July 1, 2009
Political Cartoon: Dropping cell phones
Cartoon from Bruno Plante - Tulsa World. Captured in Newsweek, page 14, July 6/13, 2009.
Obama Administration - White House News app
Obama Administration - White House News is a new app to keep up to date with President Barack Obama and his Administration.
This app will bring you daily blog entries from the Official White House blog, photos from the Official White House photographers, plus weekly video addresses by President Obama, videos of Press Briefings, Tweets from the White House's official Twitter account, and news articles from the Washington Post, New York Times, and Los Angeles Times.
(Government content used within this application is in the public domain. This application has not been endorsed by the Federal Government.)
[via What'on iPhone]
Are you an iBore?
A fun piece from TechRadar on "iBores":
If you own an iPhone or if you have friends with Apple's mobile internet device/smartphone, then there is a good chance that you know what an 'iBore' is.
Or, horror of horrors, you yourself are one!
Over half of 18-24 year-olds in the UK claim to know an iBore, according to a Five News study of 2,050 adults aged between 18 and 24.
Most of these iBores tend to live in London and the South East, claims the YouGov study for Five News.
What's more, four per cent more men (29%) than women (24%) admitted to knowing an iBore.
Mobile roaming charges drop across Europe
Mobile phone charges will fall for millions of holidaymakers across Europe from today, after new regulations come into force to drive down the cost of roaming. The Guardian reports.
"The roaming rip-off is now coming to an end," said EU telecommunications commissioner Viviane Reding in a statement. "Expect the new roaming rules to make it much cheaper to surf the web on your mobile while abroad in the EU."
Examples of specific costs are available at the European Commission's website.
Mobile pollution sensors deployed
Cyclists, buses, cars and even pedestrians will become mobile pollution detectors in an initiative launched on Tuesday, reports the BBC.
These will measure traffic pollutants throughout the UK, and transmit their data via the mobile phone network.
Scientists say such detailed mobile measurements could help improve the management of air quality.
Four UK universities are collaborating on the project, which will deploy 100 sensors in London, Leicester, Gateshead and Cambridge. Each one will measure up to five different traffic pollutants simultaneously, including carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide.
Other projects where cell phones monitor pollution:
-- Cyclists' cellphones help monitor air pollution - Cellphones used by bicycle couriers are monitoring air pollution in Cambridge, UK, and beaming the data back to a research lab.
-- Cell phone Air Pollution Monitor - Squirrel is a Bluetooth-enabled gadget that monitors pollution developped by The University of California San Diego and Calit2.
-- Cell phones to sense our environment and its pollutants - Tiny environmental sensors in cell phones and turn phone users into roving citizen scientists who continuously sample and respond to their personal environment.
WSJ Asks iPhone App Users If They Would Pay
WSJ.com is surveying iPhone users about their willingness to pay for what is now a completely free product.
The quick survey asks flat out: “If full access to Mobile Reader required a paid subscription, how likely would you be to subscribe?” Answers ranger from “definitely yes” to “definitely no” with some middle ground.
[via PaidContent]
Recommend Your Favorite iPhone Apps With AppsFire
AppsFire which launched in private beta yesterday, allows you to recommend your favorite apps to anyone. TechCrunch reports.
Once the software is on your machine, it scans your iTunes folder to find your apps. It then opens a personal webpage on the AppsFire site and places the icons for your apps in front of you, asking you to choose your favorites. Once you do that, you can share them using the social networks, via email, in a widget, or simply get a link back to your AppsFire page.
June 30, 2009
Flexta SMS Blog Content Addendum
With regard to my previous post, "The content published on Flexta's blog originates from textually.org" - with my permission by the way - was not entirely accurate as flexta has other content as well as their own.
President Interrupted By 'Duck Ringtone' During Speech
Obama to the press corps: "Where do you guys get these ringtones by the way?
