Mobile Application: ClickOVA - Backup, Manage, and Share: Contacts, Pictures, and Videos

Pitching Consumer Goods by Mobile in the UK

2008-12-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

The mobile advertising scene is changing in Europe, according to a study by comScore M:Metrix. Its August 2008 Benchmark report showed a sharp increase in European mobile ads for goods that previously had little exposure on the mobile channel, such as food, clothing and consumer electronics.

The ads in question used SMS, not a Web-based technology. But the survey showed that in the year to August 2008, food advertising on mobile phones grew 53%, while ads for clothing and fashion rose 38.2% and restaurant ads 37.3%. Overall, advertising for consumer goods and services on SMS was up 15.2%, while advertising for mobile products such as downloads and entertainment fell by 9.6%.
Consumer response rates were also excellent. For example, 15.5% of mobile owners who received an ad for a restaurant in the three months to August 2008 responded, and 12.6% of those who got offers for food, such as grocery coupons, did so.

UK advertisers are well-placed to take advantage of these trends.

Penetration of active mobile phone connections in the population stood at 122.6% at the end of 2007, according to Ofcom’s report, “The Communications Market 2008.” Fully 86% of UK adults ages 16 and over owned a mobile phone in Q1 2008, and access rates were even higher among children ages 12 to 15. In addition, more than 60% of children ages 8 to 11 polled by Ofcom owned or had access to a mobile phone.

The UK also boasts high rates of SMS text messaging. In 2007, the last complete year for which Ofcom measured this activity, SMS use was up 28% on the previous year, and an average of 68 texts were sent each month from every mobile connection in the UK.

Before the financial crisis, industry observers were convinced that the mobile Web, together with mobile online advertising, really was approaching liftoff. Now it seems unlikely that 2009 will see a big breakthrough in mobile. But advertisers can still learn how to engage with mobile subscribers. Those looking for ways to connect with key target audiences during the economic downturn, and drive direct consumer response while keeping a firm grip on marketing budgets, should compare the costs of online and mobile SMS campaigns, or the feasibility of combining more-traditional Internet ads with an SMS dimension.

Early Movers in Mobile TV are Poised to Capture a Burgeoning Market

2008-12-03T08:54:00.001-08:00

Traditional television has had a glorious run. For decades, broadcasters and content providers have extracted profit from this media conduit to the mass market by offering a growing array of channels and scheduled programming on ever-bigger screens.

However, this paradigm is now being challenged by the Internet, ever-growing data rates on both wireline and wireless networks, as well as the proliferation of content formats and devices. End users, meanwhile, have become more demanding and fragmented, splitting their precious time among myriad media choices, channels and platforms while younger viewers move beyond the TV content consumed by their parents’ generation. As a result, traditional TV is experiencing significant erosion of viewers and advertising revenues.
The marriage of the mobile and broadcast worlds has given rise to mobile TV — enabling viewers to access their favorite programs however, wherever and whenever they want. While there are clear opportunities for service providers associated with this trend, it represents unfamiliar territory for many in the communications industry. To succeed in this space, operators will be challenged with:
• Delivering a compelling end-user experience (for example, graphically pleasing, easy to use and interactive)
• Providing a wide selection of attractive handsets and devices
• Offering a broad range of appealing content
• Establishing an appropriate business model for the target market and culture
• Offering transparent tariff plans
• Developing effective go-to-market strategies
• Choosing the right underlying technologies
• Complying with regulatory environments (for example, spectrum availability)
A Growing Opportunity
According to ABI Research, the number of mobile TV subscribers worldwide will grow from 11 million in 2006 to 462 million in 2012, representing a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 85%. But cashing in on this growth will require service providers to make significant changes to existing network infrastructures and business models.
The migration away from analog TV will free spectrum to enable service providers to build dedicated broadcast networks. The acceleration of mobile broadcast networks (such as DVB-H and MediaFlo), the 4G network adoption (LTE/WiMAX (News - Alert)) and the proliferation of user-friendly handsets and other portable multimedia devices will increase the advantage gained by the early movers in this space.
Differentiation from voice-centric plans is just the beginning of the journey. Service providers are at a pivotal point to leverage the merging broadcast and telecom worlds. This fusion will empower new levels of converged and blended services, for example seamless multi-screen experience and interactive targeted advertisements, allowing users to have anytime/anywhere access to the content they crave, while enabling service providers to implement innovative business models and tap into new revenue streams.
A close look at some of the trendsetters in mobile TV services should provide inspiration and encouragement to service providers considering moving into this space.

MySpace delivers video to mobile phones

2008-12-03T08:39:00.001-08:00

MySpace users with mobile phones are about to find out if they can walk and watch TV at the same time.

