From Mobilepipeline.com Microsoft gets into wireless mesh
People living in remote areas and small businesses operating in rural neighborhoods complain that they've missed out on the Internet revolution because service providers won't run high-speed links to their locations.
Microsoft Research is working to develop technology that will make it easier and cheaper to provide those users with faster Internet connections. Last week, Microsoft unveiled partnerships with seven universities to develop Mesh Connectivity Layer technology
The goal is to create a wireless mesh network among users who can then share a single, high-speed Net connection
Mesh Connectivity Layer is a loadable Microsoft Windows driver that lets computers communicate via a wireless mesh network using Wi-Fi or WiMax services, tricking the computer into thinking it's directly connected to an Internet connection
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Monday, June 13, 2005
C/Net Has A Mobile Froogle?
From DailyWireless.org C/Net Introduces Mobile Shopper
C/NET today announced CNET Mobile a free service for shoppers on-the-go. CNET Mobile helps people make smart decisions on tech gadgets as they shop, with unbiased reviews, ratings, user opinions, and price comparisons on more than a million high-tech products such as MP3 players, cell phone and flat-screen TVs, all accessible through any Internet-enabled cell phone or PDA.
Just enter m.cnet.com in your mobile browser to see the service or just click HERE
C/NET today announced CNET Mobile a free service for shoppers on-the-go. CNET Mobile helps people make smart decisions on tech gadgets as they shop, with unbiased reviews, ratings, user opinions, and price comparisons on more than a million high-tech products such as MP3 players, cell phone and flat-screen TVs, all accessible through any Internet-enabled cell phone or PDA.
Just enter m.cnet.com in your mobile browser to see the service or just click HERE
INFONXX Provides LBS For Sprint's 411
From BusinessWire.com Never Lost Anywhere: INFONXX provides directory assistance services for Sprint's new 411 LBS .
INFONXX announced that it is providing directory assistance services for the new 411 location-based services offered by Sprint
The new services will enable most Sprint customers to receive driving directions, traffic information, and more through a simple wireless voice call when the caller provides permission to locate.
INFONXX will provide the new services to Sprint customers dialing 411 from any Sprint PCS phone. With these location-enabled services, customers calling 411 will be able to obtain up-to-date traffic information, directions, or even weather reports.
INFONXX announced that it is providing directory assistance services for the new 411 location-based services offered by Sprint
The new services will enable most Sprint customers to receive driving directions, traffic information, and more through a simple wireless voice call when the caller provides permission to locate.
INFONXX will provide the new services to Sprint customers dialing 411 from any Sprint PCS phone. With these location-enabled services, customers calling 411 will be able to obtain up-to-date traffic information, directions, or even weather reports.
Friday, June 10, 2005
SMS Is "The" Mobile Search
From Business 2.0 Mobile Search: The Battle Begins .
The world's largest search engines are battling for control of your cell phone.
It's easy to see why: With the worldwide installed base of mobile-phone owners expected to exceed 2 billion people this year, and with most new phones doubling as portable Internet terminals, it's a huge opportunity.
That means localized, timely information, like the address of the nearest pizza joint or driving directions to the airport. But there'll be more to success than helping people figure out where to buy a slice.
Advertising on a 2-inch screen is a huge challenge, so Yahoo (YHOO), Google (GOOG), and their competitors will need to devise new revenue streams, such as bundling search with other subscription services like e-mail or music
While any phone with a browser can access its Web search tool, all local search queries are handled by a text-message-based system
That is key. Mobile search is really SMS. It's too hard to type in www.google.com on your cell phone and wait a minute for the site to come up. When it does, the 10,000 hits Google gives you for your search query are useless. An SMS search done by 4INFO is so much faster and more accurate than Google's SMS.
Send a query to 44636 (4INFO) and see what I mean. Then try 46645 (GOOGL). Not only will you find 4INFO's results faster, but more relevant.
There are others UP SNAP, SYNFONIC , SMS LOCAL to name a few.
Not every phone is web-enabled (and even if it is, the speed is ridiculous). Almost every phone is text enabled. So SMS seems like the clear path to mobile search.
