People like surfing the web on their mobile...this surprises some people

They first started talking about this when I was still at University, they called in WAP…but WAP was CRAP. Fast forward ten years and we finally have a device and an interface that is capable of providing us with a positive mobile Internet experience…. even if we don’t have the data plans in some countries….big island in the southern hemisphere *cough*

But, news is that mobile Internet use is going through the roof while traditional PC access is slowing, at least that’s what the guys and gals at Nielsen say. I think this is UK data, but according to the findings over 7 million people jumped online using their mobiles during the latter half of 2008, representing an increase of 25 per cent for mobiles compared to a teeny-tiny 3 per cent increase for PC access. Another interesting fact is that 25 per cent of mobile surfers are aged 15-24, while the same age group accessing the web via a PC is just 16 per cent.

MyTake – is this really surprising? No. I remember wanted to surf the net in the WAP days, but found it excruciatingly painful, so I gave up. Then again when 3G was launched, but the limitations around the browsing capabilities again put me off. Having seen the likes of the iPhone, it’s a much more positive experience that doesn’t have the drawbacks of its not-quite-there predecessors. This is exactly what people want and they are taking to it in droves.

N-Gaging times ahead

First-up, I wasn’t that big of a fan of the Nokia N-Gage device(s), but I am a massive fan of mobile gaming – whatever form it takes. The guys over at Nokia have stuck with the market for quite a while now and I think they’ve come good with the N-Gage service. If you remember the original device and have a few dubious memories, think again, the device is no more but the games remain as a service.

Gamers can log on to the N-Gage site and download a software link that connects them to Nokia’s library of games, which they reckon will be around 30 by the middle of 2008. They already have the likes of EA, Gameloft and Glu Mobile making titles for the service, and who knows, they could get a few killer franchises on board – Spore maybe?

MyTake – Nobody really “owns” mobile gaming, it’s an open field for any brand to go in and do something great. Sure, we have handhelds from Nintendo and Sony, but a solid content-based system with some appealing titles? Not yet. With Apple getting further and further in to the mobile space, I think a true games service isn’t far off for them either. Nokia beat them to the punch on this one – can they make they most of it?

Mobile "chick flick" with a twist

If somebody told you that a film was being made featuring mobile phone clips of women from around the world, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was of the R-rated nature. But, a project underway in the UK called Overheated Symphony is calling for women around the world to make “quick flicks” on their mobile phones, then send them via the internet to a London-based film director who will pull them all together.

It’s all in aid of a film festival taking place in London that showcases the work of female film-makers. Other than the theme of “Overheated”, women can film whatever they want and the call-out on the website says: "Ladies, wherever you are, whoever you are, we want you to join in". Sarah Turner, the British film director who will create the final edit, said the inspiration came from a 1927 film by German filmmaker Walter Ruttmann Berlin - Symphony of a Great City, which used a montage of still pictures from many sources to document city life.

The deadline is 2 March and the film will be aired on 9 March at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts. According to Turner, "Making a film from all these female voices around the world is quite a beautiful thing, but also it's about shooting down the idea that women are not up to date with technology."

MyTake – A damn cool way to share content on a global level and to mash the content together brings a great sense of unity. Mobiles are becoming increasingly popular as “content capturers” with lots of people publishing their experiences to the likes of YouTube. Sharing the content in this way creates an instantaneous network with an actual output – in this case a film. The possibilities of this could extent to “instant networks” creating news reports, mini films – how cool would that be!

Anyone for a nice bold adds?

The best innovators in the world are kids without agenda, and while this might not be an world changing innovation, it's an interesting direction. Basically, a new language is being developed using the predictive text system. Have you ever been texting a mate to see if they want to go for a beer and ending asking "You up for an adds?" - happens to me more than I'd care to admit. Well, phone addicted kids are putting a new twist on this by relacing key words within a sentence to the first alternative that comes up on the predictive text, which results in what is essentially a new language -

"R U cycle? Book! Fancy an adds down the sub? There's a gr8 new carnage" actually means "R U awake, Fancy a beer down the pub? There's a gr8 new barmaid"

My Take - you wont stop the children of the revolution, no you won't.....well, you could take there phones away. In all seriousness, it's great to see a generation define itself through expression and this generation has done this more than most. Which goes back to my first point about innovation - it's going to be great to see what they do to global business in 10 years time.