Coming back again

Here we go again

Things are surely moving fast forward. Pixel and Gigabytes here and there. According to news SonyEricsson is building a pretty neat concept/device.

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20081107/160903/

"High-function terminals, in the future, will be equipped with a 12- to 20-Mpixel camera and support full HD video shooting capability". Seems that "HD" is the power word for the 2009 devices. HTC and Apple have both been rumored to bring in their own HD devices. Never the less please keep in mind that Samsung already hit 10 megapixels in Korea two years ago.

Going onward: As VISA and MasterCard etc are still planning to launch and market mobile payments Japan has already been very active in this segment.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4AA0R020081111

In Japan, more than 50 million, or about half of all cell phone users, already carry phones capable of serving as wallets. In addition some 700 million people worldwide are expected to own such phones by 2013. "Success in Japan and in trials abroad have shown that the technology is ready for cell phones to replace credit cards, cash as well as serve as transportation and movie tickets and electronic keys for homes and offices."

I have already been preaching on building easy payment methods i.e. mobile wallets.

Then to my other "favorite" news: UI and touchscreen development

Here comes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZyErkPjOR8

This is yet again innovative - although it might not come across that way:) By the way: These posted videos etc are naturally only protos and foremostly do not violate corporate patents and other confidential issues. Therefore we can assume that there is soooo much more going on in big development labs. Anyway back to the video: We are seeing these UI things on a daily basis. Seems however that the video screen portrayed in the movie: Minority report is becoming reality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwVBzx0LMNQ

Well that's all for now.

Br. Vesa

Some News News

Here it goes again

Interesting to see where the mobile devices will evolve within the next few years. Below are just some headline rumors. Samsung is already making headlines with their cameras:

http://www.unwiredview.com/2008/10/24/samsung-says-8mp-phones-with-3x-optical-zoom-next-year-12mp-later/

The upcoming devices include a 8 megapixel cameraphone with 3x optical zoom. Samsung is also said it is working on a small 12 megapixel camera module.

Similarly Nokia has made some patent license agreement with Kodak:
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/10/26/kodak-signs-into-patent-cross-license-agreement-with-nokia/

Also apple is making news with a possible HD iPhone: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/read-my-lips/

Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0?

Enough of interesting new device rumors. Here is some cold data on subscription i.e. device sales. Fresh news form Indian markets.

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/34239.php

There were 3.9 new connections every second during the month of September. By the time you have read this there are already numerous new connections. Impressive data. In addition due to the new subscriber additions, the total market reached 310.62 million users with a penetration rate of 27.5%.

Also mobile Europe has similar news:
http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news_wire/114241/Emerging_markets_drive_telecom_service_revenue_growth%2C_says_report.html

All five emerging markets saw double digit growth in 2007 due in large part to continued strong uptake of mobile services. Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe, Emerging Asia-Pacific and Central/Latin America all had 20% or more growth in mobile revenues. In comparison; mature markets in North America, Western Europe and Developed Asia-Pacific, where only North America had more than 10% growth.

Time to move to India and thereafter to Africa.

Last but not least the industry has long predicted that big brand companies will take the mobile internet by storm. Well yet again one brand has taken the leap:

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/10/24/ralph-lauren-launches-an-iphone-application-anyone-care/

What is more interesting is that this is surely partly due to the web usage.
Notice this: http://www.mobiadnews.com/?p=2908

The mobile internet around the world is skyrocketing. The Indonesian market has grown extremely rapidly, with 2008 be over 13 times bigger than 2007. This chart shows the annual growth for the top 5 markets - US, Indonesia, UK, South Africa, India.

Where is Europe? Anyone?

Br. Vesa

M - Banking and Google

Hi again

Referring to my Touchscreen innovation post isTechCrunch's post:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/09/tc50-swype-truly-gesture-based-data-entry/

on Swyes which is an amazing gesture-based data entry system. Just go ahead and look at the youtube videos and comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCWwuIXxBuI&feature=related

Anyways back to this post. Strategy Analytics has published a new research on consumer needs (mobile). Seems that in general emerging markets has boomed in recent years due to greater affordability of handsets and services. There is a huge amount of interest in money handling services including airtime credit transfer and mobile banking services. Banking through the mobile is indeed a major thing in the future - like I have previously posted.

My other post will be: http://www.mobiadnews.com/?p=2745
an interview with Google CEO; Eric Schmidt

As for mobile advertising. He feels that eventually Google could possible make more money from mobile then from the desktop business. due to personalization and targeting. He also stated that: advertising industry is $600 billion dollars --> it’s in fact about $1 trillion globally.

On the economic slowdown: The important point is that Google's model continues to work as people are shifting from offline to online and that shift is going to happen no matter what.