According to the Pierz Group, Americans spent nearly $2 billion on directory assistance from their mobile phones last year -- at an average of $1.25 a call -- which suggests a healthy demand for information on the go.
Imagine if you spent $1.25 on every SMS search. Or everytime you did an SMS for the score of the Yankees game. Howabout for every quote on a stock?
That is why the YellowPages needs to offer a SMS function.
Now think to the database of keywords that is generated from these SMS queries. Think the search engines could sell more advertising from it?
The world's largest search engines are battling for control of your cell phone.
It's easy to see why: With the worldwide installed base of mobile-phone owners expected to exceed 2 billion people this year, and with most new phones doubling as portable Internet terminals, it's a huge opportunity.
That means localized, timely information, like the address of the nearest pizza joint or driving directions to the airport. But there'll be more to success than helping people figure out where to buy a slice.
Advertising on a 2-inch screen is a huge challenge, so Yahoo (YHOO), Google (GOOG), and their competitors will need to devise new revenue streams, such as bundling search with other subscription services like e-mail or music
While any phone with a browser can access its Web search tool, all local search queries are handled by a text-message-based system
That is key. Mobile search is really SMS. It's too hard to type in www.google.com on your cell phone and wait a minute for the site to come up. When it does, the 10,000 hits Google gives you for your search query are useless. An SMS search done by 4INFO is so much faster and more accurate than Google's SMS.
Send a query to 44636 (4INFO) and see what I mean. Then try 46645 (GOOGL). Not only will you find 4INFO's results faster, but more relevant.
There are others UP SNAP, SYNFONIC , SMS LOCAL to name a few.
Not every phone is web-enabled (and even if it is, the speed is ridiculous). Almost every phone is text enabled. So SMS seems like the clear path to mobile search.
According to the Pierz Group, Americans spent nearly $2 billion on directory assistance from their mobile phones last year -- at an average of $1.25 a call -- which suggests a healthy demand for information on the go.
Imagine if you spent $1.25 on every SMS search. Or everytime you did an SMS for the score of the Yankees game. Howabout for every quote on a stock?
That is why the YellowPages needs to offer a SMS function.
Now think to the database of keywords that is generated from these SMS queries. Think the search engines could sell more advertising from it?
Local Search...It's Getting Hot In Here
From Yahoo Biz.com Interchange acquires local-search technology .
June 10, 2005--Interchange Corp. a leading provider of local and national paid-search services in the United States and Europe, today announced the acquisition of patent-pending local-search technology assets.
Under the terms of the agreement Interchange paid $500,000 in cash plus 104,311 unregistered shares of common stock. An additional 104,311 shares of common stock will be payable upon issuance of the pending patent.
Interchange offers a unique Keyword DNA technology.
Keyword DNA technology enables local searchers to utilize natural language search to receive structured search results, such as traditional IYP (Internet Yellow Pages) business listings
The focus lately in search has been more about intellectual property than applications. Is there a search IP land rush going on?
I will try to find out what these patent search assets Interchange aquired are.
In the mean time, Interchange also offers SMS Local search.
To see HOW IT WORKS .
June 10, 2005--Interchange Corp. a leading provider of local and national paid-search services in the United States and Europe, today announced the acquisition of patent-pending local-search technology assets.
Under the terms of the agreement Interchange paid $500,000 in cash plus 104,311 unregistered shares of common stock. An additional 104,311 shares of common stock will be payable upon issuance of the pending patent.
Interchange offers a unique Keyword DNA technology.
Keyword DNA technology enables local searchers to utilize natural language search to receive structured search results, such as traditional IYP (Internet Yellow Pages) business listings
The focus lately in search has been more about intellectual property than applications. Is there a search IP land rush going on?
I will try to find out what these patent search assets Interchange aquired are.
In the mean time, Interchange also offers SMS Local search.
To see HOW IT WORKS .
YellowPages.Com Takes On Google
From BusinessWeek.com's THE FUTURE OF TECH Let your fingers do the clicking
With Web giants Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. storming into the local advertising market, the telephone companies can't afford to sit still. For decades their Yellow Pages books have dominated the ad game for small businesses, and they simply have too much money at stake.
They ALREADY have the small business as a client, just leverage that by offering a website/webhosting service. When that is introduced, a true database of local merchants is available and local search is complete.
