Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2000/08/22/a_skip_skap_askiddidy_wap/
A skip skap a-skiddidy WAP
WAP round-up: more pain and pleasure
Posted in Legal, 22nd August 2000 15:17 GMT
We've been a tad serious with WAP of recent, especially when there are so many people with so many daft ideas out there. Unfortunately, the really stupid ones appear to have been flushed out so no big laughs left, however there are a few interesting snippets around.
- Virgin Mobile followed close on the heels of NTT DoCoMo and crashed. It had only up and running for three weeks before it keeled over. Well that's what the spokesman said but others said it was more like three days. It was apparently taken down for "maintenance" and Virgin just doesn't know what happened. We do, you rushed the job.
- i-Toke has said it will bring out its own special WAP service in Amsterdam. That's right, from 1 September, you will be able to order and pay for your marijuana over a WAP phone. To pay for orders, you will have to buy prepaid and rechargeable cards, called iTokens. With a handheld device, bicycle couriers can then read the card's ID when they arrive. They must have been off their nuts when they thought of that one.
- Apparently you will "have access to the most up-to-date information on scheduled UK rail, Eurostar and ferry service" (Travel InfoSystems). It's a great idea but then we're all realists here and reckon that what you're more likely to get is some timetables, mostly out of date with the rare piece of breaking news like "the 8.32 Eurostar from Waterloo has been cancelled". We reckon this service will change the world.
- The virtual news tart Ananova is planning to offer up-to-the-minute football scores over WAP. Goal-by-goal updates, scorer and all that on all domestic UK matches. A bit basic and we don't like it that much because our mates at mIQ offer a far better service.
- WAP has been all over the papers because poor demand has left companies with hundreds of surplus WAP phones. So they've started giving them away. We warned you. The syndrome is apparently called WAPathy.
And that's it for this rundown. Tune into again for more crazy yarns for the WAP world. ®