Grandpa's Address Book
For the last couple of years I’ve been thinking of a better way to manage all my contacts spread out over different social networks, web services, and email addys, mobile etc.
This year I decided that Nokia’s syncing service
Ovi would be my main address book over Gmail because of the slick syncing over the air to my multiple Nokia handsets. Still I had to manually collect and import contact information from all over and duplicates are an issue.
There is a company out of Hamburg Germany called
Cellity that makes a simple java based (j2me) app that runs on your mobile. Cellity collects your contacts from multiple places like facebook and gmail and makes one tidy address book. It even deals with duplicate entries!
I’ve currently signed up for the beta and can’t wait to try this app out. Hopefully it’s a step in the right direction for easy contact data organization.
Next problem that needs to be solved by an native app is the local phonebook. That giant heavy thing seems a bit dated to me. Let’s push things forward.
Is this the new Nokia E71? This is one sexy phone. HSDPA, WiFi, GPS Symbian 3rd Edition. I’m already sold. Just add Blackberry Connect and I’m really sold. I guess we have to wait and see.
November 5th Google announced Android its new open OS for mobile devices. Most people were disappointed the announcement wasn’t the anticipated Gphone. What those people don’t realize is that this is so much bigger than any hardware announcement. This is about people being able to use their handheld computers they way the want or need them to work. A major power shift from the Wireless companies to the developers and end users.
Imagine if your home internet provider dictated what computer you could buy and what you are allowed to do with that computer. All while locking you in to their service via a 3 year contract. Sounds like a good deal? That’s exactly how current Canadian Wireless providers operate.
The first step in changing this is in handset software. Because the software is locked down by the providers it slows innovation and competition. If the same model existed in home computing you may be still running some variant of Windows 3.1. The next step would be getting the Wireless providers to offer the same plans month to month as they do on a contract. That would happen because the Wireless providers would want to lure all these people with their own handsets to their service. Right now they have a customer base because most consumers won’t pay regular price for a handset.
The new OS would spur innovation and attract more people to buying handsets straight from HTC, Nokia etc. The larger the market for data and voice services of people not enslaved to their wireless providers the attractive the month to month plans will be. Essentially changing the role of the current wireless provider to that of a ISP.
There are some concerns about different hardware on these networks affecting wireless service stability. That’s why it’s important for Wireless providers to be involved now. Get in on the action. This is the kind of thing that will change an industry. When Google comes knocking, you don’t want to be left behind.
Android Software Developer kit is released November 12th.
PC being pushed aside in Japan
Android Video
myhappyplanet
The internet has to be useful to survive. We can only watch kids injure themselves on youtube so many times before we become bored and move on. The web needs value. Sites like Wikipedia for information, Gmail, dictionary.reference.com or your favourite torrent site.
I think myhappyplanet.com should be added to that list of useful sites. Started by Karen Ong who is an entrepreneur with no technical experience. Myhappyplanet.com’s premise is simple. Introduce people wanting to learn a foreign language to each other. For example: I’m interested in learning Thai so I find someone Thai who wants to learn English and we help each other. There are also lessons, videos etc.
There is no better way to learn a language than learning directly from native speakers. Kinda like a web based emersion program.
It has all the messaging and user search functions of your typical social networking site. You can list your Skype or MSN/Yahoo chat id.
Currently the site is in a closed beta, but it appears anyone can sign up. The community I find is friendly and eager to help. Unlike other web communities everyone here is signed up for the common reason to learn a new language. I think this makes a great web community that will attract an even larger community.
This kind of usefulness was the utopian ideal most people had of the web in the mid 90’s. There is still a great potential for this niche site to be financially viable. Let’s hope they do this while keeping the value for the user.
Without usefulness and value the web would just be a smaller screen idiot box.
Reference- Harbus, Harvard University Independent Student Weekly
Emoze is a push email client for mobile phones. It works with a healthy list of symbian based devices. I’ve been using it as my only mobile email solution for the last week. For the last year I have used a Blackberry Pearl heavily and enjoyed the instant push email from 4 accounts.
Although not as robust as Blackberry Internet Service it can be an inexpensive alternative to the Blackberry Service Plan.
Emoze allows you to push your gmail account to your phone for free. You will have to download the mobile application and enter in your gmail account information and away you go. Don’t use gmail? Well you have two options then. Either get gmail and forward your current account to it or you can download the desktop application. This application allows you to forward your current pop email account to your phone. This solution requires you always have your PC on. This doesn’t work for me because I have a laptop and that laptop is a mac. Blackberry email is all controlled by a remote web based server for normal pop accounts. You can edit from the phone itself or from any computer with web access. Emoze pop needs a similar interface for the out of office business person.
Overall it’s a great service for the casual user. Had a few issues with losing connections, but it’s not clear if it’s the Emoze server or a Rogers issue. I wouldn’t proclaim it a threat to RIM or Windows Mobile anytime soon but who can complain at the low low price of free.
P.S. It supports attachments also. I wrote this whole post on my E62 and emailed it to my desktop as a .doc file.
I think we can all agree the current structure of the Wireless industry only really benefits the Wireless providers. End users are completely controlled by their wireless masters.
I see this trend changing. Traditional wireless providers are going to be in for a shock if they don’t open up. I’m not just talking about Google’s Wireless bid.
Since the iPhone the public is starting to realize what they have in their hands is powerful internet machines. You can get your email, post a blog or video, make Skype calls etc.
I see a future, a very near future where we all have internet tablets (yes Nokia you were right) and the Wireless providers will provide just high speed Wireless Data. There will be no long distance because your calls will all be VOIP calls. Most likely VOIP video calls. You’ll update your Facebook and and make financial transactions all on one device. The only connection you will need is your network device.
This weekend I’ll be posting a few European companies who understand the future of wireless and are building tools and services for this wide open future.
With Tweet Volume you can see the popularity of words used by Twitter users. I assumed Coffee or Sleep would be the most common tweets. Turns out Twitter users like to Tweet about Twitter.
This is the kind of stuff Seth Goldstein has been talking about for at least a year now.The idea of saving your click stream (web sites you visit) and using that data to help find other relevant data.
Ottawa based Cluztr has a Firefox app that is doing just that. The site is currently closed beta. According to Duncan Riley who writes for Techcrunch you can have a public or private stream.
Yet another Canadian based company taking collected data seriously.
The next step would be to apply this wisdom to current public and corporate consumer databases. Your grocery store suggesting foods you may like based on your shopping habits (Safeway Card) compared to shoppers who buy similar items.
Maybe you are at Blockbuster and your receipt automatically suggests your next rental using your rental stream compared to other customers. Always make this service optional and I think it will catch on. Let the people with the tin foil hats miss out on all the fun.