On Wednesday, News Corp's online social network will make video clips from its members' pages available for viewing on mobile devices including the BlackBerry Bold, Palm Centro, Motorola Q9, LG Voyager, Nokia N95 and Samsung Instinct.

Members will be able to look at video on their own homepages as well as friends' pages. They also will be able to view professionally produced video from TMZ, the celebrity news and gossip website owned by Time Warner Inc; the National Hockey League; National Geographic magazine; satirical newspaper The Onion and others.

The free service will be supported by advertising. MySpace and many other companies are trying to exploit the small but growing mobile advertising market.

MySpace declined to comment on the cost of the project or how much money it would make them.

"These are the big guys doing it, and they're going to make some noise about it," said David Card, a media analyst at Forrester Research who called it a medium-sized deal in terms of significance. "Mobile is one of those things where people keep saying, 'Is next year going to be the year of mobile'?"

MySpace video will be sent, or "streamed," from the social network's pages rather than downloaded onto mobile phones. For this reason, the clips will not be available on Apple Inc's iPhone, which runs downloaded video.

MySpace, one of the world's largest online social networks, plans to support mobile video downloads in the future, a spokeswoman said.

MySpace's growth strategy includes developing mobile phone applications, as well as international markets and building up its music service. Acquisitions are central to this strategy, Chief Executive Chris DeWolfe told the Reuters Media Summit on Monday.

The company will work with technology from a company called RipCode to make video available on mobile handsets that have different technical specifications for how they handle video.

RipCode also will allow MySpace users to stop having to save their video clips in different formats, something that it said would save hardware, energy and storage resources.

MySpace delivers video to mobile phones

2008-12-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Mobile Video Gets Standards

2008-12-02T08:25:00.001-08:00

The Advanced Television Systems Committee, an industry organization responsible for setting standards for digital television, said Monday it has approved proposed specifications for mobile digital television, which are eligible to become the industry standard. The ATSC's Technology and Standards Group has set a timeline aiming for fast adoption of the standard, which governs the way digital video content may be delivered to mobile devices.

Under the proposed standards for mobile digital TV, a broadcaster would be able to use part of their existing allotment of broadcast spectrum to create a mobile video channel. This mobile video channel would be embedded in the broadcaster's digital channel, but would not interfere with the broadcaster's standard or high-def services, or their digital multicasts.

For manufacturers, the new digital mobile TV standard will serve as a baseline for end-to-end system specifications, allowing consumer electronics makers to begin developing and producing the next generation of mobile devices with digital video functions.

The proposed standard has been supported by the Open Mobile Video Coalition, which hopes to establish a uniform mobile digital TV marketplace in 2009. According to the OMVC, mobile digital video will benefit advertisers in a number of ways, mostly hinging on its interactive potential.

This opens up possibilities for location-based services, advertising and sell-through transactions, pay-per-view, digital video recording, and programming guides. The OMVC is planning interoperability testing and trials for broadcast signals and devices in the coming months.

The OMVC is composed of 20 members that own and operate over 450 commercial television stations, as well as the Association of Public Television Stations, which represents an additional 360 stations.

Teens to Mobile Advertisers: Gimme!

2008-12-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

More than one-half of teens do not want mobile ads. What about the rest?

If teens are drivers of change in mobile phone usage, can they also drive change in mobile advertising acceptance?

The good news is that, according to a 2008 survey by the Direct Marketing Association, 19% of teens ages 15 to 17 and adults ages 21 to 30 have responded to a mobile phone offer. However, the response rate dropped substantially to 7% among 18-to-20-year-olds.

The bad news? Harris Interactive and CTIA found that more than one-half of teen respondents were not interested in mobile ads, even in exchange for some type of incentive.

The silver lining: Teens were somewhat more likely than adults to be interested in mobile advertising; 64% of the adult group said they were not at all interested, according to Harris/CTIA.

Among the teens and adults who did say they would be motivated by incentives, the favorite was cold, hard cash. However, teens were more likely to appreciate free music downloads than adults. Free minutes were another popular incentive for teens, according to Harris.

Teens also were somewhat more responsive to ads that came in the form of polls or contests, according to comScore M:Metrics.

Assuming teens wanted to receive advertising on their phone, what would they most like to see? Ads aimed at areas of interest, such as sports or entertainment, according to Harris Interactive. Teens were substantially more interested in these ads than in restaurant ads, coupons or ads scheduled to arrive at a certain time of day.

Bango Foresees WAP Billing to 'Dominate' Subscriptions

2008-11-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

Mobile Web tech vendors Bango say they see that the opening-up of mobile traffic channels – paying for on-deck links to off-deck sites and mobile advertising through Yahoo! and Google as an indication that content providers are acquiring customers through the mobile Internet rather than via PC Web affiliate programs.

