AOL Has So Much Mobile Potential

AOL is sitting on a mobile goldmine but they just can't see it, or can't execute. They have a mobile search application on 20m plus phones. Wouldn't that be a good start?

From NY Times AOL A punching bag in need of a hit

Wall Street is not expecting sudden miracles from the planet's biggest media conglomerate. And, yet again, there is one standout reason for the blasé view of the company: the prospects for America Online, officially rechristened earlier this month as the zippier-sounding AOL.

The company is hoping to win over critics in the coming weeks by starting up a social networking product, to be called AIM Pages, that will compete against the likes of MySpace and Yahoo360 on the next Internet battleground.

Here's my idea.

AOL Could dominate the mobile search space with the mobile "buddy list" and Find Me application.

By sending an instant message to a special username of AOL, can’t you let them resolve the query? Instead of sending an IM to an AOL member, you’re sending an SMS/search query to an AOL server requesting/doing a search. Instead of typing in 46645 (GOOGL) or 44636 (4INFO), AOL has created the short code for you with a special username.

Let AOL label this username as MOBLSRCH in our buddy list. AOL could automatically add this name when you download or reboot. AOL establishes an easy way to start a mobile search when you IM MOBLSRCH.

The “Find Me” buddy application is the GPS function, and the buddy list with MOBLSRCH creates the search window. They already have their own mobile search application on 20 million plus cell phones. Will they capitalize on this? Do they even know what they have?

What do you think, is AOL DOA or AOK ?

Shakira Uses Mobile Barcodes

Verizon Wireless today announced it will be presenting Shakira's "Oral Fixation" North American tour this summer and leveraging wireless technology to ensure her fans have
a unique concert experience.

From Chron Shakira tour uses mobile barcodes from Verizon

In a music and wireless industry first, Shakira will send a multimedia personal video invitation customized to each city she goes to, inviting her fans to come hear her play in their local arena.

Fans with Verizon Wireless phones will have the option to text or click through to purchase and win tickets. Some Shakira concertgoers will receive a multimedia message barcode ticket sent to their Verizon Wireless phones. When they arrive at the concert, the wireless bar code tickets will be scanned to get them into the show.

Fans will also help Shakira determine what songs she performs on the tour. Verizon Wireless customers will be able to text which favorite Shakira songs they feel should be played on the "Oral Fixation" tour

Physical World Connection In Business 2.0

This month's issue of Business 2.0 has a special pullout called "Your Wireless Future".

Carlo Longino of MobHappy does a great job of listing the companies to watch for specific applications (productivity, voice communication, location-based services, entertainment/social networking).

In the location-based services category he lists Semacode as a company to watch.

Semacode connects the mobile to the physical world using camera phones as bar-code readers.

Semacode is just one of the companies that provides this ability.

How does it work?

Semacode works by embedding a URL (web address) into a sort of two-dimensional barcode which looks like a dense crossword puzzle.

This is an open system. Anyone can create as many semacode tags for as many different URLs as they wish. Millions, even. As long as you own the domain name, the tagging system is completely unrestricted.

Congrats Carlo and nice job.

Bar Code To Mobile Patent Awarded

Johannesburg-based Mobicode has won the South African patent for distributing bar codes to mobile devices, introducing the infrastructure to deliver tickets, coupons and vouchers directly to local consumers.


Mobicode was awarded the patent after securing the rights to use technology developed by Mobiqa in the UK to deliver bar codes to any mobile device in SA that conforms to international GSM standards.

Mobicode will provide a Web-based bar code distribution service as well as Web-application hosting where required to organisations that want to send either linear or 2D bar codes to mobile devices

Mobiqa (Mobicode’s licensor) has been awarded a patent in South Africa for the "Optimised Messages containing Barcode Information for Mobile Receiving Device", patent number 2005/03057.

Internet Of Things Or Phase 2

Howard Rheingold called it Phase 2 . It's when every physical object can be connected to the Internet. Another term is the "Internet of Things".

This article is dated, but it gives a great summary of how physical objects will be able to connect to the Net.

Most industry observers agree that the next wave of growth in the technology sector will be outside the realm of the traditional PC desktop. But many think of that growth in mundane terms -- with such things as cell phones and PDAs.

In reality, we stand on the verge of an era that will see previously unimagined networked devices and objects.

