For the next IdeaWarz, Cambrian House is asking our community to review previously submitted mobile app ideas. Google’s ANDROID Developer Challenge combined with the capabilities of the ANDROID platform itself might make 2008 the year cellphone applications finally match consumer’s expectations.

A Bitter J2ME Developer

One of my endeavors before starting at Cambrian House was exploration of MMORPG for (cutting edge at the time) J2ME MIDP 2.0 mobiles.

An important facet of the game would have been GPS location detection, with physical location granting you tactical advantage over your opponents. Imagine a game where combatants regularly met face-to-face in the real world, as they battled online! Would online battle quickly translate into fisticuffs in real life? Inquiring Gordons needed to know!

Alas, hungry Gordons needed to eat, and the last time I worked on the game was December 2005. Had I kept developing the location based game on this emerging platform, where would I be today, 2 years later?

Nowhere. There is no market.

Mobile Carriers Stifle Innovation

While the appearance of mobiles supporting J2ME MIDP 2.0 has flourished, the market is effectively locked down by carriers, both by making it impractical to install 3rd party J2ME apps directly from websites, and denying J2ME access to location based data.

While my game was already designed to operate within the confines of J2ME, the platform itself does not enable the types of applications people intuitively expect from today’s mobiles. Applications written specifically for any given mobile’s built-in operating system can meet these needs, but then the user is still dependent on the carrier for permission to run the app.

Killer J2ME apps have never taken off because:

• Awkward to install (if not occasionally impossible due to carrier restrictions).
• Limited demand. The public does not know what a mobile Java app is, how to find them, or how to install them.
• Fragmented market. Each carrier directs app seekers to its own walled-off marketplace.

Mobiles lack sufficient J2ME support because:

• There is no killer app driving consumer demand for this support.
• User freedom on mobiles competes with paying carriers for ring-tones and platform specific applications.

How manufacturers and mobile carriers might restrict ANDROID is not yet clear. Once again we may end up with crippled phones, but at least the chicken-and-egg problem is about to be solved.

Importance of ANDROID

At the discretion of the user, ANDROID grants full control over the mobile device. There is no distinction between bundled apps, and third party applications. These ANDROID mobiles could mirror the unrestricted software ecosystem found in the world of PC/Mac/Linux desktop software… if carriers don’t cripple the ANDROID mobiles.

Why ANDROID Might Survive Intact

Ever heard of the “gPhone”? You shouldn’t have since its only a label the press tacked on to ANDROID before it was officially announced. There’s no “gPhone” yet, but any phone built on top of the ANDROID stack could reasonably referred to as a gPhone… assuming the full stack is implemented.

Any consumer today looking for J2ME support on their next mobile can’t just look for the word “Java” on the device’s spec sheet. Unless a customer cross-checks developer pages against carrier restrictions, the meaning of Java support is not really clear. You might need to hack your phone to run your Java app. Who expects that?

But a customer will likely be approaching a gPhone will a particular killer app in mind. Google is awarding $10 million in prizes for the best ANDROID applications. In the hands of a larger company, one can imagine $10 million not going to far. To garage developers, start-ups and the open source community, $10 million is a heck of a good incentive. When gPhones appear mid-2008, expect some very compelling 3rd party apps to be already be available.

It’s those applications which will be attracting customers to the gPhone, not the platform itself. And any mobile manufacturer or carrier who keeps their gPhone from running those 3rd party apps will be quickly outed as not offering a true gPhone at all. What would you call an iPhone which couldn’t sync with iTunes? A suckPhone.

Even if the carriers restrict triangulated cell positioning data, Google is citing geotagged WiFi hotspots as an alternative means of gleaning a user’s location. If a gPhone lacks hardware GPS support, it might even be able to request location data from nearby GPS serving gPhones via Bluetooth.

What does ANDROID have to do with Cambrian House?

Because gPhones could potentially run so many mobile applications that can not be supported by J2ME, Cambrian House is reviewing all cell phone idea submissions, and automatically entering any of merit into 2007-11-28’s IdeaWarz.

