keypad that offers quality music transport on one side, numerical keys on the other, and a 2-megapixel camera in the middle. The 3250 also rocks a microSD slot, smartphone functionality, Bluetooth, stereo, and FM radio. WE’s involvement hooks it up with a travel guide, pre-loaded MP3s, and a couple dope accessories.
Posted by richard ting at September 13, 2006, 04:11 AM
Lil' Bush -- Original Cellphone Comedy on Amp'd Mobile
“Lil’ Bush” is a raunchy cartoon concerning the adventures of a grade-school version of President Bush and his pals, a heartsick Lil’Condi, a raging Lil’ Rummy and a Lil’ Cheney reminiscent of the Frankenstein monster. The show debuted on Amp’d mobile cell-phones on Sept. 1st. Six new five-minute episodes are to be released every week for six weeks.
Posted by richard ting at September 13, 2006, 04:05 AM
September 04, 2006
NFL Mobile on Sprint
As the NFL season approaches, Sprint and the NFL have teamed up to offer NFL Mobile to Sprint customers. I haven't seen the service in person yet, but if I had to guess, my guess would be that the service is a J2ME application that customers download over-the-air(OTA)on to their handsets. The download is initiated by texting "FANTASY" to 7777 on selected Sprint phones. Some of the exclusive features of the service include same-day NFL video highlights, customizable player and team alerts, real-time game information with GameCenter, and access to the NFL Network's video-on-demand
The move to offer the NFL mobile service by Sprint is an interesting move since Sprint already provides the network for ESPN's ailing MVNO service, Mobile ESPN. Industry analysts have been calling for Mobile ESPN to shutter it's doors. Citing that few subscribers are willing to pay for it's 'premium' content. Could the move by Sprint to offer up a free NFL mobile service be a sign that the 'pay-for-content' model of MVNO's be in jeopardy? If anything, the launch of the NFL Mobile service should be a sign to the mobile industry that rich-media content should be 'free of cost' and 'widely distributed' as opposed to monetized and controlled like what the MVNOs such as Mobile ESPN, Amp'd Mobile, and Disney are doing.
Posted by richard ting at September 04, 2006, 09:00 AM
August 29, 2006
The Mobile Internet: Are we there yet?
[from c|net]
After years of hype, wireless users in the United States are waiting for all the technology pieces to come together to make surfing the Internet from their handsets as easy as it is on their PCs at home.
So how close are we to simple and robust Web surfing from a cell phone?The answer depends on whom you ask. Some experts say the mobile Internet is already here. Millions of people throughout the world are accessing wireless application protocol, or WAP, Web sites--stripped-down sites specially designed for mobile handsets. But other experts argue that WAP sites are too limited. Some people say an entirely new domain name, called "dot-mobi," should be used for Web sites that are optimized for mobile surfing. Still others propose using intelligent browsers to turn traditional Web sites into something that can be viewed on a small handset.
Posted by richard ting at August 29, 2006, 07:39 AM
Re*Generation TEXTnovella
Ghost Town is the first interactive text novella from Virgin Mobile and YouthNoise. It's the story of a teenage football player named Ghost who is hiding a dark secret that he's homeless. This secret will shock his classmates as he tries to manage the ins and outs of high school, an uncertain future, and just trying to stay alive.
Posted by richard ting at August 29, 2006, 07:20 AM
August 16, 2006
Mobile Marketing Gets Creative
[via mediapost]
Off the Hook!
by Steve Smith, August 2006 issue
Mobile Marketing Gets Creative
Remember all those crappy banner ads in the 1990s, when it seemed that any intern with html skills could become an interactive account executive?
You're not likely to see the same mistake with the emerging mobile platform. Even at this nascent stage, the creative juices are gushing from seasoned teams that are thinking hard about the unique interactive aspects of this platform.
The industry's best minds know the world doesn't need another ringtone, wallpaper, or short-code sweepstakes. The most creative mobile executions these days aggressively explore the wireless device itself what the technology does, where it does it, and how marketing messages can be integrated into our most intimate communications habits.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at August 16, 2006, 02:36 AM
July 23, 2006
Widsets
Widsets -- Free Your Mobile.
Use web services straight from your cell phone. Make your own widgets. Promote your widgets on your website. Create mobile access to your own service. WidSets is all about getting web content on the go through widgets, tiny-apps that bring services and information you normally use on the web, to your mobile phone.
Posted by richard ting at July 23, 2006, 03:12 AM
July 18, 2006
Jaiku
From the site:
Jaiku is a phone book that displays the real-time presence and location of your contacts.
We invented the term ‘rich presence’ to describe the many relevant things a phone knows about you. Rich presence on Jaiku includes an IM-style away line, your phone profile (ring volume, vibrate), location (country, city/region, neigborhood), Bluetooth devices around, upcoming calendar events, and the duration how long your phone has been idle.
You can view your contacts’ rich presence on jaiku.com, and once you have signed up, you can download a free client application for Nokia Series 60 Second Edition phones. We’ve also created some badges that let you display your rich presence on your blog.
Posted by richard ting at July 18, 2006, 11:11 AM
July 13, 2006
Shopping by Phone, on the Move
The magazine, Lucky, will offer readers of its September issue a chance to send text messages from their mobile phones to buy merchandise from 18 marketers and retailers, which include Avon, Liz Claiborne, Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Target and Unilever. The program, called "Live Buy It," uses a service from the PayPal unit of eBay known as PayPal Mobile Text2Buy.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at July 13, 2006, 08:13 AM
Nokia Collaborates with CSM to Design the Future of Mobile
Nokia revealed the result of its recent collaboration with Central Saint Martins (CSM) College of Art and Design at the Future of Mobile Design exhibition.
For six months 25 Industrial Design MA students from London's CSM College of Art and Design have been working to a broad brief set by Nokia's design team to create concepts for a premium but mass market mobile communications device capable of providing 4 or 5G multimedia services up to the year 2015.
Read more about it on Dexigner.
Posted by richard ting at July 13, 2006, 08:09 AM
July 12, 2006
Obopay, Amp'd Partner to Bring Comprehensive Mobile Payment Service to All Amp'd Subcribers
Partnership Signals Accelerating Deployment by U.S. Carriers of Mobile Commerce Options
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Obopay, which introduced the first comprehensive mobile payment service in the U.S., today announced that it has entered into an extensive partnership with Amp'd Mobile, the pioneer of fully integrated mobile entertainment. The deal marks a milestone in the adoption and deployment of mobile payment systems in the U.S.
The two companies said they will offer the new mobile payment service, Obopay-Amp'd to Amp'd Mobile subscribers in the coming months. Amp'd Mobile will promote the service to all Amp'd subscribers, and in addition, the two companies agreed to an aggressive joint promotion on university campuses across the country this fall.
"Obopay will give our subscribers a mobile payment service that combines an intuitive user experience with real time ability to access and spend money," said Mike McSherry, SVP of Emerging Technologies at Amp'd Mobile. "Our subscribers nationwide will now have the opportunity to revolutionize the way they handle their finances, managing their entire account on their phone and exchanging money with friends instantly through their mobile device. It's the perfect service for our customer's mobile centric lifestyle."
Posted by richard ting at July 12, 2006, 03:15 AM
July 11, 2006
mobile17
This is a great free service. Works with 94% of popular, every-day mobile phones with U.S. and International support. Try it out. Turn your music and pictures into custom ringtones and graphics.
Posted by richard ting at July 11, 2006, 02:09 AM
July 05, 2006
Adidas Global World Cup Mobile Portal
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You all have seen it plastered across TV sets during non-stop World Cup action over the last few weeks. It's the call to action for users to text "adidas" to "88188" to receive their link into the Adidas global World Cup mobile portal. It's possibly the most comprehensive and international mobile site that I've ever used and it's a small glimpse into where the mobile space will be heading in the next few months. The site comes completes with ringtones, wallpapers, videos, commercials, product information, goal alerts, send to a friend functionality, and rich graphic intensive pages. I'm also sure enough that there's a ton of handset detection and site scaling going on behind the scenes to deliver up a seamless experience for the user. Also, don't forget the partnerships with Microsoft Xbox, MTV, and T-Mobile.
Such content is traditionally "paid for" content, but Adidas is giving it away for free and as a result sending a message to the marketplace that good free valuable mobile content will pave the way for customer brand loyalty.
The mobile portal was created by MINICK and Inside Ltd. and has launched in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the US.
Posted by richard ting at July 05, 2006, 08:05 AM
June 16, 2006
Cell phone cinematographers make feature debut
[from CNN]
ROME, Italy (AP) -- The theme may be familiar but the technique is new: A standard cell phone camera to shoot an entire feature-length documentary on love and sex.
Italian filmmakers used a Nokia N90, a higher-end cell phone sold around the world, to produce the 93-minute "New Love Meetings," which they say is the first feature film to be entirely shot with such a tool.
The technique underscores what has become a fixture in today's world: The use of amateur video and cell phone cameras to immortalize moments in people's lives.
"With the widespread availability of cell phones equipped with cameras, anybody could do this," documentary co-director Marcello Mencarini said in a telephone interview from Milan. "If you want to say something nowadays, thanks to the new media, you can."
Posted by richard ting at June 16, 2006, 05:43 AM
June 13, 2006
PayPal Mobile adds first text-to-buy clients in UK
PayPal Mobile says it has signed up EMI, Twentieth Century Fox, Oxfam, Stuff and Maxim magazines as its first text-to-buy partners in the U.K. The service enables users to buy things instantly by sending specific product codes via text message. The brand will then send the object to the user's address as listed in its PayPal account. The company says it already has 10 million PayPal account holders residing in the U.K.
Posted by richard ting at June 13, 2006, 12:48 PM
Nokia Now Supports Flash Lite on Nearly 20 Devices
Just 15 months after Nokia announced it would license Flash Lite technology, the company now has 16 devices that will ship with Macromedia Flash Lite from Adobe as a default component and three devices that will ship with Flash Lite in specific-language versions. The Nokia devices include all 12 of the S60 3rd Edition devices the company has announced -- including the Eseries enterprise devices, the Nseries multimedia computers, the Nokia 3250 phone, and the Nokia 5500 Sport -- as well as four Series 40 phones: the Nokia 6125, Nokia 6131, Nokia 6136, and Nokia 6233 phones. Flash Lite 1.1 is the version currently shipping in S60 and Series 40 devices, and the transition to the next release of the player, Flash Lite 2, will begin in the second half of this year.
Posted by richard ting at June 13, 2006, 01:03 AM
May 11, 2006
YouTube Mobile
YouTube just announced their mobile service. Mobile Upload makes it possible for you to upload videos to YouTube directly from your mobile phone.
Posted by richard ting at May 11, 2006, 11:53 AM
April 25, 2006
Lasered Phones
I scooped this off of Jeff Staple's blog. Extreme customization of phones using the laser machine at Nike. Looks pretty hot.
Read more about it on Jeff's blog.
Posted by richard ting at April 25, 2006, 12:14 PM
April 20, 2006
Mobile Interaction Design Book
"Mobile Interaction Design", is a new book by Matt Jones (University of Wales, UK) and Gary Marsden (University of Cape Town, South Africa), which covers important issues relating to this ever-changing technology, including, developing interfaces and devices with a great deal of sensitivity to human needs, desires, and capabilities.
This book is written to inspire and challenge designers’ preconceived notions of this marketplace and to convey lessons learned, and principles involved, in the development and deployment of interactive systems to the mobile environment.
The book presents key interaction design ideas and successes in an accessible, relevant way and provides ideals and techniques which will enable designers to create the next generation of effective mobile applications. It critiques current mobile interaction design (bloopers) to help designers avoid pitfalls and discusses the new applications and gadgets requiring knowledgeable and inspired thinking about usability and design.
Posted by richard ting at April 20, 2006, 10:56 AM
April 17, 2006
Skype Running on Nokia 6680 S60 Handset
Skype is working with Hutchinson to put Skype on phones on the 3 networks around the world. However, Skype were not willing to answer questions on specific handsets saying only that they were actively working on development for the Symbian platform. However at the 'Do New' booth on the Nokia stand there was a demo of Skype running on two 6680s over a 3G network.
The S60 Skype application was a complete implementation supporting Skype text chat, Skype voice calls (both to PCs and to other S60 handsets), and Skype Out dialing. Running the application over 3G results in latency of up to about a second. It is the equivalent to calling your granny on their other side of the world via a satellite phone. It does work, but it is annoying and I can not see most people being willing to put up with it. It was indicated that better performance would be achieved over a WiFi connectivity link. The call quality was similar to that achieved in a normal call.
The application has been developed for S60 2nd Edition (S60 2.6 to be precise), but Skype are working on a 3rd Edition product which would make sense given the WiFi available in the N80, and Eseries handsets.
Posted by richard ting at April 17, 2006, 06:35 AM
April 05, 2006
Adobe signs first Flash deal on mobile phones
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:ADBE - news) unveiled a deal on Wednesday with Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ - news), the second largest U.S. wireless provider, to build Flash animation software into Verizon mobile phones.
Adobe, which did not disclose financial details or potential launch dates, said the agreement will make Verizon the first wireless operator in the United States to offer mobile phones with built-in Flash technology.
Flash is software used to design animated graphics, slick Web sites, video games, movies and advertisements on the Web.
The new service will allow customers to more quickly view graphic images on their screens. For Adobe, it pushes the company beyond computers and into the potentially lucrative mobile phone market, Adobe Vice President Gary Kovacs said.
"This is the first U.S.-based Flash service for mobile phones," he said. "It will be much easier to get at data."
Posted by richard ting at April 05, 2006, 03:57 AM
March 26, 2006
Maxim Goes Mobile
THE MAY ISSUE OF MEN'S magazine Maxim will be mobile-enabled, with links in the pages to content and advertisements accessible by readers' mobile phones.
Rob Gregory, Maxim's group publisher, said the magazine's audience is a good demographic to advance mobile marketing and content. "The first wave of mobile advertising will be directed towards young males," he said. "They are the first group to embrace the technology--they're the test case for every major brand in the country that wants to embrace mobile, and when we looked at the Maxim audience, we saw we had a huge audience of young guys."
The editorial content of the May issue will include links to microsites where readers can get more content, including more photos of the Maxim models, and the opportunity to enter contests. The magazine--which hits the newsstands mid-April--will also include service pieces about how readers can use their cell phones in new and different ways.
Posted by richard ting at March 26, 2006, 10:51 AM
March 23, 2006
AirPlay to Tie Mobiles into TV Shows
San Francisco-based AirPlay is set to launch a line of mobile games that will tie into live television broadcasts. While big US networks have been slow to adopt mobile participation (about the only exception is that Fox uses SMS voting for American Idol), AirPlay will attempt to boot strap it. Because it can't control the content, it will pit players against each other:
"AirPlay expects to launch its first content category -- AirPlay Sports -- in conjunction with the start of the professional and college football seasons this Fall. The AirPlay Sports experience will allow players to make live game and play predictions from their mobile phones and -- like popular fantasy sports -- compete directly amongst groups of friends for rewards and recognition."
Besides sports, the company plans to market games for awards shows and reality TV. AirPlay was founded by a former president of TiVo, so the company is no stranger to TV. Qualcomm is an investor along with Redpoint Ventures.
Posted by richard ting at March 23, 2006, 12:43 PM
February 27, 2006
Mobizzo
Mobizzo is a mobile entertainment destination for deals on content for your mobile phone. Whether you want ringers, grafix, or games, Mobizzo's got it all with exclusives from your favorite movies and TV shows and original content that you can't get anywhere else. Mobizzo lets you own your phone by customizing it with grafix and ringers that reflect your personality and make a statement about you.
Posted by richard ting at February 27, 2006, 07:26 AM
ZoneTAG Photos
Here's some more cool stuff coming out of the folks at Flickr. It's called ZoneTag Photos and it's a service that allows users to easily upload their camera phone photos to Flickr in two simple clicks. However, the sickest thing about ZoneTag Photos is that ZoneTag will automatically tag your photos with the location they were taken at.
Check it out and go find all those photos of your 'hood.
Posted by richard ting at February 27, 2006, 07:12 AM
February 12, 2006
Colorzip
Colorzip Japan and Colorzip Media are the developers and sole proprietors of ColorCodeTM, the most exciting mobile content delivery and management system ever imagined. ColorCodeTM is the only patented technology in the world that allows mobile phones and PDAs to read color coded images and instantly download music, images and data from a server.
Colorzip's simplicity is rivaled only by its versatility. Because it's server-based, a ColorCodeTM can be the gateway to a website, a commerce portal, a song, an online photo album, or an entire library--there are no limits to the amount of data associated with one code. Colorzip works real-time, so it's ideal for interactive content, audience participation, and user tracking. There's no need for mobile phone users to worry about compatibility; Colorzip works on low-resolution (100,000 pixels) camera phones and in both Java and Brew environments. And the size, shape, and even color of the code itself can be changed so that there are trillions of possible combinations.
Posted by richard ting at February 12, 2006, 09:08 AM
Volvo Launches Mobile Auto Configurator
Volvo Cars of North America today announced the launch of a new car configurator that runs on BlackBerries, Treos, Windows Mobile Smartphones and other smart mobile devices. The Volvo configurator gives car buyers the opportunity to configure their dream Volvo right on their mobile device, including exterior color, interior fabrics, wheels and options packages. The configurator displays the buyer's choices, along with pricing information, and allows them to contact a Volvo dealer if desired.
Designed to promote the 2006 Volvo XC70 and XC90, the configurator was developed and will be distributed by Mobileplay, developers of a proprietary advertising-supported content delivery platform for smart mobile devices. Users of Palm OS, Pocket PC /Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices can download Mobileplay and the Volvo configurator application for free at www.mobileplay.com via their desktop computer or over the air.
Posted by richard ting at February 12, 2006, 01:58 AM
February 11, 2006
Sony Ericsson unveils 3G email phone
Sony Ericsson launched its first device based on the new version of the UIQ user interface for the Symbian operating system, and it looks like an iPod. The M600, designed for business email users on UMTS networks, features a fully specified email tool and mobile phone that includes a touch screen and handwriting recognition. The M600 supports a range of proprietary push email applications.
Posted by richard ting at February 11, 2006, 07:59 AM
January 06, 2006
Locatecell.com
Here's some scary invasive shit. Your phone records are for sale on Locatecell.com. Within 1 to 4 hours during business days, your personal, private cell phone information can be found for as low as $65. Among the services available are Reverse Cell Phone Number Lookup, Find Current Cell Phone Number, and Cell Phone Call Record.
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2006, 07:18 AM
Yahoo Goes Mobile
Yahoo's e-mail, instant messaging, photo and other services are now available on mobile phones and PC-connected TVs, as well as on personal computers without using a browser.
Yahoo Go, which the Internet company launched Friday, is a set of communications and media applications, including Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger, Photos, calendar, address book, Web and image search, news, sports and finance.
The services will be preloaded on Nokia Series 60 mobile phones and available in 10 countries worldwide. They will also be available to Cingular and AT&T customers in the United States, Yahoo said. Additions and updates to the information in the applications will be automatically synched between the mobile phone and the user account on Yahoo servers.
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2006, 02:21 AM
Motorola adds Google to Mobiles
[via the BBC]
Motorola has announced plans to enable users of its mobile phones to access Google's internet search engine at the touch of a single handset button.
The US mobile phone maker said it would introduce Google's software technology to many of its new handsets. The companies said they wanted to encourage more mobile users to access the internet using their phones.
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2006, 02:16 AM
December 28, 2005
Retail Mafia Phones
These phones have actually been out for a while, but I just wanted to make sure that I archived them somewhere on my site. Here are the photos of the Boost Mobile i85 phones designed by THE RETAIL MAFIA. Boost Mobile teamed up with urban design heavyweights alife, Frank 151, SSUR, aNYthing, Situationormal, and J$ to design this series of limited edition phones.
Posted by richard ting at December 28, 2005, 12:20 PM
December 22, 2005
R/GA Holiday Card
Make a Beautiful Noise from New York interactive agency R/GA allows users to create sounds, send them to friends and even download them to their cell phones as ringtones.
“Given where our industry is headed and the direction our client assignments are taking,” says Karen Spiegel, “we decided to incorporate a few of our favorite things—mobility, customization and community participation—into a concept that is fun to interact with and easy to enjoy.”
The card’s biggest challenge was constructing a set of sounds that would be pleasing to the ear, no matter how they were combined.
Posted by richard ting at December 22, 2005, 11:04 AM
Mobile Art
Giselle biguelman's project at ZKM involves algorithmic image manipulation. You can download the app to your mobile and it's all sponsored by Nokia.
Posted by richard ting at December 22, 2005, 10:27 AM
December 10, 2005
Start Mobile - Art for Everyone
START SOMA, the art gallery that created the ART HOTEL in San Francisco, is announcing START MOBILE next week. Art for your phone! Hundreds of artists from around the world + thousands of pieces of original NEW ART. The site went live a few days ago, and they are seeing folks actively surfing the art for HOURS.
Read the press release.
Check out the site.
Posted by richard ting at December 10, 2005, 07:28 AM
Nokia N90 Blogger Relations
The Nokia Nseries N90 Blogger Relations Blog site provides bloggers with media information that can be repurposed and utilized in their blog postings about the N90.
Posted by richard ting at December 10, 2005, 05:01 AM
November 29, 2005
ESPN MVNO
Mobile ESPN, a sports themed mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). is set to officially launch on Super Bowl Sunday targeting the male sports fan in his mid 20s to mid 40s. There will be a limited release of the service through the website during the holiday season.
Like Amp'd, Mobile ESPN will use EV-DO to power data services. Mobile ESPN is using the Sprint network, which is currently upgrading to EV-DO. It came out during Sprint's negotiations with the NFL that ESPN will have the rights to broadcast Monday Night Football to phones, so it is expected that this will be one of the services on top of Mobile ESPN.
The service, promoted as the first cellular carrier targeting sports fans, will launch initially with a single phone, a Sanyo-made CDMA 1x EV-DO clamshell operating on the Sprint PCS network, but additional phones will be available for the Sprint network later in the year at a variety of price points, a spokeswoman said. The phone, called the MVP, retails for $399 after $100 mail-in rebate with service commitment. Service prices weren't available. From its broadcast headquarters, ESPN will push sports information and video continually to the phones, which will constantly display a sports crawl across its main 2.1-inch color display and on its secondary display. The phone features ESPN's signature black and red colors, ESPN-style numbers on the keypad and a user interface that mimics ESPN's onscreen TV graphics.
Posted by richard ting at November 29, 2005, 10:43 AM
November 21, 2005
Small Surfaces
Small Surfaces is a site about design for mobile technology. The site tracks articles about interaction design, user interface design, usability and social trends related to mobile devices.
Posted by richard ting at November 21, 2005, 03:27 AM
November 09, 2005
Google Local for Mobile Beta
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Combining directions, maps, and satellite imagery, Google Local for mobile is a free download that lets you find local hangouts and businesses across town or across the country — right from your phone.
Detailed directions: Whether you plan to walk or drive, your route is displayed on the map itself, together with step-by-step directions.
Integrated search results: Local business locations and contact information appear all in one place, integrated on your map.
Easily movable maps: Interactive, draggable maps let you zoom in or out, and move in all directions so you can orient yourself visually. Satellite imagery: Get a bird's eye view of your desired location.
Posted by richard ting at November 09, 2005, 01:48 AM
October 24, 2005
Airtroductions
[via trendcentral]
If you’re the kind of person that likes to put on your headphones the second you board a plane, this site is not for you. But if you’re the kind of person the headphone-wearers are avoiding, then you’ll love Airtroductions. Targeting frequent flyers, Airtroductions gives users the opportunity to connect with others of their choosing for air travel. Whether professional or personal, users create a profile which is posted on the site. After entering an itinerary, users are then notified when others are booked on their same flight. Given the option to send an anonymous email, flyers can try to meet up before the flight and even try to sit next to each other.
Posted by richard ting at October 24, 2005, 12:16 PM
Meetro
[via trendcentral]
Meetro: Similar to mobile phone-based Dodgeball, Meetro utilizes GPS to connect users in close proximity. After signing on and entering a location, users within the area show up onscreen, complete with name and photo. Users can read profile info, chat via IM, and make plans to meet up at a location close by. Unfortunately, the service works better on IM right now than it does on mobile phones.
Posted by richard ting at October 24, 2005, 12:07 PM
October 22, 2005
Handheld - October 26th
An evening of performance with handheld devices
october 26th, 7:30 pm / nyu kimmel center 60 washington square s. nyc 8th floor / free & open to the public (w/ ID)
1.bubblyfish: hacked gameboy music
2.simpletext: interactive sms performance (bring your cellphone or laptop)
3.mp3 experiment: group listening activity (download the mp3 and bring to show)
Posted by richard ting at October 22, 2005, 01:50 AM
Socialight
Socialight is a mobile phone and web based platform that allows users to create and share location-based messages called StickyShadows™. Socialight's mobile and web tools give you access to location-based media on your mobile and on the web.
