GLOBAL – Welcome to this week’s round-up of articles from the world of mobile that come from other blogs and web sites – large and small. We’re keen to share new research, the latest trends and the plain weird stuff that came up in our reading over the last seven days. Do tip us off to anything you think should appear in next week’s column via the comments.
- You know that horrible feeling you get when you realise half-way to work that you left your mobile at home? There’s a good reason for that, and it goes beyond gadget-love. Academic research from the Social Issues Research Centre has discovered that mobiles play a vital role as a stressbuster in modern life, by allowing us to gossip. Gossip – the paper says – “has been shown to stimulate production of endorphins, relieving stress and boosting the immune system.”
- On a similar note, Nokia has always been about “Connecting People”, and a new survey from Ruder Finn proves that this is a very good maxim for a company that sells mobiles: “91% of mobile users go online to socialise, compared to only 79% of traditional [desktop computer] users”.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the use of mobile-enabled Augmented Reality Games as a teaching tool at a New Mexico university. All very modern. Hope they still have books, as well!
- The Guardian presents a round-up of some themes we’ve been highlighting recently with regard to the role that mobiles are playing in helping people in developing nations out of poverty and facilitating disaster relief.
- The use of mobiles as a campaign tool for political parties has been a hot topic since the election of President Obama. Tego Interactive highlights a report on the campaign, showing that 28 per cent of those who received SMS messages altered their opinions as a result. Whether you think this is sinister or smart, there’s no doubt mobiles will become an important political campaign platform in the future.
- And finally, if this year’s World Cup is remembered for one thing, it will be the vuvuzela. The only musical instrument that has the ability to make the bagpipes sound good. Now, Nokia users with a low lung-capacity can join the fun thanks to the evil geniuses behind this app. Yes – it’s a press-to-annoy vuvuzela simulator for mobile phones. Err… thanks guys.
Got a tip for a hot new blog that hasn’t yet been mentioned in this column? Let us know, as ever, in the comments.