The following cards define the specification for a simple taxi cab trip tracking application for a mobile phone platform. This is the sort of thing we could implement easily across multiple platforms (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, and Palm WebOS) using custom code and tools like Rhomobile's Rhodes framework.

Look at these cards from two perspectives. First, what do you think of the idea? If a lot of people like it, we might make it. Second, consider that this is typical of the detail we need before we start working with a client to begin an engagement. We would take diagrams like these, break them into small, prioritized user stories and features, then start development that same afternoon.

This is the main screen for the application.

There was a step before this next one, but it got scrapped (horray!). The user jumps right into the taxi trip tracking process. By now the GPS will know where you are, but you can also get an idea if it is having trouble by seeing if the signal is weak (reposition the phone if it looks bad). Starting the trip records the start location. The GPS gets turned off to save batteries. Towards the end of the trip the user can (optionally) turn the GPS back on to get a good fix on the location as soon as the cab has stopped. Ending the trip will record the next reliable GPS location and the time.

During the taxi trip, the user can record the taxi cab company name and the cab number. This can be augmented by one or more photographs of the taxi license information, the meter, and even the driver. They form part of the trips audit/safety file.

At the conclusion of a trip, the use can enter the start and end location names/addresses. The GPS entries can be deleted if the distance looks unreasonable (GPS does not always work).  The trip distance can be populated by the GPS data, or the use can enter the value manually.

After a trip, a user might want to go to the Trip History from the home page. This appears below. It lets the user get a quick sense of how this trip compares to other similar trips. Or it can help with trip planning in terms of time and cost.

At any time, an expense report can be emailed to a user, or an accounting person, documenting all of the trips and their cost.

This shows a number of expected features, including the standard Facebook and Twitter status updates/integration, and SMS updates. These can be used to support record keeping, keep other staff aware of plans, keep the people you are visiting up to date on your schedule, or keep a record (including photographs) of your taxi trip as a safety precaution.

This next design is all scratched out. That is important. One of the best things you can do when designing an application, or working with us to refine it, is to discover you can live with less and still achieve your objective.

Fishphone.com: Personalized web content for your Polycom Phone

• Tweet from your Phone?
• Weather and news reports on your phone?
• Pictures and personalized directories on your phone?

1. Introduction
Together with emerging VoIP technology to reduce costs and increase sound quality, the features of VoIP phones are also enhanced: some new models also have a micro web browser such as the Polycom SoundPoint phones. Unfortunately, most Polycom SoundPoint users can not take advantage of the micro browser on their phones. 

Microbrowsers support only a very limited set of HTML and most websites can not be viewed properly on them. Recognizing the potential need for web content that can be viewed on a Polycom micro browser, East Agile has developed a web application that helps businesses and users easily build micro websites that can be viewed on their phone's micro browser. The application is now at the alpha phase of development and has been tested mainly on Polycom SoundPoint phones.

2. Using FishPhone to build micro websites
The application is available at http://fishphone.com and has a “very simple but easy to use” interface. Here are some basic instructions on how to use the application to build your own personalized micro websites that can be viewed on Polycom’s micro browser.

2.1. Register an account
To use FishPhone, user needs to have an account. Registering an account with FishPhone is very fast and simple. A valid email account is all the user needs for registration.

2.2. Manage micro pages
After logging in, user can start creating micro pages for their micro websites via a simple interface as shown below.

A micro website can have multiple pages. If the site has more than one page, the user needs to specify a home page and the system will automatically generate links to other pages from the home page when displaying on the micro browser. Creating and editing a page is done via a simple form with instructions explaining which HTML tags are supported.

2.3. Configuration Options
FishPhone allows users to specify the URL of the micro website or the weather location (using Yahoo Weather).
 

3. Fishphone Micro Website Examples
Here are some pictures showing a sample fishphone website on a Polycom phone.
 

Besides content created by users, Fishphone also provides some built-in utilities such as Twitter integration and local Yahoo weather reports.
 

4. Conclusion
FishPhone is the first free application to help Polycom phone users take control of the micro browser on their phone. There are many cases where a micro website can be helpful such as a personalized or company phone directory. If you or your company has a Polycom phone, you can use FishPhone today to replace your blank screen with rich content.

For agile software developers, Apple's new Quicktime 10 is a great new tool. Now with a few clicks, you can demonstrate a feature or a bug by recording your desktop as easily as you might use Ctl-Shift-4 to capture part of your screen.  This is somewhat limited by an inability to record sound, especially the developer or user explaining the feature or issue at hand.  I think this new functionality is a real benefit despite the fact that a lot of video editing people have been trashing the new Quicktime 10 video utility that comes with OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard).

A more advanced option remains the use of professional tools like Telestream's Screenflow ($99), which allows voice recording, text callouts, and potentially smaller file sizes. But other than that, it is overkill with features like sophisticated editing, transitions, and recording video of the speaker. See