StickyShadows are virtual multimedia sticky notes that you create using your mobile phone or this web site. A StickyShadow is made up of media, such as text and a picture, and information about who can see it and when and where it's available.
Posted by richard ting at October 22, 2005, 01:39 AM
October 04, 2005
“The O.C.” to become a mobile video game
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox teen soap "The O.C." is set to become a mobile video game.
Publisher Gameloft will announce a multiyear license Monday with the first game scheduled to launch next year. The hit series joins Gameloft's collection of Hollywood-related mobile games, including "War of the Worlds" and "King Kong."
Gameloft president Michel Guillemot said the property will allow players either to assume the role of one of the four main characters from the show or to create their own original character. The style of play is similar to reality-simulation titles like "The Sims," allowing fans of the show to explore the "O.C." universe by dressing to impress, joining the right cliques, dating the right people and striving to fit into the ultra-trendy community, Guillemot said.
"The game was designed with the intention of capturing a realistic and true environment that mimicked the show, yet provide new elements to it that was specific only to the game," he said. "We took into consideration the pivotal moments of the last two seasons and worked to create a realistic 'O.C.' environment."
Gameloft is taking the creative lead on the game, but the publisher will continue to collaborate with "The O.C." program creators on the title.
Posted by richard ting at October 04, 2005, 05:56 AM
October 03, 2005
Bliptones
Indie Music for Your Phone. Current featured Bliptones include
Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith, Sleater Kinney, and Kid 606.
Posted by richard ting at October 03, 2005, 03:52 AM
August 29, 2005
Semapedia
The idea of Semapedia is as simple as we believe it to be powerful: Combine the physical annotation technology of http://semacode.org with the availability of high quality information using the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia.org. The promise of this system is to provide free relevant ad-hoc high quality information to mobile users in the real world.
Using Semacode Nodes, real-world objects such as a museum, a statue or anything that exists in the real-world and which happens to have a Wikipedia.org article written will be tagged with their according Wikipedia article URL. A passer-by can now use his Smartphone and 'click' (take a picture and decode the URL) on the Semacode Node in order to obtain the relevant Wikipedia article on the subject that she is standing in front of. The Semacode Node was formerly created and attached by either the owner of the subject or someone else who thinks passer-bys should be able to learn more on the subject using this technology.
Posted by richard ting at August 29, 2005, 01:04 AM
August 22, 2005
pod2mob
Here's a new Mobile Podcasting service called Pod2Mob. Pod2Mob turns podcasts to files that are playable through a mobile applet on almost any phone.
Posted by richard ting at August 22, 2005, 08:10 AM
August 11, 2005
DOOM on your iPod
Check out DOOM on your iPod. It's only playable on the iPod Photo. You'll need a torrent file to download it for the iPod. Users play by using the rewind, fastforward, menu, play/pause, hold buttons.
Posted by richard ting at August 11, 2005, 12:52 PM
August 10, 2005
iPod Subway Maps
Download subway maps onto you iPod Photos. It's not a particularly interactive piece, but a useful extension of the iPod platform. Maps are available for New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, MA, and Hong Kong.
Posted by richard ting at August 10, 2005, 05:24 AM
July 29, 2005
Wireless Japan 2005 Show
Check out some of the highlights from the Wireless Japan 2005 show.
You can find it on Gerhard Fasol's Eurotechnology Blog.
Posted by richard ting at July 29, 2005, 11:49 AM
July 27, 2005
Cell Phone Towers via Google Maps
Google Maps Hack: Cell Phone Tower Search
FCC registration information on cell towers plus Google maps equals a searchable, interactive map of cell tower sites to answer the question, "Why can't I get better reception at my house?"
Check it out.
Posted by richard ting at July 27, 2005, 12:01 PM
July 18, 2005
eRuv: A Street History in Semacode
eRuv is a digital graffiti project installed along the route of the former Third Avenue elevated train line in lower Manhattan. The train line, dismantled in 1955, was more than just a means of transport; it was part of an important religious boundary — an eruv — for a Hasidic community on the old Lower East Side. Using semacodes, the former boundary is reconstructed and mapped back onto the space of the city. Pedestrians with camera phones can then access location-specific historical content linked through the semacodes.
Check out the semacode postings on flickr.
Posted by richard ting at July 18, 2005, 02:01 AM
July 17, 2005
Urban Seeder
Urbanseeder is a flirting service that increases your chance of running again into people you find attractive. Using minimal digital technology, the game plays out unpredictably in real space and using physical tokens. It is an attempt to preserve the spirit of flirting and utilize technology in a way that complements our urban living.
Posted by richard ting at July 17, 2005, 05:29 AM
June 06, 2005
Mobot - Like a QR Code, but not a QR Code
Thanks for the link Aya! The Mobot site describes themselves as a mobile visual search technology, Mobot connects consumers using any camera phone on any wireless carrier to brands, mobile content and commerce. No complex codes, navigation or changes to cross-media campaigns are required.
Check out the site.
Posted by richard ting at June 06, 2005, 11:41 AM
May 27, 2005
SNAP Mobile from Nokia
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SNAP Mobile - the solution choice for Java multiplayer gaming communities - is built upon Nokia's industry-leading mobile online game and community technology. SNAP Mobile consists of a compact yet powerful client-side component operating together with sophisticated backend technology. SNAP Mobile is the Java counterpart to the N-Gage Arena technology. As such, it offers unparalleled performance, plus the capability of interoperating with games on multiple platforms.
As earlier announced, Nokia and Sun are collaborating to integrate Nokia's SNAP Mobile into Sun's leading J2ME Wireless Toolkit. Nokia and Sun will offer to mobile operators and other game distributors an end-to-end integrated solution including a complete, highly reliable and scalable platform for the download and connectivity of multiplayer J2ME games, as well as the creation and support of game player communities.
Nokia is also closely cooperating with several leading game developers to ensure that operators and service providers interested in providing J2ME online multiplayer games and gaming communities have access to compelling content from day one.
Posted by richard ting at May 27, 2005, 01:38 AM
May 19, 2005
Motorola and Oki-Ni Collab
Motorola and oki-ni have collaborated to create three, unique co-branded designs for the V600 mobile phone. Each design will only appear on twenty phones and be exclusively available at oki-ni. The designs are by a trio of modern innovators classed as pioneers within their fields, together this high profile collaboration presents a range of extremely rare functional works of art. From the highly acclaimed design duo Eley Kishimoto, the leather craftsmen Tanner Krolle and finally British contemporary artist Gavin Turk.
Delving into their archive, Eley Kishimoto created a distinctive graphic print for the V600. This soft textured design in muted greys dates back to the early 90’s and was initially used within their design range. Instantly recognisable this bold design is synonymous with their work. The sophistication and intelligence used throughout this capsule collection reflects the Motorola V600, the phone itself is a sleek statement of style with communication convenience.
Posted by richard ting at May 19, 2005, 11:33 AM
May 02, 2005
Finnish Mobile TV
Mobile TV is widely seen as an attractive service for users. Finland is proving yet again to be at the forefront of advanced mobile technology, creating an exciting example for the global industry. Leading Finnish companies have joined forces for a commercial pilot of mobile broadcasting services. Finnish broadcast, content and mobile communications companies are pilot testing Mobile TV in the Helsinki Metropolitan area.
Digita, MTV, Nelonen, Nokia, Elisa Oyj, TeliaSonera Finland and YLE, supported by the Finnish authorities are piloting IP Datacasting (IPDC), which they see as a promising mobile broadcasting technology to deliver TV-like services to mobile devices.
The aim of the pilot that began in the autumn of 2004 is to gain experience about real end-user acceptance for mobile broadcasting services. Pilot test users will be able to follow on-the-air TV and Radio programs. In addition to the basic service, users can subscribe to other services, such as news or sports programs. The business set-up for the pilot will see TeliaSonera Finland and Elisa Oyj providing access for the protected TV-like services to end-users. MTV, Nelonen and YLE will produce the content available for the pilot users. Digita will operate the IPDC service system and network; in this role they will manage the services and broadcast them on-air. Nokia will provide the IPDC specific equipment such as the terminals, which enable the devices to receive the broadcast signal.
Posted by richard ting at May 02, 2005, 10:50 AM
April 26, 2005
Nokia takes wraps off N Series phones
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[from the Register]
The Register may cover everything most sane people would ever want to know about technology, but for certified gadget obsessives Tech Digest and Shiny Shiny scour Gizmoville for the rest:
Nokia takes wraps off N Series phones including its 'iPod killer'
Nokia today launched its first new series of phones in years. Aimed squarely the top-end gadget-loving/business user market, all handsets in the new N Series will sport music playing facilities, feature at least a two mega pixel camera and come with web browsing facilities, quite possibly from ace Norwegian company Opera.
They will all be 3G compatible and run using the Series 60 Symbian-based interface. If the first three phones, the N70, N90 and N91 (pictured), are anything to go by they will also combine traditional Nokia designs with rather classy components. Next year N Series phones will almost certainly also be kited out with digital TV tuners.
First to market is the N90, a classy 3G camera phone, which is slated for a summer launch. It will be followed later in the year by the N70 and N91. Read more about the phones on their individual posts.
Posted by richard ting at April 26, 2005, 11:47 AM
April 25, 2005
Color QR codes
Developed by Color Zip Media, ColorCode is the world's first general-purpose image code that uses color. It is recognition technology designed with a new concept, in which index codes are recognized by a camera and linked to data.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at April 25, 2005, 12:51 PM
April 22, 2005
Thumbing grows
We knew that young people were texting like crazy already, and now it seems that the thumbing trend is only getting bigger. Sixty-two percent of trendsetters and 43% of mainstream reported having text messaged in the past month.• Of all segments surveyed, text messaging seems to be favored by teen girls: 62% of mainstream female teen respondents said they text messaged in the past month.
• The text messaging category is branching out beyond just communication, however. In Asia, text messaged novels are a popular trend. Look out for text messaging to be used in other entertainment capacities here in the US in the future.
• As more people adopt text messaging as a method of communication, there will be opportunities for marketers to use text messaging as a way to keep in touch with their consumers and to promote new products and events.
Posted by richard ting at April 22, 2005, 03:02 AM
Motorola still plans to launch iTunes phone
According to Motorola CEO Ed Zander, the company still plans to launch its much-hyped iTunes mobile phone. Zander this week re-iterated his company's commitment to delivering the device, saying that the phone should hit the market in the next few months.Motorola was scheduled to debut the iTunes phone at 3GSM in Cannes, but delayed the launch at the last minute. Insiders claimed that phone's launch was delayed due to carriers who were unwilling to offer the handset. According to the insider rumors, carriers are not interested in giving Apple access to the emerging downloadable mobile music market.
For more on the latest iTunes phone news:
- read this report from vnunet.com
Posted by richard ting at April 22, 2005, 02:54 AM
April 01, 2005
Rabble - Turning Mobile Phones into Blogging Tools
Rabble enables a new kind of self-expression that informs, entertains and connects people through the media they create. Create your channel and post location-based media - your favorite places, photos or an up-to-the-minute newsworthy event. It's like putting virtual sticky notes on the world around you. Then connect with your world. Tell Rabble where you are and it will show you who is around you and the media they have created. Through bits of location-tagged media, find and interact with other people and get information you won't find in the yellow pages. Part blogging, part location-based personal networking, Rabble connects you with the world in a unique and intuitive way by turning "users" into "producers" and creating a marketplace for mobile user-generated content.
Check out the Rabble site.
Here's some press about Rabble.
Posted by richard ting at April 01, 2005, 11:24 AM
March 30, 2005
Television goes wireless in May - in Korea
The government allocated six licenses for land-based mobile television services that are expected to go live in May, with the country's three major television stations allowed to extend programs to handsets.
However, policymakers failed to reach a decision on whether to allow land-based television programs to air on satellite-based digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) services, a separate mobile television standard backed by SK Telecom Co.
The Korean Broadcasting Commission, the country's broadcasting regulator, announced the results of the licensing competition for the upcoming land-based mobile television services.
The country's three major land-based television stations - KBS, MBC and SBS - secured spots for the nascent market. That excluded the fourth-largest broadcaster, EBS, out of the picture. Three remaining licenses, saved for non-terrstrial broadcasters, were allocated to consortiums led by cable news broadcaster YTN, radio braodaster CBS and a group led by electronics equipment makers PSK Tech Inc., Homecast Co. and digital content developer Sigong Tech Co.
The television stations have given themselves a May deadline for brining television to mobile handsets in Seoul and other neighboring cities. The non-terrestrial broadcasters expect to start commercial services during the second-half of the year.
Posted by richard ting at March 30, 2005, 07:10 AM
March 26, 2005
//cellBYTES
//cellBYTES was the first exhibition of mobile motion capture + camera snaps by inter/national practitioners exploring the potential of creative digital media content for the next generation of mobile technology.
//cellBYTES is a project created by Once Bitten - an intranational collective of digital practitioners + writers. Once Bitten launched cellBYTES in 2004 with the intention to investigate, exhibit + promote the first creative byte sized steps being taken by creative practitioners with mobile phone technology.
To continue supporting the //cellBYTES virtual community of digital artists interested in handheld technology + public works, //cellBYTES V.02 will maintain an OPEN call + introduce 2 new categroies for investigation: STORY | LIGHT.
//cellBYTES | STORY
An account or recital of an event or a series of events, either true or fictitious. Snap a journey, shoot a storyboard, animate an image, slowly reveal a person or place. Submissions must clearly state their story.
//cellBYTES | OPEN
Free from limitations, boundaries, or restrictions. Contributers are invited to submit latest snaps that may or may not have a thematic concern.
//cellBYTES | LIGHT
The sensation of perceiving light, brightness. Pixel burns of white light, blurs of colour. Contributers are encouraged to experiment with both natural + artificial illuminations.
We invite you to submit to //cellBYTES V.02.
Deadline April 1, 2005.
Online: www.cellbytes.com
Email: cellbytes@cellbytes.com
Posted by richard ting at March 26, 2005, 01:54 AM
March 21, 2005
Mobile Blogging - Blogia
Be ready to blog. You can capture and share the moment as it happens by using BellStream Blogia on your handset. You can directly write to your blog and insert pictures and sounds recorded on the spot.
Publish pictures using the integrated camera. Record audio and become a voice on your blog. Insert and publish the media to go with a powerful but easy-to-use tool.
Intuitive and productive interface that works for everyone. No hassles of uploading to a PC or sending e-mail to cryptic accounts with attachments and passwords. It's even possible to edit your postings.
Publish directly to your existing blog. No subscriptions to wireless photo albums are required. Compatible and preconfigured with popular blogging services. Blogia requires a compatible phone and Internet access to use.
Posted by richard ting at March 21, 2005, 12:21 PM
March 16, 2005
Yahoo! Offers Mobile RSS
[from Mediapost]
IN APPRECIATION OF THE ADVENT of both RSS and mobile Internet access, Yahoo! yesterday said it will now offer users who have signed up for e-mail or other services access to their personalized My Yahoo! headlines, including RSS, stock portfolios, sports, weather, and My Email, through Yahoo!'s Mobile Internet service. "This will allow the 20 million Americans using My Yahoo! to take the customized news platforms they've created anywhere their mobile phones can go," Scott Gatz, senior director of personalization products at Yahoo!, said.
The new functionality is available across all major wireless carriers based in the United States--Cingular/AT&T Wireless, Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless--and at no cost to consumers. According to a Yahoo! statement, however, carrier fees may apply based on consumers' phone plans. In order to access personalized content away from their desktops, members will need to sign into Yahoo! Mobile Internet on their wireless devices, click on the 'News' link, and then select 'My Headlines' to access their tailored source list.
Members will be able to access top headlines and snippets of articles--or the first 1,000 characters--as long as their phones are WAP 2.0-enabled. Over 60 percent of U.S. cell phone owners fall into this category, a Yahoo! spokeswoman estimated. Users on HTML-enabled "smart" phones can go a step further, linking directly to the source of articles to view original Web publishers' content. Yahoo! currently offers a custom database of more than 250,000 sources on the Web that consumers can search, browse, and add to their My Yahoo! page to view through Yahoo! Mobile Internet. Also, users can add any of the countless Web publishers that currently offer RSS.
"Yahoo! will continue to extend its key services beyond the desktop," Gatz said, "providing an integrated PC-to-Mobile experience and helping consumers make the most of the mobile environment." Recent mobile extensions of Yahoo! services include Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Photos, Yahoo! Search, and Yahoo! Games.
Posted by richard ting at March 16, 2005, 10:48 AM
Verizon Wireless expands mobile TV offerings
[via FierceWireless]
Verizon Wireless is expanding its V CAST mobile TV service with content based on the Fox reality TV series The Simple Life: Interns. The company notes that its one-minute Simple Life "mobisodes" were specifically produced for viewing on mobile phones and will feature entirely original material not previously seen on the series. The shows are set to debut on Wednesday, April 6. Since January, V CAST has offered video clip previews of upcoming The Simple Life: Interns television broadcast episodes.
In a separate announcement, Verizon Wireless reports that wireless content producer Digital Orchid will bring NASCAR.com TO GO content to V CAST. Subscribers will be able to view short video reports ranging from behind the scenes footage of racing action to driver interviews.
Posted by richard ting at March 16, 2005, 10:35 AM
March 15, 2005
Woostercollective.com Launches Wooster Mobile
WOOSTERCOLLECTIVE.COM LAUNCHES WOOSTER MOBILE, THE WORLD’S FIRST CURRATED ONLINE ART GALLERY FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE
New York, New York, March 14 2005
Today, WoosterCollective.com, a leading international showcase for urban/street art announced the launch of Wooster Mobile, a curated online art gallery of downloadable artwork designed for your mobile phone by a group of the world’s most prominent contemporary artists. Images from Wooster Mobile can now be downloaded onto mobile phones around the world at http://www.woostercollective.com/mobile.
Marc and Sara Schiller, founders of the Wooster Collective said – “Our goal with Wooster Mobile is to provide contemporary artists with a new revenue stream and at the same time, generate funds for a terrific cause. All of the Wooster Collective revenue from this project is being donated to a wonderful non-profit organization called Keep A Child Alive. Keep A Child Alive provides life saving drugs to children and families in Africa who are dying each day of AIDS simply because they don't have access to the drugs that can save and prolong their lives.”
WiredSet’s Mark Ghuneim commented “We are excited to enable this vision, having seen many of the artist’s work first hand on city streets, the works take on renewed meaning in their new mobile context. Couple the art with the Wooster Collective charter and cause, it’s a good realization. Artists included in Series One from Wooster Mobile include: Faile, Calma, Tara McPherson, Labrona, Peter Goode. KGBE Rotgut, and many more.
Each image downloaded from Wooster Mobile costs $1.99 USD. In the United States, the mobile wallpapers are currently available on ATT, Cingular, and T-Mobile wireless services. The can also be accessed on most carriers in countries around the world. Additional carriers will be added to the service as they are activated. Wooster Mobile is a collaboration between the Wooster Collective (woostercollective.com); Workhorse Studios, a Los Angeles based mobile content provider and graphics studio; WiredSet a Digital Agency and STARtxt, a award winning mobile platform.
Posted by richard ting at March 15, 2005, 12:55 PM
Magazines Picture Interactive Backchannel, It's On A Cell Phone
[from Mediapost]
by Wendy Davis, Tuesday, Mar 15, 2005 8:00 AM EST
PROVING THAT PRINT MEDIA CAN also be both digital and interactive, magazines aimed at younger readers are developing a novel way of interacting with them using a device that is both wildly popular and increasingly commonplace - the mobile camera phone - to create a backchannel for advertising. Later this year, Hachette Filipacchi's teen magazine ELLEgirl will become the latest publication to offer marketers the ability to reach readers via mobile phone, utilizing a technology created by Waltham, Mass.-based Mobot. The program will go into a soft launch with the May issue, which will include an invitation to ELLEgirl readers to register for the service. If all goes as planned, by the second half of this year, readers will be able to use their camera phones to take photos of ads they're interested in, send in the photos to Mobot, and receive back promotions or information, such as locations where the products are sold, coupons, or free sample offers.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at March 15, 2005, 10:15 AM
March 09, 2005
Nokia, others launch wireless TV trials
Nokia today launched a wireless project bringing live television to mobile phones and handhelds. The project will test wireless TV services with 500 users in Helsinki. Nokia is working with Finland's largest broadcaster, the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), leading commercial TV channels, and carriers TeliaSonera and Elisa. Trial users are able to view real-time TV and radio programs on the Nokia 7710 smartphone equipped with a special accessory to receive wireless TV broadcasts.
In other mobile TV news, both Orange and SFR said they plan to launch mobile TV trials in France. Orange and Bouygues Telecom said they plan to form a partnership with Television France 1 and satellite-television company TP to launch a test service with 200 of each of the carriers subscribers. SFR, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal, said it also plans launch a similar venture with Vivendi pay-TV broadcaster Canal Plus.
Posted by richard ting at March 09, 2005, 11:24 AM
Microsoft opens S.Korea mobile devices lab
MAR. 7 4:57 A.M. ET
U.S. software company Microsoft Corp. opened its first mobile communications research laboratory in South Korea Monday, aiming to boost its presence in this Asian nation -- a leader in developing mobile phone technology and other wireless services.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft will spend US$30 million (euro22.6 million) over the next three years on a lab and hire about 30 engineers, including Microsoft employees and local staff, Microsoft said.
The laboratory will work with South Korean mobile phone companies to develop services and technology aimed at integrating its mobile operating system into "smartphones," which combine the features of traditional mobile phones and portable digital assistants.
Posted by richard ting at March 09, 2005, 11:10 AM
March 04, 2005
Sony Ericsson Shows New Phones Including Walkman Model
Sony Ericsson today unveiled their new GSM phones as a precursor to CeBit. All of the models will be available as GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 models; so far only the K300 and J300 have been announced in a version with GSM 850 for North America.
* K750: The successor to the K700 upgrades the camera to a 2 megapixel unit with auto-focus, a brighter flash and an sliding lens cover. It also adds a Memory Stick Duo slot, on top of 32 MB of built-in memory.
* W800: Sony Ericsson's first Walkman phone. Has all the features of the K750 plus a music player with dedicated start/stop button, and MP3 / AAC playback. The music player can be operated even if the phone is turned off. Model includes a higher quality headset and a 512 MB Memory Stick Duo card.
* K300: Bar-style phone with a VGA camera and video capture.
* J300: An entry-level phone aimed at kids. Lacks a camera but comes with 3D games like Rayman. Also features changeable covers in different colors and patterns.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at March 04, 2005, 05:07 AM
Trend: Motorola growing whille Nokia fights back
[from FierceWireless]
According to a number of recent studies, Motorola has soundly recaptured its title as the No. 2 handset vendor in the world, beating back the challenge from Samsung and gaining market share against long-time rival Nokia. Motorola's recent success has been due in large part to its Razr phone. Industry insiders are eager to see Motorola's new iTunes phone, which promises to combine the slick design of the Razr with the popularity of Apple's downloadable iTunes music service. Motorola rival Sony Ericsson launched its Walkman phone this week, a device designed to head off the iTunes phone before it even hits the market. Nokia this week also showed off a phone than can run music tracks saved in the iTunes file format.
Nokia, on the other hand, is fighting hard to reverse the slide it experienced early last year. According to recent findings from Gartner, Nokia lost 4 percent of its global market share in 2004. The company's shortage of lower-priced phones helped Motorola, Samsung, LG, and Sony Ericsson gain market share. Nokia rebounded strongly and fought its way back to over 30 percent share by year's end. Motorola claims a 15.4 percent share while Samsung has 12.6 percent.
Posted by richard ting at March 04, 2005, 04:56 AM
February 23, 2005
Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05
Feel the thrill of Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05.
6 candidates. 6 world cities. 6 challenges. And only 12 days to complete them. Your goal: to claim the title of Master Of Mobility and become mobile for life. But you’re not in this alone. The latest Sony Ericsson mobile phones will help you – use their stunning features and WIN!
Posted by richard ting at February 23, 2005, 03:08 AM
February 18, 2005
Nokia, TIM plan video sharing service
TIM, Nokia to launch video sharing in Italy
Mobile operator Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) and mobile handset maker Nokia are planning a mass-market launch of the video sharing service in Italy in the second quarter of 2005. Video sharing is to be initially available to TIM customers with the Nokia 6680 3G imaging smart-phone. Video sharing is a multimedia service that allows people to view a live video or a video clip in real time during a normal voice call on their mobile phone. Sent from one phone to the other, both speakers can see the same video and discuss it, and then end the video sharing without ending the voice call. Video sharing is based on standardised 3GPP and IETF technologies. TIM and Nokia have been working together to commercialise the solution on the Nokia 6630 terminal. TIM offers the video sharing service under the TIM Turbo Call service brand.
