Insight Community

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

With the Olympics poised to start in early August, how can sports fans follow their favorite events? Will NBC cover everything? What other sources of Olympic games news can be accessed on mobile phones? What do you think of Yahoo's mobile services for following the Olympics? How good do you think Fring's coverage will be? Which Olympic Twitters will be the ones to follow? How can mobile phone users keep track of the events and discuss the games?  Do you think the less mainstream sources will be more engaging to sports fans?  

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Following the July 4th weekend, there's still plenty of Summer vacationing time left.  But if you've taken a vacation recently, have you discovered particularly useful mobile services for touring unfamiliar cities?  Have any mobile services helped you with traveling to (or around) a vacation spot? What do you think of airline tickets via mobile phones?  If you're planning a "working vacation" or just a vacation, do you know of mobile solutions that help manage "work" and "non-work" functions on the same phone?  What sort of phone accessories do you think make traveling more convenient?  Do you have any tips or recommended apps for mobile phones that could make a vacation more enjoyable?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Nokia's announcement that it will make Symbian open source adds to a growing movement of developing more open wireless platforms.  So what are the consequences?  Will Google's Android platform, the Symbian Foundation, Openmoko and other mobile platform projects actually work together?  Or will they focus on different aspects and create differentiated devices?  Should consumers (not just developers) care about these projects?  How long will it take before these projects develop mainstream products?  What do these efforts mean for closed platforms (eg. Microsoft, Apple, etc.)?  What are the key components of a successful open source community -- and how do these open mobile platforms compare to each other?

In April, we began a conversation around The Future of Storage with support from Dell.  Top insights in the community were posted to http://thefutureofstorage.com/ with some making it to Ars Technica and in ad promotions. We're looking to continue the conversation with good insight into any of the following topics: Virtualization, iSCSI, FCoE, deduplification, thin provisioning, encryption etc.  

The focus of this conversation is centered on the SAN market and its current and future directions, including the aforementioned areas.  To get an idea of the type of insights we're looking for, just look over http://thefutureofstorage.com/ to see some earlier posts. Please note that while that site is sponsored by Dell, the topic for discussion is not vendor specific.

In continuing this conversation, feel free to write about any topic in this space that you think would fit on the site, such as where you think the SAN market is heading. Alternatively, feel free to write thoughtful insights that address some of the points raised in earlier posts on The Future of Storage site.

For the purpose of encouraging discussion, here are a few topics that might be interesting to explore:

• What type of storage architectures (SAN, NAS, iSCSI, FC, DAS) work well for virtualized servers and why?
• What methods are best for accessing/provisioning storage with virtual systems (virtual group service, like VMWare? software function in the virutal system? raw device interface?)
• What backup methodologies make sense for virtual server environments?

If you have personal experience with any of these, or even just want to walk through your thought process in evaluating options, those tend to make for very interesting posts.

Also, as we look to continue this ongoing conversation, please let us know what other topics you think would be good to discuss in future months.

The insights selected to be on this site will each get a "share" of the bonus pool below. You can write multiple insights to get multiple shares.

PLEASE NOTE: We are looking for unique insights that delve into a single subject concerning this topic. Don't try to cover too many things in a single insight submission. Again, look over the existing Future of Storage site to get an idea of what's appropriate.

Like last time, please get your insights in early. We will be closing the case once we feel there are enough insights (somewhere between 10 and 20 insights).

