“The MobileHCI series provides a forum for academics and practitioners to discuss the challenges and potential solutions for effective interaction with mobile systems and services. It covers the design, evaluation and application of techniques and approaches for all mobile and wearable computing devices and services.”
Link: MobileHCI 2008 (telin.nl)
Here are the headline predictions:
1. The big squeeze, operators cosying up and a push on data
2. Device convergence—the rise of the multimedia handset
3. Mobile 2.0—user-generated content, social networking, location-based services
4. Femtocells—a cost-cutting, data services driver—or not?
5. Disruption—not just the Google factor
Link: Five Mobile Trends for 2008 (businessweek.com, via)
Carlo Longino’s predictions:
1. Apple won’t grow organic market share by much.
2. Android won’t match the hype.
3. Ad-supported content will continue to grow, but there will be some friction as operators figure out how to insert themselves in the experience.
4. The 700 MHz auction in the US will toss up an interesting license holder.
5. Smartphone sales won’t accelerate much, as existing users get fed up with poor usability, and featurephones get smarter.
6. Euro 2008 and the Summer Olympics in Beijing will generate a decent amount of interest in mobile TV, but that interest won’t be sustained.
7. Handset vendors will pay more attention, both lip service and real, to environmental issues.
8. Embedded radios in consumer electronics will become much more commonplace.
9. Operators will wake up to the threat of IM and push e-mail to their messaging revenues.
10. “Open” will dominate the discussion in 2008.
Russell Buckley’s predictions:
1. Privacy
2. 2008 is the Year of the Mobile Web
3. 3.5 Billion Phones
4. First Projection Phones Launched
5. A Government Will Fall Because of Mobiles
6. Explosion of Third Party IM
7. Mobile Video Take Off
8. Mobile as Digital Mouse
9. Battle Over MoSoSo
10. A Tricky Year for Podcasting
Marek Pawlowski of the MEX conference has published a ten point manifesto for next years’ meeting:
1. Content itself will be the interface of the future
2. Handsets are no longer just for the hand
3. Fragmentation is the enemy of innovation
4. Fashion is a stronger motivator than functionality
5. The developing world is the new frontier for mobile user experience
6. Search requires a radically different approach in the mobile environment
7. Intelligent contact lists are the future centres of the user interface
8. Mobile payments herald the next generational shift
9. Users as individuals: uniquely complex and contradictory
10. The potential of smart voice
Link: The Mobile User Experience Manifesto for 2008 (mobileuserexperience.com)
Published by Gabriel White.