The video sharing concept is based on the 3GPP IP multimedia subsystem. The Nokia IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) core network infrastructure, in use in TIM's network, is to be complemented by IMS network provisioning and OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) device settings management systems, so that video sharing can be deployed to the TIM customer base, together with other IMS peer-to-peer applications.
Posted by richard ting at February 18, 2005, 04:21 AM
February 16, 2005
Bluetooth Valentine
Posted by richard ting at February 16, 2005, 12:56 PM
February 14, 2005
Microsoft, Nokia Ink Music Deal
Phonemaker to use Microsoft products in digital music headsets; Microsoft agrees to open standards.
HELSINKI (Reuters) - The world's largest mobile phone maker, Nokia, and software giant Microsoft struck a deal Monday to make it easier for consumers to buy digital music online and play it back on their handsets.
In a comprehensive agreement, involving a separate deal with digital media company Loudeye, Nokia agreed to put Microsoft's music player software into its handsets. In return, Microsoft, will introduce open standards for digital music compression and piracy protection in its Media Players for personal computers.
"Some big 'religious' positions have changed at a high level at Nokia to make this happen," said industry analyst Ben Wood at Gartner market research. For many years, handset vendors have allied against Microsoft because of its market dominance. But Nokia's chief executive of multimedia devices, Anssi Vanjoki, said at the 3GSM mobile communications trade show it would be hard to find a better partner than "The King of PCs."
Consumers keep a lot of digital music in personal computers and will be able to simply transfer those tracks to their phone. "This agreement makes it easier for consumers to download music they want to listen to, without having to worry about whether or not the file format is supported," Vanjoki said, in an interview, adding that the mobile world was simply taking a lead from the success of music download services on the Web.
The deal brings together two long-time rivals, with Nokia previously using either in-house or RealNetworksmusic and video software. The Finnish firm sold 10 million phones in 2004 with an integrated music player, and a spokesman told Reuters Nokia would launch a phone in 2005 that would support Windows Audio.
Posted by richard ting at February 14, 2005, 11:57 AM
February 09, 2005
KDDI - Au's Ipod Killer?
It seems like the new KDDI phones in Japan support "SD Audio", i.e, playing encoded audio right off the SD card. So, with this new feature there really is no need for the iPod, right? Not so fast, it seems that these new KDDI phones require users to have a security-compliant hardware card reader-writer connected to their PCs. Users can't just encode music files as AAC and stick them on a SD card. The DRM package is going to make the audio playback unusable. Anyway, it sounds cumbersome and far from an iPod replacement. It seems like Vodafone still has the best devices for replacing the iPod.
Posted by richard ting at February 09, 2005, 11:09 AM
February 01, 2005
Jambo
If you share something in common and you're within walking distance. Jambo will introduce you wirelessly. It's a new way to network. Face-to-face. Jambo uses WiFi, PDAs, laptops, and cellphones to match users nearby.
Posted by richard ting at February 01, 2005, 11:12 AM
January 31, 2005
Hitachi W22H & KDDI au site
I found this KDDI au site from Japan that's promoting some of the next gen mobile phones and the CDMA1xWIN to the NEXT service in Japan.
Posted by richard ting at January 31, 2005, 07:56 AM
Now Playing On a Cell Phone Near You: Video Clips, Music Videos and 3D Games
V CAST From Verizon Wireless Available Tomorrow
BEDMINSTER, N.J., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- When it launches tomorrow, V CAST from Verizon Wireless will break all preconceived notions about wireless multimedia services. The nation's first 3G wireless broadband multimedia service for consumers, V CAST delivers crystal clear short content on-demand, live-action 3D games, music videos, and much more to wireless phones. The quality of the service is matched only by the popularity of the content being offered: Verizon Wireless is presenting premier news and entertainment sources from the leading content providers in the nation -- and from around the globe -- making V CAST an indispensable new infotainment resource for all types of consumers.
Starting tomorrow, V CAST customers will be able to use new wireless phones for applications only dreamed of a year ago: watch video clips from "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"; receive video news updates from NBC News and political analyses from Tim Russert of Meet the Press; view highlights from premiere sporting events like FOX NFL Sunday from Jacksonville; immerse themselves in Spider-Man 2 3D: NY Rooftops, a game inspired from scenes in the Spider-Man 2 motion picture from Sony Pictures; and also download hot music videos from Warner Music Group artists like Simple Plan, My Chemical Romance and The Used.
V CAST is available via new 3G phones that run on the Verizon Wireless broadband EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) 3G network, delivering the fastest wide-area wireless data experience in the nation today. The V CAST coverage area, which mirrors Verizon Wireless' EV-DO network, is available in more than 30 major metropolitan markets and covers more than 75 million people.
Posted by richard ting at January 31, 2005, 06:30 AM
January 29, 2005
Mobcasting Made Somewhat Easy
[from G4techTV]
Kevin P. demonstrated the ease of “mobcasting.” Mobcasting is a mobile Podcast – sending out an audible Podcast via your Web-enabled cell phone and a free account with Audlink.com.
So here's what you do: just call up Audlink.com, type in your account number, then the password, and start recording your mobcast entry at the sound of the beep. Audlink.com will take the message you leave and convert it into a low bit-rate MP3.
Now that you've recorded something, all you have to do is browse to the Audlink website. Then pull up your personal folder, copy the MP3 link, and then post said URL to your blog.
What if you don't have a smartphone with Web-browsing capability? Don't worry, there's a good chance Audlink can update your blog for you automatically! If you use Blogger, B2, Journal Space, Live Journal, Nucleus or even Moveable Type, you're in luck.
Get step by step instructions at AndyCarvin.com.
You can also hear Kevin P.’s mobcast by pasting in g4techtv.com/podcast.xml into your Podcast software. And don't forget about our User Created challenge and submit your own Podcast.
Read more about Mobcasting.
Posted by richard ting at January 29, 2005, 06:18 AM
New Yahoo Tool Sends Business Info to Mobile Phones
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) began offering on Thursday a new tool that allows users of its local search service to send restaurant or business information in the form of a text message from a computer to a mobile phone.
Yahoo said its new service is available across all the major wireless carriers at no charge for consumers. However, wireless carriers may charge fees for receiving text messages on a mobile handset.
For example, a user could search for information about San Francisco's Slanted Door restaurant on a PC and then click on a link to send the address and telephone number to a mobile phone. The message goes via SMS -- or short message services, a form of text messaging offered by all major mobile phone carriers in the United States and in most other countries .
The move comes amid intense competition in the Web search market.
Google in October rolled out a test service that allows people to use mobile phones or handheld devices to tap Google's Web search via SMS.
Also, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) late on Wednesday announced a local search service that uses voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, to directly connect users to businesses they have located via Amazon's A9 Web search service.
Posted by richard ting at January 29, 2005, 06:13 AM
January 25, 2005
Twentieth Television And Verizon Wireless To Create 'Mobisodes' For Those On The Go
[from mediapost]
by David Kaplan
As if you didn't know what else to do with your cell phone: now welcome to the world of the "Mobisode," as Twentieth Television, News Corp.'s syndicated and cable production arm, and Verizon Wireless have entered into an agreement to bring two direct-to-mobile series to mobile communications devices.
The announcement was jointly made today by Bob Cook, president and COO of Twentieth Television; Lucy Hood, senior vice president, content and marketing, of News Corporation; and John Stratton, vice president and chief marketing officer at Verizon Wireless.
Under terms of the agreement, Twentieth Television will produce one-minute original "mobisodes" of the serial dramas "Love and Hate" and "The Sunset Hotel" (26 mobisodes of each series, for a total of 52) designed specifically for "V CAST," the new 3G multimedia wireless service from Verizon Wireless, and Vodafone's 3G Live!.
Posted by richard ting at January 25, 2005, 10:51 AM
January 23, 2005
Audiovox SMT5600 Review
[written by our friends at Mobiledia.com, thanks Allen]
 |
Microsoft dabbles in a bit of everything; from software, to gaming machines, to smartphones. Powered by the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, the smartphone doppelganger of the desktop OS, the Audiovox SMT5600 has a look and feel most users will already be familiar with. Released for Cingular / AT&T Wireless, the Audiovox SMT5600 allows consumers access to productive Microsoft Office and Outlook features. With the latest in personal information management (PIM functionality, such as over-the-air access to Outlook Calendar, Inbox, and Contacts, users can easily transfer their most important information to their smartphone, as well as receiving access to corporate e-mail through Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and third-party middleware providers. |
Posted by richard ting at January 23, 2005, 10:12 AM
January 22, 2005
Verizon Announces Release Of Samsung SCH-A890
Samsung and Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless service provider, today announced the February 1 availability of the SCH-a890, the first wireless handset from Samsung for Verizon Wireless' VCAST service -- the nation's first 3G wireless multimedia service. The innovative a890 will allow consumers to access a variety of VCAST applications, including Video on Demand (VOD), designed to inform and entertain wireless customers.
Pioneers in wireless technology, Samsung and Verizon Wireless are bringing cutting-edge features to consumers with their latest offering. VOD capabilities provide customers with access to VCAST's hot new line of programming -- more than 300 daily updated video clips from leading content providers. The a890's stunning 260,000-color capable main display provides an ideal venue for viewing videos.
Posted by richard ting at January 22, 2005, 09:59 AM
January 21, 2005
Samsung Phones To Include Macromedia Flash
Macromedia announced a licensing agreement with Samsung Electronics to provide Flash Lite 1.1. A variation of Macromedia Flash Player, Flash Lite 1.1 is specifically designed for mobile devices, giving the ability to view interactive Flash content.
Samsung plans on using Flash Lite to deliver graphical user interfaces and rich interactive experiences on new mobile handsets worldwide. "We are very proud to be working with Samsung who has become a global leader in mobile because of their focus on excellence in design," said Stephen Elop, Macromedia CEO. "As Samsung mobile phones enter the marketplace with Flash Lite we look forward to working together to bring incredible new experiences to consumers around the world."
Posted by richard ting at January 21, 2005, 09:57 AM
January 19, 2005
NFL Game Broadcasts Coming to IPods
[more podcasting news from Apple]
NEW YORK - Starting next week, football fans will have a new way to listen to games: on their iPods. The National Football League on Tuesday announced an agreement with Audible Inc., an online distributor of audiobooks and other spoken-word programming, to make recordings of this year's remaining playoff games available for portable audio players, including Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod.
The recordings will be available for purchase through Apple's iTunes Music Store, which has an existing relationship with Audible, and other sites that sell audio over the Internet, according to the NFL and Audible.
Posted by richard ting at January 19, 2005, 12:43 PM
January 08, 2005
Verizon Wireless Extends 3G Network, Launches Multimedia Service
Product photo: Verizon LG VX8000 EDVO phone
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless demonstrated its new 3G multimedia service for consumers on the LG VX8000 EVDO handset.
[from eWeek]
LAS VEGAS—At the Consumer Electronics Show here, Verizon Wireless on Friday announced the launch of a new 3G wireless multimedia service that will run on Verizon's high-speed CDMA EvDO (Code Division Multiple Access Evolution Data Optimized) network. The new service, called VCAST, will allow users to access video, music and 3-D games on new 3G handsets, said officials with the Bedminster, N.J., company.
Verizon demonstrated the new service on LG Mobile Phones' new VX8000 flip phone at the show. The VX8000 can stream music and video over Verizon's network, and it includes a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera. Additional handsets from Samsung Telecommunications America and UTStarcom Personal Communications will also be available in February, officials said.
VCAST, available Feb. 1, will cost $15 per month on top of a calling plan. The service will include access to 300 daily updated videos from content providers such as MTV Networks, as well as access to Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web 2.0 news and information service. Premium content, such as 3-D games, is available for additional cost.
Verizon also announced at the show that it will expand its 3G network into 12 additional cities: Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati; Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; Hartford and New Haven, Conn.; Houston; Jacksonville and Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix; and Providence, R.I
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at January 08, 2005, 03:51 AM
January 07, 2005
Motorola Previews iTunes Phone
[from FierceWireless]
Motorola yesterday at CES showed off its upcoming iTunes mobile phone. The iTunes phone syncs with a PC and the iTunes Music Store, like an iPod, and incorporates the iPod interface playing digital music. The iTunes phone will be the first of several mobile devices from Motorola this year that uses Apple's iTunes platform. The handset will likely be expensive but will not sport the same amount of storage as an iPod, causing some to question its potential appeal. Motorola and Apple announced their partnership to create the iTunes phone in July. Many insiders expect the two companies to officially launch the handset this month, possibly at next week's Macworld conference.
Motorola said its partnership with Apple is a part of its larger strategy to boost mobile data use called "seamless mobility 2.0". The next generation of Motorola's mobile devices will bridge the gap between devices and networks, making it easy for consumers to access any content on most mobile devices.
Posted by richard ting at January 07, 2005, 03:46 AM
December 22, 2004
Marvel Comics goes mobile
[from joystiq]
Wow. Two mobile gaming stories in 24 hours. Marvel Comics and mobile game developer Mforma have signed a deal that allows the company to create all kinds of superhero content for cell phones. This means games, ringtones, wallpapers, the works. The deal includes Activision as acting publisher, as well. They seem to have their finger in every pie, don’t they? The partnership will allow Mforma to develop games to be released in tandem with other media releases, such as films and video releases.
Posted by richard ting at December 22, 2004, 07:19 AM
December 21, 2004
Nokia Lifeblog 1.5 released
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Nokia Lifeblog is a PC and mobile phone software combination that effortlessly keeps a multimedia diary of the items you collect with your mobile phone. Lifeblog automatically organizes your photos, videos, text messages, and multimedia messages into a clear chronology you can easily browse, search, edit, and save. Nokia Lifeblog does the work of organizing the items you create and receive, and you can also add notes throughout the day, or tag and update your favorites so they're always on your phone. |
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Posted by richard ting at December 21, 2004, 11:35 AM
December 19, 2004
Verizon adds UTSarcom XV6600 to its EVDO 3G network offerings
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Verizon Wireless has finally added the UTSarcom XV6600 (formerly Audiovox) Windows Mobile Pocket PC to their EVDO 3G network offerings. The XV6600 is based on the Intel XScale processor and comes packed with 64MB ROM, 128MB RAM and an SDIO expansion slot for extra memory and peripherals. |
Posted by richard ting at December 19, 2004, 11:19 AM
December 16, 2004
Mobile.Seed. The first one?
[from we-make-money-not-art]
Last week or so, the story that researchers at the University of Warwick, in association with PVAXX and Motorola, had devised a new way to recycle discarded mobile telephones - bury them and watch them transform into the flower of your choice - was all over the blogosphere.
It reminded me of something. Couldn't place it though. Then it came back to me (with a little help), I had heard of a similar project nearly one year ago!
Belmer Negrillo had investigated the consumption of electronic objects (ex.: a bread-lamp - Paneluce and DolceRadio, a radio with an edible shell and buttons made of chocolate) and, in particular, a project-scenario where a mobile phone could be planted as an alternative discard method and become a flower (Mobile.Seed).
Posted by richard ting at December 16, 2004, 03:23 AM
December 14, 2004
Mobile Music in Japan - Japan's reality is our future
This article takes a close look at the world leading Japanese mobile data market which is all about migrating users to 3G (thrid generation of mobile communication technology) and offering new cutting-edge services driven by more powerful 3G networks and devices. A special focus is on the mobile music market which generates 50% of mobile content premium revenues. Learning from Japan makes sense as there are basically no differences between end user cultures in Japan and other countries, but there still are many differences between management cultures.
Mobile Kaizen management is good for Japanese consumers
Next to South Korea which enjoys the highest fixed and mobile broadband penetration - counting relative DSL connections and 3G-enabled mobile phones - Japan continues to be the leading mobile data market in the world. Having analysed the Japanese mobile market since 2000 I do believe that Japan is still far ahead when it comes to managing the mobile economy and maximizing value for consumers. I like to call the Japanese management approach “Mobile Kaizen” – the art of continuously improving the mobile economy which the Japanese mobile companies master so well.
In Japan, there are 3 mobile network operators that all launched their first mobile Internet services back in 1999 and, since then, have heavily competed among each other for the mobile communications budget of Japanese consumers and businesses. The Japanese market is driven by consumer demand and managed in a carrier-centric way. The carriers control the market and specify all the functionality of the mobile handsets that are built to their orders mainly by Japanese handset makers (only now Vodafone tries to sell devices made by Nokia and Motorola in Japan).
Posted by richard ting at December 14, 2004, 12:33 PM
December 09, 2004
KDDI unveils 'Love Mate' Windows Wi-Fi phone
Japanese mobile phone network KDDI this week introduced what may be the nation's first Windows Mobile 2003-based 3G smart phone, the intriguingly named 'Love Mate'.
KDDI said the handsets are aimed at visitors attending the Aichi World Expo 2005, which kicks off in March and runs through to the end of September. It's not clear at this stage whether they will have a life beyond the show.
Love Mate's two versions are dubbed Orange and Blue. Both feature Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for PocketPC software for PDA and phone operation, said KDDI. Both sport neck/hand bands. To that, Orange adds 3G, CDMA (1x WIN) support, 802.11b Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 1.2, along with web and email software to take full advantage of these numerous wireless connectivity options.
Orange is in part pitched at non-Japanese speakers, so presumably it will ship with English-language software and possibly some form of visual translation code to help them navigate the show. KDDI hopes it will particularly appeal to World Expo visitors from overseas.
The Blue variant appears to lack the communications components that Orange boasts. Instead it's intended as a portable information terminal to be used by visitors as they make their way around the Expo - essentially doing what Orange does, but without the phone and WLAN functionality. It will operate as a PDA, however. A CompactFlash slot is used to add a Wi-Fi card. There's a mini SD slot in both machines too.
KDDI said it will offer 3800 Orange Love Mates and 1200 Blues. Both handsets measure 15.5 x 6.7 x 2.5cm, so they're by no means compact devices. Orange weighs 220g, Blue 190g.
Both units are based on a 520MHz Intel PXA270 CPU backed by 128MB of SDRAM and 64MB of ROM. The screen is a 2.8in 240 x 320 job, and there's a VGA digicam. The power pack is a 1950mAh battery, capable of giving three hours' Wi-Fi usage for the Blue and four hours for the Orange. With Wi-Fi off, Orange offers 30 hours' stand-by time and 150 minutes' call time, KDDI said. Device development was handled by Fujitsu. ®
Posted by richard ting at December 09, 2004, 06:40 AM
December 01, 2004
Hamburg city pushes mobile phone ticketing
Hamburg, one of Germany's largest cities, is showing consumers how they can check into soccer games, museum exhibitions, musicals and more with their mobile phones as part of a two-day mobile phone ticketing initiative beginning Friday.
Soccer fans attending the Friday evening match between FC St. Pauli and Hertha BSC Amateure will be able to avoid long lines at ticket booths by displaying their mobile phones with a message containing a bar code, which is scanned at the gate. The same service will be available on Saturday to those attending the musical "Dance of the Vampire," or live music performances in several bars in Hamburg's famous Reeperbahn district.
Mobile Ticketing Days is an initiative of the City of Hamburg in collaboration with several technology partners, including T-Mobile International AG, Matrix Solutions GmbH and Teltix GmbH. The two-day program is being managed by Hamburg@work, a public-private organization involving the Hamburg city economic development agency and a group of local multimedia technology companies.
"Earlier this year, we conducted a survey of local business people and consumers and asked them what they view as the key technology trends in 2004 and 2005," said a spokesman from Hamburg@work. "Many of them viewed mobile phone applications as an important trend. That's what prompted this two-day mobile application event and others to follow next year."
Matrix has developed a mobile ticketing system, called PicTicket. Customers can either purchase their ticket online by going to the PicTicket Web site or calling the automated PicTicket call center. They must provide both their mobile phone number and the type of phone they use.
Posted by richard ting at December 01, 2004, 04:24 AM
'Ringback' Tones May Be Next Big Thing
By Bruce Meyerson, AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP)—Ring tones are so yesterday. If wireless companies have their way, the next multibillion-dollar surprise in the cellular business will be "Ringback" tones. Instead of the usual dialing noise which people hear when phoning someone, callers to Verizon Wireless subscribers may soon find themselves listening to a song until the phone is answered.
The service, pioneered by SK Telecom of Korea, is now debuting in California and is slated to be available nationally by mid-2005.
Verizon Wireless, a partnership between Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, is charging 99 cents per month plus an annual fee of $1.99 for each Ringback Tone chosen. Other U.S. carriers are said to be mulling a similar service.
Verizon's subscribers can assign specific tunes for different callers to hear, choosing among 2,200 songs from 13 music genres provided by Warner Music Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
Posted by richard ting at December 01, 2004, 03:15 AM
ESPN to Launch Mobile Phone Service in Sprint Deal
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ESPN sports television network is launching its own brand of mobile phone service in a deal with Sprint Corp. (FON.N: Quote, Profile, Research) intended to lure new users with sports news sent over a next-generation network, the companies said on Wednesday.
Sprint would effectively rent out space on its network to ESPN, which would become a pioneer among U.S. media companies aiming to take their wares to the smallest screen.
ESPN Mobile will start U.S. service in 2005 with access to streaming sports audio and video as well as graphics and news, ESPN and Sprint said in a statement. They did not disclose financial terms.
Posted by richard ting at December 01, 2004, 01:51 AM
November 23, 2004
Amazon Japan Cell Phone Service
[via Gizmodo]
Keitai Watch reports that as part of a renewal of their site, Amazon Japan has introduced a flattering new feature called "Amazon Scan Search." After users download an application to their cell phone free of charge, they can scan barcodes of ordinary products, which in turn enables them to search the cell phone version of Amazon.co.jp for the respective product. Once they get a result on their search, they can then choose to purchase the item right from their phone. Obviously, there's quite a bit of overhead associated with this — like needing a phone with a camera, needing to use i-Mode, and needing to, you know, be in Japan — but I'm willing to ignore that for now.
Amazon Japan of course intends the service be used for on-the-spot price comparisons, as well as "finding out what sort of products are sold should you want something that your friend has." I'd say I await Amazon in America to introduce a similar service, but I will probably be waiting for all eternity.
Posted by richard ting at November 23, 2004, 10:59 AM
November 15, 2004
SMS Guerilla Projector
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The SMS Guerilla Projector is a home made, fully functioning device that enables the user to project text based SMS messages in public space, in streetss onto people, inside cinemas, shops, houses.
Posted by richard ting at November 15, 2004, 10:26 AM
Vodafone Japan announces the go anywhere V801SA
[from pukupi.com]
From December 1st, Vodafone Japan will offer the V801SA mobile from Sanyo with Global Standard support. The V801SA will operate on Vodafone's W-CDMA (3G) network inside Japan and GSM (2G) networks nearly everywhere else. South Korea is one exception which, like Japan, is GSM-free but also rapidly developing 3G networks so hopefully it will not be too long before it works there too.
The V801SA features are pretty standard for 3G models including a QVGA 320 x 240 pixel screen with a still and video camera offering support for video calls and video mail. What is unique about this mobile is the sliding keypad which should give you the best of both clamshell (small) and candy bar (visible) designs but unlike Sony's SO505i, shouldn't require any wrist acrobatics to open.
Vodafone has a PDF with all the boring details while you can actually see the V801SA in action at Sanyo Telecommunications (Japanese).
Posted by richard ting at November 15, 2004, 10:15 AM
November 04, 2004
SpinMoto MS340
[from slashphone]
New motorola phone in Korea. It has a 262,000 colour TFT LCD screen, and a 360 degree rotating keypad which hides behind the handset. There are dual cameras and 57MB of storage space. 57MB is definitely not enough but no expansion slot is available.
Motorola has no plan to release the phone out of Korea yet but I do see some of the US online store already start selling it.
Posted by richard ting at November 04, 2004, 10:58 AM
November 03, 2004
Nokia 6630 3G Phone now shipping
[from slashphone]
The Nokia 6630 smartphone has started shipping. The Nokia 6630 phone is the first dual-mode, tri-band handset designed to work on 3G (WCDMA), EDGE and 2G (GSM 900/1800/1900) networks around the world.
Posted by richard ting at November 03, 2004, 11:01 AM
October 26, 2004
Treo 650 has arrived!
Posted by richard ting at October 26, 2004, 07:53 AM
October 25, 2004
Sony Ericsson Concept Phone Design Competition in China
"The results of a Sony Ericsson design competition for students in China are in. The results are not very surprising. Most of the designs are very similar to existing mobiles and surprisingly enough, to Nokia designs. I wonder if brand awareness and authenticity were part of the competition brief. There are still quite a few nice design ideas however. Especially on the gadget front." -- via reluct
Posted by richard ting at October 25, 2004, 05:31 AM
October 21, 2004
New Mobile Messaging Device
|
[from trendcentral]
With young people so overscheduled - from dinner plans to guitar lessons to job interviews to final exams - they are looking for ways to communicate while on-the-go. To fill the gap, AT&T recently introduced a new mobile messaging device called Ogo, designed to appeal to this IM generation of teens and young adults. The wireless messaging device provides users with unlimited IM, email from AOL, MSN, and Yahoo!, and text messaging, as well as emoticon buttons. Users can also give unique sounds and graphic animations to their IM contacts.
