The Business of Mobile Content (sms, mms, wap, psms)

While new technologies are introduced daily, every now and then a technology comes along that truly revolutionizes peoples behaviors, attitudes, decisions and lives. Take a moment to think about how the DVR and HDTV changed the TV experience – I mean come on…who really watched those colorful nature shows on the Discovery Channel before HDTV? Well, June 29th, 2007 was one of those days, as it marked the change of mobile web forever. What happened on that summer Friday you ask? The iPhone ! The New York Times ‘ WAP site for conventional mobile phones The New York Times site on the iPhone. Put ... Read Full Story

Last week, I received a free trial for the mobile service which allows users to text message the KGB Team specific questions that are in need of immediate answers. At first, I wasn't quite sure what types of questions I would be able to think of, but after I got the hang of it (aka, addicted to the service), I started using it at all times of the day (and night) to answer the weird and wacky questions that came to mind. Having access to (nearly) immediate and accurate answers was fun and exciting! At times, I treated it like the magic 8-ball, attempting ... Read Full Story

The ‘Net Generation loves driving their cars. They also love their mobile devices. Unfortunately, they love doing them at the same time as if they have suddenly acquired, and mastered, ninja-like skills. Nearly 30% of the respondents to a AAA & Seventeen magazine survey said they text message while driving. I live, and work, near malls and I know that I see a lot more than 30% of younger drivers using their mobile devices while cruising around in Daddy’s late-model Lexus. One 18 year old survey respondent said, “I do it all the time. Drive with one hand, and I text with the other ... Read Full Story

If you're a regular listener of the Podcast (shameless plug: you can download the podcast to your right) you've heard me rant and rave about all the hype in the mobile industry around new "killer apps" like video. Well it appears that I'm right. People don't give a crap about watching tv on their cell phones. Except for a handful of tech geeks and business guys no one wants to pay between $20 - $50 per month for high speed data services. Nor do they want to pay another $1.99 - $5 per download. SMS is and will continue to be the killer application ... Read Full Story

WITH THE INCREASED AND INCREASING ACCEPTANCE OF PDA'S AND BLACKBERRY-ENABLED CELLULAR PHONES WITH TEXT-MESSAGING AND E-MAIL CAPABILITIES all over the place, there can be no mistaking the fact of thumbs being tired out all too quickly having to type out e-mails, blog entries and text messages on their QWERTY-keyboard PDA's. May I recommend for your consideration studying (and using) an old telegrapher's trick known as the Phillips Abbreviated Code (after its creator, Walter Polk Phillips, an Associated Press telegrapher who came up with the first version thereof in 1879 to spare telegraphers much time in reducing the number of characters used in sending out ... Read Full Story