by Marino Bresciani

Deploy localized SMS services is a challenge that hasn’t found a clear winner. Anyhow, from the States there is a SMS that aims to consider the location of the final users. This means that your text message will only be received once the recipient reaches a certain location such as school or restaurant.

It’s simple yet amazing service which you can use to remind of yourself or others once they are in certain locations. First you need to sign up at JotYou.

The follow these simple steps:
Send messages from your computer or mobile phone. Send to one friend, many friends, or just yourself. Specify a location so your friends get a message when they arrive at school or the mall. When your friends arrive at the location you specify, JotYou alerts them by sending your text message to their cell phone, and delivering the message.

How does it work?
Actually you need a mobile phone that supports J2ME, Symbian or Windows Mobile. In this way, you need to keep the JotYou application switched on all the time, and this will permit you to track your position in the JoyYou server. Ah, you also need a GPS integrated, unless you use the Windows Mobile application; in this case, you can also use wireless positioning (similar to Google Mobile Maps’ “My Location”)

Despite the limitations of needing a continuos gprs connection, the applications deriving from localization services look promising.

by Chilldor

It is a somewhat refreshing experience to read this research conducted by AppTrigger. Unlike many similar articles and research summaries, there is little hype here and it lacks radical visions on how in two or three years time the whole life has moved into the mobile phone. Here they tell you that despite the avalanche of new mobile services, more than half of the mobile users in the UK use the phone still for the same activities as in 2003. The interpretation of figures is even too pessimistic in my opinion - standing in the midst of mobile services it is easy to overestimate their influence on an average user and sometimes a statistical reality check does you good. In my opinion it is good that a bit less than half of the mobile users have changed their habits in last couple of years.

Of those who use more advanced services, the following data emerged:

* Within the youth market (16 – 24 year olds) 62 per cent said that they download music or games;
* The ‘young careerist’ market (aged 25 – 34) said they are more likely to use their phones for PDA tools (diary, contacts and email) and checking websites (62 per cent and 69 per cent respectively);
* The mainstream age market (aged 35-44) make commercial transactions with their phones (39 per cent said they conduct transactions such as topping up their balance);
* The mature age group (45 to 55 year olds) were most likely to user their phones for checking websites;
* Only 22 per cent of mobile phone owners in all age groups said they have used Location-Based Services (LBS)