Based on a project I am working on now for a religious not-for profit I found this article from the Huffington Post to very interesting. “Fatwa Against Muslim Prayer Ringtones: They’re ‘Demeaning,’ ‘Disrespectful,’ Top Cleric Says (see link bellow).”
The strict religious world and the word of New and Social Media have not exactly come to terms yet. They will, of course. Its inevitable. And the permutation will be very amazing to see. It will be an entirely different way of looking at new media and social media.
But in the meantime there are a of interesting challenges when doing New Media and Social Media for the strong in faith.
Its a topic I intend to spend a lot of time in the future. Thats what the core conversation group Judaism 2.0 I am sponsoring is all about.
But stay tuned for more as I explore this topic deeply.
On another note, Ringtones are still here and they still can be a very viral form of communication. If the passion is there.
The makers of the Peek and PeekPronto, my favorite examples of “a solution in need of a problem“, are back with yet another such example – the TwitterPeek. As the name implies, this is a Peek device for posting to Twitter. That’s all it does. No e-mail, no SMS – certainly no wireless web or cell service, as this is a Peek we’re talking about. This is nothing more than a dedicated Twitter device.
While I don’t use Twitter much, I certainly see the appeal. However, when most people have a phone that – if not a Smartphone – could be considered a “mildly clever” phone, when wifi is everywhere, when netbooks are cheap and bountiful… I just don’t see the point of such a device. The odds are that your average Twitter user is already connected the majority of his/her day. You can tweet via SMS, email, etc. There are dedicated apps for iPhoneOS, WebOS, Android, Blackberry OS, and so many clients for WindowsMobile as to make ones head spin. Why in the world would someone pay good money to carry yet another device around, when the ones they have are capable of doing what this one can?
If the TwitterPeek were merely an existing Peek with added Twitter functionality, I could hear an argument – not everyone wants web access, and maybe someone wants it for personal use and their cell is a work device. Ok. But any standalone Twitter hardware product, even with no contractual obligation, just seems mind-blowingly useless.
Holy cow, what a week. Every time Mordy or I sat down to write a post, something else happened. I’m going to try to condense it all into one week, going by topic. Bear with me: (more…)
Here are some interesting things from DigitalLook, but not exactly interesting enough to be their own article (no offense to the vendors, who were all awesome)
Note that I do have photos, but I seems to be mangling the photo functions of the blog, so I will be holding off on adding them. (more…)
Have some down time this July 4th weekend? Looking for something to do and the games on your mobile phone are just not cutting it? Refreshed Facebook or Friendfeed for the umteeth time with nothing new or exciting. Well why not join a community of people who have taken a survey regarding something we are all experts in… social networking when it comes to mobile phones.
The survey, being conducted by Lubna Dajani from Stratemerge, is part of a study aimed at assessing the viability of social networks as they relate to the segment of consumers in the market place who seek simplicity above all in their devices.
The results of this survey will be compiled during the month of July 2008. Findings report will be made available in August 2008 and will be blogged about on MOPocket. Your input and comments are invaluable to this study.
This upcoming Monday, July 16th Mobile Monday New York will be hosting a very innovative discussion of social networkings mashup with the mobile medium. It promises to be a lively discussion from a vast array of experience regarding this inevitable phenomenon.
Why do I say inevitable? Because what is a cell phone to begin with then a social media networking tool. What is your contact list of which you can choice to speak to, send messages or pictures and video to then your own social network down to its bare bone minimum.
Now add on top of this device its possible integration with the web and other social networking sites as well as Web 2.0 developments and you have something pretty spectacular in motion. What that is its to early to tell but the speakers at this conference should lead us in the right direction.
There will of course also be free food and drinks in the spirit of Mobile Monday.
Robert Samuals Director, Mobile Products
Mobile Web, Messaging, Games, Alternative Platforms at the New York Times (how does he fit all that on his card?)
I have been following Mozes for a year now. Ever since getting my first demonstration of the product by one of Mozes’ originators Aaron Clark last Match 2006 my face has yet to have calm down from its look of amazement. It was IMMEDIATELY apparent that the company was onto something and that they where on the track of doing that something right. For those of you that do not know Mozes, a Palo Alto company, a startup out of Palo Alto, allows anyone to create and manage interactive, text message-based mobile campaigns and promotions with an easy mobile sms to web interface. Think of it as interactive ubiquitous bookmarking. You text message the keyword of your favorite band, product, whatever and send it to the shortcode 66937. Then, when you go to Mozes.com and sign into your Mozes account any information pertaining to the Mozes keyword that you texted will be right there waiting. Who determines that information? Thats the other great part, the bands themselves do. You can to if you like. Try it yourself… text “mopocket” to 66937 or text “joberman” to 66937. Sign on. Check out the information and then create your own keyword information.
So, it was really cool yesterday to hear that its taking off when Mozes a strategic relationship with Universal Motown Records Group (UMRG). Using Mozes, over 60 artists will communicate with their fans instantaneously via the mobile phone, including some of today’s biggest artists like Akon, Blue October, Hinder, Godsmack and Mya.
“I’m extremely excited to have found a fun and interactive way to communicate in real-time with my fans. I can send them anything from information on music releases, backstage pass opportunities and interactive exchange of texts and photos,†expressed Universal Republic recording artist Baby Boy Da Prince, who also preformed last night at the Mozes celebration bash at the Red Coconut Lounge at Universal City Walk.
