Interface Design. A Day in 2014.

September 6th, 2010 • View Comments Tech, Tools
Tags: Case Study, Cool, Creativity, Design, Experimental, Future, Ideas, Interfaces, Media, Mobile, Prediction, Presentation, Study, Tech, Tools, Touch, Usability, UX, visual, World

We all love interface design studies, don’t we? Notorious Swedish UX company TAT.SE has conducted an experiment in open innovation of User Interfaces. And the winner is this little case study staging a possible day in 2014. Nice one. I want the mirror (via).

Apple + T-Mobile. United in Impotence.

August 9th, 2010 • View Comments Brands
Tags: Apple, Brands, disaster, iPhone, Iphone4, Mobile, Netherlands, PR

Dear Apple. Not ‘Antennagate’ is influencing my decision to buy an iPhone 4. Your inability to deliver does influence my decision. One day after the second launch wave hit Holland I tried to buy one in Amsterdam. Answer: I have to wait for at least 8-10 weeks. I mean WTF? We are talking about the day after the product launch. This is no intended artificial shortage – that is a disasterous launch for a product.

A week later I decided to really sign up for the waiting list via T-Mobile’s website in the Netherlands. I chose the desired model, click ‘bestellen’ (order) – and this is the result.

T-Mobile + Apple – wow, I am impressed. Well, in T-Mobile’s case I am at least happy they manage to keep up a consistent brand image no matter where you go.

My Saturday. ‘Give me an iPhone 4. I want an iPhone 4.’

August 2nd, 2010 • View Comments Underway
Tags: Funny, HTC, Iphone4, Mobile, Truth, Underway

Yesterday I tried to get my new iPhone 4 here in Amsterdam right after launch day. They told me there is a waiting list for at least 8 weeks. That’s not cool. And it looked a little bit like this…

Telekom. Witness my Personal Shitstorm Live.

Juli 29th, 2010 • View Comments Brands, CRM
Tags: Brands, Mobile, Service, Telekom, TMobile, Truth, Twitter, Underway, World

This morning I checked my German bank account and found out that 1,400 Euro were missing. The reason? My former telecom provider Telekom had withdrawn the money. I had terminated my iPhone contract months ago. So why did they withdraw so much money?

In Germany you usually have two year mobile contracts.

• If you cancel your contract prior to this two year period, your telecom provider is nice to you, offers new handsets, special conditions etc. to make you return to him
• If you forget to terminate the contract it is automatically prolonged for another year without a real option for you to get out

Sounds bizarre? Yes, absolutely. Actually we all know that keeping a pleased client is much cheaper than acquiring (or reacquiring) a new one – but telecom providers in Germany don’t seem to think that far.

Back to the 1,400 EUR. Where were they? In April 2010 I found out that I am moving to Amsterdam to start a new job. I immediately withdrew from my iPhone contract which was still in effect by September 2010. In other words – I had to pay at least 4-5 more months.

Later I realized, there is  a way out of this little problem. Simply because I moved abroad – Germany’s Telekom could not offer their services in the Netherlands. A German law gave me the right to instantly terminate the agreement  if this is the case. So, in June (while already being in Amsterdam) I sent them another letter, withdrawing from my German mobile contract with instant effect.

What I did not know was – by withdrawing for the second time my first contract termination was considered as inoperative. The result…

• Telekom disconnected me instantly
• But (as I withdrew ‘too late’) they prolonged my existing contract for one more year and
• Made me pay for this prolongation for the whole prolonged year = 1,400 Euros

Very twisted ‘reality’. Of course I instantly screamed at a poor guy from customer service who promised me to solve the problem asap. And as usual, nothing happened. I called up my bank and got the money returned…but of course the problem with Telekom was not yet solved.

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Epic Win. Add some RPG Spice to washing your Car.