With the official release of the Electronic Product Code Network, we are about to see the "Internet of things" paradigm enter the big time -- the world of mainstream commerce.

At the core of the Auto-ID Center's infrastructure for RFID technology is the EPC code, the numeric data transmitted by a tag. The EPC code is, in effect, intended to be the next generation of the Universal Product Code (UPC), or bar code, that is found on virtually every consumer item today.

Unlike a UPC bar code, EPC provides for the unique identification of any physical object in the world.

Wikipedia defines this as Object hyperlinking.
"extend the internet to objects and locations in the real world; to create an internet of things"

These "things" will need a physical world hyperlink. There will also be a browser that can resolve these hyperlinks.

Veritec And Their 2D Codes Come Out Of Bankruptcy

Veritec, and their 2D codes, VERICODE and VSCode, are coming out of bankruptcy.

Veritec developed software to store, display and read a VeriCode® on the LCD screen of a mobile phone.

With the electronic media, information such as credit card, bank account, airline tickets, bus tickets, and medical information can be transmitted to the individual mobile phone. The mobile phone serves the function of an electronic credit card or ID card.

In 2003 Veritec developed and patented a new two-dimensional code, the VSCode®.


Data Matrix code cannot match the data density level of VeriCode® nor the large data capacity of VSCode®. An example of the importance of this feature is the LCD panel marking application where data needs to be contained in a tiny symbol. The VeriCode® symbol can be made as small as 1/30 the size of the Data Matrix symbol

Veritec offers VERICODE® which can hold more than 500 bytes of data and VSCode® which has capacity of over 4,000 bytes. This represents a significant amount more than 1D bar codes.

compare a 2D code to a 1D code (barcode).


Patents include:

US Patent No. 4,924,078 (1990)
US Patent No. 5,332,176 (1990)
US Patent No. 5,612,524 (1997)
European Patent No. 0438841 (2000

XXTreme's X-Code Connects Physical World And Offers Complete Mobile Marketing

I would have to say XXTreme Measures is most complete mobile marketing company I have seen so far in the States.

They offer marketing, billing, texting and they even have their own physical world hyperlink called X-Code .

XXTreme Measures and their X-Code, offer mobile ticketing, coupons and access to content on the Internet.
In addition, take a look at their supported carriers .

Add XXTreme Measures to the mobile marketing, mobile coupon and physical world connection lists .

Xxtreme SMS provides you an easy access to the content related to a unique eye-catching barcode.

You simply point at the barcode and are instantly directed to the associated content - music, media, graphics, text. Xxtreme SMS eliminates the need for manual multitap key-entry and lets you get to content faster!.


Xxtreme SMS also provide mobile ticketing, mobile coupon and mobile commerce solutions based on the creation, delivery and redemption of barcodes to mobile phones.

Xxtreme X-Code are barcoded tickets sent to a mobile phone. The Xxtreme X-Code is redeemed at the venue by simply scanning the mobile phone display with a standard scanner or a digital camera phone (software neccessary).

Locations include US, UK, China, S Korea and Brazil.

Look at the carriers supported both US and International.

The company has their own debit card company and has stated they would be utilizing this for various mobile applications.

Stay tuned, they should be offering some interesting mobile campaigns and applications soon.
Nice find Olivier

For more info

Xybernaut To Auction Off Location Based Wireless Patents

Xybernaut Corporation a high tech company currently in Chapter 11, has received court approval to sell its "Waypoint" group of patents at auction, with the objective of raising sufficient cash to come out of bankruptcy protection and successfully reorganize.

The "Waypoint" patent group sets forth technology and business processes to provide wireless direct mail by sending information to targeted mobile users at specific locations.

Xybernaut believes the Waypoint patents can allow wireless companies to provide location-based services to mobile devices such as cellphones, PDAs and portable computer devices. Locations can be focused in feet or miles, depending on the desired audience.

These services can include precisely-targeted ads, maps, restaurant locations, traffic reports and other useful information, all automatically queued off of the location and stated preferences of the holder of the wireless device.

Advertisers want to know that they are delivering the desired message to an interested audience at the right time and place. The Company believes that the Waypoint patents enable this exacting business solution.

While advertising has long supported access to radio and television broadcasts and much of the internet, Google has recently announced the first use of this model for wireless services

I wonder who buys these and for how much.

