Mobility Site » Jay Donovan

Cube Cheater iPhone app solves Rubik’s Cube.

Jay Donovan — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:54:43 +0000

Um, I am way too dumb to understand HOW this is happening, but apparently it is for real. Just watch the YouTube clip, it says it all.

If you were someone like me (who could only ever get one side of the cube completed) then this app is for you!

REVENGE….. IS MINE!!!!!

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Mobile Banking: 500M customers by 2013.

Jay Donovan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:53:23 +0000

Mobile Marketer points to research by ABI that notes the trend in mobile banking is on a furious incline.

ABI Research claims that the mobile financial services category has the potential to become bigger than mobile television and mobile content when measured by subscriber base.

“[The category has the] broadest demographic appeal globally of any mobile application outside of voice and text communication,” said Mark Beccue, ABI senior analyst for consumer mobility.

This makes a lot of sense. As stated, phones and networks have reached a level of hardware and software capability to withstand mobile banking needs and with Digital Millennial users (Gen Y) numbering over 100 million in number, it’s a match made in heaven–convenience driven users, familiar with tools of the digital economy–and "tools" is the important word here in explaining the quote above, I think.

To say that mobile banking stands to be more popular than subscriber based mobile television and content is, pardon the cliche, right on the money due to the sheer transactional nature of the toolset provided by mobile phones and mobile Internet devices. Think about how many times you call or check online to transfer money or check a balance, per month. Now think about how many more times you would do it if you could graphically navigate the landscape of you accounts in one or two clicks from any location, instead of waiting thru 20 phone menus or waiting until you get back to the office/home? Probably more. I bet twice as much. A mobile device is the perfect transactional tool for moving nebulous amounts of money from one account to another. A quick "in and out" procedure that seems to make much more sense for the masses than say, watching mobile video on your phone. I am not saying that there is no place for mobile video, I am just saying that I agree with the article in that mobile banking could get bigger, faster than some other mobile content. This is not to say that the other content channels are flawed or anything like that… just that their subscriber base will take longer to build and latch on than banking customers.

(...) Read the rest of Mobile Banking: 500M customers by 2013. (116 words)

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Short Codes for the rest of us, Part 1 – Contxts.com

Jay Donovan — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:31:15 +0000

With worldwide reach and ease of use it’s no wonder that SMS (short message service) has become, in the words of Ronald J. de Lange, "…the most successful non-voice service for mobile operators in the history of telecommunications…". A bold statement indeed, but right on the money, I think. With estimated volumes set to reach nearly 5 trillion messages in 2011 (that’s trillion, with a T), this medium is poised to reach epic levels of use. Let’s look at a few stats:

Portio Research states that:

SMS has generated revenues of 89 billion USD in 2008, and the world has seen traffic of almost 3.5 trillion SMS messages in 2008. Our forecasts predict that SMS will become a 100 billion USD business by 2010, and worldwide total traffic will reach almost 5 trillion messages in FY 2011, and growth will continue from there.

And Alan Moore, in his killer document The Glittering Allure of the Mobile Society, asserts that:

SMS text messaging is used by twice as many people worldwide as e-mail, and through SMS text messaging you can reach three times as many people as through any messaging platforms on the Internet

Clearly, SMS is a powerful and important method of modern communication and is not going away. While its UI is sparse–completely text based–it works on almost every phone worldwide (with some carrier restrictions across countries, of course).

One of the most useful features of SMS is its ability to react and respond to short codes. What’s a short code you ask? There is an in-depth description here, but the basic gist is that a short code is, well, a short code or string of numbers to which you can send "keywords" as messages. At the gateway/server level out there on the cloudy information superhighway known as teh interweb, these codes can be magically processed and return specific, automated data, based on the keyword sent. You with me so far?

But how does the average consumer use SMS short codes to benefit their own personal digital needs? It seems complicated. Well, it is and it isn’t.

(...) Read the rest of Short Codes for the rest of us, Part 1 – Contxts.com (883 words)

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Adobe Flash Player on the iPhone would represent direct competition to Apple’s App Store?

