Facebook's ponzi scheme about to end ?

One night stand and its supply

BBC reports reversal in Facebook's growth trends.
The rush might be gone.
The whole point, IMHO, is about sustainability of those businesess. Where are they ? I can't see it more than a fency ( IN ) night bars.

Tomorrow you might go to some other bar to meet new people ( or the bar will stay at the same location but will get a new owner ;))
A place could get boring and we might overestimate our ability to manage our digital personas and get hurt someday and become a victim of our fullish openess.

Mobile 2.0 Industry Report

Truly a Mobile 2.0 reference work

Glossy mobile industry yearbook is a perfect weekend read.
Just released by french firm Netsize.
It's the best in-depth free industry report documenting the state of the global mobile content and services market.

For those that do not have time and resources to travel to Barcelona ( or elsewhere for thee gathering with mobile enthusiasts ), it's a perfect subsitute and more.
I wish I could travel more , see more of the World, speak more with relevant people and have less worries ;)

Maybe one day.

Intel's fifth-gen Centrino and WiMax

Mobile Wimax connectivity nirvana

Intel gets pushy about WiMax mobile broadband in USA and they just funded joint venture with Sprint and Clearwire.

Given Wimax is a competitor to both cellular broadband solutions and fixed broadband, much of its market potential is shrinking even before this appears, IMHO.

But the rollout of HSDPA is tough business as well. We in Croatia do have some fast mobile broadband coverage, but only major cities are covered by now.

One of the first pioneers and WiMax operators here in Croatia is Novi Net d.o.o. from Merhatovec ( northern part of Croatia , Medjimurje )

Nokia in the street

Drive, walk, be guided

Nokia Maps 2.0 hit the streets and pockets of mobile phone power users.
Novelties as explained by folks from AllAboutSymbian.com.

'' pedestrian mode, enhanced driving navigation mode, satellite maps, much improved search and new real time traffic information ''

A new multimedia computer N96 combined with those Maps could bring a magic in one's travel life :))

I wish myself N96 :)
Nokia wants you to pay for all those city guides and additional stuff.
Another Maps 2.0 review.

Nokia lacks true openess, IMHO.
Is it worth ?

Mobile Experience Company

What ? That too ? ;)

Not just mobile computer maker, but ''mobile experience company'' too ;))
Nokia speaks out.
You know, they would like to be called like that.

Nokia and Google team up around search products for upcoming Nokia models.

First Google Android Devices

Under the Mediterranean sun of Barcelona. Webphone dejour but SMS will rule them all ;)

Unusual suspects like british ARM and Texas Instruments got us first glimpse into practical prototype of Android mobile operating system.
It's not fancy release like iPhone's launch ( thank you ) , but it is of equal importance, IMHO ( although we have seen some of these interfaces few months ago ).

View full gallery. Still rough on the edges but it's no rush , the style will come later with handset makers and ''the switchers''.
( I like this one, tricorder someone ? ;))

The new mobile interface philosophy is beign seeded by Webkit SDK ( thank you iPhone ) . It's a magic carpet for mobile phone- programmable ( fluid ) interface. A webphone DNK.

Smartphone, indeed. Websmartphone ? Webphone ? What gives ;)
Is it finally smartphone for the ordinary people and mass market phones ?
I hope so, but let's wait.

It's a smartphone with ''mirror'' ( touchscreen aka iPhone ) and smarthphone with good ol' buttons. The hybrid approach, just like it should be.
There is plenty of room ( mobile screen ) for advertisers as well ;))

There is a plenty of icons. Someone for buried apps in the phone – those never used ? Could be an issue for some people. Power features might be used by individual preferences ? Yes, but the one thing should be straigtforward – a call.
Simple phone call.

But I have a trouble and doubt of how much progress is made when I see ''applications '' folder. Yes, it's nice for Google. Pure Google trojan horse into the handset. Gmail , Maps and other icons are in the one-button reach ( game-set-match for them ) and in the same ''game level'' like SMS.
But is it illusion made by product designers who put close observation onto current phone usage ? Will this all appeal to average users and be used by them ?

