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Derek Torres and Stuart Mudie are co-authors of The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista, a book that takes an in-depth look at the highs and the lows of the latest version of the Microsoft operating system and is due to be published by Wiley in February. I’ve known Stuart online for a long time now, and we finally met back in February of this year when I helped him organize the Mobile Sunday gathering of mobile bloggers prior to the 3GSM World Congress. When Stuart asked me if he could visit m-trends as part of the “virtual blog tour” he and Derek are organizing to promote their book, I agreed on the condition that he would write about something of relevance to the readers of this blog. I thought that would be enough to put him off, but he’s done it! Well, nearly…

If you’re trying to get your head around Microsoft’s mobile music strategy, you could be forgiven for being a little confused.

Do they want you to use Windows Media Player 11 and sync your music library to one of their authorized PlaysForSure portable music players? Or do they now want you to buy a Zune and use the specific software that comes with the device?

And where do they expect you to purchase your digital music? From URGE, the digital music store owned by MTV Networks that was launched in close cooperation with Microsoft as recently as May of this year? Or should the Zune Marketplace now be your one-stop-shop for all your digital music needs? (One thing’s for sure, it’s not MSN Music.)

Om Malik has a good prediction about what the result of providing so many alternatives will be: “What happens to consumers when faced with the choice of Zune or Urge!!! Answer - iPod!“

* While researching this post, I discovered that there’s even talk of the Zune adding phone functionality at some unspecified time in the future. How would that work? Would Microsoft force you to change your carrier every six months? Or - even worse - would you be obliged to sign up with the Microsoft MVNO?

Stuart Mudie, co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista

Excellent Q&A with Steve Jobs in Newsweek: ‘Good for the Soul‘ on the cultural impact of the iPod the last years… Questioned if he’s worried since the anouncement of the iPod competitior, Microsoft’s Zune “…designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community,…” Steve answered:

In a word, no. I’ve seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you’ve gone through all that, the girl’s got up and left! You’re much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear.

Something that every mobile developer and mobile startup should bear in mind before starting developing products: keep it simple and make things usable with only a couple of clicks, there’s easily the one click too much for the mobile user…

I included some scenario’s of collective mobile lifestyle trends in my vodafone receiver #16 contribution: Connecting cultures through music.

Here’s another (older) one that still seems to continue to grow beyond borders: Mobile Clubbing, check the website for details for next gatherings in your city.

The rules are simple:

Though I’m not a frequent clubber anymore, I like the idea of Mobile Clubbing; however I always wondered how people keep the vibe dancing all those different beats… I think I prefer Silent Disco better since clubbers can tune in to one of two DJ sets offered by the on-stage turntablists - all with headphones connected through BlueTooth.

Mobile clubbing story via Helen via Trendcatching. Mobile Clubbing photo by Willis Monroe

Nokia to unveil the Nserie Music Collection. From Darla’s blog:

As you can see, the N73 and N70’s have been made over in a new color… black is back! The N91 gets an external and internal make-over. Also dressed in black, the new N91 has upgraded its HD from 4gb to 8gb, hence the device name… Nokia N91 8GB. Just when you thought you couldn’t have any more music. That should keep someone musically entertained for a long time!

Nokia is definately serious in challenging the ipod right in it’s heart, the music (& video) player, while offering all those extra and excellent mobile phone features.

I have been writing on the Nokia N91 is (busy) killing the ipod before here. The story got picked up at geek.com - Is the N91 really an iPod killer? where an interesting debate is brewing amongst readers.

Related to Nokia’s music phones and one of my favourite apps I use, the Nokia podcasting application: Apple is now trying to claim the term podcast. Read more about it on Robert Scoble’s blog, Wired News, and The Guardian. I think Apple is not applying a good strategy here, maybe because competitors, such as Nokia, are using podcasting-named applications on their phones or devices? And now with Microsofts’ Zune coming in, it won’t get better, more and more podcasts will be created and listened to… for sure!

As an Apple fan at heart, I think they don’t have a right to claim the term “podcast”, the term submerged on the internet - inspired on the ipod - and was used before Apple introduced it into iTunes, trying to claim it will not help their excellent credibility market status they have amongs consumers nowadays. Some common sense cannot hurt these days in business… On this regard, I would like to point you to the famous Marx Brothers and Warner Brothers quarrel:

Note: The following is an excerpt from pages 159-165 of the PDF version (pages 147-153 of the print version) of the book Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig, published under a Creative Commons License. A free, legal copy of the entire PDF of this book can be found here. The content of the original Groucho Marx letter can be found here.

