Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would
be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind thinking about gathering more
serious input from others.
I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would help two
parties meeting up to find each other simply by showing Left/Right/
Forward/Back arrows. This would save the ~4 calls I need to place,
getting irratated each time to ask my partner "where exactly are you?"
when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses are
somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show you what mode
of transportation the other person was on (fairly easy to work out I
believe with a cheap accelerometer) - this would mean you would know
when the other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could
factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
The perfect phone would only run software that third party developers could improve on. By "improve", I don't mean adding applications or "customizing" but partially or completely replace every single bit of software.
This could allow a third-party market to spring up that would be much better at fixing the very annoying usability problems that all phones had that I've ever owned ... A bit like you can choose from different window managers and default configurations through Linux distributions and installation alternatives on the PC -- "anybody can play" and built their own distro.
[This may be a very "boring" step, but it would be an incredible enabler of innovations, including for the new features that are dear to your heart ... and mine for that matter]
> Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would > be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video (http://www.youtube.com/ > watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind thinking about gathering more > serious input from others.
> I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would help two > parties meeting up to find each other simply by showing Left/Right/ > Forward/Back arrows. This would save the ~4 calls I need to place, > getting irratated each time to ask my partner "where exactly are you?" > when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses are > somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show you what mode > of transportation the other person was on (fairly easy to work out I > believe with a cheap accelerometer) - this would mean you would know > when the other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could > factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
> I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com wrote: > Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect > phone would be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video > (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind > thinking about gathering more serious input from others.
> I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would > help two parties meeting up to find each other simply by > showing Left/Right/ Forward/Back arrows. This would save the > ~4 calls I need to place, getting irratated each time to ask > my partner "where exactly are you?" > when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses > are somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show > you what mode of transportation the other person was on > (fairly easy to work out I believe with a cheap > accelerometer) - this would mean you would know when the > other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could > factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
> I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
It would need a stealth mode similar to IM services, so that when you wanted to be anonymous or unavailable, you could do so.
Please, NO! I lived with a phone like that ( the savaje) for a couple of weeks. Each of the developers had a different idea about how the perfect UI worked. As a result the cancel button was in a different place in each application.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Johannes Ernst" <jer...@netmesh.us> To: EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com Sent: 25 February 2008 19:44:50 o'clock (GMT) Europe/London Subject: [eComm.General] Re: What would your perfect phone be?
The perfect phone would only run software that third party developers could improve on. By "improve", I don't mean adding applications or "customizing" but partially or completely replace every single bit of software.
This could allow a third-party market to spring up that would be much better at fixing the very annoying usability problems that all phones had that I've ever owned ... A bit like you can choose from different window managers and default configurations through Linux distributions and installation alternatives on the PC -- "anybody can play" and built their own distro.
[This may be a very "boring" step, but it would be an incredible enabler of innovations, including for the new features that are dear to your heart ... and mine for that matter]
On 2008/02/25, at 11:18 AM, Lee wrote:
> Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would > be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video (http://www.youtube.com/ > watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind thinking about gathering more > serious input from others.
> I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would help two > parties meeting up to find each other simply by showing Left/Right/ > Forward/Back arrows. This would save the ~4 calls I need to place, > getting irratated each time to ask my partner "where exactly are you?" > when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses are > somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show you what mode > of transportation the other person was on (fairly easy to work out I > believe with a cheap accelerometer) - this would mean you would know > when the other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could > factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
> I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
A phone? Why would I want a phone any more than an email machine or the old HP Workslate (a spreadsheet machine).
Just give me a pocketable generic computer with a haptic interface and I'll probably run a telephony app on it. But you might not recognize it as a phone -- especially if I implant audio transducers. Of course I'd also want one on my wrist so I can use it as a display surface. But then I've already written about this in Rush Hour 1997 <http://www.frankston.com/?name=RushHour1997> - OK, so it was twenty years ago and the future ain't want it used to be.
Why would I want children or a phone company telling me how to communicate? That would be stupid. I already wrote my own WM app to track locations of my friends -- OK, I did a prototype though not a production version but it's a pretty simple app -- too bad all that Mashup stuff is confined to big lumbering desktop PCs because there's no market for small generic computing devices -- yet.
[mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Lee Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 14:18 To: EmergingCommunications.Public.General Subject: [eComm.General] What would your perfect phone be?
Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would
I think Bob says the same thing I said in different words. Give us incredibly powerful hardware (perhaps in many different configurations so we can pick and choose) and let others provide the software (such as Bob.)
> A phone? Why would I want a phone any more than an email machine or > the old HP Workslate (a spreadsheet machine).
> Just give me a pocketable generic computer with a haptic interface > and I'll probably run a telephony app on it. But you might not > recognize it as a phone -- especially if I implant audio > transducers. Of course I'd also want one on my wrist so I can use it > as a display surface. But then I’ve already written about this in > Rush Hour 1997 – OK, so it was twenty years ago and the future ain’t > want it used to be.
> Why would I want children or a phone company telling me how to > communicate? That would be stupid. I already wrote my own WM app to > track locations of my friends -- OK, I did a prototype though not a > production version but it's a pretty simple app -- too bad all that > Mashup stuff is confined to big lumbering desktop PCs because > there's no market for small generic computing devices -- yet.
> -----Original Message----- > From: EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com [mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com > ] On Behalf Of Lee > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 14:18 > To: EmergingCommunications.Public.General > Subject: [eComm.General] What would your perfect phone be?
> Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would > be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video (http://www.youtube.com/ > watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind thinking about gathering more > serious input from others.
> I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would help two > parties meeting up to find each other simply by showing Left/Right/ > Forward/Back arrows. This would save the ~4 calls I need to place, > getting irratated each time to ask my partner "where exactly are you?" > when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses are > somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show you what mode > of transportation the other person was on (fairly easy to work out I > believe with a cheap accelerometer) - this would mean you would know > when the other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could > factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
> I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
This seems like a good time to introduce myself: I'm Michael Shiloh, head of Developer Relations at OpenMoko.
Within the constraints of size, weight, and battery life, we are trying to do just what you say: Create the hardware platform, open source everything, and get out of the way.
Bob: Your answer is great. It's not a phone that does other things, it's a generic computer that does many things, including being a phone.
Lee, thanks for starting this conversation. I'm still thinking of my answer, but I think Bob and Johannes have captured the spirit of what I want.
Johannes Ernst wrote: > I think Bob says the same thing I said in different words. Give us > incredibly powerful hardware (perhaps in many different configurations > so we can pick and choose) and let others provide the software (such as > Bob.)
> On 2008/02/25, at 7:44 PM, Bob Frankston wrote:
>> A phone? Why would I want a phone any more than an email machine or >> the old HP Workslate (a spreadsheet machine).
>> Just give me a pocketable generic computer with a haptic interface and >> I'll probably run a telephony app on it. But you might not recognize >> it as a phone -- especially if I implant audio transducers. Of course >> I'd also want one on my wrist so I can use it as a display surface. >> But then I’ve already written about this in Rush Hour 1997 >> <http://www.frankston.com/?name=RushHour1997> – OK, so it was twenty >> years ago and the future ain’t want it used to be.
>> Why would I want children or a phone company telling me how to >> communicate? That would be stupid. I already wrote my own WM app to >> track locations of my friends -- OK, I did a prototype though not a >> production version but it's a pretty simple app -- too bad all that >> Mashup stuff is confined to big lumbering desktop PCs because there's >> no market for small generic computing devices -- yet.
>> -----Original Message----- >> From: EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com >> <mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com> [mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com] >> On Behalf Of Lee >> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 14:18 >> To: EmergingCommunications.Public.General >> Subject: [eComm.General] What would your perfect phone be?
>> Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would >> be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video (http://www.youtube.com/ >> watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind thinking about gathering more >> serious input from others.
