How many application launches this year have made you genuinely excited? How many have you followed from conception to pre-deployment with such a fanatical energy that if it were an iPhone launch, you’d be queuing up outside your nearest Apple store right now?

My guess is not many.

Well for me, there has been, and tomorrow (October 20th 2011) marks it’s mass market launch. Whale Trail by ustwo has been in development for some time now (6 months), and thanks to their CHIEF WONKA Mills, its journey from conception to launch has been very public. Now Mills is not known as a marketer, but this launch is supported by an intelligent marketing and promotional strategy. We have had a chance to glimpse at everything from character design to first play videos; understanding every twist and turn along it’s development path as if we are part of the team.

What this has done is establish an emotional attachment between a select number of people and the game. You feel as though you have watched a child grow, and are now excited to see the next stage of its progression. It’s first day at school if you will.

By using Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and Facebook to name but a few, ustwo has harnessed the power of social platforms to do what many believed only video could do: emotive communication. Ultimately, even though Mills has been reaching out to just under 5000 followers, and the 100+ people fortunate enough to play test the game before release, he now has an army of fanatics who will gladly spread the word and advocate Whale Trail to the respective social circles. And you know what, even if the game was shit, people probably still would tell their friends to download it.

The problem is…Whale Trail is actually brilliant. Using the well adopted endless runner format, and taking it to an even more premium level, alongside with a fantastic soundtrack (by SFA legend Gruff Rhys), and gameplay that’s guaranteed to drag you back in with, dare I say it, an Angry Birds-esque addiction.

Whale Trail is an utter delight for the senses, and have complete confidence that this could be the next major phase in an incredible journey for the app development and user interface studio.

So as if you were ever in doubt, if there is one thing you need to do once it is live, is head to the app store, search ‘Whale Trail’, part with your disposable income, and spend the next few months indulging in a love in with Willow the Whale.

I promise you…you will not regret it.

Besides, an angry bird ain’t got shit on a flying whale…

Links

Whale Trail demo video
Whale Trail by Gruff Rhys music video
CHIEF WONKA mills Twitter

The Virtual Roundtable aims to explain the significance of the Mobile Touch Web and the impact of touchscreen devices on how people access, enjoy and purchase content and services. Taptu and MsearchGroove were joined by a wide range of mobile industry entrepreneurs, authorities and pundits including:  Tomi Ahonen (best-selling author); Mark Curtis (Flirtomatic); Carl Martin (Redweb); Andreas Constantinou (VisionMobile);Jonathan MacDonald (This Fluid World);  Martin Wilson (Indigo 102); Dan Appelquist (Vodafone UK);  Christian Lindholm (Fjord); and Peggy Anne Salz (MSearchGroove).

The contributors agree the rise of touchscreen phone shipments from handset manufacturers including Apple, HTC, Nokia and Samsung, and the growth in touch-friendly websites and content will profoundly impact how we live, work and shop. From content creation and publishing, to user experience and design, to commerce to advertising, the Mobile Touch Web changes all the rules.

Christian Lindholm, a partner and director with Fjord, a leading European digital design agency, who contributed his vision to the Taptu Virtual Roundtable, believes the Mobile Touch Web has not only arrived full-force. It marks the beginning of a seismic shift that will spur the creation of new Webs and new device segments. “Within 2-3 years we will have 3 Webs. The 13″ Mouse web, designed for computers, desktop and laptops; the 4″ pocket Touch Web for mobile touchscreen devices and the like; and the 10″ casual Touch Web for devices such as the iPad. Thus, we will have three segments: Phone, Pad and Computer. The Phone and Pad are Web sub-segments, and will require their own discovery, structure and monetization solutions.”

Peggy Anne Salz, founder and chief analyst of MSearchGroove believes the Mobile Touch Web lays the groundwork for a “new kind of interactive mobile Internet, a brave new place where new content, new experiences and even new mobile search services will set the bar.” Salz adds: “The Mobile Touch Web, though growing vigorously as Taptu shows, is not the only game in town. Thus, the pressure is on companies everywhere in the ecosystem to re-think their strategies and create a balance of touch-friendly content for touchscreen devices and the emerging Mobile Touch Web, while not losing sight of the opportunities offered by the other Internets. We face tough choices, but hoping for the Internet to become a unified place where everything is accessible and connected (again) is not an option.”

Mobilists of the world, welcome to Mobsessed, and the 218th edition of Carnival of the Mobilists. Its my first ever hosting of COTM, so feel very privileged to be part of its ongoing success.

We have quite the eclectic mix of posts this week, and for those of you who read this blog more regularly will be glad to hear there is no iPhone bashing from yours truly this week. Le’ts get the ball rolling.

