July 27, 2005
07.27.05: Statistics Summary from: "Surge in text messaging makes cell operators :-)"
* 192 million active mobile phones in the USA of which 90% can text message
(ctia)
* 63% of 18-27 year olds text message
* 31% of 28-39 year olds text message
* 18% of 40-49 year olds text message
(pew internet & american life project)
Source: Usa Today: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2005-07-27-text-messaging_x.htm
Posted by ben at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)
Surge in text messaging generates interesting/novel usages
Another article about surging text messaging usage. Good summary of various usages including Bono's ONE program. Article summary: text messaging is exploding (due to interoperability) and it's being used in inventive ways that affect daily life such as: at Live 8, 26 million text messages were generated in support of debt relief for African nations. At U2 concerts, fans text their names to a giant screen behind the band- and thereby register to be part of Bono's poverty-fighting One campaign. Also discusses about appointment reminders, advertising, flirting in bars, traffic reports, buddy services.
Usa Today: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2005-07-27-text-messaging_x.htm
Posted by ben at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2005
Commercial Applications/Ideas
* hair salons remind customers of appointments (salon.textalert.com)
* traffic on commuting route
* weather by zip code
* pollution alerts for asthma sufferers
* pick up line of the day (sms.ac)
* sports trivia
* public transit - location/timing of busses/trains
* TV voting: american idol, dancing with the stars
* dating: txt2flirt.com
* text to screen in bars (Vibes Media for Anheuser-Busch)
* text to screen in sporting arenas
* bank to send low-balance alerts
* buddy finder. determine if a friend is in your vicinity
* selling art specifically designed for mobile phones (http://www.startmobile.net) - [br: could see some sort of art-based incentive for political participation; receive mobile art from a famous artist in exchange for political contribution/registering to vote]
Posted by ben at 01:05 PM | Comments (0)
Political Applications/Ideas
* Live 8 series of concerts. At concert, send a text message in support of debt relief for African nations.
* U2 concerts. Bono pitches his anti-poverty ONE campaign and asks people to text in their names to sign up to the list. As they do, the names are displayed on giant screen.
* disaster warning: tsunamis, tornados, escape routes in the event of terrorist attacks. more info about disaster systems here and here and here and here and here's an article about why uptake has been hampered by carriers
* disaster relief donations. Katrina: 2HELP by Verizon, Tsunami: 4CARE
* general organization and campaigning:
- greenpeace argentina
- txtpower movements in the philippines, s. korea, spain
* SMS in a box - frontlineSMS - hook your nokia phone up to a laptop to work as a mobile low-capacity sms gateway
* mobile fundraising - get people to donate using SMS - check out mobileaccord - problem is that currently, the carriers take 50%
Posted by ben at 01:02 PM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2005
08.11.05: Statistics Summary from: "Text Messages Sent by Cellphone Finally Catch On in U.S."
* 55 million cellphone users in the U.S.
* 4.7 billion text messages sent in the U.S. in December 2004
* 2.1 billion text messages sent in U.S. in December 2003
* 253 million text messages sent in U.S. in December 2001
* 203 text messages sent per U.S. user on average or 37 billion in total
(according to CTIA)
* Revenue from text messaging projected to grow to $4.3 billion in 2006 from $2.5 billion in 2004
* 71% of European mobile phone users send text messages - more than twice the U.S. percentage.
(according to Forrester Research, Inc.)
* 651 text messages sent per Chinese user on average or 218 billion in total
(according to Chinese information industry ministry)
* Verizon Wireless reports that its users sent more than 10 billion messages in 2004 - more than 3 times the number in 2003
* 33% of Americans between 25-34 text message regularly - up from 24% in 2004
* 25% texted from ages 25-44 - remaining at same rate
* 62% texted from ages 18-24 - up grom 52%
(From a 2005 Yankee Group survey of 5200 adults)
* American Idol processed 41.5 million text messages in 2005 season. Up 3x from the previous season.
Source: WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112372600885810565,00.html
Posted by ben at 10:13 AM | Comments (1)