QR (quick response) codes are like regular barcodes – on steroids. Although widely used in Japan, they have only recently been accepted by the western world as a new marketing media.  In a surprise move, Cell C has announced the first local launch of QR codes in their PhotoCode branded service.

What is a QR code?

A QR code works similar to a bar code but offers more information (up to 4296 characters!).  It is a 2-dimensional image that is printed on most commercially available products and has been used on billboard and brochure advertisements.  The code is read by a “reader” that you install on your phone.  Cell C has developed their own reader and are making it available to all networks in SA.

Here is the description from their web site:

With a little imagination the potential uses of PhotoCodes are endless. Picture these scenarios: 1. You notice an ad for an upcoming gig by a local music star and the PhotoCode printed alongside it allows you to download one of their tracks as a ringtone. 2. You are attending an exclusive new event and a PhotoCode gives you the password to the VIP area, or 3. You are in the Cell C store and by snapping a picture of a PhotoCode you can find out all there is to know about any product on the shelves. These are the kinds of unique experiences Cell C’s PhotoCodes can unlock for you, and already more applications are being devised.

All you have to do is download the PhotoCode reader, and then see it, snap and get more.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1
Get the Cell C PhotoCode reader:

Step 2
Keep a look out for a Cell C PhotoCode in print and participating media

Step 3
When you’ve spotted one, snap a pic of it using your PhotoCode reader

Step 4
Experience the world the Cell C way.

Terms and Conditions

• PhotoCode available to all networks
• Application requires a WAP-enabled phone with a camera
• Sms’s to download application free to Cell C customer. R1 charge to MTN and Vodacom customers
• Data charges apply when using PhotoCodes
• Errors will be billed

The Soccer World Cup 2010 has finally arrived and the streets are abuzz with eager fans from South Africa and abroad.  If you have seen any of the games, you will have noticed the insane noise of the vuvuzela’s.  These innocent trumpet-like gadgets are capable of making an incredible noise and when 60 000 of them are all going at once, its no wonder the players can’t hear their coach!

Well hot on the heels of any trend come mobile applications and this time is no different.  Visit iTunes or any other application store and you will probably find four or five different vuvuzela applications that you can load onto your phone.  Some of them are quite impressive and immitate the irritating noise really well (and fortunately not as loud!)

Here are some iPhone examples:

If you are looking for a GREAT mobile site where you can track the soccer, visit the Sport24 mobile site.  Just type m.footyfans.co.za into your phone’s browser…

Mobile gaming has hit an all time high…

As more phones are available with big screens, faster processors and better graphics, mobile gaming has really taken off.  Small game devices such as Gameboy and Nintendo DS have to really get creative if they wish to compete in this space.  On 19 April, Vodacom launched a new role playing game called Legends of Echo.  The ratings and reviews have been so positive that I wanted to let you know about this great game.  Please note that even though it was launched by Vodacom, it is available on any network.  Simply visit http://legendsofecho.mobi on your mobile phone to download the application.

LoE mobile site

For more information, I refer to the article and interview below:

News 24.com carried this story on 19 April 2010:

T0day, Vodacom launch their massively multiplayer online game for mobile (MMOM), called Legends of Echo. Nic Haralambous, cool dude and project leader for LoE, tells you everything you need about the free-to-join RPG in an exciting interview with News24 Games.

Nic Haralambous

Describe how Legends of Echo (LoE) works, as simply as you can.

Legends of Echo uses Vodacom’s location based services to locate users in the real world and place them in a fantasy world. Once in the Echo players can drop their home bases, find allies, locate enemies, build weapons, trade items and build up their legend points through battles and other activities in the Echo.  All of this is done through the users mobile phones.

Tell us a bit more about the story. Why are these okes battling each other?