While it remains to be seen if the Ogo will become the younger generation’s answer to the Blackberry, keep an eye out for more specialized mobile devices that cater to the IM generation. |
Posted by richard ting at October 21, 2004, 12:42 PM
October 18, 2004
Mobile Phone Market
[from trendcentral]
Meal Planner: Consumers with Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 service now have access to dinner and directions. Vindigo Studios created a restaurant guide utilizing Gayot.com information, such as locations, phone numbers, menus, pricing and ratings. MapQuest supplies the corresponding driving directions and maps.
Mobile Karaoke: KTF, a Korean wireless service provider, is planning to offer a handset which allows users to download music videos complete with captions for on-the-go karaoke.
Posted by richard ting at October 18, 2004, 11:01 AM
October 15, 2004
Conqwest
The application: More than a hundred players and phones, 5-meter tall giant inflatable animals designed by an artist in the UK, $5000 prizes, semacodes nodes on billboards, on buses, and on a taxi navigating the streets.
RELATED LINKS
Semacode hits the street.
The Conqwest case study.
The Conqwest web site.
Posted by richard ting at October 15, 2004, 05:36 AM
October 14, 2004
Our Cell Phones, Ourselves
[by Christine Rosen]
Hell is other people,” Sartre observed, but you need not be a misanthrope or a diminutive French existentialist to have experienced similar feelings during the course of a day. No matter where you live or what you do, in all likelihood you will eventually find yourself participating in that most familiar and exasperating of modern rituals: unwillingly listening to someone else’s cell phone conversation. Like the switchboard operators of times past, we are now all privy to calls being put through, to the details of loved ones contacted, appointments made, arguments aired, and gossip exchanged.
Today, more people have cell phones than fixed telephone lines, both in the United States and internationally. There are more than one billion cell phone users worldwide, and as one wireless industry analyst recently told Slate, “some time between 2010 and 2020, everyone who wants and can afford a cell phone will have one.” Americans spend, on average, about seven hours a month talking on their cell phones. Wireless phones have become such an important part of our everyday lives that in July, the country’s major wireless industry organization featured the following “quick poll” on its website: “If you were stranded on a desert island and could have one thing with you, what would it be?” The choices: “Matches/Lighter,” “Food/Water,” “Another Person,” “Wireless Phone.” The World Health Organization has even launched an “International EMF Project” to study the possible health effects of the electromagnetic fields created by wireless technologies.
But if this ubiquitous technology is now a normal part of life, our adjustment to it has not been without consequences. Especially in the United States, where cell phone use still remains low compared to other countries, we are rapidly approaching a tipping point with this technology. How has it changed our behavior, and how might it continue to do so? What new rules ought we to impose on its use? Most importantly, how has the wireless telephone encouraged us to connect individually but disconnect socially, ceding, in the process, much that was civil and civilized about the use of public space?
Posted by richard ting at October 14, 2004, 11:15 AM
PODcasting
PODcasting
By Thomas on Beyond
Podcasting is an emergent phenomenon in the blogosphere. Springboarding from RSS, MP3 and Apple's iPod, podcasting is blogging in talk radio format. One need not own an iPod to participate, however.
So what’s a Podcast? To put it simply, a Podcast is an audio file, a MP3, most likely, in talk show format, along with a way to subscribe to the show and have it automatically delivered to your iPod when you plug in to iTunes. The show isn’t live, so you can listen to it whenever you want. Doc Searls is credited with coining the term, or at least formalizing it.
The key virtue of traditional radio is its immediacy: the fact that it's live. They key virtue of this new breed of radio is that it's Net-native. That is, it's archived in a way that can be listened to at the convenience of the listener, and (this is key) that it can be linked to by others, and enclosed in an RSS feed.
. . . .
What matters is that all the standards we're working with here are open. They're the new and growing infrastructure for a new class of 'casting. It won't replace old-fashioned broadcasting, just as FM didn't replace AM, and TV didn't replace radio. And it's not narrowcasting, which is conceived as broadcasting for fewer people. It's podcasting. I'll create an acronym for it: Personal Option Digital 'casting.
Engadget has a great HOWTO for would-be podcasters or listeners.
Posted by richard ting at October 14, 2004, 05:33 AM
October 13, 2004
red | blue
[By Jon Lebkowsky on The Era of Sentient Things]
Gravity Monkey announces a free Java application that finds where you are and determines the location's political climate based on partisan affiliation of campaign donors in the area. red|blue is an extension of fundrace .
Posted by richard ting at October 13, 2004, 11:12 AM
Mobileart 05
Today in Paradise – Genetics & Art
Mobileart 05
Goteborg New Media Art Festival
at Roda Sten, Goteborg, Sweden
Submission Deadline: 24 November 2004
www.mobileart.se
The call for works is open to artists, designers and performers both
internationally and from the Nordic region willing to engage in the theme “Today in Paradise – Genetics & Art”.
Mobileart is announcing a call for works for its exhibition and
festival which will open on the 1st April, 2005. This will consist of a 3-day festival/symposium held on Friday 1st April to Sunday 3rd April, concurrent with an exhibition at the same venue from Friday 1st April – Sunday 17th April.
Posted by richard ting at October 13, 2004, 05:53 AM
Moblogs, Mobots and Marketing
DEMOmobile conference highlights new technology and new opportunities for marketers. The hoopla that surrounds the opening of a trade show can be akin to the excitement you felt as a kid on Christmas morning. The glittering displays, the sparkling new products, the press cameras flashing all make you hope that somewhere in that pile of goodies and marketing ploys you'll find a pony.
No pony, but at this fall’s DEMOmobile conference in San Diego, Nokia and SixApart’s new partnership raced out of the gates like a thoroughbred. The two companies gave attendees a sneak-peek at “Moblogging,” the next generation of mobile marketing using imaging to power-up social networking, create instant communities and put a new face on blogging.
Take cell phone giant Nokia, add blogging tech-powerhouse Six Apart and the two equal a potential promotional jackpot for them, potential media buyers and sponsors seeking a real-time branding opportunity.
It’s also simple to use. With the phone-based application, you snap a picture, type in a short title and description on the keypad, and then transfer the image directly to a blog with a push of a button. No clumsy emailing required. Both the phone and PC version of Nokia’s Lifeblog software now work directly with Six Apart’s much-acclaimed TypePad to enable this next generation of moblogging.
“Several trends are converging, making it not only possible but also easy to document your life and share it with others, from anywhere” explains Barak Berkowitz, Six Apart’s CEO. He says that widespread camera phone usage, ubiquitous Internet access and the popularity of Web blogging make it easy for people to stay in touch no matter where they are.
Posted by richard ting at October 13, 2004, 02:04 AM
October 11, 2004
CatchBob
CatchBob! is an experimental platform in the form of a mobile game for running psychological experiments. It is designed to elicit collaborative behavior of people working together on a mobile activity.
Running on a mobile device (iPAQ, TabletPc), it's a collaborative hunt in which groups of three persons have to find and circle a virtual object on our campus.
Posted by richard ting at October 11, 2004, 05:29 AM
October 09, 2004
cellBYTES
cellBYTES
Online exhibition of mobile motion capture + camera snaps
cellBYTES is the first Australian exhibition of mobile motion
capture + camera snaps for practitioners exploring the potential
of creative digital media content.
cellBYTES has been launched by Once Bitten to investigate, exhibit and promote the first creative byte sized steps being taken by creative practitioners with mobile phone technology. Once Bitten is an intranational collective of digital practitioners and writers.
//open:
//01 September 2004
//close:
//29 October 2004
//exhibition:
//22 November 2004
[Submission is free]
To find out more visit http://www.cellbytes.com
Posted by richard ting at October 09, 2004, 05:51 AM
Mobile Content Boom
The mobile content market will grow up to nearly $78 billion in revenues worldwide by 2007, up from $16.7 billion last year. The majority of the revenues will go to operators, but third-party content providers will bring in approximately 40% of the total. The information comes out of a new report presented yesterday by Research and Markets.
Posted by richard ting at October 09, 2004, 02:18 AM
October 07, 2004
CEATEC Japan 2004: Seven new mobiles from DoCoMo
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Posted by richard ting at October 07, 2004, 11:29 AM
October 06, 2004
Google SMS
Google SMS (Short Message Service) enables you to easily get precise answers to specialized queries from your mobile phone or device. Send your query as a text message and get phone book listings, dictionary definitions, product prices and more. Just text. No links. No web pages. Simply the answers you're looking to find.
Posted by richard ting at October 06, 2004, 03:48 AM
September 29, 2004
interSMS
Send SMS Text Messages for only 5¢ PER MESSAGE!
Now you can send SMS messages right from your computer. InterSMS allows you to create your own SMS Mobile Marketing Campaign or communicate via Text Messaging instantly.
InterSMS connects you to virtually every mobile phone in the world. It is a simple, but very powerful application that resides in your Outlook program. Sending a text message is as easy as sending an email!
Posted by richard ting at September 29, 2004, 10:33 AM
September 24, 2004
Hot Enough? Art, Activism, and Wireless Technology During the Republican National Convention
[from flavorpill]
when: Mon 9.27 (7pm)
where: Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, The New School (55 W 13th St, 212.229.5488)
price: $8
links: Event Info
Most New Yorkers recognize a cell phone as more than just a device for making calls. From uploading pictures to building text messaging networks, our cell phones enable us to be simultaneously free, yet connected. During the RNC, protestors' call to action also became a call to innovate, and many used more than just phones to make sure they were heard. Tonight, Jonah Peretti of new media nonprofit Eyebeam hosts a panel of activists in a discussion of how wireless technology was employed during the convention. Participants include: Yury Gitman, whose Magic Bike acts as a mobile wireless hotspot, and Joshua Kinberg of Bikes Against Bush, who constructed a wireless Internet-enabled bicycle which prints text messages onto the streets of Manhattan. (JA)
Posted by richard ting at September 24, 2004, 11:08 AM
September 22, 2004
Vodafone to release 7 new 3G phones
Vodafone Japan is releasing seven 3G mobile for the holiday season.
One of these is the Nokia 6630 (Vodafone 702NK) which is a rather cool Symbian Series 60 mobile.
Nokia 6630
The Nokia 6630 is Nokia’s first 3G phone based on Symbian OS. It features always-connected email, mobile broadband access for multimedia content, live video streaming and video conferencing. The 1.23 million pixel camera has 1 to 6x variable digital zoom for picture and video capture, manual exposure control, sequence mode for fast picture capture and up to one hour of video recording. The 6630 is optimized for 3G (WCDMA), EDGE and 2G networks worldwide and is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2004.
Check out the Nokia 6630 site.
Posted by richard ting at September 22, 2004, 10:18 AM
September 11, 2004
File Sharing Goes Mobile
With all these different music download stores and file sharing apps, it was only a matter of time before everything started to go mobile. I recently wrote up an article at TheFeature about all the various music download offerings for mobile phones, but it looks like some are already going beyond that to offer some form of "file sharing" as well. EMI has talked about mobile file sharing in the past, but it seemed pretty watered down. Recently, Wippit, makers of an increasingly popular DRM technology that encourages limited file sharing announced plans to offer mobile file sharing by letting users get around many wireless carriers by sending the file in response to an SMS message. The latest, though, is that SK Telecom is showing off a mobile file sharing system in Korea that will let users swap music files, ringtones, videos and more via their 3G network. They admit that it has no copy protection at all, and even say, "we're not thinking about that type of problem." It's not clear if that's because they never plan to actually launch it, or they just don't care. Given that the recording industry in Korea wanted to sue wireless carriers for offering MP3 playing phones (even after they agreed to forcibly degrade the sound quality), you have to wonder how long such an application would remain on the market. Still, it's been said many times before: it's only a matter of time until a real Napster-style file sharing app is written for mobile phones, whether by the carriers themselves or (more likely) independently. And still, everyone in the wireless and music industry seems to ignore this potential problem and insist that overpriced ringtone revenue will be around forever.
Posted by richard ting at September 11, 2004, 07:05 AM
September 09, 2004
Location and Presence in Mobile Data Services
by Jonathan Grubb and Shawn Smith
“Mobile technology is expanding our design toolkit beyond the desktop, and those who embrace this technology to enhance the core functions of their products will offer their users a superior experience.”The emergence of a handful of popular mobile data services has changed the way we interact with our phones. Now, several technologies on the immediate horizon are about to change the way we (and our phones) interact with the world. Imagine…
- You’re about to call your friend, but when you highlight her name in your address book, you see that she’s driving in the city. Since it’s just a social call, you decide to leave her a voicemail instead.
- Your phone rings while you’re in a crowded movie theater. You automatically know the call is urgent; otherwise, your phone would have automatically silenced itself.
- You’re wandering through the Paul Klee exhibit at the MOMA, enjoying the audio tour—and enjoying the fact that you didn’t need to borrow a special audio player; a hidden transmitter next to each painting delivers the content to your phone.
- You’re out and about, and your phone beeps to tell you there’s an open house nearby that meets the requirements you specified through an online real estate service. You don’t have time to tour the house, but you do have time to drive by. You stop in front of the For Sale sign, which contains a transmitter that delivers detailed information about the house to your phone.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 02:05 AM
Mobile gaming for masses
Another report, this time by Instat/MDR confirms gaming is going to be key contributor to wireless data usage and revenues. A couple of days ago the same indication was provided by Strategy Analytics.
According to Instat by 2009, mobile gaming services in the US will generate $1.8 billion annually, or approximately 4.4% of total wireless data revenues. The report "Mobile Gaming Services in the US, 2004-2009" also found out that, unlike with other emerging mobile multimedia services, such as video and music, consumers interested in mobile gaming do not necessarily match the classic early adopter profile.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 02:02 AM
T-Mobile blocked TXTmob messages during a portion of the RNC
[from Shibuya Epiphany]
Registered users of TxMob received the following e-mail from the admistration of TxtMob. It seems that wireless carrier T-Mobile blocked SMS messages during a portion of the RNC. [via Unwired.cc]
As many of you are aware, T-Mobile blocked TXTmob messages during a portion of the RNC. While we won't speculate on the reasons for this action, it would be extremely helpful if the hundreds of customers who were unable to receive TXTMob messages called T-Mobile to complain. Be sure to explain that TXTMob is an opt-in service that you have chosen to join, and to encourage their representatives to contact admin@txtmob.com if they have any questions".
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 01:55 AM
September 06, 2004
Yellowarrow.org
|
[from trendcentral]
A new way to tour the city We've already told you about a number of games that utilize modern technology to explore the urban landscape (the games people play TC) and now there's another to add to the list. One of the newest concepts to hit the streets in New York City is Yellowarrow. Here's how it works: thousands of YellowArrow stickers are distributed at various events such as concerts, gallery openings and festivals around town. Each sticker features a code. Participants place the arrows on anything and everything (pointing onlookers towards a specific place/object) as a means to share opinions, tips and trivia to passersby. When an arrow is spotted, passersby can text the code to Yellowarrow.org, and then receive a text back, with an explanation for that particular sticker. YellowArrow has plans to expand to San Francisco and LA this fall. This exchange of information seems to be creating a sense of community, something that young people today are increasingly looking for. Don't be surprised to see some yellow arrows around your neighborhood. |
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Posted by richard ting at September 06, 2004, 11:02 AM
September 02, 2004
Philly Considers Wireless Internet for All
By DAVID B. CARUSO
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Forget finding an Internet cafe. For less than what it costs to build a small library, city officials believe they can turn all 135 square miles of Philadelphia into the world's largest wireless Internet hot spot.
The ambitious plan, now under discussion, would involve placing thousands of small transmitters around the city - probably atop lampposts. Each of these wireless hot spots would be capable of communicating with the Wi-Fi network cards that now come standard with many computers.
Once complete, the $10 million network would deliver broadband Internet almost anywhere radio waves can travel - including poor neighborhoods where high-speed Internet access is now rare. The city would likely offer the service either for free, or at costs far lower than the $35 to $60 a month charged for broadband delivered over telephone and cable TV lines, said the city's chief information officer, Dianah Neff.
"If you're out on your front porch with a laptop, you could dial in, register at no charge, and be able to access a high speed connection," Neff said. "It's a technology whose time is here."
If the plan becomes a reality, Philadelphia would leap to the forefront of a growing number of cities already offering or mulling a wireless broadband network for their residents, workers and guests.
Chaska, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis, began offering citywide wireless Internet access this year for $16 a month. The signal covers about 13 square miles. Cleveland has added some 4,000 wireless transmitters in its University Circle, Midtown and lakefront districts. The service is free for anyone who passes through those areas.
Posted by richard ting at September 02, 2004, 07:18 AM
September 01, 2004
Zoie Films proudly sponsors: Its first annual *Cellular Cinema Festival*
[from their website]
We are the proud sponsors of this innovative film festival for the cellular screen...to showcase the video content and technology that will be screened via Tin Can Mobile and Nokia mobile phones. Cellular video and flash entertainment is an exploding market worldwide and one that offers a new forum for filmakers to be seen. Zoie Films is presenting sponsor and partners with Tin Can Mobile and Nokia cell phones to present this unique festival.
Posted by richard ting at September 01, 2004, 11:13 AM
August 30, 2004
Who's on the (Mobile) Phone?
Enpocket estimates that there are currently 128 million mobile phone users in the US.
In a study released this week, mobile marketing solutions provider Enpocket examines mobile phone use in the US, including a comparison of mobile phone penetration among a number of demographic groups. Its findings are based on 1,000 telephone interviews conducted by NOP World in late July 2004. Overall, 61% of the country uses a mobile phone. But by breaking the population down into gender, age and income groups, Enpocket finds that penetration percentages vary greatly.
For example, at 63%, males are slightly more likely to use mobile phones than the average US adult. Men are also more likely to use mobiles than females, 59% of whom use mobile phones. Breaking things down by age shows wider variation in penetration rates. While younger age groups, like 18 to 24 year-olds and 25 to 34 year-olds use mobile phones at a rate a bit higher than the average, it's the 35 to 49 year-old group that represents the most avid users, with a penetration rate of 71%.
Balancing things out are 50 to 54 year-olds and those over 55, where usage is less than average, especially among the eldest group. What's surprising about these findings is that younger adults are thought of as being the most likely to use newer technology, but penetration rates peak among middle aged adults.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at August 30, 2004, 02:06 AM
August 21, 2004
TXTmob.com
TXTmob is a service that lets you quickly and easily share txt messages with friends, comrades, and total strangers. The format is similar to an email b-board system. You can sign up to send and receive messages from various groups, which are organized around a range of different topics.
TXTMob was designed for use by protestors at the Democratic National Convention in Boston this summer. It is currently being revamped for use at the Republican National Convention in New York this August.
Posted by richard ting at August 21, 2004, 04:11 AM
August 10, 2004
Experience Computing
Viable future alternatives to the keyboard interface.
Posted by richard ting at August 10, 2004, 06:28 AM
August 09, 2004
Vodafone's New Shibuya Megastore
On April 1, Vodafone Japan opened its 5-floor, 890-square-meter flagship megastore in Shibuya and we were there to cover the event and take a peak at some of the goodies on hand. Japan Wireless Watchers will know that Shibuya makes or breaks fashions for Japan's youth market, and i-mode is commonly said to have been popularized in Shibuya. For Vodafone, the new store is part of a public relations blitz to complete the rebranding of J-Phone amongst Japan's vital teens and tweens market ahead of a big 3G terminal push later in the year. We were a bit disappointed that Vodafone didn't have anything really new on offer in terms of new services or handsets to coincide with the big opening, but as a rebranding tool the store -- located centrally on one of Shibuya's main drags -- is probably worth a thousand billboards.
Posted by richard ting at August 09, 2004, 06:35 AM
August 06, 2004
MP3RUN (Nike & Philips):
Worn on the arm, the MP3RUN features a speed and distance sensor (via Bluetooth technology) which when attached to the shoe, records time, distance and pace. This is automatically logged onto a website operated by Nike to track progress. An audible voice will state time, distance and pace through headphones with the press of a button. The MP3RUN can play MP3s in addition to the digital FM radio. And for those who like night running, the device boasts a strobe light for low light conditions.
Posted by richard ting at August 06, 2004, 12:07 PM
August 05, 2004
Wearing Your Music on Your Sleeve
[from earplug]
iPods are the ubiquitous musical accessories of the moment, but pretty soon those white and silver boxes may become unnecessary baggage. Last week, Motorola announced a deal with Apple to include a version of the iTunes software on future cell phones, promising seamless movement of songs from your computer to your handset. While nobody is predicting a phone that holds 10,000 tracks, a quick jog or trip to the store may soon require one less piece of hardware in your pocket. But what if your pocket is your player? A German company, Rosner, recently debuted the MP3 Blue, a jacket that is also a 128 MB digital music player, complete with sleeve buttons that double as controllers, headphones built into the collar, and a Bluetooth-enabled wireless microphone for cell phone use. The limited edition design goes on sale this August exclusively through the company's website. For those who find a jacket too cumbersome, there's always an MP3 watch, like those made by Casio and the Swiss company Laks, whose Memory Music wristwatch holds 256 MB of music and doubles as a digital voice recorder. Even sunglasses giant Oakley is embedding a mini music player in its frames: the Thump line includes not only a powerful MP3 player, but also pivoting miniature speakers built into the eyeglass design, giving you one more reason to wear your sunglasses at night. (DJP)
Posted by richard ting at August 05, 2004, 11:50 AM
August 03, 2004
Mobiles and the appropriation of place
by Mizuko Ito
Mizuko Ito, who spent her childhood split between Japan and the US, is a cultural anthropologist interested in how digital media are changing relationships, identities, and communities. She has done her research at Keio University and Stanford University, and is presently at the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for Communication. In her contribution she analyses how wireless tools are changing the experience of co-presence for Japanese youth.
Mobile phones are transforming the experience of place and co-presence for a wireless generation of Japanese youth. In the past, physical co-presence generally defined who one was socially and interactionally accountable to at any given time, interrupted occasionally by a telephone call or a beeping pager. Now that mobile phones have become a norm for youths in Japan as elsewhere, distant others are always socially co-present, and place – where you locate yourself – has become a hybrid relation between physical and wirelessly co-present context. My research group at Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus has been conducting ethnographic research on mobile phone use, detailing how, when and where phones get used. We see mobile phones as "somewhere, someplace" technologies that are intimately tied to the experience of particular settings and places.
Posted by richard ting at August 03, 2004, 12:36 PM
July 23, 2004
Japanese Carrier Makes Cell Phone Wallet
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer
TOKYO - As it is, you don't leave home without it. In a world of cashless payment, why not simply make your cell phone a wallet? Japan has long been phasing out the hassle of coins and bills with microchip-laden "smart cards," which let people make electronic payments for everything from lunch to the daily commute.
But even smart cards could be on their way out, their plastic presence overtaken by virtual-wallet technology now available in the everyday cell phone.
Other nations, led by South Korea (news - web sites), already have so-called mobile commerce payment schemes in place that let people punch keys on their cell phones so that the devices trigger transactions. But a series of phones going on sale this summer in Japan, for use on NTT DoCoMo (news - web sites)'s wireless network, are the world's first with an embedded computer chip that you can fill up with electronic cash.
The wireless company loaned me a P506iC handset from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and I was in business. Well, almost.
First I had to find a machine that's used to stoke smart cards with cash. They can be found in some convenience stores and offices in Japan. You place the phone in a special slot and slip bills into the machine. The phones have a 50,000-yen ($450) limit. Now you can spend.
To pay you simply wave your cell phone within a few inches of a special display found in stores, restaurants and vending machines around Japan. A fairy-like tinkling sound means your purchase is being deducted from the embedded chip using radio-frequency ID technology.
It's instantaneous.
Posted by richard ting at July 23, 2004, 12:49 PM
AT&T Wireless rolls out super-speedy Internet service
By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY
The white-hot wireless technology known as 3G UMTS - short for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - is finally making its U.S. debut.
The high-speed Internet connection, which AT&T Wireless began selling Tuesday, is fast enough to enable a customer to use a cell phone, PDA or laptop computer to receive streaming audio and video, create and share video clips, and much more. The technology is already popular in many foreign markets.
The service will cost consumers $24.99 a month for an unlimited connection and $5 extra for unlimited streaming. Business users will pay a flat monthly rate of $79.99. Those fees don't include the cost of basic cell phone voice services, which start at about $20 a month.
Availability is limited. For now, AT&T Wireless is offering the service in just four cities: Detroit, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. Two others - Dallas and San Diego - are expected to get the service later this year. And even in those markets, the service, at least initially, is restricted to office parks and city centers.
Users also have to buy new handsets, which cost about $300, to handle the turbocharged technology. That could prove a handicap in the market. Analyst Roger Entner of Yankee Group points out that just 1% of all cell phone users today spend more than $199 for their phones. About 50% pay less than $100, and about 30% get them as freebies. Using the service on a laptop will require a UMTS card.