Two Bells decided that if anyone was going to take the Yellow Pages online, it had better be them. They pooled their Yellow Pages sites in a joint venture, bought rights to the YellowPages.com name, and tapped 32-year-old BellSouth exec Charles Stubbs as CEO of the Pasadena (Calif.) venture.
What the phone companies do have in their favor is feet on the street. Their thousands of sales reps pound the pavement in towns where Google and Yahoo merely float in the ether. The reps have such deep relationships with their clients that the renewal rate for Yellow Pages' advertisers is more than 90%
The pitch to local customers these days is straightforward: Keep it simple and buy all your advertising, online or off, from us. The salespeople can bundle ads in the printed book with ads on the YellowPages.com site.
Google is big because they took a tool that is used everyday on the PC and advertisers paid big bucks for the search query words (keywords). Mobile search will be a tool used everyday, and as soon as advertisers find a way to monetize what the search words are....there's your next Google.
This is how Google dominates local search
With Web giants Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. storming into the local advertising market, the telephone companies can't afford to sit still. For decades their Yellow Pages books have dominated the ad game for small businesses, and they simply have too much money at stake.
They ALREADY have the small business as a client, just leverage that by offering a website/webhosting service. When that is introduced, a true database of local merchants is available and local search is complete.
Two Bells decided that if anyone was going to take the Yellow Pages online, it had better be them. They pooled their Yellow Pages sites in a joint venture, bought rights to the YellowPages.com name, and tapped 32-year-old BellSouth exec Charles Stubbs as CEO of the Pasadena (Calif.) venture.
What the phone companies do have in their favor is feet on the street. Their thousands of sales reps pound the pavement in towns where Google and Yahoo merely float in the ether. The reps have such deep relationships with their clients that the renewal rate for Yellow Pages' advertisers is more than 90%
The pitch to local customers these days is straightforward: Keep it simple and buy all your advertising, online or off, from us. The salespeople can bundle ads in the printed book with ads on the YellowPages.com site.
Google is big because they took a tool that is used everyday on the PC and advertisers paid big bucks for the search query words (keywords). Mobile search will be a tool used everyday, and as soon as advertisers find a way to monetize what the search words are....there's your next Google.
This is how Google dominates local search
SMS Texting To Magazines
I have discussed at length the idea of making print advertising (magazines,newspapers, business cards) and billboards interactive, but the method has to be different than this.
From Yahoo News.com New services link mobile users to online magazines .
Norwegian publisher Fast Forward Media Group and Belgian technology company Allisblue -- presented their new ways of connecting consumers to publications on Thursday at a conference of European publishers.
Consumners on the go will be able to send keywords to a short telephone number from their handsets, after which they will be sent emails with links to magazines they have requested.
It's a start, but you will get more response if you can send a keyword from magazine to a short code and get back a link to site.
Let's say Calvin Klein comes out with a new fragrance and they put full page ads in all of the appropriate magazines. CK could also put at the bottom of the ad "send the word PASSION to XXXX and include your address for free sample".
General Mills says "send the word LUVFBR to XXXX and receive a coupon on your next purchase" on an ad.
You see where this is going? The next two "land grabs" will be registering short codes ,and the keywords that will be used. NeuStar will hand regsiter the short codes.
The keywords, that's another story. There are few ways that a keyword can gain even more value and Google should think about this .
To really make a product interactive who needs to send a text. Why not just click on a barcode, or an image and be DIRECTLY CONNECTED to the website. Not all phones are camera enabled, and the technology isn't quite there yet.
We here in the States are just mastering how to send a text to vote for the next Idol.
There are many ways to make ads interactive, the brand managers will have a ball thinking of them.
Want to know what you can do to make YOUR AD interactive?
If you want some ideas how to make your product interactive and get consumers to respond, send me an email at VANGORILLA AT AOL DOT COM with your company and the product you are launching.
From Yahoo News.com New services link mobile users to online magazines .
Norwegian publisher Fast Forward Media Group and Belgian technology company Allisblue -- presented their new ways of connecting consumers to publications on Thursday at a conference of European publishers.
Consumners on the go will be able to send keywords to a short telephone number from their handsets, after which they will be sent emails with links to magazines they have requested.
