My principal interest in mobile applications is to push the boundaries of innovation to create uniquely mobile experiences. I hope my blogs excite and challenge developers to think 'outside the box'.
Mobile Games 2.0!
coultonp | 26 November, 2007 13:57
Along with Will Bamford I have had a lecture accepted for next year’s GDC called “Mobile Game 2.0: The Rise of the Widget?” based on the ideas we have developed from working on the Widgets Workshop blog. In the coming weeks I will talk about a new game and distribution concept we are working on based on widgets but in the mean time here is the basis of the talk for GDC.
Before we can attempt to frame the concept of ‘Mobile Games 2.0’ let us first consider some of the principles that have come to encompass the concepts of Web 2.0 and Mobile Web 2.0. As with any concept that is not tied to specific technologies, the field is open to various interpretation but Mobile Web 2.0 services are generally seen to harness:
- Data (often user derived) over software;
- Collective intelligence (for example group filtering);
- Open standards “Above the Single Device”;
- Niche markets or the Long Tail;
- Use of context;
- Emergence resulting in constant evolution (perpetual Beta).
To achieve the principles of Web 2.0 in Mobile Game 2.0 it is worth seeking inspiration for the by evaluating the solutions that have evolved in that environment, ascertaining their relevance to mobile. In this regard Widgets are seen as a primary enabler of Web 2.0 as they utilise open standards, are easy to distribute, and have a mechanism for continued evolution. As Nokia has recently introduced two flavours of Widgets for mobile, in this lecture we’ll be exploring these platforms in terms of their development and distribution mechanisms in relation to games.
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NFC is good for you
coultonp | 20 November, 2007 15:33
As I have just had the paper Using NFC to Support and Encourage Green Exercise accepted for next year’s Pervasive Heath conference in Tampere Finland I thought I would give an insight into the project.
It is well accepted that the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of the British population is helping fuel the dramatic rises in type 2 diabetes, chronic heart disease and obesity. It has been widely reported across the various News media that recent estimates suggest that over 40% of school age children are overweight or obese, and by 2010 more than half of children may be obese. In addition to this, depression and mental ill health is set to be one of the fastest growing conditions in UK with 1 in 6 of the population suffering from a neurotic disorder. Whilst the overall reasons for this are complex there are simple things we can all do to improve this situation. For instance a report by the UK CMO concluded that:“The minimum amount of regular physical activity needed to improve peoples’ health and reduce disease risk is 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on at least 5 days a week.”
An important element of encouraging activity is the need to provide feedback as it is known to aid both the level and continued engagement in activity. In this project we created a system, which combines elements from a number of technologies and services to support and encourage walking as part of daily activity. These are; Mobile phones; Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the form of Near Field Communications (NFC); A redeemable points accumulation scheme.The system developed and field tested around one of the Royal Parks in London works by implying the location of a user at a given time which is triggered when a user scans an NFC tag with their phone. The different locations with distance between each location are known and this is linked to known calorie data for healthy adults undertaking various physical activities such as walking, running and cycling. This information is made available through a website so that users can gauge their level of activity and thus get direct feedback on their activities. Further, extra incentive is provided by the users accumulating Health points which could be redeemed against purchases.
At this stage it is too early to ascertain the real effects on users and therefore a long term study with an extended trial is planned for future to document experiences of users within the system and obtain feedback from the participants as to how the system fits into their daily routine.
Connectivity, Location Based Services, Testing |
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may you live in interesting times
coultonp | 08 November, 2007 11:41
On what seemed like another in an endless stream of plane rides last week (my carbon footprint is rubbish) I had cause to consider on what changes I have encountered in the mobile industry over the summer and it brought to mind the supposed Chinese curse “may you live in interesting times”.
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Who am I?
My principal interest in mobile applications is to push the boundaries of innovation to create uniquely mobile experiences. I hope my blogs excite and challenge developers to think 'outside the box'.
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