Mobile Behavior: an Omnicom Group Company

For SXSW, event organizers have developed a trendy new way for attendees to network and exchange information using bar codes. By including a QR code on attendee badges, people will be walking around with an interactive "follow me" button.

When you meet someone at an event, let them scan your badge with their smart phone, and they will automatically be following you on my.SXSW, where they can message you or access your contact information.

This is good for the environment. It also makes following up with contacts a whole lot easier. After the event users will be able to download all of their new friends from their my.SXSW address book.

SXSW has also supplied a list of recommended bar code scanning apps and instructions on how to use them.

1. Banned iPhone Apps: 15 Most Outrageous Rejected Apps (PHOTOS) http://ow.ly/1a3Z4

2. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About The Blogosphere in One Handy Diagram http://ow.ly/1axhB

3. The New Agency Superstar: The Digital Technologist (via @PSFK) http://ow.ly/18Kod

4. Wagamama: first UK restaurant to let you order from your iPhone. http://ow.ly/19Z9C

5. Nerd Merit Badges - Foursquare Style #mobile #culture http://ow.ly/1a3KH

6. Mobile barcode breakthrough means we may soon see them everywhere http://ow.ly/1a5IV

7. Designing a New Way to Interact With Your City (via @GOOD) http://ow.ly/16U8m

8. Video: Butterfinger commercial makes fun of Apps http://ow.ly/1awZm

9. State of the Mobile Web January 2010: 50 million active monthly users (via @intomobile) http://ow.ly/1bjn1

10. In Korea, people refuse to remove their gloves to use their iPhone, and instead use snack sausages as a stylus. http://ow.ly/16r3A

Tweetworthy is a weekly roundup of the most shared tweets from @MobileBehavior. We use HootSuite to share our daily discoveries in mobility and to view click through statistics. You can follow us on Twitter here.

• FanFeedr Aims to Hit a Home Run With Comments | GigaOm - FanFeedr aims to be a one-stop online destination for sports fans by aggregating news, photos, videos, tweets and scores for a variety of sports teams they choose to follow. The company just released a feature that lets people comment on status updates and user activity posted on its home page, which is intended to encourage virtual cheering and friendly banter among users about the latest happenings in the sports world.
• Reading bar codes with mobile phones: Snap it, click it, use it | The Economist - Good round-up of barcode technologies around the world.
• The Mobile App User Experience | Functioning Form (via EverydayUX) - The 1.5 billion downloads thus far from Apple’s App Store clearly demonstrate a user experience in high demand. But why are native mobile applications such a desirable user experience? LukeW outlines 3 factors.
• Zune HD's "Apps" menu item spotted in the Marketplace, still short on details | engadget - Footage from Best Buy's Zune HD preview of the "Apps" item that resides within the "Marketplace" section on the device. It's unclear what Microsoft's plans are for that functionality, but there's obviously a lot of implied competition with Apple's App Store that the word "Apps" on a touchscreen device conjures up.
• Nokia to use Windows in forthcoming Booklet 3G | FierceWireless - Nokia is skipping touchscreen phones and going straight after Apple's new Tablet. Just days after confirming plans to enter the netbook market, Nokia released additional details of the effort including the name of its forthcoming gadget: Booklet 3G.
• Mobile Gaming Wrap: EA, SocialDeck Stock Up The BlackBerry App World | mocoNews - Mobile social gaming firm SocialDeck just released Shake & Spell for the BlackBerry, creating its first game that shares info across Facebook, the iPhone and the RIM device. The game initially launched on the iPhone and Facebook last year; it amassed over 500,000 users. Now users can play with and compete against each other across all three platforms.
• AT&T to require smartphone data plans starting September 6th | Boy Genius Report - As of September 6th, AT&T will begin requiring that all smartphones sign up for a smartphone data plan.
• Are publishers heading for an ad-free mobile future? | Mobile Marketer - Mobile is not going to save publishing. Differentiated content is. But how much of the content we consume today in print, online, broadcast or mobile is unique? Commoditization is the real risk.
• Johnson & Johnson's BabyCenter gives birth to new breed of app | Mobile Marketer - 55% of moms today let their children play with their mobile phone regardless of handset model or price, according to “BabyCenter’s 21st Century Mom Report.” With this in mind, BabyCenter came out with the PhonyPhone application, which provides for an educational experience for the child and a mother’s uninhibited ability to let children play on.
• A Manifesto for Slow Communication | WSJ.com - A well-reasoned argument for slowing down the breakneck pace of the Information Age: "This is not a sustainable way to live. This lifestyle of being constantly on causes emotional and physical burnout, work­place meltdowns, and unhappiness. How many of our most joyful memories have been created in front of a screen?"