I’d like Cambrian House community members to take a fresh look at the possibilities offered by tomorrow’s cell phones. Assume they know their own location, have access to all of a modern cellphone’s hardware, and the gPhones can communicate freely with each other.

What would they say and what would they do?

ANDROID Details

Google has summarized ANDROID development features, and I’ve indexed the most important features discussed in their Androidology videos:

Androidology - Part 2 of 3 - Application Lifecycle
Nothing illustrates offering end-user features current phones can not.

Related Articles

Google Android: Initial Impressions and Criticism

On the other hand, the platform seems to be open, so not all is lost. Google is planning to release the SDK under Apache 2.0 license. The current SDK however is not under that license yet. This openness comes however with a few strings attached. Basically, it relies on Java’s security system. You know, the same mechanism that is used by operators and phone vendors to completely lock down J2ME to restrict access to interesting features (e.g. sending SMS, accessing file system, making phone calls, installing applications). I’m not saying that Google will do this but they certainly enable operators and phone vendors to do this for them and are providing all the necessary hooks to make it really easy. This is not surprising since in the current market, operators insist on this, especially in the US. The likely result will be that Android application developers will have to deal with locked down phones just like J2ME developers have to deal with that today.

Not one gPhone, but ‘a thousand’

Four manufacturers in the alliance - Motorola, Samsung, LG and HTC - are expected to begin selling phones featuring the new software during the second half of next year. Eight carriers said they will carry the phones, including Sprint and T-Mobile in the United States and China Mobile, the world’s largest carrier by subscribers.

Does the mobile OS matter?

Most mobile device companies, especially the big ones, are terrible at creating integrated hardware-software solutions. They’re hardware companies, not software companies. The mobile operators are little better; they generally understand voice but not data. So you get a three-way traffic jam of OS vendor, hardware company, and operator, none of whom are in a position to architect the whole solution and make mobile data sing. I do think there’s hope for an application platform to establish itself as a standard in the mobile world, but it needs to be structured and managed differently from anything that’s on the market today.

We’ve often said here at Cambrian House, if there’s a guy who deserves to win IdeaWarz, its CyberCerberus. Sometimes I say that to Blue while I’m voting down one of CC’s ideas. Then I emit an evil chuckle.

But not this week!

CyberCerberus’s winning idea, “Sir Kit’s Adventures in Logic Land” is inspired by the classic Apple II game “Rocky’s Boots”.

For those unfamiliar with Rocky’s Boots, it was a game in which children walked a sprite character around and picked up logic gates, hooked them together, and built “machines” that actually showed the flow of logic through them onscreen in an entertaining way. This was a clever method of teaching young kids fairly sophisticated logic (AND, OR, NOT, etc.) and would be easy to replicate today using Flash or any other visual system.

The remake wouldn’t be Rocky’s Boots with newer graphics: It would be a whole new premise, new characters, etc. What would be the same is the concept of teaching logic by moving around and visually assembling logical components on the screen.

Teaching children, eh? Is that what its now come to? Training them how to solve logic puzzles? Making them smarter? Hasn’t CyberCerberus ever seen Children of the Corn!?!

Congratulations CyberCerberus, on not just offering up an excellent project idea, but mapping out how you plan to crowdsource it… and cozying up with the community by the fireplace.

Ccozad’s Brainstorm

Google has announced their Android Platform for mobile devices. This competes with Sun’s J2ME and Java FX as a platform for creating mobile applications.

All these platforms are Java based, so there will probably be a lot of porting of existing applications to Android. But the big opportunity will be to develop a new Android application which takes advantage of features not available on J2ME or Java FX. Ever since Cambrian House started accepting idea submissions, we’ve seen a steady cellphone-this and mobile-that. People have plenty of great ideas for how to make cellphones more interesting, but could not be practically implemented by anyone but hardware manufacturers and telcos.

Android does not differentiate between the phone’s basic and third-party applications — even the dialer or home screen can be replaced.

