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!

75% Users Have an Ordinary Mobile Phone

AdMob Mobile Metrics Report shows that 25% users surfing the web from their handsets have a smartphone while 75% have an ordinary mobile.

With hundreds of different handsets in the market today, AdMob also reveals some interesting stats regarding screen sizes: 60% mobiles have Small (128x160) to Medium (176x208) screens while 40% range from large (240x320) to X-large (320x320). Contrary to a popular belief, screen size doesn't matter to experience the web from one's handset.

Google has made banners available in four sizes, from the smallest at 167 pixels wide by 30 pixels tall to the largest at 305 pixels wide by 64 pixels tall, plus medium size banners of 215 by 34 and 192 x 53, all of which are likely to occupy a fairly large portion of the typical mobile device screen, which is 320 x 200 pixels.



Although AdMob does not claim that these informations will be necessarily representative of the mobile internet as a whole, it gives matter to think, discuss and share views (AdMob currently serves more than 2.5 billion ads monthly).

Mobile Growth Slower Than Expected

[MSearchGroove] Google doesn’t understand yet how to build mobile applications, so there is potential for early failure because they don’t have the right application. What Google’s got to understand is that people don’t want to navigate on the phone, said Kenneth Dulaney, VP of research firm Gartner Group.

To add to the drama is a raft of stats about mobile search and advertising in one place, suggesting that growth in this sector may be much slower than many have predicted: 1) More than one-half of mobile phone owners said that nothing would motivate them to use Web-based services on their mobiles 2) Only 3 percent of mobile users use mobile search 3) Only 10 percent of teens access the Web via their mobiles 4) In the U.S., 16 percent of cell phone owners regularly access the Internet from their mobiles, increasing to 28 percent in 2012 (Jupiter Research).

This is the kind of stat we pretty much love but it's not only Google that doesn't understand how to build mobile apps. Apple too. Let's hope Kenneth will at least croak (share) his views about HOW to help Google and Apple make it better :) On the other hand, when it comes to mobile Web use and the slower than expected mobile growth, analysts explained that "most consumers avoid accessing the Internet on their cell phones because it's expensive, slow and difficult". Hmm ... might be a reason but we have a better one: 90% of mobile services are still just crap! This explains that.

Google Maps with My Location (beta)

See your location on the map, with or without GPS.

WOW! 1MB download but this is damn HOT. 100% accuracy on our first try, then (after a refresh) 1000m from our current position :( all this without GPS :) Cool. Now, to make My Location a killing application "over GPRS", we would suggest to (a) let users install a map - at least 1 city - and (b) overlay map with diet information (tiny markers + text only) we could WAP on-the-fly ... and cost effectively. Frogs hate to swallow up to 200KB each time they have to view/refresh a Gmap on their mobiles. Make it even smarter guys!

Mobile users not interested in using mobile TV

[Silicon] It seems mobile phone users aren't that interested in using many of the advanced features, such as mobile TV, downloading & sending video and subscription-based text information services that operators have been pushing.

Mobile users are not the "silly milk cows" Telcos wish they would. In our opinion, 80% of users never surfed the Web from one's mobile, 15% are not ready to pay data traffic for 99% pure rubbish content and 5% have corporate subscriptions (they don't care about money). Interest is thus not the key point. People have to be educated first. And the best way to educate people is to offer a 1MB free monthly WAP access. But how long will it take for greedy Telcos to understand that?

[Silicon] Il semblerait que les utilisateurs mobiles ne soient pas très intéressés à utiliser les nombreuses options avancées qu'offre un mobile, comme la TV mobile, télécharger/envoyer des vidéos ou souscrire à des infos "texte" que les opérateurs poussent à utiliser.