BMO Capital Markets Introduces 2D Barcode Ads [Daily DOOH]
The first advertisements sporting the 2D bar codes have begun running in The Wall Street Journal. Using the camera on their mobile phone, readers can use a special free application to photograph an ad’s barcode which links directly to a customized page.

Can Mobile Preserve Soc Networks As Gen Y’s Virtual Rolodex? [Ypulse]
In spite of the waning interest we've seen in social networking as a virtual hangout, Meredith believes their contact management function will hold up, perhaps in the form of a killer mobile app.

Why Handset Makers and Social Networks Need Each Other, Take Two [GigaOm]
On that note... This article talks about how cell phone makers and social networks need to partner to design devices tailored for social networking, from the camera to the address book.

What Do Cellphone Users Want Most? Cheap Service [NYTimes]
Nielsen reports that call quality and network availability are slipping down in terms of what consumers look for in a carrier. Top 3? Price, family plan, and payment options.

Facebook Takes FriendFeed To Take On Twitter [TechCrunch]
Media analysts are seeing the acquisition of Friendfeed by Facebook as an attempt to silence Twitter's rise. Facebook has also added live status search capabilities and is rolling out its new iPhone app soon.

SMS PhD: 'Pointless' Text Messages Analysed [Telegraph]
Caroline Tagg, awarded a PhD in text messaging, discovered that people text in the same way as if they were talking, using unnecessary words such as 'oh', 'erm' and often use grammatical abbreviations like 'dunno'.

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, To Stage First Twitter Opera Made Up Of Tweets [Sky News]
The Royal Opera House is set to create the first opera entirely created by Twitter fans. Once the fans have created the story line via Twitter, the opera house will compose the music and stage the performance.

Penalties Ordered for Dirty Texting [China Daily]
The Henan province in China is banning erotic, insulting, or threatening messages. The SMS ban carries a fine of $73 and up to five days imprisonment. So much for sexting...

Mobile Marketers Must Look Past The iPhone [Silicon Alley Insider]
Thinking of the iPhone as the end-all be-all of mobile devices is a short-term play for marketers that might hurt their long-term competitiveness.

Will Smartphones Help Crack the Economy's Secrets? [Fast Company]
Flurry suggests that observing the mobile market (e.g., app creations, mobile social networking updates, SMS interactions, data plans) is similar to looking at the real estate market to get a sense of the economy.

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.

Move Over GPS, Here Comes the Smartphone [NYTimes]
Last year we said that mobile phones will kill GPS systems, well, it seems to be coming true. Sales of traditional GPS units from companies like TomTom, Garmin and Magellan have fallen sharply recently. Meanwhile, Garmin's plan to release a phone seems to be taking a lot longer than it should (accounced Jan 2008, now they're saying "later this year"). Guess they ran out of money....

Five Companies Joining Together For 2D Barcode Push [Mobile Marketing Watch]
Modavox, DuPont, Scanbuy, Graphic Packaging, and Augme Mobile are partnering to make mobile barcodes a mainstay in the US. Why could this actually work? DuPont and Graphic Packaging represent hundreds of packaged good services in a wide array of industries, putting the actual implementation directly into the development model.

The Future of the iPhone: Intelligent Object Recognition [Mashable]
Apple has filed patents for an augmented reality technology called ID App that uses image recognition to recognize objects and show more information about them.

6.5 Hours Per Month of Video Consumption Amongst Teens on their Mobile Phones [BitBriefs]
Research from Nielsen shows that 77% of 13-18 year olds own a phone, while 11% borrow one regularly. More specific usage numbers show that in Q1 of 2007, teens sent/received 435 sms a month on average. Q1 of 2009? 2899 text messages, yes that is a a 666% increase in two years. The data also shows mobile video usage by type (Music is number 1).