FDA Bar Code Mandate Implements Physical World Connection

An FDA mandate implements physical world connection.

At the end of April, the Food and Drug Administration will officially require drug makers and marketers to have a bar code on all drugs sold to American hospitals.

And although the biopharmaceutical companies may be starting to achieve compliance, hospitals aren't remotely equipped to use the bar-coded data.

What will they use?

The barcode scanning solution comes pre-integrated- no additional software or drivers required. Just plug the BlackBerry into barcode scanner and select "Scan barcode" menu item from the popup menu

Flowfinity Wireless , a leading provider of wireless application products and platforms, and Infinite Peripherals, a leading provider of custom mobile printing and scanning solutions, offer LaserField, a bundled solution that enables barcode scanning from any USB-enabled BlackBerry Wireless Handheld™.

Will this be the first physical world connection device?

Bar codes are used for other purposes such as tracking medical devices and patient samples. The use of bar codes is expected to rise, presumably along with devices that can read bar codes and access the relevant data.

There's another solution for the pharmaceutical industry that involves physical world hyperlinks.

Bar Codes In Japan Provide Many Mobile Functions

From Monterey Herald In Japan, mobile phone replacing wallets, keys, credit cards

With cellular phone in hand, Japanese consumers can purchase from vending machines, buy train tickets, order a bowl of noodles, trade stock, bid at online auctions and change channels on a TV set.
It's not unusual, for example, to see pedestrians sidle up to concert posters and use their mobile phones to read small bar codes. Their mobiles process the bar codes, automatically taking them to Web sites for more information. Viewing their mobiles, users can see prices, pick out seats and buy tickets.

Magazine ads, publicity fliers and bus stops often have bar codes that allow mobile users to arrive at Web sites to make purchases or see information.

"You're reading a catalog in the bathtub, and you say, `Oh, I want to buy this.' And you read the bar code," said Jeffrey Funk, a commentator on the Japanese mobile phone market and professor at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo.

An interesting comment.

One key difference, though, is the eagerness of Japanese carriers to provide more services to consumers without a clear revenue model, something U.S. carriers are unlikely to do

Microsoft Creates An Advertising Bar Code?

Can you see the opportunities with this?

From Media Week Microsoft agrees to use Ad-Id

Microsoft said has agreed to incorporate Ad-ID, the bar-code-like digital identifier which has been endorsed by both The Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies, into its online ad offerings.

Ad-ID , which has been likened to the UPC-code that is scanned into thousands of retail products in order to track sales, is being pushed by many top Madison Avenue executives as a means to improve the tracking of all forms of advertising, ranging from TV to radio to out of home.

Microsoft believes the future lies with identified, targeted, customized advertisements, and the best way to effectively track and measure results from advertising assets is by using Ad-ID, a universal code which provides end to end system connectivity.

Marketers using Ad-ID include Allstate, Blockbuster, BMW, Capital One, Coors Brewing Company, Discovery Networks, HBO, Johnson & Johnson, Masterfoods and Procter & Gamble.

What happens when Microsoft incorporates this .

Your Face Is A Bar Code

This is another example of physical world connection. Your face is a machine readable identifer.

From Japan Times Your face could become a bar code

For an hour or two each day over the course of two to three weeks, one of the station's ticket gates will be closed to the general public. A newly-developed biometric camera, capable not only of photographing faces, but of analyzing facial data and in essence converting each person's face into a unique bar code, will be at work, snapping shots of participants in the experiment as they pass back and forth through the gate.


Its point is to assess how well the camera works. If it works well, will it be adopted nationwide, in subway stations, train stations and elsewhere?

NTT Docomo recently adopted Neven Vision's application for this.

Count Calories With Bar Codes

This doesn't use a mobile phone yet, but it shows how barcodes can be used for more than price comparison.

Training Peaks, LLC, the leading provider of online training technology for endurance athletes and coaches, has developed the Calorie Scanner™, a cutting edge nutrition tracking system.

Ideal for anyone interested in monitoring their caloric intake, from professional athletes to business professionals, the Calorie Scanner fits on a keychain, in a pocket or purse. The database recognizes over a half million UPC bar codes and includes nutrition information for 50,000 “branded” foods, allowing the user to track calories per serving on the go or right in their kitchens

Sintef Uses Camera Phone To Connect 2D Codes

SINTEF developed in 2001 a system that allowed hundreds of 8-bit bytes to be input into the camera, using a single user-captured image as input.