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Redeeming online coupons usually involves printing out a barcode, but coupons sent to mobile phones could potentially be much more convenient. So where are the mobile coupon offers? Have you found good sources for mobile coupons? Have you used services like Cellfire, ZiXXo, Moblee, QponDirect, MoVoxx, etc? What are the barriers for mobile coupon adoption (for either consumers or merchants)? How will GPS on phones affect mobile coupons?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

There is an increasing number of ways to manage voicemails, especially with providers like Sprint licensing Visual Voicemail for its subscribers. But what are your favorite ways of dealing with your voicemail? Do you use services like YouMail.com or GotVoice.com? What do you think of voicemail transcription from PhoneTag and SpinVox? Or services like CallWave, Pinger, Jott, etc? Besides all these current offerings, where do you think voicemail features are headed in the future? Will Twitter ever revive Odeo?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

For some time now, local-mobile search services have promised to provide users with quick and easy ways to find nearby pizza restaurants and dry cleaners. So what are your favorite uses for local-mobile search? Have you used services like Dial Directions? Can you recommend any "cheap gas" services that are optimized for mobile phone users? What do you think the "top 10" uses of mobile-local search are?

Business analytics are playing an increasingly important role in helping companies gain the insight they need to make better decisions. How have you found this to be the case with your business? Please share your best examples with us of how analytics (CRM, dashboards, or other analytics capabilities) have improved the performance of your business. For an example, see this video clip by Malcolm Gladwell.

Responses for this case will be used in a whitepaper being created by Techdirt for TheCustomerCollective and included with the results of a survey we are hosting titled, "CRM Analytics."

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Symbian Ltd. turns 10 years old this June, so we're looking for some opinions on how far the Symbian OS has come -- and where it is headed in the future. If you're a developer, how effective do you think the Symbian Signed program has been? Does Google's Android platform offer a real threat to Symbian? How do you think Symbian will compete to maintain its market share as the dominant smartphone OS? Are there unique features of Symbian that will be hard to imitate? What capabilities should consumers look forward to with Symbian phones?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

While most phones come with pre-installed casual games, some folks would like games that are a bit more entertaining than a monochrome version of Tetris. There are large publishers like EA Mobile coming out with titles for mobile phones, but where are some other sources of decent games? Which phone platforms have the best (most popular) games? Which Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have the best mobile interfaces? Given the rise of accelerometer sensors, what input methods do you prefer for mobile games? (For example, a certain Sony Ericsson cell phones uses a motion sensor to play EA Games' Need for Speed ProStreet driving game.) If you're not a mobile gamer, you could submit a short overview of mobile game genres. But if you do play mobile phone games, we're looking for how you found your favorite games and if you picked your phone based on a particular game.

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

We're looking for interesting phone apps or services that make your phone more useful to you. For example, do you use Google's GrandCentral to block undesirable calls? Have you installed any third party software on your phone that you use regularly? Have you tried any user-friendly services that can text message driving directions to your phone? Do you use any voicemail-to-text services?

Read more...

Cadbury Schweppes sells a wide variety of beverages in the US including brands like Seven-Up, Dr. Pepper, Snapple, Motts, Hawaiian Punch, Canada Dry and A&W. The company is looking for ways to go beyond the normal web offerings of online coupons, and they want to create real value for their retail partners -- using the internet to drive customers to those retailers.

They want to focus their efforts on their top retail channels in the US, like Kroger, Safeway, Food Lion, Albertson, Stop & Shop, Wal-Mart, McDonalds, YUM, 7-Eleven, CVS. The key goal is to find ways to use Cadbury Schweppes brands as an asset to bring shoppers into the stores (not just to buy Cadbury Schweppes drinks). Don't limit yourself to just focusing on drinks. The ideal project drives more interest in getting shoppers into retail partners, increasing the overall amount of consumer spending.

What innovative and new ideas are there for engaging shoppers with retailers & Cadbury Schweppes brands online that can translate to added profitable sales for retailers? Please describe specific examples of strategies that could be employed, and estimate budgetary and return on investment factors for any proposed solutions.

 

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Just about every wireless service provider has its own mobile music service, and added to that, there are also third-party wireless music services as well. So we're looking for reviews of the most popular services. What are your opinions on the usability and value of: Verizon's VCast Music, the Sprint Music Store, AT&T's mobile music services, T-Mobile's Music, Alltel's mobile music, etc? If you don't like those services, which ones would you recommend? Do you think 'unlimited' service plans will boost adoption of any of these mobile music products?

