Opinion

I for one am excited about the future of location based information services. However I am also aware that I am a person with a degree in both sociology and computer science, so I dream up these kinds of inventions regularly. I’m excited not only for the business potential for not only the creators of the devices and technology, but for the small cafe owner in the south of france who can cause an alert to appear on my iPhone telling me that as I love great coffee, why done I pop in for 1 Euro off my favourite cup? The possibilities are really exciting for using augmented reality to improve life.

Bring it on!

I am also aware that this should always be opt-in. The concerns are legitimate and I am surprised Apple is knowingly tracking my location (if only locally), although I don’t really mind that they do. For me, I would happily submit it so they can invent the future’s services around my lifestyle better, since that’s what I consider my iPhone now, quite indispensable to my daily life!

UPDATE: In fact I’ve switched on background updating on my iPhone, and history tracking too. I want to see a nice map of where I’ve been, and analyze the data. If you use Google Latitude too, add me!

iPhone Killer Ad Fails

March 7, 2010

Opinion

Leave a Comment

I still haven’t seen an “iPhone killer” ad in which the actual user interface of the device is being shown or used. It’s always a superimposed mockup in which the finger gestures of the model never coincides well with what is going on on the screen. It looks bogus and dumb. Or it’s some hottie jumping through through hoops against some city scape, and you barely see the phone let alone the user interface.

There just aren’t actually (m)any ads which the whole 30 seconds is of the device’s user interface being used showing everyday real problems bring solved elegantly by the device.

A side by side comparison of various interfaces performing the same tasks would be interesting.

Poking?

March 7, 2010

Opinion

Leave a Comment

Poking has got to be the lowest form of social interaction possible.

I suppose going through a list of people and poking them back does make their character pop into your head for a moment. Is that what it’s about?

I’m still yet to poke anyone.

FUCK YOU OPTUS

April 6, 2009

Opinion

Leave a Comment

It’s quite hard to make last supper drinks with people when your phone company keeps gobbling your money.

Get this. I didn’t have enough credit on my phone to make a support call to Optus, as it costs 20c to do so, so I use skype to call them. First call hangs after I’ve been put on hold by the first dude. Second call I get passed through 3 people, and the 3rd person offers to call me back. Never does. 2 hours later I’ve eaten and sigh, and buy $10 more credit. When I call to recharge Ten, that’s TEN different recharge options are offered me. I take the most appropriate sounding (they all have gimmicky myFriendChargeTimePlus!** names) and then try to call the support number again, but get this, IT STILL TELLS ME I HAVE INSUFFICIENT CREDIT! So I get home and use skype to blast some poor dude in India, and he actually does call me back, and we have a long ‘conversation’, where I explain to him that there’s no way I could have used my iPhone for predominately data for 6 months, only recharging $30 here and there along the way, and then find that amount deducted from myCredit! in the space of two lousy days, where I barely used it.
What gives!

So now the guy has personally promised me that he will check my usage patterns for the last few months to see what’s up, and get back to me within 90 minutes.

Fingers crossed.

And I’ve already spent $10 in skype credit on call to them.