Mobile Future Blog
Posted: 07/22/08 by Chris Parandian
As always, we like to keep you informed about upcoming events in the district of communications.
Accordingly, the folks at Media Future Now will host a panel discussion on Tuesday, July 22 titled: "3G: Mobile Media in Motion." This discussion looks to cover a wide spectrum of issues in social media, mobile broadcasting and mobile marketing. I have the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Collins (Kinetic Mobile) and Peter Corbett (iStrategylabs), both successful entrepreneurs who have done some great things in wireless, advertising and social media.
With that in mind, my remarks will be focused on mobile broadcasting and how wireless can augment citizen journalism (expanding on my remarks at the Free Press Conference last month).
Visit the Media Future Now site for more information and to RSVP...
Hope to see U there!
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Here is the 411:
When: Tuesday, July 22, 12:15-1:45 p.m.
Where: The offices of Quinn Gillespie & Associates, 1133 Connecticut Ave., NW
Posted: 07/21/08 by Molly Kocour
If you're like me, and your sense of direction doesn't always lead you in the right direction, you'll be interested to hear about the innovative ways that GPS is entering the cellular world.
Nokia has just announced its acquisition of Navteq, a leading digital map provider in the United States. Navteq, which provides maps, can already be found in most in-car and portable GPS systems and, with this deal, they will find their way into the hands of about a billion cell phone users.
Instead of relying on government maps, Navteq hires its own teams to drive around recording and collecting data - making their maps very accurate and reliable. But, imagine how much more accurate and reliable they will become when a billion cell phone users are contributing to the process!
Navteq CEO, Green, said, "a cell phone could also be a live probe, noting that real-time data about how quickly a handset is moving could provide clues as to the speed of traffic in an area."
The future of GPS and location-based content is really taking off. The research firm, Gartner, predicts that global subscribers to this kind of service will reach, "43.2 million in 2008 and hit almost 300 million in 2011." Soon, you could be walking around in a foreign city and your phone, which knows where you are, will deliver restaurant recommendations and points of interest.
By downloading a cell phone application called, Bones in Motion, athletes are already using such GPS technology to aid in their training. For example, runners can use this application to not only track distance run, speed, and calories burned, but also such information as weather conditions and difficulty. All this can then be uploaded and stored as a running log.
If this isn't enough, GPS and location-based technology has even made it to the canine world. A few companies are in the early stages of developing a tracking system which monitors the location of your dog, sending you a warning text message if your dog leaves a designated zone.
Then there's my favorite one. A program called, Superhero, by Yougetitback.com, tracks lost or misplaced cell phones. You can even program your phone to ring, "I've been stolen," or "Take me home," if it goes missing!
Maybe your sense of direction is better than mine, but there are clearly multiple benefits to having a GPS-enabled cell phone.
Posted: 07/17/08 by Jo-Anne Basile
Have you ever been to a big event and you couldn't get a hold of anyone because the wireless networks were so congested?
Maybe it wasn't too important when you were trying to call a friend so they could hear the encore at the Rolling Stones concert, but imagine if it happened at the Democratic or Republican National Convention, events that help select the next President of the United States. With all the digital data streaming to the public during these high-profile events, wireless network failure would spell a communications meltdown.
However, since the last conventions four year ago, the telecommunication companies have made numerous technical advancements and have taken great measures to upgrade and expand their services. Even with the last minute change of venue for Barack Obama's Democratic National Convention, the telecom companies are making adjustments and utilizing innovative solutions to ensure for a successful event.
COWS and COLTS are just a few examples of the innovative solutions that will enable telecommunications to maintain wireless service during the conventions. COWS and COLTS stand for "cell on wheels" sites and "cellsite on light truck." These wireless "animals" enable wireless providers to augment existing coverage so users can conduct business as usual.
The telecom companies are also accommodating for the increase of bloggers (expecting 10 times as many as in 2004), who will likely be heavy BlackBerry users. Not to mention, there will likely b
e much more video streaming and picture uploading as well. So while the change of venue isn't a big deal for bloggers with little equipment, a reliable communications network is needed so they can update their blogs frequently.
