Advanced telematics services in an age of portable data

My most recent Headlightblog.com article, Advanced telematics services in an age of portable data, is now live on Headlightblog.com.  I talk about the importance of open interfaces for exchanging data between the parts of our digital lives, and I separately offer Four ‘Open Social’ principles for vehicle telematics providers which I hope shed light on the future I envision.

Liveblogging: the Focus on Locus- Panel 1

Intro: maybe people are late because the iPhone 3G went on sale this morning.

  • Eli Noam: mobile on a personal device level used to be impossible unless you were on 4-star general or a CEO.  "the focus on the locus begs the wuestion where is the hocus and the pocus?" [laughter] if custom mobile advertising is such as slam dunk, why isn;t location based advertising available on Cable TV or internet in general.  Who is keeping the database of businesses that are open/still functioning- won't a bad database restrict the growth here? 

Chris Loh (conference organizer, visiting scholar, IDC Analyst): Background

  • The internet was "re-born" by web 2.0, like a phoenix rising from the ashes
  • Mobile developers are strtuggling against a carrier/ government regulation environment. is mobile growth going to require a new diruption of this environment. 
  • Many large incumnbents moving slowly, but there are new entrants such as apple moving into prevviously iuntouched adjacent markets
  • iPhone and mobile services estimates that 34% of apple's 2012 revenues
  • devices are nice but open APIs are a huge enabler, iPhone OS< Android, symbian, others, poised to to help LBS break out and enable real growth.  The winds and winbreaks of change?

Henning Schulzrinne (Columbia UNiversity dept. of CS/EE)

  • time information is everywhere, but space- where we are- is not
  • goals: universzally available, anywhere in the world, independent of networkr connectivity; non-proprietary, energy efficient, and accurate to the level of precsion of a room ( 10m or so) these currentlyt do onot exist in one system
  • location  detrminartion methods have many individual trade-offs
    • gps is highly accurate but does not work well indoors
  • location delivery protocols:
    • LLDP- ethernet prtocol switches continuously broadcvast their location to connected devices
    • DHCP being extended to location info, especially interesting to Wireless aceesss points and internet service providers
    • HELD: allows a device to query aanother for its device, mapping location infromation to a port
  • specialized / closed location based applications wilkl not scale to serve all niche m,arkewts.  geocasting for example was popssible but not a predicted demand for LBS.
  • securing things based on locatrion is well-known asnd used (e.g. securty of a lightswitch)
  • cool examples:
    • inbound call routing (phone only rings if I'm in a relevant location)
    • outbound call routing - send e-mail to delivery@pizza.com to the nerarest branch
    • location based events- subscribe to events in a location, not people
  • Will we see a convergence of LBS service devices which are missing data services, with connected mobile platforms missing location info?
  • Standardization efforts IETF: HEOPRIV and SIMPLE
    • requires a rulemaker to govern the queries and notifications sent and allowed between applications and devices
  • not all LBS services are privancuy sensiteve, e.g "where is the m125 bus?" (the bus doesn;t really have an expectation of rpivacy)
  • what;'s sensitive is when identitiy is mixed with that location information.  even location information by itself, constinuous streams of location information might allow you to identify a person.
  • Privacy:
    • reveal device anonymously (where's the nearest gas station?)
    • revceal identity and location to a service -0- lice firenfd finder service
    • reveal to indiviudal: frient, other, etc.  should delivery drivers be tracked after they leave their shift?  how will devices allow that context?
    • rules must be both technical and legal
    • we're ikssing systems integration more than technical capabilities

Hassaan Wahla(TeleNav): first us launch of stanbdalone GPS applications devices, founded after E911 mandate first launch was in 2002.  deployed globally

