OverRoll.com

Over at Springwise, they uncover a Dutch group that helps business folks and adults alike, acquire skills on the mobile platform. The twist is, these seminars are tought by teens and at 60 Euros and hour (roughly $95), that’s good business.

Bellendoejezo—which roughly translates to “this is how you make a call”—organizes cell phone workshops that cover topics such as using predictive text, creating contact groups, enabling Bluetooth and exploring mobile internet. Not all of the students’ students are equally advanced, though, so sometimes they’ll stick to the basics, like locking a phone’s keyboard, sending a text message and using voicemail.

Makes sense.

Was introduced to FeedM8 through Mobile Marketing Magazine - I’m intrigued. Through FeedM8, you can “mobilize and monetize” your feed or blog. FeedM8 will make the conversion for you so that your content comes out looking pretty good on a mobile browser and screen. In addition, they will share revenue with you from the ads that they place on your mobile site. Here’s an example of what this site looks like after being distributed through FeedM8 (colors and presentation are also customizable - this is the default version):

Once you’ve set up your feed and created your login/account, you can add more feeds and check analytics. Naturally, before you begin “earning money” you’ll have to verify that it is actually your feed that you’re laying claim to. You do that by inserting a code into your next blog post. Once it’s verified by FeedM8 you can remove it….then just select how you want to get paid and voila! (On our mobile version of Overroll the ad at the top of the page is for a mobile version of Wikipedia on your phone….not a bad partner, I’d say. At least it’s not for local dating or concert tickets.)

From Mobile Marketing Magazine we see that many people have signed up including Mashable, ESPN, Engadget, GigaOM and on… I’d have to say that it’s a pretty nifty little way to quickly get up and mobile without worrying about too much, and quick comparison on your mobile browser of www.overroll.com versus www.FeedM8.com/overroll reveals that the latter is much easier on the eye (at least on my LG CU5000 - no iPhone here just yet).

We’ll keep you posted on revenue earnings. After all, it will take at least a few business days for them to mail me my check…

Last year in Tokyo during the Holidays, a group called Semitransparent Design completed their ninth installation of unique, interactive architecture using lighting. Of course, standing out is no easy task in the electrical circus we know as Tokyo. In this new installation, users were able to interact with light columns using their voice either through mobile or over the Web.

Semitransparent’s Ryoji Tanaka explains: “Akarium as an illumination project has been going on for eight years. When we joined the project, the light design had already been fixed and the lights were going on and off just through time-based programming. We enhanced the project with interaction, and by placing an interactive devices in a public space, we wanted to observe the changes in people’s communication.

Take a look:

Clearly, this is artistic excellence but it also raises some important questions. Should we be looking to expand the interactivity of our social media tools beyond the tools themselves? How can brands utilize mobile and Web based tools to create consumer participation beyond uploading videos on YouTube or passing around a new application on Facebook? And, can consumer participation in the digital space shift the thoughts, moods and brand perceptions of ‘passer-bys’ on the streets of our cities? If so, can we be sure to make these experiences meaningful?

Via: Ping Mag

I was just reading this line from CNET’s article a few weeks ago about Google’s Marissa Mayer talking about iPhones and Google applications. To date I hadn’t read anything about these kind of numbers (football season might be taking away from all that new media reading), so they struck me as very interesting:

Usage of Google mobile apps rose 10 percent each week for the first three weeks in June and saw a 40 percent to 50 percent spike almost overnight after the iPhone was launched…

Now despite all the hype and rumors, I know many are asking why Google would even make a phone. My first thought upon reading this quote was how Google doesn’t even appear to need its own phone. As the search king and an online product developer and monster of search advertising with a huge brand name, can’t they just let folks like iPhone and Nokia make the toys and stick with making money from the fact that everyone will continue to use their stuff on these new devices? Seems like that would be the easy answer, especially given numbers like this.

However, the thing to probably consider that while this quote might be a great thing for Google and a boost to their business, there is always more to be had. So while making more money and serving more ads because people are more apt to surf the web on their new iPhones is cool, wouldn’t it be slightly cooler to own the platform on everyone’s phone, bundle ads with almost everything in exchange for cheaper/free services and have Google drive the mobile web? Probably. With mobile advertising reportedly on the cusp of finally hitting big (thanks in part, yes, to things like the iPhone), wouldn’t it be nice for Google to control the whole thing? Probably.

Will it work? Who knows. How much will people believe that someone like Google is able to make a phone that they like? Will being known as the advertising giant and search giant help or hurt? What sorts of bundles will come with the phone that make it worth while? Will there be price breaks? So many questions.

In case you hadn’t seen it, George Hotz, the teenager from New Jersey who has spent the last two months (yes, 500 hours of time) hacking the iPhone so that it’s compatible with carriers other than AT&T, has traded his newly created device. The deal? Hotz traded his “invention” to CertiCell, a Kentcucky-based cell phone repair company, for a car and three new 8 GB iPhones. According to the AP article, Holtz will be sharing the devices with the two friends of his that helped him hack the device…no word on how they plan to share the car.

You can also check out Hotz’s official blog.

It will be interesting to see what this changes. Realistically, probably nothing. Holtz has posted his information on his public blog, so anyone could technically “do it” now, though it’s not the kind of thing the average person can pull off easily. The average person has no shot at pulling this off, despite the fact that Hotz says he can now do it in an hour. If, however, another company decides to get several people who can do this in an hour and sell them in large quantities, then we’re talking about a different story. From what I’ve read, this would be perfectly legal (you can buy a car, tinker under the hood and sell it for more, right?) but if some sort of mass distribution were developed we might see some additional legal claims from folks at AT&T.

