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Europe says “SMS Only, Please.”

August Jackson — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:06:51 +0000

According to a recently released report from JupiterResearch, European mobile customers are pretty much only interested in mobile-to-mobile text and (to a lesser extent) picture messaging. A scant few customers have used additional data services. This is the case despite Internet-enabled phones.

This article from Silicon.com goes into a bit of detail.

From the report:

A report from analyst house JupiterResearch has found that the majority of European consumers – some 68 per cent – are not interested in paying for any data services outside text and picture messaging.

But what I find most interesting is this:

According to JupiterResearch, a dearth of suitable handsets cannot explain the lack of enthusiasm. As phones with more sophisticated functionality – such as internet access – have hit the market, use of such capabilities has not risen accordingly.

There are two real possibilities that I see here:

Using handsets to access the Internet is still just too cumbersome and difficult for most users to learn. The menus are cumbersome and arcane, and it seems one can only get connected half the time.
Most mobile data offerings are still based on a walled garden. This is more so for handsets than for smartphones or PDAs. Users can only access the content their carriers allow them to see. Its boring AND expensive; hence no one is interested in it.

That second point has real ramifications for all of the hubbub about network neutrality here in the US. If the fixed broadband carriers should emulate the failed service model of their wireless brethren they can expect to see broadband subscriber numbers fall through the floor.

Tags: Net Neutrality, Wireless

Google via SMS

August Jackson — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 23:05:25 +0000

Anybody of a certain age who knows me well knows that I have a love of mobile text messaging matched only by Japanese teenage girls. So it’s only inevitable that I should love this new feature from Google.

Google have rolled out a new feature that allows users to submit queeries using SMS messaging on their phone. Examples include lookups of telephone numbers in specific cities either by city and state or zip code, measurement conversions, product pricing from Froogle, mathematical calculations and snippets from web sites. The list goes on and on. Sweet sweet sweet!

Three thouhgts that come immediately to mind as great additions to this functionality could be hotspot locations in a given locality, a movie listings feature and perhaps some snippets of the very latest news stories on a given topic.

This is a longshot from the systems integration side of the house, but if the wireless carrier could also send along some location information in case the customer doesn’t know where they’re located that would be sweet and perhaps even make a functionality like directions a possibility. Now, the downside to that could be if you can send the location along with an SMS to Google, significant others could somehow turn that around to discover they’re better half’s text message from a boys’ or girls’ night out is really a cover from a clandestine booty call on the side. I know AT&T Wireless already have a “find your friends” option for GSM customers who can get a general view of where other AT&T Wireless customers are located… I wonder how many people have signed up for this.

Little Debbie does SMS

August Jackson — Wed, 01 Sep 2004 11:34:34 +0000

Seems there is a study of Norwegian teenagers that indicates that young ones who use text messaging often tend to become sexually active at an earlier age. Hmmm… if only they had text messaging when I was a lad.

Welcom 2 Dumpsville. Population: U.

August Jackson — Tue, 04 May 2004 20:30:13 +0000

In my continued fascination of how the British are using mobile technology in their romantic relationships, I came accross this piece. It seems 9 percent of Britons have broken up with someone via SMS. For those 15 to 24 the percentage rises to 20 percent. One can only imagine how SMS would have been thrashed about by the cast of Seinfeld if they had SMS back then.

Jerry: Did you sleep with him?
Elaine: Maybe.
Jerry: Maybe?
Elaine: O.K. A couple of times.
Jerry: Well, you’re outside the boundary of the text breakup zone, my friend.
Elaine: I am? Are you sure?
Jerry: Indeed.
George: George hates the text breakup!

45 percent of women and 31 percent of men admitted that they have checked their better half’s (literally, in this case) mobile to check for SMS signs of infidelity. Perhaps they shoudl be checking their partner’s phone for signs of stupidity– delete those clandestine messages, people!

Sext Messaging

August Jackson — Mon, 03 May 2004 09:37:50 +0000

It seems those Brits are leading the Anglo world when it comes to finding new and kinky ways to make use of technology. A week or so ago I wrote about the act of toothing, where one uses Bluetooth to arrange a rendez-vous in the loo of a commuter train in the UK. I’m still not sure I buy it (though helpful types have explained to me since HOW the messages are sent).

Today the Globe and Mail has this piece on using SMS to send risque messages. Evdiently the big etiquette question is whether or not “sexting” or “having a textie” with someone other than your current partner consitutes cheating. Like all importan events in the UK today Posh and Becks play a central role in the discussion. Ah… Posh and Becks… Britain’s annoying, disfunctional answer to Brad and Jennifer. Bless their hearts.

There’s also this piece today from the Telegraph that talks about how one man’s Sony Ericsson phone’s SMS dictionary reveals some less-than-masculine elements of his personnae of which he was unaware. This takes me back to when everyon’e TiVo thought the owner was gay because they recorded “Will & Grace” and “Queer Eye.” Sometimes I wonder what my TiVo or my mobile might reveal about me. Perhaps I need to be nicer to them.

Marge: Homer, did you wear that tie to impress the dog?
Homer: Do you think he noticed?

Do you… uh… Bluetooth?

August Jackson — Mon, 19 Apr 2004 15:13:18 +0000

I came accross this article on Techdirt about the practice of “Toothing.” I’m still not sure I buy it, and I’m not entirely convinced it’s not a hoax of some kind.

In a nutshell the act of toothing is (allegedly) using the short-range connectivity technology known as Bluetooth to text those who might be near you on a commuter train for random sexual encounters in the restroom. This is evidently a new activity to lighten the daily commute of British travellers.

There are a couple of reasons I’m not convinced. First, as soon as I heard about this myself and some friends tried to find the method to send text messages to one another via Bluetooth with no success. Now, granted we didn’t have the manuals at hand and were only working with phones from two vendors (Nokia and SonyEriccson), but I find it hard to believe that technically adept folks such as ourselves couldn’t give this a go. Since then I have not been able to find out how to text via Bluetooth in the manual for my Nokie or for me old SonyEriccson. Secondly, having been on many a commuter train in Britain, I’ve seen a fair number that I’m pretty sure had no restrooms at all. The ones that did have restrooms make you wish they didn’t. So, I doubt any nookie is going to take place in there.

One cool thing I CAN do with my Nokia 8620 is send images via Bluetooth to those around me via Bluetooth. Considering it’s a camera phone this could certainly open up some very naughty possibilities for those so inclined.

Not me of course. No… never…