4Prox

Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them

A number of Proxpro Prompt  users (the GPS Calendar)have jokingly suggested that "pretty soon we won't need a brain".  Certainly "no brains required" is part of Proxpro Prompt's mission,  A. N. Whitehouse sums up why situational awareness and intelligence augmentation is so important to civilization.

A. N. Whitehead (1861-1947)

"By relieving the brain of all unnecessary work, a good notation sets it free to concentrate on more advanced problems, and, in effect increases the mental power of the race....... By the aid of symbolism, we can make transitions almost mechanically by the eye, which otherwise would call into play the higher faculties of the brain.   It is a profoundly erroneous truism, that we should cultivate the habit of thinking what we are doing.  The precise opposite is the case.  Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them."

Thank you to Daniel Peters for making me aware of these wise words.

New Navigation, Traffic and Route Planning Application Personalized to the Mobile Calendar - available on Blackberry 8800,8830, 8820, 8310 and 8130 devices

Proxpro has released a beta version of it's new product Prompt.  It adds a time dimension to GPS and helps people get to the right place at the right time.  For BlackBerry devices with GPS. 

Go to http://wap.proxpro.com/prompt/ on your mobile browser to download the file.

See the demo on YouTube.com

Will Mobile Navigation Substitute Car Navigation and Personal Navigation Devices (PND)?

ABI Research have just released a new report predicting that "Personal Navigation Devices Will Be Complemented, Not Replaced, by Handset-Based Navigation Solutions"  (See below for more information)

I agree with the ABI Research point that PND's speed of innovation and user-friendly form factor is superior to mobile handset navigation.  Proxpro (www.proxpro.com)  has carried out some focus group research in this area and PND users will remain loyal customers.  Proxpro sees a new twist on how handsets will complement  PNDs and car OEM navigations systems.  The key ingredient  will be PIM (personal information management).

Address book integration is now standard in premium navigation devices enabling easier destination address retrieval and hands-free phone calls. The next generation personalization will involve integrating the user calendar, which will add a time dimension to GPS, facilitating revolutionary situation aware (SA) functionality. This patent pending technology is called Proxpro Prompt.  The PIM will be transfered from mobile handsets and PCs to the PND and OEM based navigation solutions.

The benfits to the user:

 

1) Automated destination retrieval

2) Push “when to go” alerts that determine traffic-based optimum departure times is much more practical than pull technologies

3) Optimum route calculations, presented when they can make a difference, reduce time sat in traffic jams and reduce fuel consumption

4) Calendar event personalization means that time-based (as well as location-based) route planning can calculate the travel duration for future plans at a glance.

5) Always on-time displays provide “peace of mind” so people can feel mentally settled drive slower and safer!

For further information contact Proxpro at +1-617-424-7711 or email us by clicking here.

ABI Research Report abstract: "Over the next several years, mobile handsets will play an increasingly important role in portable navigation markets, with handset-based navigation devices reaching an annual sales volume of more than 96 million units by 2012. Navigation device sales continue to outperform the industry’s expectations and forecasts, with the 2007 holiday season illustrating that the US market is quickly catching up to Europe in its embrace of navigation, particularly PNDs (Personal Navigation Devices).

 

The PND market remains characterized by a high rate of innovation, including real-time connectivity, multimedia functionality, and community and social networking features, along with enhanced integration into the car environment. Handset-based navigation will not challenge the PND navigation form factor in the near future; and despite the relative success of off-board navigation in the United States – with more than 4 million paying subscribers – PNDs remain the most user-friendly in-car navigation device." (ABI Research 1/28/08)

 

The Trend towards Personalized Traffic

Inrix wins major government contract to disseminate real-time traffic flow and accident data to transportation departments along the North East of the

United States

. (Reported by Christopher Conkey, Wall Street Journal 1/29/08)

 

Jo Ann Oerter, an engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation predicts this will enable them “to be proactive” by offering mobile alerts and timely road sign information.

 

Christopher Poe, a researcher at the Texas Transportation Institute, acknowledges that “if you can give people the right information about all the travel options and route, they can make the right decisions.”

 

This article emphasizes the trend towards a holistic approach to congestion policy by the Department of Transportation. I would like to build on Oerter and Poe's predictions by adding that it is timely warning about congestion and options that is the key. Generic information given too early or specific information given too late will only have a marginal impact on traffic delays. The solution to this problem is the personalization of traffic conditions and alternative routes, that by its nature, the motorist needs to acquire in a timely manner.

 

Automotive navigation and PND companies also appreciate the power and precision of Proxpro’s patent pending technology. It is inevitable that congestion one day will be treated by time-based route planning and personalized traffic solutions for motorists as well as top down approaches. Click her for more information about Proxpro Prompt technology.

