Unsustainable billing arrangements for Twitter

Footing the bill for long-distance SMS

Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. Twitter stops SMS notifications for many users.
It is funny watching all those people from Web/internet backgrounds now in shock and awe. LOL :)
Like it was sustainable practice. Obviously, another prove that the US west coast miscalculated mobile ( telecom matters ).

We should be all reminded how ICQ messenger in the early days of Web ( I was using this feature around year 2000. ) was shutting down SMS feature as well ( for most countries, it is available only in few countries ).

*
Now when's blood on the street, I wanna buy a stake in Twitter and make another investment round BCDEFG ;))

UPDATE:
Opposite to Twitter, Brightkite thinks they are just ready to add international text messaging as an option ( hahaha )

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 )

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 )

Mobile User Experience to be debated

People's forum for open, calm discussion. London. Today. Tomorow. No hype.

There is constant need for better mobile interfaces and interaction. People from mobile telecom industry are gathering in London and talk about mobile UIs .
It's the first ''manifesto statement'' I've seen in the mobile space .

Sort of guide and creative thinking highlighting the key issues in mobile user experience. Read a conference blog.