Hard to believe that I didn't make any predictions in 2009 (my 2008 predictions)!

Herewith again some randomly ordered Mobile predictions which are worth what you paid for them!

Mobile

1. Google will introduce a "comes with data" mobile phone featuring an easy environment to write HTML5 & JS apps
2. A Canadian mobile phone carrier will actually sell mobiles other than the iPhone that have current software & aren't 6-12 months old :-) The current "sell old phones with old firmware with bogus customizations" model of Rogers, Bell and Telus will be over in 2011.
   
3. Apple's tablet will be introduced, it wil be big seller and a great creator and consumer of multi-media and it will be closed and have the iPhone App Store model rather than the Mac app model.
4. Nokia will deliver Maemo 6 and an N900 successor but it won't be good enough for the mainstream but will be awesome for me & other mobile devs because mobile Firefox will offer superior HTML5 and JS experience (yes working for Mozilla I am biased :-) !)
5. The next iPhone will boast a 5 mega pixel camera and other still and video imaging improvements which will be more than good enough for old cameraphone snobs like me and accelerate Nokia's decline among mobile multimedia creators.
6. Mozilla Messaging (my employer!) will introduce a version of Raindrop that doesn't require you to do geeky things like install things like CouchDB yourself and it will rock on Android, Maemo and any other modern open mobile web  environment (sorry Blackberry, iPhone and Symbian but you lose since you are all neither open or modern or both :-) !) Just kidding, it will rock on any modern mobile web browser open or closed methinks :-) !
   

It's been 6 months since a few mobile folks met in Helsinki for Nokia Open Lab 2008 as Mike Maddaloni and CT Moore have pointed out and my mind is still reeling. It's time to start thinking about a Mobile Open Lab 2009. I say worldwide, done via our mobiles, self organized and distributed! What say you? [the following is in the order it was on the 2008 wiki, forgive me for omissions and typos!] Mike, Steve Dembo, Rebecca, Whatleydude, Gwapz, Eddie, Nick, Solobasssteve, Philip, CT, Glenn, Mickipedia, Rahul, Steve Rumsby, Chletten, Apocalypso, Jussi, Jason, Rafe, Jen, Thej, cybette, tnkgrl, Matti, Mikko, Nate, Antti, Nick, Vinnie, Kristine, Yuhui, Anne, Janne, Anssi, Brian, Luis, and Stefan please update the Mobile Open Lab 2009 wiki page with your ideas or leave a comment here! And let's get the ball rolling!

Ideas from Roland Tanglao (Vancouver, Canada)

flickr: roland, twitter:rtanglao, nokia chat:rtanglao, jaiku:roland, qik:roland

(NB these are just brainstorming ideas!!!!!! No commitment implied :-) ! )

1. the "original 50" are all co-organizers and responsible for organizing in their home town
2. the original 50 must present a mobile 10 minute or less "1 year later" status/way forward/whatever and must recruit at least 1 participant in their home town to present as well!
3. done via mobile video streaming e.g.ustream, qik, kyte, mogulus, etc. for 2 days world wide & archived
4. the 2008 workshop presenters will reprise their workshops in a 2009 stylee
5. Outcomes:
   1. a user vision of the way forward for nokia and the mobile industry
   2. "raise a barn " i.e. create a mobile app / site / something that we all agree on beforehand for a cause that we all believe in
6. Things I can help with: Drupal, Bug Labs Bug, S60 Python, "dis-coordination" :-), blogging, wiki gardening
7. Things I am not so good at: getting sponsors (do we need any?), politics, web design
8. Looking forward to the cool ideas from others!

Again, I don't have the time but here's a fun game design session for MooseCamp 2009. If you are interested, edit the wiki page and come to the session if approved!

The following ideas are DRAFT (and i bet others have already thought of similar things). Please ADD YOUR OWN and let's discuss at MooseCamp 2009!

Hope to run this game as part of BarCamp Vancouver 2009 or earlier!

Terms:

Identicon = unique graphic generated from a number (originally used by WordPress and other blogging systems to identify people based on their IP address for comments) in this case the number would be latitude and longitude, i.e. GPS coordinates

Yarn Bombing = grafitti with yarn in the real world aka 'knit grafitti'

Identicons, Yarn bombing and Mobile - An eternal golden braid

The idea is a unique mobile tech twist on a scavenger hunt and yarn bombing.

