GILASTATE

Well, Google has announced their plans in the wireless phone space.  I have to say I am a bit underwhelmed at this point. Their press release reads like any of numerous other alliances or consortiums where a bunch of firms are getting together to try exploit some market opportunity. While Eric Schmidt says this alliance of over 34 firms is more ambitious than any single phone, I have to say I would have preferred to see an actual gPhone. Any time 34+ firms are getting together to do anything, I’ve learned to not expect much in terms of actual output. Google has typically been fairly aggressive in rolling out new services, so perhaps they will prove me wrong.

Part of the problem of not living in Silicon Valley is that you miss out on some of the cooler applications of technology. While it isn’t new, I just recently came across the idea of unconferencecs. Now that I’ve heard of them, they make perfect sense and I am somewhat peeved this idea hadn’t occurred to me earlier. While the term is most associated with a particular form of conference “driven by the participants” rather than the more traditional guest speakers, this concept is an excellent example of the co-creation of value through an open approach. Instead of just having the conference presenters deliver a one-way stream of value, an unconference creates value through it’s attendees. The attendees actively participate in both structuring the conference itself as well as driving the session.

Certainly there is more risk in depending on the attendees than relying on a proven speaker, so the facilitation of an unconference is therefore key. Without some controls, I’m sure an unconference could devolve into chaos. Properly facilitated, however, I would be interested to see what a smart group of attendees could come up with when compared to a traditional session. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some really interesting discussions emerge from such a technique.

Have any of my readers been to an unconference? If so, let me know what you thought!

Steve Jobs recently announced Apple’s intention to support third party applications on the iPhone. It is great news that Apple is going to offer an SDK for the iPhone, but clearly the iPhone will not be an open source device. Jobs mentioned that the primary challenge of “opening” the iPhone is insuring that the device is secure against viruses and other malware. Of course, what this means is the Apple will maintain strict control of how third party applications can access the underlying OS and hardware. Time will tell how this will benefit iPhone users.

I was told that on average your musical preference is centered around the music you most enjoy at the age of 24. While I am sure that there was a fair amount of variability in this estimate it is interesting to think about from a consumer perspective. If, for example, a consumer happens to most identify with music from this specific time period due to some emotional connection to that time, might they also have preferences for particular service models or technologies which are associated with this time period. I know there is a fair amount of research on technology adoption by age, but the really interesting part might be to consider how to connect people to that time either though music or other emotional links to that time.

This would sort of be the generational, service version of steampunk. For example, if people are more comfortable with dealing with a person than a graphical interface, might using an avatar in the style of that person’s “peak time” connect more to their preferences more than an avatar representing the current time?

Of course, I’m not sure if this peak time concept would really resonate in a service context. Could an avatar or even music from my peak time really make me feel more comfortable about a service experience. For example, would these guys really influence my perspective on some generic service experience?

Well, actually, now that I think about it- yes, it would be awesome if they were somehow associated with a service experience. Can you imagine if the dentist was playing Hope? Or how about NOFX’s The Decline? In either case (even though The Decline is from 1999 and Hope is from when I was in junior high), that would be so rad and I would give them a perfect service score regardless of what the service actually was.

WiMAX could change the Internet landscape. While mobile and fixed networks have largely been separate, WiMAX could offer both. When I say separate, I am thinking more on the offering side versus the technology. Sure, DSL is different than CDMA, for example, but perhaps more importantly, Verizon DSL is for the most part independent of Verizon’s Mobile Web (or whatever they call their EVDO access). The two services come from the same company, sure, but check out their web pages- not a mention of their sibling services. Of course, regulation has something to do with this in that the RBOCs can’t integrate all their operations and marketing efforts. Nevertheless, technology isn’t the the barrier to integrating your home Internet needs with your mobile ones at this point.

So, if Clearwire shows up and offers you home and mobile Internet access, what would change? Well, nothing unless they rethink the current archaic notions of bundling. If they are smart, however, they may make this whole business of getting Internet access much more seamless than it is today.

From an needs standpoint even in just the mobile space, things are not seamless. If I want to listen to my MP3s on my cellphone, Verizon wants to control that entire process. They have gone so far as to hobble the capabilities of my phone just so they can be the exclusive provider of V-Cast music. Not very open. Imagine if Verizon DSL service required you to use a computer with a Verizon modified operating system on it (spooky!). They may have gotten away with it thus far in the mobile space given people haven’t quite caught on to the mobile possibilities and there hasn’t been a competitor that has heavily pushed these possibilities.

With WiMAX, however, it seems like firms like Clearwire (I’m not sure what Sprint has planned) may have the potential to focus on giving your Internet where and how you want it without artificial limitations. If this happens, I can use my next gen N800 (and all my other Internet connected devices) at home as easily as I can anywhere in the WiMAX coverage area. Hopefully, I would be able to do this for less than the cost of separate home and mobile Internet access charges. Of course, I still have to have a cell phone, but being able to use Internet devices transparently at home and on the move may open up some very cool applications that we haven’t had the chance consider yet.

So, a new firm that breaks down the artificial and limited notions of bundling that exist today may be able to change a lot. If, however, these WiMAX firms don’t look to provide real solutions, WiMAX will be just another access technology which in the end will offer some marginally better attributes, but nothing to get too exciting about.

Clearwire- embrace the openness, free the Internet!!