“WAP billing is now the preferred way to sell content to customers acquired through mobile marketing,” says Anil Malhotra, SVP of Marketing and Alliances atBango ( News - Alert), adding that they predict this “e-commerce for the mobile Web” will “dominate how subscriptions are marketed and sold in the US within the next 12 months.”

Subscriptions tend to be the mainstay of the mobile content market in the US. Bango’s MMA-compliant WAP-based mobile subscription service is designed to eliminate the need to send text messages to make a purchase – “the price, subscription time period and T&Cs are clearly displayed on-screen before consumers click to purchase,” according to the Bangovians.

Earlier this month TMC’s Nitya Prashant reported that a Bango survey of the 20 most trafficked PC Web sites has found that “half of these sites do not work well on mobile phones.”

The survey concluded that that PC Web sites are not adapting fast enough to match mobile browsing trends. Even though five percent of visitors to PC Web sites come from mobile devices (compared to 1 percent last year), the Bango study concluded, “PC Web sites have yet to show mobile-friendly versions of their sites.”

A recent update to the Bango mobile subscription service provides an API so content providers can see the status of their subscriptions. ”Bango re-bills consumers on their behalf once the subscription period has finished, notifying the user by text,” Malhotra explains.

The WAP model “capitalizes on this year’s surge in mobile Web browsing,” Malhotra says. “We anticipate US mobile operators will support more flexibility around subscription pricing models next year with the introduction of weekly subs, at price points other than $9.99.”

Nielsen Finds Online, Mobile Reap Tiny Shares Of '3 Screen' Video

2008-11-25T07:34:00.000-08:00

The proliferation of time-shifting technologies and new "screens" for watching video, means Americans are watching more video programming than ever before, but they're still watching it primarily on a traditional video programming platform: the television set. That's the conclusion of a new "three screen" report from Madison Avenue's arbiter of TV audience estimates, the Nielsen Co. The report, which was released Monday as part of Nielsen's overall push into so-called "A2/M2" (anytime/anywhere) video audience measurement, does find that traditional in-home TV viewing has been losing share - albeit modestly - to newer video screen platforms, but that the biggest gainer is not Internet video or even video on the mobile Web, but technologies that enable consumers to watch traditional TV on a time-shifted basis.

While traditional linear TV's share of time spent watching video in the U.S. declined 0.29% between the third quarter of 2008 and the second quarter of 2008 (the first for which Nielsen is reporting time spent watching video across all three screens), it still dominates the video medium with 91.83% of all minutes spent watching video during the third quarter.

The biggest gainer was viewing via time-shifted devices such as DVRs and video-on-demand, which rose 5.25% to a 4.21% share of all video minutes viewed during the third quarter.

While Internet video and mobile Web video also are growing, they still account for only a fraction of the total video marketplace, as defined by Nielsen. That's important, because Nielsen's estimates are still more or less the proxy for Madison Avenue's TV advertising budgets.

Watching video on the Internet rose 12.5% to 2.52%, while watching video on a mobile phone jumped 11.4% to 2.33% of all video programming viewed during the third quarter of 2008.

The TV and Internet estimates are calculated using Nielsen's national TV and Internet panels, which are measured electronically and reported on a regular basis. The mobile phone figures are collected by Nielsen via a quarterly survey and give a firsthand look at how early adopters report their usage of mobile video.

The paltry online video share estimates are consistent with data presented last month by Black Arrow's Larry Kramer at the OMMA Video conference in Los Angeles. Kramer said the current TV usage landscape is still dominated by linear TV viewing--about 389 billion hours per year in 2008, compared with only 800 million viewing hours for online video. By 2010, he projected, linear TV viewing will decline to 342 billion viewing annual viewing hours, while online video will expand to 14 billion.

Mobile internet is growing eight times faster than PC-based web

2008-11-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

The mobile internet is growing eight times faster than traffic to the PC-based web, according to the first set of mobile data from Nielsen Online.

The research company has released its first Mobile Media findings which show traffic on the mobile internet increased by 25% to 7.3m during 3Q 2008. The survey found 25% of mobile internet users are aged 16-24 compared with just 12% who are older than 55.

BBC News is the most popular mobile internet site, attracting 1.7m unique users in 3Q 2008.

Mobile internetThe mobile internet is growing eight times faster than traffic to the PC-based web, according to the first set of mobile data from Nielsen Online.

Kent Ferguson, senior analyst for Nielsen, said the mobile web was a great opportunity for advertisers and publishers to reach important demographic groups. "People often need fast, instant access to weather or sports news and mobile can obviously satisfy this, wherever they are," he said.