Read more...

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

It's only a matter of time before everyone's cell phone has a social networking app on it. In fact, phone addressbooks and service plans like T-Mobile's MyFaves already contain most of the features of a social networking app. So which mobile social networking apps are (or will be) the most popular? Will 'Bluedating' ever make it big? If you had to pick a top 5 list of social networking functions for your phone, what would they be?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

While the threat to safety from driving and talking on a cell phone can be debated, there are already several laws around the US that prohibit such actions. However, there is no federal regulation -- just recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board that all states should restrict certain drivers from using cell phones while driving. So which states have enacted the most reasonable regulations against cell phone use while driving? Or (if there aren't any existing laws that you like) what kind of rules should be proposed to encourage common sense in driving? Are hands-free accessories really effective? Will factory-installed systems in the dashboard help? With GPS navigation and other advanced wireless services coming to more phones, what exceptions should be made (if any) to laws against driving while using mobile phones?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Recently, several "unlimited" wireless service plans have been introduced from Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint. Obviously trying to distinguish its service, though, Sprint has created an unlimited plan that includes not only voice, but data, text, e-mail, Web-surfing, Sprint TV, Sprint Music, GPS Navigation, etc. But does this offer really present a significant difference? Will existing Sprint customers readily adopt features beyond SMS? Will Sprint subscribers upgrade their phones? Is there anything that may hinder Sprint's 'Simply Everything' offer? Does Sprint need to throw in its Airave service into the 'Everything' plan as well? How do the 'unlimited' plans from Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T compare? What do you think the long-term effects of introducing 'unlimited' wireless service plans will be?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

More and more phones have included GPS and assisted-GPS functions to make smartphones that much smarter. So how do you use GPS on your phone? Do you use it at all? How about your carrier's GPS services? What about GPS accessories for the car designed to work with cell phones? Besides mapping and navigation, what do you think will be the most popular location based services on phones?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Do you have a favorite Personal Information Manager (PIM) app for your phone? Have you tried PIM services from your service provider -- or the built-in apps on your phone? Have you found any extremely good 3rd party apps or PIM services? Which ones do you recommend, and which should be avoided at all costs? How do you transfer your contacts when you get a new phone (if your phone doesn't have a SIM card)? How do you back-up your information or sync with an online PIM or desktop application?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Switching to a new phone every couple years adds to everyone's gadget graveyard -- usually a closet or desk drawer. So how should consumers dispose of their old cell phones? Where can old phones be recycled or donated? Do you wipe the memory before you give it away? Describe some step-by-step best practices for phone recycling/disposal. Do you know of any creative (or charitable) projects that have re-purposed old cell phones? Or have you cleverly picked phones that retain their value on the used market? If so, how did you choose a phone based on its re-sale value?

A financial services firm is looking to obtain fresh Insights from alternative research. One of its potential interests is the online video market, and it is looking at Netflix and Apple as possible leaders in this arena. Given this background, Insights that cover strengths/weaknesses/oppportunities/threats (SWOT) are useful, but the Sponsor is also open to alternative forms of analysis that would enhance its existing quantitative assessment of the impact of downloadable video services on Netflix (NFLX) and Apple (AAPL). The Sponsor is particularly interested in gauging the initial growth rates of these competing services over the next year -- and how these services' adoption may impact each other.

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

It's long been rumored that Dell will release a cell phone device, given its existing PDA product line, as well as Apple's entry into the phone market. Assuming that Dell is actually going to release a smartphone based on Windows Mobile, how will consumers react? Obviously, it's hard to predict the future of a device without knowing any of its actual specifications, but how do you think it will compare to Apple's iPhone? How will it compare to HTC's Touch (or pick your favorite handset)? Will the 'Dellphone' support Google's Open Handset Alliance? Where do you see Dell's role in the mobile phone market?