What applications were impossible or impractical before which Android now enables? With that in mind, check out Ccozad’s project to crowdsource an Android contest submission. Ccozad wants to compete for one of Google’s prizes of $25,000 for the best mobile applications built on the Android platform.

Maybe reviewing Android capabilities and then brainstorming on what is now possible is the best approach. Or… maybe looking through Cambrian House’s catalog of mobile device ideas and finding a great idea which could not be implemented due to platform limitations is the way to go.

For now, let make this thread where Android ideas can be discussed (if you don’t want to submit an Android idea to the usual IdeaWarz process).

FilmRiot Soft Launch

AndyDoan and DonH have launched FilmRiot.com! At the nearby Vicious Circle lounge we discussed their site, talked about their Cambrian House crowdsourcing experience, and drank beer.

You should know AndyDoan agrees with me, that Primer is a great movie. It’s a perfect example of what FilmRiot might have funded, had it been online back in 2004.

Beer, Food and Beer

Then, as if crowd funded indie movie making wasn’t exciting enough, they joined us in our discussion of CyberCerberus’s Sir Kit idea! We debated Android! We kicked another member out of Cambrian House!

And just before I downed my last beer and started a bar-brawl with Blue, Don and Andy (Andy was out quick when a flying pitcher caught him in the back of the head)… we celebrated the worst idea of the week. Truly… it was the Best. Lunch. Ever.

Until next week, see if you can help on CyberCerberus’s Sir Kit’s Adventures in Logic Land, consider what Android can do for mobile applications, cultivate a healthy disdain for your mobile carrier, vote on the latest ideas…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!

Well well well… if it isn’t my old nemesis Kevin_Cox. Well played Kevin, well played. I see your idea WYSIWYG for Mobil HTML has won the weekly IdeaWarz tournament. Who would have thought 7 random letters could take you so far!

Pardon? WYSIWYG stands for “What You See Is What You Get”? You weren’t simply mashing your keyboard at that moment? Fiend!

You may have out-smarted me this time with your “Acronym”. But unlike the abbreviated title for your victorious idea… my patience knows no bounds. One day, Kevin_Cox, you will submit an inferior idea… and victory shall be mine!

WYSIWYG for Mobil HTML

WYSIWYG editors have been around for ages, there are lots of programs for making web pages now. Except, what about Mobil web standards? This area of the web is relatively new and untapped.

A WYSIWYG program is needed just for mobile phone web pages. A simple program that breaks down the steps for people so they can make a nice mobile web page. A mobile phone WISIWYG would be not be as hard to make as typical WISIWYG programs because mobile phone standards are simpler. This is not for advanced users. It is for people that don’t know how to code.

Blue and I wonder if the complexity of setting up a web page, regardless of the taget browser, is more significant than the difficulty of creating a web page that looks good on a mobile’s browser.

We’re hoping Kevin can provide details on who might be the ideal candidate for this application, and what their experience would be. Does it walk them through registering a domain and suggest web hosting options? Is it assumed that one host will always be used which automatically creates friendly URLs for the user?

Certainly the key part of offering this service would be simulating mobile phone browsing and rendering as a web service. Such a service could be developed first, and then extended to offer WYSIWYG editing.

Either way, Kevin_Cox has identified a compelling opportunity. Here’s hoping Kevin’s proposal is described in greater detail so our community can further discuss its challenges and solutions.

On the Edge of Greatness

This week Blue and I would like to talk about 2 more ideas we think offer strong potential, but aren’t yet described in enough detail to fully communicate the creator’s intent.

PromoWarz.com by Gods_Light

Lets be honest not many people want to do market research unless they get paid, but people will spend hours on kittenwar.com, hotornot.com or any other similar site. These sites allow you to rate or chose between two options. PromoWarz.com connects the fun of those other sites along with, social networking and market research.