Where's search ? I can't see straigtforward ''search '' feature or something similar ( mashups ) ? Contacts folder with social networking ? Too much expectations, I shouldn't be so pushy ;)) It's not a sinn.

I would suggest only one keyword: connectivity.

I think it's the crucial ingredient for success ( too be truly useful ) of Android platform along the good battery time, IMHO. Android phones will be hungry of being alllways on. Not just allways connected to the internet, but those connection should be fast.
That means only one- fast mobile network services ( HSDPA or UMTS ). It's not something Google can do much about. It's a long, long road.

The mobile carriers will need to create special flat rate plans for Android phones. So, even if we have agile and proactive Google and its partners, I don't see that much agility on the carriers side nor mass enthusiasm among the average users.

Not until the Web on the mobile phone becomes ''status'' issue ;)) Status like ''I am important'' with that thing in my hand and ''status'' like Facebook presence ( mobile edition ) and super-light-fun-apps as well.

Time to wait. Time to explore and think more. Nobody knows...
One thing is for sure, ''the switch'' is going on.

USB stick modem for wireless internet access

Wifi hotspots are yesterday. 3G dongles are today. Affordable for consumers, not only businesses.

In essence, mobile lifestyle ( mobility ) is all about your mobile devices and connectivity . Right ?
Your phone, laptop or other gizmo makes true communication device when connected to a wider network.
Yet, it's not on cheap and it 's not much about convenience.

The business usually pay montly subs on 12 or 24 month contract and get PCMCIA card ( if they are not in mood to mess with WiFi , we have only few commercial hotspots in Croatia , but there's VIPNET's Mobile Connect modem only still too expensive ).

But 3G networks are reaching much more these days and perfect plug & play solution for connectivity seems to be USB dongle ready to access the Web without much intervention from the average user. No configuration at all.
I spotted this issue writing last year about Sony Ericsson's MD300.

Now, I've seen that Vodafone sells 3G dongle ( USB stick modem ) as well. The price of data and network bottlenecks are still important issues for widespread adoption.
Dean Bubley comment is right spot on:

'' Operators in the UK, Austria, South Africa, Portugal & others are definitely going after the consumer 3G dongle market.
Typical user is someone (student, recent immigrant etc) who doesn’t want a 12-24mo fixed-broadband contract at home, because either they share apartments, don’t have a current landline (which would cost £££ to get re-connected), move flat every 6 months or don’t yet have a local bank account / credit record.
Another segment is people who want a 2nd broadband line (maybe families, maybe young professionals).

While I do agree with most what Dean says, I think this type of connectivity is ideal for professionals on the move ( as a second broadband line ) and people without broadband connection in rural places.

The prices in Australia , for example, have dropped dramatically in the last year. AU$100 to AU$14.50 a month on a two year deal + free dongle.

When will those mobile data plans for laptops go hand in hand with mobile phone data plans ?

Wistron GW4 – Android prototype ?

Turbo. Fun. Brrrrm, brrrrm ;))

A bit late on this ( stuff from CES 2008 ) and it is a smartphone made by chinese NeWeb. Supposed to be Android phone by March ;)
Sounds like new Volksawagen model  It runs Montavista Linux.
Other things to note: touchscreen, Bluetooth, WiFi, QWERTY, 2,5 inch QVGA ( 240 x 320 ), 2 megapixel camera.


( via Stephan Mot )

Soros: The worst market crisis in 60 years

Not just an usual boom and bust cycle. Dollar fall off the race.

George Soros isn't writing a blog but he writes a column for the London's Financial Times. His last column is diagnosis for the financial crisis just upon the World.
More or less, it's all what more couragous analysts and finance expert do talk for years. Now, the mess is huge. I would need to buy the book ''The Long emergency'' by James Howard Kunstler ( who talks more about oil crisis, not financial crisis ) and perhaps his new book '' World made by hand''. Still, there's is conclusion in the Soros article with a bit of relief when he says:

Although a recession in the developed world is now more or less inevitable, China, India and some of the oil-producing countries are in a very strong countertrend. So, the current financial crisis is less likely to cause a global recession than a radical realignment of the global economy, with a relative decline of the US and the rise of China and other countries in the developing world.

