Month: June 2009

Plans for the Summer

About a month ago I entered into the running to be Lucozade’s Social Media Reporter this Summer, covering each of their ‘Energy Challenges’ as they happen across the globe. Phase one was an initial email pitch that answered the question ‘why should we pick you?’

I threw some words together, detailing some of my social media credentials – or ‘whuffie‘ as my dear friend Vero calls it – and was soon after awarded a place in the next round.

Phase two stepped it up a bit. This time we had to create a ‘multimedia diary’ based around reporting on a physical activity.
The requirements were as follows:

  • One two minute video
  • Footage of the physical activity
  • Interview with the person undertaking the activity
  • Piece to camera introducing your diary
  • A written blog of no more than 150 – 200 words
  • 10 photographs

With that I went off and spent the afternoon at a secret location with my good friend and neighbour, Richard Mills. I think you all know how that turned out.

😉

“James Whatley meets: Richard Mills” got me through into the third and final round; a sit down face to face with the Lucozade team. Two hours later my phone rang.

“Hi James, we’d really like it if you could be the Lucozade Energy Challenge Social Media Reporter…”

That was two weeks ago.

My feet haven’t really touched the ground since.

The Lucozade Challenge is one big competition. You can enter right now. Each week winning a place to on one of the challenges for you and three of your mates.
There are five challenges in total and they are as follows:

  1. Sandboarding in Namibia
  2. Cattle ranching in Wyoming
  3. White water rafting in Zambia
  4. Yacht racing in the Caribbean
  5. Glacier climbing in the Alps

Over the Summer, I’ll be blogging, tweeting and filming every single one of them… and I cannot wait!  😀

Thing is, I leave for Namibia on Saturday.

Best pack really…

When does Batman sleep? – Part 2

This has been a long time coming…

A few months ago I posted Part One to discuss this question and its relation to the ‘always on’ generation that we seem to live in today. If like many others who find themselves working in this field, you are expected to be on call at every hour of the day…

Well no, let’s stop right there. Is it actually expected?

Or is it the case that you simply feel obliged?
You assume that that the expectation in there, when in fact it isn’t.

See?

I have written at length about the importance of humanity being at the heart of everything you do. The onus being placed on the term ‘being human‘ throughout my work is on purpose people.
The question asked above is not about the duality of Batman’s psyche, moreover about his pig-headedness about asking for help and his lack of self-forgiveness when he gets it wrong.

He is after all only human.
As are we all.

When things got tough the Bat brought in Robin and then soon after that, the Justice League. His skills, unique and awesome on their own, work considerably better when placed into a team of similar, like minded people (sharing an equal goal).

The point is, that developer guy that I mentioned?
He who I quoted way back when:

Sometimes, I find myself stuck in front of the laptop at like 10pm on a Sunday night. The kids are in bed, the wife isn’t far behind and there I am answering customer care questions over Twitter with some guy in Geneva! This isn’t my day job. I’m a developer. My question to you is Sir; when does Batman sleep?

This man, he cared about his company’s brand and (online) reputation so much that he took it upon himself to make things better on his own.

Much like the Caped Crusader, he fixed it himself, working solo and acting independently from his own company’s PR team and, just as Batman did with the Gotham City Police Department (GPD), both sides became infuriated.

However, it is written than the Dark Knight works best when he works with his friend and ‘colleague’, Commissioner Gordon, coordinating strategies that incorporate traditional routes & methods (like the GPD) as well as the new found tools of our erstwhile hero.

More things get done.

When I first started in this job, within weeks I was at loggerheads with the Director of Communications. Our very own Jim Gordon if you will. He wanted to vet every single message and blog post that was to be written and sent out. A stand up argument ensued which ended with me simply saying:

Invent a box of words…
Put in everything I can use and take out everything I can’t.

Then leave the box with me.

It took some time, but we got there in the end.
There are laws and rules as well as traditional ways of enforcing or adhering to them.

However, these days there are ways to play, push up against and generally find new parameters to work within these rules.
Call it operating under the radar if you will.

Batman doesn’t kill.
Something which he is continually pushed on.
He doesn’t go looking for trouble (at least not in the traditional sense of the word), but instead works within rules.
First those he sets himself, then later within those set by others.

It is at this point where our super hero can pause, his allies know his work and can defend it in his absence.
Yes that’s right, his absence.

