social networking

Webster’s dictionary defines innovation as:

in·no·va·tion   ɪn əˈveɪ ʃən/ Pronunciation Key –noun

1. Mobile VoIP, text messaging and FREE IM with EQO.

2. the act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods.

Well #2 is probably the more accurate definition while I await Webster’s response on #1's definition suggestion.

Why is EQO at this year’s Dow Jones Wireless Innovations conference in Redwood City, CA, at the Sofitel, San Francisco Bay, April 22-23, 2008, you ask? Open Opportunity, and Turning Mobility Into Profitably (very clever) – of course!

The website told me that last year brought many changes to the wireless industry that will forever impact how people use their wireless devices. Apple introduced the iPhone; Google announced an open mobile operating system; even carriers and handset makers declared their openness. But how much is hype versus reality? Such changes will ultimately affect not only carriers and device makers but start-ups and investors, opening up increasing possibilities for revenue.

To help both VCs and entrepreneurs get a view of the innovations and opportunities that will emerge in 2008 and beyond, Dow Jones VentureWire is putting together an impressive group of speakers, including individuals from some of the major carriers, CEOs from 70 of the most promising mobile start-ups (most notably our own mobile god, EQO CEO Bill Tam) and, of course, some of the leading investors in the sector (show me the money!).

Come catch Bill Tam April 22, 2008 between 3:05-4:40 PM in Salon 3. That’s right, he only needs just over an hour to tell you about how EQO is one of the fastest growing Mobile VoIP players (and the most AWESOME) in the industry, how we are adding tons of new users everyday, and by this humble blogger’s opinion – how  our monetisation model has the makings of Forbes-type-recognized success.

If you are in town next week soaking up all that Redwood City has to offer (I know, there’s so much to do…) – Wireless Innovations is a must-see!

Well, not exactly... What has Marketing here at EQO been up to for the last couple months? We’ve been making kick a** short films, that’s what – a quadrilogy, in fact. The finished products below promise to enthral viewers young and old alike.

The EQO Legacy Quadrilogy is in no sense of the word "adult" or "mature," so more sophisticated comedy, drama, action and fantasy lovers may be a little disappointed by what it offers. There are however some popular tried, tested and true themes: hot girls in bikinis, a hot guy, a caveman and a trampoline. There are no wizards or goblins, but there is a slightly odd (sorry, “artistic”) announcer guy who does a good job of developing the plots.

To humanize the characters, the films were shot right here in Vancouver on the scenic DTES, amidst an angry landlord demanding we pay him for the use of his badly unkempt backyard. There's not much of a moral here, though, unless one considers it a lesson that, when filming hot girls jumping on trampolines, one should avoid doing so during a 12 year old boys street hockey game, but I digress.

Still not sure what the films are about? They’re about learning how to get the most out of your mobile phone by using EQO, of course. Despite the fact we are all about the mobile social networking and VoIP, we too enjoy some sweet eye candy whilst slaving away (the caveman being an acquired taste, and was my boss’ idea).

Check out Part 1 below entitled, “Hot Girl Jumping on a Trampoline”

You can catch the riveting sequels to the EQO quadrilogy on YouTube at the links below. Feel free to leave favourable ratings and comments, pass them onto your friends or post them to your very own site!

Hot Asian Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtYx7-l6A0g

Hot Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2wtAfK2908

Caveman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0LPIOfxtvU

If you’re like me, you yearn for an awards ceremony that truly means something. After all, exceptional achievement deserves exceptional recognition. This Thursday – tomorrow night – from 5:00-7:00 PM, is one of those opportunities. It is with great honour and pleasure that I announce that EQO has been nominated for a prestigious SPIFFY Award!

The SPIFFY Awards recognize the most outstanding telecommunications start-ups in Silicon Valley, as judged by the members of the Service Providers Forum (SPiF) of the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley. The SPIFFY's consist of 8 award categories (nominees are listed on the event website):

The Edison Award for Most Innovative Start-Up
Ground Breaker Award for Engineering Excellence

The San Andreas Award for Most Disruptive Technology – This award is for the most game-changing startup to present at the SPiF meetings. It is offered to the company whose progress is most likely to disrupt markets, and change the way people do things – SOON TO BE EQO’s!!!

The Fred & Ginger Award for Most Supportive Carrier
Graham Bell Award for Best Communication Solution
The Core Award for Best Fixed Telecom Opportunity
Prodigy Award for the Most Successful SPiF Alumni
The Zephyr Award for Best Mobile Opportunity

If you’re in the Bay Area tomorrow night, make sure to get your hands on some last minute tickets as it promises to be an exciting night. Just think – in just over 24 hours you could be watching our resident hero, EQO CEO Bill Tam, gracefully accepting this year’s San Andreas Award! I have exactly the same amount of time to finish getting ready for the exclusive SPIFFY Awards party that I host at my pad every year... Sorry folks, this one’s by invite only.