So even the Google camp is interested in mobile advertising (Google.mobile, Android etc.).
Now that must mean something?

Br. Vesa

Irritating phone usage

Hi

Trying to speed up this blogging thing.

Anyways here is a post:

http://communities_dominate.blogs.com/brands/2008/08/about-those-mob.html

Mobile phones on planes... that thought just does not suite my traveling visions. There have been numerous test and pilots by most of the biggest airlines (Emirates, Air France, AE etc.) I cannot imagine sitting next to some stranger who will be talking to the phone either personal stuff (family & friends) or business. I feel that mobile phone usage on airplanes needs to be restricted somehow. What do you think?

Just like Tomi T Ahonen says: A 12 hour flight and a blabbering stranger next to you--- not my thing. Luckily these airplane calls will be more expensive than the same calls on the ground. It is most unlikely that people will want to spend a lot of time yapping on the phone in a plane. Thus in the Emirates study: The average call length has been two and a half minutes. Well less than the average length of a normal mobile phone call, which is nearly four minutes.

Nevertheless I can only hope that after a mere 1-3 year mobile phone usage period - the airplane companies will figure out that in fact they ought to restrict the usage to some extent. The restrictions just resemble the early days of being able to smoke in the planes - which did not really function too well.

Br. Vesa

Backing up my writing

Hi

Things are looking like I actually might have some idea behind my "thoughts".

This post covers Nokia opening a new research/design center to Africa in order to offer region specific products and services: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/080608-nokia-to-open-research-unit.html

Remember my previous post on different phone designs. The future inspiration is in the developing countries - Europe is so last year :)

The next post also demonstrates my ideas. It interestingly shows what for example Motorola is planning for the "future": http://www.mobilewhack.com/concept-motorola-sparrow/

Surely it is only a concept, but again shows interestingly, that the mobile device will evidentially replace the wallet (which we carry with us). Anyways the future device is equipped with touch sensitive areas and: RFID, point of sale (POS) system, communication and credit card reading capabilities. This is all in order to make purchase and sales channels more compatible with the most personal device people have (the phone).

Keep your eyes open : D
This stuff is coming at ya

"Touch" Screen Innovation?

Hi

Alright so one of my first post concentrated on the "next" generation (say 5 to 10 year) mobile devices (phones) - I truly believe that in the near future we ought to see new innovation from emerging markets such as China, India and Africa. People need phones/mobile communication devices for very different reasons than what we assume in the EU or US.

Anyways notice the cool demo on touch screens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egAl6sNMaqE&eurl=http://blogs.in.nokia.com/menzies/2008/08/what-else-to-ca.html
Look at the other videos as well (HP etc.)

And 3D capabilities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw
The second one is long so fast forward to 2.40 and keep in mind this is his hobby:)

The future will hold some nice new gadgets for sure. Just hope that companies will nurture the new technologies :)

You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us, And the world will live as one – (by John Lennon)



Br. Vesa

Future Mobile Media Usage

Whooow

This post: http://communities_dominate.blogs.com/brands/2008/07/on-seventh-mass.html

Is pretty much exactly what I have been looking for. Although the post it is long and has much "unrelated" stuff it still has profoundly the core ideas of the mobile space and mobile internet.
When reading it please notice that they are describing the mobile as the 7th mass media. Internet is the 6th and 5th is TV etc.

Anyways here are a few interesting data take aways:
* The internet reaches 1.3 billion people
* However there are over 3.5 billion mobile phone subscribers today
* The mobile subscriber base is growing faster than the internet user base -> The mobile phones are cheaper than PCs.
* On mobile every individual user is always identified perfectly -> Does this one phone number make repeated access to our mobile service site, and download our content. We know perfectly the consumers patterns and segment ideas versus on the (PC) internet space.
* AMF ventures compared the three biggest media platforms, and found that on TV only about 1% of audience data is captured. On the internet, a far better number is achieved; with 10% of the audience information being captured.
* However on mobile, 90% of the audience data is captured. This is huge!
* Mobile is also the only media channel with a built-in payment mechanism.

Most of the stuff was already well-known, but I found the last bullets information interesting, since it has been numerously discussed that telcos/operators will evidentially "loose" in the mobile space. This statement is due to the fact that they are facing fierce competition and subscription/voice revenues have been declining for the past 5 years. They are already having hard times: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/doc.te?f_id=1305297

However if we think of operators in the future as aggregators there is revenue potential to be gained. Operators can start "selling" data points to content producers and advertisers. Needless to say that the revenues will not be overwhelming but nevertheless significant for the biggest operators (with multiple country networks) say in the nest 5years.

Overall the post was very interesting since it captured nicely the inherent economic opportunities for the new mobile media space. We are truly living in the turbulence environment and that’s partly why the industry is so interesting and exciting.

Br. Vesa