Mobilisms

What I learned from my mother… Don’t talk to...

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:07:15 -0600

What I learned from my mother…

Don’t talk to strangers unless they know the secret password: “pickled pears.”
Kick him in the private parts while flailing your arms and screaming “STWANGER DANGER!”
Wash your hands before you eat even if you did bathe in the past 36 hours.
Wait 30 minutes after eating your PBJ before swimming (longest…30 minutes…ever.)
Yes ma’am, no sir, please and thank you are not optional when speaking to grandparents or Pastor Bill.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST - “Look both ways before crossing the street or an 18-wheeler will crush you.” Well, she may not have said it exactly like that but the point is for once MOTHER DOES NOT KNOW BEST!

WalkSense is a new app that alerts walkers with a buzz/beep when they are crossing the road and a car is approaching. It uses image recognition through your phone camera giving multitasking walker/talkers time to pick up the pace and dodge a Dodge. So for those of us who have been eagerly awaiting the day when we could prove our mother’s wrong…that day is today…I just wouldn’t tell her that.

Researchers in Japan have developed a concept called...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:37:00 -0600

Researchers in Japan have developed a concept called “Invoked Computing.” The purpose of this augmented reality system is to replace the hardware (keyboards/monitors) of a computer with a projection on any everyday object.

For clarification - you could use a pizza box as your computer…I’m sure that cleared EVERYTHING up. (Just watch the video!)

Opinion: The idea of answering the banana - instead of the phone - is stupid. I would also assume that anyone who has the capability to use a pizza box as a computer PROBABLY has a laptop. What makes this new technology cool is its potential as a building block. What could this basic concept evolve into? Could this eventually provide us with computing capabilities without even having a tangible object to hold onto? What do you think?

No longer will a blow dryer be your phone's last lifeline

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:40:12 -0600

What does the following list of items have in common?

a laundry machine
a puddle in the street
a toilet
an upside-down beer in a purse

Give up? These are all things that, through unfortunate and sometimes highly improbable series of events, have destroyed my phone at one time or another.

Yes - I have washed my jeans with the tele in the pocket - I have dropped it while running after an april shower (ok fine I was walking) - the toilet/pocket paradigm - and, believe it or not, a purse is NOT a practical cup holder no matter how cold the can is.

My phone is prone to drowning which leads me to introduce the new “floaties” for phones - NeverWet! I am soooo excited about this stuff. Ross Nanotechnology is currently developing a silicone-based coating that you spray on your phone. The stuff repels liquids by creating a small barrier of air between your cell and water/beer/kool-aid etc.

So if you are like me, shamefully clumsy and irresponsible when it comes to mobile devices, get excited because NeverWet is going to save you more money than switching to Geico.

The acting in this video is about as good as a casting call for...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:24:54 -0600

The acting in this video is about as good as a casting call for a 5-hour ENERGY commercial…but not the point.

THE POINT: Second-screen apps rock. Umami rocks even more. Umami users can get instant info on multiple TV shows across a variety of networks as opposed to having to download a specific app for your shows at 8:00, 8:30, 9:00…you get the idea.

SO - When Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory uses a comeback like “I’m polymerized tree sap and you’re an inorganic adhesive, so whatever verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off of me …returns to its original trajectory and adheres to you.” You can check out what the heck that is supposed to mean. COOL.

How else could this be applied? I’m thinking FASHION. Umami helps you engage on a new level with your favorite television characters, so who’s to stop an app from helping us get our shop on? Plug in your favorite stores - maybe sync to your Pinterest account - and then get instant advice as to deals/trends/styles that are to your liking. Could be cool - what do you think?

Banjo: T(oo) M(uch) I(nformation)?

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:27:33 -0600

Banjo is similar to Foursquare, Google Latitude, and the likes in that it tells you the location of a friend. What makes Banjo unique is its ability to only notify you about a friend’s location when they are within a specified location of you. The service connects to all of your social media networks to send you push notifications and can be turned on and off at will.

Banjo may be innovative and the next step in this generation’s move towards hyper-connectivity, as it aggregates all geo-points into one program for an easy-to-access, simplified form of “Who is where and when?” But, it adds the answer to the question “Oh ya, are they within 5 miles of me at this exact moment?” Although one has to enter in some form of location-based information to one of their social networking platforms to share any information, I can’t help but think that this app borders along the line of T(oo) M(uch) I(nformation).

It's a bird. It's a plane...no it's...Super-Siri!

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:07:57 -0500

It’s Halloween and that means several things…

I am going to gain 10 pounds thanks to the invention of “party size” candy bars.
Young women will have an excuse to wear their cheer uniforms from 10 years ago to relive the glory days, and NO ONE will tell them it’s inappropriate.
There will be a parades-worth of people dressed up as either the villain or superhero from their favorite comic book/cartoon.

Based on Halloween observance #3 - for Halloween, Mobilisms is dressing like our favorite superhero…….SUPER-SIRI!!!!!

Who needs a utility belt when you have mobile apps? Who needs to fly when you have the ability to automatically contact whoever you need with just a word? Who needs the bat signal when you have GPS beaming out your location to the proper emergency squad?