Jay Donovan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:30:45 +0000

Well, would it? Is that why there is no Flash Player for the iPhone? I, like many others, have been lusting after Flash Player support for the iPhone, since before I even had an iPhone. Heck, I have been obsessed with true Flash-based mobile Rich Internet Application support for devices since I got my iPaq 3830 back in the day (and I am not talking about the lame, disjointed players for PIE, or even the couple of decent standalone ports–I am definitely aware it has been possible to play Flash content on mobile devices for a while). No, I am talking about true, open to the masses, “we’re gonna get behind this thing and go” Flash-based mobile RIA support. It never happened the way it could have here in the U.S.A. It always seemed to me that Adobe (really Macromedia at that time) squandered the opportunity and spent so much time trying to figure out how to control, monetize and license a mobile player, that none of the sea of developers out there could really get cracking on taking the whole thing to the next level state side. I know they spent lots of time enabling development patterns outside the United States, but why not here? I am sure there are reasons–complex, political and technologically challenging reasons, likely hovering around our non-unified infrastructure. I would love to hear more about this, because it was never really clear to me what was going on here in the U.S. with regard to this, and as someone fairly intimate with the technology (I have spent the last 7 years as a Flash Designer/Developer) I was always hoping to hear more about what was going on. Feel free to comment on this and share your opinion. From my estimation, Adobe/Macromedia could have become the de facto mobile RIA development platform of choice and owned the whole thing by now. It could still happen, I guess, but the easy road may have passed them by. Why?

Well, while this was up in the air for them, a couple of things happened. Nokia updated their S60 software offering a few times. Both Apple and Google released their own specific mobile operating systems, SDKs and marketplaces for housing, creating and selling proprietary mobile RIAs, respectively. More companies are sure to follow this trend leading to continued fragmentation. The dream of a convergent solution (like Flash Player) stalls. Dang!

But back to the main question: Do mobile Flash RIAs really pose a threat to Apple and its “App Store”? The answer is YES, whether Apple will admit this or not. I’m sure it is no big secret. Honestly, it now seems so obvious to me that I can’t believe it never occurred to me before last week. Yes, both systems for creating interactive mobile applications and content are competing as architectures. This, my friends, is why there is no Flash Player for iPhone, not because “it’s not good enough for Apple standards” or whatever Jobs rationalized.

(...) Read the rest of Adobe Flash Player on the iPhone would represent direct competition to Apple’s App Store? (529 words)

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My favorite iPhone apps (week of 12.15.09)

Jay Donovan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:41:09 +0000

I should probably let you know that when it comes to reviews I plan out myself, I usually focus on the positive. I am not the kind of guy that likes to write crushing reviews just for the thrill of the crush. Chances are, if I try out a piece of mobile software and it really sucks, I probably won’t waste any time writing out a review. That’s just how I roll. I just didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about any iPhone app reviews I write that may seem overly positive. There are plenty of apps for the iPhone that are a COMPLETE waste of time. I just don’t write about those. Instead I try to focus on the good things, while still letting you all know where I think there is room to improve.So where are we this week? Ah yes, here we go.

FOURTRACK. Sonoma Wire Works has released a sweet new app called FourTrack that, well, turns your iPhone into a four track recorder. Let me repeat–it turns your iPhone into a four track recorder. How cool is that? For the musicians of the world, it’s pretty cool. Now, it isn’t perfect and there are plenty of micro multi-trackers out there so why is this one so great? Well, I’ll list a few pros, and to be fair, cons.

Pros:

1. It looks so f***ing cool. I mean check out the interface on this thing.

2. It’s portable.

3. It syncs with you laptop to transfer tracks easily.

4. It looks so f***ing cool!

5. Great for sketching out ideas with acoustic instruments.

6. Sounds pretty good, even with the built-in mic.

7. Syncs directly with their desktop collaboration application called RiffWorks.

Cons:

1. While I experienced no crashes myself, I have read several reviews that reported crashes and lost data. So it’s still kind of a consumer model and maybe not quite as reliable as hardware based micro four-track recorders like those made by Boss ( which I have never used myself, but only heard about from friends). I am speculating here, but my guess is don’t try to use it to record paid contract work while you are doing your moonlighting gig as an engineer for Different Fur or Abbey Road studios, dig?

2. External microphone support exists, but isn’t easy.

(...) Read the rest of My favorite iPhone apps (week of 12.15.09) (372 words)

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iPhone users shifting away from laptops says Rubicon

Jay Donovan — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:18:42 +0000

From Communities Dominate Brands

So, Rubicon Consulting has surveyed iPhone users, and found that half of iPhone users are shifting away from using a laptop computer. 28% said they “strongly agree” with that statement.

