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Google Mobilizing

Google Mobile is starting to come together…

They currently reformat pages automatically when you simply type in Google which is handy for Search on the go, but had not enabled the Personalized portal until today.

You can login through the same URL (http://www.google.com/ig) you use on the desktop and if you’ve logged in on the desktop today, you may have noticed the invitation to personalize your mobile site. I find the experience pretty lukewarm to be honest. It’s nothing compared to way in which Yahoo has grasped mobile content (not even counting the actual applications!) and I really don’t like having to see all the “Add This” BS at the top of my screen. When I am using a mobile device, I want information as quickly as possible and well formatting for the screen. Google gets a B – I’d give Yahoo an A for their http://mobile.yahoo.com (better URL strategy as well)

What Google has done a great job with is mobilizing their Maps application which can be accessed with a click to http://www.google.com/gmm. Today’s update (need to download again) includes real-time traffic information to locations or routes if you choose. This is a great tool and works quite well on my phone. My only real ask here is for GPS integration so the routes can be recalculated as you go. It’s not very handy to manually step through directions as you need to drive. B+

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Presence is key

There are two interesting things breaking this weekend on the mobile presence scene…

Twittr is from Odeo / Blogger and lets you set up a simple group on SMS.  It’s actually very slick especially given how simple it is. You just text your message to the universal short code – 40404 – and everyone in your social space gets the update.  You can choose to share your messages on the public homepage (I’ve opted out) or not. There’s some simple lingo that lets you ping or track a friend as well as control the level of messaging you receive.

Jaiku is another app that lets you socialize your contact list on Series 60 second edition devices like the Nokia N70.  I realize that’s a limited set compared to Twittr which lets you send to anyone regardless of carrier or phone type, but it’s a very interesting way to guage outside of the usual IM space what’s happening with people of interest.  I’ve added my status to the blog sidebar for a bit of “flare.” I like how it tracks the cell towers and lets you give the zone you are in a name like home for example.  It did pick up my city which is cool as I am in a small westchester suburb currently… My status page is here.

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Mapping on the go

I’ve been playing a bit with some map and navigation applications on the N91 and think it has some pretty slick applications for on the go navigation as well as just cool info.

WayFinder Navigator is the most comprehensive application I’ve found to date but in order to get the most from it, you’ll want to pair your system with a bluetooth GPS like the Nokia LD-1W which actually arrived with a previous NSeries phone I was using. Wayfinder Navigator is a full featured navigation system that enables you to be located (of course) and chart courses to new locations. This is perfect for driving or walking in new places. I found that with my bluetooth headset attached, the directions I needed to follow were spoken discretely in my ear as I went along which is nice as the screen on the N91 is great for a phone, but a touch small to really be watching while driving.

Another cool app is Google Maps Mobile. It’s exactly what you know, but on your phone. No GPS integration (which would make this amazing) but it’s amazingly responsive and worth a download.

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Because you can

I am currently commuting home on the train to Westchester listening to a Podcast on the N91. At the same time I am using the phone as a modem for my MacBook Pro as I needed to quickly send a file which had already been sent via Exchange using Outlook Web Access. Since I was connected already I decided to check out a few feeds and decided what the heck, I’ll fire up Opera Mini back on the phone which amazingly still works quite well all on my GPRS connection. As I started to type this entry, I felt the familiar buzzing of a new email arriving in my inbox via N91 to top it all off.

Not so bad for a pocket-able system.

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Walk to Work

I thought it would be vaguely interesting to shoot some video of my walk to work. I always get my New York on a bit while in Grand Central as it feels like you have to be aggressive in order to stay on the line you want to walk. Way too many people wander aimlessly or simply cut in your path. Yesterday, was not a particularly busy day, but if nothing else you’ll get a sense of video quality of the N91. I simply held it mid-chest and walked from Grand Central to my office a few blocks away.


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Back from London




I was in Europe again last week – this time in London for business. The travel is pretty heavy in my job, but the cross-atlantic action is new.

I have to say I really like Europe and had a very good trip meeting with co-workers from our London office.

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ZeFrank on Travel

I’ve got a trip to London tomorrow and happened to catch this clip from ZeFrank which really just made my day. While heading to new places sounds exciting it’s always a grind no matter how you slice it.

I’m getting picked up at 5:30am for an 8:30 flight and will land at 8:30PM GMT – or British Summer Time as my colleagues across the pond have been calling it. Nice way to fully kill the day AND get jet lag as a bonus door prize. See you on the other side!

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Almost there

Just a few hours at the office…. I am already there.

Punta Cana

I am set to check out completely for the first time in a long time. I’ve worked the past year through most weekends and holidays and am ready for a complete shutdown. I think my brain and body seriously need to recharge.

Punta Cana

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Snow Shots

What a messy day today is turning out to be… We had probably about 4 inches of snow at the house this am which was beautiful, but now that I am in the city, it’s seriously messy.& Unlike the snow in westchester, the city snow turns black and slushy pretty quick.
Here are some snaps I took on the way to work… There’s a quick video on the prior post. All done with the ever-handy N90.

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Powerbook Based Commute

There's a cool thing that happens pretty regularly on the train which is that you can look right into a train on the next track. I'm not sure why I like this so much, perhaps it's a bit voyeuristic or something…

This morning, it happened when looked up and saw the train on my left, I realized I had the N90 in my pocket and decided to capture the moment. I think it actually turned out pretty cool… That's my PowerBook mid-screen.

Shot 12/5/2005 @ 7:22:12 AM

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Travel “Friends”

It’s pretty unusual to have a conversation with someone on the train, but tonight I was engaged reagrding my Dell craptop of all things… We kept it brief and the guy sitting across from me was then more easily distrated by a woman across the aisle.  Since that conversation ended, he’s been gesturing and making some pretty intense facial expressions as if he’s talking to someone down the train… of course no one else is actively conversing here, it’s a purely one way transaction.

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Google Wifi in New York

News.com
picks up on the latest node – Bryant Park.

I am pretty sure Bryant Park was one of the original Unwire locations for Intel from a few years back but it looks like Google has muscled in on it in order to offer their own free access. I have not had a chance to check it out (though it’s not so far away really). I wonder if they upped the speed – I’ve read the SF location is really quick – or just rebranded the portal page.

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Outlet Shopping

“Outlet Shopping”

The fine art of searching for power for your laptop, phone, iPod etc … while in a public place like an airport.

This is something I see all too often. While waiting on extended delay in O’Hare yesterday it occured to me it needed a name.

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Corporate America

(This is far from telling of corporate America, but I was at a loss for a better title.)

While at the airport today I was told I was no longer going to attend a meeting in California. The plane was actually boarding at the time… nice timing.

Keeping it real in the life of advertising and business travel.