For more information on this year’s SPIFFY's, visit the Telecom Council's event site.

  “...if this sounds like you, drop me a line.”

This whole Facebook craze has gotten me thinking about another, perhaps more original use for social networking – online dating. The above quotation by the way, is my favourite online dating profile avatar that I’ve ever came across.

Being old enough to remember when the worldwide web really started to take off, it wasn’t long after that online dating began gripping our nations, coast to coast. I remember geeks and social outcasts I knew who couldn’t get a date to save their lives, started finding true love and soul mates through emails and Instant Messenger like it was going out of style. Not much has changed in the way of online dating technology since then, but rather people have gotten smarter in their online approach.

I guess at first it never really occurred to people seeking love that the photos and online chats they were having with their prospective mate may not be a true representation of who that person really was, or better yet – how the person really looked (except of course for the people specifically using it for this advantage). If I had a dollar for every story I heard about people posting fake photos or misrepresenting themselves well, let’s just say, I wouldn’t be writing this blog – I’d be telling my monkey servants what to do. I think people like me, who met prospective dates the old-fashioned, classy way (after 6 or so drinks in the local meat market pub), associated online dating as the “virtual bar for losers” – but then something happened.

As the days grew shorter, and the nights grew longer, I began growing increasingly older, and increasingly single. By then I had ditched my pixie haircut and baggy jeans for a cheap suit and entry level corporate position, and was finding it harder and harder to meet dateable people that weren’t married or crazy – or both. After dating my last psycho that I had met at the bar I had a moment of clarity – i could have met that psycho online, and I could have likely weeded them out a lot sooner through IM chats and emails from the comfort and safety of my own home. Yes, it was time to create my first online dating profile.

I quickly sought out the perfect photo of Jessica Biel to pass off as myself, and created a very generic and cheesy profile (candlelit dinners, long walks, beaches, “i work out regularly” (haha suckers), etc.).  I also quickly devised a meeting strategy – I’d pretty much meet anyone I deemed worthy (everyone) in a very public place, and have my friend call me 15 minutes into the date so I could make my escape if necessary (I swear I invented this)...*sheer genius*

I won’t however bore you with the details of my online escapades (those will one day be published in my memoirs). I’d rather like to quickly run through some much needed improvements to online dating sites:

Make buying credits mandatory. All you losers out there – and you know who are – if you put “although I do not have a credit card, money, full-time job, any job, etc., etc. to purchase credits with, I will respond if you email me...” I’m sorry, but if you can’t spend upwards of 15 DOLLARS (or don’t have a sufficient credit rating to do so) on finding a prospective casual date, relationship or casual encounter, you have NO BUSINESS online dating.

Add the “Hot or Not” application to everyone’s profile picture. I have no idea why this concept has lost popularity over the years. With thousands of men and women online at any given time, this would REALLY help people weed thru the bottom-feeders in an efficient and humourous manner.

‘Smiles’ are always free online...which is great, but why not take it a step further – I say, open-up the Microsoft suite of emoticons to list of available free responses such as:These could really go a long way conveying emotions that sometime words just can’t do justice.

And finally, on a related note and as a personal favour to a friend who is actively seeking a mate on Plenty of Fish (and yes I realize the irony of advertising a free dating site given my number 1, and I’ve been heavily encouraging him to SPEND SOME MONEY on a girl), I promised I would promote his profile (with his permission). Meet Joe Krevs (don’t worry ladies -- I said “Krevs” not crabs). He’s my West Side buddy and he’s awesome and single (awesomely single, that is, *zing!*) But seriously, he’s my boy... so get in there while the getting’s good! With a face like this he won’t last long... You can find his profile on the Vancouver, BC network at www.plentyoffish.com.

- JHO

I vividly remember being overwhelmed the first time I checked out MySpace. The front page was just so cluttered and I didn’t find it to be particularly intuitive. I figured out how to signup and played around a little, never going back unless my email told me I had a message, which was always from a local band wanting me to listen to their likely poor quality music. MySpace didn’t suck me in like it has sucked in millions around the world. I was shocked to hear that Myspace gets about as many hits a day as Google! To be fair, they’ve since improved their interface and continually do so, but the uptake of MySpace still baffles me.

I’m not knocking MySpace here; I’m just not that in to presenting my image to the world. This could be explained by the fact that I’m in the mid twenties phase of my life. MySpace is definitely doing something right, beating out Friendster for the community crown. MySpace packs in many cool features and is clearly a compelling tool to the 15-25 demographic, whom they are hauling in faster than they can overplay Kelly Clarkson songs on the radio. There is no doubt why many more players are emerging in the online community scene for a piece of the MySpace dominated pie.