Author Archive

680 News now availabe on the iPhone: Does it get any better?

photophoto2photo3photo4

Just last week one of Toronto’s top News Radio station, 680 News, became available for the iPhone. Although it was already available for the Blackberry, iPhone users like myself were wondering when the iPhone version would be release and how it would meet our expectations. I will review the application below and hopefully if you are a fan you will give it try.

News:
Obviously being a news application, there is a section that has the latest news. The great thing about it is that the news is local. If you are like me and you like to know what is happening in your city in short burst, 680 News articles are just right for you. They are short articles that seam quite relevant to people living in Toronto. The section in the application is done quite well, with an indicator that shows whether you have read the article or not. There is an ad at the bottom of the articles that is not overly obtrusive and seems to work. There is a feature in the app preference that allows you to select the age of your news. So if you don’t ever want to see news older than one day you can have that setting programmed. All in all, it is pretty easy to navigate and get your news.

Weather:
The weather section is quite simple. It is just one screen with a five date forecast. It shows the high and the low. Only problem is that you can only get weather for Toronto. If you live a bit outside, you do not have the option to get your weather.

Traffic:
The traffic section is fun to use. It has the MTO camera shots throughout the city and you can bookmark your favourite cameras that fall within your route. It is nice to use before you leave for your drive to work or home.

Live Audio Stream:
Although the rest of the application is quite good, the live stream is really the best part. You can listen to 680 live anytime on your iPhone. I always have the problem where I only listen to news or traffic when I get in the car. This application lets me listen from anywhere and get a quick update when and where I need. Truly a useful feature

Availability:
The biggest downfall about the application is its availability. It is only available to Rogers and Fido users so if you want to listen to 680 on your Bell or Telus iPhone you wont be able to do that. Hopefully there will be plans to open this up to everyone all 680 News listeners.

Posted on January 31st 2010 in Mobile Apps, iPhone | No Comments »

iPhone App helped save a life in Haiti Earthquake disaster

haiti-earthquake1

An iPhone application helped save the life of an America filmmaker who was trapped after the earthquake that devastated Haiti about two weeks ago.  Dan Wooley was trapped beneath rubble for 3 days and his iPhone may have had a hand in his survival.   When the earthquake hit, Mr. Wooley was in his hotel and the earthquake left his leg fractured and his head profusely bleeding.

Having installed a medical application on this iPhone prior to the earthquake, Mr. Wooley was able to search for treatments for “compound fracture” and “profuse bleeding”.  He found recommendations on how to treat his injuries.

” So I used my shirt to tie my leg and a sock on the back of my head. And later used it for other things, like to diagnose shock,” Woolley told MSNBC in Miami after being pulled out alive by French rescuers.

The developers that created the application should give themselves a pat in the back.  After all, how often can we say that our application saved a lifer today.  Bravo developers, bravo iPhone and I guess Apple can now claim that there REALLY is an app out there for just about anything….even SURVIVAL.

Posted on January 25th 2010 in Apple, Mobile Apps, iPhone | No Comments »

It really is the mobile decade when a UK church has a mobile blessing ceremony

Just last night I posted an entry where I claimed that it is definitely the mobile decade and just as morning hits, my words are being validated.  How you ask? Just take a look at the top headlines on Yahoo news and you will see.

A church in the UK has held a ceremony in which about 80 participants brought their mobile phones to get blessed in a formal ceremony.   The idea came from a historic tradition where workers would bring the tools of their trade such as ploughs to be blessed on the first Monday after people return to work following Christmas.  And that is exactly what they did on this Monday January 11th, 2010 ceremony.  They brought their work tools and parishioners took out cell phones as Rev. Canon David Parrott recited a blessing over them and their electronic devices. A few held their phones up in the air as he ran through the prayer and blessed their most sacred devices.

My point proven! It really is the mobile decade when mobile devices find a formal place in the religious institutions.

Posted on January 11th 2010 in Mobile technology | No Comments »

Google introduces Nexus One: What is it really like?

picture-2

Google has finally launched the much anticipated Nexus One phone that runs the Android operating system.  With Google’s history of market domination, is their entry into the phone market going to follow foot steps of their entry into the search engine market?

