musings of a social architect

Wee Wireless Warriors

Lately, I've been working on a new title - a mobile version of a popular "smart toy" that appeals to both kids and adults. I'm excited about this space because I believe that the potential for 'smart' (e.g. educational yet fun) games and toys is huge. And I can't think of anything I'd rather do than create fun, lightweight, addicative entertainment that builds your thinking skills.

This month's Forbes magazine has a great article about this exciting new market. Here are some choice quotes.

... times have changed. Children have become voracious consumers of cellular communication and today are the fastest-growing and most profitable segment of the mobile telephone world. As the overall cellular marketplace nears saturation, young consumers are bringing new blood--and new bucks--to service providers.

The phenomenon of kids with cell phones is relatively new. Back when cell phones were costly and clunky, it would have been practically unthinkable to give one to a preteen. But with today's cheap--or free--handsets and low-cost calling plans, many parents are handing their kids phones in an effort to stay in touch and keep track of their whereabouts.

... in2003, about a third of all kids between the ages of 11 and 17 owned their own cellular phone, according to the Yankee Group. By the end of this year, ownership in that age group will have jumped to over 50%.

"If you're looking for new users, the only place to find them is among young people," says Dave Garver, executive director of marketing for Cingular Wireless, a joint venture of SBC Communications (nyse: SBC - news - people ) and BellSouth (nyse: BLS - news - people )...

...What makes the youth market particularly attractive isn't just its size but its spending habits. Kids talk on the phone more than adults, thereby racking up bigger bills. They pay around $1.99 a pop for downloadable ring tones of their favorite songs--a market the Yankee Group forecasts will hit $1 billion in U.S. sales by 2007. They send billions of short message service texts to one another, racking up fees of around 10 cents a message. They also download games, use instant messaging applications and browse the Web.

"These consumers are so comfortable with digital data," says Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for market research provider NPD Techworld. "They're using these services on their PC, and, as they go mobile, it's natural for them to look for them on their cell phones."

Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) : Daily News in English About Korea

When it comes to networked social behavior, Korea (specifically, greater Seoul) is a 'canary in a coal mine' -- always worth paying attention to. Recently, Chosun reported the results of a University study showing that Korean students think of email as 'old-school' -- something you use to communicate with 'elders.' They far prefer the immediacy of IM and SMS.

A poll conducted by Chungbuk University computer education professor Lee Ok-hwa on over 2,000 middle, high school and college students in Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces in October revealed that more than two-thirds of the respondents said, "I rarely use or don't use e-mail at all."

The reasons given for shunning email are that it's impossible to tell whether an addressee has received a message right away and replies are not immediately forthcoming. Still another reason is that you send messages through SMS or messenger as if you were playing a game, while doing so through email makes you feel as if you are doing homework or performing a task.

I'd be really interested to see results from similar polls in other countries.

Interactive Robotic Art

Mobile phones are slowly becoming a universal interface to the digital world -- and here's one fascinating example of this trend from the world of typographic art. Check out RibbonType - Josh Nimoy's robotic art project. You "Sign In" to the installation and type a character with your mobile phone, and the sculture responds by forming that approximate typographic shape. Very cool -- and blindingly simple. I love stuff like that.