All this is being taken into consideration as companies: AT&T, Qwest, Sprint, T-mobile, and Verizon Wireless invest millions of dollars to keep up with the increase of technology and resulting bandwidth traffic.
AT&T Wireless regional vice president and general manager, Dave Fine, claims, "Based what we've seen at previous large venues -- the Final Four, the World Series, the [Barack] Obama rally in St. Paul -- and what we expect to see at the upcoming Neil Diamond concert, we're confident of what we've planned for at the Republican Convention."
If you're attending either of these conventions, it sounds like you can rest assured that you'll be able to use your cell phone for calling, texting, blogging, emailing, picture and movie uploading.
If you're not one of the 76,000 expected to attend the Democratic National Convention or the 45,000 expected to attend the Republican National Convention, you can rest assured that you will be made to feel as if you were actually there.
Posted: 07/16/08 by Chris Parandian
New ways to communicate with our friends and family via wireless is exploding. This mobile social convergence is also affecting our lawmakers as they also look to participate in ways that they never imagined! As we know, mobile provides an opportunity for lawmakers to connect with consitutents via video or with other social networking tools (twitter, facebook, qik, utterz).
Representative John "Congressman Qik" Culberson (Texas) is in a league of his own and we highlighted his efforts to show Americans what he does in Washington. Unfortunately, those efforts were not appreciated by one of his colleagues (who is focused on videos). Accordingly, a debate is taking place on Capitol Hill on how lawmakers can use these new tools and what kind of Congressional oversight should accompany the use of those tools.
On that note, Ms. Pelosi seems headed in the right direction. She represents a tech-savy district and utilizes different social communications herself. At a time when Congressional approval is at an all-time low, these tools give lawmakers a real-time way to communicate with folks and provide an open window into Congress. Fighting this mobile-social revolution is not the answer and I am optimistic that Ms. Pelosi will modernize the rules governing "franking" which is at the heart of the debate.
Updating the rules so lawmakers can communicate with new media as they do with traditional old media is a good thing and we applaud Mr. Culberson for starting the conversation. As an active mobile user, Mr. Culberson cares about these wireless technologies and our ability to communicate with them in real-time - a true compassionate conservative!
Posted: 07/11/08 by Hiram 'Art' Contreras
Before the Internet, child safety measures largely applied to monitoring one's children as they ventured outside the safety of the home. Children could only meet strangers and threatening individuals once they moved into an uncontrolled environment. With the rise of the World Wide Web, came instant communication in chat rooms, web sites, streaming video, and email, now our children have access to the outside world with the click of a "mouse". The outside world is now inside the front door. And now, with the possibilities of wireless Internet service on children's cell phones, the threat has been expanded. As parents and grandparents, we want to provide every opportunity to our children to expand their knowledge of the fascinating world of cyberspace. However, we must also be diligent and raise their level of understanding to deal with and recognize a possible threat.
The Yankee Group research organization estimates that over half of the 20 million preteens (8-12) living in the United States will be carrying a cell phone by the end of 2008. And while wireless service provides myriad child safety protections-the ability to phone for help if a kid gets lost or physically threatened and ensured communication with a parent-it also bears potential threats.
Cyberspace can unfortunately sometimes place kids dangerously close to sex predators, criminals, or simply inappropriate content. LA Times reports, for example, on how kids visiting popular website and virtual worlds like Webkinz and Club Penguin are being harassed by cyber bullies-kids stealing each other's virtual goods, or discovering how to swear and curse at each other. But even if wireless service is responsible for the problem, it can also provide the solution in cyber security measures and education programs for young children.
