Mobile ESPN's Fallout

ESPN's announcement that it's shuttering its mobile offering was expected. But what does it mean for other emerging MVNOs like Helio and Amp'd? Perhaps the biggest lesson: consumers aren't going to shell out money to buy phones for niche content. Appealing to a demographic -- as Disney Mobile does, complete with Disney-styled phones is one thing; telling somebody to build their entire persona around sports is another. Virgin Mobile is profitable and has more than 3 million customers because it appeals to young people, not because it's touting specific content. Also, size does matter: when you invest a combined total of $150 million in Mobile ESPN and Disney Mobile, and ESPN pulls in only 30,000 subscribers, you're not long for this world.

Wi-Fi for Everyone and Everything

WSJ's Thursday Personal Technology column, today penned by Katherine Boehret, gives the first good review I've seen of a Wi-Fi camera. Nikon's Coolpix S7c, priced at a cool $350, seamlessly logged in to public hot spots and emailed shots to the writer's friends. That's significant because it overcomes a key drawback of digital cameras -- their images languish on SD cards and computer hard drives. The camera senses Wi-Fi networks and conveniently comes with a free year to use T-Mobile hot spots and Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and other public places.

T-Mobile, not coincidentally, launched the first service in the U.S. to allow cellphone users to switch seamlessly between cellphone networks and the Wi-Fi networks in their homes and other places.

It's not a big stretch to see inexpensive cameras that send their photos directly to Wi-Fi-equipped TVs or cellphone users listening to their favorite music stream over 3G networks in a commuter train and then in their living rooms. Or streaming video. Or whatever. Stay tuned.

See:
http://online.wsj.com/article/personal_technology.html?mod=djemptech (subscription required); and
http://news.com.com/Switching+from+cell+to+Wi-Fi,+seamlessly/2100-1039_3-6113223.html