Still, for those enamored with the idea of harnessing the power of the Internet while on the go, 3G might be worth it. True 3G offers wireless transmission speeds up to eight times faster than conventional dial-up connections.
At those speeds, the video and audio streams are Hollywood smooth - no herky-jerky feeds or scratchy sounds. "Think Charlize Theron, not Charlie Chaplin," quipped John Zeglis, chairman and CEO of AT&T Wireless.
The launch fulfills a longstanding promise to NTT DoCoMo (news - web sites), the Japanese mobile communications giant that invested $10 billion for a 16% stake in AT&T Wireless in November 2000. As part of the deal, AT&T Wireless agreed to roll out 3G services in 13 U.S. cities, a number later reduced to four, by the end of 2004. If it failed to do so, AT&T Wireless was obliged to give DoCoMo a full refund
Posted by richard ting at July 23, 2004, 12:46 PM
July 16, 2004
NTT DoCoMo has formally announced its 3G/WLAN phone
NTT DoCoMo has formally announced its 3G/WLAN phone -- and has made it impossible to use on public hotspots.
The carrier first broke its plans in June, but held a press conference touting the handset, the N900iL, in Tokyo on Tuesday. The handset, made by NEC, also requires a particular NEC IP telephony server, which presumably hooks up to a network sold by DoCoMo or its parent NTT.
The phone can make voice calls over Wi-Fi inside offices, essentially acting as a wireless PBX extension, and also features an instant-messaging application with a presence function letting users check co-workers' availability. But not surprisingly, DoCoMo's made the phone somehow incompatible with any other Wi-Fi networks than those installed expressly for the device, though it said it was considering adding support for its M-Zone public hotspots.
The way the carrier's approaching Wi-Fi shows how operators perceive the technology at this point: as more of a menace than an ally. Even carriers that are building huge hotspot networks, like T-Mobile, are wary of Wi-Fi being used in any way that will erode their bread-and-butter mobile voice revenues -- or, at least, until they can find a way to adequately charge and bill for it.
DoCoMo is the only carrier to announce VoWi-Fi plans, and most every handset that's been announced as including Wi-Fi doesn't have built-in VOIP support (though it probably won't take outside developers, or somebody like Skype, to come up with software for it), since the motivation for it -- cheap, or even free, voice calls -- runs counter to carriers' desire for revenues.
Operators are going along with Wi-Fi data in handsets because not doing so would risk ceding the wireless data market to Wi-Fi only devices. Having Wi-Fi handsets offers carriers an opportunity to not only collect Wi-Fi charges from users, but also encourages their use of mobile data networks. It's not a question of Wi-Fi or 3G (or GPRS or EDGE), it's a question of getting the technologies to work in tandem, and carriers are beginning to recognize that, at least for data.
But voice is a trickier proposition, and until they can figure out a way to integrate VoWi-Fi with their cellular voice networks, carriers will follow DoCoMo and do their damndest (likely with the help of device manufacturers) to keep VOIP out of Wi-Fi handsets.
Posted by richard ting at July 16, 2004, 12:49 PM
July 15, 2004
The Japanese Mobile Market - Ten Trends
1. 16.69M 3G users prove Japan to be number 1
2. Mobile email is the killer app - and emoji enhance it
3. First experience with video telephony
4. Realtune downloads are driving the early 3G market
5. Operators take the lead in mobile marketing in Japan
6. Watching analog TV on the keitai
7. Sharp handsets from Sharp
8. Wireless wisdom from Qualcomm Japan's Ted Matsumoto
9. Edy or how mobile payment empowers the next big wave
10. Mobile flat rates for heavy users in Japan
Posted by richard ting at July 15, 2004, 12:22 PM
Viewpoint: DoCoMo Launches Mobile Wallet Services
DoCoMo has launched mobile wallet services on its new 506i-series i-mode phones, which are equipped with a contact-less IC-card called Felica, a technology provided by Sony. Felica technology is already used in Suica debit cards that allow commuters on Japan Railways trains to pass through the ticket-gates by simply sliding the card over a reader to pay. Suica cards can be charged at ticket-vending machines at stations. A different application is through EDY (which stands for Euro-Dollar-Yen) cards that can be used to pay at shops like convenience and drug stores. About 9 million Suica and EDY cards have been issued thus far. We are frequent and satisfied users of both cards, having never experienced technical problems with either one.
The Felica i-mode phones will have EDY pre-integrated, enabling easy mobile payments. Charging the mobile EDY card is possible at shops around Japan. Bitwallet Inc. provides the settlement system for EDY. The major shareholders of Bitwallet are Sony, DoCoMo, KDDI, Toyota and large banks. With Java applications downloaded from trusted member sites, the Felica chip is accessed to check user data and purchasing history. When browsing a mobile web site, and after agreeing to pay, the user's payment information is transferred to the Java application and the payment is settled through the mobile Internet.
PIA, a large ticketing agency, provides E-tickets that can be bought and stored on the Felica chip through the mobile network. Customer loyalty programs are also an interesting application for Felica i-mode.
Users can use their mobile handsets to add points to their card, check how many points they have and make purchases using their points. A newly opened entertainment complex in Tokyo's Ebisu now accepts mobile wallet payments through EDY, and ANA airline's frequent flyers with e-tickets can check-in with their i-modes prior to arrival at the airport. Travelers receive their boarding passes at the airport by sliding their phones over a reader. It has been a while since DoCoMo introduced a revolutionary new service -- but this time, they are well ahead of KDDI and Vodafone. KDDI will launch mobile Felica next year; Vodafone K.K. has not made any official announcements ... yet.
Debit card payments are already widely used in Japan, mainly through Japan Railways. We expect that once mobile Felica takes off on Japan Railways, with its huge customer base, the company will start offering mobile Suica services. After i-mode and 3G, the foreign mobile industry now has a new reason to travel to Japan: mobile payments. Watch this space.
-- Arjen van Blokland
Posted by richard ting at July 15, 2004, 02:09 AM
June 23, 2004
Wanted: New friend, must have Bluetooth
Student Gracinia Lim has made new friends thanks to mobile phone software that alerts her to compatible people nearby.
She is an early customer of a service in Singapore called BEDD that uses Bluetooth wireless communications to scan strangers' phones for their personal profiles. The application joins a swelling number of Internet and mobile phone based services that offer to widen people's social networks.
Users download the BEDD software into a compatible phone, complete a short profile of themselves and include a description of who they want to befriend, or an item they want to buy or sell. The software automatically searches for and exchanges profiles with other phones that come within a 20-metre (65 ft) radius. Matched users are given each other's contact details.
"I've become close with people that I've never known before, built up a close clique of friends whom I chill out with, sleep over at their homes and go for late suppers with," said Lim, 19. The software, created by futures trader Stephen Carlton and Swedish engineer Olle Bliding about three years ago, was launched last month in Singapore and will be rolled out in most of Asia by year-end. It costs S$0.98 ($0.571) for 30 days of unlimited use.
BEDD differs from rival services in that it relies on phone-to-phone transmission, running on the short-range Bluetooth technology. Other mobile-based dating services in Asia -- such as Singapore Telecommunications Ltd's MyCupid and Bharti Airtel of India's TrackUrMate -- exchange information through a central database. Carlton said BEDD has over 1,000 users in the city state and hosts get-togethers in coffee bars where people let their phones make their introductions. As the number of customers grows, the chances of meeting a compatible person at random in the street or on a bus will grow.
"People spend tons of money at dating and matchmaking agencies or on personal ads -- for a small amount of money, this software could help change their lives," Carlton said.
Posted by richard ting at June 23, 2004, 06:52 AM
The Media Centre - London, Summer Programme 2004
Land Marks: Huddersfield, is a one day event at The Media Centre to launch three new media art projects based in Huddersfield which emerge from the town’s landscape, history and collective memory. Wireless and mobile technologies are employed by artists and poets to trace and document memory and experience, exploring ways that our knowledge of streets and buildings are inseparable from our personal memories.
+ This is a free public event so everyone is welcome to come along, meet the artists, and get involved.
Read more about the Surface Patterns project.
Read more about the Speakers Corner project.
Posted by richard ting at June 23, 2004, 06:20 AM
GPS Photo Linking
by David Goldwasser, contributor to Digital Photography Hacks
06/15/2004
Do you ever look back through your vacation photos and wonder where all of the photos were taken? What if there was a way to have all those images automatically show up as pins on a map or an aerial photograph? It may seem too good to be true, but it can be done. No mirrors or smoke; it's just making use of existing GPS technology.
As you are out recording pictures, your GPS receiver is busy making a digital popcorn trail of your movements. Then when you're back on the computer, a topo map or aerial photograph is pulled from a terraserver on the Internet, and your shots show up on the map as clickable links to your photographs.
In this article I'll provide you with a brief introduction to this fun endeavor to help you get your bearings ... so to speak.
Potential Projects for GPS Photo Linking
I first researched this as a tool for an extensive neighborhood study, but what other uses are there? Well, you could just have fun on a road trip having a passenger shoot photos of roadside attractions. Real estate agents or prospective homeowners could take photos of houses. A scientist studying a particular animal or vegetation could track the locations using this method. Comparing results of previous trips they could study movement or growth of a species. For us nonscientists it could still be a fun way to document hikes or nature walks.
Posted by richard ting at June 23, 2004, 05:38 AM
June 18, 2004
ProjectM: SMS World Domination Game
ProjectM: SMS World Domination Game
By Howard on Shibuya Epiphany
Project M appears to be sponsored by the European Commission, and claims to be a role-playing "rehearsal for reality" involving online and SMS communication, media manipulation, and power play.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at June 18, 2004, 01:24 AM
June 15, 2004
Verizon Wireless Extends Commanding Lead in Downloadable Applications Arena with Get It Now
70 Million Applications Downloaded, More Than 500 Unique Applications Available
BEDMINSTER, NJ — From the BREW Developers Conference in San Diego, Verizon Wireless, the nation’s leading wireless provider, announced today that total downloads on its Get It Now® service have reached more than 70 million since its national launch in September 2002, up from a total of 8.5 million at last year’s Conference. Get It Now currently contains a library of 520 applications, including games, productivity tools, information services, ringtones, wallpapers and more. The number of applications has grown dramatically, up from 115 applications at last year’s BREW Developers Conference.
“Get It Now is an unmitigated success for Verizon Wireless, the development community and, most importantly, for our customers,” said Jim Straight, vice president of data and multimedia services for Verizon Wireless. “There has been significant growth in every quantifiable measure – from the number of applications we offer to total downloads to the number of Get It Now-enabled phones in our customers’ hands.”
The volume of downloads has skyrocketed to 34 million in the first five months of 2004, led by the popularity of getGAMES, the virtual shopping aisle that offers puzzle and strategy games, action and sports games, classics based on popular board games and games based on favorite television shows and top movie titles. getGAMES also offers 35 multiplayer games, providing the chance for players across the country to compete against each other. From January through May 2004, Verizon Wireless customers downloaded more than 12 million game applications for a total of more than 30 million game downloads since the launch of the service nearly two years ago.
Posted by richard ting at June 15, 2004, 12:25 PM
May 27, 2004
Mobile Device as keyboard, mouse, pointer, etc.
Using High Energy Magic's SpotCode Platform you can use your mobile phone to easily interact with computers of all shapes and sizes: whatever you're doing, wherever you are. Your phone becomes your own all-in-one mouse, keyboard, storage device and authentication system.
check out these videos
Posted by richard ting at May 27, 2004, 04:15 AM
May 24, 2004
pricy handheld console for iPod-toting chicks?
Via Technologies Inc. has teamed up with a startup company to create yet another entertainment device. The latest effort, the MoMA Eve, is a handheld game player capable of playing PC games, its creator says.
The Eve is not designed to directly compete with the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS, two handheld game players that were announced this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo show in Los Angeles. Instead, the small handheld, whose styling was created by a studio headed by former Apple designer Thomas Meyerhoffer, will use a mix of proprietary game software as well as applications designed for the PC.
Posted by richard ting at May 24, 2004, 12:47 PM
May 21, 2004
Wireless Use Fuels Mobile Marketing Opportunities
Mobile phones have reached critical mass in the United States, and the adoption of wireless data services and added features is growing, according to a new study that identifies mobile phone usage patterns. Enpocket, a New York-based mobile marketing company, unveiled findings on Thursday from its new quarterly study, the "U.S. Mobile Media Monitor," detailing shifts in consumer usage patterns to marketers and network operators.
Key results from a survey of 1,000 telephone interviews conducted in late April by NOP World for Enpocket show that 53 percent of the U.S. adult population (110 million) owns a mobile phone, while one-third of these mobile phone users actively engage in text messaging or short message services (SMS).
Rob Lawson, general manager-North America for Enpocket, says that the most surprising finding is consumers' rapid adoption of advanced mobile media applications like SMS, picture messaging, and wireless data/Internet services. "The carriers have done a very good job of promoting next-generation products," Lawson notes.
Posted by richard ting at May 21, 2004, 05:19 AM
May 17, 2004
Verizon Wireless Makes Move Into Nascent M-Commerce Market Via Netpace Alliance
Verizon Wireless has aligned with mobile marketing company Netpace to enable consumers to make purchases directly through their cell phones. While the few premium wireless services aimed at the U.S. market thus far have involved content offerings and the occasional real-time voting promotion (think American Idol), the agreement represents the next step toward closing the mobile marketing loop.
According to the agreement, Netpace's premium SMS (Short Messaging Service) text messaging platform and marketing services will be made available to advertisers looking to target Verizon Wireless SMS subscribers. Netpace's ReadySet two-way messaging platform will be integrated with the Verizon Wireless network and billing system, allowing mobile phone users to buy items by dialing a four- or five-digit code and have those charges added to their phone bill. The platform also enables dynamic results tracking to track campaigns in real-time through application service provider (ASP) software.
Posted by richard ting at May 17, 2004, 05:24 AM
May 03, 2004
The expanding vision of Vatican's Holy See
The wireless Internet has arrived at the gates - literally - of one of Europe's oldest institutions. For the past month, Swiss Guard officers at the entry and exit points of Vatican City have added the latest in telecommunications technology to their centuries-old arsenal of halberds and swords.
Read the International Herald Tribune article
Posted by richard ting at May 03, 2004, 06:06 AM
April 17, 2004
Good RFID article
A good article on RFID appeared in Yahoo Tech Tuesday by Michael Fitzgerald who is among other publications a writer for the economist.
Posted by richard ting at April 17, 2004, 05:31 AM
April 12, 2004
Mogi: 2nd Generation Location Based Gaming
Real and virtual have finally met in fun - reporting on Mogi, the brilliant location-based online multiplayer experience in Tokyo. Now phone networks are faster and more mobile devices know where they are, permitting a second generation of location-based multiplayer games. Undoubtedly the leading second-generation mobile phone game is Mogi: Mogi uses both the position of players in the landscape, and the landscape itself to generate play.
Play the Data Layer
Mogi is a collecting game - "item hunt". The game provides a data-layer over the city of Tokyo. As you move through the city, if you check a map on your mobile phone screen, you'll see nearby items you can pick up and nearby players you can meet or trade with.
Mogi was developed by Newt Games, based in Paris France. I talked to CEO Mathieu Castelli at his home there. He discussed the true integration of items in the environment: "some items only appear at certain places, at certain times." For example, Castelli cites the creatures in the game: "We used the map to give creatures some interesting behavior. Some creatures only hunt at night. Some hang around close to parks." If a player wants to find that
Read the rest of this article.
Check out Newt Games, the creator of Mogi Mogi.
Check out the Wired article about Mogi Mogi.
Posted by richard ting at April 12, 2004, 02:11 AM
April 01, 2004
Mobile "Hack of the year"
They've done it again: a group of mobile phone freaks have analysed Nokia's Series 60 firmware and found references to wireless LAN functionality. Further analysis revealed code that allows for re-tuning the bluetooth chipset to enable WLAN mode. Technical background: wireless LAN and bluetooth both operate in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, so they share the same core technology. Although the range will not match that of dedicated WLAN cards, it should be good enough for sitting in a cafe and browse web pages with Opera, far faster than it ever could be with GPRS. First tests have shown transfer rates up to 2.4 MBit/s.
http://www.mobitopia.com/20040401.html#105110
Posted by richard ting at April 01, 2004, 11:05 AM
March 31, 2004
San Francisco ballpark makes pitch for Wi-Fi fans
SAN FRANCISCO--The old ballgame is getting some new technology.
Baseball fans bored by the slow pace of a game or wanting more statistics and information will be able to connect computer devices via Wi-Fi at San Francisco Giants home games this year, the team announced Tuesday. The Giants' ballpark is, after all, called SBC Park, for telecommunications giant SBC Communications.
"We've created, if not the largest, one of the largest hot spots in the world," said Larry Baer, the team's chief operating officer. "We're the first professional sports facility to provide people universal Wi-Fi connectivity."
SBC also announced Tuesday that it will offer Wi-Fi service in thousands of UPS Store locations in the United States. The service, called FreedomLink, is designed to provide wireless Internet access to thousands of mobile workers throughout the country. San Francisco's wired ballpark is the latest in a growing world of wireless connectivity. Earlier this month the city of San Jose, Calif., began offering free Wi-Fi service in its downtown areas.
A growing number of retail establishments such as McDonald's and Starbucks are also offering Wi-Fi, which allows people to wirelessly connect to the Internet using unlicensed radio bands, offers data rates 50 to 100 times faster than dial-up, and has a range of up to 300 feet. Even more remote corners of the world are beginning to offer Wi-Fi services.
Srinagar, home to alluring houseboats and gondolas at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, recently started offering Wi-Fi service to lure tourists deterred in recent years by turmoil in India's Kashmir region. The Wi-Fi service, provided by SBC and Nortel Networks, is free for fans attending games.
Posted by richard ting at March 31, 2004, 12:13 PM
Overture Brings Web-Style Ads to UK Mobile Phones
UK mobile phones will soon be sporting advertiser-sponsored search engine links in the style of those ubiquitous Web advertisements after two major players struck a deal with Internet search specialist Overture Services.
Posted by richard ting at March 31, 2004, 11:12 AM
NTT DoCoMo FOMA Subscribers Top 3 Million
TOKYO, JAPAN, March 31, 2004 --- NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and its eight regional subsidiaries announced that subscribers to DoCoMo's FOMA(R) third-generation mobile service surpassed the three million mark yesterday, just two months after reaching two million. The figure goes far beyond NTT DoCoMo's targeted figure of 2.4 million subscribers for fiscal 2003, which ends today....
For more information on this release
http://www.nttdocomo.com/article/?no=MTU0MC85NjY=
Posted by richard ting at March 31, 2004, 11:02 AM
March 25, 2004
Tony Hawk takes top prize at first ever Mobies Awards
Prince of Persia and Rayman 3 are among the winners at the first annual mobile gaming awards.
This afternoon at the CTIA trade show, attendees were treated to something new--an award ceremony devoted exclusively to mobile games. The First Annual Best of Wireless Gaming Awards, or the "Mobies," were handed out at the event in Atlanta.
Mobile game news and review site Wireless Gaming Review (WGR) organized and produced the event, whittling a field of 120 finalists down to 20 winners. Games came from almost a dozen countries, including Japan, India, Finland, France, Germany, the US, and the UK. The judging panel was a mix of games critics, industry insiders, and game design professionals.
WGR cofounder and Mobies judge Matthew Bellows said in a statement, “Mobile game programmers, artists, and producers have done amazing things with incredibly limited resources. It’s high time that their efforts were celebrated at a ceremony like this."
The full list of Mobies winners is as follows. For mobile newbies, the Lightweight categories cover games that check in at under 256K and can be downloaded from a carrier's game deck, while the Unlimited categories are for larger games targeted for running on MS Smartphone and Symbian operating systems or for the N-Gage.
Lightweight
Action: Nightmare Creatures, Gameloft
Adventure: EverQuest: Hero's Call, Sony Online Entertainment
Puzzle/Board: Bejeweled Multiplayer, JAMDAT Mobile
Platform: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Gameloft
Strategy: Lemonade Tycoon, JAMDAT Mobile
Sports: JAMDAT Bowling 2, JAMDAT Mobile
Unlimited
Action: Spy Hunter, Fathammer
Adventure: Pandemonium, Ideaworks3D
Puzzle: Slurp, JAMDAT Mobile
Platform: Rayman 3, Gameloft
Strategy: Lemonade Tycoon (Smartphone), JAMDAT Mobile
Sports: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Ideaworks3D
Best Lightweight Game
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Gameloft
Best Unlimited Game
Spy Hunter, Fathammer
Best Mobile Game of 2003
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Ideaworks3D
WGR (which is in the process of being acquired by CNET Networks) has posted additional information on the event and is also covering CTIA from the perspective of its editors, who are roaming the show floor.
By Staff -- GameSpot
Posted: 03/23/04 12:18 PM
Posted by richard ting at March 25, 2004, 11:21 AM
Mobliss Hops on the PGA Tour
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004
Wireless company Mobliss has partnered with the PGA TOUR to distribute a mobile application enabling golf fans to access the PGA TOUR from their wireless device. Starting in the Q2 '04, wireless subscribers will be able to follow their favorite PGA TOUR tournaments and players in the airport, on the road or while playing their favorite course. The application is powered by the PGA TOUR's ShotLink scoring system, developed in partnership with IBM, providing real-time leaderboards, statistics and the ability to graphically view each course and shot taken on the TOUR.
from MediaPost Communications
http://www.mediapost.com
Posted by richard ting at March 25, 2004, 11:10 AM
March 24, 2004
AT&T, Verizon Hint at Wireless Broadband
By BRUCE MEYERSON
AP Business Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- The promise of high-speed wireless Internet service edged closer to reality for a larger swath of the nation Monday with a series of somewhat vague announcements at the annual cellular industry trade show. AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless both delivered scraps of new detail about their plans to roll out true broadband speeds in at least some cities by year's end.
But more intriguing, equipment maker Samsung revealed the likely North American deployment of another broadband wireless network technology later this year by an undisclosed cellular company.
While the South Korean firm was tight-lipped about which carrier might launch the technology, known in the industry as EV-DV, the announcement was enough to prompt some educated, if not anxious, guesswork that it might come from Sprint. Sprint reiterated Monday that it is still evaluating technologies, though it most likely will go with an EV-DV rollout by 2006.
The potential rollout would add fuel to a wireless arms race being waged by the major U.S. carriers since the fall. The long-awaited services are intended to provide wireless downloads to a laptop between five and 10 times quicker than a dial-up connection over a regular telephone line.
Because the signals can cover an entire city, the new cellular services could provide stiff competition for Wi-Fi, which is much faster, but only carries for about 300 feet. At $80 per month, the high-speed cellular services may be a bit pricey as a replacement for a home broadband connection such as DSL or cable modem.
But the added mobility could prove especially attractive to business users, who pay as much as $30 a month to connect with Wi-Fi at coffee shops, book stores and airport lounges.
In addition to improving laptop connections, cellular companies hope snappier data services will finally make Web surfing on a phone or handheld computer appealing, boosting sales of the multimedia handsets and services that were on display at this week's show.
Only two national cell phone companies in the United States use the "CDMA" technology standard on which EV-DV is based - Verizon Wireless and Sprint Corp. Since Verizon Wireless has already committed to a related technology called EV-DO, Samsung's announcement of a possible North American rollout by late fall or early winter was seen as a strong indication that Sprint may bring out EV-DV earlier than expected.
Since Sprint has generally introduced new services only when its entire network is upgraded, a launch of EV-DV could mean that Sprint will offer its customers national broadband capabilities before its rivals. By contrast, AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless have chosen to introduce their next generation of technologies market-by-market.
On Monday, Verizon provided the first update on its January announcement that it planned to extend its rollout of EV-DO, which so far is available in Washington and San Diego. The service will be available across 30 percent of its addressable market by year's end, executives said.
The company also announced where a major chunk of the $1 billion it is investing in the upgrade will go: $525 million to Lucent Technologies and $167 million to Nortel Networks. AT&T Wireless, meanwhile, announced that Motorola, NEC and Nokia will deliver multimedia handsets for use with the "UMTS" technology it is deploying in four cities later this year.
Posted by richard ting at March 24, 2004, 01:39 AM
March 22, 2004
FUTURESONIC '04
Mobile Connections - exploring new horizons in wireless and mobile media, the boundary between open and closed nodes, and changing perceptions of location
http://www.futuresonic.com/futuresonic/mobile_connections/index.html#000033
Mobile connections looks at the diverse ways in which artists are pushing the limits, and soliciting unexpected or unforeseen results, from communication media past and present, from the radio to mobile telephony and wireless LAN. Just as recording enabled sound to be heard apart from the place and time of its creation and radio made possible remote listening, so a new generation of communication media is now reconfiguring perceptions of space and time, and transforming the nature of the art object and the musical or art event.