Les utilisateurs mobiles ne sont pas des "vaches-à-lait idiotes" comme le voudraient les opérateurs Télécoms. A notre avis, 80% des utilisateurs n'ont jamais surfé sur le Web depuis un mobile, 15% ne sont pas disposés à payer pour du transfert de données alors que 99% du contenu n'est que foutaise et 5% ont des abonnements entreprise (l'argent n'est pas un problème). L'intérêt n'est donc pas l'élément clef. Les gens doivent d'abord être éduqués. Et la meilleure façon pour éduquer les gens est d'offrir 1MB de transfert WAP gratuit par mois. Mais combien de temps cela prendra-t-il pour que les opérateurs radins le comprenne?

Opera Mini 4.0 Beta

Opera Mini 4.0 Beta looks great but still bugs. We just don't like Opera's compressing method as it slows down pretty much our browsing experience on VMN City News. Anyway, iphone is facing new competitors sooner than expected. Ever heard about Deepfish for windows mobile?

Opera Mini 4.0 Beta est vraiment cool mais bug encore. Nous n'aimons simplement pas la méthode de compression d'Opera car elle réduit considérablement notre expérience de navigation sur VMN City News. Bref, iphone voit des concurrents arriver plus rapidement que prévu. Déjà entendu parler de Deepfish pour windows mobile?

10 reasons not to buy iPhone

Who said Steve Jobs was a mobile-geek?

(1) 2 crappy mp camera. What about video recording? (2) Poor non-removable $85 battery life / June 18: Battery Life Improved; Shares jumped 2.6% - LOL (3) Google Maps & YouTube "cool" features boost data traffic (4) Closed system (you can't install additional third-party apps) NO Instant Messaging, NO mp3 ringtones, NO Flash, ... (5) Newspapers' headlines are barely legible in portrait orientation (6) Lack of a tactile click feeling (7) Touchscreens are greasy + the screen uses a chemical deposition (life expectation=?) to provide touch sensitivity based on heat. No stylus :( ever (8) Edge is not fast enough for heavy maps (9) Not carrier independent, AT&T monthly Plan starts at $60 up to +$200. Wow! Why pay for unlimited data traffic to never watch YouTube on your iPhone? Silly (10) Runs OS X + iTunes sync. Weird. Wait for the newer version or competitive ones (Meizu MiniOne, Nokia S60 Touch, etc - They understand what mobile means). We won't buy iPhone, though we love innovation. Sheeps will. Maybe less than 10mio.

Note (Sept 5, 2007): Shares fell $7 on iPhone cut price. LOL. There's no price cut. Apple is just giving 4GB away for free, which costs a few bucks only. Still not a buy. Basic features are missing. Hard sell in Europe is guaranteed.

Note (July 11, 2008): iphone v2 or iphone 3G has been released at a 50% cut price. At this speed, we will wait another 1-2 year before buying this toy for as low as $99. And still no FM radio and a 2 mpixel camera. 6 mio sold instead of 10 promised. Did you hear it during the show? It was scarcely audible :)

Note (August 10, 2008): If you bought your iphone outside the US, you will find less iphone apps available on iTunes-store. So weird. Apple also forbids some iphone developers from improving some fundamental feature-sets. "Apple's restrictions are aimed at reducing potential security hazards as well as ensuring solid stability". What a joke! By controlling the development and selling process, Apple is just killing himself. Are you still an Apple Fan? Jailbreak your iphone to discover a whole new world.

Who's the most mobile addicted?

NTT-DoCoMo (Japan) introduced i-mode in 1999, a highly successful GPRS service. In 2004, it allowed 45 million users to send m-emails (emails from one's mobile) and surf the Internet. Young Japanese are even passing their time in the train reading entire novels on their mobile phones. Text is fun!

It has often been said that an important difference between new mobile services in Asia and Europe is that in Asia, people focus on services, while in Europe, technology is marketed. And guess who's the most successful?

Qui est le plus accros du mobile?
NTT-DoCoMo (Japon) a introduit i-mode en 1999, un service GPRS qui connaît un énorme succès. En 2004, il a permis à 45 million d'utilisateurs d'envoyer des m-emails (emails depuis son mobile) et de surfer sur le Web. Les jeunes japonais passent même leur temps dans le train à lire des histoires entières sur leur mobile. Le Texte c'est Fun!

