Mobile Messaging, Social Networking and Bluetooth

The mobile messaging market is in a perpetual state of change that has taken directions few could have predicted. The result? Users are discovering new ways to communicate with others. Mobile Messaging 2.0 technology is transforming the one-size-fits-all short message service (SMS).

Free web based messenger that enables you to chat with your MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, Skype, ICQ, etc can be used on your mobile since a while. You just pay for data transfer. WAP over GPRS costs about the same price than a SMS but instead of 160 characters, you can send 4,000. Totally free over WiFi (for the only few).

So far, so good. But when it comes to build a social network around Instant Messaging, we just wonder if it's really worth making so much ado about nothing. Most of the time, people are offline...

Our JOIN ME feature let users meet new friends during a next event. The old-fashion way: by email. No Java applet to download. It's that easy!

Maps & Bluetooth
Something cool however grab our attention from all that mess: you can detect people that are nearby your location. On the move. Mobiluck, Aka Aki, Loopt are using a Bluetooth-based cellid detection system. Pretty smart. Just don't forget to turn it ON.

"There are 2 billion devices with Bluetooth technology in the marketplace now. What started with mobile phones and headsets has spilled over into nearly every industry from gaming and cars to clothing and toys" said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).

Bluetooth looks hot. We just don't think maps are very relevant to locate people nearby. Beside, better have an unlimited data plan to use such kind of service on your mobile. Maps weight a lot. In the US, you get unlimited data without even asking for. In Europe, it's far not the case. So, please stop putting maps everywhere. We can't (and won't) use them!

The biggest con of bluetooth is juice. We are just not ready to turn it to ON/OFF, ON/OFF, ON/OFF, ... 10 times a day. What a pain for lazy geeks!