An HTC-built phone has a new tweaked and updated Android interface with a great sleek design but is it really the Google product that the world has been waiting for?

Hardware

  • 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB RAM, 32GB-capable microSD slot, a 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display at 800×480, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and 720×480 video capture @ 20FPS, dual microphones for noise canceling and a trackball.
  • Ultra-thin body
  • Sleek curved edges
  • Unmistakably and HTC device but there are plenty of design cues that scream Google.

Software

  • Runs on Android 2.1
  • Cool graphics and animated effects. (I only worry that this may hinder performance and speed but I can not tell just yet)
  • Voice recognition that lets you speak into almost all fields.  This means you can dictate text and email messages.
  • It’s fas. Partly from the Android 2.1 operating system

Battery Life

  • Comparable to other similar devices and so far not complaints on battery life

Cost and Payment plans

  • Unlocked for $530 or subsidized, with a T-Mobile contract for $180

The feature set seems impressive and the OS has some great applications and features that make Nexus One a good contender.  Would I trade in my iPhone for this device?  I still prefer the full touch screen capability of my iPhone, its sleek design and the 100,000+ applications that virtually let me do anything I can think of on my iPhone.  I am still waiting for “THAT” device that compels me to switch my iPhone ways.

Posted on January 11th 2010 in Announcement, Google | No Comments »

We have entered the mobile decade…hold on tight!

It is a new year but not just any year we are entering.  We are entering the first year of a new decade and I want to call it the mobile decade.  Anyone that works in the mobile industry is probably nodding their head in agreement and is waiting for the rest of the world to catch on.

With the release of the new Google phone Nexus One, and the many other existing web-enable “smart” devices, there is a shift and change in consumer perception and behaviours with respect to mobile phones.  Consumers are starting to demand more from their mobile devices and their carriers for that matter.  Consumers want information wherever and whenever they need it.  This very rapid change in consumer behaviour is spearheading the mobile industry into a new era.  Similar to the Internet, the mobile world is about to exponentially take off and most of us will be astonished by its rate of growth.

Major changes have started and will continue to take place in the marketing world, media space and commerce arena just to name a few.  Marketing will no longer be in its traditional forms and mobile commerce will drive people to the point of sale or take them away for competitor deals.   Business will need to keep afloat the whirlwind of information to ensure they are still reaching their target consumers.  They will need to change and adopt new business models to maximize the benefits of this new space.

More consumers will rely on their mobiles to find news, information, entertainment and some will even venture to make purchases through their handheld devices. Brands and companies who want to stay on top in this decade will have to ensure that their marketing plans encompass a 360-degree approach that includes mobile advertising on key sites,  mobile-friendly sites and mobile applications to enable two-way communication with their target audience.

Although Mobile marketing will not come at the expense of TV or radio or other older media and mobile commerce may not replace storefronts, businesses will soon discover that mobile media and commerce are as efficient, if not more, in attracting and retaining customers.

Whether your business is currently pursuing mobile initiatives or are just planning to begin,  you have made the choice to get ahead. Enjoy the mobile decade and don’t let the numbers hold you back from getting ahead of the trend.  Start listening and ask your customers, they will tell you.

Posted on January 11th 2010 in Mobile Marketing News | No Comments »

Google Maps Navigation on new Motorola Droid

You may not have heard but the new Droid phone by Motorola was released today and it has created quite a buzz in the tech world not to mention an unfortunate drop in some GPS on board navigation manufacturers.

The new Droid phone is the very first Android phone to run Android 2.0, and Google Maps Navigation is the talk of the town.  Not only is the Google Maps Navigation application better than on board navigation devices since its connected and online, but it is a better navigation tool than other mobile devices since it has a slew of new and advanced features including:

  • Easy search (no need for address)
  • Voice search
  • Traffic information (from data sources and crowd sourced from app),
  • Street view close up pictures when you get near your destination.
  • The car dock mode gives bigger icons and auto-voice mode

It’s impressive to see such grand strides in the mobile space but not unexpected since for companies like Google its just an extension of what they currently have.  As Google leads the way, we will see that it is only natural to extend digital offerings to mobile devices.