More info:
http://www.mobileconnections.org/1_project.html
Thanks for the info Carlos!
Posted by richard ting at March 22, 2004, 11:33 AM
March 18, 2004
RSS To Mobile Services
WINKsite (http://winksite.com) now supports Creative Commons including the recently added Japanese versions within their mobile site building and RSS-To-Mobile services.
Read about it here:
http://winksite.com/site/help_bl_view.cfm?blog_id=1208
Posted by richard ting at March 18, 2004, 03:08 AM
Viewpoint: Does EV-DO REALLY have scalability problems?
The 3GSM Congress in Cannes gave us an excellent opportunity to talk to industry insiders and hear the latest stories and rumors in the mobile biz. While the rollout of the 3G W-CDMA networks in Europe was one of this year's hot topics, not much was said about the success of cdma in Asia and the Americas. Among the rumors we heard were: cdma's EV-DO experiences scalability problems, and Korean carriers are introducing problem-proof W-CDMA networks -- in the future.
Eh? Did we miss something?
Despite the large number of EV-DO subscribers, Korean carriers SK Telecom and KT Freetel are now testing the W-CDMA service on a limited scale with 30,000 subscribers. According to Qualcomm's Korea president S.W. Kim, this test-bed is the result of Korea's industrial policy to stimulate Korean handset manufacturers to develop and test their 3G devices for export, and has nothing to do with technology problems.
Video telephony is declared to be a killer-service for 3G. DoCoMo is providing video telephony as one of its FOMA services, using a circuit-switched 64 kbps network. To establish and maintain a real-time video connection between peers, EV-DO technology was enhanced to support QoS (Quality-of-Service).
"The QoS feature improves the user's experience by enabling the network to manage capacity at base station level and prioritizing traffic to users that require higher speeds," says Sanjeev Verma, co-founder and vice president of marketing at Airvana, a company providing EV-DO technology. The service will soon be available in Korea. "We trialed video telephony with the QoS enhancement with SK Telecom and it worked well. There were no scalabilty problems at all," adds Qualcomm's Kim.
But is video really the killer-application for 3G? A recent survey of 300 Japanese by marketing agency and Internet research company iBridge showed that 60 percent of users with a video-enabled phone almost never use video applications such as downloading, streaming, video- mail or video-calls. Poor image quality, high traffic fees, a limited number of friends to talk to and short duration of videos were given as main reasons for not using video. This trend was confirmed by Kim, who told us that music downloads in Korea are the most popular service now.
For the time being, Japanese 3G users don't experience any scalability problems with KDDI’s network, though the company will not disclose the numbers for its EV-DO WIN-service. KDDI outnumbered DoCoMo in February for the fourth month in a row by adding more net subscribers. Even the introduction of the new 900i FOMA phones from Fujitsu and NEC cannot stop KDDI -- at least for now.
The rumors we heard in Cannes appear to be an attempt to downplay EV-DO's striking successes in the Far East.
Posted by richard ting at March 18, 2004, 03:06 AM
March 15, 2004
SounderCover
Simeda, a Munich based Company created a software for series 60 phones that can add a background sound to any incoming or outgoing call, giving the impression that you really are in the environment where the background sound is normally heard.
http://www.simeda.com/soundercover.html
Posted by richard ting at March 15, 2004, 08:55 AM
IVREA Mobile Phone Projects
Currently we are featuring three Innovation Projects-extended investigations led by the faculty at Interaction-Ivrea: Fluidtime, Processing and BOX. They are quite different from each other in the area of exploration, but all share a common interest in creating exciting new forms of interaction.
http://www.interaction-ivrea.it/en/gallery/current/innovation/index.asp
Posted by richard ting at March 15, 2004, 02:47 AM
March 12, 2004
The Register: Industry unites for .mob?
Microsoft, Vodafone and Nokia have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a top level domain (TLD) name, like .com, for mobile devices.
The group has applied to ICANN to grant the new TLD and let them manage it. Other members of the consortium include 3, the GSM Association, HP, Orange, Samsung and Sun Microsystems.
Posted by richard ting at March 12, 2004, 01:44 AM
Cell Phones to Democracy's Rescue
Rock the Mobile Vote, in partnership with phone maker Motorola, plans to offer information on candidates' stances on issues. Users also could request voter-registration forms. And the service will offer a candidate matchmaker quick quiz, which asks users for their opinions on major issues and tells them the candidate most in tune with them. Users also would be able to query their phone to find their polling place on Election Day. And, bringing MTV's influence to bear, Rock the Mobile Vote will be calling participants with get-out-the-vote pleas recorded by rock stars.
Posted by richard ting at March 12, 2004, 01:43 AM
March 08, 2004
Tribes take to wireless web
Wireless technology is helping native Americans in California go online and learn computing skills, reports Elizabeth Biddlecombe from San Francisco.
Before the Tribal Digital Village project, Jack Ward could not get online when it rained.
"The telephone lines are very old," explained the director of the Digital Village. "In the heat of the desert it doesn't take long for them to deteriorate." Things are different now. Everybody has at least a broadband DSL connection.
The Tribal Digital Village (TDV) is based in Southern California's San Diego County. This mountainous and remote land is home to 18 native American reservations - each one a sovereign nation - with an aggregate population of 15,000.
As with other rural areas of the US, wiring Native American reservations for telephony and internet access has never been an attractive proposition for established phone companies.
The number of subscribers per mile makes recouping costs a tricky proposition. Nor has deregulation of the telecoms market changed the picture.
HP donations
Tribal governments have taken matters into their own hands. Three years ago, the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association applied for a $5m grant from Hewlett-Packard. With no basic economy, many of the young people have to leave the tribe to work. Now they can stay Jack Ward, Tribal Digital Village
The technology giant had decided to set up three so-called digital villages, but not just for philanthropic reasons.
"We really wanted to understand what it would take to be successful in serving underserved and emerging markets," said Scott Bossinger of HP. In addition to training and support, the company has donated, "pretty much everything across the product portfolio", he said, including handheld iPaqs, computers and wireless access points.
A wireless internet connection now spans an area 150 miles long by 75 miles wide. Bubbles of wi-fi networks cover local government offices, libraries, schools and museums. More than 900 computers are connected to the network.
More than 1,500 people use e-mail and access online tribal calendars. Educational software is available to supplement high school courses. There are 25 learning labs equipped with video, audio and digital photography equipment.
The TDV offers a range of computing courses. One tribal chairman is doing a Cisco Academy certification course in order to be able to support his tribe of eight people. But people have not gone on to get jobs with outside companies as yet.
"Everybody we've trained is busy doing it here at the moment," said Jack Ward. Staunching the brain drain from these deprived communities was another objective of the project.
Commercial expansion
This is where the HP 3000 printing press comes in. A new company, Hi-Rez Digital Solutions, was inaugurated in October and hopes to break-even by April by providing high-quality, short-run print services.
Not only will this cutting-edge technology enable a lucrative business, said Mr Ward, but it will enable the tribes to train and employ their own communities. "With no basic economy, many of the young people have to leave the tribe to work. Now they can stay," he enthused. "With technology support, the tribes can become a true sovereign nation."
Having connectivity has made it easier for most tribes to provide local services such as courts, fire and security departments as well as apply for the many grants they use to run their nations. A handful of reservations in the coverage area have no water, power or phone lines. They therefore rely on the Tribal Digital Village resource centres of their better connected neighbours.
The three-year HP project comes to an end this month and the Tribal Digital Village will enter a new phase.
The network is currently being upgraded from its current bandwidth of 3Mbps to 45 Mbps. This will make it more possible to connect individual homes. Such an expansion will be funded by new commercial contracts. For instance the directors are looking into providing internet connectivity to neighbouring non-Indian communities that already fall under the coverage of the wireless network.
Taking control
While they are learning a new hi-tech vocabulary, TDV also enables these Americans to strengthen their knowledge of older tongues. An online resource called First Voices allows archiving and instruction in the four different native languages used in the region.
Jack Ward takes pleasure in another result of the award-winning project: technical parity with other sectors of North American society. "Technology is no longer something [the tribes] see on TV or in the newspaper adverts," he said. "It has become real to them."
Other native communities are also taking control of their telecoms infrastructure. Thirty received loans and grants totalling more than US$42 million from the Rural Utilities Services, part of the Department of Agriculture in 2003. And as part of its Indian Initiatives, US regulator, the Federal Communications Commission, recently announced an agreement with tribal governments to improve communication between native Americans and the companies who build mobile phone towers either on Indian-owned land or places held by indigenous Americans to be sacred. ---
Posted by richard ting at March 08, 2004, 04:46 AM
February 27, 2004
Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Car
Sony Ericsson has started producing cars! Well, not actual cars obviously, but a Bluetooth toy-model! The dimensions of the car aren’t much bigger than those of a matchbox, and it’s easy to put in your pocket. This accessory was fittingly named a “Bluetooth Car”, and is controlled with Sony Ericsson Bluetooth-enabled models only – other brands of Bluetooth-phones are non-compatible . The car is charged from the phone itself and is equipped with a corresponding connector. The construction looks very unusual. A red indicator under the windshield lights up while charging. It’s better if you charge the car less than 1 hour, because otherwise, you risk running your phone out of battery power. The main reason of using a Sony Ericsson standard slot was to make sure this accessory could only be used with original handsets.
Posted by richard ting at February 27, 2004, 01:56 AM
February 26, 2004
i-mode: 2 million subscribers outside Japan
@@ Viewpoint: Breaking News Live from France! -- A new milestone for i-mode: 2 million subscribers outside Japan
Big news from the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes. The number of i-mode subscribers outside Japan exceeded 2 million at the end of January. This was a blast of sunlight for DoCoMo under the cloudy skies of the Cote d’Azur. I-mode is currently available through seven operators: KPN Mobile (in the Netherlands), E-Plus (Germany), BASE (Belgium), Far East Tone (Taiwan), Bouygues Telecom (France), Telefonica Moviles (Spain) and WIND (Italy). Greek operator Cosmote will launch i-mode prior to the upcoming Athens Olympics. It was important for the European i-mode operators to convince local content parties to provide i-mode content. The i-mode revenue share is more attractive for content providers than for other carriers. T-Mobile and Vodafone sell ringtones, wallpapers and games under their own brand, thereby directly competing with other content providers, something KPN and Bouygues don’t do.
Bouygues and KPN provide i-mode premium subscriptions -- not pay-per- downloads. As in Japan, subscriptions do not expire by the end of the month but are automatically extended until the customer cancels the subscription. According to Bouygues's i-mode roadmap manager, Cedric Nicolas, half of the i-mode users subscribe to three premium services, and the average subscription period is 6 months.
Among the i-mode operators outside Japan, we are most impressed by Bouygues Telecom, who have signed up more than 500,000 subscribers. Their i-mode approach is closest to what DoCoMo has done in Japan. A major difference between Bouygues and KPN and Telefonica is that Bouygues fully committed itself to i-mode. Telefonica -- which does not carry the i-mode brand -- promotes WAP- and MMS-services as well.
The KPN Group provides i-mode services for handsets, like Nokia and Siemens, that are not completely i-mode compliant. This makes it difficult and more costly for content providers to render content for
all phones. Bouygues, to the contrary, only supports i-mode phones that are 100 percent i-mode compliant, like the NEC, Toshiba and Mitsubishi phones. This year, Bouygues will face stiff competition from French operator SFR, who recently introduced mobile Internet services based on Vodafone Live!. I-mode subscriber growth in the Netherlands and Germany suffered from the launch of the Vodafone Live! services. Only after introducing i-mode for prepaid users did KPN see a dramatic growth in i-mode.
European i-mode market growth must mainly come from existing i-mode operators, as KPN’s offer to acquire English mmO2 was rebuffed last week. There were rumors in Cannes that DoCoMo had an interest in developing closer ties with mmO2. Will they singe their fingers again after their disastrous investment in KPN? Stay tuned.
-- Arjen van Blokland, reporting from France
Posted by richard ting at February 26, 2004, 01:40 AM
February 25, 2004
Sun Java Verified Program For J2ME Apps
Sun, Sony-Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens and Nokia launched an initiative to verify and test J2ME applications to ensure that they run on most mobile appliances.
Posted by richard ting at February 25, 2004, 11:54 AM
February 24, 2004
SMS Manhunt
The german police rolled out a system to catch criminals via SMS. Citizens in some of the big cities in germany can register on the web site www.sms-fahndung.de to participate. They will get SMS messages like "BankRobbery,looking for 2 about 30 year old guys, Jeans, black Jackets, driving a black BMW, call 110". The system will also support new MMS messages that can send pictures as well. The police is trying to target certain job groups such as bar tenders and bus drivers in that initiative. Comparisons to the "Blockwartmentalität" of the german nazis have been made, citizens observing citizens, creating a negative environment. The first city ready for registration on this web site has been Bochum, a city in the Ruhrgebiet, a densely populated industrial area. The initiative has been headed by the german interior minister Otto Schily, a former lawyer who was defending left wing terrorists.
Posted by richard ting at February 24, 2004, 06:54 AM
February 17, 2004
Wireless Instant Messaging: Propelling SMS and Desktop IM to the Next Level
Wireless Instant Messaging: Propelling SMS and Desktop IM to the Next Level makes sense out of the burgeoning instant messaging market, and explains how wireless will spur interoperation between proprietary systems—leading to the widespread adoption of standards.
From Simple SMS to Presence- and Location-Enhanced Real-Time Messaging
Wireless Instant Messaging will enable mobile phone operators to transform short message service (SMS) into a more powerful service integrating presence, location, sophisticated user preferences, and multiple media. That is one of the conclusions of the new 54-page report, Wireless Instant Messaging: Propelling SMS and Desktop IM to the Next Level.
Posted by richard ting at February 17, 2004, 12:27 PM
LBS Overview
In this age of significant telecommunications competition, mobile network operators continuously seek new and innovative ways to create differentiation and increase profits. One of the best ways to do accomplish this is through the delivery of highly personalized services. One of the most powerful ways to personalize mobile services is based on location. We will discuss Location Based Services (LBS), but we will first discuss the basis of LBS - location technology.
Posted by richard ting at February 17, 2004, 12:25 PM
RFID Tutorial
A proven technology that has been around since about the 1940’s, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has the potential to dramatically improve various industrial and service applications through automatic detection, unique identification, and control. RFID is expected to provide immense supply chain efficiencies, reduced labor costs, and accurate real-time resource information.
What is RFID?
RFID uses wireless technology operating with the 50 kHz to 2.5Ghz frequency range. A RFID system consists of a RFID tag or transponder that contains data about the tagged item/object, and antenna, a RF transceiver to generate RF signals, and a RFID reader used for collecting RFID data, which it passes to a host system for processing.
RFID does not require line-of-sight to operate for communications between a tagged object (which could be almost anything including a car, merchandise, package, etc.) and a reader (an electronic device used to capture the RFID signal).
Data encoded on the RFID tag can contain a variety of information about the object including item description through the use of an electronic product code (EPC). The EPC is an electronic representation of a product, which can include information about the product, manufacturer, and uniquely identify the product.
Posted by richard ting at February 17, 2004, 12:11 PM
January 15, 2004
2004 wireless predictions - Part 1
8 Jan 2004
It’s that time of year again when we pull out the tarot cards to see what the future holds for our industry. Towards the tail end of last year we surveyed ARCchart’s analysts for their views on the major wireless communications developments expected over the coming year. In a two part series, split between this week and next, we present ARCchart’s top ten 2004 predictions for the wireless world. No doubt this will generate some topical debate, so email your comments to the usual address. Here is Part I:
1. The first commercial cellular handsets with fully integrated Wi-Fi capability will appear on the market.
2. While 3G (W-CDMA) will see increasing deployment around the world, it will not be the boom year many are expecting.
3. This will be Bluetooth’s year. Bluetooth chips have not only hit the $5 target, they have recently dropped below it.
4. Pre-standard 802.11n silicon will hit the market and this may see the Wi-Fi Alliance expand its role in the standardization process.
5. Nokia will become more aggressive with its Symbian strategy.
Posted by richard ting at January 15, 2004, 12:10 PM
January 09, 2004
New Wireless Payment System Announced by Philips/Visa
Philips took the wraps off Near Field Communication, or NFC, a technology to enable a new kind of "contactless" payment.
As opposed to well-known limited-distance wireless standards like Bluetooth, NFC has a much shorter range -- 4 inches or so -- and does not require secured pairings as Bluetooth devices do.
NFC is a very short-range wireless technology, for distances measured in centimeters, and is optimized for intuitive, easy and secure communications between various devices without user configuration. In order to make two devices communicate, users bring them close together or even make them touch. The devices' NFC interfaces will automatically connect and configure themselves to form a peer-to-peer network. NFC can also bootstrap other protocols like Bluetooth or Wireless Ethernet (WiFi) by exchanging the configuration and session data.
Posted by richard ting at January 09, 2004, 03:12 AM
January 07, 2004
Phones with barcode readers?
Another thing, though whether you consider it a "camera" thing or not I woudn't know, is that the latest series of Docomo phones will read 1-D and 2-D barcodes with the camera. The 2-D barcodes can apparently
contain up to about 7000 bytes of information. This is certainly something someone could use in a "fox-hunt" game, and perhaps in other sorts of games, too.
Bar codes are not used a whole lot, yet, but I have seen them used for quick input of URLs in the flyers that Docomo sends out with their monthly bills and in advertisements on trains.
Posted by richard ting at January 07, 2004, 10:38 AM
Phonecam Games?
I believe I saw a demo of such a game by David Colier (now at Namco) where you would take snapshots to feed a Tamagotchi-like creature. I.e. if you would photograph a red truck, it would take the color red and turn it into a strawberry to feed. I think that game was in Japan.
I also heard about a fox-hunt game in Europe where people took MMS pictures as proof they 'captured' their target, but it seemed not to be embedded in the game application itself.
Posted by richard ting at January 07, 2004, 10:31 AM
Report: More want less in a handheld | CNET News.com
Less is more when it comes to handheld devices, a report by Jupiter Research has found.
According to the study, released Tuesday, consumers and business users are more apt to use handhelds that offer voice and personal information management (PIM) capabilities--or a combination of the two--rather than devices that also include a host of other integrated functions.
'Too many features are being integrated into the devices, at the expense of the sum being less than all of its parts,' said Michael Gartenberg, Jupiter vice president and research director.
Posted by richard ting at January 07, 2004, 10:22 AM
ATI puts 3D graphics in cell phones | CNET News.com
Graphics chipmaker ATI Technologies is jumping into the handheld market with a new line of processors aimed at cell phones.
The Imageon 2300 product line, announced on Wednesday, builds on ATI's reputation in the PC gaming market, where the company competes with market leader Nvidia. ATI recently landed a contract to build graphics chips for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox game console.
3D gaming hasn't yet taken off on mobile phones, but wireless gaming overall is already popular and is expected to generate $1 billion in revenue for U.S. telecommunications companies alone by 2006, according to research firm IDC. Phone giant Nokia was one of the first to exploit the market, with its N-Gage handset, which combines phone and gaming features.
Posted by richard ting at January 07, 2004, 10:19 AM
I-Mode Brand Lacks Punch in Europe: Sony Ericsson Director
December 18, 2003 (LONDON) -- UK-based firm Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Ericsson) is one of the world's leading mobile phone manufacturers. Several major European operators of phone networks are gearing up to start offering their customers advanced third-generation (3G) services towards the end of 2004, but Sony Ericsson already has supplied the operators with prototype handsets to try out.
Nikkei Communications talked to Steve Walker, Sony Ericsson's product marketing director, at the firm's London headquarters, and asked him about the allure of 3G and the way the market is expected to develop.
Posted by richard ting at January 07, 2004, 09:53 AM
January 06, 2004
Smart Radios: How the radio changed its spots
Smart radios: Radios capable of switching from one wireless standard to another, with nothing more than a dose of new software, are at last emerging from the laboratory
WHEN is a radio not a radio? When it's a computer program. Whether in a mobile phone, a fireman's walkie-talkie or a laptop's Wi-Fi card, a radio plucks a raw signal from the air and translates it into a useful stream of information (and vice versa). This translation involves several steps, most of which are normally done by dedicated signal-processing chips. But given enough processing power, the same job can also be done using software, rather than hardware. The result is a “software-defined radio” (SDR), also known as a “reconfigurable” or “smart” radio. As these names suggest, such a device can switch from being one kind of radio to another simply by loading some new software.
This chameleon-like ability is useful for a number of reasons. A mobile phone based on smart-radio technology might, for example, be able to switch between cellular standards used in different parts of the world. Mobile-phone base stations could be quickly and easily reconfigured to support new wireless standards. Smart radios could also ensure compatibility between the various radio standards used by different emergency services in a disaster-recovery situation, or link up soldiers in a multinational force whose radios might otherwise be incompatible
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2004, 02:15 AM
BW Online | December 15, 2003 | Beyond Wi-Fi: A New Wireless Age
Three technologies will boost the capacity of our airwaves -- and innovation, too
On the clear morning of June 10, Mark McHenry climbed onto the rooftop of a seven-floor office building near Washington's busy Dupont Circle. Lugging an unwieldy 10-foot antenna and a gray metal box, he and another engineer set up an experiment to measure the actual usage of airwaves above the Nation's Capital during peak business hours.
BW Online | December 15, 2003 | Beyond Wi-Fi: A New Wireless Age
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2004, 02:12 AM
SENT - Phonecam Art
SENT will be the first major exhibit of phonecam art in the United States. We'll explore the camera phone's potential as a creative tool in two ways: through an online public dialogue in which amateur photographers and phonecam users around the world share mobile snapshots of their lives; and through an invitational exhibit in which professional photographers, artists, and public figures test the limits of creative possibilities offered by these hybrid devices.
Phonecams -- mobile phones that include tiny, built-in digital cameras -- are a relatively new gadget. They've only become widely available in the US in 2003, and their use is largely utilitarian: snap a photo of your baby, your sunset, your face; then, share it with friends or family. They're small and cheap. We use them to capture the mundane, the obvious, and the personal. Soon, we'll use them to capture and manipulate data: phonecams are becoming handheld barcode readers, and tools for a variety of new mobile commerce applications.
The images they produce are undeniably crude, but like Polaroids or snapshots from vintage or "toy" cameras, that lack of finesse lends a distinctive, awkward charm. And the fact that they fuse together the abilities to capture, view, and distribute what we see (through e-mail or online photo weblogs) makes them revolutionary. Phonecams are changing the way we see the world, and our place within it. They're an extension of urban eyes. They democratize, hack, and deconstruct photography. When everyone is both photographer and publisher, how will art change? How will human conversation change? What will be the difference between professional and amateur? Through SENT, we'll find out.
Posted by richard ting at January 06, 2004, 01:11 AM
December 30, 2003
Hppy Nw Yr :)
Mobile carriers brace for New Year's textstravaganza
Telecom providers in Australia, Japan, and Europe are bracing for a bumper crop of text-messaged new year's greetings:
Mobile phone companies are bolstering networks in anticipation of a record 35 million text messages New Year's Eve revellers will send tonight. The figure would surpass the record estimated 29 million text messages on Christmas Day. With many texters in places where it will be hard to hear a phone ring, never mind hold a phone conversation, some are predicting the volume of text messages could eclipse voice calls for the first time. A Telstra spokesman said that on Christmas Day customers made 15 million voice calls and sent 11.8 million text messages. Virgin, which has the smallest, but youngest and most text-mad customer base, expects to carry about 4 million messages on New Year's Eve - an average of 10 texts per customer.
Full story
Posted by richard ting at December 30, 2003, 12:08 PM
December 29, 2003
Wired News: On Your Mark, Get Set, Unwire!
Wired News: On Your Mark, Get Set, Unwire!
Posted by richard ting at December 29, 2003, 12:30 PM
December 18, 2003
Nokia Wearables
Nokia is coming out with 2 bracelets/medallions featuring a LCD screen. Data can be send to the unit via infrared from a series of nokia cell phones. Not sure whether that will work with other infrared sources as well, the image format is said to be jpg.
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,43613,00.html
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,43614,00.html
Posted by richard ting at December 18, 2003, 07:21 AM
December 10, 2003
Gartner Mobile Terminal Sales Third Quarter 2003
I was expecting this results from Nokia here are some thoughts about:
1 - Operator-exclusive phones are getting more important in EU and they are not from Nokia.
2 - Clamshell designed camera phones with hi-definition displays are growing in EU and Nokia have not able to address this market in time. Clamshell sales are dominated by Korean and Japanese handsets.
3 - Nokia is loosing most of its Communicator customers by not introducing an interesting replacement. Competition is not waiting (P800-P900 Treo 600)
4 - Sony Ericsson is coming back very well on medium range full featured phones.