Il a souvent été dit qu'une différence importante entre de nouveaux services pour téléphonie mobile en Asie et en Europe est qu'en Asie, on se focalise d'abord sur les services, alors qu'en Europe, c'est la technologie qui est publicitée. Et devinez qui a le plus de succès?

Wanna eat some MMS? No, I'm on diet!

Here, we show you the duration in seconds of a 64KB file download depending on your Internet mobile connection speed. 64KB = 15-20 second video clip, maximum size allowed on most mobile phones with a color screen. Who said MMS are so sexy that I will use them like a fool? Too heavy. Too expensive. Definitely Not compelling. Only teenagers can show some interest in MMS! But not long. They grow fast.

Tu veux manger des MMS? Non, suis au régime!
Ici, vous pouvez voir la durée de téléchargement en seconde d'un fichier de 64KB selon la vitesse de connexion Internet de votre téléphone mobile. 64KB = clip vidéo de 15-20 secondes, taille maximale autorisée sur la majorité des téléphones mobiles avec écran couleur. Qui a dit que les MMS sont tellement sexy que je les utiliserai comme un fou? Trop lourds. Trop chers. Inintéressants au possible. Seuls les ados peuvent s'intéresser aux MMS! Mais pas longtemps. Ils mûrissent vite.

Are you Text or Infotainment addicted?

Since naive telco analysts have forecasted that non-voice data services will generate revenues in billion of dollars, 3G Telcos are the biggest supporters of infotainment services such as video, MMS and other multimedia related products. No surprise. Infotainement is a heavy consumer of ... bandwidth. And guess who gets the bill?

We never met anybody really interested in using infotainment services very seriously: after a try or two, illusions are gone. Back to reality. It never works as it should. And if lucky, content is so poor that you definitely stop believing what marketers say. Much ado about nothing!

T'es plutôt accros Texte ou Infotainment?
Depuis que des analystes naïfs de l'industrie des Télécoms ont prédit que les services de données non-voix généreront des revenus en milliard de dollars, les opérateurs 3G sont devenus les plus fervents défenseurs de services "infotainment" comme la vidéo, les MMS et autres produits multimédia. Pas surprenant. L'infotainment est un gros consommateur de ... bande-passante. Et devinez qui reçoit la facture?

Nous n'avons jamais rencontré personne de réellement intéressé à utiliser des services infotainment sérieusement: après un essai ou deux, les illusions s'envolent. Retour à la réalité. Cela ne fonctionne jamais comme prévu. Et si chanceux, le contenu est tellement pauvre que vous arrêterez définitivement de croire à la publicité. Beaucoup de bruit pour rien!

Cool, I can watch video on my mobile

What is the interest to watch videos on such small displays? Make a simple test: use your mobile in standard conditions - this means in very bad ones - outside, on the street or in a bus. See what we mean? Even for free, there's no big interest.

So, the next time you hear your friend saying "Cool, I can even watch videos on my mobile", just face him with a large smile. He can but never will. Video on mobile phones is just a way to impress your friends. Occasionally.

Super, j'peux voir de la vidéo sur mon mobile
Quel est l'intérêt de voir de la vidéo sur de tels petits écrans? Faites un simple test: utilisez votre mobile dans des conditions normales - c'est-à-dire très mauvaises - dehors, dans la rue ou dans le bus. Vous voyez ce qu'on veut dire? Même gratuit, ça n'a pas grand intérêt.

Alors, la prochaine fois que vous entendrez votre ami dire "Super, je peux même voir de la vidéo sur mon mobile ...", regardez-le en affichant un large sourire. Il pourra mais ne le fera jamais. La vidéo sur téléphonie mobile est uniquement faite pour impressionner vos amis. Occasionnellement.

Opera mini dans le monde

[Businessmobile] Le nombre d'utilisateurs d'Opera Mini dans le monde atteint aujourd'hui les 5 millions. Google est le service le plus utilisé avec ce logiciel.

Dommage ... VMN City News offre une bien meilleure expérience du WAP. A propos, nous conseillons la version payante d'Opera mobile. Plus performant qu'Opera Mini, la version gratuite.

