| | ExcuseME
Introducing ExcuseME™, the next killer mobile app.
ExcuseME™ is the first of a new breed of time management applications. ExcuseME™ allows you to schedule socially acceptable interruptions, giving you the opportunity to redirect your attention as required.
To cut through the crap, ExcuseME™ lets you schedule an imitation phone call, which you can use to extricate to your advantage.
Depending on your mobile phone's capabilities, there are two versions of ExcuseME™:
- ExcuseME™ OnCall™ calls a number, and you can specify (through prompts) the time at which you wish to be called. Your mobile phone is charged a fee, and the call is made on time. This is a real phone call; optionally, canned conversations or advertisements may be played down the line. ExcuseME™ OnCall™ is compatible with all current handsets, including landlines. This is a service not dissimilar to traditional "wake up" services, such as Telstra's offering, but with greater flexibility.
- ExcuseME™ Personal is a Java (J2ME) applet that resides on a compatible handset. The applet can be prompted to simulate a call (ring tone) for any amount of time in the future. Future versions of ExcuseME™ Personal may include a phoneme generator for more realistic conversation-style interruptions.
- Business:Jane is about to go into a meeting with some colleagues. From experience, she knows that these meetings have a habit of running over time, and she has a busy afternoon ahead of her. Before the meeting starts, Jane schedules an ExcuseME™ interruption for the end of the meeting. As usual, the meeting is still going when her ExcuseME™ call arrives. Jane leaves the room briefly, enters a simulated conversation, then comes back long enough to apologise, but leave to attend to an urgent matter that has just arisen. Jane is now free to spend her time as she sees fit!
- Personal: Mark is out at a party, but has been trapped by a fundamentalist Christian banjo player (the man is Christian, not the banjo). Using a keypad shortcut, Mark schedules an ExcuseME™ interruption for three minutes time, without removing his phone from his pocket (Mark doesn't want to appear rude!). When the call arrives, Mark extricates himself, and enjoys the rest of his night!