I had the opportunity to look at an interesting application offered by LocaModa™ called StreetSurfer. If you have access to a location with significant “walk by” traffic, this might interest you.
Consumers can control a computer screen with their cell phone! Invest in a large LCD computer screen and position it in a prominent location in the front window. The application created summaries of the listings along with a phone number. Consumers call the number for the listing that interests them and the computer shows them detail information.
This is the first application I have seen that uses this approach. I have seen use one of two approaches in this space. Some try to use the built-in phone browsers and others provide an IVR mechanism.
I was in Boston recently and met up with Stephen Randall (of Symbian fame) and Bill Nast for breakfast. At first, I said to myself “Is this another display listings on a cell phone idea?”.
Bill whipped out is laptop and started the StreetSurfer application. It was a Mac, an encouraging sign. Typically at these kind of meetings, the demo is scripted and controlled. Thinking that I understood what Stephen was describing, I whipped out my Hiptop to have a go at it myself. Unbelievable, I was controlling the display! I almost choked on my scrambled eggs.
As I was finishing my coffee, I asked “What else are you guys up to”. I did not expect the answer to be Wiffiti™. Boy is someone going to have fun with this!
