21 May 2002

Virgin Mobile news in UK, US and Asia: voice portals, joint ventures VM UK: get your audio email on the phone Customers will be able to pick up emails at any time via their mobile, using voice commands to delete and skip through an email. The VirginXtras email reader will allow users to listen to and reply to emails from their existing accounts. Compatible systems include Hotmail, Yahoo! and Freeserve. The system records replies as an MP3 file. also: Virgin boosts voice portal service. This service was developed by Eckoh Technologies* (the new name for 365Corp), which is also providing World Cup content ("There really is no excuse not to know the latest injury"). * Usual disclaimer: Rodcorp involved etc. VM USA: VM and Sprint PCS have released financial details about their joint venture after an anonymous email with the numbers did the rounds. Each partner puts in $150m, VM in cash, Sprint in cash and services. VM Asia: VM's joint venture with Singapore's SingTel is a good deal for VM, but just the start of things to come, says Ovum. VM brings brand and relative regulatory freedom. SingTel brought most of the cash. 6:29:20 PM     comments

Quoted: By Christmas, Microsoft could become the nation's fourth-largest phone company MS is betting $1bn+ on XBox Live, a community/service network will provide a "social experience" that they hope will drive the next major generation of video games. On Monday, the company plans to announce that it will begin consumer tests of Xbox Live this summer with a one-year subscription and a [audio] headset, for $49, that will enable Xbox owners with high-speed Internet connections to compete and converse with one another online. [...] Some analysts agree with Microsoft that voice capabilities could take video gaming to the next level. "You're looking at a service that will become a new phone network overnight," said Richard Doherty, president of Envisioneering, a research and consulting firm OK, it's unlikely that they'll shortly be the US's "fourth-largest phone company", unless they shift a lot more units and broadband goes mainerstream, but the idea that IP network + audio = phone company is interesting. The Register: planning a controlled, closed network (AOL style) isn't going to work for this gamer demographic. 6:27:47 PM     comments

Mobile keypad reinvented: easier, faster The Fastap keyboard (cool demos here), is much faster to use than traditional mobile phone keypads, even those that use predictive text. It's the only complete alpha-numeric keyboard that fits into a small-handset form - they achieve this by interspersing the numbers between the letter keys. Rodcorp says: very nice. 6:15:01 PM     comments

Art of Lego article shows artist up for slacker he really is Rod McLaren uses the robotics of LEGO MINDSTORMS for a very different purpose. Since he says that he doesn't have enough time to make art, he is building robots to make his art for him. He is developing... ... er, Rodcorp better get on and actually make these robot things then. 12:11:07 PM     comments