[via Wonkette]
Fluent News app aggregates made-for-mobile content
Fluent News aggregates exclusively made-for-mobile content from the most trusted news sources across the Web. Xconomy Boton gives it a good review (it's not available or even visible from the Swiss app stores where I live).
Stories on Fluent News comes from top news sources, including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CNN.
In their own words: Stay current wherever you are with fast, continual news updates. . All content from your latest sync is also available for offline reading. Our interface organizes content intelligently, grouping similar stories together, which provides breadth of news as well as one-click access to broader coverage of any single story. Easily post articles to Facebook or Twitter or email links to friends.
NY City Launches "Big Apps" Competition
New York City is hopping on the iPhone "app" bandwagon. Mayor Bloomberg is hoping software developers will take new data the city's posting online and turn it into applications for fun and profit.
The City is launching what Bloomberg says will be an annual competition called "Big Apps." The Grand Prize winner gets to go out to dinner with the mayor.
[via Wnyc]
June 29, 2009
Barnes and Noble gets an (amazing) iPhone app
The Barnes & Noble Bookstore app let's you shop and read reviews. And you can use your iPhone’s camera to search and shop for millions of books, DVDs, or music CDs.
In their own words:
Search millions of books, DVDs, and CDs using your iPhone’s camera. Just snap a photo of the front cover and we’ll find it for you instantly! Get product details, editorial reviews, and customer ratings – even find and reserve a copy in the store closest to you.
A store locator will help you find the Barnes & Noble superstore nearest you, see upcoming events, and get directions.
Apple agrees to industry standard mobile phone charger
The European Commission (EC) announced today that 10 mobile phone manufacturers and chip producers, including Apple, have signed up to an initiative to produce standard mobile phone chargers. V2.co.uk reports.
... Apart from Apple, the companies that have signed the MoU are LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Texas Instruments.
Previously:
-- Mobile phone makers agree to create standard charger
-- European Commission demands a single, standard phone charger
Grameen Foundation and Google create mobile apps for Africa
Real time information about farming, health and trading will be available to mobile phone users in Uganda with new technology services developed by the Grameen Foundation, Google and telecom operator MTN, writes The Seattle Times.
Peter Bladin, Grameen Foundation executive vice president, said AppLab builds on the success of an earlier project, Village Phone, in which local entrepreneurs rent cell phone use to villagers for pennies a call. Uganda now has 50,000 Village Phone and pay phone operators and nine million cell phone subscribers.
Bladin said he sought out Google and MTN Uganda to help scale up the applications and roll them out to other parts of Africa, where Google has seven offices.
The new services can be accessed by existing Village phone operators, as well as by people with their own phones.
Read full article.
Related Grameen Foundation news release
Google's Africa Strategy: Search And Trade Via SMS
Not only does Google want to organize all the world's information, it also wants to make all that information available to everyone in the world. TechCrunch reports.
The search service works like Google SMS in North America. You text a search term, and it responds via SMS with the result. Searches can be narrowed by using specific keywords such as “local time,” “weather,” “news,” “maps,” “translation,” or “currency conversion.” For more complicated searches, the related SMS tips service offers answers in an automated Q&A format.
But the most interesting application is Google Trader, which allows people to post items for sale and jobs via SMS. Other people can search for them by texting the service with the word “BUY” preceding the search term. Google Trader connects the buyer and seller together (each listing contains the seller’s cell phone number).
Related: Real time information about farming, health and trading will be available to mobile phone users in Uganda with new technology services developed by the Grameen Foundation, Google and telecom operator MTN. [Seattle Times]
Take a cell phone Swig!
The “Cheers” cell phone concept is powered by an efficient, maybe even energy-saving Alcohol-cell. By Designer: Tryi Yeh.
[via Yanko Design]
Lloyds customers can get their bank balance by text message
People who bank with Lloyds TSB will be able to find out their balance by sending a text message, the company has announced, reports The Telegraph.
