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CallWave, a company that’s been creating voice applications since 1998, recently released a new service called CallWave Visual Voicemail. This is a ‘widget’ (works with iGoogle, Apple OS, Windows, and Yahoo!) that lets you see your voicemail messages in a Web-based menu and choose which ones you want to listen to.

 

I decided to give this a whirl, since I’m still saving up to buy an iPhone (which includes lots of neat features, including visual voicemail). IMHO, visual voicemail is long overdue. I mean, why should I have to skip through to ALL of my mobile voicemail messages just to get to the one I want? That’s so 20^th century.

 

Since I already have a Google account, I figured the easiest way for me to use CallWave Visual Voicemail would be on one of my iGoogle tabs. Adding the widget was easy enough; I registered for the service and slapped it up on iGoogle. I also had to enter a special code into my cell phone to enable calls to be forwarded to the CallWave system. (I was also provided with a code to deactivate forwarding.)

 

Then, I tested the service out. It’s pretty cool; once messages come in, you see them right on the screen in a neat little box showing the caller (if there’s caller ID associated with it, or just the number), date of call, and duration.

 

After creating a couple test messages, I figured it was time to see how easy listening to them is. I popped on my headphones and pressed the little red triangle next to one of the messages and voila!

 

There’s also functionality built into the widget that lets you “edit” each message by typing in a description of the caller and choosing which best describes the number:  ‘home,’ ‘work,’ ‘cell’ or ‘unknown.’ Presumably the widget remembers this and lists the appropriate label when someone from that number calls again.

 

I have two minor gripes with the service:

 

1. Voicemail messages are no longer accessible on my phone. I’m using Cingular, so not sure if this is different for other providers. My phone still alerts me to the fact that I have missed calls, but the messages themselves are no longer in the queue when I call into my voicemail.

 

2. Instead of hearing the personal greeting I set up on my phone, callers are greeted to the following message: “Hi, the person you’re calling is using CallWave. Please leave a message after the tone.”

 

Frankly, the second of these glitches is a deal-breaker for me; I want people who call to know they reached my phone. I did send a query to CallWave about this, but haven’t heard back yet. I imagine this problem, and the issue of messages not staying in the phone mailbox, would be easily enough fixed. Maybe this second problem is on the provider end; not sure.

 

Despite my suggestions for how to better the service, I do commend CallWave on taking the bull by the horns and offering something that’s of great use to modern cell phone users.

 

Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

The big news broke over the weekend: there is now an official launch date for Apple’s much-touted iPhone (device that combines mobile phone with iPod). The new product’s hit-the-shelves birthday is June 29.

 

Is it really official? Well, seems so: Reuters is reporting it this morning (citing confirmation from an Apple spokesperson), and Apple aired three TV commercials Sunday night showing off iPhone and saying it will be available to purchase on the 29^th. These commercials are available for viewing on Apple’s Web site.

 

In one commercial, the voice-over boasts that there’s never been an iPod that can do so many things: let you use your finger to scroll through music album covers, display video on such a large screen (and change its orientation simply by physically turning the device sideways), let you scroll through and manage photos, and answer a call.

 

The second commercial show how easy it is to turn on iPhone and use it to manage your music, send e-mail, browse the Web, and make a call.

 

My favorite of the commercials is the one titled “Calamari.” In it, a user is watching Pirates of the Caribbean and gets hungry for calamari after seeing the sea monster tails. The user then hops on Google Maps, performs a search for seafood restaurants, locates a place to eat, and then calls the restaurant—all from the iPhone. Pretty slick stuff!

 

So, it’s time to break out your sleeping bags. Something tells me there’s gonna be L-O-N-G long lines outside stores on June 29…

Using a mobile phone to browse online content or look up information on the Web can be an expensive proposition, since time spent using broadband service is often time paid for quite dearly. Many Web sites, and Web browsers, aren’t optimized for fast loading on mobile devices, exacerbating the problem.

 

Viewing Web content on mobile phones faster is the idea behind Mobispine AB’s intelligent agent. The Sweden-based company recently released a new version of its mobile phone news aggregator, which saves data airtime charges by alerting users about updates only when their favorite Web sites or blogs display new content.

 

Other features of the RSS-like application include “you-may-also-like” recommendations and intelligent navigation.

 

“To start ‘murfing’ (mobile surfing) all users need is a mobile phone that accepts Java programs and an Internet-enabled phone,” explained Mobispine CMO Joakim Hili, in a statement. “Mobispine is free to download, however operators may charge a small fee for the data traffic according to each users data plan.”

