Richard Hughes’ blog

Guitar hero

Originally uploaded by Richard Hughes.

I had an extra idea for the location stuff. Bluetooth is fairly localised, much more so than wifi. So bluetooth could be used for setting fairly small location areas inside buildings, where GPS would not work and where wifi would be too large.

This could be used for a variety of applications, such as virtual guides in museums. Each room has a small bluetooth device. The iPhone detects the bluetooth device and works out which room it is in. It can then download the information pertinent to that room.

One of the features of the new iPhone is its built in GPS. In a way, the existing iPhone is location aware in that it can get a rough idea of its location by triangulating against local cell transceivers, known wifi access points etc. The new one adds to this with the GPS. The term is A-GPS, or assisted GPS meaning that the GPS is supplemented by other location factors.

Something I am hoping to see is the ability for the user to define these other location factors. So for instance, say I am at work. Inside the building, there is no GPS signal. However, the iPhone will get a rough idea of wear I am via cell triangulation. It is pretty rough and can be as much as a mile out. However, there’s another factor which is work provided wifi.

What would be great would be to be able to define certain location criteria. So, if the cell triangulation says I’m within a 1 mile radius of work and the iPhone can detect the work wifi access point, I am at work.

I can see a lot of potential applications for this. For instance, maybe I have a ‘less than sensible’ ring tone I use outside work. However, inside work I wish to use something more business like. Having the phone automatically switch to a work profile whenever I am at work could be very useful.

I could also tell the email client not to poll my work email server whilst at work as I can do that from my work desktop machine.

EDIT

Here’s a thought. It’s a shame that the iPhone’s bluetooth is so restricted otherwise that could also be used for location triangulation. So, define a location based on whether the iPhone can connect to my laptop via bluetooth or not. I know this can be done with other phones but having it all integrated into one location aware feature with one interface to other applications would be very useful.

Okay, I admit it. I’m a sad Apple wenie. I watched the various web feeds of the WWDC keynote on Monday (evening for me). I even found someone who was streaming the audio from an Apple macbook so I could actually hear The Words of Santa Jobs as he spoke them. All the while, I was IMing fellow Apple Wenies and yes, I got excited as Santa Jobs said “iPhone 3G”.

I don’t own the original iPhone. I came close. I replaced an elderly SE P800 last year and it was a close run thing between an iPhone and a Nokia N95 8GB. The Nokia won out. This was partly because I could get it on 12 month contract whilst waiting for a iPhone 3G. The other reason was technical. The lack of 3G, the highly crippled bluetooth, lack of 3rd party apps, fairly basic camera etc.

The iPhone 3G fixes the lack of 3G but not much else of the original list. However since its release, it has gained quite a following and a number of web apps have been written for it. With the release of the SDK, there are plenty more coming along in the not too distant future. This appeals, especially when linked with an ‘unlimited’ 3G data package.

Does the iPhone 3G replace so many other devices? I don’t think so. It has built in GPS but it won’t replace my Tom Tom. It has a built in camera, but it won’t replace my D-SLR or Canon G9. It has a built in music player but at only 16 gig, it won’t replace my 60 gig iPod. Without the ability to work as a bluetooth modem for my Apple laptop/N800/TomTom it won’t even replace my N95 8GB.

However, sometimes the best device is the one you have with you and I always carry a mobile phone. If that mobile phone is also an excellent all-in-one web browser, has built-in GPS, a tolerable camera, a good music & video player plus the ability to sync to my Mac, then I know what I’ll be buying on 11th July.

21052008201.jpg

Originally uploaded by Richard Hughes.

Indian power pockets

Originally uploaded by Richard Hughes.

These are what Indian power sockets look like. Thanks to this design, they will accept pretty much any power plug. 240 volt 50 hertz.

Mmm lobster

Originally uploaded by Richard Hughes.

We went to Loch Fyne and I ate lobster. Very nice.

first snow

Originally uploaded by Richard Hughes.

I spoke to soon after my “Last Malaria tablets” post. I am going back to Bangalore for a second business trip. Flying out on 15th April and back on 25th. This trip will be about half the length of the last and should hopefully be a bit less frenetic.

I read three interesting articles on The Register earlier. The first is about the BBC saying it will shame ISPs who try to traffic shape things like iPlayer traffic to minimise the impact on their profit margins. The second is about BT not admitting to running trials of Phorm, the traffic profiling ’service’ that will allow ISPs to target adverts to their users. The third is about the CEO of Vodafone talking about a number of things including the fact they have loads of personal data about their customers so they can send them targeted advertising.

I find this terrifying. I can’t help thinking the first two are related. ISPs are finding their profit margins are increasingly thin as the traffic levels go up and the ‘unlimited’ term in their contracts is starting actually have real meanings. Therefore, they are finding newer ways to generate revenue to cover their costs.

I’ll ignore the whole personal privacy point of view, from both the Phorm and mobile company point of view (this is being covered extensively elsewhere). The other thing that really annoys me is that both the ISPs who talk deploying Phorm and Vodafone are saying that these tailored advertisements will improve the user experience by making it smoother.

I’m sorry? WTF? I have never thought to myself that the thing my browsing experience lacks, whether it be mobile or not, is more adverts. I don’t like the ones I do get, although I accept them as a necessary evil that allows services to run for ‘free’. In particular, the mobile adverts concern me. I don’t want the device in my pocket to start selling me things. I have this mental image of a world like Minority Report where I can’t go anywhere without someone selling me something.

The future doesn’t look so bright after all…