Going Green with your Mobile Phone

2008-11-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

Mobile phones are greening up their act.

If your like me you leave your mobile phone charger plugged into the wall at all times. Well that constantly plugged in charger continues to pull energy from the socket long after your phone is fully charged and you have removed your phone.

Mobile phone manufacturers are taking note and have developed an energy rating system for mobile phone chargers to enable consumers to make greener purchasing decisions. LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson have teamed up to make mobile communication a bit greener.

The new rating system takes these two factors into account and is based on both European Union and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star energy standards. All five of the companies’ current chargers will be including in the five-star rating system where five stars categorizes the most efficient and zero stars the least efficient.

There has been no news from Research in Motion, the company behind the BlackBerry, but are welcomed to join the green initiative. Until then I will just have to unplug my charger.

GetJar's Visual Bookmarks Make WAP Sites as Sticky as Mobile Apps

2008-11-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

LONDON, Nov 20, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Consumers are enthusiastically enhancing their mobile phones by downloading applications, which appear as icons on the phone's 'home screen.' Meanwhile WAP sites (websites optimized for phones) are left out in the cold because a WAP site has no application to download. It is just a browser link, which means that no icon sits on the phone's home screen, and so the WAP site doesn't receive the same sticky user attention as a downloaded app. GetJar ( www.getjar.com), the world's most popular destination for mobile application downloads, is changing this -- and boosting traffic to hundreds of WAP sites -- with its free Visual Bookmark service for WAP publishers.
Visual Bookmarks are tiny applications that sit on the phone's home screen and, when launched, open a specific mobile web page using the phone's built-in browser. Through a free, self-service system available to any WAP-site owner, GetJar automatically creates Visual Bookmarks for all major platforms (Java, Symbian Series 60, UIQ, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry). This gives WAP sites the same phone home screen visibility as phone apps, and at no cost. WAP publishers need only specify their site's URL and upload a graphic.
Consumers download these Visual Bookmarks from GetJar, instantly adding a handy shortcut to a favorite mobile website. For WAP publishers, a Visual Bookmark can ensure that their site reserves a prominent spot on a consumer's handset in the form of a familiar icon, driving adoption and usage. Research conducted by GetJar shows that visitors who have discovered mobile sites through a Visual Bookmark are four to eight times more likely to return to these sites, compared to those who discovered sites via conventional online references such as search engines, SMS messages, ad banners, or WAP text links.
One mobile web portal currently using GetJar's free Visual Bookmark service with great success is Vuclip, a mobile video search and delivery service. "At Vuclip, we want to reduce barriers to entry for consumers using the mobile web, and bring video content to as many mobile devices as possible," said Ashwin Puri, VP of business development & marketing at Vuclip. "The GetJar Visual Bookmark service enables us to drive distribution globally across the more than 2,500 devices we currently support. We have found that consumers using the GetJar Visual Bookmark come back to Vuclip almost eight times more frequently than an average mobile web user."
"Our goal with our free Visual Bookmark service is to boost downloads and usage for mobile web publishers and application developers," said Ilja Laurs, founder and CEO of GetJar. "A Visual Bookmark drives far more traffic to a mobile site than sending URLs in SMS or relying on the user to bookmark the URL. It bridges the technical gap between entering the URL and going to the site -- something that's easy on a PC, but hard on a mobile phone. A Visual Bookmark makes mobile sites stickier, and Vuclip's experience proves that it works."

Creating a Visual Bookmark is easy
To create a free Visual Bookmark, a mobile application developer first opens a free account on GetJar, then adds the web address, an eye-catching graphic icon, and a description of the service. Within 24 hours, GetJar develops a set of Visual Bookmarks for that web address, compatible with Java, Symbian Series 60, UIQ, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile phones. GetJar also creates a special web address on GetJar for the Visual Bookmark, from which consumers can download it. GetJar creates Visual Bookmarks at no charge for the owner of any mobile-compatible website or web application. Once installed an a mobile phone as an icon, a Visual Bookmark resides on the phone's display in the same area as other downloaded applications.

Survey Finds 61 Percent of Mobile Users Would Agree to View Advertising for Discount on Monthly Bill

2008-11-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Transverse, a pioneer of open source business solutions, today released the results of a wireless and mobile industry research survey which provides insight into mobile customers’ phone use and their willingness to view advertisements in exchange for discounts to their monthly service bill.

The survey, commissioned by Transverse and conducted by iGR, a market strategy consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile industry, interviewed 810 wireless subscribers ages 18 to 65, found that the majority of respondents were receptive to mobile advertising. In fact, 56 percent of mobile users said they would view ads on their phones if they were given a 25 to 50 percent discount on their monthly bill.