NY Philharmonic to Raise Funds Via Text Message [PC Magazine]
For its 2009 Concerts in the Park series, the NY Philharmonic is enabling SMS donations. Audience members can send $5 gifts with a limit of $25 per billing cycle and can even download a desktop widget to facilitate donations from home. Understanding the immediacy of the mobile to a user's life is key for leveraging the platform's potential. Signing up, filling out forms, is a discouraging for many, while sending a text is routine.

Google Product Search for Mobile Expanding Rapidly [IntoMobile]
Awhile back Google launched their Product Search for iPhone and Android and now support has been added for the Palm Pre and all devices (with a data connection) in the UK, US, Germany and South Korea.

Top 10 Youth Marketing Myths by Graham Brown [mobileYouth]
Straight to the point slide about the mistakes and misconceptions many marketers hold about Gen Y. Trying to define an age group by certain limited characteristics makes understanding youth easier, but reaching them impossible.

Days Inn Finds SMS is Key to CRM Strategy [Mobile Marketer]
The hotel chain is driving sign ups to an SMS database that lets them send out room offers. So far 30% of guests that opted in have called to make room reservations.

Broadcasters Hope To Re-Program How People Watch TV On Mobile Devices [mocoNews]
The ATSC Technology and Standards Group is due to vote this summer on a definite standard to offer TV to mobile phones. What does this mean for mobile users? Maybe nothing. Indeed, the format will require a special chip to be installed in mobile devices and users will have to pay a monthly fee to receive content. These two factors are enough to block wide adoption because users get plenty of video and TV through channels like Youtube and other streaming sites. Too little, too late?

Multi-Platform Media Sync Software DoubleTwist Gains “Hundreds Of Thousands Downloads”, Is Now Available in Japan [TechCrunch]
Double Twist has been steadily growing as a complementary software for iTunes. The PC/Mac application allows users to share all their photos, videos, and music from one place to a multitude of social networks and mobile devices.

Who Uses Social Networks and What Are They Like? (Part 1 and Part 2) [ReadWriteWeb]
According to research from  Anderson Analytics, 52% of SNS users are a fan of at least one band, 20% would like to see more communication from brands, 15% say they log on at work, at 63% only friend people they know.

Is BlackBerry in the Catbird Seat or the Doghouse? [FierceWireless]
Analysts are debating over the future of RIM. Surely all eyes will be on their new devices --the Tour, launching this summer, and BlackBerry Storm 2, launching in October.

We recently attended a mobile marketing forum where the focus was on visual code technology or QR codes, and it got us thinking: Is there a place for QR codes in mobile marketing here in Southeast Asia, where not only is there a disconnect in software but also, a huge gulf in visual code services?

Unlike Japan, where the technology is native to the camera, users here in Southeast Asia require separate code readers for different codes. This lack of singularity makes QR code marketing seem troublesome and complicated. Besides the obvious answers like embedding the technology in handsets and unifying readers, there are other less obvious ways we believe QR codes can still be a powerful mobile marketing weapon.

Remembering that QR codes evolved from shipping product barcode scanning, why not return to its origins? We would love to scan products sold in supermarkets and find additional information. From nutritional facts to price to even recipes, these QR codes could be a source of value to say diabetics, who want to know if certain products are sugar free. It would make sense for the supermarket to develop its own in-house reader since it stocks all of these products on its aisles and presents this information as its value-added services.

How about libraries? Scanning a QR code on an unavailable book cover could tell you when the book was going to be available and allow you to reserve via WAP access. How about concert tickets? We would love to read more about an artist and access a content portal to listen to songs or download lyrics while waiting for the opening act to start. The mobile phone has replaced the lighter, and we think singing along from your screen could be the next big thing.

So even though we may not have the same ease of access as our neighbors from across the ocean, QR codes are useful as long as it presents a real-time value to consumers. The issue of singular readers will undoubtedly affect nationwide adoption, but if your business is in it for the long term, and you see QR codes as a long-term investment to bring mobility solutions to your customers, than surely its worth exploring.

- Melvin Kee, MobileBehavior Singapore