New Zealand 's law enforcement organizations have given education high priority and adopted a national interagency approach to cyber safety education called NetSafe. Many New Zealand Police officers have worked with NetSafe since its inception in 2000; including members of the fraud squad, the E-Crime Lab, sexual abuse teams, and police youth education officers
NetSafe seeks to get children excited about cyber security with a separate, charitable subsidiary of the site called Hector's World, created in 2006. In its high-quality animated episodes, Hector Protector is a dolphin in the underwater realm of Silicon Deep. The site lends children a fictional and appealing context in which to learn cyber security guidelines; in the eight minute clips, the first set focuses on privacy and personal information online, while the rest of the storybooks tailor to specific age groups (5-6 or 7-8, for example) to reach out to the child viewer. Hector's World even has a free downloadable Hector Safety Button, a child-activated safety device which installs a swimming Hector in the corner of the computer screen; if the child is disturbed by something online, he or she can click a button so that Hector swims across the screen and covers it from view. The site's applications thereby stimulate proactive cyber safety in children who end up emulating the behavior of Hector Protector as he swims through his own watery community.
If children can be taught at an early age general guidance for online safety behavior, they can adopt healthy habits for when they later become engaged with more extensive online-browsing. The wireless Internet undoubtedly presents some risks for children playing with their cell phones, but it also offers valuable opportunities to combat those risks with early education.
Posted: 07/09/08 by Diane Smith
As the parents of an active teenager, my husband and I are constantly texting, phoning, and otherwise using our daughter's cell phone to keep track of her. And, as summer vacation frees children across the country from their classrooms, it becomes more difficult than usual for parents to keep track of their roaming kids. Cell phone and wireless communication enable parents, grandparents, and other concerned adults to stay in touch with their preteens at the beach, playground, or friend's house. Parents can rest easy knowing that their child is not only capable of being reached, but also phoning for help in a moment of peril.
Summer is when police departments receive the most missing child calls, and with the speed of wireless communication, even the surrounding community can assist in providing child safety. Summer vacation spots like Kittery, Maine participate in the "A Child is Missing Alert Program," where law enforcement officials send a customized alert message to all registered numbers in the area in question. Wireless communication, when utilized correctly, can thereby alert individuals in a crowd at a fair, amusement park, or beach where a child has gone missing.
Of course, preteens tend to be less interested in these wireless capabilities, and more interested in their cell phone's multimedia, games, and text messaging. So it's important to teach kids the responsible use of their cell phone, particularly when it can keep them from harm. Already a third of the 20 million American preteens between the ages of 8-12 have a cell phone, a number that will jump to nearly half by 2010.
Nicholas P. Sullivan and David Aylward are proponents and researchers of cell phone safety and head COMCARE Emergency Response Alliance, a nonprofit educational and advocacy group of more than 100 organizations representing emergency responders nationwide. "Children need to be taught that the cell phone is a tool, not a toy. It can play an important role in emergency situations involving children, but only if their parents have taken the time to teach kids what they need to know," said Aylward.
Aylward and Sullivan outline the basic ways each parent can teach their children cell phone safety in the summer months.
- One should teach their kids how to press 9-1-1 and SEND on their cells, and then stay on the line to explain their emergency.
- Parents should stress, however, that calling the police is not a game, as some children unfortunately sometimes fail to grasp, resulting in disruptive and illegal prank calls.
- Also, adults should pre-program their kids' cell phones with all emergency phone numbers and precede them with ICE, for "in case of emergency."
Parents can also take advantage of some cell phone companies' more customized child-friendly provisions. There are some service plans that can be prepaid, which limit kids' free talking and encourages children to "budget" their phone time. Other phones allow only numbers pre-approved by parents to be called and accepted by the child, including offering a special emergency key. These are great tools to focus and monitor kids' cellular activities.
Finally, parents should always insist that their kids keep their cell phones on at all times, and provide an extra battery for the kid to prevent any possible excuses. Wireless technology is a gift to families-in Sullivan's words, a "safety blanket" that adults may extend to their loved ones when they leave the security of the house-and so it is crucial for children to understand that wandering around in the summer months without a powered phone is not an option.
Posted: 07/07/08 by Chris Parandian
We recently covered how to make the movies when on the move. In addition to catching the blockbusters this summer, you can have your dinner reservation set on the go too!
OpenTable, the leader in facilitating restaurant reservations around the globe, has recently introduced a mobile version of the popular website. OpenTable first opened for business in San Francisco and has been very successful over the years. OpenTable now has affliations with 8500 restaurants and serves 3 million folks a month. This service is quite timely (with the surge in smart phone demand) and I expect it will become a favored mobile service for consumers.
