TIME EUROPE
FEBRUARY 28, 2000 VOL. 155 NO. 8
Techwatch
CONSUMER ADVOCACY
Welcome to Dissatisfied Customer.com
Ingram Pinn for TIME |
Ever had shoddy food at a restaurant? Felt mistreated on an airplane? Visitors to ComplainAsia.com (www.complainasia.com), which launches next month, will have an online forum to vent their frustrations. The new site allows consumers to share their bad experiences in any one of 17 Asian countries and encourages the criticized parties to respond--either to the site or directly to the complainant. Anyone can browse, but consumers who want to complain must register first, free of charge. Companies have a vested interest in visiting the site to ensure complaints about them are removed swiftly. For a monthly fee of $32, ComplainAsia.com will delete gripes about companies once the firms themselves have responded. The site maintains decorum by banning falsehood, foul language and debates on politics. "We're encouraging people to behave responsibly," says ceo Suberna Shringla. "We are not trying to attract libelous teenage rants." The site offers daily polls and discussions related to consumer issues. And not all comments need be negative: users can also post praise for any company they think deserves it.
DIGITAL ID
How to Find a Finn
The Finnish government is planning to transform the subscriber identification module (sim) cards inside mobile phones into electronic ID cards, which could spell the end of paper passports. Based on technology developed by Sonera SmartTrust and the Finnish Population Register Centre, the mobile ID can be used to securely access the Internet, to shop, bank or deal with government bodies. Over 65% of Finns already own mobile phones that could use the IDs, and SmartTrust plans to export the technology worldwide.
MOBILE DATA
Integrated Access
Two new developments will make it easier to access e-mail and data regardless of the device used. Nokia and Motorola, together with IBM and its Lotus subsidiary, Starfish Software, and handheld manufacturers Psion and Palm, are working on the SyncML data synchronization standard that will manage e-mails, address lists and files across different devices and operating systems. Meanwhile, Xybernaut, which makes wearable computers, has patented a technology allowing users to insert and remove the "brains" at the core of PCs and mobile devices. Starting around 2001, PCs, cell phones, laptops and car dashboards will be equipped to handle these transferable cores. Simply plug the core into whatever device is at hand, and all your files and messages are at your fingertips.
SITE SEEING
Internet start-up Internet start-up Totally PLC opened for business last week with www.totallyjewish.com, a site for the U.K. Jewish community that covers everything from food to news to "rabbi of the month." More sites will follow, designed for those bound by other ethnic ties or by a shared interest, such as dance.
"Bun di" means "hello" in Romansh, spoken by fewer than 1% of Swiss people. Learn more at www.liarumantscha.ch, which promotes the Romansh culture and language and features information on the language's evolution, plus Romansh publications and cultural events.
WHAT'S NEXT
Taskmail, the first ever Jordanian-Israeli Internet joint venture, has developed an electronic agent that will not only verify that your e-mail was received, but also check that the recipient is acting on it. Taskmail software keeps contacting the recipient to make sure the task is completed--and alerts you by cell phone if your request is being ignored.
The broadband bike allows users to download multimedia content anytime, anywhere. A prototype created by Switzerland's Fantastic Corp., the tandem bicycle has a built-in screen between the handlebars that uses Fantastic's MediaSurfer client software to receive personalized digital terrestrial broadcasts. Fantastic says the bike proves that multimedia content requiring high speeds can be delivered to any mobile device.
Don't ride bikes? Then you can drive. Ericsson, Volvo and Telia are forming a joint company called WirelessCar to deliver mobile e-services, including roadside and emergency assistance, access to the Internet, vehicle software management and remote diagnostics. The goal is to create one interface capable of delivering mobile services to cars regardless of network, operator or service provider.
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