The battles take place in a fantasy world called Echo. This world is only accessible through your mobile phone and is a world that exists on top of the map of South Africa.  There are five bloodlines in LoE; Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Industry. Players choose one of the bloodlines and out of the remaining four, two are your allies and two are your enemies. Each bloodline has its own currency called Elements and each bloodline requires Elements from other bloodlines to do certain things in the Echo. You then move through the Echo and create relationships with other players to benefit your game.  They are battling, in the end, to become a legend of Echo.

Player vs. Player battles are turn-based. Older gamers may be reminded of the Heroes of Might & Magic combat system

LoE incorporates real-world locations. What does that add to a fantasy gaming experience?

I think this makes the game more tangible. Players can visit real-world locations that they are familiar with and see them as they’ve never seen them before. It also allows players to communicate with one another more effectively using the locations they are in, or their friends are in or near.

Do you have levels and loot, like most other RPGs? And trading?

There are levels in LoE, however these are mostly used to allow other players to see how long and hard you’ve been playing LoE. Everyone enters the game on Level 6. The more you do (trade, battle, chat, build weapons etc) the better you get and move closer towards a level 1 player. There is definitely a focus on loot or items in LoE. The more Elements (currency) that a player has, the easier it is to do various activities in the Echo. Trading and bartering is a big part of LoE. Players can choose to barter and trade their items and weapons with other players in the hope of building up alliances and gaining better weapons or more Elements.

Here’s the big one: what are we paying to play this?

There is no subscription fee required to play or download LoE. Standard data rates do apply when playing the game but other than that as a cost there is no point in the game where you will be forced to pay for anything. There is a currency model built in to the game that allows players to spend airtime in the Echo Marketplace. Here they can buy Elements, weapons and items if they choose to.

Life at the top can be monotonous. How will you keep the game interesting in the long term, for players who stick around and level up all the way?

There is a reward system that we have built in to the game and we will be rewarding players for various achievements throughout the game from day 1 in the Echo. We will also be rewarding players for activity, if they play often but don’t necessarily win very often we’ll still provide them with incentives to keep playing.

The world itself is also quite dynamic. We have created an in-game newspaper, The Echo Enquirer. The newspaper will allow us to provide players with updates about the Echo, which bloodlines are taking over which areas in the Echo and who is at the top of the rankings throughout the game.

There is also an interesting cross-section between a player’s individual need to succeed and the bloodline that a player has chose. The domination map illustrates to players which bloodlines dominate which provinces in South Africa.

LoE has several built-in social networking features, including chat and personal message boards.

We have to ask: why is Vodacom doing a mobile MMO?

With The Grid going from strength to strength right now we looked at the available technology and wanted to create a commercially viable and extremely innovative product off the back of that technology. The key for us is innovation and pushing the boundaries of the mobile medium, social networking and gaming and coming up with the most innovative product we could. The product we emerged with is Legends of Echo.

Any tips for new adventurers? And who should our readers look for if they want to battle you?

It might be a mistake for me to give away my LoE nickname, I’d never get any sleep! In the way of tips I’d say exploration is imperative, scan near you and see what you can find. Be sure to read the Echo Enquirer everyday and be sure to build relationships with other players in the game, you’ll need them down the line.

The game is going live today (Monday, 19 April, 2010). Are you nervous? What kind of reception would you consider a success?

No, I wouldn’t say that I am nervous. There is a nervous excitement present and an anticipation after so many months of work, but no nerves and very little fear. It’s difficult to predict the success of a product but our goal is to have users download the game, get in to their roles and play as often as they can. I’d consider that a success.

Last week I did a post about Skype on the BlackBerry using iSkoot. Well this time, I’d like to tell you about Nimbuzz.  I have been a Nimbuzz user for about 3 years now and it is truly a great application.

If, like me, you enjoy IM (instant messaging), you are probably familiar with the most popular IM programs such as MSN, Skype, GTalk, etc.   Since some of your friends use one program and others use a different one, you probably have to log into more than one application to be available to chat to all your buddies. Nimbuzz makes life much easier for you by aggregating all your IM programs into one. So you only have to use one program but will see ALL your buddies!