The system is based on using a specially crafted two-dimensional barcode, which is printed on the desired objects. The image analysis software developed by SINTEF recognizes this barcode, and its content is subsequently input to the mobile phone.

This makes it possible for the user to e.g. scan a business card with a printed barcode, and get the information automatically into his contact list. The system thus enhances the user’s mobile experience by making the mobile phone able to interact with physical objects in the “real” world.

Matrix Solutions Uses Data Matrix Code To Connect Physical World

Add Matrix Solutions to the Physical World Connection list

Matrix Solutions uses a data matrix code and mobile phone, to connect the physical world.

The future of mobile marketing has already begun. Matrix Solutions' innovative systems transform the mobile phone into a universal tool. This is potentiated by the Data-Matrix-Code: the cell phone as an admission ticket, a voucher, or a means of payment.

Matrix Solutions offers :
PicTicket
Order a ticket from the organiser via the Internet or a call center. Consumer uses Matrix PicTicket as the form of output, and pays with their credit card number and hangs up.

In the background, the ticket data and SIM card ID are merged in a matter of seconds to generate a unique Data-Matrix-Code which is sent to the mobile as a Matrix PicTicket, along with the relevant concert information.

The consumer receives a Picture SMS. At the entrance to the concert they open the message, and the PicTicket will be read by a scanner and verified on the fly
PicCoupon
For the user, Matrix PicCoupon works dead easy. Consumers order vouchers or coupons on the Internet, load them onto their mobile devices, and redeem them at the store. This is facilitated by our pixel-based Data-Matrix-Code.
and
PicTAN

Order fingerprints online or from your mobile. Load Matrix PicTAN directly onto mobile phone. Scan PicTAN at POS and pay cashless.

Notice how long the list of physical world connection companies is getting. This technology will have an enormous impact on many industries. It's only logical that many players will enter it.

Nokia RFID Phone

RFID tags are physical world hyperlinks. Soon mobile phones will be able to read/scan an RFID tag and retrieve information.

RFID Weblog discusses some applications for Nokia's RFID phones.

This phone is the Nokia 3220 which is one of the two Nokia GSM/GPRS phones that includes an NFC shell which can be used for reading and writing RFID tags.

Who may be developing a mobile phone RFID browser?

Barcode Reader On Mobile Phone Tops List For Adoption

Want to know what's next for wireless in the States, look at Japan.

Survey of Japan's mobile phone consumers reveals potential product strategies for the U.S. market.

Japanese wireless subscribers demonstrate a higher level of usage of, and interest in, advanced mobile phone features than do consumers in the United States, according to the findings in a new report from The NPD Group , a leading provider of consumer and retail information.

Japanese consumers are the world’s early adopters of the latest mobile technologies and features. The market is therefore seen as a key test bed for innovation, which is why industry professionals around the world look to Japan to understand “what’s next” in wireless.

Emerging features currently available in Japan, but less ubiquitous here, also display a strong growth potential for the consumer wireless market in the US. These features include:

-Barcode reader (27%)
-GPS (26%)
-FM Radio (22%)
-Voice recorder (18%)
-Analog TV tuner (18%)
-Mobile commerce and emoney capabilities (16%)

SMS ShortCode Search Engine List

Want to know who owns a shortcode? Want to know what services are offered by a specific short code?

Until shortcode owners come out and publicly advertise their shortcode (I still dont know why they don't), I put together a list a SMS Shortcode Search Engine Engines.



OTAir

Shortcode.info

SMS Today

US Short Code WhoIs


If you can't find it on one of these, just Google It


Or you can get one of your own.

If you know of any other sites that offer this service please let me know and I'll include them too.

Scanbuy Compares More Than Prices With Barcode

Mission Impossible III uses Scanbuy for mobile marketing.

From RedandBlack Camera phones to aid shoppers

A new technology now stands to eliminate the frustrations of comparison shopping.

The company Scanbuy, Inc., has developed software that enables camera phone users to snap a picture of an item’s barcode, which then cues the phone to launch an application to search the Internet for the lowest prices at nearby retailers or online.