 

Hili also said that Mobispine consumes up to 20 times less traffic compared with straight Web surfing using a mobile phone browser. As a result, the application is transforming the way people use their mobile phones.

 

“This intelligent agent allows consumers to have instant access to their favourite blogs and data on the go,” Mobispine CEO Duysant Patel said in a statement. “In our first 6 months, more than 100,000 users have downloaded our client from 100 countries to join our rapidly expanding community.”

 

Seems like a pretty cool idea. If you try it out, let me know how well it works for you.

Sometimes, accessories for “the thing” generate more revenue than “the thing” itself. Perhaps not with revenue (I don’t have the numbers handy) but certainly with ubiquity, we’ve seen this trend in the explosion during the past few years of iPod accessories. Apple isn’t the only company to realize that, once people have their iPod, the way to keep the money flowing (aside from introducing new iPods every year or two) is through accessories: cases, faceplates, gadgets for connectivity in the car, etc.

 

In the mobile phone market, at least, current projections indicate that accessories are poised to soon drive more revenue than the sale of phones themselves. That’s according to a new report out this week from ABI Research, “Mobile Phone Accessories Market Will Generate More Revenue than the Smartphone Market in 2007.”

 

The title of the report pretty much says it all, but here are some numbers to drive the point home even further: ABI predicts that mobile phone accessories will generate more than $32 billion in revenues this year, whereas smartphones will probably only rake in about $28 billion. The industry analyst firm break things down further into “after-market” accessories (projected to represent 77 percent of accessory revenues) and “in-box” accessories (remaining revenues).

In the report, ABI Research analyst Shailendra Pandey nails it on the head with this well-stated summarization of the situation: “The number of mobile phone accessory products is expanding with new products driven by technology as well as by customer fashion and personalization needs appearing in the market.”

 

Mobile operators, Pandey added, are now realizing that phone accessories can lead to higher annual revenue per unit (ARPU). How does this work? Here’s Pandey again: “Handset vendors now recognize that to increase sales of their high-end mobile phones and smartphones, they need to provide accessories that allow users to fully enjoy and benefit from the features provided in those handsets.”

 

Among the marketing initiatives being undertaken by carriers based on this philosophy is Nokia’s “Mobile Enhancement” product promotion, and Motorola’s campaigns focusing on “Personalization” and “Self-Expression.”

 

Well, it’s official. We want cool gadgets for our cool gadgets. Bluetooth headset, anyone?

Sometimes, being an early adopter of new technology is not the best business strategy. That’s the tact being taken by wireless products manufacturer Motorola. CNet News reporter David Meyer wrote in a Friday article that, speaking at a ZDNet event in London, Motorola senior products manager Angelo Lamme said the company has no plans to make any 802.11n-based products until the standard is fully ratified by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

 

That’s despite the fact that 802.11n may not be ratified until 2009.

 

“We’re going to wait until the final standard has been set,” Meyer quote Lamme as saying. “It doesn't make sense to ship yet, as enterprises won't adopt (802.11n) that early, and we don't want our customers to end up with noncompliant, prestandard equipment.”

 

Wow, that’s quite a firm stance. One wonder, though, how long it will hold out. What if it really does take until 2009 before 802.11n is ratified? Will Motorola really wait that long to start manufacturing the next generation of wireless products? Even though the standard is not yet hardened, a lot of other manufacturers are jumping on board anyway. That could be a mistake, or it could be a smart move given how fast technologies change.

 

Not that I’ve got anything against standards, mind you. I just wonder if Motorola can really afford to take such a strong “wait-till-its-finished” approach when so many of its competitors are unwilling to be so patient. After all, as Meyer points out, another wireless industry group, Wi-Fi Alliance, plans to start certifying 802.11n products in June, despite the fact there’s no guarantee “that equipment currently available will be interoperable with the finalized standard.”

 

802.11, Meyer notes, promises to deliver improved bandwidth and range; many vendors, including Intel, have already started shipping products that conform to the draft 802.11n standard. Since it’s not in final draft yet, though, the standard could change significantly before it’s ratified by IEEE.

 

Meyer quotes Lamme as saying that Motorola’s 802.11n strategy is designed to protect enterprises and consumers. Those who adopt 802.11n draft products may later find themselves locked into technology that becomes redundant in only a few years.

 

What do you think—is Motorola making a mistake or being prudent?

After the shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this spring, students, parents, faculty and staff at schools across the country have been paying renewed attention to the need for improved emergency alert systems. One company that’s taking an in-depth look at the problem is VIYYA Technologies, which in April announced the launch of its Emergency Alert Information Portal, an application designed to distribute information in a timely manner, both on a routine basis and during times of crisis.