Nimbuzz is quickly becoming one of the best IM programs available, because it is FREE, easy to use and offers versions for Windows PC, Apple Mac and mobile phones.  Nimbuzz for iPhone is available via iTunes and for all other devices, you can go here…

To download Nimbuzz for your PC or laptop please visit http://www.nimbuzz.com

Great application!

I recently upgraded my Blackberry software to the new version 5.  Most people wouldn’t even know that there is a version 5 and – to be honest, there isn’t officially yet. I managed to find a beta version, which I installed on my blackberry.  I’m a total sucker for latest firmware on my phone and I really advise people to upgrade their phone software when they can. Some new versions just include bug fixes and you hardly notice a difference but others will add features to your phone that make you love that little piece of plastic all over again.

NOTE: please backup all your information before you upgrade your software because your phone is wiped clean when the new software is installed.  If you are not a nerdy expert, then DON’T do it yourself. Rather take it to your service provider (MTN, Vodacare, etc) and have them do it. It is well worth the R100 they charge.

Ok, so this week was the BIG APPLE ANNOUNCEMENT week again and on 8 April, I was watching the Internet closely with all the other mobile phonatics (kewl word) to see what Steve Jobs was going to announce for the NEW iPhone operating system version 4.

Here are the cool new things that your iPhone will be able to do when you install the new operating system:

1. Multitasking. This has been iPhone’s biggest downfall.  If you read my  post on Blackberry or iPhone? you’ll notice that I mentioned that I did not like the fact that I couldn’t run twitter or Instant Messaging in the background while doing other things on my iPhone. The iPhone only allows one application to run at a time.  According to Steve Jobs, the reason for this was to preserve battery life.  Apple, as always aims to please, and they have implemented new services into the new OS that will allow for several multitasking services: these include audio streaming, background location (for example using your GPS for navigation or social networking), push notifications and Skype.
2. Folders. The iPhone does not offer any file system. So much so that the last OS release had to include a “Search” facility so that you could find your folders.  In my post I mention that if I want to keep a file on my iPhone I literally have to email it to myself as an attachment and then access the file via email.  Well the new OS 4 gives you a folder system that you can use to organise your data.  You will also be able to drag and drop applications into application folders – that should save you from having to scroll through multiple application screens!
3. Email. It’s no secret that email on the iPhone is clunky at best.  Well the new OS 4 is going to see an entirely redesigned email application.  There will be a unified inbox (where all your incoming messages will be displayed – these could be for different email addresses).  This is a really great feature on the BlackBerry where I can see my text messages, facebook and email messages all in one inbox. Kudos to Apple for this great feature on the iPhone!  It will really improve the email facility.
4. Email. Another great additional feature to email is that you will be able to organize your emails by thread. Thread is where the entire conversation is connected so you can see the previous email to which the current one refers. (Think of it similar to instant messaging where you see the entire conversation in a long string).  This is a very cool feature!
5. Email. The ability to use multiple email services for push email will be enabled. This is great if you are using Exchange and others like Google, etc.
6. iBooks. Thanks to the iPad which came out with a sexy eBook reader called iBooks; the new iPhone OS 4 will have this application too.  I already use Kindle for iPhone and eReader and have read over 23 books on my phone.  Yes on my phone! The reading experience is great; you can choose your background colour, font colour and size, etc – to make it easy on your eyes. So I for one am really looking forward to the Apple reader and the ability to buy books through iTunes.
7. Game Center.  Gaming on the iPhone has become so popular that gaming only devices (such as Nintendo DS or Playstation’s PSP) have seen significant market share decline.  Why buy a gaming device when your phone gives as good an experience?  IPhone OS 4 gives you a social gaming network (similar to that of Xbox Live) which you can use for your iPhone. This is going to be a killer!
8. iAd.  If you want free applications, then advertising comes with it. Apple is launching an advertising platform that offers interactive video content inside the application. The advertising revenue will be split with the developers where they get 60% and Apple 40% in order to incentivise them to lower the cost of their applications.  From a consumer perspective this is great because you pay less for applications and can choose to ignore the adverts if you wish.