  • GPS as being able to change our lives when it comes to LBS
  • why so long to take off?  well, the internet took 30 yearsd to take off, GPS took 20 + from military to commercial/civillian use
  • most GPS cvhips sub $1 at wholesale
  • Both internet and GPS backed by Al Gore. LOL
  • for tier 1 carriers, GPS is a competitive necessity not a differentiator
  • Nokia will ship 35 million gps phones gloablly in 2008
  • GPS not ideal cuatomer experience, assited (AGPS) is becoming popoular.  The era of paying for GPS navigation is over
  • by 2015, the leading GPS devices will be the handsets and not the Garmin/Navtek devices ofw which are specialized PND.  I car still has a huge advantage, but this month, more people will by phioen based GPS than specialized PNDs

Frederic Servais, Qualcomm Internet services:  producty manager for LBS

  • demand estimates: ease of use and dicovery are paramount.  automartic location/ push
  • progression of services 2006 to 2009: navigation, family finder, serach, social networking, aggregation, integration- location will be availablke to all applications
  • personal security, navigation, enterprisxe (geo-fencing, asset monitoring, fleet managtement)

Ted Morgan, CEO, Skyhook wireless\

  • yes location techs have evolved, but consumer demands have changed substatially
  • consumers are far less willing to put up with experience challnegesd, like stanfin outside for 5 minutes to get a fix on your position.  a bbusiness can telkl a driver that, but a consumer won;t stand for ity,.
  • carriers are worrying more about the devices/middleware layers (nokia, google, etc.) than about the other carriers
  • consumer location has high expectations: location available everywhere, consitrenty and high level of accuracy, and fast response time
  • GPS in iPhone 2.0 doesn't work as well in landscape mode as in portrait
  • usage of LBS will be a result of conumer TRUST; [ I wonder, is this an argument for not havbing lots of LBS advertising?  that we don't weanrt to spoil the market for a potential windfall later)
  • will consumers put up with this kokia experience?  don'tt use indoors, in a car, or on a cloudy day! Nokia tips for efficient GPS use
  • Awesome: Trapster a speed trap sharing network. >10,000 speed trapos entered.  ahuge amoutn of these in russia (apparently because bribes are really a dicey proposition and the ONLY way to get out of a traffic ticket) widespread amusement at this feature, but this seems like a great product.

I'm going to skip notes on MewetMoi since I've seen him present a couple of times.

Picking back up with 1020 placsat: spefcilaizingf in geo-functional media.

Marjet and technical challenges across multiple channels - selling campigns across all channels is 1020 placecast's business

Audience + Placement + creative that differes by location.  I can;t help but wonder, is this really that hard to do?  It's still just showing people ads.   I'm  ready for something compelling and not just impressions.

Ben Ezrick, Ogilvy Interactive

some intersting mobile campaigns, new experiment at MIT used RFID to deliver relevant mobile applications.  I'll have to look that one up.

Almost all of mobile ad buys will require MANY buys, not one buy, so that ytiou can reach customers regardless of carrier.  It is now seemingly even smarter that Google is developing Android.  No one can keep them off the phone if the platform is open, and oh yeah, they built it.

,

A moving skyscraper makes me scared

,

Accoding to a BBC story:

The world's first moving building, an 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving a shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its architect says.  The Dynamic Tower design is made up of 80 pre-fabricated apartments which will spin independently of one another.   

I am immediately horrified by this idea, but perhaps that is because I saw this really weird movie called Cube.  7 strangers wake up in an “endless kafkaesque maze containing deadly traps” (excellent imdb plot summary.) They are in a cube made up of dozens of smaller cubes, and at random intervals the cubes shift around.  They have to find their way out, like solving Rubik’s cube from the inside as it tries to kill you. In case you were wondering Cube 2 was awful, not nearly as entertaining as the first.

MyGallons.com: DO NOT WANT

 

So gas is expensive, right?  wouldn't it be cheaper to buy it at a lower price than it is now?  Yea!  Let's do that! Psfk.com suggests “The only potential downside to this program is if gas prices go down, which is of course, very unlikely.”

That's the basic idea behind MyGallons.com except that as with all miracles of the pocketbook, there's a catch.  Several, actually.  One thing I didn't expect was that there are actually a large number of places that accept the weird "voyager" debit card that powers mygallons.com, so acceptance is not the issue.  What could it be?
Fees.  Lots and lots of fees.  And also, you're not a commodities trader.  I promise to follow up with an investigation of what scenarios would make this work, but I am skeptical that many exist, and even more skeptical that a consumer could detect such scenarios.

