Applications On the Run
By Mark Levy, CEO MaxxoMedia
Last week, Las Vegas played host to the telecommunications industry’s annual CTIA conference. Over 20,000 people converged for the event to exhibit and explore the many opportunities of the wireless telecom world. Vendors were on hand to showcase the latest mobile-based applications — here are a few that stood out for me.
PC Games Come To Life On Mobile Phones
Back in 2003, Universal Pictures released “The Incredible Hulk” movie. About one month prior to the movie hitting theatres, I was part of a team that licensed the mobile content rights to the movie from Universal and Marvel. We had the rights to make a mobile game along with releasing various ringtones and graphics. Given the time frame to produce and release the game, we opted to produce a simple puzzle game.
It was panned by the critics as being too simple and not a good use of the brand, but went on to be a financial success. I guess, there just wasn’t much in the way of alternatives then, and brands sell. The general quality of video games built for the mobile phone hasn’t evolved much since then. Most include simple graphics, slow game play and little to no multi-player action.
An Israeli based company named Vollee is changing this. They have developed software that enables PC-based video games to be streamed to any 3G cell phone. Want to play Second Life with your own account or Tomb Raider with full graphics? Now you can. By leveraging the bandwidth available in 3G mobile networks, Vollee’s interactive video streaming platform delivers an exciting catalog of true PC titles with all their 3D graphics, and deep game play previously unavailable on mobile. Check out this video showing live streaming of Second Life through Vollee’s service.
Mobile Websites In A Box
Just a few years ago, the cost to create a website was in the millions. With the advent of web design tools like Frontpage, website builder templates and most recently widgets and reusable code, the costs have plummeted and everyone can have a website. Well, the race is on to develop websites that are customized for mobile phones. Millions of cell phone subscribers are connecting to the mobile web each day and their experiences are not good.
Creating a sophisticated mobile website is a very complicated process. Each phone has a different set of specifications for rendering web pages (also called WAP) and needs to be customized for the phone’s operating system, screen size and resolution and web browser. It can be a logistical nightmare and very costly to produce a site that renders well on all handsets.
German-based Netbiscuits has a solution. Their software helps companies set up and publish their mobile web applications within minutes by choosing templates for websites, ad landing pages, shops, community sites and more. With no internal hosting or device testing necessary, companies like eBay, AOL and Paypal are moving to the mobile web in record time.
Access Corporate Data On The Run
You are out on the road and getting ready to visit one of your customers. You forgot the files with the their purchase history. What do you do? Calling back to the office is time-consuming, and there’s no guarantee that anyone will be available to support you. Nick Bolton, CEO of New Zealand-based Mobile Data Now thinks he has the solution. His software allows you to access corporate databases by simply using e-mail, SMS text messaging or instant messaging.
Nick said, “Traditionally, mobile software has tried to re-create the desktop experience on to mobile devices without much success. People don’t spend the time to download and learn new programs, enter passwords, navigate menus and use the applications to get their information. But everyone knows how to send a message and all mobile devices have built in messaging applications.”
The service works on ALL handsets; there is no software to install and if you can send an e-mail or txt message, your information is only seconds away. The solution can also allow public access to databases allowing consumers to txt in for public information such as music playlists, real estate information and more.
Stay Out Of The Traps
It seems as though you are being watched wherever you drive now. Speed traps and cameras at intersections are everywhere. Trapster is a speed trap sharing application for mobile phones, PDAs and other types of devices aiming to help you stay out of the traps. It can be used with any kind of phone, but works even better if you have a phone that supports GPS or WiFi.
Download the application and run it in background mode so it doesn’t run down your power. Get in your car and drive. Press #1 to input a site that has a live policeman and it is entered on the map. Press #2 to identify a camera at an intersection and so on. When someone else drives near this spot, they are alerted through the application or sms to the trap in real time.
Some websites allow downloads of traps data to phones or GPS units, but few users actually use it, and the data is stale by the time you download and use it anyway. This service is free and the data refreshes hourly. There is even a community element where you can earn Karma points for inputting valid traps. Next time you head out on the road, bring Trapster along for the ride.
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