Mobile Media is a category with fluctuating entries. Last year there was no entry at all. On the EUROPRIX.nl 2004 site, on the DVD and in the booklet it said, that due to a lack of entries, there are no nominees in this category. This year we were more blessed. In fact we had even a prestigious entry from Media Republic. I guess this year with UMTS/3G coming on stream more application would be around. Yet there was only one 3G application: 2GOTV. But there were also GPRS applications and one PDA application. Pitifull enough we did not have the entry of Frequency 1550, an e-learning application produced by the Waag and KPN.
The following entries have been nominated:
Bookmark – Engin Go! Magazine
Engin Go!, a product of the Dutch Automobile Association, is a navigation system for your PDA. The software is able to interpret the actual traffic situations. Engin Go! has an extensive route planner and ride registration system. The magazine to the route planner informs about special destinations like restaurants, gas-stations, parking places and relax tips. The content of this online magazine can be downloaded to a PDA. The users do not only receive information on addresses but also information about nice spots to vist. The user is able to choose multiple magazines, which contain information about cities and hotspots in the city. Newly released magazines can be downloaded from the engine go website. Users can register for free and download these magazines to their computer. Transfer them from your computer to the PDA and off you go. Engin Go! Also has electronic vouchers for discounts. The large screen on a PDA is excellent and guarantees good legibity.
Kunstgebouw – Codex Kodanski
What is history? This question could only be answered up to now with books and museums. Not with Codex Kodanski, a multimedia journey through reality, history and the archives of Rotterdam Museum Het Schielandhuis. The journey can not be experienced in the museum, but in the city of Rotterdam itself. Kunstgebouw cooperated with the Hootchie Cootchie Mediacollective to develop and realise this project both technically and creatively. Codex Kodanski is an exciting four-dimensional interactive radio play through downtown Rotterdam. Walking about, the participant hears the voice of the protagonist, the compulsive and paranoid Kodanski, in his head. With the aid of headphones and high tech navigation equipment the participant gains entry to an entirely different city, hidden behind the visible. The main part of Rotterdam is practically invisible; the city contains much more information than it reveals at first sight. Participants in Codex Kodanski enter in this invisible realm. Facts, fiction, city history and statistical data combine and mix into an exciting tale about and through the city. First, there is a short introductory movie. After this, the participants dresses up with their gear, consisting of a GPS device, a PDA and earphones, with which they enter their adventure. This project has made proficient use of a great variety of new software; the GPS and PDA devices have been re-purposed. The visitors of the Schielandhuis are able to track the participants in real time and follow them on their unpredictable journey through the city on a big screen.
Media Republic – 2GOTV, Nederlands eerste mobiele televisiezender
2GOTV is the first mobile television channel that only broadcasts to mobile phones in the Netherlands. This channel is an initiative of mobile phone provider Vodafone Nederland and Media Republic, a digital media and entertainment company, specialised in innovative forms of entertainment. Broadcasts of 2GOTV are especially tunes to the display on mobile phones. That means quick and perfect images; fuzzy close-ups are out of order. The programs are compact and the subjects are well accessible. The line-up of known hosts attracts a young affluent audience. 2GOTV has a number of themes which are updated daily and every theme is presented by a well known television personality with a strong affinity for the subject. The line-up of themes is Business, Gossip, Cars and Fashion. New artists and shows are added regularly. The shows are broadcasted using UMTS, so for the first time in history, an acceptable image quality can be achieved on a mobile telephone. Before the introduction of 2GOTV, the biggest complaint from consumers about UMTS was the lack of content, but that has changed now with 2GOTV. It offers variation and makes UMTS attractive to the consumer. People without an UMTS phone can also view the shows by accessing Internet.
The jury chose for the Codex Kodanski and not for 2GOTV. This was surprising as 2GOTV had all the hallmarks of a winner: 3G, Dutch VIPs, short movies. On the other hand Codex had cultural and engaging aspects to it.
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