Our friends at Gigaom have outlined some specific Super-Siri powers that could save lives.

Speaking the word “emergency” could video call 911 providing visual cues to a situation.
Siri can send the GPS location of the caller to emergency services.
An app could automatically send critical info to the nearest hospital (such as allergies or prior conditions).
Siri could automatically send a text or email to an emergency contact.

The days of superheroes compensating for their kryptonite addiction with capes and tights are over. Super-Siri to the rescue!!!!!! (Cheesy I know but I couldn’t help myself.)

I have better things to do than wait 30 minutes for a latte...but I will.

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:33:12 -0500

I have an addiction to both caffeine and impatience. It’s true. I don’t care and I’ll own it.

I have no desire to wait in a Starbucks line at 6:00 a.m. only to be forced to watch countless people order overcomplicated drinks which I KNOW they are only ordering so that the barista (otherwise known as the jolliest/smiliest/MOST AWAKE and intolerable person alive) has to devote an entire hour crafting their one single cup of piping hot liquid energy! I LOATHE waiting in line, but I LOVE my hazelnut iced coffee.

Ladies and gentlemen THAT is exactly why I am pleased to introduce (or pass along) this life altering information. Qminder is developing an app for the “morning glory” in all of us. The Estonian Qminder system is essentially a place holder system for all of us who suffer from chronic impatience. People can download this app using the iPhone, iPad, Android or Nokia devices. Essentially, you are “taking a number.” Jump on your app when you pull out of your driveway and chances are it will be your turn at the register by the time to reach the counter.

Want it. Love it. Need it.

Are you occupying Wall Street? Elsewhere? Do you frequently find yourself in situations where you...

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:26:27 -0500

Are you occupying Wall Street? Elsewhere? Do you frequently find yourself in situations where you might get arrested? You should probably get the “I’m Getting Arrested” app.

Inspired by Occupy Wall Street, the “I’m Getting Arrested” app is new for Android. It lets you immediately tell your family/friends/lawyer that you’ve been arrested, and that someone should probably come bail you out. By pre-entering the contacts, you know you’re notifying the right people.

Don’t be skeptical, this is legit.

The app lets you pre-write a message, then stores it until you tell it to send. Should you find yourself handcuffed and in the back of a squad car, take a sneaky and quick second to open the app and hold down the bull’s-eye for two seconds – your message will send.

Initial reviews say the app is super straightforward and easy to use. If you ask me, that’s exactly what this app needs to be – effective. The time of arrest is not the time to deal with a high-maintenance and faulty app.

Of course it’s possible to use this app for other purposes as well. If you’re constantly typing the same message, be it your lunch order, directions, holiday wish-list, etc., you can use this app to prep the same message, then simply send whenever you feel so led.

Good luck and happy protesting. May the app keep you safe, and your family/friends well-informed.

Mobile Tech to solve Healthcare crisis?

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:55:00 -0500

It doesn’t get more “mobilism” than this. Those of you who just tried to google Mobilisms - stop and click. Those of you who didn’t click the link are lazy, but I don’t want you to miss out so the short definition is this. A mobilism is mobile technology that connects people to people and people to brands - AND THIS TAKES THE CAKE - AN ULTRASOUND APP! This FDA approved app just put the very first connection between mother and baby within the reach of mobile tech.

This is awesome BUT let’s step back and really think about what the bigger news is here - mobile technology just entered the healthcare industry.

The ultrasound device is being sold for a fraction of the cost of the equipment most hospitals currently use. The entry of mobile tech medical equipment into mainstream healthcare could have a direct impact on the cost of healthcare all over the world. SimplyZesty writes, “You can imagine that this would be brilliant in lesser developed countries; the mobility and lower cost would appeal to charities and doctors in need of this sort of equipment.”

We couldn’t agree more.

I rebel against the e-reader.

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:29:00 -0500

I rebel against the e-reader.

YES they are convenient

YES they can save money

YES I write a blog called Mobilisms that praises mobile technology!

BUT….I can’t bend the corners of an important page I want to come back too and I can’t highlight my favorite passages and I can’t get a secret snobby self-gratifying sense of importance when people see that I AM INDEED A READER and therefore INTELLECTUAL!!!!

Ok, that last one might not be the e-readers fault…I’ll get to my point. The e-reader (device) doesn’t quite “do it” for me because it lacks the ability to really connect the story with e-readers (people.)

Yes, yes, yes I know that you can get a trendy cover and there are options to type little notes where-ever I want but I feel like there is a disconnect between myself and what I am reading. It’s like my Kindle is the Tin Man missing his heart.

Sure, there is a definite plus to not having to lug around 1168 pages of Ayn Rand telling us about how the Atlas Shrugged - BUT how can we take digital books and make them lasting stories? How can we give the Tin Man a heart?

The Southeastern Literacy Tourism Initiative gets close to answering this question. This program encourages local readers to publish books digitally and include links throughout their novels with references to real places in the community. “The end product would be an interactive travel guide within a book, sometimes referred to as tourism fiction.”