Mobile internet devices are reality

Forget the mobile internet ''phones''. Cloud computing puzzle going on with Intel's mobile leg. Only ( mobile ) internet infrastructure is just not keeping ahead. Yet.

Intel is a close partner of Google and Apple and it is a piece of a puzzle for ''cloud computing '' of which mobile component will be just one important leg to the brave new world of personal computing. Intel's Silverthorn chips are ready for mobile internet devices.

Apple confirmed the first Silverthorn products to be released in 2008. Well, those new shiny iPhonish devices on the market will most likely get decent energy consumption ;) If Apple is in the game with Silverhorne, then some handset makers couldn't be far away .
Maybe those partners in Open Handset Alliance are already building Android gPhones with those chips ?
I already wrote ( part 1, part 2 in 2007 about Intel MID and challanged some of my previouse dogmas.

Motorola to axe mobile phone business

Sinking ship. Siemens was just first suitable for ''big bang''

Motorola said it is considering "structural and strategic realignment", according to the Guardian article.
No Razr in sight. Carl Ichan was right after all and this could be concession to him.

Cheap SkypePhone For The Massess

Just like ordinary mobile calls. Select a contact and call for free or cheap. Chitt- chat with allways-on friends

Mobile operator 3 and Skype got a winner.
SkypePhone as explained by Skypephone Journal.

This is finally deal that gives mobile VOIP in the hands of massess and at the same time resolving few important issues like making free or cheap calls on 3G mobile phones ( Not WiFi style, Steve please note ;), bringing easy-to-use interface,chat and IM into a mobile phone in a big way.

It seems it is selling really well.
Who would have thought few months ago it will sell like cakes? Look at the pics.

Skype is not a newcomer. It was already in mobile VOIP operations but this is really unique deal that will bring awareness to the possility of cheap/free calls on the 3G networks.
The visionary and brave mobile operatore 3 Three has made waves again.
The secret could be extremelly calibrated mobile offer for SkypePhone:

3 Skypephone offers:

• Free Skype-to-Skype calling worldwide, reducing or eliminating international long distance charges, provided your contact is also on Skype (on any platform)1

• Free Skype IM (presence and chat)

• Unlimited Internet browsing

provided you contract to purchase a monthly minimum of £12 of traditional voice and SMS text messaging services from Hutchison Whampoa's 3 Service. on an 18 month contract; the phone itself is then free. Alternatively you can purchase the Skypephone for £49.95 and do a minimum £10 monthly Pay-As-You-Go top up.

SkypeOut is leftout possible because they expect to ride on the network effect. How smart is that ? Very, indeed.

Imagine Steve Jobs choosed to start iPhone revolution in the partnership with Hutchinson 3 Three in Europe and then making pressure to the US shores ? He, he...Oh, yes, I know, iPhone wasn't supposed to be ''masss phone'', but it's intended to be internet-phone, no ?

So, Skype is a very much known internet brand ( very viral too ) and now combined with the most innovative mobile operator in the World ( remember they were first in the world introducing very brave flat rate models for 3G ) and with the little help of chinese manufacturing, they could be enjoying happy Christmas ;)
Skype Telecom. ''No- worry use'' and ''''select your contact and call.''

T-Mobile will have to do something with Jajah in the similar manner.

Agrokor, T-Mobile And EPH In MVNO Croatian Adventure

Croatian business games with telecom flavor

Are they nuts ? Spring 2008 ?

Croatian consortium is preparing to launch KMOBILE brand next spring. I suppose MVNO but it's not clear yet.
''In order to expand mobile telecommunications offer on Croatian market.''So they say.

The members are: Agrokor Group, the largest privately owned company in Croatia and leading retail company, EPH - the leading Croatian Publishing House and T-Mobile Croatia the leading mobile communications company on Croatian market.

At the end of a day. It could be success.
Still, wise concept and execution is the key. I belive they have researched the market extremelly well. It's their modus operandi.
I'll be watching this unusual mobile move in Croatia and report back ;)
I have my opinion on this one, but won't tell ;))

But you know what ?
I read Ivica Todoric's interview given last week to Jutarnji list. Eventually, they ( or he has that big dream about ''global'' Agrokor ) could try to become global company with mobile business in the new ''new'' telecom business , but not in a Kmobile-way. No, no. ( yes, I forgot that's not their core business )
The strategy should be different.