They then receive a text with their latest balance, as well as details of their last six transactions. The texts can be requested "whenever and wherever they are needed", Lloyds said, and are sent "instantly".
The mobile banking pack also allows customers to transfer money between accounts and set up text alerts to tell them, for example, if their balance has fallen below a certain level. However, these services need to be set up through online banking or a special application that is downloaded to the phone.
Fin Phone Cell Holster for the beach
Spotted on Trendhunter, the perfect accessory for your cell phone at the beach, the Fin Phone Cell Holster - shaped, you guessed it - like a flipper.
Rumors surface of a PlayStation cell phone
Sony Ericsson is reportedly working on a phone that combines PlayStation games with a cell phone. It’s not the first time that such rumors have floated, but Nikkei, a major Japanese business publication, reported that Sony has a team working on the product now.
[via The Industry Standard]
Cell phone uniform policy causes stir
New U.S. Air Force guidelines regarding cell phone use in uniform are causing quite a stir between techies and traditionalists. [via Gopensacola.com]
Until recently, Air Force regulations forbade members from talking on cell phones while walking in uniform. Instead, they had to stay in one place while they completed their call.
But earlier this month, an Air Force board removed that restriction. Air Force members now can walk while talking on cell phones, as long as they put down the phone to render proper salutes to passing officers.
An Air Force Web site that announced the change has become a sounding board for service members who love — or loathe — the new rule.
"I believe that it is a disgrace and dishonor to walk around on any (Department of Defense) installation while being on any kind of appliance used to communicate. It takes away from professional image and core values, especially service before self," wrote an airman from Eglin Air Force Base.
But many commenters approved of the new rule.
Related:
-- Air Force enforces new (cell phone dress) code
-- Female Air Force Personnel Not to carry cell phones in their right hand
Nomophobia - The Fear of Being Out of Cell Phone Range
Research in Britain has shown that up to 53% of mobile phone users suffer from “no mobile phobia,” or nomophobia, the fear of being without cell phone service for any reason. Synthesis blog reports.
June 27, 2009
Jackson death was twittered, texted and Facebooked
News of Jackson's death generated the most tweets per second since Barack Obama was elected president, and more than twice the normal tweets per second from the moment the story broke. Philly.com reports.
Facebook said there were no internal reports of the site slowing from too much traffic. But there were slowdowns or outages on other sites. Google said the spike in searches related to Jackson was so big that Google News initially mistook it for an automated attack.
On MySpace, Jackson's own profile was seeing an average of 100 new friends added per minute, the company said, and his friend total was on its way to being the site's highest increase in one day.
... Jeff Jarvis himself tweeted the moment he heard of the death: He noted that Iran's spiritual leader should be grateful to Jackson because the story wiped Iran off the day's news agenda. "That was re-tweeted a lot," Jarvis said.
Russia Faces Mobile Phone Shortage Due to Customs Clamp-Down
Russia is facing a possible shortage of mobile phones following a clamp-down instigated by the Federal Customs Service. The Moscow Times reports via Cellular News.
Over the first two days that the rules have been in effect, customs points at Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo have not processed a single Nokia handset, spokeswoman Viktoria Yeremina said. By Tuesday, more than 440,000 Nokia telephones worth around US$42 million have piled up at the two posts, and the figure is rising, she added.
Motorola managed to get a large shipment into the country before the new rules came into effect, but subsequent deliveries are also being delayed.
Text-Message Service Fields Flood of Jackson Queries
In the wake of the sudden death of pop icon Michael Jackson one thing is clear: Fans can’t get enough of him, writes New York Times Bits blog.
Mr. Jackson’s death is also prompting some people to ask questions about the life and history of the late singer. Mobile search service kgb, which employs human beings to answer text queries, has been flooded with questions about Mr. Jackson.
A spokesman for kgb said that since the first reports of Mr. Jackson’s hospitalization and death, the paid service — available by texting kgbkgb (or 542542) — has fielded more than 10,000 questions.
