Remember car phones? Anyone calling from a car phone would try to shock you with, “guess where I’m calling from?” It was revolutionary. Fast forward 20 years and now an iPhone, Android or Blackberry has more processing power than all the computers in the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander that put two men on the moon. Mobile has the web capabilities of desktop computers and incorporates a powerful secondary element: location. Blending web intelligence with geo-location, mobile is the next smart platform.
“Two thirds of mobile users around the globe are interested in ’smart’ services that would feed them information based on personal preferences, location, time of day and social setting,” write Nielson. In other words, consumers increasingly seek relevancy in mobile technology. Mobile users are quick to adopt location-based technology. In fact, 60 percent consumer consider location-triggered messages are “cool” and “innovative.”
Social networks, advertisers and game developers leverage mobile location capabilities to tap into this rising relevancy trend. FourSquare blends social networking with geo-location tech to create a location-based game whereby users are connected based on favorite locations. The location-based social network has an estimated 450k users. FourSquare is among many other location-based social networks, including Gowalla and Google Latitude. Connecting people based on favorite hang-outs… beat that desktop PC.
Google is also taking the relevancy trend to the next level. It blends the power of its search engine with location to create the ultimate iPhone app (not to mention its Android platform!). Tap on the Google Voice logo, say “pizza.” Below the links to Dominoes and Pizza Hut, Google offers local pizza shops, phone numbers (that I can call with one touch), addresses, consumer reviews, and will give me directions to the closest one from my current location.
How will mobile devices get smarter? Imagine blending Amazon’s recommendations with Google local search and FourSquare “check-ins.” The result? When you search Google for pizza, it will recommend NY Style pizza shops — after all, it is your favorite. Based on pizza shops you’ve visited, Google knows you prefer NY Style over Chicago or that you went to that pizza joint last week and might be ready for a change based on your dining habits. FourSquare’s location-based social network technology could then recommend friends in the area to invite and enjoy your pie. Amazon recommendations, Google local search and FourSquare “check-in” technology is here. It’s not hard to imagine a future in which your iPhone or Android knows your favorite pizza.
No comments:
Post a Comment