MVNO is usually about simplifying mobile products and service ( overcomplexed businesses, like telecoms are ) with simple message- proposition and tailored marketing push.

Pop-Corn :)

Android, Mobile Maps And Google Earth ?

Today's Android video demonstration had a for one moment an Earth map picture on the display of a mobile phone ( 3D globe looked like Google Earth, but it's only app called '' global time'' ) .

My first thought was '' OhMyGod, somebody read about my silly hopes when iPhone was launching'' :)

I'm still waiting for those to be delivered, but the story is getting closer...

Google Android SDK Is Out

Mobile software developement with Android , the newcomer from last week ?
Ready to PR start. Even marketing program is in place.
At first glance, it looks to me like May 2007 when Facebook announced their App platform only this platform works in mobile internet ecosystem.

There will be thousands apps blooming, but only 5 % will actually matter over time. ;) Digital icons and avatar graveyards or per aspera to success and fame.

If you ( The developer, yes, you ) build BoozeMail, iLike,Are you a naughty girl - I'll be happy with that for more than a week. If I'll be able to find it in my app folder trees and the display doesn't show ''one big ERROR'' ;)

I'll look further into this long tail business.
Where's Apple ? Who knows what Steve Jobs is now thinking of Eric Schmidt ? ;))

Many places are set up to provide more information for Android SDK:

Blog
Faq
Groups

Time to be patient. More than ever :)

USB Mobile Broadband Gizmo

USB info smog, wherever you are, huh

A gizmo made by Sony Ericsson.
USB mobile broadband modem called the MD300 .
Available in Q1 next year and stylish.

iPhone launch in UK and Europe

Few people in the stores

Might be premature for any conclusion, but The Register has an interesting article.
United Kingdom stood cold to iPhone hype. At least for now.
Interesting part is when they cite mr. Ian, a reader from Souththampton, who offered his analysis in a post to Slashdot.
Might be very true for whole Europe:

Quote:

As to why, I'm sure everyone knows, but here's a recap as to why it's not the saviour of the UK's mobile industry;

1. We're used to either paying for the phone, or the contract, but not both;

2. We're used to accessing mobile internet on 3G, which was rolled out wider and earlier here than across the USA;

3. There have been several competing devices launched recently, which appeal to a range of demographics; for example, techies will like the N95 while fashion victims will like the Prada wotsit;

4. It's quite chunky as phones go - which might sound pernickerty but the market here is very much geared towards fashionable, neat phones (for example, no manufacturer would dare launch a phone with an aerial here within the last few years as they look so dated, while I hear they're still available in the US).

Stevan Dedijer Documentary

The documentary about Stevan Dedijer has been broadcasted by Croatian television ( HTV ) and made me think, laugh, and sparked few ideas.
He's the so called '' father of business intelligence '', and some really nice quote from him ( source: his interview ) :

'' Science and technology doesn't matter. It's about what do you know about the world ''.

He was scientist and social monster at the same time.
The great information gatherer .
An extraordinary man. But he knew that ;)

gBluff

An old form of poker known as bluff

Google is bluffing.
All those recent fancy announcements about OpenSocial and Open Handset Alliance is just a grandious bluff.
It's the game that would be in the state of war called ''positional fighting''.

Not that other are doing something extraordinary .
Amazon, Yahoo and Ebay are doing pretty much the same spinning around itself and buying innovative internet products and services .

Open Handset Alliance brought to you by Google

The down of innovation in mobile eco-system ?

The goal is open software stack for ''magic'' phone ( any phone ) . Build it as you like, but keep it open to all. Google made alliance and tries to bring it alive.
The strategy that worked when internet was young. But will it work in the mobile bussines ?

Android will deliver a complete set of software for mobile devices: an operating system, middleware and key mobile applications. On November 12, we will release an early look at the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow developers to build rich mobile applications.

Well, what's then with LiMo initiative ? Some thinks it's here to stay as well.
Here's a short summary and notes of Google conference call ( source: Gizmodo )

Live: Google's gPhone Open Handset Alliance Conference Call

9:52: Call done. Archive below.

