Case for individual platform development

There are so many mobile operating system platforms Windows Mobile, RIM
OS, Symbian, Andriod, Palm OS, iPhone OS etc. Mobile application
developers are trying to or hoping to get one single platform to develop
on. They are searching for the write once and run everywhere paradigm.

I would say they are wasting their time. The best approach in terms of
generating revenues is to focus on one may be two platforms. Here are my
reasons,

1. The life cycle of a phone is a few months.
2. The phone makers make money by constantly creating new hardware and
the necessary software features.
3. It is impossible for the third party mobile application developer to
catch with all the different platforms without significant investment of
time and resources.
4. You only get so much cross pollination among programmers. In others
words even if the progrmmer has great skills, you can't expect her to
excel in all the platforms.

These are just a few reasons. I would say find the platforms with the
greatest market share and focus on developing applications for that.

Pay once and watch anywhere

As video technology on mobile devices is enhanced, there are tremendous opportunities for content to be consumed in new ways. Already big traditional phone companies have embarked on "Three Screen" strategy. The article published in The Wall Street Journal on 7/26/2008 on this topic is very insightful and foreboding of things to come.

Couple of months ago I cancelled my Cable TV account with Comcast. After years of wasting my money I realized paying one big lumpsum amount every month to get unlimited channels and watch may be one or two channels on somewhat of a regular basis is ridiculous. Even more ludicruous is the feeling that I got sometimes that, "well I am paying so much money" so let me watch something", and so I would wander off into TV land meaninglessly hoping I would find something I would like. The root cause of channel flipping disease is Cable TV or any other TV content provider.

In the not-too-distant future, I hope we would be able to pay for a show or movie or any other entertainment content once and view any where. For metropolitan dwellers, who commute in public transportation, imagine the time savings they can enjoy if they watch their favorite entertainment content on their mobile devices as they sit bored in Trains, Buses, etc.

Among many other benefits, mobile devices can help us search, pay, view, and enjoy content in one sitting! And if we like a show so much, we can always come home and watch it on a bigger screen.

So from a consumer mindset, we should enjoy our favorite entertainment shows, but not be a slave to the dictates of a rigid, monolithic monthly plan, that put a hole in our wallets!

Mobilized NYPD

Couple of weeks ago, it was thrilling to see NYPD officers using mobile technology to give tickets for parking violations. The handheld is from Symbol technologies and the printer attached to the waist belt is from Orion. For a second I thought I was living in some futuristic era, but then I realized this is the year 2008 indeed and that this type of service should be common place.

Eliminating paper and having electronic record of all parking violations right from the time of capture must be a huge for NYPD. I am sure Symbol Technologies did not have much trouble demonstrating the ROI to the NYPD CIO.

The hope of so many people who got parking tickets to get out of them by telling sob stories to the Judge are over. Now the police officer can take photos and create a complete file and lock down the case.

I actually spoke to the police officer while she was using the mobile handheld and she actually enjoyed using the unit. She felt that her productivity level went up tremendously.

What can we say, well done Symbol Technologies and Orion Technology.

Yasaswi Pulavarti

Education, Students, and the future of USA

For a few years now we have heard the warnings from Technology company CEOs such as Bill Gates, Craig Barrett et all about the skills shortage in Math, Science, and in Engineering. We also have been seeing a steady stream of technology jobs leave USA soil and go to the shores of India, China, Vietnam etc. In this backdrop, it was refreshing to see the Wall Stree Journal article "High Schools Add Classes Scripted by Corporations" on March 6, 2008 in Page A1 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120476410964115117.html). Finally corporations are doing something about it and not just blaming the Federal and State governments.

To encourage high school students to acquire Math, Science, and Engineering knowledge, in addition to the standard lures such as "better paying jobs", "better lifestyles" etc., schools should be able to pique the curiosity of students in new and interesting ways. Fundamentally we humans are a curious race and high school students are the most curious people! In fact a whole new musical, Spring Awakening, is on Broadway. It is just that the curiosity has to be channeled in the right paths.

Here is one way that I think high school students' interest could be grabbed. Test taking has been a bug-bear for many a student. What if the test were administered on an iPhone or any other mobile device? After all we all know, high schoolers are the most avid users of SMS, MMS, and other messaging on mobile devices?

I know what you are thinking, "cheating" and "plagiarism"! What if the teacher with the click of a few buttons could administer a unique test to each student? I know cell phones are banned in New York city public schools for instance, but what if we actually embraced practical technology in the class room?

Let me know your ideas!