Comments on: Mobile Local Search, the most popular Internet application

By: Barry Welford

Barry Welford — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:38:03 +0000

Certainly the implications of mobile local search will have a huge effect on traditional ways of getting visibility on the local scene. To that extent, it clearly is disruptive.

By: Olive Garden

Olive Garden — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:19:26 +0000

I’ve heard of disruptive technology before…the ipod has been called that. Do you think mobile local search can be considered that?

By: Mobile Local Search, Keep It Simple, Sergey. | StayGoLinks

Mobile Local Search, Keep It Simple, Sergey. | StayGoLinks — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:12:19 +0000

[...] As we have suggested before, Mobile Local Search will be the biggest Internet application in use and in cash spin-offs. However surprisingly it’s turning out to be much tougher to find a local pizza restaurant than it is to search the globe. There’s a lot of effort going into Local Search and it’s tough to stay on top of it and see the wood for the trees. [...]

By: The Non-spatial Internet | StayGoLinks

The Non-spatial Internet | StayGoLinks — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:40:34 +0000

[...] Of course whatever is proposed to handle this problem must work for Mobile Local Search since that likely will be the most popular Internet application. While thinking over this problem, a simple business card caused a light bulb to come on. Why shouldn’t a web page have a kind of virtual business card that gave the key contact coordinates? Thus was born the idea of a LURI (Location Uniform Resource Identifier). Every web page (URI) would have its associated LURI. This would be a mini-web page that could display the contact coordinates even on a cell phone screen. The LURI would be set out according to some agreed standard so that a given line would be used for say the City in which the entity behind the website is located. Further details are given on the right under Basic Concepts and the idea will be elaborated in future posts. This is the subject of a pending patent. [...]

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 03:36:45 +0000

I think you can see an interesting progression in Google pushing local data out: first on the desktop, next with SMS text messaging, then with 520-FIND and now with Mobile Maps….

As the data and the technology have improved, they are pushing the same data out an increasing number of paths, growing the user base each time as they go and growing it exponentially.

I agree with Bill that this is transformational technology. I also think that we are at the beginning of the acceptance curve analogous to digital cameras 1989-90 although the acceptance rate could be much quicker.

The computer has not achieved the tranformational impact of the sewing machine or the car and it probably won’t in its desktop/laptop form. But in the form of a smart phone with data access in the hands of billions it might achieve parity

By: admin

admin — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 18:39:15 +0000

That’s an interesting thought, Bill, that Mobile Local Search could be a Transformational Technology. It’s a powerful phrase that doesn’t seem to have a very visible definition. Pat Gratton back in 2000 tried to explore the concept of Transformational Technology. I didn’t find too much more about it.

It would seem that AI (Artificial Intelligence), Nanotechnology and even Blogging might be examples. How do they compare with the radio, the telephone, and television? I guess the earliest example is the printing press. .. or was it the wheel?

Clearly the cell phone (mobile device) was such a technology. I think I’m inclined to agree with you that Mobile Local Search has such implications that it could also have its rightful place in the list.

By: Bill Slawski

Bill Slawski — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 16:17:04 +0000

Hi Barry,

Great example with the Italian restaurant with the funny name.

Regretfully, I had that experience a couple of weeks ago. The restaurant is only a couple of months old, has no web site, hasn’t been reviewed by the local newspapers, and has no footprints on the web at all. Fortunately for them, word of mouth has drawn customers to their doors.

A client and I have occasional business dinner meetings, and we both wanted to try the new restaurant, which we were both referring to as “the place where Lum’s used to be.”

Mobile local web search is a transformational technology. Like the radio, the telephone, and television before it, mobile local provides a way to interact with the world in a manner that changes how we do so significantly. I agree completely that it will become the most popular internet application. I think that what we’ve seen so far from it only scratches the surface of what we will gain from it, too.