Feature: Wireless Wonders
By now, few people would raise their eyebrows at the thought of shooting pictures and short video clips with a cell phone. And no one, with the possible exception of our great-grandparents, would be shocked to learn you can play games or send e-mail on a cell phone.
But did you know the Twentieth Century Fox-produced show 24 Conspiracy--a spin-off of the hit show 24--can be seen only on some Verizon Wireless cell phones? Or that later this year, you might use your cell phone to pay for a meal?
Keep reading for a look at some surprising things you can do now--and in the near future--with your wireless handset. Along the way, I'll offer reality checks to keep all this excitement in perspective. Also, this week's Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips section focuses on the latest in wireless voice and data technologies.
Watch Original Programming
Verizon Wireless's mobile video service, V Cast--home to 24 Conspiracy--is considered the most ambitious of its kind. Currently, subscribers pay $15 a month (on top of the cost of a voice plan) to view short video clips streamed to compatible phones.
Some videos are produced especially for V Cast, such as the 1-minute-per-episode 24 Conspiracy. Subscribers can also watch music videos, CNN news segments, excerpts from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and other short clips on their wireless handsets.
Other wireless service providers such as Sprint offer the competing MobiTV video-on-demand subscription service. But V Cast runs on Verizon Wireless's third-generation EVDO network, which is reportedly faster than the 3G networks that Sprint and other providers currently offer. (I haven't tested Verizon Wireless's EVDO network.)
Reality Check: Be careful what you view on V Cast, as some content requires an additional pay-per-view fee of up to about $4. Also, V Cast is currently limited to 30 U.S. markets.
View Original Artwork
Nokia has commissioned a handful of artists to create videos especially for its cell phones. The videos, each about half a minute long, are high-concept art, as opposed to plot-driven shows like 24 Conspiracy. If you have one of eight Nokia cell phone models, you can download the video art for free.
Reality Check: You can't copy or forward the video art. And the art is designed to be "exclusive," meaning that each video can be downloaded only about 3000 times.
Talk on Your Cell Phone--Over a Wi-Fi VoIP Connection
What if your cell phone worked on a wireless Voice over IP connection as well as on a cellular network? You'd have the convenience of using the same handset and phone number just about anywhere. And you'd save money.
Here's the deal: When at home or in the office, you could use your cell phone to make calls over a VoIP service running on a Wi-Fi network. Some call this convergence of technologies VoWiFi.
Theoretically, a VoIP service can be used anywhere there's a fast Internet connection. If you have the right handset, therefore, you could use your VoIP service on your home wireless network as well as with a Starbucks or other commercial Wi-Fi hotspot.
The advantages of VoWiFi: Calls on VoIP services are much less expensive than land-line or cell-phone calls, because they travel cheaply as data packets over the Internet. (Some VoIP services are even free.) At the same time, you'd reduce your cell phone costs, as you'd need to use your plan minutes only when a Wi-Fi hotspot wasn't nearby.
Several companies are developing or have introduced wireless handsets capable of automatically handling calls from either VoIP or cellular services. For example, Motorola's MPx can place calls on cellular networks and VoIP services via Wi-Fi. Also, Skype Technologies' VoIP software is now available on Carrier Devices' I-mate cellular/Wi-Fi-equipped handsets.
Reality Check: Don't get too excited about VoWiFi phones and services just yet. Some kinks need to be ironed out before this technology is ready for widespread use. For example, VoWiFi devices must be able to automatically detect networks and switch from one network type to another. And carriers must put into place extensive infrastructures and roaming agreements that support call transfers between different--and sometimes competing--networks. Still, VoWiFi appears to be gaining momentum.
For more information about VoWiFi convergence, read "Mobile Internet Telephony Visibility Increases."
Buy a Bucket of Chicken
Will cold, hard cash become as extinct as the phone booth? Probably not. But soon you could be paying for some items, such as a bus ticket, a fast-food meal, or a hotel room, with your cell phone.
Nokia, Philips Electronics, and Sony last year formed a nonprofit industry association designed to advance a technology called "Near Field Communication." The technology will allow you to securely use credit or bank card information stored on your cell phone or PDA to beam payment to a vendor. In other words, one day you could be using NFC at your local KFC.
Reality Check: NFC-compatible phones and services are beginning to show up in Europe, but don't expect to see them in the U.S. or Asia until spring or summer. For more information, read "Nokia's New Phone Doubles as a PDA."
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