It's a start, but you will get more response if you can send a keyword from magazine to a short code and get back a link to site.
Let's say Calvin Klein comes out with a new fragrance and they put full page ads in all of the appropriate magazines. CK could also put at the bottom of the ad "send the word PASSION to XXXX and include your address for free sample".
General Mills says "send the word LUVFBR to XXXX and receive a coupon on your next purchase" on an ad.
You see where this is going? The next two "land grabs" will be registering short codes ,and the keywords that will be used. NeuStar will hand regsiter the short codes.
The keywords, that's another story. There are few ways that a keyword can gain even more value and Google should think about this .
To really make a product interactive who needs to send a text. Why not just click on a barcode, or an image and be DIRECTLY CONNECTED to the website. Not all phones are camera enabled, and the technology isn't quite there yet.
We here in the States are just mastering how to send a text to vote for the next Idol.
There are many ways to make ads interactive, the brand managers will have a ball thinking of them.
Want to know what you can do to make YOUR AD interactive?
If you want some ideas how to make your product interactive and get consumers to respond, send me an email at VANGORILLA AT AOL DOT COM with your company and the product you are launching.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Could Microsoft Be Developing An RFID Browser?
The more I think about this, the bigger this gets. Anita Campbell writes Microsoft's push into RFID .
I've mentioned before (and I know this is nothing you all don't know) that when Microsoft makes a play in a market, it's clear and convincing evidence that the market is valid. Microsoft's already made moves in radio-frequency identification technology, and now, it's pushing even harder.
I discussed what the story about Microsoft teaming up with Symbol means HERE .
A couple things to remember about RFID. One day, every RFID tag will have its own web address (URL) assigned to it. Verisign will be in charge of issuing those URL's for now. Symbol Technologies is the pioneer of barcode reading technology. From your supermarket to retail store, there's a good chance Symbol is involved.
So now that products with RFID tags will be internet accessable, and there will be billions of these, does that mean Microsoft will have created the RFID browser?
With Microsoft teaming up with Symbol, does this create a portable RFID scanning device with a Microsoft browser included?
How many web pages are currently in use now? How many will there be once RFID tags are assigned a URL?
If a can of Coke has an RFID tag and it is scanned by using a Windows CE browser, will Coke be in charge of where the scanner goes?
Will this be a new advertising method?
Just something to ponder. Hey Google, you want to know how you can stop Microsoft from owning the mobile search search space once this happens?
I've mentioned before (and I know this is nothing you all don't know) that when Microsoft makes a play in a market, it's clear and convincing evidence that the market is valid. Microsoft's already made moves in radio-frequency identification technology, and now, it's pushing even harder.
I discussed what the story about Microsoft teaming up with Symbol means HERE .
A couple things to remember about RFID. One day, every RFID tag will have its own web address (URL) assigned to it. Verisign will be in charge of issuing those URL's for now. Symbol Technologies is the pioneer of barcode reading technology. From your supermarket to retail store, there's a good chance Symbol is involved.
So now that products with RFID tags will be internet accessable, and there will be billions of these, does that mean Microsoft will have created the RFID browser?
With Microsoft teaming up with Symbol, does this create a portable RFID scanning device with a Microsoft browser included?
How many web pages are currently in use now? How many will there be once RFID tags are assigned a URL?
If a can of Coke has an RFID tag and it is scanned by using a Windows CE browser, will Coke be in charge of where the scanner goes?
Will this be a new advertising method?
Just something to ponder. Hey Google, you want to know how you can stop Microsoft from owning the mobile search search space once this happens?
Making Mobile Surfing Easier
From Business 2.0's Matthew Maier Making the mobile web easy .