Among the other key findings of the survey were:

* Mobile users under the age of 35 were most receptive to advertisements on their mobile device as incentives for discounts on their monthly service bill.
* Younger users ages 18-25, who are more apt to text, were among the most willing to trade the number of text messages sent/received while audiences 26-44 years of age, who are more apt to talk, were most willing to trade voice usage for discounted services.
* 46 percent of those surveyed said that a 25 to 50 percent discount on their monthly bill was enough of an incentive to provide access to their usage patterns, including browsing, email and texting habits, as well as location - but not personal information such as the content of texts and emails.

“Mobile advertising has taken on many forms, and is generally considered to be intrusive. But when consumers are given the choice to receive ads and share their usage patterns in exchange for discounts, mobile advertising has the potential to be highly targeted and highly effective,” Iain Gillott, President of iGR. “These survey findings indicate that consumers are open to non-traditional mobile advertising models.”

“With today’s economy, consumers are actively looking for ways to cut back their monthly expenses,” said Jim Messer, president and CEO of Transverse. “When a carrier is able to open up their customer base to create better value relationships among users, brands, merchants and the media companies, consumers will see a significant reduction on their monthly bill, advertisers will have a highly targeted avenue to reach their audience, and wireless service providers will see new revenue streams to improve their bottom lines. All of this is made possible with state-of-the-art OSS technology available today.”

Mobile Marketing Interest Unchanged Since Last Year

2008-11-18T12:11:00.000-08:00

In the past year, consumers haven't changed their attitudes toward mobile marketing, according the "2008 Mobile Attitude & Usage Study" of the U.S. market released by the Mobile Marketing Association and with research conducted by Synovate.

Where the study sees promise is an increase in text message use and subscription to alerts. The percentage of consumers interested in mobile marketing has remained even for the past four years of the study, however. Of the total audience, 6 percent say they are highly interested in mobile marketing, 20 percent are moderately interested, and 75 percent aren't interested. The percentages are roughly the same for the 18 and over group: 6 percent are highly interested, 19 percent are moderately interested, and 75 percent aren't interested.

Participation in mobile marketing efforts is higher among those between 18 and 44 years old. The 18 to 24 year olds are the highest group, with 12 percent participation; 8 percent of those 25 to 34 years old and 7 percent of those 35 to 44 years old partake in mobile marketing. In total an average 6 percent of consumers, including teens to those over 55, take part in mobile marketing efforts. In 2008, participation rates were higher than in the past three years.

In 2008, the top mobile marketing categories included:

* Text-to-win or voting campaigns: 48 percent

* Ringtone downloads: 28 percent

* Status alerts: 25 percent

* Sales alerts: 24 percent

* Mobile coupons: 22 percent

* Product information: 21 percent

* Mobile customer care: 13 percent

* Location-based information: 6 percent
*

An increase in the volume of text messaging and nonvoice features on mobile phones suggests consumers view their handsets as more than just mobile phones, according to the study.

"Continued increases in text messaging behaviors pave the way for mobile messaging and marketing," said Beth Ritchey, vice president, Synovate Tech and Telecom, in a report. "Creating strong opportunities for mobile marketers, the pervasiveness of mobile phones in Americans' daily lives suggests that marketing applications are a natural extension of consumers' ever-increasing reliance on mobile devices."

The study consisted of 1,405 online interviews using a nationally representative consumer online panel of over 1.5 million households.

Kids and Teens Are Always On

2008-11-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.

eMarketer estimates that 82% of US teens ages 12 to 17 and 43.5% of children ages 3 to 11 will use the Internet on a monthly basis in 2009.

Comparative data from Nielsen Online indicates that about 19% of active Internet users in July 2008—or 32.4 million people—were under age 18.
MultiMedia Intelligence found that there were 16 million mobile teens in the US in 2007.

According to the US Census Bureau, there are 25.7 million teens in the US. That means nearly two-thirds of all teens have a mobile phone.

Pew Internet & American Life Project and the College Board’s National Commission on Writing found that a greater percentage of US teens have a mobile phone than own a PC
“This audience navigates between a multitude of electronic options for communication, including social networks, text messaging, instant messaging and virtual worlds,” says Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, Kids and Teens: Communication Revolutionaries. “They expect transitions between communications media to be seamless—messages sent by one means ought to be accessible in another.”

In fact, the distinctions many adults make between “online,” “offline” and “mobile” communications are meaningless to these young multimedia mavens.

“Kids and teens just communicate, period,” says Ms. Williamson.

What tools they use to interact are less important than how simple the interaction is, how seamlessly they can move across devices and how engaging the experience is.

