A First: President Of the United States Hosts Twitter Town Hall (11AM PST, 2PM EST)

In a first, President Barack Obama will be hosting a virtual town hall meeting via twitter.  According to GigaOM, the meeting will take place at 11 am PST.  If you want to ask the President question, simply type in your question with the tashtag #AskObama.

More than just a publicity stunt, political leaders are increasing aware of the power of social media and mobile tech.  On top of that, it will allow President to gain a accurate feel for what youths today are thinking and feeling.  After all, the President's successful 2008 Presidential bid owe in large part to the youth vote.  Today, the youth segment of the population are increasingly anxious about their jobs, debts, and future.

And these are very well educated electorate who can determine the President''s 2012 reelection bid.  Furthermore, the White House and the campaign will be pouring over the Twitter data from the virtual town hall to see what's being asked, where they're asking from, and the number of retweets taking place.

I just hope Twitter has the server capacity ready for this.  Obviously, you can follow the town hall on your mobile

Note: The town hall meeting starts in an hour.

Microsoft Wants $15 For Every Galaxy device Samsung Sells; Nortel Loss For Google Became Just Ever More Critical

According to TechFlash, Microsoft, fresh of some victories against Android makers including HTC who will be paying Microsoft $5 for every HTC phone it makes, is going after Samsung for $15 of every Galaxy phone it sells.  Considering the pricing pressure it sometimes has to go through, Samsung's Galaxy success could also cost it big.  

And there's where all these companies with huge arsenals of wireless and mobile patents play such a big role in the ever evolving and interesting war.  Why?  Considering many sources already saying that Microsoft makes more money going after Android licensees than selling its own Windows Phone software, this is saying a lot.

And on top of Google's losing bid for Nortel's wireless, specifically LTE, patents to a consortium lead by Apple, Google really has nothing else to help fend its partners from Microsoft, Nokia, or even Apple from asking for future royalty payments on the patents they won.

Do you see a pattern here?  Of course you do.  Just because you're paranoid does not mean that someone isn't out to get you.  That's exactly what I see here.  And in war, all is fair.  And Google's mobile enemies are looking to stunt if not outright destroy Android.  Hey, if the table was turned, I am sure the same could be done to iPhone or anyone else.

However, I don't think Apple with its recently won Nortel patents can really do much damage to the market.  Since it and others were vetted by various government agencies, I like to think that as patent owners, Apple will not be able to stem competition in the market place.  Still, Apple does look a whole lot scarier now.

It addition to having Microsoft asking for its share of the Android pie, Samsung is in the midst of a potential divorce with Apple as the two companies lobbed lawsuit after lawsuit across three continents.  

It'll be interesting to see just when, not if, Nortel's patents come into play.  And the thing is that there is absolutely nothing Google can do to help its Android partners.

Location-Based Coupons: Lots Of Deals But Not All Are Good

I recently tried to redeemed a coupon that I bought off LivingSocial.  It's for a restaurant called Cafe 322 in Southern California.  I had hope to write about my wonderful experience there but it was not the case.  In fact, we did not mange to get in.

The reason was that there was a coverage charge to get into the place, something that LS forget to mention.  And on top of that, while the email described it as a Finnish restaurant, it was selling pizza and pasta.  Even a sign on the cafe said "Italian".

On top of that, it was a very loud place and we had children with us.  We thought about sitting outside but there were people there.  And there is no smoking allowed in restaurants in California.  

While I hope to go back before my coupon expires (which I think is probably not legal to  have an expiration date), you really have to be careful with what appears to be good deals on LivingSocial, Groupon, or other up-and-coming companies that offer these deals.  

I got a couple AMC movie ticket yesterday for $4 each.  That was a good deal.  But these are and far in between the massage and manicure coupons.  

So, my suggestion is to watch out.  Do a lot of research.  I did so for Cafe 322 but apparently it was not enough.  Apparently, there were a few Yelp reviewers who used their LS coupon there and the rating was just par.

I think it's important that LS and Groupon also provide a feedback on user experiences so they themselves can see who they want to associate with.  

Official Pokemon Coming to Mobile

Never thought I would be able to blog about this so here it goes. From the first post I've read, Phandroid is reporting an official Pokemon game is making it's way to Android and the iPhone.



So far few details are available. It will be available this summer and It'll be free (Touch Arcade).

It will be a tapping game based on Pokemon music.

What? You expected something more? With Nintendo just announcing the Wii successor and the 3DS coming a long nicely, it is unlikely we will see a full featured title. Obviously, such titles would be very popular with mobile gamers on the iPhone and Android devices.

Short of hell freezing over, simple tapping Pokemon games are all we can expect for now.

Location Based Revenue to Reach $10 Billion by 2016

Strategy Analytics, a research firm that I've referenced on a few occasions, is saying that location-based services, like Foursquare, will likely reach $10 billion by 2016 - with half of that coming from advertising.  In addition to that, GigaOM mentioned that privacy issues regarding location tracking will remain a big concern.  I think it's a valid point but I also think $10 billion is a small pond given the number of players that are involved.

I've already mentioned Foursquare, but others like Facebook and Google are also angling for a piece of this market.  And there are probably half a dozen other services that I can think of right of the top of my head that will vie for some of the mobile consumers' attention.  