Although an early review of the service was mixed, in time, I'm sure OpenTable will seek to augment the initial product... Additional FAQs about OpenTable mobile can be found here.
Posted: 07/03/08 by Diane Smith
I recently had the honor of being profiled in a new Montana magazine called 406 Woman. The title of the article was "No Penalty for Paradise", reflecting an ongoing discussion between me and my fellow entrepreneurs in rural America about whether living in a desirable location was inconsistent with the idea of successful business formation. For many of us, transplants from urban life, when we first arrived in our new communities, we questioned whether building a business beyond a small sole proprietorship was realistic. We had the same concerns as any new business owner - staffing, funding, lines of credit, healthcare, and so forth. But added to those concerns were other worries specific to our locations - Can we hire qualified staff? Will they work hard? Do we have the necessary communications infrastructure? Can we get flights to required destinations? Will our infrastructure costs and capabilities allow us to remain competitive with businesses located in more accessible locations?
Question by question we figured it out. Staffing was the most pleasant surprise. Our employees want to live here, resulting in a highly qualified, truly dedicated team. Funding and lines of credit were a challenge because investors simply weren't familiar with investments in remote locations. But, even though money players would rather you were right next door, if the business plan works, the money will come. It's amazing the number of angel investor networks and strategic investors available to businesses in rural areas - never easy, but manageable. Healthcare costs were staggering no matter where we were located but not particularly higher here than elsewhere. Flights were and still are a problem. But, because flights were challenging, we relied even more heavily on our communications infrastructure. And the communications infrastructure is what truly allowed us to finally conclude that there is "No Penalty for Paradise".
For rural communities, distance has too often been a significant business challenge. But, as a result of advances in technology and infrastructure over the past decade, those of us living the rural life can now "reach out and touch" our colleagues nationwide and even internationally in a cost-effective and service-effective fashion. In my hometown in MT, we have great cell phone service with national calling plans. We have wireline DSL and cable broadband. We have more Wi-Fi'd coffee shops (all with free Wi-Fi) than I can find when I'm back in the city. We also have video conferencing facilities for hire if we need them. As a result, we can stay on-line, talk live, and stay in touch with our customers, employees, vendors, and the myriad of others with whom it takes to launch a successful business. It's truly remarkable the difference that our communications advances over the past decade have made for businesses - so much so that we are now planning for our next title - "Rural America, Open for Business".
Posted: 06/30/08 by Chris Parandian
Summer is here in full swing and that means some hot new blockbusters are here! One way to keep up with what is playing at the box office when you are on the go is with moviefone.
Moviefone is packed with information regarding the lastest flicks. It has news, clips, and even a blog! Moviefone also offers a mobile website that is quick and user-friendly. Moviefone Mobile can be accessed by going through your web browser or you can download the application directly to your device (feature only available for Sprint consumers). I connect to moviefone mobile via browser and have my favorite theater saved to easily access showtimes near me. You can also easily enter other locations by zipcode (and get directions) when you are not in your neighborhood. An additional function Moviefone Mobile offers is a brief synopsis of the movie you have selected.
Check out Moviefone Mobile, bookmark it, and never worry about missing a movie when your on the move!
Posted: 06/27/08 by Chris Parandian
Congressman John Culberson has joined the mobile revolution and is currently utilizing his wireless device to stream video to his constituents. On a related new media note, the Congressman from Texas is also blogging. These are huge developments in the district of communications.
At a time when Congressional approval is at historic lows, looking for new ways to connect and communicate with Americans is the right thing to do. With the Congressman mobile broadcasting, he is allowing constituents to see and experience a typical day in the Capitol. Congressman Culberson is also showing his colleagues that devices today can do more than just make calls and send text messages. I applaud the Congressman's efforts!
As the famous coach John Wooden stated, "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." On that note, I hope other lawmakers join Congressman Culberson and the mobile revolution.
Check out his mobile videos here...
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