5 - Series 60 phones are evolving too slowly if compared to what is going to the market soon from Siemens and Sendo
6 - On 3G Nokia as still to offer some interesting handsets. This is still a market to come but could be a serious problem in 2004
Giovanni Bertani
Posted by richard ting at December 10, 2003, 01:53 AM
Nokia market share takes a hit
Analyst firm Gartner says mobile device sales are up 22 percent in the third quarter as market leader Nokia's market share dips in the face of strong competition.
The mobile terminal industry exceeded expectations in the third quarter of 2003, as worldwide mobile phone sales totaled 132.8 million units, a 22 percent increase from the same period last year, according to analyst firm Gartner. "The mobile terminals market is exhibiting extraordinarily strong growth in 2003, and we believe it could reach half a billion units this year," said Ben Wood, principal analyst with the mobile communications group for Gartner in Europe.
The competition among the top tier vendors is heating up, and industry leader Nokia's market share saw a decrease in the third quarter as it faced strong competition from Siemens and Samsung. LG moved into the top five, narrowly pushing Sony Ericsson into the sixth position. "The market is growing on two fronts - we've hit a sweet spot for replacement sales in mature markets while emerging markets such as Asia/Pacific and Eastern Europe continue to sign up new subscribers at a phenomenal pace," Wood said.
In the mature markets, color mobile terminals are a growing proportion of total sales, with the volume of camera phones also increasing. Gartner analysts said demand for low-cost terminals has also continued, and that all regions of the world experienced at least 18 percent growth in the third quarter of 2003.
The North America market was driven by replacement sales, as users replaced their handsets in favor of new smaller and in many cases, color terminals. With the introduction of mobile number portability on November 24, Gartner analysts believe this will further drive replacement sales for the region. "The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region accounted for 35.5 percent of the world's mobile phone sales, fueled by strong replacement buying in Western Europe," said Carolina Milanesi, industry analyst for the EMEA mobile communications group for Gartner. "This was combined with strong sales in emerging markets such as Eastern Europe, in particular Russia, which saw sales reach 5 million units."
"The Asia/Pacific region bounced back from SARS and was further buoyed by phenomenal growth in India," said Ann Liang, industry analyst with the mobile communications group for Gartner in Asia/Pacific. "Success in China remains crucial in the region with Motorola holding onto the top spot in the face of strong competition from Nokia."
Posted by richard ting at December 10, 2003, 01:48 AM
December 09, 2003
Determining Mobile Phone Location
TruePosition's Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (U-TDOA) technology locates wireless phones and devices, enabling location-based services such as E-911 or 112, Friend Finder, Asset Tracking, and Find the Nearest... applications.
TruePosition's network based U-TDOA technology determines a mobile phone's location by a principal called multi-lateration (sometimes referred to as triangulation). The system determines a caller's location by comparing the time it takes a cellular signal to reach several Location Measurement Units (LMUs) installed at the carrier's base stations. Because all of the processing is performed within the wireless network, TruePosition's Finder™ system locates any existing or future wireless phone, and provides high accuracy locations in any environment - including indoors and urban canyons.
This technology is designed and ready for deployment on existing CDMA, GSM and TDMA newtorks.
The site features a white paper on Wireless Location Technologies and a demo movie of their technology.
Posted by richard ting at December 09, 2003, 12:46 PM
December 03, 2003
Viewpoint: Keitais Will Rock the Record Industry
Downloads of 15- to 30-second MP3 files are very popular among KDDI's young Japanese customers. The carrier was able to introduce the service ahead of its competitors because its network capacity and
phones could handle the larger downloads. But soon, KDDI will face some stiff competition.
On December 1, Vodafone will launch the so-called "chaku-uta" service for its new 3G phones from Sanyo, and DoCoMo is expected to start the service in the first quarter next year.
To clear the rights for chaku-uta, content providers must make licensing deals with the collector's society -- JASRAC in Japan -- the record labels and artists. This is a costly and time consuming affair. In Europe, for example, ringtone providers are even now forced by record labels to pay for the use of artists' names on
their mobile sites. Content providers try to prevent this by displaying only song titles.
Cross-border licensing deals are even more difficult to make nowadays. Japanese ringtone providers encountered this challenge while planning to launch their European i-mode services. By last year, JASRAC had not made agreements with its sister organizations in time.
A few new initiatives aim to provide a "one-stop license" service for Internet and mobile outlets. IFPI, the international body representing the recording industry, announced last week the creation of a one-stop
shop for webcasters to stream music programs to consumers. Through this service, cross-border webcasts will be easier to establish. European providers in particular will benefit from this.
Another and more interesting initiative is offered by Toryumon, a Japanese spin-off of Sony Corporation that is targeting the mobile industry. According to Nobuhiro Tone, CEO of Toryumon, there is a lot
of interest in chaku-uta from foreign music performers because they can immediately generate revenue through the service.
"We have exclusively licensed more than 1,500 tracks," Tone says, "80 percent of which is UK club music. We also license other genres such as jazz, rock, and classical music. Our library is growing by a
few hundred songs per month," he adds.
Toryumon is wisely using Japanese DJs to get the tunes out. For simply promoting Toryumon music in their clubs, Japanese DJs get part of the revenue share.
The coming year, Toryumon will be quite busy in Japan. Once MP3 downloads on mobile devices become more popular in Europe and the US, the company will be ready to offer its expanding portfolio of exclusive music tracks to music service providers. If the recording industry does not act soon to embrace the new
technology and provide more flexible licensing agreements, smaller companies like Toryumon might take away an even bigger part of their pie.
Posted by richard ting at December 03, 2003, 06:01 AM
Review: Motorola A920
Anthony Newman tries out the latest 3G WAN handheld and finds features aplenty - but they come at the cost of size.
3G was a long time coming, remaining a bleeding edge technology in Europe: few providers are offering an actual product, with 3 being the biggest of these. Three’s range of handsets is provided by NEC and Motorola, and their flagship model is the Motorola A920. We took one for a spin around the UK.
Design
Size is sacrificed in favour of features in the Motorola A920
Handsets compatible with the 3G network are still broadly considered to be first-generation, and unfortunately that is an impression reinforced by the A920. It is huge. Nearly 15 cm long sort of huge. It weighs in at a gargantuan 212 g, while for example the P800, running on the same platform with the same sized screen, weighs 158 g. Even another one of Three’s devices, the NEC 606, weighs in at 145 g. Comparison with the Sony Ericsson P800 reveals a great deal of extra bulk in this candybar handset, which breaks the cardinal rule of a connected device: it has to be small enough to carry all the time.
Posted by richard ting at December 03, 2003, 05:43 AM
Viewpoint: Mobile Payment Killer Apps from DoCoMo and KDDI
Mobile payments are believed to be the next killer application for the mobile Internet. KDDI and DoCoMo will roll out their new services next year. Both companies are currently evaluating customer responses
and their newest technologies to see how best to convey and receive cash.
In cooperation with large Japanese credit card companies -- JCB-VISA, Mitsui-Sumitomo Card, UC Card and Toyota Finance -- KDDI has tested its technology over a period of five months. Approximately 2,300 users received a Hitachi-made handset with a UIM-card (a next generation SIM-card) containing each individual's credit card information.
Two different methods were used for shopping. Through KDDIfs mobile portal EZweb, users could enter virtual shops to select and purchase goods. It was also possible for users to pay at the cashier's counter
in conventional bricks and mortar shops. About 400 real shops and 23 virtuals participated.
For online shopping, the PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) method was applied to guarantee confidential transactions, authenticate the user and the shop, verify data integrity and authorize the transaction
via digital signature.
Here's how it works:
After selecting the product(s), the user selects his credit card company and sends the information to the shop. The user then accepts the transaction by entering a PIN code and a digital signature.
Finally, the signed transaction is sent to the credit card company for payment authorization.
The other method employed IR-communication to exchange credit card and user information between the phone and the cashier in a real shop. The user inputs a PIN code for accepting the transaction and the credit card details are sent to the cashier, who then contacts the credit card company for authorization.
During the 5-month trial, 2,300 participants made 1,900 mobile payments totalling 9 million yen.
Not terribly impressive figures.
Those who made mobile payments in real shops did so more frequently and paid larger sums. CDs, DVDs, magazines and books were the most popular online shopping items, while most real shop payments were made in restaurants, food and fashion stores.
DoCoMo has set up a joint venture with Sony to promote a contact-less IC card based on the Suica debit card that was introduced by Japan Rail-ways (JR) East. The IC card will be integrated into your mobile phone and will function as a debit card that can be charged on the mobile network. Payments can be made even when your phone is switched off.
The competing IR method requires that the phone be switched on with an application running to process payments. A trial run with 6,000 customers will start later this month to prove if this concept is indeed as easy to use as DoCoMo claims -- and as secure.
Posted by richard ting at December 03, 2003, 05:00 AM
December 02, 2003
New LG7000 Phone
There's a review of the new LG7000 phone on Phone Scoop that is being released during late Q1 2004. The interface for this phone was designed for Verizon Wireless by R/GA Digital Studios.
Infosyncworld had this to say about the interface that Chloe and I designed for the LG VX7000, "the menu system on the VX7000 is one of the best we've seen, using a tabbed setup that makes browsing easy".
Posted by richard ting at December 02, 2003, 05:58 AM
December 01, 2003
Wired News: Manhattan's Dead Cell Zones
NEW YORK -- Trying to use your wireless phone to hook up with friends in Midtown Manhattan? You might end up spending the evening alone.
That is if statistics from New York City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications can be believed. Mayor Bloomberg last month set up a hotline for urbanites to tell him where their cell phones can't get a clear signal.
Nearly 5,000 people called the hotline to complain about their mobile service and the results show up the busy commercial and entertainment center of New York as one of the worst places to place a mobile phone call.
http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,61405,00.html
Posted by richard ting at December 01, 2003, 10:45 AM
November 25, 2003
Tag & Scan
TagandScan gives mobile users a ‘sixth sense’ of information about their environment through their GPRS Java-enabled mobile phones. The service is available on any of the UK’s major mobile networks: Vodafone, Orange, O2 and T-Mobile.
Subscribers have access to public ‘grids’ of information visible to all Tagandscan subscribers or an unlimited number of private grids that only the individual can see. Public grids enable users to see history,explanations, events, reviews and opinions of anything located in the physical world, which become available to users when they ‘scan’ for tags by proximity and keyword, then displaying the results on a map.
To leave their own mark on the virtual world , users ‘tag’ a location with their mobile phone, creating a digital record of the location, time, their thoughts and opinions, and even a picture – effectively leaving ‘digital Post-Its’ or ‘digital graffiti’ in the world around you. TagandScan users subsequently ‘scan’ to recall the information left by themselves or others at the touch of a button.
Posted by richard ting at November 25, 2003, 06:51 AM
November 21, 2003
Little changes can make a big difference
TheFeature :: The Triumph of Good Enough
Little changes can make a big difference. Especially for things that are already little to begin with.
Last month, I bought a Treo 600, the new PalmOS smartphone. I'm still marveling over one aspect: its size. When I took the Treo out of the box, it looked half as big as its predecessor, the Treo 300. The first comment of most people who see it is, 'Wow, that's tiny for a smartphone!' When I actually put the current and prior Treo models side-by-side, however, I was in for a shock. The Treo 600 is slightly narrower, but it's also taller, thicker, and heavier. In other words, essentially the same size. The many small industrial design changes make a world of subjective difference.
I use this example not because I'm enthralled with my new toy (though I admit I am), but because of what it suggests for the mobile world. Subtle improvements can have huge consequences. The same is true when it comes to functionality. A torrent of incremental advances are now producing converged devices that are 'good enough' at each of their primary functions. This will have significant consequences for both device manufacturers and operators.
Posted by richard ting at November 21, 2003, 02:42 AM
November 20, 2003
Yahoo! News - PalmOne CEO Says Demand Picking Up
Yahoo! News - PalmOne CEO Says Demand Picking Up
MUNICH (Reuters) - Handheld computer maker PalmOne said on Thursday business was picking up ahead of the key Christmas holiday season and that the integration of newly acquired rival Handspring was on track.
Posted by richard ting at November 20, 2003, 02:07 AM
Yahoo! News - Best Hybrid Phones
Yahoo! News - Best Hybrid Phones
The number of choices for phones that combine data, media and gaming functions are multiplying rapidly. But that doesn't mean every one is worth consideration. Here are a few I like best and one to avoid.
Posted by richard ting at November 20, 2003, 02:06 AM
November 19, 2003
GeoStickies
GeoStickies is an interactive public art project that enables us to make and access to collective of personal memory that could have been overlaid on to urban space. The project puts some "tags" of small events onto geographical fields so that the audience can feel correspondence between "Information space" and "Urban space" . The audience will find tiny electronic memorials for tiny events. But those are only visible or able to be experienced through mobile phones.
The role of mobile phones in this artwork is to make this information space accessible to the audience from anywhere . With the help of a location sensing system in the existing mobile phone network, the audience can walk through information space as if they were walking through urban space.
Posted by richard ting at November 19, 2003, 07:42 AM
GPS Drawings
Large-scale digital mark making using GPS satellite navigation technology.
In essence GPS Drawing is about recording lines using ones journey as a mark making medium. The GPS receiver automatically records your journey like a geodesic pencil.
A GPS receiver is a navigational aid that reads timed signals from a network of more than 24 swarming satellites to calculate a position on earth. They are accurate to within 15 meters on average and with four or more satellites in view, a receiver can determine the user's 3D position using latitude, longitude and altitude.
Posted by richard ting at November 19, 2003, 07:39 AM
The Go Game
The Go Game is an all-out urban adventure game, a technology-fueled, reality-based experience that encourages hard play and a keen eye for the weird, the beautiful, or the faintly out-of-the-ordinary. The "rule book" is reality, the "board" is San Francisco, and the "pieces" are the players -- you and your team.
Through clues downloaded to a wireless device and hints planted in unlikely places, you'll be guided through a city you only think you're familiar with. Clues can appear at any time, anywhere. Perhaps you didn't notice the woman on the bus reading a magazine upside-down. Or the note stuck to the side of the bathroom mirror of your favorite bar, or the electric scooter parked outside with your name on it. After a day of Go, you will.
Posted by richard ting at November 19, 2003, 07:29 AM
uncleroyalallaroundyou
Uncle Roy All Around You sets online players alongside players on the streets of the city. Street Players search for Uncle Roy through the back streets, the tourist traps and the leafy boulevards with a handheld computer. Online Players cruise through a virtual model of the same area, searching for the Street Players and looking for leads that will help them find Uncle Roy. Using web cams, audio and text messages players must work together. They have 60 minutes and the clock is ticking...
Posted by richard ting at November 19, 2003, 07:25 AM
canyouseemenow?
For two days, players online were able to play against members of Blast Theory in a chase live on the streets of Sheffield.
Online, your player was dropped onto a map of Sheffield city centre. On the streets, tracked by satellites, Blast Theory runners used handheld scanners to track you down.
With up to 20 people playing online at a time, players could exchange tactics and send messages while an audio stream from Blast Theory's walkie talkies allowed you to eavesdrop on your pursuers: getting lost, cold and out of breathe on the streets of Sheffield.
Posted by richard ting at November 19, 2003, 07:20 AM
ActiveCampus: Community-0riented Ubiquitous Computing
The proliferation of handheld computing devices holds out the promise for a new generation of computing applications that could enrich experience of the world around us. The UCSD ActiveCampus project is exploring the problem and opportunity of sustaining community through mobile wireless technology. A major thrust is the development of infrastructure for community-oriented ubiquitous computing and development of applications and services for the large-university environment. The two principal applications in operation are: ActiveCampus Explorer, which uses students' locations to help engage them in campus life; and ActiveClass, a client-server application for enhancing participation in the classroom setting via small mobile wireless devices.
Posted by richard ting at November 19, 2003, 07:15 AM
November 17, 2003
Pardon me while I take a call
Found on b3ta.com
Posted by richard ting at November 17, 2003, 07:27 AM
November 13, 2003
Nokia hopes push-to-talk phone moves fitness buffs
Nokia hopes push-to-talk phone moves fitness buffs | CNET News.com
Nokia, the Finnish mobile phone maker, on Wednesday said it will launch a push-to-talk handset for the Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM) standard by the middle of next year.
In addition to the main feature, PTT technology, Nokia's 5140 model features a digital compass, a built-in Video Graphics Array camera and functions such as multimedia messaging. Nokia is targeting the phone at fitness buffs.
Posted by richard ting at November 13, 2003, 10:58 AM
T-Mobile and Boingo: A match made in heaven?
T-Mobile and Boingo: A match made in heaven? | CNET News.com
T-Mobile USA is looking for service provider partners, and Boingo Wireless has got to be at the top of the cellular carrier's list.
T-Mobile USA's vice president and general manager of its hot-spot service, Joe Sims, told CNET News.com that the carrier was engaged in talks with service providers about roaming relationships. This was noteworthy because in the hot-spot market all the players have been making deals with one another, except T-Mobile USA.
Posted by richard ting at November 13, 2003, 10:57 AM
November 11, 2003
Coca-Cola of Australia using Benefon's devices in a competition
Coca-Cola of Australia has started using positioning Benefon devices in their marketing campaign. This campaign has been labelled the most hig-tech sales promotion in the world. The campaign includes 20 Coca-Cola bottles which are fitted with positioning Benefon Track One NT devices inside especially designed bottles. The bottles have a separate compartment for the Benefon GPS device and the outer layer is filled with Coke coloured water. These winning bottles look identical to the normal ones and are sold among normal Coca-Cola bottles.
The person who gets a prize bottle, can find instructions on the label on how to receive his prize. By pressing an alarm button on the Benefon device, the winner gets an instant connection to the Coca-Cola competition hotline. Coca-Cola competition representative can then locate the winner and bring him his prize where he is with the help of GPS technology.
Posted by richard ting at November 11, 2003, 09:57 AM
November 06, 2003
Football radio broadcasts to your phone
Seen this? Company named Celecast in the US is doing phone-based broadcasts of university American football games in the U.S.A.
"Subscribers pay for access to the company's array of games -- with
plans ranging from $10 for one week's games to $90 for the entire season.
After signing up, the subscriber calls Celecast's phone number from their
cell phone and picks the game they want to hear. The broadcast from the
school's radio-rights holder is routed to the phone, and suddenly, a fan can
keep tabs on Michigan or Kentucky from anywhere in the country."
Posted by richard ting at November 06, 2003, 09:40 AM
Mobile operators as content providers
Analysis We are all now familiar with the dilemma faced by the mobile operators – revenue from traditional cellphone services is slowing, despite the boost from camera phones and mobile email, just as carriers are trying to pay off the huge capital investment in 3G.
And to make matters worse, software houses, content owners and handset makers are all biting into the mobile value chain. New research from Booz, Allen Hamilton argues that, with mobile data the main driver of new revenue streams, carriers should cash in through integration – offering not just the network and handset but their own content too. But transforming into a content provider is a strategy beset by risk, in terms of timing, user demand, carrier competency and competition from Nokia and Microsoft.
Posted by richard ting at November 06, 2003, 08:09 AM
Swallow this phone
IHT: The end user: Swallow this phone
Posted by richard ting at November 06, 2003, 07:53 AM
Mobile Marketing Strategies Proves As Transient As Their Consumer Targets
Mobile marketing strategists, software developers, and mobile-savvy ad agency execs Tuesday debated best practices, methods and scope of the emerging wireless advertising sector and concluded that different strategies are required for reaching different types of consumers at different times and in different locations.
Text messaging, in particular, is largely a teenage phenomenon, noted Nihal Mehta, founder of San Francisco-based mobile marketing strategies firm ipsh, who opened the discussion during a mobile marketing panel at the Ad:Tech New York conference.
Posted by richard ting at November 06, 2003, 03:21 AM
October 27, 2003
A Bumper Crop of Fall Handhelds
Because companies need to get new models on the shelves for the busy holiday shopping season, fall is always the busiest time of the year for handheld releases. To help you keep track of all the new models, Brighthand has compiled a list of the new releases expected between September and November.
Read Ed Hardy's rundown.
Posted by richard ting at October 27, 2003, 02:53 AM
October 22, 2003
J2ME app for viewing streaming video
Finnish company that is offering a j2me app for viewing streaming video on
Nokias + a symbian version.
Posted by richard ting at October 22, 2003, 10:48 AM
October 16, 2003
J-Phone becomes Vodaphone
This week in Japan was marked by a number of milestones in the wireless industry. Vodafone K.K. officially underwent its name change from J-phone while simultaneously launching a number of services aimed at capturing a larger market share. NTT DoCoMo hit a major milestone in its 3G service reaching 1 million subscribers. And finally, KDDI reported that, due to higher than expected Average Revenue Per User(ARPU) from their mobile au business, it was forecasting an annual windfall of 95 billion yen ($856 million) profit in comparison with its May forecast of 71 billion yen.
Vodafone says goodbye to J-phone / DoCoMo 3G hits 1 millions subscribers / KDDI ups earning forecast
Posted by richard ting at October 16, 2003, 11:53 AM
October 07, 2003
Talking Street
Get the map, choose a stop, call the number and listen — it's as easy to use as an audio guide in a museum. Anyone with a cell phone can enjoy the tour at any time. The tour is free, but your own cell phone charges still apply. The toll-free number is 1-800-644-3545.
There are 13 stops, and each lasts about two minutes. You can visit them in any order you want, at your own pace. After each stop, just hang up and then call back when you get to the next stop. On most cell phones, you can press "send" twice to redial the last phone number.
The whole tour will take about an hour and a half, including walking time.
Posted by richard ting at October 07, 2003, 09:52 AM
October 05, 2003
Mobile phones and RFID tags
Viewpoint: Mobile phones and RFID tags - A Brave New Synergy?
Location-based information services enter a new era in Japan with the introduction of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags. These are small devices that transmit information over a short
range.
Two luxurious shopping areas in Tokyo, Roppongi Hills and Ginza, form the stage where the synergy between mobile phones and RFID tags is now being tested. People participating in the pilot will receive a thumbsize clickable device with an RFID that can be attached as a strap to their mobile phones. While shopping, the users can ask for promotional information
by clicking on the button.
The RFID will then transmit the users' ID numbers to a nearby access point equipped with a tag reader. After the identification is complete, the system replies with an email to the users' mobile phones --
through the cell network.
The pilot in Ginza will be done by KDDI with 500 pilot users, while DoCoMo is in charge of the 4,500 users to be tested in Roppongi Hills. Although the idea of testing the synergy between mobile phones and RFID tags is very interesting, there are several issues that must be resolved before such a system can be deployed on a larger scale.
At this moment, the individual user must have two very different devices: a mobile phone and the RFID device. If the outcome of the pilots is successful, the carriers might decide to integrate the RFID tag with the mobile device. But RFID is not the only candidate technology. Bluetooth allows for two-way communication -- yet it remains more expensive. Infrared communication is possible -- but the user has to point to the access terminal, and security might be a problem.
For cost and efficiency, the same technology must be used by all the carriers. Because the reach of the RFID tags is limited, a large number of access terminals is required to obtain sufficient coverage in a shopping area. Expensive investment in access terminals will probably prevent the wide acceptance of this new technology by shop owners. Still, the advantage is that RFID tags are cheap and relatively easy to use, as they only transmit the unique ID number to a nearby access point. Using the mobile network to get immediate responses -- information from products to a user’s handset -- could also be helpful in logistics and other areas, where RFID tags will soon be introduced.
With these field studies, DoCoMo and KDDI will gain important feedback on the technological possibilities of the future -- and on their customers' demands and experiences of it.
-- Arjen van Blokland
Posted by richard ting at October 05, 2003, 06:53 AM
September 23, 2003
European mobile phone market struggles
European mobile phone market struggles
A slow quarter for renewals and new subscribers hampered the Western European mobile phone market, which declined by 2.4% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2003, according to IDC. Despite vendors offering increasingly diverse product portfolios, the mobile industry is facing the reality that a market driven by mobile phone replacements is tougher than one driven by new subscribers.
"Although leading vendors have become increasingly adept at lowering their cost base and targeting end-users, increasing saturation means that new technologies are failing to stimulate greater demand among new subscribers for mobile phones in Europe, in what has essentially become a highly competitive renewal market" commented Andrew Brown, program manager for European Mobile Devices at IDC.
Posted by richard ting at September 23, 2003, 02:04 AM
Viewpoint: The View from Japan -- Is Europe’s Mobile Market Catching Up?
The past two weeks we have been traveling through Europe looking at the progress of the mobile Internet in the "Old World." As many of our readers are based in Europe and the US, we would like to share some of our observations and make some stark comparisons with the Japanese market.
Color handset penetration in Europe is at almost 5 percent. As in Asia, the most popular services are chat, e-mail, downloads of ringtones, wallpapers and games. This proves once again that Japanese and Koreans are not as different from Western people as some marketers seem to believe.
MMS uptake is disappointing so far. Only a small fraction of those with an MMS handset send multimedia messages. Reasons for this include high prices for MMS, the lack of a critical mass of devices for peer-to-peer messaging, and limited interoperability between carriers. Once penetration rates surpass 15 percent, we expect MMS usage to start growing, just as it has in Japan with J-Phone%u2019s sha-mail and DoCoMo%u2019s i-shot services.