US Mobile Industry Predictions 2008

        1)  Mobile navigation will overtake PNDs by H2 2008, but PNDs will fight back with exciting         innovations.

2) Proximity social networking is not sticky enough in isolation and will be a feature of aggregated location-based services. Market segments will be age determined.

3) “Glanceable content” (coined by Julie Ask, Jupiter Research) will unlock mobile potential to reach the masses.  (This is one of the reasons we are so excited about our new product "Prompt".  This application (patent pending) is activated from the mobile calendar utilizing push technology in a totally new way.)

4)   Google will "finesse" the mobile content market either through the 700 MHz auction (risky) or acquiring Sprint which could be a low cost / low risk alternative (or some far more clever strategy).   The earnings dilution would be offset by levering Cingular, Verzion and T-Mobile open and getting their traffic too.  Thus Google dominates US mobile web and the US internet - Grand slam!

 

Jupiter calls for more "Glanceable" content on mobile phones

Julie Ask has coined a new genre of mobile content - "Glanceable".  So much mobile content on the browser or through embedded application is pull, with the downloading of a page taking 45-55 seconds the experience is horrible.  Glanceable is a simile for Situation aware content.  I like the concept.   

"Jupiter says the catalyst for greater subscriber uptake is improved browser alternatives: "We're not advocating the browser go away, just that there should be an alternative for 'glanceable' content--the content people need frequently," said JupiterResearch vice president Julie Ask. "Consumers are willing to pay for good experiences and products. The industry should focus on this reality. In turn, they can double or triple current adoption levels and drive up usage by focusing efforts on those cell phone users who would be motivated by a better user interface and more compelling experiences."

Reported Fierce Mobile Content January 17, 2008

Intel Video "Ultra Mobile - it let's me be me" misses the point.

The Intel video “Ultra Mobile – it let’s me be me” is imaginative on context awareness, but largely misses the point, and is not a vision of the future I subscribe to. Much of the cross platform complexity lies in context awareness, but in each of the examples there is very little reward for the cost of set up.

 Context awareness adjusts computer systems to changes in the environment. Situation awareness, by contrast, takes the environmental conditions (level 1), applies meaning and significance through pattern recognition (level 2) and projects future states and events (level 3). (See Wikipedia Ref: Endsley, Bolte, Jones 2003 for a thorough definition)

 Why do we need situation awareness? It helps us make decisions and keeps us in control of our lives.

 The video focuses on level 1 situation awareness: locate car; telling navigation where to go; locating friends etc. Maybe the closed road is level 2 situation awareness, but he should have known about it sooner with pro-active re-routing and might well be late for his meeting as a result.

 As I say this video misses the point. The closing caption says “Let’s me be me.  With situation awareness, it would say “makes me a better me”.

 Proxpro will shortly launch the world’s first level 3 situation awareness mobile application. A very simple concept “Traffic personalized to your mobile calendar.” The product is called “Prompt” patent pending and it makes sure you are never late again.

Proxpro Prompt (beta) - A world first - A level 3 Situation Aware mobile application coming soon

A couple of analysts have asked me to define mobile "situation awareness" (SA) and explain the importance of SA for mobile devices.

Situation awareness is military parlance.  A general uses situation awareness to combat the ambiguities of the  battlefield.  Proxpro's innovation is to apply the same principles to solve everyday problems and some of the palpable  frustrations we  all have with our  mobile phones.

There are three levels to situation awareness:
Level 1: awareness of multiple situational elements, events, people and environmental conditions.  This is the level that most mobile applications work on.  Google provides local weather when you undertake a mobile search; Where.com provides useful widgets perhaps giving local snow conditions; Loopt displays the location of your friends to save phoning to ask "where are you?"; Twitter lets your friends know what you are doing.
Level 2: Understanding the meaning of the above conditions through comprehension of significance through use of pattern recognition, language recognition, interpretation and evaluation.  Very few mobile applications attempt this.  If you know of any applications  please let me know.
Level 3:  Projection  of future states and  events.  This involves  anticipation and  often  comparison of simulations of various options.  (Ref: Endsley, Bolte, Jones 2003)

We all use these mental processes to decide which route to take home from work; in which order we will undertake our errands; or if the weather will allow us to eat outdoors with our guests.  Using a PC on line people's patience lasts 5 seconds, so why should people wait 50 seconds for a mobile internet?  Why should they "pull" such data when the mobile is intimate?  Why should they visit multiple vertical applications before they can make a decision?  They won't!  That's why 80% of American's don't.

Next week Proxpro will be beta launching the world's first level 3 situation aware mobile application.  It will be free, available on BlackBerrys with GPS in the USA.  We've been doing focus group interviews all week.  The reaction has been unanimous and extremely positive.  If you would like to join the beta, drop me an email at support@proxpro.com