It's coming, it's coming ...

[KevinG]

... no, not what you think you dirty-minded people.

I am talking about the mobile web. We keep hearing proclamations of the ascendance of the mobile web, but keep getting disappointed with most of it turning out to be hype.

Most of the promises haven't been delivered yet, but it is coming.

I think one of the biggest challenges has been that mobile phone features and software are controlled by carriers and handset makers. Google is trying to change that.

Google Enters the Wireless World

What Apple began with its iPhone, Google is hoping to accelerate, with an ambitious plan to transform the software at the heart of cellphones.

Google, which wants to be as central to the coming wireless Web as it is to today’s PC-dominated Internet, announced on Monday that it was leading a broad industry effort to develop new software technologies aimed at turning cellphones into powerful mobile computers.

If successful, the effort will usher in new mobile devices that as the iPhone has done, will make it easier to use the Internet on the go. The phones, which would run on software that Google would give away to phone makers, could be cheaper and easier to customize.

And by giving outside software developers full access to a Google-powered phone’s functions, the alliance members hope for a proliferation of new PC-style programs and services, like social networking and video sharing.

“We’re human beings and we communicate, and that’s what the Internet social network phenomenon is all about,” said Robert Pepper, a former policy chief at the Federal Communications Commission. “The Internet is going mobile, and it’s not just top down, its one-to-one and many-to-many all at the same time, and that’s what the Google guys get.”

With the move, Google is trying to alter the dynamics of yet another industry. It is already using its deep pockets and innovative technology to shake up television, book publishing, computer software and advertising.

Full Story on The NY Times Web Site

This is a pretty interesting story to me.

If you don't read the whole thing, here are two points:

1. Google says they are NOT making a Google phone, like was widely speculated in the media.

(That would be stupid anyway. There's no shortage of phones, duh.)

2. The significance here is that this could help solve the problem I stated above:

"mobile phone features and software are controlled by carriers and handset makers."

Lots of possibilities open up when the features and software open up.

[Rcourt64]

Does this mean now I'll be forced to either hear or view a commercial every time I make or receive a freaking call?

I could see it now.......

With competitors like Verizon & ATT, All it'll become is a battle of phone networks.
This.., "like the Internet advertising is now", will become tiresome & frustrating for consumers.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Rcourt64

Does this mean now I'll be forced to either hear or view a commercial every time I make or receive a freaking call?

I could see it now.......

With competitors like Verizon & ATT, All it'll become is a battle of phone networks.


This.., "like the Internet advertising is now", will become tiresome & frustrating for consumers.

I like the ad that number displays.

[Rcourt64]

Well think about it, eventually you would be able to sign up with sponsors you wish to promote by your personal phone number usage. The more popular you are, the more business call you make, the more your sponsor ads show.

[Hell Puppy]

My SMS's are going to include pop-ups.

[TheEnforcer]

Mobile certainly has the potential but is this another tease.....

[Hammer]

Originally Posted by Rcourt64

Does this mean now I'll be forced to either hear or view a commercial every time I make or receive a freaking call?

I could see it now.......

As you can see, I'm already poised to take full advantage of the coming mobile website explosion.

[emjay]

Originally Posted by Hammer

As you can see, I'm already poised to take full advantage of the coming mobile website explosion.

Hey Hammer, this might help : http://tutorial-en.sexgoesmobile.com/en/

[RawAlex]

I think you may find that google in the end dominates their wireless phones, turning a potential money maker for the rest of us into a money pit.

Can you imagine Google getting users to agree to things like link replacements, banner / ad replacements, and perhaps even restricting access is various ways. Can you imagine movies / videos / music only downloadable via google's own PPV interface?

My fear is that as content providers, service providers, and aggregators get into the game, they will take majority or exclusive positions that will either leave them as the sole source, or put them as the sole intermediary for selling content to these users, which will make it very difficult to move forward. Worse for porn people, imagine that those companies decide they don't like adult material. Suddenly, instead of being a huge new market, it is a large shut door (see Itunes / movies and such). Can you imagine the only acceptable video format being something proprietary to Google? A special compression?

It's actually quite worrisome.

[Rcourt64]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

I think you may find that google in the end dominates their wireless phones, turning a potential money maker for the rest of us into a money pit.

Can you imagine Google getting users to agree to things like link replacements, banner / ad replacements, and perhaps even restricting access is various ways. Can you imagine movies / videos / music only downloadable via google's own PPV interface?

My fear is that as content providers, service providers, and aggregators get into the game, they will take majority or exclusive positions that will either leave them as the sole source, or put them as the sole intermediary for selling content to these users, which will make it very difficult to move forward. Worse for porn people, imagine that those companies decide they don't like adult material. Suddenly, instead of being a huge new market, it is a large shut door (see Itunes / movies and such). Can you imagine the only acceptable video format being something proprietary to Google? A special compression?

It's actually quite worrisome.

No.., Noo.., You mustn't talk like that....
You will happily & eagerly continue to feed the beast.

[Hammer]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

I think you may find that google in the end dominates their wireless phones, turning a potential money maker for the rest of us into a money pit.

Can you imagine Google getting users to agree to things like link replacements, banner / ad replacements, and perhaps even restricting access is various ways. Can you imagine movies / videos / music only downloadable via google's own PPV interface?

My fear is that as content providers, service providers, and aggregators get into the game, they will take majority or exclusive positions that will either leave them as the sole source, or put them as the sole intermediary for selling content to these users, which will make it very difficult to move forward. Worse for porn people, imagine that those companies decide they don't like adult material. Suddenly, instead of being a huge new market, it is a large shut door (see Itunes / movies and such). Can you imagine the only acceptable video format being something proprietary to Google? A special compression?

It's actually quite worrisome.

Are you aware that Google Adsense now has a mobile version.

[RawAlex]

Originally Posted by Hammer

Are you aware that Google Adsense now has a mobile version.

Yes, but it won't be long before there will be google mobile phones, which will give them another chance to contract with their customers to control their browsing experience.

I expect google to be the first company to blatantly and clearly play games with third party sites to make them more profitable to google, such as link substitution and keyword linking.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Yes, but it won't be long before there will be google mobile phones, which will give them another chance to contract with their customers to control their browsing experience.

I expect google to be the first company to blatantly and clearly play games with third party sites to make them more profitable to google, such as link substitution and keyword linking.

Kind of like the hotlinking MS tried a few versions back with IE?

[Rcourt64]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Yes, but it won't be long before there will be google mobile phones, which will give them another chance to contract with their customers to control their browsing experience.

I expect google to be the first company to blatantly and clearly play games with third party sites to make them more profitable to google, such as link substitution and keyword linking.

[RawAlex]

Originally Posted by gonzo

Kind of like the hotlinking MS tried a few versions back with IE?

yup. But they will more likely be able to get away with it because they will put it in the contract of service, such that it will in some ways sponsor the service.

[Hammer]

Google has been good to me since they came on the scene and now I'm seeing nice results from their mobile Adsense so personally I don't care what they do to manipulate the surfers experience, it's working just fine for me.