9:50: USA Today asks about gphone name again. Coming? Another way to think about the gphone, says Andy, is that there will be 1,000s of Google phones, some you like, some you don't.

9:46: NYTimes asks what kinds of agreements will be in place between carriers and google on ads, and will they have to share ad revenue with carriers? And will this phone change business models in the phone industry? Google answers: Sharing is likely. Our strategy is to share. Android allows it, but doesn't require it. If anything, it provides additional opportunity.

9:44: Sasha asks if its possible to create completely locked down phones. It is, apparently, but Google says that you can do that, according to the license, such a device wouldn't be able to run many apps and would be much less powerful and competitive.

9:43: So if you don't like the phone you get from your carrier, if it's android, you're free to switch it up? Google: "that's an answer for the carriers."

9:39: How will this phone compete with development communities of other OSes, and will yet another platform fragment the dev community. The difference, Andy says, that this one is open. And it's open source. Eric says that because of this, even competitors might both pick it up, if the platform is good enough.

9:39: Eric says he could picture using iPhone in one hand and Android in the other. Strange.

9:33: Chicago Tribune asks what the diff is between the Gmail apps on phones now, and the android ones. Eric answers that the gphone, with a real browser, won't need customized programs and websites, so it'll be easy for devs to support the phone by supporting any desktop browser. Android will be the first to do this broadscale.

9:29: Someone asks, were Microsoft, RIM, and Apple to join the alliance, and what did they say? The question is being dodged but he says the alliance is open and if people want to join they can.

9:29 Financial Times asks if a real gPhone is coming. Eric says that we're not announcing, but if we were to, this would be the platform for it.

9:27: WSJ asks about Google's web applications and ads will work with the new platform. Andy responds that Google's flexible ad platform should be fine, esp since one part of Android is a very robust HTML browser. But you won't see an ad driven browser on this phone for some time.

9:24: BBC is on. They're asking if HTC is going to use Android exclusively. Peter Chou says that they're going to be using all OSes equally. Moto says that this is important to accelerate their development, but they do have some commitments from other OS devs.

9:23: The Q&A is starting.

9:21 Sergei Brin: Sergei is talking about how linux helped him start Google, and now he hopes that they can use open source to develop great handsets. Today's mobile devices were more powerful than the servers he was using 10 years ago, so he's excited.

9:19: VP of China Mobile, biggest carrier in the world. An open mobile platform will accelerate China's smartphone adoption, he believes.

9:16: Ed Zander, CEO of Motorola is on the phone. Says nothing about handset development.

9:13 Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm, is speaking. He's chatting about 3G. Qualcomm has been working on Android for the last year, committing significant resources. They've been working on the 7000 chipsets for ideal multimedia functionality. They're upcoming snapdragon chipset will do better data throughput, 3d, GPS, and mobile TV at better power consumption.

9:11: Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corp is speaking. He believes that the point of a mobile phone OS is to provide quick access to the content and functionality of a mobile phone. Android can do this, he believes. We plan to release the first mobile phone in the second half of 2008 with others to follow. "Windows Mobile Sucks!" Just kidding, he didn't say that.

9:08: René Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, parent company of T-Mobile, is speaking. Squishy quotes but no new data...our current plans include the launch of an android handset in 2008 in the EU and US with heavy wireless and web2.0 capabilities.

9:07: Eric is saying that users want better features. And that you couldn't do this with one company. That's why they've started the alliance of 34 companies.
Access to less expensive phones with more services and better UIs. Elliot Speaking.

9:06: We want to start a mobile phone platform that includes new services and features we couldn't imagine today. First mobile phone platform stack, including OS, apps, etc. Most liberal open source license, too. It's important to say that this isn't an announcement of the Googlephone. It's the announcement of a platform for lots of phones.

9:05 Started. Eric Schmidt is here and speaking.

Nokia Music Store in UK

Uphill battle for music fans just started in UK powered by Nokia Music Store.
Buy a track, album or streaming. Music has been allways hoped to be accepted on mobile phone.
The pricing for such a commodity will be extremely fierce.
I expect some type of digg-a-like rating system ( for similar mobile music services ) for artist popularity in addition to other features made famouse by Last.FM, Party Strands etc .