This may be the best most useful mobile application I've seen. Whether you use your Treo (or any smartphone) to check sports scores, read news, view stock tickers, or whatever, you'll want to visit Skweezer.net
Skweezer is a special browser designed specifically to make it easy to view webpages from your phone or PDA. What that means is that you can load webpages in the fraction of the time it typically takes, and the browser will ensure that all images and text are rendered properly, meaning it will look decent on your 2-inch screen. Best of all its free
To see how It Works
This may be the best most useful mobile application I've seen. Whether you use your Treo (or any smartphone) to check sports scores, read news, view stock tickers, or whatever, you'll want to visit Skweezer.net
Skweezer is a special browser designed specifically to make it easy to view webpages from your phone or PDA. What that means is that you can load webpages in the fraction of the time it typically takes, and the browser will ensure that all images and text are rendered properly, meaning it will look decent on your 2-inch screen. Best of all its free
To see how It Works
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Are The Google Shorts Right THIS time?
What happens when the commodity your whole business is based on, declines in price.
From Webpronews.com Keyword ad prices take a nosedive.
The Fathom Online Keyword Price Index, the best indicator of earnings trends in the search ad industry, dropped 15% in May, almost entirely on a massive correction in inflated mortgage keyword prices.
Google might be able to increase the prices of those keywords if they offered advertisers other abilities with them. What if Google started selling keywords for the mobile?
What if sending a text to Google's SMS with a keyword took you to a specific site or gave you specific info? Stay tuned, this space is just starting.
Mortgage keywords lost almost the entire cost of a subway fare, dropping 30% to $4.52 from $6.49. It was a bad month across the board, with seven out of eight categories seeing drops.
What do these figures have in common? 125%, 105%, 101%, and 93% growth.
They are Google's revenue growth quarter over quarter. Granted it's impressive, but it's slowing.
From Webpronews.com Keyword ad prices take a nosedive.
The Fathom Online Keyword Price Index, the best indicator of earnings trends in the search ad industry, dropped 15% in May, almost entirely on a massive correction in inflated mortgage keyword prices.
Google might be able to increase the prices of those keywords if they offered advertisers other abilities with them. What if Google started selling keywords for the mobile?
What if sending a text to Google's SMS with a keyword took you to a specific site or gave you specific info? Stay tuned, this space is just starting.
Mortgage keywords lost almost the entire cost of a subway fare, dropping 30% to $4.52 from $6.49. It was a bad month across the board, with seven out of eight categories seeing drops.
What do these figures have in common? 125%, 105%, 101%, and 93% growth.
They are Google's revenue growth quarter over quarter. Granted it's impressive, but it's slowing.
The New Local Gold Mine
From the Lost Remote Blog The new local gold mine .
A new report by Borrell Associates urges local media sites to tap into a new revenue stream by building websites for small businesses. "Some local site operators might view design and maintenance as being outside their core competency, but a new crop of service providers offers turnkey programs that not only build a simple, attractive site, but also combine online advertising for it," reads the report.
In my opinion, the Yellow Pages should ask every one of the subscribers if they have a website. If not, there's another revenue stream for them. Only then will local search be complete.
A new report by Borrell Associates urges local media sites to tap into a new revenue stream by building websites for small businesses. "Some local site operators might view design and maintenance as being outside their core competency, but a new crop of service providers offers turnkey programs that not only build a simple, attractive site, but also combine online advertising for it," reads the report.
In my opinion, the Yellow Pages should ask every one of the subscribers if they have a website. If not, there's another revenue stream for them. Only then will local search be complete.
Channel 55 Where Are You??
From BroadcastingCable.com Qualcomm wants to turn off analog TV's .
To speed the rollout of its MediaFLO cellphone TV service, Qualcomm has begun striking deals with TV stations occupying channel 55 in order to get them to vacate the frequency as soon as possible.
To speed the rollout of its MediaFLO cellphone TV service, Qualcomm has begun striking deals with TV stations occupying channel 55 in order to get them to vacate the frequency as soon as possible.
OP3 Delivers ShotCodes
Tip of the hat to Russell and The Mobile Technology Weblog for spotting this.
One of the physical world connection companies I have interviewed OP3 has officially released a way to make your Shotcode (2d barcode for camera phone).
ShotCode.com , the first website in the world to offer mobile barcode reading solutions to everyone, has launched today!
All you need to do is download the ShotCode reader software, assign your ShotCodes and run your own direct connect ShotCode campaign.
To download the ShotCode reader just click HERE
ShotCodes are a circular sequence of black and white blocks represents a url, any url you want, for example to your products website or a point of sale. The ShotCode reader understands this code and connects the end users mobile phone to your location in three clicks or less! Billions of ShotCodes can be created, enough for all your campaigns and them some!
