(keitai-l) Implications Of URLs Embedded In The Physical Environment

Hello,
Since I instigated this thread I thought I'd give a bit more insight into
why I am pursuing this approach to providing Internet based services to
mobile Internet enabled devices.

Look ma, no searching
A fundamental deficiency of mobile phones and PDAs is the lack of searching
capabilities in the PC/Web sense due to small screens, etc. No Google. No
Alta Vista.

My approach to embedding URLs in the environment is to circumvent the need
for searching a vast information space by hanging small traversal trees of
contextual information off of physical objects. Point your phone at a
hospital and see *your* medical records. Point your phone at a train/bus
station and see delays in *your* train/bus. No searching. A few clicks and
your there. This is huge.

The untapped power of context
What is often overlooked is that the arrival of Internet enabled mobile
devices for the first time allows us to use context and a cue for indexing
into a data source. This is entirely new and extremely powerful. When you
sit at a PC and search the Web there is no context. All of the normal
physical cues (smells, sights, sounds) that could help guide you to your
information are completely lacking. Mobile devices have the potential to
bring them all back. Marry them to Internet services and you have some
*very* compelling possibilities. That is what my approach is all about.

Cheers,
Douglass Turner
email: turner@redballpro.com
mobile: + 354 895 5077


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