In Spain or the United Kingdom, camera phone users contemplating whether Tom Cruise’s upcoming movie really does provide all the thrills and explosive action it promises can scan a barcode located on a “Mission Impossible III” movie poster.

From this scan, users will have the movie’s trailers, reviews and even the option of buying tickets all at their fingertips.

Scanbuy’s technology also has the ability to reveal the history of many items.

Scanbuy recently introduced Scanbuy Coupons.


Coupons and Tickets can be ordered through multiple means such as SMS, USSD, barcode capture.

Barcode Coupons and Tickets can be sent through SMS (EMS or Picture Mail), MMS, WAP Push, Personal WAP account, or even managed through a dedicated Client App

Recognizing the fact many in the United States still do not have camera-equipped cell phones, Attia’s company will launch an application this May that will allow users to simply type in the barcode number to get the same information

Keep Your Teen Alcohol Free On Prom Night With Text Message

What a great idea. Send a text message to to your teen to stay safe and alcohol-free on prom night

The Century Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking.

You've told them you love them, you've encouraged them to have fun... make sure they get one more important reminder to stay alcohol-free.

This campaign was done by the same people that provide ShortCode Info

Intelcom Connects Physical World With Cameraphone

Add NPC Intelcom to the physical word connection list.





From their site.

Until recently scanning and decoding of 2D symbology was a challenge. First, linear barcode scanners, - those ones you can see in stores and supermarkets, - can't be used to read 2D-symbols because they read the symbol only in one direction.

Second, cheap and hi performance hardware platforms did not exist until now and they were not able to decode 2D symbology. Both problems have been resolved: processors have enough processing power, digital CCD-cameras are not expensive and are connected to the hardware through standard high-speed interfaces (USB ports for instance).

Thus the most widely-spread in the world hardware - PCs, minicomputers PDAs (Portable Device Assistants), mobile phones with digital cameras - are now capable of decoding 2D barcodes.

The only thing you need is a software program which can recognize digital images of the surface with a barcode on it. It is that kind of software that is developed by NPC Intelcom .


For more info

Carnival Of The Mobilists #24

Jim Hughes at FeetUp hosts this week's Carnival of the Mobilists.

Jim does a good job summarizing the posts. As usual, some great mobile insights from the Mobilists.

Check it out.

A Text Message Chatroom

When I spent a couple months interviewing teenagers and asked "What do you want your mobile to do", this was one of the highest rated responses.

"Can you make a text message chatroom?"

3jam , as the company is called, uses patented technology to deliver the first service that provides Treonauts (as well as all other standard cellphone users) the capability to simultaneously broadcast a single private SMS text message to as many people as you like and for any replies to be similarly received by all people in the group.

As it stands today, you could send the same text message ‘outbound’ to multiple recipients without 3jam. However, none of your recipients is able to know who else received the message and their ‘inbound’ replies are limited only to you instead of the whole recipient group.

3jam addresses and solves this by making it easy to start a sort of ‘SMS conferencing’ among a multitude of handsets in which all parties are participants not just the original sender.

This is just one of the applications teeangers want in a phone. Want to know the others?

I was wondering if there were any companies that were offering this. Great find Textually

Cobblestone's PaperDisk Connects The Physical World

Add Cobblestone Software and their PaperDisk to the physical world connection list .


Cobblestone Software, Inc . is a startup company based in the Route 128 area outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The company was founded by Dr. Thomas Antognini and Professor Walter Antognini, the creators of the PaperDisk technology. Cobblestone's mission is to enable, and popularize, hardcopy data storage.

An example of a PaperDisk code.


We believe that nearly every printed piece of paper has a digital story to tell, and we are dedicated to forging the link between paper and the digital world.

For more info

Different 2D Codes Offer Many Ways To Connect To Net

There are more articles from industry analysts and consumer related services that are discussing how physical world hyperlinks (PWH) will be used to connect to the Internet using a mobile phone.

I will get excited when mobile marketing companies and website owners start to incorporate this application as a way to get traffic and interact with the consumer. To many, it's still a concept. When brands are informed to the power that a PWH has, look for mass adoption.

The physical world connection industry needs an agency to promote this enormous opportunity.

In the near future, Taiwanese consumers will be able to use their camera phones to give the tomatoes being sold in grocery stores a background check.