“Marketers have never confronted a faster-moving or more elusive audience,” Ms. Williamson says.

One step closer to mobile TV

2008-11-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

This year’s TelcoTV conference has service providers looking beyond the living room. The show, typically centered on IPTV and broadband, is tackling the bigger picture of how the Internet, over-the-top video, long-tail content and, especially, mobile devices are changing how television is delivered.

The Open Mobile Video Coalition demonstrated this week that one industry segment, local broadcasters, already is changing how they deliver TV. Two local Chicago broadcasters, ION Media Networks and Fox Television, held successful mobile digital TV demonstrations in the downtown market, confirming that they can deliver a number of local and live broadcasts over a variety of mobile devices and phones. The service, which uses a draft of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) mobile TV standard, could give other mobile TV providers a run for their money.

Consumers Want Quality Cameras on Mobile Phones

2008-11-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Strategy Analytics Wireless Device Lab service research, "The Camera is Still King: Consumers Willing to Pay for a Quality Camera on Their Mobile Device," shows that a quality camera is the primary mobile phone add-on for which consumers in the U.S. and Western Europe would be willing to pay--and willing to pay the most--compared to other mobile device features.
These findings are based on a survey of over 2800 wireless device owners in the US and Western Europe. The survey showed that mobile consumers are also willing to pay for a video camera, music player and removable memory cards.
"Strategy Analytics research shows that over 60% of all respondents would be willing to pay extra for a quality camera on their mobile device," commented Chris Schreiner, Senior User Experience Analyst at Strategy Analytics. "This desire for imaging features prevails across all age ranges in both regions."
Kevin Nolan, Vice President of the Strategy Analytics User Experience Practice, added, "Cameras, video cameras and music players are quickly becoming table stakes when consumers shop for mobile devices. They also requested additional memory in order to store this media."

Serving Your Customers With Mobile Marketing

2008-11-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

Is your company Web site easily browsed by mobile devices like phones and BlackBerrys? If not, you may want to do something about that — soon.

Mobile_MarketingJust maintaining your Web site may seem daunting enough. But there’s reason to start planning ahead to the next frontiers of Internet usage. All signs suggest that online browsing will be done increasingly by mobile phone.

A July report by Nielsen Mobile showed that 15.6% of U.S. subscribers “actively use” the mobile Internet – that is, use the Internet services on their mobile device at least once a month. And that number is rising quickly as more carriers bundle their voice plans with plans that offer Internet usage.

Mobile TV Gains Momentum

2008-11-11T07:57:00.001-08:00

Mobile digital TV appears to be a step closer after two Chicago stations conducted a test that successfully streamed live TV to handheld devices. Local TV stations are pushing for a standard to be developed to facilitate their ability to deliver live news and other local programming.

In addition to Chicago, where Ion Media Networks' local station was involved along with the local Fox owned-and-operated outlet, a second successful test took place in Denver using an Ion station.

Sprint, Verizon and other carriers deliver live TV, but this initiative would allow local broadcasters to deliver to the small screens over the air.

Questions for Yahoo's Head of Mobile Advertising and Publishing

2008-11-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yahoo may not have its own mobile OS or branded phone like Google, but its mobile offerings -- such as Yahoo Go, OneSearch, and OneConnect on the iPhone -- reach millions of users worldwide.

At the helm of Yahoo's advertising initiatives is David Katz. Appointed in June, Katz has overseen the launch of a search and display ad partnership with AT&T and one with T-Mobile. ClickZ talked to him last week about Yahoo's mobile progress and its plans for 2009.

Q. What has happened in the two months since you took over?

A.We've had a busy couple of months in terms of what we've accomplished. We launched a mobile search and display partnership with AT&T. We launched partnerships in Asia as well [with carriers in Malaysia and India].

On the product side, our big [news] is the launch of rich media ads in the Yahoo Go product. The challenge was most phones don't have Flash support. With Yahoo Go we can control the media experience. A great set of brands can get excited about [the ad offering], with recent campaigns from Ford, Mountain Dew, Nationwide, and we just launched with the Sci-Fi Channel.

Cell Phone of the Future

2008-11-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

With wireless number and home to cell phone portability now live, wireless dominance is now forseen. The wireless revolution will occur slowly. Changes and new technology will be introduced. Cutting the wireline cord is inevitable. The world is going wireless - totally.

So what does the cell phone of the future need to be?

Because your cell phone already controls so much of your life the cell phone of the future needs to manage it. The cell phone of today is already your alarm clock, day planner, music player, internet, and your social circle. Tomorrow, shouldn't your cell phone integrate all aspects of your life to make it easier? What if leaving your cell phone at home wasn't just leaving your cell phone behind but leaving behind your wallet, keys, music player and cell phone?