I started this post with the intention of highlighting the often over-looked ideal of humanity on both sides of the coin.

Corporations can be human but so can consumers.

Yes, it’s great to be on call 24hrs a day, seven days a week, but your customers are not robots. If you don’t get back to them on a Sunday night, they’ll understand.

It’s all well and good being human, but never forget everyone else is too.

James Whatley meets: Richard Mills

Every day I meet new and exciting people.
Every day I come across fresh ideas that force me to look at the world with a fresh pair of eyes.
Every day someone or something challenges my way of thinking so much that I can only sit back and marvel as my imagination is stretched into whole new dimensions.

Last week ladies and gentlemen, I met Richard Mills.

Richard, or ‘Richie’ as he prefers to be known, is an extreme sportsman of the highest caliber. But, unlike any other extreme sportsman I have met before, Richard is a real live Suburban Warrior.

Adrenalin junkies are not new to me; I’ve leapt from planes, thrown myself down mountains and even taken the odd wake-board ramp from time to time… But Richie Mills? This is a man who takes it to the next level.

Filmed at a secret location in West London, the following video takes place on a normal Monday afternoon. Blindfolded en route, Rich explained to me the level of competition that goes into these kinds of events, his love for the sport and then, we arrived…

Remember one thing folks: Richard Mills is a trained professional.

Do not try this at home.

_____________________

All video shot and filmed on a Nokia N97.
All photos shot and uploaded with a Nokia N95 8GB.

There is a Vimeo version of the video if you’d prefer and also a Flickr Set of all the photos from the day’s activites.

Check it.
Thanks for watching.

STOP PRESS: ShoZu to start charging!

Really Mobile’s favourite sharing application announced today that “going forward”, it will begin charging for its initial download…

There’s a lot going on today at the Really Mobile offices, what with the recent N97 shenanigans and the Mobile Web 2.0 Summit to cover, there’s a lot for us to get through. I myself have two (actually make that three) stories/features that I need to write up and to be honest, there really doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day!

How much will you pay?
Stay connected, but at what cost?

However, sometimes something comes along that simply bumps everything else down the line. Something so important that you simply have to drop everything and get the news up on the site. It happened a few weeks back with the Palm Pre, and today it’s happened again with ShoZu.

That’s right, ShoZu.

Really Mobile’s favourite sharing application announced today that “going forward”, it will begin charging for its initial download. The news, arriving via email this evening, sparks what would seem like a new attempt at monetization from them.
It goes:

Hello,

We’d like to start by saying thank you for using ShoZu. We have had the pleasure of communicating with several of you who have told us about your experiences using ShoZu and your thoughts for improving the service moving forward. That feedback from hundreds of ShoZu users has led us to develop a series of new features and changes to both the ShoZu user experience and the manner in which we distribute ShoZu. We wanted to let you know about a few of these updates.

You’ve got lots of flexibility in using ShoZu to upload photos and video. In addition to using the ShoZu mobile application, you can now use ShoZu to upload in new ways via:

  • picture messaging (MMS)
  • mobile email
  • PC and Mac Desktop application
  • any PC or Mac email client or webmail service

ShoZu’s mobile application takes the uploading experience to higher levels of functionality and two-way interactivity, with:

  • the ability to receive updates as well as read and reply to comments directly on your phone in near real-time
  • the ability to geo-tag uploads automatically
  • the ability to update your status, download feeds, and add tags and descriptions before or after uploading

Going forward, we will begin charging for the mobile application. If you’re already a ShoZu user, you’ll be happy to know that there’s no charge to continue using it. If you’re new to ShoZu’s mobile application, then there is a one-time charge to download the application and join thousands of happy ShoZu users.

ShoZu’s mobile application is available through our website, http://www.shozu.com and mobile website m.shozu.com, in Apple’s iTunes Store and will be available soon from other leading mobile application stores. We hope you continue to enjoy your ShoZu experience. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

Many Thanks,

The ShoZu team

So there you have it, ShoZu have made their move. As soon as I saw the news I threw it out onto Twitter to get some raw and instant reaction, the verdict?
Nicht Gut.