Juli 10th, 2010 • View Comments Games, Mobile, Tools
Tags: App, Creativity, Funny, Gaming, Ideas, Mobile, Todo, Tools

Welcome to the fun version of to-do lists. Epic Win is a new mobile app that that lets you gain experience points and find rare loots for all the boring stuff that you usually procrastinate away. In other words – it puts some RPG spice to doing the laundry or going to the gym.

By completing tasks you make your character evolve. And of course, everything you achieve is sharable via twitter and Facebook. Check out the trailer that already looks like fun. Learn more on the app’s trailer page. (via)

Mobile Browsers. Worldwide Market Share.

Mai 3rd, 2010 • View Comments Business, Mobile, Trends
Tags: Browser, Business, Diagram, Mobile, Trends, World

Thank the guys from icrossing.co.uk and Visual Loop for this handy, little overview chart about the mobile browser market share. Personally I would have enjoyed more detailed information about the browser market share in North Korea right now. But you cannot get anything you want at once…

Check out the big map here.

Apps. An Explosion is underway.

Februar 2nd, 2010 • View Comments Mobile
Tags: Android, Apps, Business, Diagram, iPhone, Lifestyle, Mobile, Prediction, Smartphones, Strategy, Trends, visual, World

Ooooh! Aaaaaah! 2010 is the year of the mobile, social, social CRM, IPTV App. No matter how realistic that is, check out this lovely piece of info visualization from the Fast company. Because according to Gartner an app explosion is underway. A developement which is closely intertwined with smartphone sales. Word up!

Apple. Inside the App Store’s Rejection Department.

Januar 29th, 2010 • View Comments Mobile, Tech
Tags: Apple, Apps, Cool, Funny, Ideas, iPad, iPhone, Mobile, Truth

The unparalleled freedom of Web 2.0 can nowhere be witnessed as fully as in Apple’s App Store. Well, of course there is criteria to become part of this exclusive digital warehouse – clear, transparent criteria to leave no room for speculation how to get in there. And in order to stop everyone with bad or fake ideas to take advantage of them, Apple, and you, the user, Apple has now opened the doors to its App Store Rejection Department. Thanks to Chris for this link.

Foursquare. Seven days in Frankfurt.

November 27th, 2009 • View Comments Allgemein
Tags: Android, Apps, Cool, Foursquare, Germany, Gowalla, GPS, Ideas, iPhone, Local, Location, Mobile, Social Influence Marketing, Social Networks, Tool

Today’s topic may not be completely new for my American readers but probably for some of those from Germany. On November 19th the third wave of cities for Foursquare has launched. Among them now my hometown Frankfurt in Germany as well as about 50 new cities worldwide. It’s been around in a lot of bigger cities for quite some time. In Germany it’s now live in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt. Zurich and Vienna are Foursquare cities in Switzerland and Austria.

So what is Foursquare? Basically it’s a local location based social network (I will use this word in the presence of my granny in the next couple of days). That means: You download a client to your iPhone or Android phone, connect with some friends and start your day in the city.

The big difference to…let’s say Facebook…is, it only works in specific cities (well…yet)  and it’s all about exploring and recommending locations and events. Let’s say for example, you know this fantastic little bar around the corner and you think the White Russian there deserves a little more attention – then you simply locate your favourite nightly hangout via GPS (or start a new venue) and leave a shout to all other Foursquare users in the area to make them try the White Russian here.

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Razorfish. Emerging Experiences launches Razorfone.

November 23rd, 2009 • View Comments Experimental, Tech, Trends
Tags: Cool, Creativity, Experimental, Ideas, Mobile, Razorfish, Retail, Tech, Tools, Touch, visual, We like

My colleagues from Razorfish’s Emerging Experience team have come up with a new application which furthermore eases shopping processes. Razorfone is a prototype application which simplifies buying processes using the means of touchscreens. Razorfish Emerging Experiences has come up with a lot of innovative touch applications lately. Do also check out the configurator they made for Audi and their Razorfashion application.

Razorfone Interactive Retail Experience from Razorfish – Emerging Experiences on Vimeo.