Over the course of the past few days, something has really hit me when chatting with other mobile addicts and watching visitors walk over to our stand, while I’m perched on a bar stool at our stand: Very few of the people at this conference are using a single device to answer all their needs. The iPhone for web browsing, the N95 for video shoots, the E61 to get that quick blog post done. Pockets bulging with shiny gadgets.

Unquestionably, Mobile World Congress is not a reflection of normality or the average mobile user, and most people don’t have the money, the need or the interest to have multiple devices, but as mobile geeks, we can’t seem to find a single device that ticks every box.

I’m not sure we’ll ever reach a point where a phone does everything we want to to do without being the size of a briefcase or some crazy “Go go Gadget phone”, and if there is such a device, it certainly isn’t being unveiled here this year. Simplicity is compromised by cramming too many options in a menu, portability is hindered by screen or keypad size, and so on…

What would your dream device have and not have?

Whether we’ve visited Japan or not (I haven’t, truly hope I do some day!), we’re all aware that a large share of the wildest and most wonderful technologically advanced gadgets are born there. As a result, mobile phones are available with a range of features and plans that could send even the geekiest Westerner’s head spinning!

To help the masses select their next device, “Japan is to start licensing cellphone “sommeliers” to guide consumers through complicated functions as mobile telephones become ever more advanced, an official said Monday.”

According to the information provided, these trained specialists would be independent from operators or manufacturers, serving as genuine advisers rather than glorified sales people, exempt from the usual targets which cause sales people to pressure buyers into picking the highest margin mobile phone and plan.

Whether this philanthropic goal will remain free from bias towards certain operators or manufacturers remain to be seen, but the idea of providing the masses with guidance is a great one.

[Via Emily at Textually.org]

The always-useful Nokia N95 blog publishes a list of 25 of the most useful Nokia N95 apps available at the moment. Definitely worth a look, my ultimate favourite in the list is Qik.com, a live video broadcast service, which I’ve tried in the past few weeks and have found astoundingly speedy, if at the expense of some image quality.

It’s services like Qik that remind me what an exciting time it is to be working in the mobile web world right now!

For years, I pedantically said that my only New Year’s resolution was to not take any resolutions, since it was the easiest one to keep. This year, I’ve set myself a few goals which I’d like to achieve, such as learning to use my Digital SLR camera beyond its most basic features.

In the spirit of trying new things, here are 8 great ways to show your mobile phone a bit of love in 2008. It may be a ubiquitous necessity in our lives, but it’s also a really fun device that can brighten up your day in all sorts of ways!

1. Free your photos

   If you’re anything like I used to be, you take occasional photos on your mobile, but they rarely see the light of day after the event.

   The odd one might be sent by MMS to a friend, but that’s about it. Make a resolution to post your pics to a blog, moblog or a service like Flickr, which is accessible from your mobile.

   With cameras improving, not only can you take candid shots, but you can have a bit of fun with artistic photography - Entire groups are dedicated to mobile photography!

2. Backup your address book

   Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the worst - your phone’s been stolen, it’s given up the ghost or you’ve dropped it in the toilet. Whatever the scenario, what would you do if you lost all the information contained on your phone?

   Now, avoid getting that horrible sinking feeling from becoming reality by regularly backing up your address book and, if necessary, your SMS inbox, your photos, etc. Usually a quick look at the user manual or search online will tell you the best way to backup your data whatever device you own.

3. Stay organised

   You know that little calendar or organiser on your phone that you’ve barely ever looked at? Set it up to sync correctly with your computer and benefit from having access to your calendar while on the go.

4. Get back in touch

   Look through your address book. Are there some people you know you should be getting in touch with, either for professional or personal reasons? Use the beginning of the new year as an excuse to reconnect. Whether you ring them for a long catch up chat or arrange to meet over coffee by SMS, get back in touch with the important people you may have neglected recently.

5. Do a Spring cleaning

   While looking through your address book, why not clear out the numbers and names who aren’t relevant anymore? That guy you met at the pub one night out on the razz or your sister’s old mobile number from 6 years ago, just get rid of them.