My concern is the privacy of consumers like myself.  As a Foursquare user, I have yet to see any returns and yet, I've been offering Foursquare information regarding some of my habits.  I am sure with other users, they likely have more to gain from their check-in experiences than I do.  Having said that, storing of GPS information on mobile devices as well as the ease with which these companies can track users can be quite daunting and I reckon most users have not really thought things through.

It will be the comfortable level, as the post mentioned, that will ultimately decide if this market takes off.  And a lot is at stake.  Revenues from coupons and advertising is only the beginning.  And there are probably other innovative means to accrue profit that we have not yet seen.  And consumer and privacy issues aside, the market would need to be much bigger than just $10 billion five years from now.  Why is that?  Interests from the above mentioned companies are going to be needed.  Research and innovative energy must also be brought to focus on this market.  

With a sizable pie, the location based market could just something a few hard-core users dwell in.  

I have a few predictions I like to share.  In a few years, we will see a few of these companies consolidate or snatched off the market.  While I am not sure that Google and Facebook, with a larger user base would be interested but companies like Yahoo, Microsoft, or even wireless carriers could see value in a large installed base.  I have seen some level of loyalty among the location-based market.  Such loyalty could be of some value.  

Not to be outdone, Pyramid Research, via Marketing Mag, reckons the $10 billion target will be reached a year earlier, 2015.  PR mentioned Yelp as a candidate to benefit from this.  

Only time will tell if either of these researches are accurate.  Personally, I hope the privacy issue will be resolved first before the market takes off.  There is pending legislation in Congress that will limit the use of location based data.  The Center for Democracy and Technology has a very good article on this issue pending.  Honestly, would you really trust Facebook to know your every step and selling that information to the highest bidder?

Source:  GigaOM, Marketing Mag.

Microsoft's Lasso Feature Shows It Can Still Innovate If it Wants To (iPad App)

Microsoft just released a new Bing app that requires no typing for search. And it can probably expand this features for other purposes like copy and pasting or just opening up a contextual menu.

It just goes to show that Microsoft can still innovate.  So, for all us haughty Android and iPhone fans, don't get too cocky.  Maybe, just maybe Windows Phone's future is brighter than anyone expects if Redmond can truly bring more innovate energy to the market.

So, what is Lasso?  The feature is only on the Bing app for the iPad for the moment.  By using your finger to draw a circle around the word or phrase you want to be selected, you can begin a search.  Also, users can save up to nine Lasso'd items.  

No word on this working with Honeycomb tablets but this feature is a part of Microsoft's own tablet tools. 

I'm looking forward to trying this out on my iPad when I get home.

Source:  Cnet.

Verizon Wireless Ends Unlimited Data Access Plan This Thursday

For readers out of the US, I don't know what kind of data plans you get.  From what I'm reading, not many of you have unlimited data plans For the US market, AT&T first moved away from that a little more than a year ago.  This week, Verizon Wireless will officially join the growing number of carriers around the world in killing of the unlimited wireless data plan.

According to iSmathphone, a VZW spokesman made the official declaration.  I had latched on to this a while back and took the plunge last week by signing up for a Verizon plan, forgoing my 8-year relationship with T-Mobile.  I was very interested in the LTE phones but the battery lives just don't cut it for me.  

So I went for the iPhone 4 even though I know the next update is probably just around the corner.  No loss there as I'lll probably give this one to a family member.  Still, sucks that VZW is doing this.

And as far as I know, VZW does offer truly unlimited data access.  While T-Mobile doesn't say that it offers unlimited data plan, it's not true.  It's unlimited up to a point.  The only other carrier who still offer an unlimited data plan is Sprint but their phone selection does not do it for me and their network is very spotty in my area.

Starting Thursday, the $29.99 plan goes away and are replaced by the following:

• $10 gets you 75 MB per Month - seriously, what a joke
• $30 gets you 2 GB per Month - nothing new here.  Same as AT&T.
• $50 gets you 5 GB per Month - I can see a lot of people going this route but will opt for the $30 plan for the most part
• $80 gets you 10GB per Month - ouch.
• Go over your monthly allotment and you get charged $10 per GB

So, if you've been waiting a newer iPhone or better Android, your wait will soon end because you really don't have a choice now.  Personally, I'm not sure why VZW is doing this right now.  Surly, its network can handle the deluge of potential iPhone defectors from AT&T and other networks as well as its own customers looking to upgrade to LTE later in the year.  

Why Did I Switch From T-Mobile To Verizon? Were You Previously Very High On T-Mobile?  Yes.  I like my service with T-Mobile even if no one else does.  I don't really have an issue with dropped calls the way iPhone users have with AT&T.  However, I was going to leave T-Mobile anyway because of the buyout from AT&T.  

It is just inconceivable that T-Mobile's culture will be able to withstand the bad influence of AT&T's approach to sales, customer service, and fudging of features and plans on the fly.  I don't know if VZW is any better but at least they're not AT&T.  I was trying to explain my reasons for getting the iPhone to a friend over weekend and when I brought up the buyout, he said pointedly "AT&T did not get its reputation by accident".  

So, there you go.  If you're looking to lock into a wireless plan with Verizon Wireless, you've got until Wednesday.