This is no surprise to us and our regular readers. We’ve reported in our book already that even the Blackberry was causing a similar shift among email users, where many busy execs who primarily needed a laptop for email, were shifting away from that when the Blackberry allowed the connectivity in a pocket-able and always-connected device.

And we’ve reported on the shift from a PC based Internet experience to a mobile phone based Internet in many countries already. But now, especially for those with a strong North American view to the cellphone and its chances as a new mass media (ie 7th mass media) – the iPhone helps convince those. By the way, the overall total access to browser-based content shifted this year, and for the first time there are more people accessing browser based content on a phone than via a personal computer. Yes, this includes WAP access but with that definition, there are more “Internet users” on phones than PCs this year. I’m going to do a major review of the industry numbers shortly and its one of the findings. Another – this year for the first time, there are more people who use MMS picture messaging than use email.. Big shifts happening in the media and communication world.

Um, I am not sure 28% is half, but it is still interesting to me that this trend seems to be on the rise, just as more and more of the information we consume and manage regularly becomes part of the “cloud” model. Coincidence? Unlikely, but we’ll come back to that.

The question lingers in my mind–why are people shifting away from laptops in preference of iPhones and other mobile devices (presumably only for personal information and communication and not for work related tasks that require the computational strength and software that currently can run only on a desktop or laptop) . Additionally, for the purposes of this post I am generalizing the trend toward all Smartphones and not only iPhones, as that’s where I see it heading.

I have some ideas about this and they revolve around a few concepts:

1. Prices are falling. When the perception that an iPhone or other Smartphone can be had for $199, (all of us who have purchased one know there’s more to it than that) it becomes an attractive and plausible purchase for demographic segments with less money. To be frank, there are a lot more “have-nots” out there than “haves”. When you couple this with findings like ComScore’s report that the strongest growth of iPhone users occurs among those earning less than the “median household income”–that is, between $25,000 and $50,000–at an increase of 48 percent you can see that it makes sense for members of this segment to spend $199 plus a data plan to have complete Internet access versus a big up-front payment for a laptop or desktop and also monthly broadband service. Plus they get all the benefits of mobility.

2. Cloud computing. As the promise of the “thin client” rears its head again, it makes so much sense that we should see spikes in casual and regular Internet access via mobile device. So many popular services are based in “the cloud” and do not require system resources or storage or any of that. You REALLY CAN do many of the same tasks on either platform and I think people are choosing the platform they can take with them anywhere.

3. Convenience of micro-consumption. It’s Internet usage “on demand” rather than waiting to do all of your online tasks at once, while you happen to be sitting in front of a desktop machine or in a stationary location with a laptop. Check an email here, send an SMS there, post a tweet here, buy (yes buy) an item there. In the unfortunate reality of modern-day multi-tasking, mobile access to information is a real convenience. An eventuality.

So what? People are buying more iPhones and and Smartphones and using them for Internet access. Big deal, right?

Well, it is kind of a big deal for marketers. It’s a real recipe for being able to take authentic brand messages to people at the very best time to reach them… in those small moments of time in which they actually don’t mind being reached. I’m talking about toilet-time, laundry-time, coffee-time, standing-in-line-at-the-grocery-store-time, bus-time. If micro-blogging can reach a critical mass of usage, surely micro-consumption has the same promise for becoming a standard consumer approach for info and also an acceptable method of receiving opt-in brand marketing. I mean, it’s already happening quite a bit. For the people who want to be reached in this way, the chances of marketers getting through are high. Don’t take my word for it, just ask your average 14 – 24 year-old or anyone on Obama’s SMS list and they will give you the scoop.

Marketers can’t just use “mobile” as a gimmick or quick fix though. A brand or service still has to have a real value or purpose. That is a whole different conversation. But if you think supporting a brand message with mobile strategy and advertising goals is science fiction or fringe behavior, then you probably aren’t the right segment for being reached in that way–and there are less and less of you every day. Moreover, if you think there is less value in mobile marketing tactics because you don’t fully understand the possible impact, think again. Heck, I don’t understand physics, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

So, my point is this: mobile info consumption is like snacking all through the day versus sitting down for three square meals at your laptop or workstation. The convenience this schema offers is the reason that Smartphone ownership keeps growing. And the rising numbers are important to marketers because it strengthens the power of this growing advertising channel. But that’s just what I think. Speaking of thinking… let me know what you think?