“There’s a famous story about a battle between the Marx Brothers and Warner Brothers. The Marxes intended to make a parody of Casablanca. Warner Brothers objected. They wrote a nasty letter to the Marxes, warning them that there would be serious legal consequences if they went forward with their plan.This led the Marx Brothers to respond in kind. They warned Warner Brothers that the Marx Brothers “were brothers long before you were.”The Marx Brothers therefore owned the word brothers, and if Warner Brothers insisted on trying to control Casablanca, then the Marx Brothers would insist on control over brothers.An absurd and hollow threat, of course, because Warner Brothers, like the Marx Brothers, knew that no court would ever enforce such a silly claim. This extremism was irrelevant to the real freedoms anyone (including Warner Brothers) enjoyed. ”

However, Nokia might be better introducing “Ncasting” for their Nseries podcasting

Sometimes one discovers blogs like rare pearls, usually not very known, a bit tucked away between the feeds of our information forest, yet often refreshing, thought-provoking, and stimulating our mobility senses. I stumbled a couple of times upon Yasmine’s blog while “re-searching” on augmented reality and mobility subjects.

I got intrigued by her “my body is a hypertext” and her takes on home + mobility baring in mind her multicultural background. I leave the discovery pleasure for you to learn about her explorations, meanwhile discover something more about Yasmine in this Women in Mobile interview.

Yasmine Abbas, is a French DPLG architect and holds a Master of Science in Architecture Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. At MIT, she explored the spatial impact of new technologies. She is now a Doctor of Design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design (2006); at Harvard she focused on how neo-nomads reclaim a sense of belonging to places in the age of “multiple mobilities”. She founded neo-nomad, a digital platform dedicated to design and mobility in the digital world.

A neo-nomad herself, she carries “home” in two standard suitcases, each of 158cm (adding length, width, and height), and weighting 32kg maximum, as well as one additional carry on item of 55×40x20cm weighting a maximum of 10kg.

BACKGROUND / WORK

- Can you explain more about your work and background?

I am an architect, and a researcher. I am originally trained to build; yet building does not necessarily mean… partitioning. I have always been interested in the questions of ephemerality and mobility in architecture, ideas of flexibility and porous/extensible/flesh-like boundaries, the intersection between the digital and the physical; and all what that meant for the building environment. Long before I studied nomads, and came across the Plug-in Cities, Walking Cities and Instant City Airship projects of Archigram (1964, 1964, 1968), I had read Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities (1974) which I find rather close in terms of philosophy. I started experimenting with my design looking at theater machinery—mechanical mobility, and social mobility. Later at MIT, I explored Intelligent Kinetic Systems, in designing responsive structures (building models with Lego sensors and motors that we had to program—small programming). Because I am a cultural hybrid, and because I have lived in different countries, and traveled a fair amount, I understand “building” as something different than producing rigid walls, or backdrops for projections. At Harvard I have been working on neo-nomads, digitally geared travelers and how they dwell-in. Recreating a sense of home in any space that looks like a hotel room is a matter of relations between people, objects and spaces. These relations are clearly a matter of habits, and usages. For that matter, I have developed acute “soft” skills and a method of analysis, what I call ethNOMOgraphy (from the Greek root “Nomos” which means nomad) because it involves doing ethnography while on the move through “moblogging” and “hypertexting.” I have also suggested scenarios of usage like the HOmeTEL which explores the remote spatial appropriation of a hotel room, using digital means.

- Are you more social, business or technical oriented?

So far and in order of interest the social orientation has come first, then business, and technical. However, to me, an understanding of the three is critical because if everyone has a role to play in a multidisciplinary environment (to share a strong orientation), being able to communicate within the workplace or to any other actor of public change is even more important. I can say that my background is an asset because everything, from social to physics can inspire architects, and we learn very early to work together to build for people and understand contemporary demands. I am myself particularly interested in today’s everyday and how people mark their territory, which has shrunk beyond skin in the age of the Internet and ubiquitous computing… Design (and we are responsible for designing far more than objects or architecture; when coming up with the iPod for example, Apple, envisioned a new life style; it is a total revolution) must address the fact that the contemporary is a “moving target” (to use the words of a scholar I have worked for); thus design has also to do to with the notion of “what is essential” in life… now—and paradoxically what will stay essential across time; hence my focus on people, the everyday, technology, the multiple mobilities (mental, physical and digital) and nomads, because of their acute sense of adaptation and their understanding of what is necessary to carry; what is home when on the move.

I am in fact calling for a design responsibility! I am questioning for example the building of traditional office towers (often environmentally hazardous) as a workplace when work practices have changed: people work from home, consult abroad, work in teams of specialist localized in different countries… Another example… what is the shape of the library of the future when Google collaborate with prestigious schools to produce a digital library? My work on neo-nomad, the digitally geared individuals, synthesizes these observations by observing “hypertextual” practices, social (as Francois Ascher has noted), but also spatial. We have to think about people throughout all the processes of design and development.