Nokia Search gets more presence in Latin America

Search the content of your phone and in the outer mobile space

Not so visible and important by metrics and measurement I've seen, but mobile search by Nokia is gaining momentum in Latin America.
Nokia made deals with local search providers ( 15 in South America and 38 overall in the World ).

“We’re on a mission to bring everyone the ultimate search capabilities, whether locally or on the web,” says Jussi-Pekka Partanen, head of Nokia Search, Multimedia, Nokia.

Mr. Jussi- Pekka sounds like they try to explain themselves as internet connected mobile multimedia and phone top search.

What about photo and mobile code searches ( visual ) ? Are those engines counted ?
Point and search ? Not type and search.

A moment for reflections

One needs to write.
It helps on a lot of occasions.

We need to put digital footprints into this digital see of information.
The goal is sometimes to put yourself up for somebody to pay attention or to serve as a reminder to ourselves that we had dreams, hopes, attitudes and done something to feel alive.

That's what I am doing right now.
The life is too short. We must act on our desires, senses, wishes, capabilities and reach what we like and hope for. ''Too late moment'' could be a moment closer then we think.

That's the life.
A bit poetic post today after some time on hiatus. Yes, I am still talking about mobile space.

After some time, I did more closely watched Forum Oxford forum. It's again interesting and nice to see some new important discussions.
But more about this in my future posts.

I've discussed about business opportunities inside mobile space recently with one of my friends but we riched conclusion there's nothing specific we are thrilled right now, so we won't bother with mobile business anytime soon.

But I'll be involved into mobile because of my passion.

Walkman phone w960i

Multimedia phone for beauty contest

Sony Ericsson W960i is entering ''modern'' aproach to mobile handset design and goes after iPhone and N95 market product range ( modern you bet, nice wording ;).

Beautiful design with superb functionality and easy controls ( at least for music, I am not sure how they'll implement it for Web experience ) .
A holy grail of a multimedia handset.

It seems to be more evolutionary approach then revolutionary ( Apple's way ) . Sony Ericsson doesn't insist on radically addressing poor handset controls but making it somehow hybrid ( buttons still there ).

W960 looks powerful:
- memory : 8GB
- Symbian™ OS
- 2.6" Touch screen
- 3.2 mega pixel with Auto Focus
- GPRS EDGE 3G WiFi
- USB Mass storage device
- Video recording at 320X240 with 15fps in mpeg4 for Video & AAC for audio
- MS Exchange ActiveSync
- Jog Dial
- Document editors


Credits:
Photo from Esato

My sinful vision for iPhone

Mea culpa, ring, ring.

Oh boy, I was wrong about Google involvement with Apple and iPhone project.
Mea culpa.
Seems I had connected wrong dots, but that doesn't make me to give up of the vision that includes some sort of mobile mashup services : Maps&Local Search&visual search and image processing .
Far from that. I think it will be doable.

I'll now stop writing about iPhone ( directly ) for some time. Maybe the best review ( altough PDA-centric ) by iPhone user I found to this day is posted on PDAPhone forum.

Asap.
Google & Apple partnership is totally unclear to me right now. They collaborated on what exactly ? Putting YouTube icon on iPhone ? Really ?

Steve Jobs doesn't understand mobility

OK, today ( 28.06.2007. ) I wrote follow up ( scroll down this post )

The first real iPhone reviews are in from a few influencers.

Walt Mossberg - Great, but not so great.
David Pogues- Great, but not so great.

Well, Steve, WiFi is NOT ubiquitous.
EDGE is not enough for browsing.
GPS is not inside iPhone.
Video camera ( ! ) is not inside iPhone.
$ 599 is too expensive.
iTunes won't work directly from a phone.
E-mail is not SMS. SMS is not email.
Removable battery , please

You better get those super-extra gMaps and 3D gEarth or image-processing capabilities on board or else...Eric will leave you ;)

Steve Jobs and the crew of ''mobile experts'' around him should relocate in Europe or Japan for a few months to understand mobility.
It's not that I had too many expectations ( well, in terms of UI it is a game-changer ).
I am currenly using mass mobile phone ( am not techie ) and I can record my videos, and much more here in Croatia.

