March 15, 2007

If You're Not Already Overloaded ...

By Jim Barthold

For the growing number of wireless users who are not completely, voyeuristically immersed in the lives of their friends and acquaintances, a new service from Tivantis called GotZapp may be the answer.

GotZapp is a social network that uses the Zirada mobile content creator to design and create mini-Web-like sites that can then be sent in a single data transmission to Web-enabled mobile phones, the company said. These so-called Zapps can include multiple pages of text, photos, graphics, animations, navigation buttons and can even play music.

"It's a person-to-person YouTube, and it's one where commercial providers will be able to selectively put content up," said Tim Loudermilk, GotZapp's founder and chief software architect.

The content is built for the size of the phone and delivered for it, growing and shrinking to fit the size of the screen. GotZapp also monitors content for copyright infringements and inappropriate material, including spam.

Perhaps most importantly, at least to this non-user, GotZapp provides the option to not receive a Zapp.

"We send a text message to the person that tells them they have a message from whomever by name and then provides them with a link so they can download the Zapp," Loudermilk said. "It's more focused on the mobile user that wants to receive content while they're out and not in front of the computer."

Which excludes mobile users who don't give out their number; who turn the phone off on the golf course (that's right, no connectivity for four hours); and who carefully screen calls because that's why caller ID was invented. Sound like anyone you might know?

- Jim Barthold