Here's my interview with OP3 and what SpotCodes can do
One of the physical world connection companies I have interviewed OP3 has officially released a way to make your Shotcode (2d barcode for camera phone).
ShotCode.com , the first website in the world to offer mobile barcode reading solutions to everyone, has launched today!
All you need to do is download the ShotCode reader software, assign your ShotCodes and run your own direct connect ShotCode campaign.
To download the ShotCode reader just click HERE
ShotCodes are a circular sequence of black and white blocks represents a url, any url you want, for example to your products website or a point of sale. The ShotCode reader understands this code and connects the end users mobile phone to your location in three clicks or less! Billions of ShotCodes can be created, enough for all your campaigns and them some!
Here's my interview with OP3 and what SpotCodes can do
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Sem@Code Founder Behind Apple Intel Project
Congrats Simon.
A physical world connection player that I follow and interviewed on my blog, reveals today on his blog that he was a key player in Apple's OS X on Intel Project.
Simon explains why he had to keep a period in his life secret when referring to Mr Marklar .
The Apple, Intel announcement HERE .
A physical world connection player that I follow and interviewed on my blog, reveals today on his blog that he was a key player in Apple's OS X on Intel Project.
Simon explains why he had to keep a period in his life secret when referring to Mr Marklar .
The Apple, Intel announcement HERE .
Visual Search Engine
From BusinessWire.com Neven Vision Founder to present at Visual Mobile Search Summit .
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 2005--Neven Vision , the industry leader in mobile machine vision technology, announced today that Dr. Hartmut Neven, the company's CEO, will be speaking on Tuesday, June 7 in Amsterdam, Netherlands at the Mobile Imaging Summit Europe
Dr. Neven will showcase visual mobile search technology based on the company's patented Mobile-i(TM) recognition engines. The technology enables mobile camera phones to intelligently search the internet or information databases by simply snapping photos.
The company's visual mobile search effectively extends the footprint of merchants, advertisers, and internet content providers, allowing users to capture pictures of products, places, and logos, etc., and within seconds, receive relevant content to their phone.
Used to find movie times, buy tickets, lookup restaurant reviews, or download coupons, visual mobile search is the next vehicle for consumer wireless searching.
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 2005--Neven Vision , the industry leader in mobile machine vision technology, announced today that Dr. Hartmut Neven, the company's CEO, will be speaking on Tuesday, June 7 in Amsterdam, Netherlands at the Mobile Imaging Summit Europe
Dr. Neven will showcase visual mobile search technology based on the company's patented Mobile-i(TM) recognition engines. The technology enables mobile camera phones to intelligently search the internet or information databases by simply snapping photos.
The company's visual mobile search effectively extends the footprint of merchants, advertisers, and internet content providers, allowing users to capture pictures of products, places, and logos, etc., and within seconds, receive relevant content to their phone.
Used to find movie times, buy tickets, lookup restaurant reviews, or download coupons, visual mobile search is the next vehicle for consumer wireless searching.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Microsoft and Symbol Team Up on RFID
From Forbes.com Symbol, Microsoft team up on RFID .
In my opinion this is probably the biggest news to come out of the RFID space so far.
I explained what I thought would happen with Symbol and the RFID industry HERE .
NEW YORK - Microsoft asked. Symbol delivered.
On Monday, Symbol Technologies (nyse: SBL - news - people ), will unveil the first radio-frequency identification reader that supports Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Windows CE. The move should reassert Symbol's market dominance in RFID and give Microsoft a foothold in the small but growing market.
Symbol, which made its name as a maker of bar-code readers, has pegged its growth on RFID technology, from its acquisition of Matrics a year ago to its latest deals with the U.S. Department of Defense and Boeing (nyse: BA - news - people ) in the past month.
Symbol said it chose to support Windows CE instead of Palm OS because most of their partners and customers are already familiar with Windows and can quickly develop applications for the platform
So does this mean Mister Softee and Symbol will dominate the next generation scanning device market??
Does this mean Microsoft will be able to connect to any RFID tag and directly connect to the assigned website?