UMRG will use Mozes to manage and execute a variety of programs and promotions including Hinder’s Door to Dorm tour this spring. Hinder will have a live contest each night of their tour where fans can text for a chance to win a backstage pass at the show. Everyone that interacts at the show gets a free mobile phone wallpaper and the ability to join Hinder’s fan list on Mozes. Fans that opt-in to Hinder’s list will be able to text with the band on an ongoing basis and receive exclusive mobile updates. Fans can also visit Hinder’s mobile card at Mozes.com and download special offers from the band and communicate with other fans.
“In our search to find the most compelling way for our artists to connect with their fans, Mozes emerged as the clear choice. The fact that Mozes is already working with so many other great artists in the industry means that we can engage a wider audience in our own mobile programs,†said Mel Lewinter, Chairman UMRG.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Universal Motown Records Group as we open our service to general availability and leave beta,†said Dorrian Porter, CEO of Mozes (which I guess makes him G-D). “Being able to interact with your favorite artist in real-time on the mobile phone is a powerful and personal connection. Our role is to support the most effective way for mobile publishers like Universal artists to reach, grow and connect with their audience.â€
In fact, Mozes’ music cliental has become so substantial that I actually used the service the other day when I noticed that my iPod needed updating and I needed to learn about new musicians. It was a great way to explore.
Anyways, news of this announcement also comes which an “official” launch of the service which I guess has been in beta testing for the last year now. For those of you already familiar with the service you will notice an entirely new web interface with new advanced features allowing you to things like text pictures and advanced mob sharing. A mobile web version is also hinted at.
Also apparent is that Mozes is peaking outside the music industry for their product. An obvious idea. I was first introduced to Mozes at a politics and technology conference. But it also appears that they are going after the college market telling student leaders that they can easily create text groups and also, possibly, win 2000 in doing so.
I have believed in Mozes’ mission for some time now and great to see this company grow successfully.
Mozes also help product demonstrations at the Billboard Mobile Entertainment Live! Event
Have just gotten back from SXSW where I did not have much of a chance to blog I did want to mention the very strong presence of Twitter at the Interactive part of the festival. For those of you that do not know what Twitter is, you should. Its a crazy cool social networking mini blog like communication tool that my colleague Josh Levy at Personal Democracy Forum, who was not there, wrote a great post about. SO, I am not going to repeat it, read it here.
Quick Quote:
For those of you that aren’t on top of every new technology on the scene, Twitter is an online service that combines instant messaging, SMS, social networking, and blogging (some are calling it “microblogging”), all of which, in Twitter’s world, pray at the altar of Status. Your friends on the Twitter network are privy to your status, and you to theirs, and as you make more and more friends — social networking style — you’re suddenly bombarded with status messages from a lot of people, making Twitter a blessing and a curse. On the way to meet a friend downtown? Send Twitter a text message saying “waiting for Jane at the restaurant” and all of your friends will know your status. Slogging through a pile of work? Send an IM to Twitter saying, “slaying the email dragon” and, again, all of your friends will know your status. Now imagine that you have 10 or 20 or 50 friends and they’re all doing the same thing…
Any honest guy will tell you that a successful night encompasses 3 things. 1) Your good buddies, 2) Alcohol and 3) Eye Candy. If any of these ingredients are missing the night out can turn for the worse pretty quickly. Now, the first two are easy to come by but the 3rd element is always a hit or a miss… that is, of course, until HoneyAlert.com a new niche SMS marketing tool dedicated to alerting you via text message about where all the good looking girls (Honeys) are.
Is it just me or do I see this service getting abused by bars just reporting that there are hot girl there?
Anyways, for 20 pounds a year (the service is currently only launched in the UK with US service in the works) you will receive regular text alerts updating you as to the status of where all the “fit” girls are.
What kind of smartmob is this called?
Here are some example text alerts:
EH2 Henry Js 6-8 girls out for a works do. 7+ outa 10.
EH1 Candy Bar George St. fit birds are taking over the place, I’m not joking.
B1 52 Degrees North a 21st birthday party of about ten mostly all pretty hot .
PO13 Stunners just walked into HaHa bar. All 8 or 9 outa 10. Marvellous norks
What’s a nork?
Anyways, the service is completely participatory allowing you to take your stalker skills to a whole new level in allowing you to become a “spotter” and text in to report when you see a gaggle of geese (or so they say) You can also make a little dough with your stalker skills as HoneyAlert will pay a percentage of the money generated from all text message alerts out to the person that sends them the intel.
I can imagine called StudAlert.com coming soon as well… or are girls just not that desperate?
There’s an interesting read online from the BBC about the convergence happening between our digital and physical lives thanks to the wonders of mobile technology. A quick quote from the article:
“IBM’s master inventor Zygmunt Lozinski explained his vision does not simply involve accessing Second Life from your phone – it involves using your mobile as a bridge between the virtual world and the real world.” (emphasis mine)
A good read especially because of it’s highly sought after status on Techmeme today and the implications that it has about people’s growing understanding on what mobile really has to offer and how it compares vis-a-vis the beloved Web 2.0.
You can also make a little dough with your stalker skills as HoneyAlert will pay a percentage of the money generated from all text message alerts out to the person that sends them the intel.
There’s 