 

I was made aware late last week of VIYYA’s efforts in this arena, and figured it would be a good to idea to mention it in my blog. I admit, I do appreciate the company’s apparent thoughtfulness about the subject; in a press release on May 16, VIYYA stressed that, although it did get the application up quickly, the solution is not designed to be a one-size-fits all, knee-jerk reaction to the need for better emergency alert systems.

 

The company said that its developers met with officials at a variety of education institutions to determine which emergency alert methods work, and which don’t, in different types of settings. That includes special-needs environments, like the Austine School at the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

 

Here’s John Bay, VIYYA’s CEO, in a statement: “Informing or warning hundreds or thousands of people can't be accomplished using a simplistic off-the-shelf approach. Attempting to use cell phones to warn students, staff and faculty, for example, fails to take note of the fact that many people turn off their phones in classrooms, libraries and labs and that many of the phones don't work in gyms, pools or technology buildings where signal interference is common. Cell phones are great devices, but they do have their limitations and limitations aren't what you want in an emergency.”

 

Good point, John. Although portable, wireless communications channels are one way to distribute vital information quickly in emergencies, all channels should be utilized for the best chance of success.

 

VIYYA took a proactive, many-communications-channels approach to emergency alerts in developing its system. The company’s Emergency Alert Information Portal (EAIP) “instantly transmits alerts to thousands of users via e-mail or SMS text messaging, and supports collaborative information exchange through chat rooms, discussion groups, and topic-specific forums.”

 

EAIP is a Web-portal-based system that can be customized by each school. Information from a variety of sources (Internet, intranet, local databases, etc.) can be displayed, filtered, organized and disseminated using a proprietary “intelligence sharing” application. This application is designed to monitor and share physical security intelligence in situations that potentially could involve terrorist activity and other types of dangerous disruptions.

 

For maximum flexibility, VIYYA’s EAIP is built on a service oriented architecture (SOA). It’s available via two distribution methods: on-demand via software-as-a-service (SaaS), and local installations.

 

What do you think makes a good emergency alert system? Let me know.

Bad news for young addicts of today’s mobile electronic gadgets: the state legislature in Maine is considering a bill that would bane the use of electronic devices, including cell phones, for drives under the age of 18. According to Bangor Daily News reporter Tom Groening, the proposed bill won unanimous approval on Thursday by the legislature’s Transportation Committee.

 

In his report Friday, Groening said that the bill, LD 161, would go beyond current laws which prohibit minors’ use of cell phones while driving during their first 180 days holding an intermediate license. This new bill would also ban use of other handheld gadgets, like video games and portable MP3 players, while driving.

 

Groening’s report quoted a deputy with the state’s Office of Policy and Legal Analysis, who advised the Transportation Committee, as saying that the bill was broadened beyond its original address all electronics-related causes of young driver distraction.

 

On a related note, Groening said, the same committee also considered another bill, LD 114, that would have banned use of hand-held cell phones for ALL drivers; that bill was defeated. Meanwhile, a third bill (LD 576) that tasks the Department of Public Safety with studying the role of hand-hand cell phones in crashes, was recently passed in an amended form.

 

What’s my take on all this? I think it’s a positive sign that LD 161 focuses at least partially on “distractions.” That’s what I believe is the real issue here. If the bill passes, youngsters may cry foul, perhaps rightfully so: “If we can’t use cell-phones while driving, neither should anyone else, regardless of age.” It may be true that younger, less experienced drivers are more prone to having accidents when they’re distracted, the truth is that ALL humans have finite abilities to concentrate on multiple stimuli simultaneously.

 

I do think that using hands-free devices like Bluetooth headsets and voice-activated dialing helps cut down on the distraction factor. But, it can’t cut out the distraction completely. Be honest: if you’re talking on the phone, part of your attention is diverted from the task of driving, right? Anytime attention is diverted, whether because of talking on the phone or singing along to a song on the radio, the chance of making a driving error goes up.

 

What do you think?

Okay, I have to admit something here: I’m a bit tardy in my reporting on the news that I’ll be featuring this blog entry. Last week one of the PR contacts who regularly feeds me wireless-related news sent me a note about a new mobile video partnership between mywaves and AdMob. The news came out on Thursday, and I’m just now writing about it—the product of a busy schedule.

 

mywaves is a mobile media company that delivers video content via the Web to cell phones. AdMob claims to represent the world’s largest mobile ads marketplace. The two companies have teamed up to deliver click-to-video ads—offered by AdMob advertisers and delivered to consumers through mywaves.

 

The capability to deliver embedded video player capability is being provided by mywaves. This means that, in more than 160 countries, cell phone users will be able to easily click through to video ads.