Mobile TV Tees Up for Election Day

2008-11-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

If you’re not near a TV today, mobile TV services are one alternative to getting your Election Day fix.

Qualcomm’s MediaFLO USA service will be delivering Election Day coverage all day from NBC, CBS, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, CNN and MTV News. There also promises to be Election Day versions of the Colbert Report and the Daily Show from Comedy Central.

Both Verizon Wireless and AT&T offer MediaFLO services in the United States.

MobiTV also offers programming tomorrow on CNBC, MSNBC, ABC News NOW, C-Span and Fox News. In the United States, MobiTV, which boasts more than 4 million subscribers on more than 350 handsets, is carried by Alltel, AT&T and Sprint.

MobiTV saw some big upticks during the debates leading up to the big day. The first Presidential debate on Sept. 26 saw a 64% increase over the average daily viewing on mobile news channels that carried the debates on MobiTV. The Oct. 2 Vice Presidential debate drew a 102% increase over the average, and the Oct. 7 Presidential debate prompted an 84% increase over the average. The final Presidential debate produced a 111% increase over the average.

Mobile TV service providers say people are not necessary out of their homes when they’re watching mobile TV services. Sometimes they’re tuning in because someone else has commandeered the TV set.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T12:01:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Halloween here are some costumes we found to be funny.

Mobile advertising to hit the mainstream by 2010

2008-10-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Mobile advertising is set to become a mainstay of UK marketing plans over the next two years despite a current disconnect between usage and understanding of the medium, according to the latest research from the IAB.

Despite the positive findings, the study also indicated that there is still a strong need for industry-wide education, with 76 per cent of respondents requiring further information on the efficacy of the medium.

Jim Cook, editor of MobiAdNews and chair of the IAB Mobile Council, comments: “Expectations for mobile advertising are high but actual understanding is low. The industry needs to address measurement, effectiveness and benchmarks if mobile advertising is going to reach a tipping point by 2010. The IAB intends to tackle each of these areas through quality research, events and collaboration with other mobile trade bodies like the GSMA and the MMA.”

IBM Study: Consumers Pick Mobile Device over PC

2008-10-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

IBM has released new survey results which reveal that over 50 percent of consumers would substitute their Internet usage on a PC for a mobile device.

IBM surveyed 600 consumers in the United States, China and the United Kingdom on their preferences regarding the mobile Internet. The survey found that communication, travel and navigation applications, as well as news and information services, are expected to increase in usage over the mobile Internet. With the world's population of mobile-phone users expected to increase from the current 50 percent to 80 percent in 2013, which translates to a staggering 5.8 billion people, the availability of IP wireless broadband and more affordable devices will change the way companies around the world operate and relate to their customers, employees and partners.

"Worldwide adoption of the mobile phone as the preferred device for accessing the Internet is just around the corner," said Dr. Sungyoul Lee, Global Consulting Leader, Electronics Industry, IBM. "With 70 percent of consumers worldwide who believe that the mobile Internet has the potential to add significant to moderate value to their day-to-day lives, the time is now for companies to develop intuitive applications and services that allow people of all ages to effortlessly access and use the Internet while on the go -- anytime, and anywhere."

By 2011, 39 percent of respondents said they expect to increase Internet use on their mobile device by at least 40 percent. The Chinese consumers polled lead the world as the fastest adopting society of the mobile web. This finding is in synch with IBM's previous hypothesis that within emerging markets, the mobile platform will be the primary way of interacting with businesses and institutions. These countries have in many cases leapfrogged the PC era and are routinely using their mobile devices for a variety of consumer services.

71 percent of respondents acknowledged that they expect to increase their usage of communication services such as obtaining maps and directions, instant messaging, social networking, emailing and reading the news from their mobile device. Growth markets like China and India are leading this adoption at a rapid pace and are proving to be the most open towards mobile internet than the mature markets. The survey found that consumers still prefer to execute services such as banking, stock trading, shopping and general search on the PC rather than a mobile device.

The mobile Internet is the most popular among Generation X and Generation Y, as they tend to be more technology savvy and have a greater exposure and acceptance of emerging technologies. Over 50 percent of respondents who chose "Strong to Full substitution" of accessing the PC versus a mobile device were 15-30 years old and believe the industry is doing its best to advance the mobile Web, although most are still unsatisfied with the price and services offered by carriers and handset manufacturers.

GPS-Based Mobile Ads: Where Does Privacy Fit?

2008-10-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just as in real estate, the mobile world is increasingly realizing the value of location, location, location.