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Opera Mini 4.2 is released

Jay Donovan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:15:36 +0000

from Opera.com

I missed this yesterday. It’s a top notch little browser, that reaches so many devices. Just check out the language support in this latest version. I will be downloading this soon. Someday Apple will let this get ported to iPhone.

Oslo, Norway — November 25, 2008

Today, Opera Software released the final version of its much-anticipated Opera Mini 4.2 for mobile phones. Since the launch of the beta version of Opera Mini 4.2, speed trials have shown that this version gives more than 30% speed improvements for users in the US, due to the addition of a new Opera Mini server park in the United States.
Opera Mini 4.2 on Android

This release also marks Opera Mini’s official availability on the latest version of the Android mobile platform. Opera Mini is now the first Web browser alternative on Android. A technical preview of Opera Mini was previously released for an earlier version of Android in April 2008. Users of Android-powered mobile phones, such as the T-Mobile G1, can now download a beta version of Opera Mini 4.2 and experience a faster and less costly way to browse the full Internet.

“With Opera Mini 4.2, we are showing the world that Opera never gets complacent. We will always be improving our product, adding speed, new functionality and features, and ensuring that it is accessible by all,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “Our support of the Android platform helps fulfill our mission to be available on more platforms, for more devices and reach more users, anywhere in the world.”

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My top 5 Favorite iPhone apps (this week)

Jay Donovan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:00:40 +0000

Gil’s iPhone post inspired me to list a few of my recent favorite applications for iPhone. It is a list that changes frequently, as there seem to be many new applications available on an almost daily basis.

GOOGLE EARTH. Fascinating. Works great. GPS works so fast that I think to myself every time it opens—"What would people 300 years ago think of this little thing if they saw it."

Indeed, would they faint, would they cry out with joy… nah, they would probably burn me at the stake as a heretic for having it in my possession. At least I would know, within 3 meters, the location of my final resting place.

I digress. What I mean to point out is that the WYSIWYG-ness of this thing is super fun and FUN is what I tend to think it is best suited for. If I want directions to a place, then regular old Google Maps seems the quickest and most intuitive way to get directions, but if I want to look for the satellite image of the sandstone model of the Parthenon in Nashville, TN (and believe me, I look up things like that ) it’s way more fun on Google Earth for some reason. Plus Google Earth can keep your kids busy, when you are out at a public event or restaurant that they find boring.

FACEBOOK. If you are a social media junkie, the Facebook application for iPhone is a must-have. It is loaded with features and is intuitive. Sometimes I think I prefer it to the actual web site. You can check status updates, scroll thru friends’ pictures, upload your own pictures, all with the flick of a finger.

SPORTS TAP. Comprehensive list of all events in the sporting world. I was happy to see that world soccer leagues are listed right along with NFL, NHL, NCAA. Works great in conjunction with ESPN SMS score alerts, for keeping tabs on matches and events while you are stuck somewhere without access to a TV or computer—like during meetings when you are at work.

STANZA. It’s a great little e-book reader and the app itself comes with access to many classic novels. At the time of this writing, I am 8 chapters into 1984, by George Orwell. I know, I know… I was supposed to have read that in eighth grade, but alas, I didn’t, so I am reading it now. Plus, now I can read in the dark.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. There is an app that contains scans of the document, but also a transcription. When I read it, it’s kind of like I hear the theme song to Rocky in my head, and I’m serious. I find it to be a very moving and stirring piece of literature. Download the app. Read it when you are feeling sorry for yourself. Read it before you go out to jog. Read it before you go to pitch that client presentation. Seriously folks, if you have never read it… READ IT. It puts a little perspective on the bravery and well, cojones, the Founding Fathers had in order to risk their fortunes to fight for our great nation. When I read it, I try to paraphrase outdated phrases like "all men" to be "all people", but other than that it’s a classic. That last paragraph is killer.

WHOA… where did THAT little tirade come from. Well, never mind my melodramatic ramblings about The Founding Fathers, and just get the app because it’s free.

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Gmail gains voice and video chat

Jay Donovan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:18:56 +0000

From Ars Technica

Gmail’s budding reputation as a communication hub for more than just e-mail received a major endorsement today with the addition of voice and video chat. Google launched the feature today and will roll it out to users around the world over the next couple of days.