Antoine RJ Wright addresses the justification for calling a phone ‘smart’, and believes Nokias BetaLabs experimental application ‘Nokia Bots’ could signal the beginning of true smartphones. The idea of phones understanding our behaviours in order to improve our experiences and enrich our lives is a very exciting prospect, which Antoine discusses in depth and with great passion.

I am a firm believer that mobile barcodes have a much bigger role to play in marketing than is currently evident, and these sentiments are echoed by Peggy Anne Salz in her post and interview with Carol Glennon, CEO of Renu Mobile. As well as addressing the challenges that face establishing a open, interoperable and global mobile barcode marketing campaigns, the other possible ventures in which barcodes can be employed are addressed, and offer up some incredibly exciting and innovative executions of barcodes in the public, security and pharmaceuticals sectors.

So 2009 was a rather monumental year for mobile, with some 1.3 billion mobile handsets now able to access the internet. All of the facts, figures, movers and shakers of Mobile Data can be found in Chetan Sharma’s updated Global Mobile Data Market report. The impact of the recession, app stores, smartphones and much more is considered in this brilliant factual analysis by Mr Sharma, which also explores revenues and growth in key markets.

With 2009 thoroughly analysed, the potential for 2010 is very clear, and Tomi Ahonen is the man to show us what we can look forward to this year. We are set to see the 10 billionth handset ever produced, 5 billion subscriptions and a Nokia for almost 30% of the global population; this and the other key headlines for 2010  are all explored in detail by the Godfather of mobile himself.

Marketing your mobile app is always difficult, especially when your particular market sector is so saturated. Affiliate marketers are becoming commonplace, and James Cooper takes a look at some of the affiliate stores and how they can help you and your app. Could this make traditional PR and mobile advertising redundant for marketing mobile apps?

Not an April Fools post here from Tsahi Levent-Levi, but he states that PDAs have won over mobile handsets! He is not of course referring to what we all know as PDAs, but the latest generation of smartphones that are, as he calls them, PDAs-that-also-make-phone-calls. Now I am not one to argue with the intent, as our mobile phones are more and more becoming the ‘remote controls of our life’, but even with the ever changing functionality of the mobile handset, they will always be called smartphones (more out of habit than anything!). What are your views?

And finally Terence Eden, ever the detective, has been getting to the bottom of the mystery surrounding what mobile the new Doctor Who has! Whadya think he has? Take a look.

Thats it! The 218th edition is over! My post of the week goes to Antoine RJ Wright, who is subsequently next weeks host! Thanks for stopping by and feel free to give any feedback!

For those of you that don’t know who Tomi Ahonen is, get out from under your rock!

Tomi T Ahonen is an author and independent consultant focusing on the mobile industry and digital convergence, at tomiahonen.com. Tomi is the father or co-inventor of several theories and management tools used by the industry which are referenced in 50 books by his peers. Previously employed as an executive with Nokia and three operators in Finland and the USA, today Tomi’s reference client list includes HP the biggest computer maker, Vodafone the biggest mobile operator group, Nokia the biggest handset maker, Intel the biggest chip maker, Ericsson the biggest telecoms network vendor and NTT DoCoMo the biggest mobile internet service provider. He is widely considered the ‘Godfather of Mobile’.

And Tomi has been ever so kind as to answer a few questions for Mobsessed.

• What has been the single greatest technological development in mobile in the past year?

For me, Augmented Reality on phones – the Layar AR browser in particular. Its opening a radical new opportunity to the mobile content and media space.

• What major development in mobile technology do you think will further revolutionise the industry in the next ten years?

Oh, I wish I knew. I can imagine some things that I know are in development, like 3D for example, and the general trends like miniaturization. What the phones really need more than anything else, is far more battery power – battery development has not kept at all pace with the rate of processing power and memory ability. I think the whole mobile industry will go through a gigantic ‘acceleration’ in innovation when we get relatively widespread acceptance of the mobile wallet. This is not a new idea and very advanced mobile payment and mobile wallet solutions already exist, such as in Japan and South Korea – but when it becomes commonplace for example in America that your pay check goes directly to your phone account and your car keys and home keys and loyalty cards and credit cards are all part of the phone – that will open a whole new range of services, where money can converge with media, with advertising etc. This is a trend we’ll see evolving this decade but its not really a new technical invention now, as its been around for decade already in some countries. Like in Kenya already today, 46% of all banking accounts are on mobile phones.

• What are your thoughts on the network infrastructure in the UK ? Which markets should we aspire to challenge for network speed and security?