OK, UI is superb. But everything is dejavu from previus releases.
For $ 599 I can get much better phone, and I won't worry much about UI.

Come to Croatia.

We are waiting for the 2nd iPhone generation and Europe's sale.

FOLLOW UP:

According to real user usage, data and app services should be in this order:

A 6 (six) Core:
In order of importance

1. Voice
2. SMS ( not so much in US )
3. Photo Camera & multimedia
4. Search ( info & news, people, places, maps )
5. Apps
6. E-mail

Services and apps tailored on those basic promises will be successful.

iPhone partly missed those realites and try to bypass some of them ( Wi-Fi instead 3G, email instead of SMS ( mobile phone is 1-to-1 medium - personal ) , not enough camera-centric ( or will be ? ), Maps as a proxy for ''search'', and apps not installed but used on the web ). Kind of too much PC-centric and not mobile-centric ( or is it just me ? )

According to what we know before public release.

Super Google Maps and image-recognition magic could could force me to change my thoughts :))

Google's secret feature inside iPhone ?

A magic carpet for the iPhone ? Google.

Google Phone project doesn't exist per se ( hardware ), the concept might be special software arrangment inside iPhone based on Google Maps & gLocal & gEarth API suite.

Location- aware web & mobile service/browser/app/code ( call it whatever you like ) that will serve as a glue between physical and virtual locations ( via object hyperlinking, sort of, call it information nuggets, placemarks etc. ) .
Suddenly, iPhone user could be having a '' cloud '' and exchange information with the surrounding ( other people, places etc. ).

Google will call your phone to connect you to the business you are searching ( just one example ).

I was doing much research lately about iPhone and possible Google phone so I looked into every possible scenario and found this one as the most appealing to all parties, including end users.

Something was missing all the time. We hear a lot of yelling like ''mobile, mobile, mobile'', then ''maps, maps, maps ''. Well, Google Maps. My maps, my local placemark, review, news...Google free call !

Why would I buy ( I'm in Croatia right now, so I won't ) a handset that costs $ 599 only to make calls, use multimedia etc. ?
Well, I've come to realise it might be worth the price ( I am on defensive and yet unconvinced when talkning about battery, Edge instead of 3G, GPS , and if it is about niche product which it is for start).

There's got to be something that will make Google go not just inside iPhone but to other mass phones on the market. It will NOT change the world solely with iPhone, but it will challenge the current thinking and the way we used to think about mobile.

Suddenly, we will be aware of another informational element ( geobrowsing, information geo layer ) and the wholy new way of making locally accessable information for the mobile phone ( can't say much more about the tech implementation it will be used- GPS probably not available from day 1., user will be asked to provide default location ).

Google will do just fine with extremelly targeted and personal ads. No need to elaborate that. Click-to-call.
Searches will be tailored to location, history of searches in that location , daytime, personal preferences and the results won't be the same for everybody.

But more important, Google will do the CALL for you when you search local businessess and will call you FOR FREE , unless you provide Google mobile number.

Google Phone Company , sort of ;)

Sort of informational / wireless cloud around our heads and authoring tools in our hands ( some authoring widgets for making user-generated content fo the location- annotation if you like ).

These are all ideas floating around a decade , in one or another form, but Apple and Google partnership could be real execution of these ideas.

And as I already said in my previous articles, if Apple succeeds in making the 'widget' the standard app delivery service for cell phone usage, then they can succeed in delivering the first mass-market entirely web-based computing platform and Google could get opportunity to for ''inovative'' software delivery ( the trend is there ).

Maybe my thought are only wild speculations and wishful thinking, but we will know everything on the 29th when iPhone ships ;)

Annotation of the Earth could become reality and sort of ''augmented reality'' perceived on the phone.
''The Google globe'' if you like and you are good to go if you are not privacy advocate ;)

All of this could lead to new way of using, organising and creating information, and Google will surely try to make sense out of this content bits and make a buck.