These were the highlighted features but according to Steve Jobs, there are many more. Ooooh, it feels as though Steve took my wish list, waved his little Apple wand and made it happen! I can’t wait! I’m already searching for the jailbroken version to come out – children, don’t try this at home – you could end up with a VERY EXPENSIVE coaster. There is no official date for OS4 to be available estimate is in the US Autumn this year. I can’t wait to see it!

If it delivers as promised….

4 Stars!

Once again MXiT is in the news but this time, they’re coming out hard and strong with their initiative to “crack down” on abuse.  Of the 15 million South African subscribers, they say 1% are “degenerate” and abuse the service, sending explicit or offensive material.

MXiT has decided to take a “zero tolerance” approach and will ban these users without warning.  They do not monitor private conversations between friends but will be monitoring all public chat room conversations.

Herman Heunis CEO of MXiT (Image from IWeek)

CEO and founder, Herman Heunis is actively involved with other cyber crime prevention initiatives and has been very vocal in recent media explaining, “ “Until very recently, we had great difficulty in identifying and tracking these degenerates, but – with new developments – we are now in a situation where they leave a definite electronic footprint. This makes it possible to clean up the user base and get rid of people who are “not wanted on our platform”.

I think that it is great when a social media platform takes a stance such as this, but with any technology or communication system, there is always a danger that you may encounter someone with bad motives.  As a mother of two boys, I take the stance that I monitor very strictly what they are allowed to see online. They surf the web under my supervision and I censor what they may and may not view.  This does mean that I need to understand the technology and take the time to sit with them while we research “Box jellyfish” or whatever their latest interest.  As they get older, I understand that this could become more difficult but the understanding is that I make the technology available to my children under very tight controls.  I would never allow them to walk into a strip club or other “unsavoury” location so why allow them free access on the Internet?

When it comes to MXiT, the users determine the value of the technology and 99% of people use it for the fun, affordable means of communication for which it was developed.  (See my post “MXiT: Angel or Demon“). Technology companies often do all they possibly can to protect their users, and I applaud that, however I believe that the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents to make sure that their children are aware of the dangers and know how to protect themselves online.

In all the reports on mobile usage last year it was clear that facebook is the number ONE mobile site and most popular mobile phone application for fun and social activity on your phone.  Facebook has been very forward thinking in allowing developers to access their service and with Facebook Connect, you can sign into other web sites or services using your facebook details. Thanks to that, the growth of applications has been astronomical!

Most new phones are coming with the facebook application already installed and you will notice that the features you can access are awesome!  Status updates, instant message chats, wall posts and photos are available for most mobile phones.  The “smarter” your phone,  the more facebook services you can access.  If you don’t already facebook for your phone, you can get it here: http://www.facebook.com/mobile/

If you still have an old phone that doesn’t give you a great website service or allow you to download applications, then don’t worry.  Facebook launched “Facebook Zero” this year, which is a text-based version of their site and allows you limited facebook features on any phone.  It gives you the popular functionality of staying in touch with your friends via chat and status updates.  Facebook Zero is being launched through the mobile network operators and is basically the ability for the for them to provide you with a scaled down version of facebook web experience on your phone.

Facebook zero is going to be a very big headache to other instant messaging services such as MXiT, Mobile MSN, Skype and Nimbuzz because the text only version will compete directly with these services; and due to the popularity of the brand, may start to see users moving to facebook instead.

This is still a BRAND new service and is not supported by all the mobile networks yet so – watch this space! (zero.facebook.com)

In the meantime you can visit m.facebook.com on your mobile phone.