The UK is a peculiar place. It has had competition for very long and most technologies have been deployed there usually at a very early stage. Yet it has strange deficiencies in the network. For example the London Tube – why on earth cannot we have full mobile coverage in the Tube? In far more difficult underground metro systems - like in Helsinki in Finland where the metro is dug 100 meters underground into solid granite bedrock (the subway system is also a bomb shelter for citizens of Helsinki, built to survive nuclear attacks) we have perfect cellular coverage. Consider the typical London underground situation. The train is so often delayed, or is so full during rush hour that several go by that you cannot even board the train, or it gets stuck on the tracks between stations. These are normal situations in London and the passengers would have a very compelling need to communicate that they are delayed. Yet they have no coverage. It is silly. In Finland the metro is so new and modest in scale and has so few problems with the transport system, and is not particularly congested, so there are very rarely delays-related reasons to communicate. But total, perfect cellular coverage everywhere.

Similarly broadband internet is quite disappointing in many parts of Britain. I live in Hong Kong and we are spoiled with 100 Mbit/s speeds. In South Korea every home gets 100 Mbit/s and their ‘high speed’ is now Gigabit speed broadband. But in Britain it seems (by recent advertisements that I’ve seen) that 20 megabits is somehow ‘fast’?? I think there is plenty the UK can do to gain more speed and connectivity. Did you notice Finland already made it every citizen’s legal right to have broadband…

• Being a man who has had many handsets, what has been the one you will always look back on with great fondness, and why?

Oh, my first Nokia Communicator and the N93. With both, when they were launched, there was a great deal of James Bond-esque mystique, where it looked like a normal phone on the outside – but pay attention 007, when you open up this phone like this…  The original Communicator was magnificent most of all because of its QWERTY keyboard – I was already addicted to SMS at the time over a decade ago. And the N93 – that was the ‘contortionist’ form factor, flip phone one way, video camera shooting phone another way and palmtop form factor the third way. I loved its optical zoom (I used to be an amateur photographer when young, so all this digital zoom nonsense annoys me, but real optical zoom, that was awesome on a phone back in 2006). And it also had very powerful video graphics acceleration for excellent video playback; obviously it shot VGA ‘near DVD’ quality video, so what a super super phone. Such a shame that Nokia has discontinued that form factor.

• Why would you consider yourself mobsessed?

Ah yes, I am most certainly mobsessed. I am soooo mobsessed that I find reason to send an SMS text message from one of my phones to another of my phones – while carrying both – at least once per day! Mobsessed? I think I’m mobideranged

The brilliant and also entertaining Tomi Ahonen ladies and gentlemen. You can get his very latest Almanac here with every stat you will need to formulate your mobile strategy in 2010 – I highly recommend it.

Its been a long period of silence I know (*slaps wrist*) but the past few months have not just been incredibly hectic, but I have also been looking into the future of Mobsessed and the way I want my readers and the industry to digest its content. I have some substantial ideas in the pipeline which I hope will make this a staple of your blog reading diet! So for now, please wait with baited breath, as I promise it will be worth it. In the mean time, if you haven’t already seen it, take the time to digest the information in this superb presentation from Rudy De Waele and some of the most brilliant minds in mobile.

GoMo News has published its first ever magazine entitled “Thought Provoking Essays from Leaders in Mobile Innovation“. Its taken a lot of time and effort from the GoMo team, but the final result is just brilliant! And to make it even better, yours truly has made a guest appearance also. Check out page 44 and my essay entitled “Emerging Mobile Technology: Timing Your Jump on to the Bandwagon“. A big thanks to Niamh who invited me to be part of this great project, and to Bena Roberts for including my submission. You can read the magazine below, but make sure you check out the GoMo News website and follow them on Twitter!

Rory Sutherland is one of the most influential men in modern day advertising.

As president of the Institute of Practioners in Advertising (IPA), Rory Sutherland is now also the ad industry’s most important ambassador. The vice-chairman of Sir Martin Sorrell’s ad agency network Ogilvy Group UK and executive creative director of its direct marketing company, OgilvyOne London, Sutherland succeeded the M&C Saatchi chief executive, Moray MacLennan, at the head of the IPA in April.

I saw Rory speak at the Mobile Advertising UK event in June, and he is a truly passionate individual, who is becoming a solid supporter of mobile as a marketing channel. And here he is answering questions on mobile advertising for Mobsessed.

• When you hear the words ‘mobile marketing’, what is the first image that pops into your head?

The first image…a smartphone, significantly. Not an ordinary phone.

• There is a vast amount of hype surrounding mobile, but what are the obstacles between now and it becoming a mainstream marketing channel?

There is far too much obsession with creating “advertising” nowadays – there is not enough thought being given to improving customer experience.

• Whats been the best mobile marketing campaign of 2009?

Our own (Ogilvy) work for Fanta is one of them, he says self-interestedly; others would include the Ocado iPhone app and BT’s use of Twitter for customer care. But, gratifyingly, there are many great examples of intelligent use of mobile: far more than a few years ago.

