SevenClick! Mobile Technology Evangelists

The earthquake caused by Nokia on Symbian’s world a couple of days ago, has hidden another interesting movement of the Finnish company: the acquisition of Plazes.

Plazes is a Berlin-based company that offers a social network based on location. As they state in their blog, Plazes team will join the LBS team of Nokia based in Berlin, created from the acquisition of gate5 in 2006.

With this new deal, Nokia pushes its strategy on location based services and social networks. This is one of the hot topics today!

Via error500
Link blog.plazes.com

When some months ago Google released ‘My Location’ feature for Google Maps for Mobile a lot of buzz hit the blogosphere. Every tech-blogger wondered about how had Google managed to know the location of cellphones.

But now - just a couple of weeks ago - Google itself has put some light on the business with a post on the Official Google Mobile Blog. And not many people has talked about it. But it’s really good news.

Not only Google has unveiled how they really get to know location, but has announced they are going to give third party developers access to this information.

This will enable development of location-aware applications to every developer.

Now, ‘My Location’ is available in more than 200 countries and across many different platforms, including BlackBerry, Nokia Series 60, Apple iPhone/iPod Touch, Windows Mobile, and many Java phones. Gears for Windows Mobile and Android already contain location APIs.

The major drawback is accuracy, that is clearly insufficient for serious applications. And this issue won’t be solved - if possible - until Google has collected a huge amount of data from cellphones all over the world, which will be possible just when GPS chips were commonplace in every mid-range cellphone.

So, I’m not sure if this new service will have a real impact in deployment of production applications. But, definitely, it will help LBS applications to be mainstream and to boost innovation related to this technology.

Via OfficalGoogleMobileBlog

I love Japan, and i love how they use the technologies in day to day life earlier than in other countries, it is time now for paying your meal at McDonalds by mobile phone. It is easy and quick.

This payment method is based Felica RFID technology, installed in most modern Japanese phones to create the first program of this type, allowing customers using Kazasu Coupon (Contactless Coupon) to choose their meals, redeem coupons, and pay for purchases all with their mobile phones. Beginning with 175 stores and expanding gradually to its 3,800 nationwide stores by 2009.

How to use it. At first you must download the application to your mobile phone and choose the coupon you like. Then the coupon is redeemed by placing the phone near the RFID reader at the register, instantly adding the item to the order. At last, you must complete your order paying using NTT Docomo’s iD mobile wallet.

Check this video to see how it works.

Well, i am waiting for things like this here that make our life easier.

Via CScoutJapan

Next please!, Who is next?

Imagine booking your turn for the fruit shop through your mobile avoiding stand in line. Impossible? Not so far from reality.

Somebody called Rosco has developed a system for students which allows booking computer equipment with a mobile phone device. Consists of a J2SE server application and a J2ME application. Both interact together with Bluetooth.

Is is called BluetoothRBS and it has been created for the Glasgow Caledonian University Campus Life 2008 competition.

It is at least interesting, and maybe useful.

Via Xataka Movil

NTT Docomo has announced an odd Fragance Communication Service (Kaori Tsushin Mobile), as a pilot test from April 10 to 20. The service will be use for enjoying downloaded audiovisual content together with specific fragrances that will be emitted by a dedicated device.

The new mobile version offers the convenience of using mobile communication to download Fragrance Playlists, or files of recipes for specific fragrances together with visual (GIF animation) and audio (MIDI) content.

Using the phone’s infrared port, the fragrance data is transferred to a device that has been loaded with a cartridge of essences, or base fragrances. The device, a smaller, lighter and stylish, then mixes the specific fragrances and emits them as the user enjoys the A/V content played back on their phone.

Also to be tested is a device controller, called the Service Gateway, which controls the operation of devices in the Mobile Fragrance Communication system. The gateway connects with the Internet, so instructions can be sent remotely from a mobile phone. For example, commands could be sent to the gateway to instruct the fragrance device to begin operating just before the user arrives home.

In the pilot test, a total of 20 male and female monitors will each receive a free Mobile Fragrance Communication kit containing a mobile phone and fragrance device. Five of the monitors will also be given Service Gateway modules. After using the service for ten days, the monitors will complete questionnaires and take part in a group interview. NTT Com will use the information to learn about the monitors’ preferences for when, where and how to use the service, as well as their opinions of the fragrance device’s design and usability.

I am not sure if this odd service will have success or not, maybe as a commercial sms service for cosmetics and fragrances stores like Sephora, but i have to say that japanese people drives me crazy with this inventions.

Via Wireless Watch Japan

Microsoft have chosen AT&T to launch the world’s first Surface into retail.

With this 30 inch multi touch screen, costumer could learn more about the mobile devices showed at stores by only placing it atop the Surface. They’ll also have the ability to explore interactive coverage maps. Later, users will be able to drag ringtones, graphics and video and drop it into “the phones.” Amazing!

This service will be availabe at New york, Atlanta, San Antonio, and San Francisco stores next April 17th.

Take a look to the entire picture gallery or watch this video to know more of about this “vaporware”.

Via EngadgetMobile

Congratulations to BlackBerry users! Cortado in cooperation with Box.net, the online storage provider, now offers BlackBerry users 1 GB of free, additional storage space.

With the new solution “Cortado Connect for Box.net” Cortado and Box.net have optimized access to storage services for BlackBerry devices. The software offers all BlackBerry users the ability to manage both their local and online storage as well as transfer files between them.

Moreover, file sharing is an important feature of this new service. To access the service, you just need a BlackBerry Internet Service account. The storage can be used for storing music, video, and other data files

We hope they will soon provide a similar tool for Windows Mobile, Symbian S60, Palm, …

Via Gizmovil

La Caixa presented last week the first iPhone enabled Mobile Banking site in Spain. The service works for iPhone and iPod Touch, and presents the aspect shown in the upper picture. The new service includes Línea Abierta, online banking, and ServiCaixa.

Congratulations!!! La Caixa has managed to be the first bank to announce an iPhone Mobile Banking site. And I say “announce”, because we have tested it and is far from being what it’s supposed to be an iPhone version of a Mobile Banking site.  Just a few adaptations to the mobile banking service is not enough for an iPhone version.

I suspect that the strategy of La Caixa is to launch an actual iPhone improved version for the next release, including AJAX and an interface specially designed to take advantage of the multi touch features of the iPhone. They announce new features for new realeases like office and cashier finding, LKXA, stock manage… We’ll evaluate new releases when launched, but from now on, we only consider this announce as an effort to be the first bank to have such service.

Link La Caixa Press Note

I love Fring (in fact, if you have read my last posts related to it you could have find it out by yourself ). It’s one of the most interesting applications I’ve ever found for my PDA Phone.

Now, Fring announces a great feature: file transfer. The functionality works from mobile to mobile and mobile to pc. It currently supports fring to fring and fring to MSN, and viceversa. More protocols to be supported soon.

Forget about MMS, bluetooth, infrared or cable connections to send your pictures to your PC. Just Fring them!!!!

Link Fring Blog

While Europe and the U.S.A. are still studying why the should deploy NFC systems, Japan and some other asian countries (i.e. Taiwan, South Korea) are improving it and launching the next NFC generation.

One piece of example is the system to be deployed by Gemalto (Taiwan) which  integrates NFC inside the SIM card itself.  This technology will greatly help to spread the use of the NFC as users will not be forced to replace their devices, just their SIM cards.  Moreover, it is supossed to have a wide range of action, from banks, transport companies and many other service providers, starting in the second middle of this year.

However, there are some doubts still unsolved like whether the phone carriers are in the mood for launching this service and how personal information and security are supossed to be processed.

Read the oficial press release here.