I see big things with this alliance. I see Google's wet nose pressed against the window looking in. Google it might be time to start looking at how you can penetrate this market.
Want to know how? I have been telling you on my blog for the past six months. It might be time to step it up a notch. The advertising dollar will eventually flow to the cell phone and you might want to have a position there.
In my opinion this is probably the biggest news to come out of the RFID space so far.
I explained what I thought would happen with Symbol and the RFID industry HERE .
NEW YORK - Microsoft asked. Symbol delivered.
On Monday, Symbol Technologies (nyse: SBL - news - people ), will unveil the first radio-frequency identification reader that supports Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Windows CE. The move should reassert Symbol's market dominance in RFID and give Microsoft a foothold in the small but growing market.
Symbol, which made its name as a maker of bar-code readers, has pegged its growth on RFID technology, from its acquisition of Matrics a year ago to its latest deals with the U.S. Department of Defense and Boeing (nyse: BA - news - people ) in the past month.
Symbol said it chose to support Windows CE instead of Palm OS because most of their partners and customers are already familiar with Windows and can quickly develop applications for the platform
So does this mean Mister Softee and Symbol will dominate the next generation scanning device market??
Does this mean Microsoft will be able to connect to any RFID tag and directly connect to the assigned website?
I see big things with this alliance. I see Google's wet nose pressed against the window looking in. Google it might be time to start looking at how you can penetrate this market.
Want to know how? I have been telling you on my blog for the past six months. It might be time to step it up a notch. The advertising dollar will eventually flow to the cell phone and you might want to have a position there.
"Invertising"..Advertising's Future
From Online Media Daily Invertising: When consumers control the media .
THE LATIN ROOT OF "ADVERTISE"--ADVERTERE--LITERALLY means "to turn towards." It is the same root for the word "adversary." This sense of confrontation at the essence of advertising may be what undergoes the most radical change in the next decade of marketing sponsorship.
Contrary to popular wisdom, consumers do not hate advertising per se. People continue to buy through catalogs that arrive in their mailboxes; search advertising is booming because people click ads targeted to their queries; and we can all hum a dozen favorite TV jingles.
The popularity of consumer-controlled media arguably has more to do with consumers' desire for the exact media they want when they want it than it has to do with ad avoidance. Nonetheless, the same tools that enable consumers to skip ads if they want to, raise the bar considerably for advertisers.
Procter & Gamble Chief Marketing Officer Jim Stengel "All marketing should be permission marketing. All marketing should be so appealing that consumers want us in their lives."
"Permission marketing" may not be the best phrase to describe the new era of marketing that is already beginning to take shape. "Service marketing" may be closer to the idea.
THE LATIN ROOT OF "ADVERTISE"--ADVERTERE--LITERALLY means "to turn towards." It is the same root for the word "adversary." This sense of confrontation at the essence of advertising may be what undergoes the most radical change in the next decade of marketing sponsorship.
Contrary to popular wisdom, consumers do not hate advertising per se. People continue to buy through catalogs that arrive in their mailboxes; search advertising is booming because people click ads targeted to their queries; and we can all hum a dozen favorite TV jingles.
The popularity of consumer-controlled media arguably has more to do with consumers' desire for the exact media they want when they want it than it has to do with ad avoidance. Nonetheless, the same tools that enable consumers to skip ads if they want to, raise the bar considerably for advertisers.
Procter & Gamble Chief Marketing Officer Jim Stengel "All marketing should be permission marketing. All marketing should be so appealing that consumers want us in their lives."
"Permission marketing" may not be the best phrase to describe the new era of marketing that is already beginning to take shape. "Service marketing" may be closer to the idea.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Wanna See The New "My Microsoft" Home Page?
Everybody wants to be your home page. Now Microsft has their new version. Founder and CEO of Findory , Greg Linden gets the SCOOP .
Microsoft asks a series of questions that will give you each letter of the URL of the page. Don't tell anybody, but I used Google to find the answers.
To see what it looks like and take the quiz click HERE .
I can't decide if this is a good or bad marketing trick. Mister Softee makes it even harder to find this website. Ask 10 people on the street how to get to Microsoft's search page, and then ask those same people how to get to Google.
I think that's one of the problems right from the start.