Google Mobile Maps

[Vnunet] Google has launched a version of its Maps service for mobile phones (Java). The service does not support GPS navigation.

Pretty cool but without GPS, it's useless. And yes, you need to be connected. 1 huge problem here: each GMap page is about 300KB. If you connect over GPRS, forget it. It will cost you a fortune. Over WiFi (for the only few), how do they connect on the move? Hmm ... and forget about downloading maps to use them without being connected to the Internet. It's not possible. Google Maps and satellite imagery are copyrighted. Chances are thus very low that you will use it more than 3 times in your entire life.

Hi-speed connections. Promising or not?

2010 forecast: 2.2 billion users with 75% having their data needs met by 2.5G applications. 21.2mio 3G subscribers, 20.6mio WiFi (4G) and 831,000 WiMAX (4G) active mobile users are forecasted for 2006 (Europe). This is peanuts for a market counting in billion! If you don't want to wait ages until these hi-speed technologies finally provide a wide coverage at a very low cost, our services work pretty well with GPRS (2.5G) only. Anywhere. Even on top of a mountain!

Take advantage of GPRS for access on the move or free WiFi connectivity for broadband speeds when available.

Connexion haut-débit. Prometteur ou non?
Prévision 2010: 2.2 milliard d'utilisateurs mobiles avec 75% couvrant leurs besoins en données via des applications 2.5G. 21.2 millions d'abonnés 3G, 20.6 millions d'utilisateurs actifs WiFi (4G) et 831,000 WiMAX (4G) sont prévus pour 2006 (Europe). Une paille pour un marché qui compte en milliard! Si vous ne voulez pas attendre un millénaire avant que ce que ces technologies haut-débits offrent enfin une large couverture à un prix plancher, nos services fonctionnent parfaitement bien avec du GPRS (2.5G) seulement. N'importe où! Même au sommet d'une montagne.

Profitez d'un accès GPRS en chemin ou d'une connexion haut-débit WiFi gratuite lorsque c'est possible.

Cellphone pornography

[Reuters] Cellphone pornography is expected to be a fast-growing business that could generate about $2 billion in yearly revenue by 2009, Reuters reports on CNN. People already spend millions of dollars a year on cellphone porn in Europe through companies such as Vodafone.

Expected + could = Never trust analysts. They are mostly wrong. However, it's true that we have a lot to learn from adult sites. They master new technologies better than most companies do on the Web.

Yahoo! Go

Hmm... looks "nice" if your mobile is WiFi enabled. If not, this is the best way to GO! bankrupt if you don't have unlimited data traffic. For WiFi lovers, we wish them good luck to find a free hotspot while on the GO!

Hmm... ça a l'air "sympa" si votre mobile a le WiFi. Sinon, c'est la meilleure façon de casser votre tirelire si vous n'avez pas un abonnement avec trafic illimité. Pour les amoureux du WiFi, nous leur souhaitons bonne chance pour trouver un accès gratuit en chemin.

Macromedia looks Flash in Cell Phones

[BusinessWeek] Flash animation on every consumer-electronic device with a screen. Wall Street is beginning to believe.

We believe it's a dream. Macromedia is too buggy for that. However, now that it has been taken-over by Adobe, we might well believe too. Hmm ... Wait and See.

T-Mobile Flash Lite

[Flashdevices] T-Mobile will be using Flash Lite 1.1 as their engine for powering their News Express Service in the UK, Germany and Austria. Flash Lite is now available outside of Japan. Flash Lite is a version of Macromedia Flash Player specifically developed for mobile phones.

Poor Telcos. They are coming up with new mobile services everyday just to feed a cow (3G) that produces no milk. Expensive technologies will never sell.

Macromedia Flash in i-Mode

[DoCoMo] Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo and U.S. software maker Macromedia announced that the two companies have reached an agreement to jointly deliver Macromedia Flash technology to i-mode in Japan.

Why a US-based company couldn't start on its own market? America missed the train to go mobile. They are doing better since Bill woke up.