1. the organizers of the game put up a bunch of identicons on a map to identify locations that have been 'yarn bombed'
2. goal: find all the yarn bombs ('ybs') before the other players do
3. mobile twist: you have to prove  you found the yarn bomb by using your mobile phone in one of the following ways
   1. post a picture of the yb to flickr, picasa, twitpic, etc or somewhere on the web and tag it and text the url to the organizers or in some way the organizers can get it electronically
   2. send a text to the organizers proving you found the yb
   3. send an MMS to the organizers proving you found the yb
   4. do a Bright Kite Checkin proving you found the yb
   5. basically anything that you can do from a mobile phone to prove you found the yb without  phoning the organizers or leaving them voicemail!

Variations

1. don't put the identicons on a regular map i.e. make the locations part of the hunt or hint at them e.g. all skytrain stations in Yaletown
2. business model: do this for events as an ice breaking thing
3. don't use the identicon algorithm to generate the graphic, create an algorithm so that the graphic  hints at the location
4. generate the identicons on the fly by putting the ybs on a bicycle or something moving using a mobile app that updates a map on the web or some sort of web based hint!

I'll be assisting Fearless, Dave and Kris with the "mobiles for DTES residents and artists donation drive" tomorrow. Let's get together and donate and have some fun!

[Cross posted with permission from the Fearless Blog]

Donate your old mobile phones to help DTES artists share stories, and tap into life, jobs & family

How can you help?

1. Your used mobile phones - preferably with video, camera, wi-fi
2. Cash donations (* tax deductible) or new phone donations
3. Conversation - tell your friends on your blog, twitter, etc. - post a badge

Action Plan:
First, Gather phones!

Collect all the unused mobile phones at your office and home - dig into your boxes of stuff, ask you friends! Digital cameras gratefully accepted too.

Next, Arrange Pick-up:

• Let us know via Twitter: Fearless City, email: info (at) fearlessmedia (dot) ca, Phone/SMS: 604.644.4349, Voice mail: 604.682.3269 xt 8320
• We'll come by on purple Yahoo bikes on Tues. Dec. 23rd & 30th to collect your devices
• We'll take your photo, bring treats, and thank you publicly with a link

Or, Drop-off (after Tuesday, 23rd) at:

• Roundhouse Community Centre - 181 Roundhouse Mews
• Pathways - 390 Main Street (kitty corner from the Canegie)
• Raincity Studios - 1 Alexander St. @ Water st.

Want to be a drop-off point? Let us know.

Even send by Postal Mail to:

Fearless City
c/o DTES CAN
PO Box 88023
418 Main St
Vancouver, BC V6A 4A4

Notes:

• Remove your chip, and clear your contacts before donating (all phones will be completely cleared before released).
• Please include chargers and accessories - used digital cameras also welcome
• Unusable phones will be donated to FreeGeek for reuse and recycling

Who is Fearless?

Fearless is a Vancouver Non-Profit group providing tools, resources, and cultural outreach to artists and residents in the improverished Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. Fearless is a project of the DTES Community Arts Network (CAN)

More:

• About Fearless City
• Fearless City wiki
• Fearless City community site
• Fearless City Youtube channel
• Fearless City Flickr photos
• Fearless City Flickr group
• DTES on Wikipedia

Thank you for your support!

Post a graphic on your site with this handy code snippet:

<a href="http://fearlesscity.ca" title="Donate phones to Fearless to help Vancouver downtown eastside artists and residents" >
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/3121575464_8a062db061_m.jpg" height="240" width="195" alt="Donate phones to Fearless to help Vancouver downtown eastside artists and residents">
<p>Donate used mobile phones to help DTES residents and artists at fearlesscity.ca</a></p>

Ha ha, thanks Ewan. I guess after posting 21000 photos with ShoZu I am a ShoZu Grand Master. Glad to help! Vanouverites with Nokia cameraphones please text me at 604 729 7924 or twitter @rtanglao or leave a comment. I am really looking forward to helping others use ShoZu.

QUOTE [From Our first ShoZu Grand Master reveals himself in Vancouver | Mobile Industry Review]

Yes, Roland Tanglao has grabbed hold of the MIR ShoZu Campaign Mantle and thrust a stake in the ground right in the centre of Vancouver.

To paraphrase the A-Team introduction: “If nobody else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire Roland Tanglao.”

That’s right, Roland is offering to help anyone understand, install and setup ShoZu — although he rightly points out that if you’re using an iPhone, you probably don’t need any help as it’s so easy.

But if you’re in need, buy Roland a $2.25 macchiato and the knowledge is yours. What a deal. Even if you’re already a dab hand at ShoZu, you might want to hook up with Roland anyway and say hi.

END QUOTE