 

Mobile advertising, AdMob founder and CEO Omar Hamoui, explained in a joint press release that advertisers are increasingly becoming interested in mobile ads as a way to reach customers.

 

“Our partnership with mywaves makes it possible for AdMob to offer marketers and brands a means to deliver rich video experiences as part of their mobile advertising programs worldwide,” Hamoui said in a statement.

 

How do the mobile video ads work? Users who have Web browser on their cell phones can watch an ad video, using the mywaves video player, after clicking on an ad delivered through AdMob. mywaves’ video player also lets users save the video on their phone and send it to friends using multimedia message service (MMS). According to the press release from AdMob and mywaves, enabling viral, word-of-mouth sharing of video ads is a first.

 

The new video ad capabilities are being launched this summer as part of AdMob’s new landing page solution.

 

Hey, if you encounter an AdMob/mywaves video ad, let me know how well you think this new form of advertising works.

In a recent Slashot post (April 27), a contributor identified as Zonk shared info from another contributor, Codecracker007, indicating that the government in India is planning to roll out free, 2 Mbps broadband access for all resident of the subcontinent by 2009. This is according to an April 26 article in The Economic Times which said that the service will be provided by government owned operators BSNL and MTNL.

That report warned that this plan, if implemented, “holds the potential to kill the telecom business as we know it.” That being said, it not too surprising, given that “the Indian government and its autonomous regulatory bodies are very proactive in holding the consumer interests above the operators.” The Slashdot post said that this heavy-handiness on the part of the government has helped reduce long distance and wireless tariffs by up to a factor of 20 during the past seven years.

So what does all this have to do with wireless? Well, as another Economic Times article (dated April 27) pointed out, much of the success of this initiative will rely on how wireless spectrum is doled out.

“The government must quickly decide on the modalities of 3G rollout and the spectrum issues, as 3G is essentially high-speed wireless broadband and the key to providing internet services in remote areas,” the article said.

In related news, WiMAX Day reported May 2 that the Department of Telecommunications in India is coming under increasing pressure to release radio frequencies for WiMAX network use. WiMAX, for those not familiar, is the souped-up cousin of WiFi that provides stronger signals capable of traveling greater distances between transmitters (often referred to as nodes). In many regions, WiMAX has been championed as the solution to providing wireless broadband in rural areas.

WiMAX Day said in its report that an Intel-hosted seminar was held last week in New Delhi, during which the chipmaker “urged the government to allocate 2.3 ~ 2.4 GHz, 2.5 ~ 2.69 GHz and 3.3 ~ 3.6 GHz frequency bands for use with WiMAX.”

The report noted that “The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already recommended 3.3 ~ 3.6 GHz frequencies to the DoT, however the government has yet to release this spectrum.”

According to WiMAX Day, TRAI proposed that 200 Mhz of the spectrum in question should be doled out in blocks of 15Mhz. But, Intel and many local operators say that 30 Mhz is more appropriate for minimum bandwidth requirements.

Keep one eye peeled on India. It definitely looks like an interesting wireless broadband battle is heating up there. Depending on how it plays out, who knows—maybe we’ll all be able to learn something from India.

Here’s an update on the VirginiaTech shootings: an AP report published just after 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time said that it took the university two hours to compose and send out an e-mail to students warning them about the first shooting.

 

According to the article, that’s also the span of time between the first shooting and the second one; by the time students got the e-mail (at 9:26 a.m.), the gunman had moved to a second building and begun his rampage again. The article also quoted a student saying that there were no public address system warnings as he walked to class at 9:00 a.m. two buildings away from the location of the first shootings.

 

From my perspective, it certainly does seem as if the university was ill-prepared to respond quickly to the emergency by getting information where it needed to be, regardless of the channel used.

 

This both does and does not surprise me. On the one hand, you’d think that with all the modern technology that’s available today, it would be easy to get the word out. On the other hand, we’re talking about a campus that rarely experiences any events even remotely out of the ordinary, so it’s probably reasonable for it to have only minimal systems in place for responding to emergencies.

 

For those watching from afar (I refer here to video clips I watched earlier on CNN.com), the dearth of warnings seemed to create a rather chaotic environment on campus, where in some areas there were people running around panicked and in others students strolled from one place to another without any apparent concern about armed police officers running about. At least one student even managed to capture part of the action related to the second shooting on his cell phone camera (I blogged about this earlier).

 

It will be interesting to watch as more eye-witness photos and video footage surfaces. Since most people, and especially young people, carry cell phones equipped with various types of cameras, I’m willing to bet that a fair number of students recorded what they saw.