YackPack

A new start-up out of Stanford, YackPack presents a new way of keeping in touch with friends and family. It feels like a visual web-interface to voicemail. The functionality appears limited at the moment, with the ability to send users or groups a "yack" message which they can then pick up when they log in. The experience isnt quite as exciting as I had hoped it would be, but I get the feeling they are testing the water and unwilling to reveal the magic, as I suspect there is still an heavy dosage of stealth mode. The roadmap possibilities for a new interface to messaging (and social networking) gets interesting when you move the medium to mobile. Replace the web audio file with an MMS (or video) and its a compelling experience.
One to watch....

Unlimited flat-rate UMTS data tariff for €40/month

from E-Plus in germany - this has gotta hurt surely?! More evidence of commoditisation and bit-pipe business model. E-plus also control the SIMYO and BASE MVNO's in Germany who are both offering free text between networks.

BuddyBearMobile - mobile phones for kids

This is a very innovative concept for a parent targeted "safe child communication" proposition.
The handset has been designed to appeal to kids in a younger age range than usual mobile hand-sets (age 3-10 age range). Features include:

• pre-set 4 number dial,
• 24x7 babyphone function (parent just dials the number and listens)
• parents receive an SMS if battery is low
• kids can send an SOS-message if they need help

Dutch telco Scarlet are launching this next month
02/12 - launched in the UK market under the Teddyfone brand. Interestingly they pre-fit SIM so also act as a MVNO.


04/10 - Firefly Mobile also offer a similar device. It looks a lot cooler and sounds as though it has gone through a much more rigorous product design process. Currently avaialble in the US but probably coming to Europe and Asia soon.....

Phonetags

Phonetags - an internal BBC-employee project designed to allow users to bookmark, tag and rate songs they hear on the radio using SMS and their mobile phone.

I understand the customer need - but not necessarily with music - my need is to remember web links that I read in airplane mags. I never feel brave enough to steal the magazine, organised enough to have a pen on me, or have a good enough memory to remember the link. Qtags cliam to have a solution - but I cant use my phone on a plane (yet).

Disposable mobiles?

Whatever happened to the "disposable phone" concept? back in 1999, Randice-Lisa Altschul was issued a series of patents for the world's first disposable cell phone. Trademarked as the "Phone-Card-Phone"®, the device was a few credit cards thick a nd made out of recycled paper. Six years on, and there doesnt appear to be much pogress from the patent announcement and the claim that the product would be ready for production in 2002. The comapny website has expired and I cant find any other sniff about this on the interweb...
Anyone know what happened?

iDJ

check this out! grab a couple of iPods and rip up some tracks!
i think i have to get one....

Bluefrog Mobile raises $16m

Blue Frog Mobile, Inc., a mobile content company, has raised $16 million Series A led by Canaan Partners and including investor MK Capital. BlueFrog operates a number of brands including Ringtopia, EdgeTones, Mack Tones and LemonKiss.
via Rutberg

an early Skype backers story...

go here to read Morten Lunds post following the Skype sale to Ebay

Ebay acquires Skype

So its official - after some rumour at the end of last week - EBay has confirmed that it has acquired Skpe for $2.6bn.

read the press release here
previous post here
ebay investor presentation here

Mobile microship memory breakthrough

Researchers at Imperial, Durham and Sheffield have conducted some research that combines the storage capability of a hard drive with the low cost of memory cards, potentially increasing memory capacity by 200 times from an average of 500MB to around 100GB.
This potentially will enable mobiles to have similar storage capacities to todays PC's - with local storage of 1000's of songs, games, dvds etc.
more here
via DigitalMediaWire

Mobile Speilberg Wannabe?

Mobifilms is offering tips and advice on how to make mobile films + a prize of $10,000 and a Nokia N90 for the best competition submission. Hurry up cos closing date is 25th Sep

Bullseye Mobile

Any UK readers out there older than about 25 may remember a cult Granda TV saturday night gameshow from the 80's called Bullseye, created by a chap called Andrew Wood. 3 teams of 2 contestants would compete in a number of special rounds culminating in an all or nothing gamble for Bullys Mystery Star Prize - which was usually a twinkling shiny new car or a holiday for 4 to Barbados!
Jamdat have teamed up with Mr Wood and Granda Ventures to create Bullseye Mobile, a mobile content package including a game, ringtones, wallpapers, video clips and screensaver.

Nokia 770

Just been playing with the all new Nokia 770 - its cool but i havent quite figured it out - i think it may have an identity crisis - its not a pda, its not a phone, its not a tablet PC, its not a laptop - but its lack of established identity makes it quite quirky.
Check out Maemo for the developer community and MobileBurn for a more comprehensive, less fluffy review.

Skype signs first mobile partner

Thwack!

Gametel

Gametel - offering a dedicated gaming environment and community for MVNO's and operators.

RSS to your mobile (nextblast)

NextBlast provides a service which enables users to receive their favourite RSS feeds via SMS, Email, or Web on their mobile.