Text Message Blog |
NTT DoCoMo makes mobile messaging fun with Throw Mail
By: Matthew Humphries Japanese mobile network company NTT DoCoMo is using the CEATEC show currently underway in Japan to show off some experimental new projects its R&D department has been working on. One of those projects is called Throw Mail and adds a novel twist to the sending of an e-mail with an Android handset.
Usually when you send a mail from a handset you type it out, pick a contact, and press send. Throw Mail makes the process more physical and actually adds a throwing motion. After writing your message the user looks at their phone screen with the camera active. They then turn around and the phone will bring up contacts on-screen if the camera is pointing in their direction. The user can than select that person, or multiple people, as the recipient of the message. Once selected the user must then do a throwing action (like throwing a basketball) in order to intitiate the message send process. A handy wrist strap icon appears on the screen before sending reminding the user to not actually throw their phone in the process.
For now this is just an experiment, and it may well stay one due to the practicalities involved in sending messages in this way regularly in a public environment. It does show R&D extends beyond what you’d expect at a large network like DoCoMo, though.
Read more at PC World
Matthew’s Opinion
I would like to know more details about how this system works. As it uses the camera I’m not sure how the system identifies where your contacts are. I would suspect it would work better based on a positioning system allowing you to throw your messages any distance.
The whole thing is very gimmicky, but if it was an optional feature, or one you found in a handset aimed at kids, then it could work and be quite fun for them to do.
http://www.geek.com
Japanese mobile network company NTT DoCoMo is using the CEATEC show currently underway in Japan to show off some experimental new projects its R&D department has been working on. One of those projects is called Throw Mail and adds a novel twist to the sending of an e-mail with an Android handset.
Usually when you send a mail from a handset you type it out, pick a contact, and press send. Throw Mail makes the process more physical and actually adds a throwing motion. After writing your message the user looks at their phone screen with the camera active. They then turn around and the phone will bring up contacts on-screen if the camera is pointing in their direction. The user can than select that person, or multiple people, as the recipient of the message. Once selected the user must then do a throwing action (like throwing a basketball) in order to intitiate the message send process. A handy wrist strap icon appears on the screen before sending reminding the user to not actually throw their phone in the process.
For now this is just an experiment, and it may well stay one due to the practicalities involved in sending messages in this way regularly in a public environment. It does show R&D extends beyond what you’d expect at a large network like DoCoMo, though.
Read more at PC World
Matthew’s Opinion
I would like to know more details about how this system works. As it uses the camera I’m not sure how the system identifies where your contacts are. I would suspect it would work better based on a positioning system allowing you to throw your messages any distance.
The whole thing is very gimmicky, but if it was an optional feature, or one you found in a handset aimed at kids, then it could work and be quite fun for them to do.
Example:
"Text PROMO to 63566 to join our list for special offers"