Here's an idea Microsoft, register the site www.softee.com (or something catchy) so people associate doing a search with thst verb. "Do a Google", or "Do a Softee".
It's the same number of letters to remember and its a heckuva lot easier than this "http://www.imagine-msn.com/search/tour/moreprecise.aspx", don't ya think?
If you're "search impaired" and can't find the answers to Microsoft's questions, just click HERE .
Playing around with it though, I like it. I like the menu bar that allows "My Feeds" to be shown or hidden. The stock quotes is easy to use, but I don't know if it includes asterisks for news stories alerts like Yahoo has( that's the only thing keeping my home page set to Yahoo).
The My Feeds ( I still don't know if it alerts when new post has been entered yet_ could pose a big threat to BlogLines.
Microsoft asks a series of questions that will give you each letter of the URL of the page. Don't tell anybody, but I used Google to find the answers.
To see what it looks like and take the quiz click HERE .
I can't decide if this is a good or bad marketing trick. Mister Softee makes it even harder to find this website. Ask 10 people on the street how to get to Microsoft's search page, and then ask those same people how to get to Google.
I think that's one of the problems right from the start.
Here's an idea Microsoft, register the site www.softee.com (or something catchy) so people associate doing a search with thst verb. "Do a Google", or "Do a Softee".
It's the same number of letters to remember and its a heckuva lot easier than this "http://www.imagine-msn.com/search/tour/moreprecise.aspx", don't ya think?
If you're "search impaired" and can't find the answers to Microsoft's questions, just click HERE .
Playing around with it though, I like it. I like the menu bar that allows "My Feeds" to be shown or hidden. The stock quotes is easy to use, but I don't know if it includes asterisks for news stories alerts like Yahoo has( that's the only thing keeping my home page set to Yahoo).
The My Feeds ( I still don't know if it alerts when new post has been entered yet_ could pose a big threat to BlogLines.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Germany's Buddy Alert Thru GPS
Similar to AOL's "Find Me", Germany's Mobilco offers their Buddy Alert .
German developer Mobiloco, an Ericsson Mobility World business partner, recently launched a location-based service called Buddy Alert, which easily locates your friends. It could be handy if you are downtown and feel like some company over a coffee.
MOBILOCO’s Buddy Alert offers it’s users the opportunity to locate their friends via mobile phones. Just one SMS or two clicks on their WAP-Browser and users know, which of their friends are nearby. Both friends will instantly be notified and can get in touch with each other easily via call, SMS or mail
German developer Mobiloco, an Ericsson Mobility World business partner, recently launched a location-based service called Buddy Alert, which easily locates your friends. It could be handy if you are downtown and feel like some company over a coffee.
MOBILOCO’s Buddy Alert offers it’s users the opportunity to locate their friends via mobile phones. Just one SMS or two clicks on their WAP-Browser and users know, which of their friends are nearby. Both friends will instantly be notified and can get in touch with each other easily via call, SMS or mail
Friday, June 03, 2005
Mobile WiMax Threatens Cellcos
From Monsters And Critics.com New-gen wireless technology could shake up cell-phone services .
UPI) -- A new generation of wireless technology could shake up cell-phone services.
The ink is barely dry on the official WiMAX specification for high-speed wireless Internet service, yet several manufacturers are already looking ahead to rolling out the next generation in wireless broadband service: Mobile WiMAX.
Also known as 802.16e, Mobile WiMAX would allow consumers to roam between wireless hot spots without interruption, just as mobile-phone users travel between cells without dropping calls
Roaming WiMAX could threaten established cellular services in the U.S., however, since the capability exists to offer VoIP services over the same wireless connections in the future.
UPI) -- A new generation of wireless technology could shake up cell-phone services.
The ink is barely dry on the official WiMAX specification for high-speed wireless Internet service, yet several manufacturers are already looking ahead to rolling out the next generation in wireless broadband service: Mobile WiMAX.
Also known as 802.16e, Mobile WiMAX would allow consumers to roam between wireless hot spots without interruption, just as mobile-phone users travel between cells without dropping calls
Roaming WiMAX could threaten established cellular services in the U.S., however, since the capability exists to offer VoIP services over the same wireless connections in the future.
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