Sidekick Debacles - Cloudy Future For Cloud Computing

By now, you've got a friend or a teenager who has been crying for days over the lost data from their Sidekicks from T-Mobile.  To be more precise, these are not merely lost data that will magically reappear after connection between the devices and the cloud are reestablished.  In some cases, T-Mobile and Microsoft aren't saying much at this time, the data are gone forever.  Poof!

Microsoft you ask?  That's right.  Microsoft bought Danger, the maker of Sidekick, and they're the folks responsible for the services.  Here's what I didn't know until this happens.  Once connection to the cloud is lost, these Sidekicks are almost wortheless without connection.  

And for cloud advocates, this is not what they want to see.  For mobile advocates, this is not what I want to see.  This made me think back to when Apple was tripping all over itself during the MobileMe launch.  Okay, Apple fans, I know.  Microsoft's Sidekick thing here is a lot worse.

Still, it only shows much how further we have to go to really establish true connectivity with redundancies, backups, and alternative means to access data when wireless connection are severed.

This is the latest developments so far on the Sidekick outage:

• Some data are lost and cannot be retrieved.  
• A lot of answers are still missing and there is speculation that it was an insider job.
• T-Mobile is prepared to compensate users for their troubles.
• T-Mobile has halted Sidekick sales.

More information:

• Danger
• CNet
• T-Mobile Oops Page
• T-Mobile Forum For Sidekick (Must visit for SK users):  Sidekick customers, during this service disruption, please DO NOT remove your battery, reset your Sidekick, or allow it to lose power

CTIA - What Teens Want In A Mobile Life

CTIA in a press release reported on results from a focus group of teens ranging from 13-18 years old who discussed what they want from wireless providers, service providers, and their mobile devices.


Certainly, all parties concerned at the fall show has much going for them going forward in the future as this group of youth relies on wireless access to optimize their social and private lives.  


According to the survey, the focus group was polled with the following results:

• 57 percent of teens view the mobile phone as central to their social life
  
• 47 percent say that their social life would be negatively impacted if they were no longer able to use text messages
  
• 42 percent reveal that they can type text messages while blindfolded
  
• Teens' ideal mobile device of the future integrates features such as phone, MP3 player, GPS, laptop computer and video player
  

What is clear to companies from this result is the need to create a comprehensive set of social tools that will tie the teens into their services.  It is also important that the services and platforms be versatile enough to work from one wireless provider to another like texting does.

Yesterday, we posted on the results from CTIA's of a poll of more than 2000 teens on what they use their mobile phones for.  

From today's release and the results from yesterday's survey point to a very obvious conclusion:  the tools are there to foster the talents and energies these teens have.  Whether it is education (most want access to wireless education) and speaking to teens about future prospects (they also want to be updated on issues pertinent to their lives - not just what Hanna Montana is up to), educators, parents, and civic leaders have a gateway to the lives of their youths to educate them for the twenty-first century.

Technology, specifically wireless tech, is making this possible.  Will we see a more educational impact in these youth's wireless lives?  Let us know what you think and suggests on how this will work?

First suggestion that comes to mind with the recent mobile developments:  developers should create more educational apps as these children snap up iPod Touches and Sidekicks.  We'll discuss what kind of apps later that can help these teens with both their educational and social lives.

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