So, the Fees and the Problems:

  1. The first of many fees is the membership fee: *Cost of annual membership is $29.95 when enrolling in the auto-refill program. Cost of annual membership is $39.95 for the manual refill program.
  2. If you go over your balance on the card, it’s an “overdraft” fee of $15. Plus, you have to pay the going rate for the gallons you “overdraw” which means you’re not saving any money
  3. They charge you to send them money: $1.95 fee for processing the reload of your MyGallons Card when using a credit card to pre-purchase the fuel.
  4. You probably didn’t have the foresight to enroll 6 months ago, so in order to save more than the fees gas has to skyrocket after you purchase fuel. How are your commodities trading skillz?
  5. The method for calculating the price gallon at time of purchase (since you load up your card with gallons but they may make adjustments based on the average prices in your 'hood) is a BLACK BOX.  Danger.

Watch out, car-driving America.

Link: Mygallons.com FAQS.

New Project Idea + All my projects are in Friendfeed

I had an idea today for something called the Semantic News Heatmap. I'm going to try to build it.

I am now thinking I should take stock of current projects:

  • The Stuff, my sketch comedy group and our ongoing video effort
  • my own video effort to record and post more video online
  • my new Tumblr project, Make1Up, in which I will take a photo every day of a 1up mushroom I have on my desk.
  • Re-design bsbnyc.net: an undertaking I'm not sure I'm ready for, but it includes re-thinking my approach to widgets, thinking about making a SITE as opposed to just a blog.
  • Learn about, contribute to expertise in, and teach others about Twitter.  [Example: by my estimate it will be 192 days until someone posts the 1 billionth twitter update.  I want to collect more data to model this accurately.]
  • Use Friendfeed

What I notice is that these things all are going to find their way into friendfeed.  So, use friendfeed.  Find me on Friendfeed.

Report on men and women and roles in Jewish life

I think this might be my first post tagged religion.  In this article from the Jerusalem Post, Non-Orthodox men less connected than women, based on a study conducted at Brandeis, these phrases are priceless:

ethnic capital - as in the inverstment of huamn capital in ethnic practices and the maintenance thereof. 
"Ima on the bima" (Rock on MOM!!!)- as in the presence of women on the podium in synagogue.  While I have found some of the liturgical chynages of the conservative movement a little jarring in the moment, I more or less agree with their message of egalitarian worship.  My mom never had a bat mitzvah, and she is studying Hebrew so she can have one .  My parents' congregation just hired a woman as Rabbi, and she's great.  So I say this is a great trend.
peoplehood- I have no idea what a peoplehood is.  Wait, is it like chairperson?  So instead of manhood or womanhood it's peoplehood?  Amazing.

 

My summer TV agenda

This is as much for my own benefit as anything else, but here's what's on tap for me this summer: so many good things to watch.  Where is HBO in all this?  No new Entrourage this summer, which breaks my heart, but I'll see you....in September....

Weeds (Showtime, Mondays at 10, already begun) Nancy's new beginning looks to be fantastic, and what a ride.  A consistent favorite, and I'm so glad I have Showtime.
This American Life (Showtime) I pretty much watch this on-Demand only, but it's fantastic.  Just so insightful sometimes it shocks me.
Mad Men (AMC Sundays at 10 beginning July 27): LOVE IT.  I can't say enough good about this series, its dark and light elements especially provide a great look at the beginning of our media-permeated culture.  And, who doesn't envy 3-martini lunches (even in caricature)?
Eureka (SciFi Tuesdays at 9 beginning July 29):  I am getting happy just thinking about this show.
Burn Notice (USA Thursdays at 10):   This show hooked me last summer, for it's great camera work, fun technology, witty dialogue, awesome protagonist, and of course Gabrielle Anwar.  Bruce Campbell is awesome in this as well, and I might be watching even if he was the only good thing about it.  Fortunately this is not the case.
Breaking Bad (AMC) gotta catch up on this in re-runs- I only saw 3 episodes but they were fantastic.
Out Of Sight (USA Sundays at 10): This is a new show I'm auditioning.  It doesn't have me hooked, yet, as I don't really find the recurring plot elements very compelling.  I am thinking that I am just not enjoying the writing enough to watch this non-serialized drama.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

In the depths of twittering a lot, I have not done a real, big think blog post in a couple weeks.  I apologize.  I'm deliberately publishing this before it's finished.  I want to think about this more.