- What brought/brings you into mobile?

What brought me to mobile is trying to understand this very human need for wanting to be grounded, and how people were actually doing it in this age of multiple mobilities that we are building… Always asking… if there is one thing that you would take with you, what would it be, and why? I think we are entering a post-consumerist society. We are going beyond the threshold of the technology craze. We actually can reflect on the applications and use them wisely. More and more people rent and use cars (they share public goods) only when they need it, and are used to changing places, spaces, collecting places, tags and information. Interestingly, one of my research points develops the fact that the digital (paradoxically) relates to the bio~ (body/biology/ecosystem/organism) as neo-nomads use responsive objects, spaces, technology and services… when they need it. Understanding where all this leads, how all this happens involves other skills and methods of inquiry than purely technical ones. My interest in mobile also comes from the observation that we have always wanted a freedom/flexibility of movements, though for sure we are bound to t he infrastructure we build for it.

DIGITAL LIFESTYLE

- How does mobile technological progress influences your daily routine in your work?

I have realized also how much I could pack efficiently, if I could store digitally all my paper work. I still need to keep physical administrative documents. Really… it is piling… I don’t like stuff. That is what digital nomadology does to me.

In terms of travel, I like being stress-free… booking ahead of time, my iPod to “tune-out” (said one of my interviewees; Harvard Doctor of Design Research), being able to connect or just linger (I have my habits), observing, doing my field work, and maybe “moblogging”. I like to disconnect as well, but I am an Internet junkie and it is hard to quit. My Blog has been an essential research tool. It enables me to collect links, moments (situations), formulate my thoughts, publish my work, and connect with researchers in the same field. If I don’t debate ideas with them over blog comments, we often do pursue that through e-mails. I don’t mind sharing my ideas with people, leaving them on open-source, but not many are careful at acknowledging from where they come from.

- Which tools you use to publish, blog or moblog your work? Which applications and services do you use regularely on your phone? Would you use your device to interact with other machines?

I would be happy if I did not have to carry a cellphone, an iPod, a digital camera, an umbrella? , my numerous transportation tickets, ID and bank/store cards… A hybrid phone… My cellphone IS my purse (that is an interesting integrated design challenge!). So you just swipe your bag to go through gates. The advantage of a bag as opposed to a tattoo (see my body is a hypertext project) or a chip under your skin is that the former can be put aside. I like the idea of being able to disconnect… well… to still have a little control, however illusionary, over unwanted intrusions. I would download mp3 on my phone, and maybe text or e-mail, share them with my friends. I would like to get the latest NOKIA… but apparently, even if I purchase it, it wouldn’t be used at its very best here in the USA, because of the infrastructure! Not that I like advertising for this or that brand, but I have experienced the comfortable usability of their product long time ago… Isn’t it also interesting to think how the notion of territoriality shifts with the digital?

- Would you download mp3 tunes on your phone? Share them with friends? Any thoughts on DRM?

In terms of Digital Restriction Management… people expect being able to get information. So companies owe to give a minimum.

- What about Mobile TV?

I like too much observing people for watching movies or programs while on the move, immobile in a moving train. Yet I recall that summer inviting friends over for diner in the backyard, hanging white sheets, a mobile computer plugged to a projector and speakers. Someone in the yard nearby shouted “you are the best neighbors ever”! So I guess, Mobile TV, if it can allow their usability/spatial extensions for times of rest in any spatial setting, without having to carry much…

GEEK STUFF

- What about Web 2.0? Do you use it? What does it mean to you? Does/will these evolutions influence mobile technology?

Web 2.0 is an evolution not a revolution. I found the pattern normal, the result of observations, reflection and usability studies. I REALLY like tagging.

- What are your favourite mobile user-generated content projects?

Del-icio-us, flickr, wikipedia… always amazed by the quantity of information we give because we like sharing, or maybe just because we like to be heard. I haven’t developed content for wikipedia yet.

I envisage scenarios of usage, and assess their validity through interview processes and observations. I post them on my blog. I would like more reactions from my peers. I look forward to develop some of these scenario with… geeks Collaboration is the key!

- MoSoSo + wi-fi + urban networks =

the way to personalize the city, and mark your territory, territory which can overlap with other ones… nomad-2.0 I believe. It is also for me “biological” and “frugal” ways to think about the city (notions developed in my Doctor of Design thesis, 2006) as I said earlier as we use services and share information when we need it. It is like being able to see at once where selected things happen (parking spots for example), in a personal grow-shrinking territory. I think we have always wanted that… seeing many things and happening in different places at once.