“Pixelpipe FTW!!!” – Ricky Cadden, Symbian Guru
“Nice knowing you, ShoZu” – Carlo Longino, Mob Happy
“I’ve pretty much replaced it with Pixelpipe anyway” – Kevin Neely, Astro Turf Garden
“What do they mean by “going forward”? Surely they mean “€5 on Ovi Store now” – Conor O’Neill, Louder Voice
“Need it to be stable first guys” – Kip Hakes, KCJH Design

At the time of writing you can still download the app for free from http://m.shozu.com. The iPhone app store also currently lists the app as ‘FREE’, although this may change over the coming weeks. Within the Ovi Store, however, it’s a different story. A quick search returns no results, even though Conor, quoted above, reports that the app is already available for €5. See compare and contrast images below, (we can save the comment on Ovi Store for another day).

Where do we go from here?

This is a shrewd move from ShoZu. Timed with the launch of the Ovi Store, it seems like they wish to capitalise on the global roll out of Nokia’s much commented on venture into the application market. Fingers crossed it’ll pay off for them. We all love them and – in fairness – they do state quite clearly that:

“If you’re already a ShoZu user, you’ll be happy to know that there’s no charge to continue using it.”

No doubt if you’re reading this, you’ve heard of ShoZu before. Maybe, just maybe you’ve downloaded the app already.
For you? No charge. Newbies coming in? €5 or, if my memory serves me rightly, £4 in the UK.

Pixelpipe have been mentioned as up and coming competitors and, what with their rather awesome Share Online integration, I’m not surprised.

Only time will tell who will win out.


Comments?
Thoughts?

Ladies and gentlemen the floor, is yours.



Upcoming Mobile Events

Glancing over the Really Mobile calendar this morning, we noticed that there were a fair few Mobile-themed events coming up that we thought you might like

Glancing over the Really Mobile calendar this morning, we noticed that there were a fair few Mobile-themed events coming up that we thought you might like to know about.
This list isn’t final and I hope to add to it as the weeks go on, but for now here’s a quick rundown of some Mobile events we have on our radar this month.

Well be attending, will you?
We'll be attending, will you?

In order of appearance with an event kicking off today:

Mobile Web 2.0 Summit
Dates: June 3rd – June 4th
City: London
Tickets: £999.00 + VAT
(or if you use the code ‘Dude985’ it’ll only be £299 + VAT, shh)

About:
2 Days of intensive presentations, interactive discussions and fantastic networking will for your Summit experience.
4 streams for you to choose from and tailor make your event experience depending on your mobile focus.
2 workshops focusing on monetising and designing for success in the eco system.
60+ speakers for yo to listen to, question and interact with,
21 presentations and 24 panel discussions jammed into an action packed agenda
£5,000 worth of premium placement on the GetJar network for the  winner of the Developer’s Den

Mobile Advertising UK
Date: June 15th
City: London
Tickets: £343.85 + Vat
(or £243.85 using the code ‘trmp09’ – we are official media)

About:
Endorsed by the IAB, MMA and AIME and sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent and adfortel, MobAdUK is a one-day conference designed to cut through the hype surrounding the mobile advertising industry, giving a clear representation of the state of the current market and highlighting key industry strategies to stimulate growth. The event will also unveil the results of a UK specific research project carried out by EverySingle OneOfUs and Æneas Strategy Consulting & Management into the mobile advertising market and host the inaugural EverySingleOneOfUs Mobile Advertising Campaign of the Year Award 2008/9.

Mobile 2.0
Dates: June 18th – June 19th
City: Barcelona
Tickets: £301.00 or €349.00 in new money (for a two day pass).

About:
The MOBILE 2.0 EUROPE conference brings together experts and thought leaders from all aspects of the mobile ecosystem, including startups, investors, mobile carriers, device manufacturers, and mobile application developers and web technologists. The conference is an opportunity for companies to connect to industry leadership and startup innovation and broaden your C-level relationships.
A Two-Day Event on June 18 and 19, 2009 exploring the emerging Mobile Ecosystem and Disruptive Mobile Innovation presented by dotopen and the Mobile 2.0 Organizing Committee.

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It’s worth noting that many event organisers have a habit of offering reduced-rate tickets for bloggers and/or students. So if these tickets look a little out of your price range, it may well be worth your while emailing in and finding out what they can do for you.

We realise these are mainly industry-based events, but fingers crossed we can add some more consumer focused gatherings (like the Mobile Geeks of London!) over the next few months. If you’re oragnising an event soon that you’d like us to highlight, get in touch at the usual address – enquiries at thereallymobileproject dot com – and we’ll add it to the diary.