BEST & BRIGHTEST: COM #236: Mobile Games, Mobile Web, Mobile Data, NFC, Bible Apps & Trends » mobilegroove

In brief: This week’s line-up includes mobile social games opportunities (now that Facebook is bombing and mobile is booming); must-read mobile design element  documentation, mobile Bible content, and a look at why the Web is dead (not).

A few reminders before we deep-dive into the best in this week’s mobile blogging. As COM coordinator (or “keeper of the tents”) I’d like to encourage regular contributors and Mobilists to help me make the COM more interactive and valuable for everyone.

A step in this direction will be our LinkedIn group (an alternative to our presence in Google Groups). I also encourage everyone to follow posts and hosts via Twitter (@COTMobilists) and reach out to me directly with ideas, improvements and ways to make the COM outstanding as it nears its fifth anniversary in October. (The COM made its debut on October 13, 200, via this post over at MobHappy.)

Meantime, I want to showcase the quantity and quality of the COM’s 100+ contributors and mobile passionatas. A call to the Mobilists: Please send me a 50-100 word profile of your website and or/a recent (brief) bio.

And don’t forget to check out the calendar and pick a date to host. There are slots still open!

COM #236

It’s a slow summer at the COM, all the more reason for you to follow Tomi Ahonen’s excellent advice and use the seasonal “downtime” to re-charge your batteries and catch up on COM posts you may have missed. You can find a complete list of COM posts and links here.

This week we have a short (but snappy) line-up of posts, including my pick of the week. So let’s roll!

Social mobile games and the social graph: This post from Raj Singh looks at how mobile social games might tap the social graph to drive significant revenues for the ecosystem. He draws from several examples (such as the Game Lobby from U.S: mobile operator Sprint, a virtual mobile community for gamers to meet, recommend games and challenge each other) and concludes that if these platforms follow a write-once, run anywhere paradigm and tap the social graph (much like Facebook – only bigger and better), then viral distribution will pay dividends for everyone.

Mobile design for the masses: Steven Hoober over at Little Springs Design shares a detailed and valuable post documenting mobile design elements and the process that will ensure that his work helps everyone everywhere. As he puts it: “I think good documentation should not just communicate the idea, but help the designer, whether it be UX or software of systems or database design.” And remember you can still connect with Steve and the Little Springs team in Chicago next month.

Fair data usage debate: James Rosewell over at The Fonecast explains from a personal perspective what happened when he crossed the line between “unlimited” and “fair usage.” Based on this he warns that network operators should prepare for a consumer backlash if they stick to their current limits.

NFC noise and reality: In two posts C. Enrique Ortiz provides perspective on NFC (Near Field Communications) and mobile payments following the news that Apple could be making plans for a big role in mobile NFC after hiring of Benjamin Vigier as its product manager of mobile commerce. We also get the inside track on the discourse at the recent Forum Oxford and some provocative statements made by disruptive and highly respected Mobilist Dean Bubley. Did Nokia get it right (by dropping NFC) and will Apple get it wrong (by picking up the ball)? And what are the implications as handset makers push forward with non-Single Wire Protocol (SWP) NFC handsets next year? Read on here (and here) and find out

Bible apps & community: A thoughtful post from Antoine RJ Wright retraces the evolution of Bible content and apps and challenges us to imagine the future of Biblical software. From the advance of social networks to the pace of publishing industry consolidation, Antoine outlines the megatrends likely to impact companies in this space and the investments they make in Bible content and related services.

Is Skype (?): Last week’s gracious COM host Tam Hanna is back with a brief post about Skype in Germany. It seems that the German government can listen in on Skype-2-Skype calls – and Tam provides the proof.

The Web is dead?!: This insightful and balanced post from Ajit Jaokar dissects a recent article in Wired magazine claiming that the “Web is dead.” Kudos to Ajit for going beyond the hype to show how Wired misunderstands what the Web is – period. For one, the assumption that the mobile Web is always about browsing ignores the other models and ways we access content (such as Web widgets on mobile devices). It’s a detailed post and I am glad Ajit picked up the gauntlet, which is why it is also my pick of the week.

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That’s a wrap until next week. You can still sign up to host the COM #237 at your site, so please contact me directly via Twitter (@peggyanne) or email (peggy@msearchgroove.com) to sign up for the privilege

Keep it fun!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 5:49 am and is filed under Carnival Of The Mobilists, Mobile Social Media, Usability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.