FUTURE OF MOBILE

- How do you see the future of mobile?

It certainly leads to the making of ecologic spaces and communities based on individual choices.

- What do you think about the Fixed-Mobile-Internet convergence?

It is bound to be. Mobility also includes the time of stopping. So it is a matter of balance, between what to carry and the infrastructure.

- 3G vs. Wi-Fi?

I don’t think it matters for users, as long as his reception signal doesn’t break out. Swapping should be allowed!

- What differences do you see of mobile use in USA – Europe - Asia?

Can people work together?

- What is gonna be the next *big thing* in mobile?

HOmeTELs

- The next mobile trend(s)?

High-res.-photo-video-mp3-cellphone… and well designed; an iPod-like fetish gear, but maybe an object that can be personalized before fabrication.

PERSONAL FAVORITES

- Who inspires you professionally?

The everyday, people. Edith Ackermann, my mentor and friend.

- Your favorite mobile technology blog?

So many! They are listed on my blog neo-nomad.
- Your favorite moblog?

Here: neo-nomad.kaywa.com/look/no-title-13.html … because it relates to the integrated design challenge of designing a cellphone-purse.

- Who else could you recommend to be interviewed next?

Edith!

- Anything else you would like to add? Something the big players are missing?

People…

Picture Yasmine by © Liesbeth De Fossé

(*) sub-title: “Connected Holidays (with the N91)”

Back from a 2-week holiday… time flies… just realizing it’s the end of the week… and I haven’t blogged yet (!) … while there are so many interesting things happening to write about…

Before I left with my family and some friends to enjoy The Emporada Triangle I managed to buy the Nokia N91, the phone David Williams from Nokia demonstrated to me in November last year in London and which has been described in the blogosphere as the iPod killer.

Regulars of m-trends know about my passion for music-on-the-move and I had the pleasure to experience the Apple iPod 40Gb for over a year until it crashed unluckily and unreparable, too bad for such a solid music device. I decided to wait for the first real music-phone, it came later then expected but it has been worth the wait.

Apart from some adress book sync problems I managed to counter quickly thanks to Justin’s post and some Mac hacks here, my whole experience with the N91 has been just brilliant!

The first thing that impressed me was the quality of the sound watching a Real Player video… impressive. I added some 500 of my favourite tunes to the 4Gb harddrive, synchronised from my iTunes library and created new playlists on the fly while I connected the device to a hi-fi stereo… this is the first phone I know of with whom you can create instant parties everywhere, anytime I have been writing before on my doubts how to scroll big music libraries without a scroll wheel (as the ipod) but this doubt vanished completely after the first use.

The rest of the HD space I used mainly to download some podcasts with the Nokia Podcasting Application, I also installed Shozu (probably one of the best mobile apps around!) to upload some holiday pics with a click to Flickr.

Our host had a wi-fi connection in the house so I could browse the mobile web the first time for free (!) The latest Nokia Web Browser for S60 is probably the best I have experienced on a phone, with it’s zooming capabilities you can ‘browse’ a webpage the way you want it. The same browser lets you subscribe and store your favourite feeds; I can tell you I haven’t missed a thing on the news side though I had planned to disconnect completely for at least a couple of days

I could perfectly browse my MyStrands Mobile account, I had some problems though listening to the Real Player audio previews due to some tough operator proxy settings. I read Justin Oberman selected my Connecting Cultures through Music article as Post of the Week of his Carnival of the Mobilists #41 hosting. I’ll accept the invitation for the brownies, Paula! I also installed the Free Mobilists’ Mobile RSS Reader package so I stayed tuned on my mobilists friends’ feeds, nicely bundled.

I wouldn’t type loads of email with that phone - there are other models for that, like the BlackBerry killer, but I could easily configure my regular email account and check my mails once in a while. I read Caroline launched the Wireless Industry Partnership and she informed me the 2nd CTIA Gathering of the Mobilists was fully booked for the 2nd time, great!

Well, this is basically a sum-up of the apps I used the most upto now, there’s still lots to discover - oh that SIP Client - and Visual Radio, no stations avilable yet in Catalonia… but too much to mention in one post, so I will have to update you on more experiences I guess…

So, what has this article to do with my title? Simply, it looks much more obvious that Nokia can add now easily more music features and storage to it’s phones than seeing Apple creating all those phone features to the iPod…

And oh btw: one of the features I appreciate the most is the ‘one touch button’ to switch from music listening to an incoming call and the ability to create a ringtone from any song in my library. You won’t get bored with this phone, Nokia is listening to it’s users… Mobile 2.0 is definately here… Driewerf hoera!

… Then he came home and did a Phone Software Update… better get used to it!