Nabaztag CC plugin

October 03, 2006 | Comments

More on our Nabaztag CC plugin: "when a user checks in code, Cruise Control will tell your rabbit to droop his ears in shame if the code fails unit tests and will even announce the name of the culprit ! But when the code is added successfully, your Nab will let you know in his naturally jubilant (aka crazy party dude) fashion"

Fossil Bluetooth watch

October 03, 2006 | Comments

Fossil Bluetooth watch: "The Fossil Caller ID watch with Bluetooth technology keeps you connected in style by combining a vintage analog/digital watch design with Bluetooth Wireless technology. It notifies you when your phone rings with a discreet vibrating sensation and showing the caller's name and/or number on the bright OLED display."

One of the things I've been meaning to do with the X10 kit I bought a while back is to play with the idea of Bluetooth as identity - i.e. my house knows when I'm at home because there's a Bluetooth signal for me present, and knows when I'm out when there isn't.

Brighton Photo Fringe

October 03, 2006 | Comments

Via Devi, an interesting event at Brighton Photo Fringe: "Timothy Prus... will be placing his own photographs upon a wall of the gallery and all are invited to swap up to three of their own photographs for the same number of Prus’s. This is an excellent way to not only own a fabulous piece of photography but also for your photograph to join his ever expanding archive alongside pictures from all over the world."

MoMo London: Ray From Bango

October 02, 2006 | Comments

MoMo London: Ray Anderson From Bango

1. Promotion and advertising

There are lots of ways to promote mobile content: viral, shortcodes, bar codes, mobile ads, mobile search, TV, web sites, print, direct URL, etc. Traditional text promotion (2001-2005) worked despite complexity. 2005: simpler calls to action. Now onwards: the Internet model (not sure what that means), focusing on users familiar with mobile browsing (avoiding wastage, say); mobile ad models; routing around operators for approval etc. More purchasing of search terms (which Orange and Yahoo have apparently been collaborating on).

2. Discovery and response

Ray presents a slightly suspect "history of the URI" showing how we're familiar with typing in sky.com rather than http://blah:123/fred?wilma=freddy#1234

Similarly, technical challenges on the mobile web are starting to be overcome. Walled gardens are coming down. Sites getting better. Tariffs become more conducive.

On the educational side, things are moving slower.

He foresees a future where phones that don't work with popular sites (e.g. Myspace or Google I guess) are returned to vendors as broken.

Nokia.com doesn't work on a phone! These mobile companies don't walk the talk...

3. Spreading the goodness

What happens if users could share content with friends? a la early days of the web, with the coffee machine hooked up to the net, fish tanks, etc. Operators can't do this across operators, content providers can't do it across content providers.

WAP.com project: a bit like backflip, deli.cio.us, etc. Encourages sharing of "waplists": lists of links.

MoMo London: Jan Standal, Director Project Management, Opera

October 02, 2006 | Comments

MoMo London: Jan Standal, Director Project Management, Opera

Opera Mini has had 6m unique users since launch in January 2006, with 1.5bn web pages served so far. The average user downloads 8.3 pages/day. Similar sites to desktop usage apparently: email, news, community sites. But then he talks about the long tail which kinda contradicts this (err I think).

Big numbers, but in comparison to overall mobile data figures? It's the equivalent to a months worth of UK mobile internet usage, apparently.

Shows off Soonr, with transcoding of a Powerpoint presentation. Talks about widgets (who isn't? ;)) and shows off the Opera Widget Generator.