This is more like giving the Tin Man some oil rather than a heart but hey - if I remember right, I think he was pretty happy with oil.

Stats on SMS around the world.

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:42:17 -0500

Stats on SMS around the world.

Baby sees iPad. Knows how it works. Baby sees Magazine. Very...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:09:17 -0500

Baby sees iPad. Knows how it works. Baby sees Magazine. Very confused.

This gets me thinking. How will exposing children to mobile technologies at a young age impact their view of their world? It will change everything. From Educational techniques to the technology divide. What do y’all think?

This summer, we introduced our loyal Mobilista’s to an...

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:55:58 -0500

This summer, we introduced our loyal Mobilista’s to an impressive campaign put together by the beer brand Beck’s. The Green Box project uses augmented reality, mobile technology and artistic inspiration to connect their brand with their consumers. Merging today’s technological developments and historical treasures around the world, Beck’s strives to capture the curiosity of the modern man. They have caught our eye once again.

Ode to the brick. We have come a long way. Let’s look...

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:22:19 -0500

Ode to the brick.

We have come a long way. Let’s look back Bayside style before we dive into iPhone frenzy later today.

"What if" we Power walk

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:39:17 -0500

What if….

It is a question that beckons and a question that ignites. It is the beginning of the sentences that morph into thoughts which stimulate the creative thinking and inspired ideas that challenge and change what we consider the modern-day norm.

It is the thinking that sparks the kind of barrier-breaking in the technological bucket of norms that leads us to forget about truly new innovation. The “What if” concept rebels against the endless “2.0, 3.0,4.0…” that leads us to merely improve upon what we already know and forget that there is endless opportunity for new thought.

The Mechanical engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are testing the boundaries of energy generation. They have founded a company, InStep NanoPower, to develop a prototype that aims to utilize the energy we create with every step to produce enough power to run mobile devices.

Check out how these engineers are answering just one of the “what if” questions in the potential of mobile.

Wikipedia knows everything...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:05:00 -0500

Guess what - no one bounces around their neighborhood singing a Glee cover of Rhianna, wearing their new Missoni-for-Target brand romper, with their QR reader at the ready, searching for QR codes to scan!

It would be nice…but get real.

If you want a QR code to function as more than just an interesting print for hipster clothing…then make it useful, accessible and offer incentive for the scan.

Wikipedia is a great example of a brand that GETS IT. The group just released QRpedia – a QR system that will extract the language information from your phone and then pull up a mobile Wikipedia entry in your native language. The system is already being put to use at the Derby Museum and Gallery.

“In an era when cultural funding is very constrained, the combination of QRpedia and the global Wikipedia community enabled the Derby museum to produce a multilingual visitor experience at virtually no cost.

This is useful, accessible and it offers incentive for the scan.

AWESOME.

Victoria’s Secret – the most strategically placed QR code around

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:30:45 -0500

They are models and they are naked. Naked, except for perfectly scan-worthy QR codes strategically placed over…well, strategically placed.

Victoria’s Secret has discovered the secret to QR success! You need good bait. Their new “Sexier Than Skin” campaign, marries modern day technology with a primitive concept of human nature…people like to look at pretty people…naked.

I don’t know who she is trying to keep it from, but Victoria’s secret is out….and all over a billboard…a hundred floors up…dressed in a QR code.

Steve Rosenbaum has been working on a book that takes a 360...

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:40:00 -0500

Steve Rosenbaum has been working on a book that takes a 360 degree look at the World Trade Center. From the original development of the Twin Towers, to the 9/11 attacks that brought them down and everything that’s happened since to construct the memorial and museum, it has it all. You can get it September 1^st, but you won’t find it on Barnes and Nobles’ bookshelves. Or any bookshelves for that matter. This book is exclusively available on the iPad.

With over 400 photos and several hours of video, Rosenbaum insists it isn’t about being exclusive, but about turning the book into an “immersive experience.”

The app is free from Sept. 1-12^th. After that, it will cost $10, which is cheaper than a printed coffee table book, but significantly more if count the $500 you’ll have to spend to buy an iPad.

Hunch has discovered everything there is to know about Android...

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:52:08 -0500

Hunch has discovered everything there is to know about Android and iPhone users: from demographic to personality and life experiences to favorite foods. Of course, they have all of the obvious categories covered, but others are more obscure. For example, apparently Android users’ like bamboo trees, while iPhone users prefer the walnut tree. Who knew!

If you want to know how Hunch came to these conclusions, visit Tech Crunch.

FBI Child ID App Needs Saving

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:09:07 -0500

It looks like the Fire Department isn’t the only safety squad jumping onboard the app craze. The FBI just launched the Child ID App that stores information about your child so that you can quickly show surrounding adults and security personnel your child’s distinguishing features.

This…is…lame.

The intentions behind this App are all fine and dandy but what I want to know is – If you can’t even remember what your child looks like, or where you keep a picture of them, how are you going to remember your handy-dandy FBI App that you only opened the day you downloaded the sucker? Think you’ll remember? Go ahead, get out a pencil and paper and write down every App you have on your phone…no? Well then we agree. Child ID App is about as useful as a fanny pack without pockets.