June 26, 2009
Mobile Phone Thieves Have Hand and Foot Amputated by Court Order
In Somalia's capital, the radical Islamist al-Shabab militia amputated a hand and a foot each from four young men accused of stealing guns and mobile phones. [via Cellular News].
An al-Shabab leader, Ali Mohamed Hussein, spoke at the scene of the punishment."The four men had already been sentenced," he said. "Each had his right hand and left foot cut off. We are implementing sharia law. We sentenced these men after confirming that they robbed people in Mogadishu."
Verizon To Refund Millions For Unwanted Ring Tones
As part of an agreement with Florida's Attorney General, Verizon and Alltel (now part of Verizon) will have to deliver roughly $30 million in refunds to consumers for ringtones and other services that customers either didn't want or didn't understand they signed up for. According to a statement by Attorney General Bill McCollum, Verizon is also required to adopt new guidelines preventing customers from getting snookered by such promotions in the future.
[via Broadband]
First iPhone porn app drama
The drama in iPhone porn world continues. Yesterday, Hottest Girls, the first app with nudity was accepted into the App Store. But early this morning it was made unavailable, and everyone presumed Apple was behind it. But apparently, the app has not been pulled from the App Store by Apple, but rather by the developers because of high demand. TechCrunch reports.
The Hottest Girls app is temporarily sold out. The server usage is extremely high because of the popularity of this app. Thus, by not distributing the app, we can prevent our servers from crashing. Those who already have the app will still be able to use our app. To answer the question on everyone’s mind: Yes, the topless images will still be there when it is sold again. -ATG dev team.
... Allen the Geek’s wording is odd because apps can’t actually “sell out,” but it makes sense that if high demand for the pictures is crashing their servers, they might pull it.
Update: Okay, this gets weirder and weirder. Now a spokesperson for Apple tells CNN that it did remove the app. It is now gone from the store. Here’s the statement:
Apple will not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content, such as pornography. The developer of this application added inappropriate content directly from their server after the application had been approved and distributed, and after the developer had subsequently been asked to remove some offensive content. This was a direct violation of the terms of the iPhone Developer Program. The application is no longer available on the App Store.
Yesterday: Yep, iPorn Is Here For The iPhone
June 25, 2009
Shazam Now Tweets, Maps Your Music Journeys
The Shazam app for iPhone - that listens to songs playing out loud, telling you its name and artist - has gotten an update and allows you to send electronic postcards to friends, as well as sending tagged songs to Twitter.
You can also view your tags on a map and see your musical journey unfold by location
[via Gizmodo]
Long Tail of iPhone Apps Is Extra Long — and Not In a Good Way
Only 19 percent of iPhone/iPod Touch applications in the AdMob network had more than 10,000 users in May, and a mere 5 percent had more than 100,000 users, according to the mobile ad network’s latest Mobile Metrics report. GigaOM reports.
Iran: The White House is Tweeting in Farsi
The translation for this tweet is "President Obama's Remarks on Iran at his Press Conference, with Persian Translation [Link]" (boingboing via Steve S. / Wayne's list)
Yep, iPorn Is Here For The iPhone
Apple has apparently decided that with the new parental controls now built into the iPhone 3.0 SDK, nudity is now okay in iPhone apps. TechCrunch reports.
"We uploaded nude topless pics today. This is the first app to have nudity,” Hottest Girls’ developer Allen Leung tells Macenstein.
More marketers connect with consumers through mobile apps
Marketers of everything from beer to couture are dialing up mobile-device applications for their brands, reports USA Today.
Read full article for examples of brands using apps to connect with consumers.
Orange unveils solar concept tent at Glastonbury Music Festival
Spotted on News.com, Telecom giant Orange's concept solar tent for the opening of this year's Glastonbury music festival in the U.K.
Related: - «Text Me Home Tents» and «Text Towers». At Glastonbury 2004 festival-goers had a helping hand finding their way "home" thanks to Orange tents that light up by text message.