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Is that the Internet in your pocket?

Bangkok Post - September 7th, 2005
by Evisionarnat Leemakdej

A few years ago when the intelligent models of cellular phones started to come onstream to allow you to access the Internet via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), there was a lot of hype about all the new applications that a cell phone could use once the network was in place.

Today we have all the networks set up, GPRS and Edge, available for all mobile operators. Smart phone prices have also come down tremendously to match those of normal models. And nothing has happened. Mobile users still use their devices primarily for sending SMS to friends or voting in the Academy Fantasia reality TV show.

Part of the problem is that consumers feel a bit deceived by mobile phone advertisements that show a little cell phone streaming real-time TV programmes and video conferences with crystal-clear pictures while in the real world all we get is a few text and WML tags and very slow-speed Internet connections.

But things are improving. In fact, I believe that we are now at a point where we can apply the technology to our corporate and personal uses. You just have to forget about the fancy phone ads you saw in 2002 and stay on the solid ground of the existing technology available today.

The mediocre WAP has been replaced by a new XML-style markup language called XHTML-MP that is much easier and as powerful as the HTML we use in a normal web page. Despite the more advanced technology, you should refrain from creating huge pages filled with animation because most cell phone screens are much smaller than your PC screen. XHTML-MP also has tel:protocol which does not exist in standard XHTML. It allows a user to click on a link and dial the embedded number automatically.

Besides, GPRS cost should be taken into consideration. It is now based on the size of the data packets transferred, typically 10 satang per kilobyte. So avoid using pictures. Although a picture may be worth a thousand words, it could be billed for a thousand baht.

To access the Internet from your cell phone, check if your handset is GPRS-capable. Call your mobile operator (AIS 1175, DTAC 1800, Orange 1331 or Hutch 1128). The operator will ask you the model of your handset and will send you an SMS message to set up your GPRS service. Once you have set up GPRS on your handset, you'll be able to browse web pages just like you do on a normal PC.

But before you go to any web page, keep in mind that most pages are big, as they are designed for viewing on desktop PCs. A better option is to browse pages designed specifically for small screens such as www.google.com/xhtml which will let you use your cell phone to access the search engine. Later on, when you click the search result, Google will also try to format the result to fit into the cell phone too. But if you would like to view a web page not designed for mobile use, you can still "skweeze" it using a tool from www.skweezer.net.

Another site with general information on Thailand is www.thaismall.com. You can get stock quotes from the SET, find phone numbers, look up words, check lottery results, read weather forecasts for Bangkok, events lists, lyrics and more.

These sites are just examples of how to expand the use of cell phones in addition to general public sites. But you can also apply this concept to your company's web site as well. You can make a page where you can log in to access your data and view your sales or production status from your cell phone, etc.

A Japanese handset manufacturer also developed a camera phone that can scan the QR code, a two-dimension barcode primarily used in Japan on various products for inventory, tracking and identification purposes aimed at relieving the user of the tedious task of entering data manually. The phone then decodes the data into text which normally links with a url to XHTML pages.

QR-enabled phones are now so ubiquitous in Japan that people use them to track several things - children, dogs, cats, books, products, auto parts, business cards, etc. Just wave your phone over a Japanese-language business card and all the information will be uploaded into your contact list automatically without thumb-typing of name, e-mail, mobile phone details and so on any more.

Amazon Japan also has an application that allows you to take a photo of a book or CD in a bookstore and it will tell you how much it costs at Amazon.com. And if you are into sushi, you'll be glad to know that if you snap the bar code on a fish piece, the server will find out all about that piece and send the data back to your phone, telling you when the fish was caught, on what boat, and the name of the fisherman for all we know.

Another interesting project in California is the use of a mobile phone to scan the barcode at a bus stop and you will know exactly when the next bus will come. Unlike Bangkok, California buses don't come as frequently, perhaps one hour apart, so it helps to know the schedule of the public buses.

So now you have the phone, the Internet, the camera in your hand, you just need to juggle them to suit your needs and imagination.

Dr Arnat Leemakdej is director of the Thammasat Center for e-Commerce, Faculty of Accountancy and Commerce, Thammasat University. www.TUeCOM.com.