INTEL’S appUP (Windows 32 & 64)**
http://www.appup.com/applications/applications-My+Santa+Talk

“Precision oftentimes kills the ability of the learner to discover multiple real-life applications.”

There have been a couple of follow up blog posts to the WIRED article entitled: IN PRAISE OF VAGUENESS.

One notable blog post is here:  VAGUE STORIES HELP LEARNERS DISCOVER.

This is very consistent with the responses we’re receiving from ESL teachers that note how our ESL conversational simulations allow vague and varied responses — they don’t encourage precision and fixed responses — they encourage conversational exploration.  We allow the vague. 

Please stop by our http://ESLai.com unit and try out the simulation/stories developed with the contentAI engine. 

The articles are worth reading, here’s another quote. . .

“Sometimes, precision is dangerous, a closed door keeping us from imagining new possibilities. Vagueness is that door flung wide open, a reminder that we don’t yet know the answer, that we might still get better, that we have yet to fail.”

Does this same “wide open door” deepen user engagement for mobile marketing and entertainment applications?

We’re guessing, “yes.”

http://mathieson.typepad.com/genwow/2011/07/trident-lates-to-use-qr-talking-heads-video.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+GenerationWow+%28Generation+Wow%29

Showing a Trident print ad, with QR, that leads to an “AR’ish” experience without AR.  Near as we can tell, it’s just a video being pushed from the QR scan.

Here’s the Youtube link directly:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X62xhsDqdBQ&feature=player_embedded

What interests us about the format is how we could FIRST engage in a quick “chat” with the end user and then deliver, for example, one of ten, different videos so that it is a more unique and personalized experience for each end user.   It’s a very clever format to expand upon.  Let’s hope we see more uniquely mobile experiences coming off of QR codes (and NFC) rather than shrunken internet experiences.

How this could be applied to our mLearning apps is also interesting to consider – particularly, the ESL apps where we could add a pronunciation feature that would be fun and engaging for the children’s content.

http://www.gomonews.com/your-mobile-device-phone-web-browser%E2%80%A6-secret-lover/

With this line standing out in particular:

“People are experts at “humanizing” their devices, attributing human characteristics, moods and behaviors to their communications devices. Now, it’s nothing like the connection you have with an actual person. You can never feel as close to your phone as you can to a real person. But those feelings are there, even if they’re only faded reflections of the real thing. And I think that advertisers and marketers would be wise to pay heed to that…”

How does this apply to our mobile content and platform?

http://contentAI.com – conversational mobile marketing and entertainment

http://ESLai.com – conversational mobile simulations for mLearning

It’s about 2-way communication that’s PERSONALIZED.  For mBooks, each reading can be personalized by the user.  For mCoupons, a User gets a coupon for their personal needs, not a one size fits all.  For mLearning, it offers the safety of practicing learning with a virtual character in a personalized conversation.

Mobile and personalization = peanut butter and chocolate.  Yum.

Much of that discussion is around QR, 2D and image recognition coding – combined with printed URLs (and type recognition options!) – and, even sending SMS messages with URLs.

In the wings, with a building momentum, is NFC.

Most of the discussion is around “payments,” but, already the applications for mobile marketing are emerging:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/new-x-men-film-uses-nfc-advertising

http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/%E2%80%9Cnfc%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%93-not-always-synonymous-with-mobile-payments-15638/

http://www.nearfieldcommunicationsworld.com/2011/04/28/37158/hotels-com-and-new-york-times-back-nfc-advertising-venture/

While NFC can’t work in the print publications space, it does work when there is near physical proximity and that’s one of it’s pluses — It’s nearly tactile and is a physical gesture that’s simple and could become habitual.  Particularly, if the same physical habit and motion is used for payments, dare we project, this could become a “standard.”

The other theory that’s kicking around is how NFC will improve QR/2D campaigns.

What?

No, really.  NFC mobile marketing campaigns will bring in a whole different creative group and money to this space; and, many hybrid NFC/QR campaigns should emerge from this.  QR (or 2D) campaigns should improve and generate more traffic and awareness.

How does “conversational mobile marketing and entertainment” fit into the picture?

For us, it’s about being a part of intuitive mobile experiences.  2-way conversations (messaging) on phones remains User’s primary, habitual engagement.  If NFC fulfills the role of being the most intuitive format to reach our applications, that’s a good thing all around.

Certainly, as we envision the hypothetical cereal aisle full of children chatting with the characters on  cereal boxes via Mom or Dad’s mobile, NFC is going to make that an easier future to fulfill.

Want to learn more about conversational mobile marketing, entertainment and mLearning  from the team?  We’ll be showing some private Beta demos with new features and discussing how our integration with apps will further expand the platform.

Yes, most of the emphasis of attending is on the contentAI studios side of the coin with regard to mobile marketing and entertainment.  But, we’re also looking at mLearning relationships that can reach a significant number of International users.

Pop us an email and let’s connect.

We’re anxiously awaiting AppsGeyser to tweak their platform so that the apps can be submitted into the new AMAZON Android App Store (whatever it will be called???).  Word is “about 2 weeks.”  In the meantime, the apps are already on the main Android Market, GetJar and a few others.

The news that BLACKBERRY’S tablet will be compatible with Android apps was a fascinating development in terms of some level of standardization emerging.  We hope more OS’s will allow x-platform app access.  We still highly believe in mobile web and a build-once strategy; but, the AppsGeyser solution allows us to leverage our single build but be found in multiple locations.

Finally, we were impressed with the Vid.ly “universal URL” offering to deliver optimized video across all mobile (and desktop) devices and platforms.  Very cool.  It also has an embed feature which is the first we’ve seen for mobile (though we’ve talked about it endlessly).

It’s great to see the mobile ESL efforts taking off.  Global traffic has increased on ESLai.com — and, the engagement analytics are terrific to review.  But, the real “perk” is reviewing the anonymous chat logs from the ESLai.com and contentAI.com mobile apps — Are we creating “believable” scenes between virtual characters and people?

You betcha.

Screenshots?

Yup, we’ve got them here:

Check them out, and more, over at http://contentAI.com

No “apps” required — Any phone with data access will be able to interact and join Santa on a narrative adventure.

The production of the story pulled on many disciplines, from scriptwriting, to natural language processing, to creation of mobile friendly images designed for on-the-go viewing and engagement.

The purpose of the piece is two-fold – to introduce agencies and brands with the broader services of contentAI studios with regard to WAP content and delivery…truly, this is a new story telling format.  And, to open this up to consumer-facing engagement…to see how End Users will respond?  How they will commence the engagement (QR, 2D or shortcode and keyword)?  To see how we can continuously improve our content offerings.

The plan is to re-release MySantaTalk each Holiday Season with whatever new (sleigh)bells and whistles we’ve concocted during the year.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Beta release is for early November with a mid-November launch.

You can get a feel for the platform and it’s marketing applications at:  http://contentAI.com/demos/retaildemo

While we really enjoy seeing this used for marketing and also mobile learning — We’re anxious to apply this technology and delivery service to entertainment and story-driven content.

The impetus for launching contentAI.com was as an ancillary story platform for film, television and internet television properties…providing the ability for on-screen characters to engage in one-to-one conversations with the audience — to break down the wall between character and audience and turn the audience into Participants.

The ability to enhance the interactive narrative conversations with visual and audio materials is a fascinating new story platform to explore…

Stay tuned…