News to Us: Track Your Happiness, Bokodes, Smart Stadium and More
Use Your iPhone to Track Your Happiness [Fast Company]
A PhD student from Harvard has released an app (based on a previously-implemented SMS diary platform) that enables you keep tabs on your happiness. It pings you at regular intervals throughout the day, asking for your input. The hope is to get a broader picture of trends in your mood and what factors are behind them.
Drive for The 'Augmented' Stadium [BBC News]
Folks at the University of Glasgow behind the "smart stadium" project are creating software that links fans' smartphones into a network so they can easily share messages, images and video. This would enable both spectators and at-home viewers to share their thoughts, impressions, and feelings while watching the game.
iWantMore [trendcentral]
A selection of iPhone gadgets that will boost your photo and video experiences:
>>Zgrip iPhone Pro: A simple, yet effective grip for the iPhone. It takes away all the shakiness when filming, offering more stable memories.
>>MiLi Pro: Due in September, this small device is a video projector for your favorite mobile phone.
>>The Quattro: Allows for lens attachments on the camera, improving zoom and image quality. It also serves as a protective case.
UK Text Donations Will Be VAT Free [velti]
In an effort to promote and boost SMS donations, the Mobile Data Association has decided to strip all VAT from SMS donations in the UK.
Advertisers, Consumers Disagree on Ad Effectiveness [MarketingVOX]
Research from Harris shows some differences in how advertisers and consumers perceive different types of ads: 39% of advertisers use empathy while 75% consumers say this has little to no effect, 25% of ads use motivational speech while 2/5 of consumers say this doesn't work.
Monetize The Audience, Not The Content [A VC]
With the NY Times looking to monetize it's online articles, whatever decision could make or break the future of the newspaper. Online/mobile ads need to get money from people that want to pay, not from everyone who uses it.
Barcode Replacement Shown Off [BBC News]
MIT researchers have just finished developing a new barcode format, called Bokodes. The new format is 0.1 inches, can hold a thousand times the information of regular barcodes and can be read by any mobile phone camera.
Tweet Your Senator: Healthcare Reform Gets a Presidential Mashup [Mashable]
Although tweeting in the White House is officially banned, BarackObama.com has launched a new feature that lets users tweet their senators to support health care reform.
Iran: Regime Uses SMS Messages to Threaten People [textually.org]
The Ministry of Intelligence in Iran is sending out texts to warn citizens that they should stop to engage in "illegal gatherings" or risk arrest and interrogation.
