May 3, 2010 by dan.

I am a gadget junkie. I admit it. And I have a box full of Bluetooth headsets. I’ve pretty much bought each new one as they come out, only to be disappointed. On my end, they are generally pretty good. On the other end, I’ve often been told that I sound like I’m in a wind tunnel, underwater, with my mouth full of marbles. Not the best sound quality!

And then I got the first Jawbone. It was markedly better. But it was pretty heavy, and the earloop broke all the time. For it to work, the tip needed to rest on your jaw. As my friends at Microsoft Research had predicted, that was the best solution. And then they came out with the smaller version 2. And it was terrible. I couldn’t keep it on my jaw, the earloop was even more fragile, and I couldn’t keep it either in my ear or against my jaw. (I wasn’t alone. Read their support blogs.) Out of sheer frustration, I bought the Plantronics 925. Better.

And then I upgraded to the Plantronics Discovery 975 (http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/mobile/bluetooth-headsets/discovery-975). This is a good Bluetooth headset! I’ve had people ask if I’m on a landline (until the terrible service of my iPhone and AT&T makes the connection terrible!). It uses two mics, a DSP, and has some clever wind shielding technology. It’s comfortable and fits well in my ear. Seems to connect well with both of my cell phones. And, perhaps most cleverly, it has a case with a built in recharging battery, so that the headset charges when you put it in the case. The case also contains a small screen that shows the state of the charge.

Very cool.

Posted in Gadgets, Mobility | No Comments »

December 5, 2006 by dan.

In 5 years, the full merger of Web 2.0 and Mobile technologies will be complete.  This intersection will be a large driving force for substantial cultural and economic change.  I call this emerging field the Mobile Autonomous Web or “web2.go” (pronounced web two dot go).

The web2.go manifesto:

• All web-accessible information will be mobile-accessible
• Your mobile device will connect you to entertainment and information, the same way it connects you to communications today
• Commerce will move from the purse/wallet to the mobile device
• It’s as simple to geotag a piece of data as it is to timestamp it
• Your personal data is available wherever you want it
• Security is inherent to the process – your information and communication is completely secure while totally available.

web2.go is enabled by the ubiquitous deployment of high-speed mobile networks, coupled with the simultaneous deployment of even higher speed wired networks, at the same time that software and services serving Web 2.0 reach a majority of users.  As they reach a critical mass of users, behaviors will change (like a singularity in math).   This kind of behavioral change was presaged by the emergence of mobile telephony, which has rapidly replaced landline telephony.  (Can anyone remember the last time they used a payphone?)

So what kind of applications will result?  Imagine some of the following scenarios:

• Jane is an architecture buff.  She is visiting Shanghai and sees an interesting building.  She snaps a photo and hits “History2.go button” on her cell.  A query is sent out, using the photo and GPS coordinates.  In seconds, the history of the building, including hyperlinks to more in-depth content is returned.
• Akemi is driving from Seattle to Spokane and wants to stop for Mexican food.  She asks her car nav system for a recommendation.  Since her home computer knows that she tends to trust Fodor’s, the recommendation returned is the best combination of the highest Fodor’s recommendation and distance.  It is immediately programmed into her nav system.
• Bill is shopping for a new suit.  Since he recently made a Land’s End purchase for slacks and a sport coat, Nordstrom2.go can query the Nordstrom database for inventory at its local store to let him know what is in stock in his size.  A salesman can have the suits ready for him to try on.
• Jack had a sudden pain in his arm.  His web2.go device, which he uses for his workouts, has a pulse rate monitor and immediately senses his irregular pulse.  It signals for emergency help, saving Jack’s life.
• Etc.

Once web2.go is deployed, life without web2.go is unimaginable.  It becomes an indispensable tool for both business and every day tasks, integrated into our daily lives.

Posted in Web 2.0, Mobility | No Comments »