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Neat Social Tech

Geek Acronym of the Day- MoSoSo

MOSOSO is an acronym for Mobile Social Software, a software that opens an access to a social network with a mobile product (cell phone, blackberry, PDA, etc).

The latest newcomer to the MoSoSo market is Jambo.net.

Utilizing Wi-Fi hotspots to connect members, Jambo can determine if a Wi-Fi enabled device such a PDA or laptop is the member of the same group and notify members of each other. The service allows members to anonymously contact each other through messaging systems and if they choose, to introduce themselves with profiles and a real-world introduction. In addition to Wi-Fi hotspots, Jambo also supports using a peer-to-eer network allowing users to find group members while in airplanes, buses or cafes.

I also wrote about Dodgeball.com a while back (who has another service with the same feature), but that company was purchased by Google last year and I have yet to see the technology they utilize be applied in any new fashion within the Google family.

Where do we go from here?

 

I just read some updated information on Virtual Earth by Microsoft and had to sit down and think about how it could affect the way technology influences our lives. This particular technology personally interests me on a variety of aspects. Other sites such as Yahoo.maps and Google Maps have brought mapping services together- however Virtual Earth may be a step into the sci-fi realm as things begin to converge. As physical locations become searchable items online the way we interact with the world will become very different.

 

Some not too distant possibilities-

 

-Imagine walking downtown and the cookie based tracking system in your cell phone database realizes you haven't visited a coffee shop for your morning coffee. As you walk by it reminds you by name and communicates with the coffee shop server. You click "yep, I need my morning coffee" and by the time you park your car and get to the counter the barista has your morning favorite ready to go and your account has already been charged.

 

-Imagine walking up to a street corner and realizing you have an hour to spend before a meeting and you simply query your PDA what local spots of interests fit your user profile. It could recommend a walk in the local park depending on the weather or visiting the local tavern for a special brew you love.

 

-Imagine being able to sit down at a scenic viewpoint and query your portable computer about "people who have visited here" and having the ability to browse through public profiles of people who may have similar interests.

 

-Walking into a popular technology store and having the store database let you know that they are looking to fill a job that matches the requirements you put in your online resume last week.

 

There are so many forms of data that could be combined with some basic variants of the technology we already have (cell phones, PDAs, Wifi Laptops, Bluetooth enabled cars) that we could quickly see a revolutionized way of communicating.  

 

Virtual Earth vs. Google Earth - SearchEngineWatch.com

GEOCACHING

Some of my colleagues have asked me what "geocaching" is. Put simply- it is a sport utilizing GPS to locate a position on the earth. It's a technological way of creating a treasure map where clues, obstacles, people, and hidden treasure can be found. It can be done by anyone, anywhere. 

 

Pulled from the official www.geocaching.com site-
 

"There are 176783 active caches in 214 countries. In the last 7 days, there have been 119401 new logs written by 22067 account holders."

 

What does that mean? It means that there are over 150,000+ hidden treasures to be found. Sometimes they are detailed and you know exactly what is at the end, while other times it's a friendly surprise you can pass along to the next person who finds it. It's a great "sport" because it can be done athletically or casually and it can be done by either traveling to a location or going online and finding a cache in your area.

 

Dodgeball.com

The www.dodgeball.com service and some of the advertising ramifications are really interesting. Using your cell phone it allows members to locate each other and it allows advertisements to be served to you based upon location, location, location. When combined with other database ideology it could transform how we shop, how we live, and how we socialize. Imagine walking through an archway at Target and being ask if you would like to know about the matching shoes you tried on last week. Imagine be able to setup a service to monitor whenever you teenager gets within fifty feet of those kids you don't like.

 

It also opens up a whole new range of tracking issues that many people don't realize they have opened themselves to using a cell phone. What if someone wanted to know where you've been the last week? We have spyware that can track were we've been browsing on the net, but when will the spyware allow companies to track where we've been in the real world? Think it's far away in the future- try Wherify - they sell phones and services that can locate your exact position.

Body Modem Technology

 

This technology is going down an interesting path- The ability to data from person to person using electromagnetic modems through touch. As this technology improves I imagine it will be extended to several yards as our bodies actually create an electromagnetic field that extends to about 15 feet.

The implications to society and how we interact are amazing. Transferring data, sharing business card information by simply shaking hands, and knowing who you saw and being able to log it each day in your computer to name a few short possibilities.

 

From a product standpoint however, Bluetooth has already enabled us to create miniature devices capable of relaying information to individuals... so the true viability of this technology comes from whether or not it will provide new ways of interaction (why limit transmission to touch, when I can do it at fifteen feet via Bluetooth?)