All they have to do is take a snapshot of the matrix-type Quick Response Code glued to the veggie, and the tomato's history - would be displayed on their handset screen

Hoping to give its wireless services a boost, mobile telecom operator Far Eastone Telecommunications yesterday unveiled its first QR Code-enabled handset, the Sharp WX-T91. Users could use their Sharp phones to scan the QR Code provided in the FET wireless Internet service guide and quickly load the Web pages that they wanted.

The QR Code has several applications from URL forwarding and electronic business card functions to coupon and ticketing services.

Measuring about a couple of centimeters square, the QR Code is, in several ways, more superior than the conventional barcode. (There are other codes that can store even more data) Unlike the barcode which can only store a small amount of data, the two-dimensional QR Code can store up to 4,296 characters, is equipped with an encryption and security code, is capable of 360-degree scanning, and facilitates one-click access to wireless Internet, said Nilsson.

"The scanner for the QR Code is simpler than the barcode reader," added Nilsson


The other traditional code formats are UPC/EAN , Code 128 , and DataMatrix.

Some companies like Nextcode and OP3 are creating their own codes. The Connexto code is easier to read, and contains a lot more information than a barcode.

In-Stat Recognizes Mobile As Universal Remote Control

Industry exprets are recognizing that the mobile phone is becoming more like a universal remote control.


In-Stat has a mobile research report out called Mobile Wallet: More Than M-Commerce

“In-Stat believes that the market can grow only by adopting a technology that offers the most versatility by providing both transaction capability and content discovery,” says David Chamberlain, In-Stat analyst.

“There are several technologies that could enable mobile wallet operations of handsets, including Near Field Communications (NFC), Radio Frequency (RFID), bar codes, and visual recognition. (They can deliver content too)

In-Stat recognizes the role physical world hyperlinks will play.

Standardization efforts around NFC may give that system the edge.”

A summary of the report can be found here

Wampad Offers News, Price Compare, Movie Info

This is site to add on your mobile.

I talked about Wampad a couple weeks ago. A complete mobile portal.

They just added a news service, a site to compare prices using a UPC code and a way to get movie information. Check them out at http://wampad.com

Get latest news










For price comparison using a UPC (barcode)

For movie reviews

Traction Offers Complete Marketing Platform

In order to offer a complete mobile marketing platform, you need Traction .

I haven't found many marketing agencies that include ALL mediums, so I was eager to see Traction's application when they unveiled it at the CTIA show. Most are not incorporating IPTV or speech into their product.



Traction is an ASP delivered Digital Marketing Platform allowing agencies to easily and efficiently manage campaigns such as outbound broadcast or inbound interactions across a variety of channels.

Traction allows you to deliver inbound or outbound interactions across all 9 digital channels Email, SMS, Web, ITV, XML, VXML, API to API, DTMF and IVR content.

The Traction Platform is being brought to the USA by MassMedia Studios who developed the technology in Australia and have been marketing it both there and in the UK for the last 3 years.

Traction has been snapped up in the past 2 months by a number of both larger general advertising agencies and the smaller more innovative interactive agencies.

Existing customers running campaigns on the Traction Platform include Audi, Garnier, L’oreal and Unilever.

I saw a recent campaign from a major brand that used the Traction platform. The various methods to reach a consumer and the analytical tools they offer are impressive.

Look for announcements soon with these guys.

bCode Does SMS Ticketing

Add bCode to the mobile coupon list


bCODE transforms any paper ticket into a simple SMS Text Message that can be sent directly to your mobile phone, PDA or wireless email device.

bCODE is a normal SMS
Works on 99% of mobiles
Fast and Safe
Easy to use
No download or registration required

Amdocs Acquires Qpass

All this mobile content for sale, how will it get processed?

From Tech Web Amdocs to pay $275m to acquire Qpass

Amdocs reported Tuesday that it has agreed to pay $275 million in cash to acquire Qpass , a provider of commerce software for cell phone service providers.

The acquisition will enable Amdocs, which already serves some 150 telecommunications providers, to beef up its offerings to wireless providers. Currently Qpass counts Cingular, Sprint and T-Mobile as customers for its software and consulting services. In total, Qpass has business relationships with more than 300 content providers.

A neat mobile application Qpass offers with Simplewire.