Gmail’s new voice and video features work in modern browsers that support the latest version of its web app, namely Firefox 2.0+, Safari 3.0, IE7, and Google Chrome. Google Apps users will also get this feature as it rolls out, but Gmail voice and video conversations are only supported on Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Windows Vista via a Gmail voice and video chat plug-in that must be installed. Sorry, students, Internet café nomads, and cubicle warriors everywhere, but you may have to beg your admins for this new feature.

I haven’t been able to try it yet, but it installed just fine. Will be hitting up all my peeps tomorrow. Stay tuned. How long until mobile Gmail clients support it? Who knows?

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ChaCha and “Rock The Vote” Election Answers

Jay Donovan — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:32:14 +0000

from Mobile Marketing Watch

ChaCha, a unique “mobile answers” service, has teamed with “Rock The Vote” to engage and inform voters as well as provide voting, polling and other related information for the upcoming November 4 election. With the knowledge of Rock The Vote, combined with the streamlined delivery of ChaCha, users can simply text-in their questions about the election, and receive an instant response.

Here’s how it works: users can send questions to RTVOTE (788683) and politically trained ChaCha Guides will provide informed, non-partisan answers via SMS within minutes. Potential voters can learn everything from where their polling place is, to the positions taken by the candidates on everything from energy to taxation. You can also access the service by calling 1-800-2ChaCha as well.

First of all, I love this service, because that’s exactly what it is… a “service”. You ask your question and then do something else, then verify later. And there is something about the “Wizard of OZ” humanness of ChaCha that makes me happy. The story above is interesting to me as it’s the first organized and completely specific group search endeavor that I remember (besides the SETI screensaver thingy), and I am sure there have been many others folks… please feel free to list them in comments. What I am merely saying is that it sparked my interest in the possibility of massive group search around a single concept. Maybe its is currently happening elseware on the net. I would love to hear about it if anyone has info.

Think about what it would be like if we had organized, globalized search projects/initiatives for a range of issues? The opportunity for reaching globalized superordinate goals seems obvious and eventual. I’m just thinking/typing out-loud here.

Update* – Literally seconds after I posted this I found out about @Amber Alert on twitter. That is EXACTLY what I am talking about in this post. List more if you know about them.

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Firefox Mobile Screenshots

Jay Donovan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:13:51 +0000

from Read Write Web

In early April we reported on an early prototype of Firefox Mobile. Code-named “Fennec”, it was only recommended for use on Nokia N810 devices. At the time, we felt that Firefox Mobile showed a lot of promise. Today screenshots have surfaced showing Firefox Mobile running on the Windows Mobile OS. We can’t deny that we still think it shows promise and we’re eagerly anticipating its release.
A Look at What’s in Store

Firefox Mobile looks to be coming to a Windows Mobile device near you very soon. With a reported Acid3 Test score of 88/100, the mobile web browser looks nearly complete in the screenshots that have surfaced. The address bar is reminiscent of Safari on the iPhone. However, it takes a visual cue from Firefox 3 with the addition of website favicons. Screenshots also show a really unique way for web surfers to visualize what tabs are open in Firefox Mobile. Mozilla may be foregoing traditional ‘forward’, ’stop’, and ‘back’ buttons located in the address bar. Instead, the screenshots show on-page text boxes that indicate these actions.

Looking forward to this. Skyfire and Opera have compelling offerings this year. This should up the competition for sure! These are for WinMo.

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Control your SAAB with Windows Mobile

Jay Donovan — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:08:54 +0000

From PocketNow by way of WMPoweruser.com

Due to a partnership between SAAB and Sony Ericsson, you’ll be able to control many aspects of the Saab 9-X Air using software on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X-1 via Bluetooth.
Some of the features controlled would be:
- Ambient lightning
- Front and rear seat settings
- Lock the car
- Open the rear compartment
- Switch on and off the lights (blinkers, main lights…)

This would come in handy in a pinch if I lost my keys (which is like, every single day of my entire life). That being said, if I could afford the new Saab 9-X BioHybird, that means I could also afford to have an army of personal assistants re-cut keys for me at my every whim and beck and call, each time they are missing, so this service really would only be another way to show-off. But seriously folks… I am probably way to pragmatic to require said functionality, but as a concept, one must admit this is pretty cool and could be a starting point for all kinds of mobile/auto integration. While this may seem overkill to the average person, I bet this would go over big in Japan (if it hasn’t been in practice there for 5 years already).