>> I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would help two >> parties meeting up to find each other simply by showing Left/Right/ >> Forward/Back arrows. This would save the ~4 calls I need to place, >> getting irratated each time to ask my partner "where exactly are you?" >> when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses are >> somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show you what mode >> of transportation the other person was on (fairly easy to work out I >> believe with a cheap accelerometer) - this would mean you would know >> when the other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could >> factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
>> I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
During the core hours today, I placed five calls. Four calls where to
ask "where are you"? The fifth call was to ask if somebody else wanted
me to pick something up. If i had instant messaging, I'd never have
placed the 5th call as the value/interruption trade off was borderline
(they where unlikely to need something and I was more likely to
interrupt them). As for the other four - I'd like a phone that against
my contacts or at least the strong social ties, shows their
approximate location. Then I'd never need to place at least two calls
a day just to ask my daughter when she is coming home from school, or
to ascertain if she will be home before the shops close as I'd like
her to pickup something. Even just show me the text associated with
the Cell ID and that alone is enough much of the time. It's all very
possible without hardly any effort - somene last year showed me a
website in which you could enter in anyone's cellphone number (on GSM)
and back out would come the persons's current cell ID along with text
describing that location - all without the tracked person being aware.
(for the technically curious, it simply relied on sending some false
SS7 signalling and striping out information coming back in responses).
So if someone can put together a site that lets you track people it is
very easy for the network to ping your phone with the cell ID of your
closest contacts - all very incremental stuff and stuff that works
over plain 2G, yet would vastly improve the device utility.
Regards
Lee
On Feb 26, 11:39 pm, Michael Shiloh <mich...@openmoko.org> wrote:
> This seems like a good time to introduce myself: I'm Michael Shiloh,
> head of Developer Relations at OpenMoko.
> Within the constraints of size, weight, and battery life, we are trying
> to do just what you say: Create the hardware platform, open source
> everything, and get out of the way.
> Bob: Your answer is great. It's not a phone that does other things, it's
> a generic computer that does many things, including being a phone.
> Lee, thanks for starting this conversation. I'm still thinking of my
> answer, but I think Bob and Johannes have captured the spirit of what I
> want.
> Michael
> Johannes Ernst wrote:
> > I think Bob says the same thing I said in different words. Give us
> > incredibly powerful hardware (perhaps in many different configurations
> > so we can pick and choose) and let others provide the software (such as
> > Bob.)
> > On 2008/02/25, at 7:44 PM, Bob Frankston wrote:
> >> A phone? Why would I want a phone any more than an email machine or
> >> the old HP Workslate (a spreadsheet machine).
> >> Just give me a pocketable generic computer with a haptic interface and
> >> I'll probably run a telephony app on it. But you might not recognize
> >> it as a phone -- especially if I implant audio transducers. Of course
> >> I'd also want one on my wrist so I can use it as a display surface.
> >> But then I've already written about this in Rush Hour 1997
> >> <http://www.frankston.com/?name=RushHour1997> - OK, so it was twenty
> >> years ago and the future ain't want it used to be.
> >> Why would I want children or a phone company telling me how to
> >> communicate? That would be stupid. I already wrote my own WM app to
> >> track locations of my friends -- OK, I did a prototype though not a
> >> production version but it's a pretty simple app -- too bad all that
> >> Mashup stuff is confined to big lumbering desktop PCs because there's
> >> no market for small generic computing devices -- yet.
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com
> >> <mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com> [mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com]
> >> On Behalf Of Lee
> >> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 14:18
> >> To: EmergingCommunications.Public.General
> >> Subject: [eComm.General] What would your perfect phone be?
> >> Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would
> >> be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video (http://www.youtube.com/ > >> watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind thinking about gathering more
> >> serious input from others.
> >> I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would help two
> >> parties meeting up to find each other simply by showing Left/Right/
> >> Forward/Back arrows. This would save the ~4 calls I need to place,
> >> getting irratated each time to ask my partner "where exactly are you?"
> >> when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses are
> >> somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show you what mode
> >> of transportation the other person was on (fairly easy to work out I
> >> believe with a cheap accelerometer) - this would mean you would know
> >> when the other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could
> >> factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
> >> I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
Neat hack but it's an app not a phone. We shouldn't confuse the two.
I can put in on my entrepreneur hat and figure out hacks but I'd rather focus on enabling far more than a few hacks, especially when they take advantage of such accidental properties of a corrupt system. By corrupt I mean one that, as with SMS uses far more bits to bill than for the actual message but is worth billing for because they bill can be high enough to cover the only cost -- billing. That's corrupt.
[mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Lee Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 18:10 To: EmergingCommunications.Public.General Subject: [eComm.General] Re: What would your perfect phone be?
During the core hours today, I placed five calls. Four calls where to ask "where are you"? The fifth call was to ask if somebody else wanted me to pick something up. If i had instant messaging, I'd never have placed the 5th call as the value/interruption trade off was borderline (they where unlikely to need something and I was more likely to interrupt them). As for the other four - I'd like a phone that against my contacts or at least the strong social ties, shows their approximate location. Then I'd never need to place at least two calls a day just to ask my daughter when she is coming home from school, or to ascertain if she will be home before the shops close as I'd like her to pickup something. Even just show me the text associated with the Cell ID and that alone is enough much of the time. It's all very possible without hardly any effort - somene last year showed me a website in which you could enter in anyone's cellphone number (on GSM) and back out would come the persons's current cell ID along with text describing that location - all without the tracked person being aware. (for the technically curious, it simply relied on sending some false SS7 signalling and striping out information coming back in responses). So if someone can put together a site that lets you track people it is very easy for the network to ping your phone with the cell ID of your closest contacts - all very incremental stuff and stuff that works over plain 2G, yet would vastly improve the device utility.
Regards
Lee
On Feb 26, 11:39 pm, Michael Shiloh <mich...@openmoko.org> wrote: > This seems like a good time to introduce myself: I'm Michael Shiloh, > head of Developer Relations at OpenMoko.
> Within the constraints of size, weight, and battery life, we are trying > to do just what you say: Create the hardware platform, open source > everything, and get out of the way.
> Bob: Your answer is great. It's not a phone that does other things, it's > a generic computer that does many things, including being a phone.
> Lee, thanks for starting this conversation. I'm still thinking of my > answer, but I think Bob and Johannes have captured the spirit of what I > want.
> Michael
> Johannes Ernst wrote: > > I think Bob says the same thing I said in different words. Give us > > incredibly powerful hardware (perhaps in many different configurations > > so we can pick and choose) and let others provide the software (such as > > Bob.)
> > On 2008/02/25, at 7:44 PM, Bob Frankston wrote:
> >> A phone? Why would I want a phone any more than an email machine or > >> the old HP Workslate (a spreadsheet machine).
> >> Just give me a pocketable generic computer with a haptic interface and > >> I'll probably run a telephony app on it. But you might not recognize > >> it as a phone -- especially if I implant audio transducers. Of course > >> I'd also want one on my wrist so I can use it as a display surface. > >> But then I've already written about this in Rush Hour 1997 > >> <http://www.frankston.com/?name=RushHour1997> - OK, so it was twenty > >> years ago and the future ain't want it used to be.
> >> Why would I want children or a phone company telling me how to > >> communicate? That would be stupid. I already wrote my own WM app to > >> track locations of my friends -- OK, I did a prototype though not a > >> production version but it's a pretty simple app -- too bad all that > >> Mashup stuff is confined to big lumbering desktop PCs because there's > >> no market for small generic computing devices -- yet.
> >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com > >> <mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com> [mailto:EmergingCommunications-public-general@googlegroups.com] > >> On Behalf Of Lee > >> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 14:18 > >> To: EmergingCommunications.Public.General > >> Subject: [eComm.General] What would your perfect phone be?
> >> Lets start a thread to gather thoughts on what the perfect phone would > >> be. I'd came across the OHA magic phone video (http://www.youtube.com/ > >> watch?v=jWtFeIw8MVM) which got my mind thinking about gathering more > >> serious input from others.
> >> I will throw in one just to start with: a perfect phone would help two > >> parties meeting up to find each other simply by showing Left/Right/ > >> Forward/Back arrows. This would save the ~4 calls I need to place, > >> getting irratated each time to ask my partner "where exactly are you?" > >> when we both arrange to meet out somwhere new (her responses are > >> somewhat vague). It would also be nice if it could show you what mode > >> of transportation the other person was on (fairly easy to work out I > >> believe with a cheap accelerometer) - this would mean you would know > >> when the other person had actuall left the house etc. so you could > >> factor that in so as not to arrive too early.
> >> I've got plenty more...But lets see what others have in mind.
