DMEC is hosting Mobile Monday this coming Monday evening at 7pm in the Bechtel Engineering Center.  This month’s topic: mobile browsers.  The event is free to attend and open to all.  Feel free to RSVP on Facebook or Upcoming.

From the posting at the Mobile Monday site:

There’s been a lot going on with browsers on mobile devices: the changes in usage coming about due to the iPhone, new high capability browsers like that demoed last month by Wake3 and the announcement yesterday of Skyfire, and the advancing work on Firefox mobile. The last time we did an overview of browsers was back in March 2006, so it’s definitely time to return to the topic.

Don’t tell me you haven’t had this experience: you’re away from home, you have no idea where the nearest bathroom is, and you’ve got to go. Bad. It’s definitely happened to me on many occasions. I pray and curse (and yelp), and eventually find a…um…solution. Apparently the easier route is to pull up a browser on your mobile device and beg MizPee for the address of the nearest john.

MizPee provides locations of toilets and vistors rate their experiences with those toilets. It didn’t work on my mobile device this afternoon, but I expect they’ll get the site working on most browsers before too long. I’d dare to guess this is the first business with the pee-pee dance as their logo.

One business model: charge visitors for results based on how badly they need them. The price could start at $10 and decrease $1 every minute.

I see a toilet database pairing well with map services. I love to take road trips. Knowing which gas station had the most pleasant restroom would definitely influence my choice of which exit to take when passing through towns. Maybe some establishments would even take pride in maintaining a high MizPee rating to attract additional business.

According to Gartner Research, the battle for high definition home video will soon be won by Sony-backed Blu-Ray technology. While I was too young to remember the battle over video cassets (VHS vs Betamax), as a consumer later in life I definitely benefited from having only one format to worry about.

The same will be true for HD video, I’m sure. Like a lot of people I know, I’m holding out on the leap to purchase a HD-DVD player because like changing lanes in traffic I don’t want to get stuck in the slow lane. Now I’m not about to go out tomorrow and by a $200 Sony player based on Gartner’s word alone, I’m sure they have some idea what they are talking about.

At the very least, Gartner’s pronouncement could turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just ask The Little Train that Could.

Dear DMEC Friends and Colleagues,

Happy New Year! With the birth of 2008 comes the birth of IndieGoGo. Eric Schell and I (DMEC’s 2007 Co-Mavens of Film and co-founders of IndieGoGo) invite you to join IndieGoGo’s vibrant community of filmmakers and fans.

IndieGoGo is an online social marketplace connecting filmmakers and fans to make independent film happen. The platform provides filmmakers the tools for project funding, recruiting, and promotion, while enabling the audience to discover and connect directly with filmmakers and the causes they support.

On IndieGoGo, filmmakers can raise money and awareness, find cast and crew, and gain credibility through the help of their number one resource, the fans.

Fans get the opportunity to discover and impact the films of tomorrow, while getting insider access and VIP perks for their support. It’s easy and fun!

Filmmakers who have already joined IndieGoGo include Irena Salina (“FLOW: For Love of Water,” 2008 Sundance selection), M dot Strange (“We Are the Strange,” 2007 Sundance selection), Christopher Roberts (“The Believer,” 2001 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner), and Michealene Cristini Risley (“Tapestries of Hope;” Huffington Post Blogger).

If you would like to learn more about what’s possible, just follow the 3 steps outlined below. The more you take action, the cooler IndieGoGo becomes for everyone.

Enjoy making independent happen!

Best,
Danae Ringelmann & The IndieGoGo Team

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SIGN-UP:

• Go to www.indiegogo.com
• Sign-up for IndieGoGo by clicking on the Sign-up link in the Short Cuts window on the right side.
• Confirm registration via email and start exploring!

DISCOVER & PERSONALIZE:

• Click Around: Familiarize yourself. Read the “FAQs” and “How It Works” if you’re curious.
• Discover: Check out the Projects listing, People listing, Resource listing and MyGoGo pages. Click into Project & People profiles. Toggle through the Info, Media, Q&A, Team & Private sections. Watch videos, click on links, and have fun exploring! Check out the Take Action icons on the left.
• Create Personal Profile: Click on your Profile in the Short Cuts box and add some personal flavor. Include a cool pic & bio. Showcase your interests and tastes as a fan.

TAKE ACTION! (actions embedded in each profile on the left)

• PROMOTE projects you like (grab the widgets and stick them in your blog or websites).
• ENDORSE projects and people you like.
• RATE projects and people based on the different criteria.
• FUND the projects you would like to see made. Every little bit counts.
• BECOME A FRIEND of projects and people to gain insider access.
• COMMENT ON projects and people in their profiles. Ask questions. Do shout outs! Open up conversations with other filmmakers and fans.
• WATCHLIST: If you’re not ready to endorse or rate a project add them to your watchlist and follow their progress. Revisit your Watchlist on your MyGoGo page.
• GET VIP PERKS: Filmmakers decide what perks to offer their contributors. VIP Perks could include a credit in the film, an invite to a cast party or even a character named after you!
• CREATE PROJECT PROFILE: If you’re a filmmaker (or would like to be), create a project profile and use IndieGoGo’s platform to help bring it to life.
• SUBMIT FEEDBACK: If you have any problems or suggestions, please let us know by clicking Feedback or via email. We’re not perfect; help us get there!

Have fun making independent happen!