European business models for carrier-operated portals are less favorable for content providers than they are in Japan. Revenue share agreements of 50-50 percent are not uncommon in the market.
Big carrier groups like Vodafone and T-Mobile host a lot of content from their own platforms and are directly competing with the providers of ringtones and games that cannot have their content linked into the
portals.
Though the quality of GPRS browser phones is improving, we found
quite a number of software glitches that would have lead to an
immediate recall of all phones in Japan. A Vodafone live! Panasonic phone
crashed in our hands at regular intervals. Fortunately, the customer
service desk was willing to replace the phone.
We were impressed by the latest Alcatel and Sagem phones with Openwave
browsers. These low-priced phones have good color screens and are
equipped with a camera. While a year ago, one had to navigate through
a complicated menu structure to open a WAP/GPRS session, nowadays
more phones give WAP access through a single press of a button. GPRS
roaming worked remarkably well. Without missing a beat, we were able to
connect from the UK to the OrangeWorld portal in the Netherlands and
access all services.
Nokia has too strong a position in the European market. They cover
the whole value chain of the mobile industry. In addition to their
almost 40 percent handset market share in Europe, they also have
a solid presence with network infrastructure and content through
Club Nokia. This dominant position is hampering innovation in the
market.
Our overall impression is that the mobile Internet is finally taking
off in Europe -- but at a slower pace than everybody expected a year
ago.
-- Arjen van Blokland
Posted by richard ting at September 23, 2003, 01:53 AM
September 22, 2003
Mobile Java Games in Japan
Selection of games available for Vodaphone/J-Phone Java-enabled cellular phones in Japan. Available for Y100-Y300 with (usually) unlimited plays, there's no shortage of variety. Some are great, many suck, and a few are surprisingly well-translated to a tiny screen with a horrible controller.
http://nfg.2y.net/games/jphonegames/
Posted by richard ting at September 22, 2003, 12:29 PM
PDPal - October 9th
October 9 - December 12, 2003 PDPal: PDPal is a public art project for PDA's (personal digital assistants), the web and 59th Minute created by artist Marina Zurkow, architect Scott Paterson, and technologist Julian Bleecker , in which users can make maps to capture and share moments from their experience in Times Square.
Posted by richard ting at September 22, 2003, 11:18 AM
If Walls Could Talk, Streets Might Join In
BBC CONVERSATION - At the London offices of the BBC's interactive services group, sidewalk passersby can see and hear live interviews and submit questions by sending text messages by mobile phone.
AITING rooms are boring. You can call them lobbies or reception areas and populate them with magazines, but nothing changes the fact that you are waiting and you are bored.
Yet things are different at the Lisbon offices of Vodafone, the British-based mobile phone company. Step inside and you'll find yourself in a space enclosed on one side by a 260-foot-long glass wall. Visible through the glass is a 13-by-13-foot cube poised above an expanse of water: the side facing you is a liquid crystal display screen programmed with a loop of news headlines, short animations and interactive games. In game mode, the cube prompts visitors to dial a number on their mobile phones or use controls embedded in the furniture to play solo or against one another.
Posted by richard ting at September 22, 2003, 04:42 AM
September 21, 2003
Contextualizing the Mobile Internet (PDF)
Richard Tee recently finished his M.A. degree at the University of Amsterdam, majoring in Information Science. Exchange programs at the University of Helsinki and Melbourne University instigated his interest in the area of mobile telephony and mobile internet services.
Research trips to Japan have resulted in an article published in a journal for IT professionals, as well as his final thesis entitled Contextualizing the mobile internet. A scholarship has enabled him to currently take part in a second M.A. programme that deals with the development of technological innovations in a European context.
For ECDC Richard is involved with cross-disciplinary research sponsored by the European Commission's IST programme, where he is focusing on mobile content and usage issues. He presently builds a nowledge base about this pressing issue. more
Posted by richard ting at September 21, 2003, 11:48 AM
September 13, 2003
Bass Station
Bass Station - Community Based Information Space
While working in an active and collaborative artistic community one realizes the importance of sharing one's work and seeing the developments of others. Being able to exchange ideas, critique others' work and be inspired by the creations of others allows the artists in such an environment to grow and expand on their own work. Our environment consists of artists that work with digital medias of all kinds including but not limited to video, audio, web art, illustrations, as well as electronic and interactive devices.
The Bass-Station is an idea and device that provides a service for the exchange and distribution of a community's works.
Posted by richard ting at September 13, 2003, 09:31 AM
WifiSense
WiFisense scans for the presence of WiFi (802.11) networks wherever you go. It detects the networks' signal strength, and whether they are password protected (WEP-enabled) or not.
When WiFisense finds a network, it uses patterns of light and sound to announce its availability, quality and accessibility.
For more information
For more information 2
Posted by richard ting at September 13, 2003, 09:25 AM
Interactive Road - Sweden
At the Mobility studio at Sweden's Interactive Institute, they've done a whole series of projects on "The Interactive Road," where they've networked cars and motorcycles, and developed games for kids in the back seat.
Posted by richard ting at September 13, 2003, 09:15 AM
EVill.net
EVill Net, the free wireless network in the heart the East Village.
Posted by richard ting at September 13, 2003, 09:00 AM
RFID to replace UPD Bar Codes
BOSTON - A consortium developing radio-tagged chips to replace bar codes in stores posted documents labeled confidential on its Web site that detail strategies to counter complaints the technology will be misused by retailers, the government or criminals to snoop on consumers.
The documents from the Auto-ID Center, a research group affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contain advice from center officials and a public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard on how to "neutralize opposition" and respond to potential privacy concerns from the public and media.
Among their suggestions: retailers should refer to the technology as"improved barcodes."
The radio tag being developed by Auto-ID can help companies track their products through the supply chain so that, for instance, they know exactly when a batch has moved from the factory floor to a distributor, or when a particular store is running low.
Posted by richard ting at September 13, 2003, 08:55 AM
September 12, 2003
Mobile Parking in Austria
Willkommen bei Mobile Parking !
(10/10/2003, BWCS Staff) Just one week after its introduction in Vienna on 1 October, m-parking has become the most popular m-commerce project in Austria. By Day 7, a total of 20,604 m-parking applications had been received, a milestone which had not been expected to be reached until April 2004.
The m-parking system, which is being financed by the City of Vienna and provided by equipment vendor Siemens and wireless operator Mobilkom Austria, allows users to pay for parking via their mobile handsets. Similar teleparking schemes have been successfully trialled in Singapore and Australia.
While users are reluctant to bump up their mobile phone bills with higher priced goods and services typically paid for by credit card, an Australian survey carried out in late 2002 found that 83% of mobile users would be willing to use their mobile phone for small payments such as for parking and vending machines.
Posted by richard ting at September 12, 2003, 11:47 AM
September 10, 2003
World's Smallest Film Festival
World's Smallest Film Festival
The World's Smallest Film Festival, produced by BigDigit, Inc., is the first competitive showcase of digital video and vector graphic content for the new generation of mobile phones, PDAs, and other mobile devices. We bring together top content innovators with leaders in wireless, mobile technology, multimedia software developers to showcase and encourage the full potential of creative multimedia content for the mobile world.
Posted by richard ting at September 10, 2003, 11:01 AM
September 09, 2003
Microsoft, Motorola working on mobile software
Microsoft, Motorola working on mobile software Orange, France Telecom's wireless subsidiary, says Microsoft is working toward a deal to provide software for Motorola's cell phones for sale to Orange's customers.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2003, 10:21 AM
Sony Ericsson sets 3G phone launch
Sony Ericsson plans a January launch for its first mobile phone that will run on third-generation networks and can be used for video conferences.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2003, 10:20 AM
KDDI -- Japan's Front-runner with 3G and a Host of New Services
Our recent newsletters focused on the advances of DoCoMo and Vodafone/ J-Phone, so this week we take a closer look at KDDI -- Japan's second largest carrier, with the fastest growing user base nationwide. While Vodafone is DoCoMo i-mode's big competitor abroad, KDDI is seriously challenging DoCoMo's business on the homefront.
Over the past two years, KDDI has transformed itself from a primarily tech-driven company into a powerful consumer marketing machine. It stopped its PDC (2G) network service this March to focus exclusively
on the development of its CDMA-services. The use of Qualcomm's CDMA technology has proven to be a smart move so far. All 3G (CDMA1X) handsets are backwards compatible with the 2G cdma2000 network, resulting in solid country-wide coverage. Thus far, results have been most impressive.
KDDI's subsribers growth topped that of DoCoMo in August. KDDI's market share of 3G handsets in Japan is 92.7 percent, and the company boasts an impressive subscriber base of 9.2 million. Because it operates only a single network, KDDI can keep costs lower than DoCoMo and J-Phone, both of whom have to maintain their PDC and W-CDMA networks. KDDI
passes on some of its cost reduction to customers by giving discounts and subsidies on handsets to attract new users.
After the start of its CDMA1X service, data ARPU was priced at 3,470 yen. More recently, this number has fallen to 2,290 yen, which is quite reasonable. Reduction of KDDI’s packet fees led to an increase in
traffic by a factor of three.
KDDI’s content providers may also benefit from the growing traffic. Total sales of KDDI’s official content partners grew by 9 percent to 437 million yen in three months to June. With these numbers, KDDI shows a slightly better performance than DoCoMo.
The most interesting service introduced by KDDI is "chaku-uta." Users can download high-quality real music files of 100kB and set the 20-second songs as "alarm bell" or "phone ringer." The higher bandwidth available for the CDMA1X phones enables this service by using the EZmovie format, KDDI’s video format.
At Mobidec2003 late last month, KDDI's content manager Makoto Takahashi showed off the success of the chaku-uta service. "There are about 5 million downloads per month," he proudly announced, "and in mid-August
we reached the 20 million download mark."
Suprisingly, KDDI’s statistics do not show any cannibalizing effect of "chaku-uta" on "chaku-mero" (the ring tones service). By the end of the year, Takahashi is planning to introduce some chaku-movies that will
make full use of the high bandwidth. Before Christmas, the Sannaklaus songs and video-clips will be playing away merrily on the phones of KDDI customers each time friends or family give them a call.
-- Arjen van Blokland
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2003, 09:59 AM
September 08, 2003
3G Motorola A920 Lock Down
Europe via ComputerWire : Hutchison 3G UK Holdings Ltd has locked down the new Motorola-built smart phone for its "3" service, seemingly in an effort to stop the device being used for nefarious purposes. However, the plan denies users of the device access to applications written for the similar Symbian-based handset from Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB.
Symbian Ltd confirmed to last week that the A920 featured a "closed" version of its operating system, but 3 has only just confirmed what this means in practice. A spokesperson for the operator told ComputerWire that the device was being treated as a "walled garden" with users only able to install 3-approved applications on the device.
Posted by richard ting at September 08, 2003, 10:33 AM
September 03, 2003
Photographs with GPS information
the ability to brand photographs with GPS information which could spawn a killer app real soon now...
http://www.photokyo.com/keitai-show.asp?uid=1&entry=563
Posted by richard ting at September 03, 2003, 10:50 AM
Motorola A835
Expected Availability - Second Half 2003
Powered with 3G technology, sleek looks and enough features to make anyone drool, the Motorola A835 is here to take you to the next dimension of personal communication and mobile fun. Offering the latest in multi-media entertainment, with advanced messaging, video phone, Bluetooth wireless technology, full browsing and a large display capable of supporting up to 64,000 colors, the Motorola A835 is small enough to fit in your palm but cool enough to make you the envy of everyone. Quit juggling all of your gadgets. The model A835 combines a phone, PC, still and video cameras, arcade, music and PDA capabilities in one device. Step into the future and experience the ultimate mobile lifestyle with the Motorola A835.
Posted by richard ting at September 03, 2003, 10:34 AM
LBS- cell size issues
cell size is an issue, especially in suburbs where there are less signs/directions to locate yourself as in the town.
you connect to the antenna of the strongest signal which is not necessarily the nearest one. in downtown areas where cell sizes are smaller the radio environment is very complex and the networks are
busy especially around train stations. these increases the chances you get connected to a distant cell.
if we can expect accuracy of one kilometer, then it's really good enough for J-Phone's local weather information service.
regardless of the talks we had already, why DoCoMo need PHS and GPS to make DLP usable? and still fails to convince the customers? fairly speaking, au/KDDI's LBS is also below expectations. it's not easy to develop the LBS market in Japan, even you have GPS.
Posted by richard ting at September 03, 2003, 10:29 AM
August 28, 2003
Performance, Value, and Usability: The Keys to LBS Success
Written by Jason A. Angelides, TruePosition JAngelides@trueposition.com
The need to know the location of people, places, and things will continue to be a fundamental element of our existence. Whether it is locating the nearest point of interest, locating a child, valued possession, or
co-workers, location is something we rely on every day to run our personal and professional lives. It has been more than a decade since the introduction of commercially available location technology for the
wireless industry. Today location has begun to take root in wireless communities around the world. It is clear that location will be a part of future wireless experience, however there are still questions about
what is needed to make location the most valuable, to the broadest base of people. A look at the existing services and implemented location technologies helps answer some of these questions and shows how
performance deficiencies with certain location calculation technologies provided a poor user experience, and this combined with applications that offer only limited value, have negatively affected location-based
service (LBS) acceptance. High performance, precision accuracy, any-phone location technologies are now available to resolve these issues and should aid in the enablement of higher interest and value applications, helping make wireless location, an indispensable utility for the consumers and
commercial entities alike.
The complete article (8 pages PDF file) including figures is available at the TruePosiotion's web site:
www.trueposition.com/Download/Whitepapers/06.03_KeysToLocationSucess_TrueP
osition.pdf
You could also reach the article by clicking on
http://tinyurl.com/fjwb
Posted by richard ting at August 28, 2003, 11:24 AM
BlueTags
WiFi and Bluetooth
------------------
BlueTags (www.bluetags.com) announced that its Bluetooth tracking system is to be installed at the Aalborg ZOO in Denmark. The tracking system was designed to help families and groups visiting amusement parks and Zoos locate other members of the family should they get lost. Parents rent BlueTags' BodyTag BTBT002 for their children at the Zoo entrance. To track the tags, BlueTags deploys Bluetooth access points throughout the Zoo. A Parent can locate a child with a SMS (Short Message Service) messages sent from a mobile phone to BlueTags' tracking system. The system then returns a response SMS with the child's location.
Posted by richard ting at August 28, 2003, 11:21 AM
Wireless Bag Tags via RFID
In Brief: The consortium of Japanese firms behind RFID (radio frequency identification) will get a test run of its technology in New York, Amsterdam and Singapore later this year. Theoretically, your bags could
get tagged, collected, delivered and secured on your flight -- without you having to touch them after you've packed.
Commentary: Especially for cities with faraway airports like Tokyo and New York, this sounds promising. But it might also be a boon to aiport security experts. A US Federal agent in New York earlier this year
recited for us a litany of basic luggage security breaches that no airport in the world can now prevent -- until we politely asked him to stop. We had to fly out the next day.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-1026860.html
Posted by richard ting at August 28, 2003, 11:17 AM
Miami Mobile Music Conference, 11/14/03
The Mobile Music Conference - http://www.mobilemusicon.com - being held at the Beach House, Miami - http://www.rubellhotels.com/beach.html - is an executive level event bringing together 200 high-level artist managers, artists, carriers, technologists, label executives, new media executives, publishers, distributors and content owners for a focused day of discussion and networking on the challenges and opportunities of building and monetizing music-centric content and services for the mobile consumer.
This includes ringtones (of course), logos, artist affiliation clubs, audio/video streaming, platforms, publishing and licensing issues and a showcase of the latest technologies and services from handset
manufacturers, carriers and solution providers.
After the event, we will hold the Mobile Music Awards as part of a poolside reception from 6-8PM, then starting at 8:00 PM, we will have an after party in the clubs and bars of South Beach, where attendees will receive information on bands and DJs playing throughout South Beach via SMS on their mobile phones.
Confirmed speakers as of today include:
Keynotes:
Matthew Knowles, CEO, World Music Entertainment
Thomas Dolby Robertson, President, Retro Ringtones, Founder, Beatnik, Musical Artist
Ted Cohen, SVP Digital Development and Distribution, EMI
Spotlights:
Richard Alexander, Director, Product Management, Virgin Extras, Virgin Mobile USA
Jon Vlassopulos, Senior Director, Business Development, AT&T Wireless
Mobile Musltimedia, Lucy McQuilken, President, Chaoticom, Inc.
David Ring, VP Business Development and Business Affairs, Universal Music Group, eLabs
Michael Nash, SVP, Internet and Product Development, Warner Music Group
Thomas Gewecke, Senior Vice President, Sony Music Digital Services
JJ Rosen, Vice President, Mobile Products Group, Sony Music Digital Services
Panelists and Moderators:
Seth Cummings, Senior Manager, Internet and Wireless, Boost Mobile
Carolynne Schloeder, EVP, Modtones/Faith Incorporated
Fabrice Grinda, CEO, Zingy
Rick Hennessy, President, Dwango Wireless
Ken Hertz, Managing Partner, Goldring, Hertz and Lichtenstein
Robert Auritt, Associate Counsel, The Harry Fox Agency, Inc.
Bob Goodale, CEO, Ultrastar Entertainment
Keith Hindle, VP Integrated Marketing and Interactive, Fremantle Media
Edward Lang, EVP, Diggit Entertainment
Jeremy Welt, Head of New Media, Maverick Records
Nick Lehman, VP, Interactive Business Development, MTV Networks
Steve Sherman, Orange Imagineering
Alberto Moriondo, Director of Global Entertainment, PCS division, Motorola
David Pakman, Music Entrepreneur and Artist, Founder of Myplay
Mark Frieser, CEO, Consect
Dennis Adamo, CEO Wicked Wireless
Additional speakers will be announced in the near future.
If you would like to be part of this event, here are the details:
To Attend: Consect is giving keitai list members a rate of $495 - a $200 discount on the standard early bird rate of $695 and a full $500 off the standard rate. Please contact request@consect.com with the subject line =B3MMC pho=B2 for more information on how to register at this special
rate.
To Speak: We have a variety of sponsored and non-sponsored speaking opportunities - please email Mark Frieser at mark@consect.com directly for details.
To Sponsor: We have a number exhibit and exclusive presenting opportunities still available. Please contact Liam Sullivan at liam@consect.com directly for more details.
The mobile medium presents some great opportunities and challenges for the mobile industry, and we hope that you will join us to discuss the ways and means that mobile can create further revenue streams for the music industry and to plan out the future of this sector in an intimate, high-level environment.
Posted by richard ting at August 28, 2003, 10:31 AM
August 27, 2003
Grab your Palm, plug in your GPS, and head for the 3-D Internet
Pssst! This Note's for You
Grab your Palm, plug in your GPS, and head for the 3-D Internet
Article by Steven Johnson
http://www.discover.com/feb_03/feattech.html
Posted by richard ting at August 27, 2003, 12:43 PM
ACCESS Project
ACCESS is a public art installation that applies web, computer, sound and lighting technologies in which web users track individuals in public spaces with a unique robotic spotlight and acoustic beam system. The robotic spotlight automatically follows the tracked individuals while the acoustic beam projects audio that only they can hear. The tracked individuals do not know who is tracking them or why they are being tracked, nor are they aware of being the only persons among the public hearing the sound. The web users do not know that their actions trigger sound towards the target. In effect, both the tracker and the tracked are in a paradoxical communication loop. The ACCESS spotlight system travels from one undisclosed public space to another. The exact location of the public space is revealed only after ACCESS moves to its next location. The ACCESS website, which contains the webcam view and spotlight control, keeps an updated list of the locations visited as well as a video archive.
http://www.accessproject.net/concept.html
Posted by richard ting at August 27, 2003, 10:30 AM
The Web Rewires the Movement
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030804&s=boyd
Posted by richard ting at August 27, 2003, 10:25 AM
TouchToneTours
Transport Topics: "Technology Briefs"
... and TouchToneTours said Tuesday they entered into an agreement to make personalized
traffic information available on Interstate 95, I-495, I-395 and I-66. ...
www.ttnews.com/members/topnews/0010281.html
Posted by richard ting at August 27, 2003, 10:15 AM
August 26, 2003
Dialtones - Telesymphony
Dialtones is a large-scale concert performance whose sounds are wholly produced through the carefully choreographed dialing and ringing of the audience’s own mobile phones.
http://www.flong.com/telesymphony/
Posted by richard ting at August 26, 2003, 01:59 AM
Speakers Corner
Interact with 15M LED display on the street via the web, SMS or voice recognition interface. Running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year. Speakers Corner is part of The Media Centre's research programme in mobile technology and urban space, funded by the Arts Council of England.
http://www.speakerscorner.org.uk/
Posted by richard ting at August 26, 2003, 01:43 AM
August 25, 2003
J-PHONE to Launch Vodafone live! Services on 3G in October
Tokyo, August 18, 2003-J-PHONE Co., Ltd. announced today that it will
launch new Vodafone live! mobile internet services after early October
on Vodafone Global Standard (VGS), J-PHONE's 3G platform launched December
2002 that allows customers access to mobile services both in Japan and
abroad.
Main features of Vodafone live! for VGS are as follows:
-Sha-mail picture messaging, Movie Sha-mail video messaging and web
contents accessible to customers in exactly the same way abroad as in
Japan
-E-mails with attachments of up to a maximum 200 kilobytes can be sent
and received, making for even richer communications
-Sha-mails with even higher resolutions than before and Movie Sha-mails
of up to 40 seconds long can be sent and received
-Web functions that utilize fast data speeds, allowing for rich
contents such as high-resolution QVGA-size wallpaper downloads and video clip
files of 15 to 30 seconds in length
In addition, J-PHONE plans to launch a compatible handset, the V801SA
by Sanyo, in conjunction with these new services. With these offerings,
J-PHONE customers will be able to enjoy Vodafone live! on a 3GPP-based,
high-speed W-CDMA network (up to 384kbps downlink) in Japan and by
accessing the GPRS networks of roaming partners while overseas.
In conjunction with the launch of Vodafone live! services for VGS,
J-PHONE will lower videotelephony and 64K digital communication charges to the
same level as voice calls, down from the current rate of 1.8 times the price
of voice. With this rate reduction customers will be able to enjoy 3G
services at great value.
Posted by richard ting at August 25, 2003, 12:40 PM
Viewpoint: NTT DoCoMo launches new music service next month;
Viewpoint: NTT DoCoMo launches new music service next month;
Will this mean competition for its ringtone providers?
Downloadable ringtones are a big money maker in the mobile industry. Several Japanese ringtone services have more than 1 million monthly subscribers.
In Korea, a new music service concept called "Ring Back Tone" was introduced last year by SK Telecom. Usually when you call someone, you hear the classic "ring ring" in your earpiece while waiting for that someone to answer the phone. But the Korean carrier has introduced a service whereby the subscriber can select a music clip that the caller hears until the call is answered.
"Ring Back Tone" differs from download services because it resides exclusively within the network. The service is now even more successful than downloadable ringtone sites. Within 10 months of
its launch, over 8 million people were using "Ring Back Tone" -- representing a 25 percent market penetration.
DoCoMo has adopted the "Ring Back Tone" service and will launch it next month (September 2003) as "Melody Call." For 200 yen per month, users can select three melodies from 3000 popular songs. The maximum duration of each music clip is 15 seconds. Subscribers to "Melody Call" need to register the phone numbers of callers who will have access to the clip(s). Up to 30 phone numbers can be registered -- but only other DoCoMo phone numbers are eligible.
DoCoMo expects to attract 2 million subscribers by the end of the year. They have established a Web site to promote the service on which users can search for available melodies and view a list of the most popular
songs.
Apparently DoCoMo wants to tap into the lucrative mobile music market, though the company has no plans, yet, to "open" the service for its ringtone download providers. Altough "Melody Call" does not directly
compete with these ringtone content providers, there is a chance that their users will spend less on downloadable ringtones.
There are also other concerns for "Melody Call." The majority of DoCoMo's customers are still using PDC. In comparison with GSM, the voice quality of PDC remains inferior. Since the melody will be played in "voice mode," the quality might be disappointing for those expecting HiFi sound. With FOMA, the sound quality will be better.
Another limitation is that the sevice is only accessible to DoCoMo subscribers. As the service resides in the network, cooperation with J-Phone and KDDI will be necessary to guarantee interoperability. As
we expect "Melody Call" to become very successful, watch for J-Phone and KDDI to rapidly deploy similar services that will ensure interoperability with "Melody Call."
-- Arjen van Blokland
Source:
http://www.nttdocomo.com/home.html
Link:
"Japan's Mobile Internet Roars Back" from our July issue
http://www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=1143
Posted by richard ting at August 25, 2003, 11:33 AM