   If you’re paranoid about deleting numbers that could one day come in handy, back up your address book to your computer. You’ll be able to refer to that list if that day comes.

6. Reduce, reuse, recycle

   If you’re a chronic mobile upgrader, you’ll most likely have a spare phone or two sitting in your drawer gathering dust. Consider donating it to a charity that will either give it a new lease of life or recycle it in an environmentally friendly way.

   The NCH Children’s Charity in the UK will gratefully accept mobiles, and so will a number o recycling centres in the US.

7. Try one new feature

   When we shop for a new phone, we often look for the shiniest one with all the bells and whistle. But when it comes down to it, few of us actually use any of the features beyond the basic calling, SMS and camera functionality.

   Take five minutes this week and try something new on your phone. Never sent an MMS? Surprise your kids by showing them you’re cool enough to figure out how to send one. Not familiar with the barcode scanner on your N95? See what happens when you scan that curious QR code advert you’ve been seeing every morning on your way to work.

   The rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t worry too much about breaking something by trying something new! If you’re worried you’ll lose data in the process, see #2.

8. Take time offline

   This might seem to be an odd one to add to a list like this one, but in this age of 24/7 availability and connectedness, it’s healthy to unplug sometimes.

   Take a day a week, if you can, where you leave your mobile turned off and go for a long walk in the countryside. Or go do some crowd watching in Covent Garden if greenery and fresh air isn’t your thing. Just disconnect for a while and you’ll love your mobile more when you get back to it.

   You might be surprised to see that the world doesn’t spin off its axis even if you sever the connection for 24 hours.

I love tech. I truly do. In fact, I’ve got a severe condition called “gadgetitis”, which becomes particularly acute around tech expos and Christmas time where all sorts of new techy goodies are released. And I love beta versions, even though they’re flakier than Paris Hilton. I love sneak previews, even if the app turns out to only be worthy of the TechCrunch deadpool. It’s a terrible addiction and as far as I know, there are no cures.

By the same logic, I almost always say that the more technology, the better. Almost.

Today’s an exception. This is my plea to the RAC, once my most reliable source of up-to-date traffic news, to step away from the Flash animations and return to this old technology called text. The wonderful thing about text is that it’s clear, succint and doesn’t require any fancy plugins. It’s easy to use when on the road with only a phone at hand.

This new animation completely fails from a usability point of view:

1. It doesn’t respect the KISS rule: Keeping it simple means it’s more widely accessible. Not everyone has Flash enabled. My iPhone certainly doesn’t. :S
2. It’s utterly useless to someone who isn’t local. Very few cities, towns and villages are identified, no matter how close you zoom in. Why aren’t the primary non-motorway roads identified? It’s certainly not because the map is too cluttered!
3. The usefulness of the information displayed is questionable, especially in comparison to the detailed alternative that used to be available. Is the slowdown due to sheer traffic density or are we dealing with a 6 car pile-up where the motorway might get closed? That’s far more likely to affect my decision of what to do next than telling me vehicles are travelling at 10mph.
4. The colours, which represent severity of traffic, aren’t accompanied by a legend, so the user has to guess what the scale is!

With the holidays coming and more people on motorways driving long distances to see family and friends, it can be a lifeline, helping us make a quick decision on whether a detour is needed. I’m afraid that the RAC designers didn’t do their homework here. Back to the drawing board, guys!

[tags]design, gadgets, iphone, mobile, rac, road congestion, traffic, usability, user experience, Taptu, Taptology[/tags]

On Blog Action Day, thousands of bloggers are writing about the environment. One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.

Why not take action today and do one thing to help the environment and clear up that odds and sods drawer you’ve been meaning to empty since the last Spring cleaning?

If you’re in the UK, find a padded envelope, write “FREEPOST Fonebak” on it, stick it in the post and feel that halo shining above your head for your good deed of the day. £5 will be donated to BBC Children in Need for every reusable mobile phone received and the rest will be sent for recycling to ensure that nothing ends up in landfill.

If you’re anywhere else in the world, look for a mobile phone recycling service nearby.