Here are my other articles about the similar subject during my research:

Google widgets for iPhone ?
Google Mobile Gadget ?
Mobile Web Tablet ( see the end of the article )

Web-based computing platform for mobile phones and software delivery ?

End game ?

I had a second thought today about the thinking on Apple+iPhone+Google+Widgets and try to relay the quote.

'' Everybody's might be missing the point.

If Apple succeeds in making the 'widget' the standard app delviery service for cell phone usage, then they can succeed in delivering the first mass-market entirely web-based computing platform.

That is huge.

iPhone widget development will become the big game.

Now Google apps also have some hardware to live on where they (hopefully) get adopted as another new standard for document exchange.

If it works, then Microsoft is no longer anywhere in the picture of the future of personal computing devices and of the most interesting channels of software delivery.

This is going to be very interesting... ''

Above is a quote by someone unknown in the internet abyss.

Google Gears will work even inside Safari.

Now, everything is fine, but I have only still some issues with iPhone:

1. Battery lifecycle could be too short
2. EDGE not 3G ( what's the value of iTunes integration on a slow connection ? )
3. What kind of unlimited plan by AT & T ?
4. Personalisation of the device ( different models - hardware ''faces'')
5. Europe's and Asia plans in the future ? ( 3G ready ? )
6. Will this Apple's ''philosophy'' sell to others ( carriers, handset makers etc ) and start similar ecosystem ( Nokia, Widsets, Orange )?

7. Selling 10 million phones is not a game changer of itself !?

Webwag mobile widgets

Widgets on demand and from startpage

Webwag.com, a startpage from France launched real mobile widgets.
Download is available on mobile phone or internet.
Consume the internet from mobile with beautifully simple widgets and sync it with an equivalent web service.
Mostly all the MIDP2 handsets are compliant.
They will open up the SDK really soon.

I am playing with the app and find it very nice. Still need to figure some things and catch all those buttons and access keys, but it is elegant, indeed.
Still I haven't used much their startpage at webwag.com. Currently I am trying to explore ''widgets'' and ''mobile'' aspect of the service.

Mobile checkout provided by PayPal

Oh, Lord, would you buy me, a mobile Mercedes Benz or just send me some money.
Please ...

Mobile phone users within as much 130 countries now will be able to pay for goods and services on the mobile web sites via PayPal Mobile Checkout system which was announced on the 11th June.

This is extremelly good for the merchants and the fact you could do a trade in a very easy way.

Cheaper trading

No need anymore for merchants to use expensive premium SMS provided by mobile operators granted under unfair deals .

PayPay had been offering for more than a year mobile person-to-person paying system for its user, but this gives another dimension ( WAP 2.0 ) which will make buying from the mobile phone and mobile web sites much easier and much profitable for the content providers.

Checkout alternatives

Google must be preparing something along the same route for Google Checkout.
Just I think that PayPay has an edge on the users side cause they are extremelly specialised for electronic payments , only doesn't have branding power of Google ( maybe service franchising with local entreprenuers would do the trick here and spread it more deeply among the uninitiated).
OboPay has some interesting offers too.

The Bank of PayPal

PayPal claims about 130 million users around the globe ( 190 countries ) . Only in Europe there are about 35 million users .
PayPal had become European bank in Luxembourg and was given financial licence recently.

Google widgets on iPhone ?

A billion of them ?

It went somehow unnoticed , The Seattle Times has posted an edited interview with AT&T's iPhone project head, Glenn Lurie. In the course of the conversation, Lurie let slip that Google apps are coming...

"There are other things — you have the widgets, some of the Google applications that are coming — there are just so many things here that the price will not be an issue."

He's saying about value for money. We'll see.

Is it possible that Google is much more involved ( integrated ) into iPhone plans that they were ready to admit? Now when Jobs , the other day , de facto announced that the mobile OS is ...well, no need to think in those terms, it is the Web, right ? ( open standards bla, bla... )

Having in mind Google Gadgets which is essentially something very interesting in the desktop world just starting to be more present in the rebranded iGoogle personalised homepage which is now called ''homepage content directory''.

Are those first shapes of Google mobile gadgets/widgets ecosystem coming into shape ?
I wonder. Though, it's now focused only on desktop.