• The Future of Mobile is without a doubt a promising one, but what kind of technology do you hope to see on your handset in the future?

The widgetisation of the mobile internet will continue – and the mobile web will continue to diminish. The ability to hail and pay for taxis using a GPS-enabled mobile is high up on my personal wishlist.

• There is still some reluctance from agencies and brands to employ mobile. You have been placed in charge of convincing them to take the leap. What do you say?

I would just tell them that channel preference often trumps brand preference. If your competitor offers mobile engagement and you don’t – are you prepared to risk losing that 10-30% of your customers who prefer to transact on mobile? Think about it.

• Why would you consider yourself mobsessed?

I am obsessed with what Stanford’s BJ Fogg calls “Persuasive Technology” – the extent to which new interfaces completely transform what people will do and what they will pay for. I agree with BJ Fogg that the mobile is the most important Persuasive Technology ever invented (below video courtesy of WPPStream sees Rory talk in more detail about Persuasive Technology).

Thanks again to Rory for taking the time to talk to Mobsessed.

Why not go follow Rory on Twitter?

Its that time again. After the great success of my last post, its time for part two. Many of those featured in the last edition have been outstanding again, but there have been some noticeable Twitter performances over the past few weeks that deserve the recognition. Remember, I am not just highlighting people to follow because they are connected to the mobile industry. I am highlighting the people that I am learning from.

Its only a short(!) list, but I dont just throw any old Twitterer up. I have standards.  So, without further ado:

Why follow Heike Scholz?

• Always at the forefront with the latest mobile news
• Shares the latest news on up and coming events and webinars for mobile
• Ideal for the German Mobile Industry

Why follow Helen Keegan?

• Runs one of the best mobile marketing blogs around and seeds frequently on Twitter
• Frequent participator in discussion of current and relevant industry news
• Organiser of Mobile Monday London, so always the first to share important event news

Why follow Gerry Moth?

• Author of NokiaAddict.com, sharing his latest posts frequently
• Offers a great insight into the latest Nokia handsets, as well as providing honest comparisons to industry competitors
• Always participates in online discussion, as well as having the personal touch

Why follow Rudy De Waele?

• Organiser and Participant in many of the major mobile events throughout Europe
• Always shares and retweets interesting and relevant content
• Willing to help others find appropriate resources and contacts – a connector of people if you will.

Always open to discussion (just rarely via Twitter, especially DMs! )

I have seen plenty of lists knocking around the Twit/blogosphere relating to people to follow on Twitter, dependant on your chosen profession/interests/arena.

However these do simply relate to following. I often find that although they may be considered a thought leader or big cheese, their tweets are often poor and pointless. One for mobile can be found here, and contains 75 people in the mobile industry who Tweet about mobile. This just happens to be a great list, but 50% of these people I feel like I do not or will not learn anything from.

Now I for one do not follow someone unless I feel like I can learn something from them. Therefore, I have compiled my own list of Twitterers who I feel those within the mobile industry can learn a thing or two from. This can be in the form of sharing links, to hosting discussion, so you will recognise a real variety. Rather than babble on about how wonderful they are, I will simply tell you what I gain from following them on Twitter.

Why follow Barney Craggs?

• Great for theoretical and practical discussion
• Vast experience portrayed well throughout tweets
• Loves a good rant!

Why follow Tomi Ahonen?

• One of the Godfathers of mobile as we know it
• Hugely insightful tweets reinforced by truly brilliant blog post

Why follow Andrew Grill?

• Shares some great links around the mobile industry
• Seeds his fantastic mobile advertising blog
• Great for discussion

Why follow Scott Seaborn?

• Shares some superb links
• Gives an insight into the world of mobile at leading agency Ogilvy

Why follow The Really Mobile Project?

• Some great characters discuss everything mobile related
• Very entertaining and often retweets the best links of its authors
• Brilliant for the latest reviews of up and coming handsets

Why follow Marc Schmoeger?

• Always shares some fascinating links and information
• Incredibly well connected

Why follow Jonathan Macdonald (aka Jmac)?

• One of the key thought leaders in the communications industry
• Seeds his brilliant and varied blog
• Always open to discussion (just rarely via Twitter, especially DMs!)

Why follow Henre Rossouw?

• Great insight into Mobile Marketing in a non European market (South Africa)
• Has a habit of writing some bloody good blog posts
• Always shares very relevant and interesting links

Why follow Gomonews?

• Basically an RSS feed for the brilliant mobile news website!

Why follow James Cameron?

• Knows his stuff
• Always retweets the best information from his brillaint contacts
• The man in the know about events in the mobile industry

So there it is! Part One down! I have plenty of ideas for who should be in my part two, but hoping that anyone not included will step their game up!!

Feel free to make suggestions (even yourself!) below in the comments!