What I want to know is will there be a garage-door opener module? :)

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Sync Your Mac and Windows Mobile With SyncMate

Jay Donovan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:00:12 +0000

UPDATE – check out JakeRich’s review here

from SmartphoneThoughts

“SyncMate FREE Edition is a perfect solution for information management. It is FREE and easy-to-use synchronizer for Mac and Pocket PC, that will help you keep all your documents, text messages, contacts, calendar entries and events and other stuff well organized. With SyncMate Free edition you can synchronize applications like Address Book, iCal, etc. Also you can easily read SMS directly from your Mac, check detailed device information (battery state, etc) and visually analyze memory usage. SyncMate Expert Edition (available for a small fee) grants you even more synchronization possibilities. With Expert Edition it is very handy to synchronize time and share Internet between your Mac and your mobile device, which is very important for all mobile people. Synchronize iTunes and iPhoto to keep all your favorite music and pictures within a click of a button.”

Anyone with a mac probably has struggled with this concept for some time… I know I have. I am eager to give this a spin and will report back soon.

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comScore: Mobile "Search" gaining.

Jay Donovan — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:49:57 +0000

From Mobile Marketing Magazine

comScore, which specializes in measuring the digital world, has revealed mobile search is gaining in both popularity and frequency of use in the US and Western Europe.
comScore M:Metrics reports that in June 2008, 20.8 million US mobile subscribers and 4.5 million European mobile phone subscribers accessed search during the month, an increase of 68 and 38% from June 2007, respectively. The UK had the highest penetration of mobile subscribers using search at 9.5%, followed closely by the US at 9.2%.
“It is interesting to note that as we see the number of mobile search users increase, the frequency of activity is also growing,” says comScore Analyst, Alistair Hill. “The number of people accessing mobile search at least once a week grew 50% in Europe, with France and Spain leading at a rate of 69 and 63%, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of US users accessing mobile search has more than doubled as a result of expanded 3G penetration and Smartphone adoption, as well as the proliferation of flat-rate data plans. We have also seen a substantial improvement to the mobile search offerings in the US market.”
Google is the preferred brand for browser-based searches with a 60% share of mobile searchers in all countries measured by comScore M:Metrics. Yahoo! ranks second in Germany, Italy, UK and the US. In the US Yahoo’s mobile searcher penetration is 34.6%, more than double its share in most other countries

What these statistics also reveal is that the comfort level with viewing a mobile device as “more than a way to make phone calls” really is gaining traction. With regard to brand marketing, (hey, it’s my day job yo) these new mobile search stats are significant for two reasons:

1. It proves that more consumers are doing search tasks out in the field that were once constrained to their desktop machines, and from a brand viewpoint that could just as likely be product comparisons as it could be looking up word definitions or directions. We know that a major portion of research preceding a brand purchase happens online. Brands that can optimize and reach their savvy users with mobile content on searched demand will have an advantage , especially as the “Power-Users” of today gradually become the average users of tomorrow.

2. With location-based services and software popping up on more and more phones, “Search” is about to get even more granular, more localized, more precise, more useful. These increased numbers justify more development of these kinds of tools and services. Brands that realize this and adapt to this kind of scheme will also have advantages.

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Photoshop.com for Windows Mobile. Why now?

Jay Donovan — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:17:59 +0000

Tip from Modaco

I just ran a tweet about this but then thought I should expand on it. Adobe just released Photoshop for mobile beta, along with acompanying website for sharing photos.

My first thoughts are: “COOOOOOL!”

My second thoughts are: “Why now?”

I mean, there are so many photo-sharing apps out there already, that it seems awful late in the game for this kind of thing. But still… it’s Adobe, one of the most successful, trail-blazing companies out there. I’m sure they thought about this and did some research. I mean come on, they developed and maintain one of the most significant software applications of all time. Why not try to add services to extend it?

Initially, it looks like you get 2GB of space for public and private galleries. Also it has an auto upload feature that can happen right after you take a picture with your phone. So, you can in theory, use their server to upload and store your images and then delete them from your phone immediately, and this is compelling. I assume they will upload the full res image. (One of the big beefs I always had with a similar service at Dashwire is that they reformatted the images and the stored ones were not at the same resolution as the original). Hopefully, Adobe has thought about this.

If nothing else, photoshop.com is a pretty sweet Adobe Flex application. I am eager to use it to see how well it works.

More to come…

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