Speaking of AT&T, they have not issued a public statement but I’m sure are not too excited about all this publicity with Hotz on tv saying he was bummed that it could only be used on AT&T and so he went around it. Even if people can’t do it themselves, it has to have folks thinking that a cross over model will be available sooner rather than later.

Apple, on the other hand, saw its stock rise…

——-

Update - According to this blog, the DMCA doesn’t necessarily cover hacking the iPhone and selling it commerically…

The article also notes that there is also a blogger who has offered $100,000 to anyone who can unlock a software release of the iPhone. The person claims they just want to post it freely and release the iPhone to the world.

Over the past couple of days, we’ve seen the next wave of video and audio content delivery pick up steam. Wireless on-demand services for portable devices such as mobile phones and portable gaming devices like the PSP are now becoming a reality. Yesterday, Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe and SKY teamed up to create a joint venture that will allow more than 2.3 million PSP owners to download video and movie film content, on-demand. Stay tuned to the Leipzig Game Conference for more news on this development.

Today, C|Net News reported that AT&T and eMusic, the nations second largest online music seller after iTunes, have joined forces to allow users the ability to complete wireless downloads of independent music through cell phones. Here are some of the details:

‘Tracks will cost more than they do over the Internet–$7.49 for five songs, as opposed to $9.99 for 30 at the online site–because of the expense of sending them over a mobile network to a user’s phone. For that price, however, users can also get another copy of the song, which they can download from the Internet as an MP3.’

Did we mention this service won’t be available on the iPhone.

It’s clear that the convergence of on-demand and wireless are upon us. Of course there are still issues with regard to file sizes and load times. However, in the States, as the big players determine who will own the airwaves, it leaves us thinking, will home-based computing systems become ‘the third screen’.

As of right now mobile web is not very popular, but as more and more attractive phones start to populate our cell phone selection and data plan prices start to drop, things will surely change.

Therefore, I must ask: why wait any longer to properly secure your site a home in future mobile search results?  

So, what are some things you can do so you don’t get left behind?

1. Do not forget to submit your site to mobile search engines such as MSN Mobile, Yahoo Mobile, and Google Mobile.
     
2. Make sure you familiarize yourself with all the different platforms your users might have; this is to ensure that you will be accessible to more people.
     
3. Follow normal SEO techniques such as using proper tags, keyword techniques, and so on.

Remember, this is just a small list of techniques designed to make you aware of mobile SEO. So, make sure to do your research and apply all learned techniques ASAP!

In the dawn of the new, more lean E3, comes the news of Sony’s new, more lean PSP. Actually, Sony has developed a thin PSP system with a variety of colors to match customer personalities (as seen below).

These new PSPs will be 33% lighter, 19% slimmer and have a more efficient battery. The most amazing part of this new PSP is the video output capabilities to TV (480 x 272). This means you can watch movies and play games on the big screen as well during your ride on mass transit. There will also be bundle opportunities for software developers (limited editions) like a ‘ceramic white’ color with a Darth Vader silk screen that includes a 1 GB memory stick along with Star Wars: Battlefront Renegade Squadron for $199.99 (due out later this fall).

It appears Sony is gaining momentum coming out of E3, and with these types of innovations, they may be able make up some ground on the Nintendo DS. We wonder how this will go over in Japan, where the DS is the clear market leader.

This just may be the best iPhone news yet!

We all know the iPhone can view YouTube videos, surf the net, and so
much more. But I bet you never thought you could play World of War Craft (WoW) on it! However, before everyone stops reading to finally go buy an iPhone, I must let everyone know it’s not exactly what you’re thinking…

Yes, Alan Joyce from EverythingDigital.org did in fact get WoW to run on his iPhone with a little help from telekinesis, a remote access tool for the iPhone that allows you to control your Mac. It wasn’t exactly perfect…

His results can be seen in his YouTube video HERE.

Though, you are limited to a few basic functions and forced to endure poor performance, this is still quite an extraordinary task!

Hopefully, this will inspire Blizzard to make a mobile WoW very soon!

Customizing your gadgets is always a fun thing, especially when it comes to your cell phone. We all love to put our favorite backgrounds, photos, videos, and songs on our phones. In fact, our phones are not just for calls anymore; they are our mobile entertainment centers. And I’m not talking about a $600 new phone with a touch screen, MP3 player, and a million other bells and whistle either ;-).

I am talking about regular cell phones. Although, as most of us know, most cell phones are not so “regular,” anymore. In reality, the majority of cellular devices today can take photos, videos, play music, and even give us directions. The only downside is downloading anything new can sometimes cost a fortune. Plus, most of the time they don’t even have the stuff you’re looking for.

As a result, I got to searching and found 3Guppies.com, which allows you to transfer media onto your cell phone. You can upload media, grab it from your favorite website using their FireFox browser plug-in, and if you have a website or MySpace account, you can even let others send stuff to their phones using the “Mobilizer Widget.”

It works great and best of all it’s free.

Just a good reminder, it will cost to use text messaging and/or the Internet over your phone.

Now you can go to download that crazy prairie dog to your phone and watch it whenever you want!