Verbal Dojo by Arthaus

Dojo is a place where various forms of martial arts are taught; Therefore, it can be said that verbal dojo is a place where the arts of debate and discourse are practiced. It is a place where people from all forms of backgrounds, sexes, nationalities, and creeds may posit opinions and become a part of intellectual discussion dealing with various categories and topics, moderated to ensure that through debate truth may be revealed, and order kept.

…both these ideas leave us wondering exactly what a user experience might be. What drives them to interact with the service in the first place? How can they be encouraged to bring in their friends (does the site have any viral potential)? What do they see when they arrive? What makes them stay?

It’s like when lunch arrives late to Cambrian House, and we’re all hungry and eyeing each other to see if anyone is sneaking a bite from a private stash of food. Except, instead of food, we’re hungry for information. And instead of trying to eat Sophie out of desperation, we’re making assumptions about your idea.

IdeaWarz Video

Blue and Gord return to The Comfy Couch to discuss Kevin_Cox’s winning idea, ideas with potential and a brand new feature… the worst idea of the week! (As determined by voting stats… it’s out of our hands, honest!)

Until next week, be sure to vote on the latest ideas…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!

Are you a walking billboard? Do you wear a shirt which loudly proclaims who created it, or have “TOYOTA” prominently displayed on the back of your pickup truck? Do you do this… for free?

It’s time to start leasing that valuable real estate instead! GroundLoad’s idea Ad Blanks hooks up promoters with owners of potential advertising spaces.

Ad Blanks doesn’t restrict the medium. If you’re willing to tattoo a corporate logo on your forehead, name your newborn baby after a corporation, or even just plain old stick a sign on your front lawn, Ad Blanks wants to know!

GroundLoad is hard at work brainstorming further refinements to his idea in Cambrian House forums. Pitch in if you know how this idea can be improved!

Other Ideas We Like

Rotten Idea by LarsBell

Shoot the World! by Goosie

Why do we like these ideas? There’s only one place you’ll find the answer…

IdeaWarz Video

Blue and Gord continue to spread love and happiness in the Cambrian House community, as they shut down more member accounts. Will MJ’s account be next?

Until next week, be sure to check out the latest ideas…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!

Bringing the convenience and flexibility of learning at home to the world of music education, Music My Way is a site which will offer interactive music lessons via webcam.

Teleconferencing with certified instructors is convenient for both student and teacher, and facilitates the best pairing not just in your city, but around the world! Laracee intends to build an extremely social site, chock full of energy… blog your progress, and connect with others who want to jam!

Congratulations Laracee! With the current crop of social networking code bases (such as Drupal) and teleconferencing tools, we have no doubt a very compelling site can be constructed.

If you’d like to help Laracee out on this project development, join the Music My Way Team!

Other Ideas We Like

This week, we’ve done a double take on a couple ideas we’re not sure are technically viable, but certainly interesting enough to share, and solicit input from experts.

We, Ourselves and Eyetracker by Carlito

There is $ in eyetracking research for websites: crowdsource it!
It is in fact possible to do eyetracking with a simple webcam.
Imagine the power of a crowd of people with webcams! The quality loss of not using professional equipment (very expensive) can be diminished by large numbers. A plugin to your browser automatically activates an eye tracking application when sites are visited that pay to be tested.

“Hello, this is Gord calling from Cambrian House. We’ve been reviewing your webcam eyetracking data… and we don’t appreciate your multitasking while watching our IdeaWarz videos…”

Muscle Educating Glove by DrV

Create a material that would train and teach your muscle memory tasks that typically take years to learn. Whether it be to learn an instrument, snowboard down a mountain, skate a half pipe, or even sew up a patient, the device sends electronic pulses to stimulate your muscles to both exercise and train them.

You had me at “sew up a patient!”

A Very Spooky IdeaWarz

What if 3 world-class horror movie directors: Eli Roth, George Romero and Neil Marshall pooled their directing talents to help create our Halloween IdeaWarz video?

It would probably have turned out quite different from the one we made.

Be sure to give us your qualitative and quantitative feedback…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!