But, perhaps it is with some sense of irony that I decided to write one about Nick Carr's piece Is Google Making Us Stupid?. I firmly believe that Google cannot make us stupid. Only we can make us stupid.

Carr makes some interesting observations about our changing behavior throughout the generations, noting the impact of the timepiece, scientific management, the printing press, as well as the Google.  My favorite, of these is the idea (with which I largely agree) that in the over scheduled life there is a debasement of our existence. The late great  Mitch Hedberg had a great bit about not wearing a watch, suggesting a meeting time with someone of "when that guy's eating a hamburger".  Which guy?  "You'll know." Being synchronous in our interactions and planning has made many things possible, but is this marked by a bond of obedience to the clock?

In deciding when to eat, to work, to sleep, to rise, we stopped listening to our senses and started obeying the clock.

It is true that we have shed the sun's dominance of our life's rhythms, that we have adopted new ways of organizing life around the concept of time as being finite. 

So does this awareness of the finite nature of  our literal "life time" improve our degrade the qaulity of our lives?  Is electronic media, or the clock, or The Google somehow making us all worse off?  And is that all the more devious because it is couched as progress instead of a negative trend?

If you can't read a book anymore, I submit to you that I can.  I'm not bragging, but I love books and I think I will always love them.  Maybe I'm the exception that proves the rule.

Books I have read this year (calendar 2008) so far:

Beneath the Tree of Heaven (Chung Kuo # 5)   

White Moon, Red Dragon (Chung Kuo # 6) 

Dry Ice by Stephen White

Currently reading (I don't usually read two books concurrently but it happens sometimes):

The Time Traveler's Wife

World War Z


So is it really true that we won't sit still to read anymore?  That's pessimistic, I think.  Is it the case that we can't appreciate a pace of life which does not revolve around the clock?  That we cannot unplug, unlearn, optimize our behavior to adopt new technologies without destroying ourselves?  I seem to be doing okay, if that';s any evidcence, and I hope we can all seek a third way, where we seek connection regardless of medium, and that leads to a balance between them all.  If there is a detrimental effect of not being able to unplug, then in my view it falls on the plugged in, not the plugs, to change their behavior.


 

My Brooklyn Bridge run

On Saturday, a day that was ridiculousy hot, I ran from my apartment across the Brooklyn Bridge.  According to Google Maps, the trip was about 3.6 miles total, but I think the last bit I walked after picking up milk, eggs, and a melon assortment.  I am pleased with having done it, and I will now be willing to run more- I am glad I'm now in good enough shape for this.

On a logistical level, this was a challenge.  I was holding on to my keys for dear life, and I succeeded in not letting them slip through my fingers and onto the roadway or into the east river.  I probably need some easy way to carry a few things (stuffing a $20 bill in my sock seemed needlessly cruel to the cashier who accepted my money). 

I think I also need new shoes (cue my mom singing the new shoes song). 



Turning Legacy Brands into the Face Of Innovation

How do you position your legacy business as an information source that will evolve with the state of  technology art?  This Yellowbook.com ad seems aimed at that (the tattoo removal search is maybe more common than I would have thought, and reminded me of this SNL commercial for Turlington's Tattoo removal creme...hmmm)

In any case, it makes me wonder about what's possible for brands like this.  Can Yellowbook really transform itself into a cutting-edge information resource, make itself more than just names, addresses, and advertisements?  It makes you wonder. Is the ad representative of a desire, a plan perhaps, to embrace new technologies and find the most innovative solutions to empower the information seeker of the future.  If this company, any company, can do it, they are headed for something great.  Don't just let the future happen to you.