Enjoy the video and if you don’t have a data enabled phone you love, give the new Droid phone a real consideration (if for nothing else than the street view on the Google Maps Navigation app).

Posted on October 28th 2009 in Mobile app review | No Comments »

Bell and Telus to start selling iPhones as early as next month

It started out as rumors yesterday and before the day has even come to an end I am seeing “almost” official news that says the iPhone will soon be available on Bell and Telus.

It has been a known fact that both Bell and Telus have been advancing their 3G technology but the news that they will be ready earlier than anticipated is definitely a surprise to many.   My personal opinion is that both companies have seen what the iPhone has done for Rogers and the Canadian mobile industry as a whole and they knew that they had to get there fast.   This says a lot about Bell and Telus and their ability to speed through innovation when it seems necessary but it says more for Apple as a company that creates markets.   Apple is not a company that tries to gain market share, they are a company that creates their own markets and then enjoys the fruits of its work.  Congratulations to Apple for single-handedly developing a market for mobile data consumption.

Posted on October 6th 2009 in iPhone | No Comments »

Facebook launches iPhone Application 3.0

iphone-facebook-1

There is no doubt that the importance of on-the-go online connection is important to the working business person, but I am slowly starting to wonder if the younger generation will surpass mobile data usage sooner rather than later.

This question comes to me with the release of the new Facebook 3.0 application upgrade for the iPhone. Obviously, Facebook is seeing a benefit in upgrading their application and enhancing their mobile offering. Why would they do this unless either their main demographic is quickly adopting mobile usage or they see the future potential in this area. Either way, mobile usage and application usage is increasing at an alarmingly quick rate and young generation is right at the centre of it all.

Posted on September 2nd 2009 in application development | No Comments »

Branded applications on the iPhone

There has been a lot of buzz around the iPhone and obviously some brands are jumping on the opportunity to reach their consumers on this new and exciting medium.

On my iPhone blog, I discussed an application that Charmin did in partnership with a mobile company in the US and its now nice to see that brands in Canada are not only catching up but are sometimes ahead of their American counterparts.

Mazda Canada is one example of a brand that has now entered into the mobile playing field and has done so ahead of their Mazda counter parts in the US.  They have recently released an iPhone application called Concert Quest that allows Canadians to search (based on their location) for upcoming concerts in their cities.  Mazda has very delicately branded a utility music application for users that are in the market to find concerts.   They have coincided the launch of this application with the launch of their new Mazda 3.  Mazda has made a great entry into this space and it will be nice to see others join them in the near future.

Branded applications are likely going to become more popular as brands work to differentiate themselves and enter the mobile space.

Got an iPhone? Try it out for yourself: Concert Quest iPhone app

primaryeventdiscoverpreferences















Posted on May 28th 2009 in Advertising, Mobile app review, iPhone | No Comments »

Will Wireless Carriers take the place of VISA, Mastercard, AMEX?

The most interesting article that I came across this week was about cell phone payments and an interview with RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis.

I have been particularly interested in payment processing with mobile devices for some time now and specifically noticed that its really starting to take off in other places of the world such as Asia.  I always imagined that if payment processing were to take place, it would really need to be driven through the carriers.  I guess Mike Lazaridis also sees it that way.

In his interview with Laptop, there were discussions about PayPal and the ability for apps to be paid for through Paypal.  Unlike Apples iTunes model, this means that Blackberry users have one extra step and that is to sign up with PayPal.  Obviously Lazaridis recognizes this barrier and has mentioned that they are working with carrier partners to get the payment processes to be handled on their end.  If this does in fact happen, the mobile space in North America would forever be changed.

The only reservation I have is where the carriers would draw the line on payments.  Would they allow for payments only from applications or would they allow payments to be processed through retailers and be billed to a cell phone bill at the end of the month.  And if they did in fact allow for billing by retailers would they ultimately become a credit agency?  Would they allow some of their users to make purchases and they would prohibit others?  Will they begin to replace VISA, MasterCard and AMEX?

I can’t say for certain what role they will play but I am sure that they will take a larger role in our daily payment process. This is only a little while away and it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

Posted on May 2nd 2009 in Wireless Carriers | No Comments »