Qpass, a private company, makes software that processes sales of digital content for wireless carriers. Applications include service activation, billing, product management, marketing, customer service and third-party incorporation

Amdocs said it bought Qpass to take advantage of the transformation of wireless companies from voice carriers to providers of a range of personalized services and digital content

Infolust Or Physical World Connection?

The fact that TrendWatching is recognizing Physical World Connection, means adoption is around the corner. Trendwatching puts into pictures what I have been discussing on PP.

A MUST READ



Trendwatching has a great summary called InfoLust. I urge all PP readers to look at this story.

The driving force behind INFOLUST is a basic human need. Which goes for most consumer trends. In this case: the need for power and empowerment, or at least the illusion thereof.

Information is power. So is knowledge. And being in the know. And now that INFOLUST can be satisfied instantly, and millions of consumers have had a taste of the new, transparent world of information distribution, expectations about access to information have been raised.

Acces to such information will include:

Dumb objects, smart codes
Codes linked to text/SMS
Traditional barcodes
Advanced codes
Customer made codes
Audio recognition

All of these are Physical world hyperlinks.

Yes Charlie , those are some nice bananas. Forgive the Primate for being slow to expose this.

The Future Of The Internet

Some of the top visionaries give their thoughts on where the Internet is headed. The future of the Net is Web 2.0 or Phase 2. Phase 2 is not what will be offered on the Net, but how we connect to it.

Red Herring has the story The Future of the Internet

Google Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf who is widely known as one of the “fathers” of the Internet for his role in co-designing the TCP/IP protocol and the Internet’s architecture.

Everything from the family fridge to the office coffee pot—as well as heating, cooling, and security systems—will be managed through the Internet, possibly using souped-up mobile phones doubling as universal remote controls.

As so-called sensor networks evolve, there will be vastly more machines than people online. As it is, there are almost 10 billion embedded micro-controllers shipped every year.

“This is the next networking frontier—following inexorably down from desktops, laptops, and palmtops, including cell phones,” says Bob Metcalfe, the inventor of Ethernet and founder of 3Com.

Vibes Media Does Radio SMS

From Business Wire Emmis Communications taps Vibes Media iRadio platform

Emmis, one of the country's 10 largest radio station operators with 23 FM stations and two AM stations in eight U.S. markets, is leveraging Vibes' iRadio(TM) Instant Response Text Messaging Platform for a wide variety of radio promotions.

Emmis' portfolio consists of a number of high-profile stations that hold leadership positions in top markets, including hip-hop giants Hot 97 FM in New York and Power 106 FM in Los Angeles. It also broadcasts in Chicago, Phoenix, St. Louis, Austin, Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Ind.

Vibes' iRadio gives stations the ability to interact with thousands of listeners in a personal way using Vibes' text messaging platform. Listeners participate in promotions and contests via the text message function on their cell phones from anywhere without getting shut out by busy signals.

Everyone who sends a message receives a response, regardless of service provider

Wireless Sensors..The Next Frontier

Wireless sensors, are really physical world hyperlinks, and another example of ubiquitous computing or physical world connection (PWC).

From Red Herring VCs back wireless $ensors

Mobile phone market penetration passed personal computers in just a few years and VCs are now betting wireless sensors will be the next platform of connected computing to take off.

Moving in that direction, New Enterprise Associates, Shasta Ventures, and IntelCapital backed Arch Rock , a startup looking to capitalize on the trend with an embedded operating system and web services for wireless sensors.

Arch Rock is betting that wireless sensors will end up looking a lot like the Internet does today. From their site:

"Arch Rock technology is the critical link between the physical world and your information systems".

Call For Content From CommerceTel

Why type in lengthy domain names, when you can just dial a number.

CommerceTel's new Call-For-Content enables a phone number to connect to content.


CallForContent starts with your own local or toll-free phone number for mobile phone users to navigate, select and receive your content.

Dialing a number is a lot easier that entering a long url on a mobile phones browser!

Viewers of your national print, television or radio campaign can receive information or content by simply dialing your telephone number and selecting their content.

How it works

CommerceTel's flagship service Call for Content gives merchants the ability to process all types of payment transactions through their existing phone system.

The service works with any VISA, MC and ACH payment processor using any one of the nearly 200 payment gateways