 


Link: YouTube - Yellowbook TV Ad, Say Yellow to the Future, Tattoo.

Communications Insights: Trends and Cool Stuff » Blog Archive » Network Neutrality on Steroids: Enter the Hackintosh

Link: Communications Insights: Trends and Cool Stuff » Blog Archive » Network Neutrality on Steroids: Enter the Hackintosh.

Apple has always had an aggressive policy about what behaviors might void your warranty (not to mention the “bricked” iPhones of recent fame), and now what they have been saying is that Software Update (which automatically identifies and offers for download any updates to the OS or Apple software) won’t work. I think that’s the most likely scenario- a battle of wits with consumers who would adopt such a device.

Reminds me of the DirecTV anti-piracy move where the network was telling the STBs to fry cards that were counterfeit. Are you buying the hardware, or the service, and can they disable it if they suspect piracy/TOS violation?


White Water Summer vs. The River Wild

On my list of movies involving the wilderness or rivers, Whitewater summer is just about at the top of my list.  The river Wild is another good one.  Kevin Bacon stars in both, but that is 100% coincidental.  I think incvluding Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves here is not quite fair, but Christain Slater's awesome river-tax limerick and the ensuing fight will always make me laugh.

Why is WhiteWater summer so great?  Maybe it's because it came out in 1987, and I ignored it, only to discover it sometime later on cable.  I like how a timid Sean Astin begins the film and a strong Sean Astin ends it - it says that nerdy guys can be heroes, and 11year-old-me probably ate that up along with Star Wars and a whole bunch of fantasy novels. 



As an interesting thing I just discovered,  Astin's narration in the movie was evidently filmed 2 years after the original- I thought it was just movie magic that he l;ooked a little older, like Walt from LOST.  I don't know if this was intentional, but you can tell that a much older Sean Astin is narrating and appearing for brief moments. 

The action in the folm revolves ariound how Vic, played by Kevin Bacon is a real jerk, and the more the kinds on his guided camping/backpacking trip resist his character-building challenges, the more of a jerk he becomes.  This culmibates in Vic breaking his leg, and The kidns having to rescue him by getting him safely down the mountain via the river.  Nice shots of rafting,

In addition, the theme music was perfromed by Journey, who I didn't really appreciate until I was in college, but Steve Perry's voice defintely secures for WhiteWater Summer a place in movie history.

Is Lost’s Island Electromagnetic Enough to Move Itself Through Space? Time-Travel Expert Says It’s Not Impossible - Popular Mechanics

In the last episode of LOST, Locke finds out from Dr. Shepherd that the only way to save it is to move the island.  I think they would probably attempt this by altering the electromagnetic field surrounding the island- we've seen how the helicopter faces a reasonably serious challenge just trying to find the island due to some kind of weird spacetime fluctuation.

Could they be thinking about something even more exotic, like actually moving the physical isl;and fgrom pone place to another?  Here's the Popular Mechanics story, Is Lost’s Island Electromagnetic Enough to Move Itself Through Space? Time-Travel Expert Says It’s Not Impossible.

Is Harvard Just a Tax-Free Hedge Fund?

Here's a question for ya: Is Harvard Just a Tax-Free Hedge Fund? | Economics | The American Scene.

Viewed purely in terms of economics, Harvard is really a $40 billion tax-free hedge fund with a very large marketing and PR arm called Harvard University that has the job of raising the investment capital and protecting the fund’s preferential tax treatment.

I think this is a fascinating way to look at the university, particularly Harvard.  The university's large endowment enables it to achieve returns that universities with smaller endowments typically cannot match.  While the investment returns of both endowments are tax free, does a fund which participates in all the exciting excesses of the hedge fund/private equity/LBO business still manage to deserve to be treated as a not-for-profit?

The author of this post goes on to ask:

When tax-advantaged non-profits start to accumulate billions of dollars of cash through investment gains, and the insiders seem to be doing very well, it creates legitimate pressure for some legal changes.

I'm inclined to agree.