Carriers Becoming Interested in Mobile Blogging (Moblogs)

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-5182709.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-5182709.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news</a><br /><br /></div>"Although new cell phone models increasingly come with cameras attached, wireless companies with huge investments in new high-speed networks and fancy phones fear people won't find a corresponding new need to take pictures and send them--for a fee--over the wireless Internet. "We're definitely looking at this," said Ritch Blasi, an AT&T Wireless spokesman. "You could take a picture and shoot it over to the laptop, but that does me no good because it doesn't use the network. The same way people don't think twice about making a phone call, you want to get them comfortable with how this is done and how much it's going to cost."<br /><br />Cell phone plans vary in terms of how subscribers are charged for Internet access, but Blasi estimates that it costs 25 cents to send a picture over the network. Consumer and cell company demand for moblogs has yielded opportunity for a number of start-ups including TextAmerica, Mobog, Buzznet and Ploggle."<br /><br />Now that I have a phone with a camera in it, I now have the ability to start a moblog if I want. The thing is, it doesn't sound all that appealing. :? What about you? Is anyone moblogging yet with their Smartphones? If so, URL drop and let us see what you're up to... ;-)

[encece]

I was using text america for awhile...but it's difficult for me to customize the page to my liking and you have to have their google type links on the side.

I have personal webspace that I still dont know what to do with. It's a nice place for me to play with flash, html and now some php.

I take pics with my e200 camera and FTP them, via my smartphone and a program called HipFTP for the smartphone, up to a directory on my site where they are shown automatically. (the pics there now are test pics from my pc).

I also have a simple php blog, whos simple entry interface I can access via my phone's PIE as well.

I think I spend a total time of 1 hour a week on this so bear with me until I actually have the look nailed down & some content to show....but you can take a look at it.

EDIT: Changed the site again...playing with some flash now. (How quickly I tire of things!). :D

The site is sized to work well on the smartphone as well...and I stole the same look from AT&Ts mMode WAP site

[Neil]

Moblogging is fun, particularly if you do it for a specific event rather than just a "here's my day" kind of thing. My most recent attempt at a moblog was http://mdc2004.textamerica.com/ . Not all of the pictures were taken with my XDA II (some were done with my 10D), but regardless of the device used it makes blogging a lot more entertaining.

Similarly, I tried to maintain a personal moblog for a while, http://neile.textamerica.com/ , but my life is too boring and it was hard to keep it updated with fresh content.

Neil

[TANKERx]

Moblogging is a great way to share photos with your friends. I've had http://tankerx.textamerica.com for a while (though I did wipe it by accident at one point :oops: ).

Never mind, it's great and now that TextAmerica supports audio and video moblogging, smartphones that are advanced enough are able to take advantage of the service!

Shame the SD Camera on my MPx200 has an annoying purple haze around the edge. I should have gone E200, but then again, I haven't wired my trousers to the national grid to keep it going for a normal day's use ;-)