But while the housing market wrestles with woes stemming from the subprime mortgage implosion, vendors of location-based services (LBS) for messaging, marketing and advertising are struggling to overcome their own obstacles.

Chief among these is consumer privacy in a highly connected and always-available mobile environment. Wireless carriers already know, more or less, where their subscribers are. Now advertisers are getting the tools to easily piece together a profile based on mobile Web surfing and online activities from increasingly powerful Web-based phones. Not surprisingly, many consumers aren't thrilled at the prospect.

"Most people surveyed view mobile advertising as creepy," said M.J. Nash, chief strategy officer at LBS applications developer WanderSmart. In Japan, for example, a large number of people consider onboard GPS technology and tools as downright invasive, she said yesterday while speaking on a panel discussion here at Mobile Internet World in Boston.

Mobile Content Still Gathering Steam

2008-10-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Talk continues to dominate mobile usage—for now.

As forecasts with big numbers catch marketers’ eyes, hard data reminds us that in many ways, mobile content is still finding its foothold. Most mobile phone users in the US are sticking with the basics for now, according to data released in October 2008 by Accenture.

According to the survey, fielded in December 2007, nearly 80% of respondents did not use their mobile device for gaming, 84% did not use mobile e-mail and 88% did not watch mobile videos.

While 12% of respondents said that mobile e-mail usage took up 1 to 4 hours per week, 4% said it occupied 5 or more hours weekly. For mobile video, those numbers fell to 9% and 3%, respectively.

In addition, there was a notable difference in mobile content use between Generation Y and their parents—those considered baby boomers or older. More than one-quarter of respondents ages 18 to 24 used their mobile phones for voice calls only, a dramatic difference from the 69% of those ages 45 and older who did so.

“These survey results point to important missed business opportunities in the mobile handset and social networking arenas,” said Accenture’s Kumu Puri, in a statement. “Clearly, many consumers are not widely embracing higher-end mobile phone applications.”

As smartphones start to branch out from the enterprise market and make inroads with consumers (think iPhone and Google’s G1), eMarketer believes that mobile content will begin to gain traction. The US market for mobile games is projected to grow from $344 million in 2007 to $1.15 billion in 2012, while spending on mobile music will surpass $4 billion in 2012, from just under $1 billion last year.

Mobile Video Calling Gets Boost

2008-10-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

With Global IP Solutions' latest release, videoconferencing from a mobile handset may soon become more accessible. The company's VideoEngine Mobile for the Windows Mobile platform enables peer-to-peer video calling and multiport videoconferencing on cell phones. Handset manufacturers and vendors are the primary market for the product.

GIPS has experience in the mobile VoIP space, and the company told InformationWeek that video was a natural progression.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wow the crowd at the New York City intro of T-Mobile's G1 Android Google phone. Video by InformationWeek's Alex Wolfe. Startup Aerohive talks up its distributed control WLAN architecture Jim Vogt talks through the evolution ahead in wireless infrastructure
Jim Vogt talks through the evolution ahead in wireless infrastructure
"Mobile VoIP is increasingly becoming an important service for users who seek to maximize the value received from mobile phones," said William Stofega, research manager at IDC's VoIP services program, in a statement. "With video calling, the mobile operators can now deliver the full benefits and innovations of IP communications, allowing them to offer more value-added services to customers while increasing their revenue streams."

Certain smartphones can already pull off video calling, but GIPS said the existing products utilize separate engines for the video and voice function, leading to jittering and packet-loss issues. GIPS said its VideoEngine Mobile can solve issues like lip synchronization even under adverse network conditions.

"Today's mobile phone users demand the best in quality and rich functionality, which is why there is an enormous opportunity for application developers and wireless carriers to offer real-time video calls to the masses," Emerick Woods, CEO of GIPS, said in a statement. "Our expertise in enabling IP communications will allow mobile phone users the highest-quality video calling experience possible."

The GIPS product represents the first step for increasing video calling, but handset makers and carriers need to get on board before it can get widespread adoption. In terms of the physical device, the video-calling engine needs to be implemented from the beginning for maximum efficiency. GIPS also said the product can offer wireless carriers an opportunity to increase customers' data use, and thus increase the average revenue per user.

The company said it expects the VideoEngine Mobile to be available on other popular mobile platforms like Symbian and Apple's iPhone in the near future.

Will Mobile Marketers Pony Up for Texts?

2008-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

During the past few weeks there have been reports that Verizon Wireless may start charging $0.03 per outbound SMS message sent to its subscribers. That would double or triple the cost to marketers who send SMS text messages to their opted-in consumers who use Verizon.

Text messages are the biggest component of mobile message advertising, which will reach $4.5 billion in revenues in the US by 2012, from nearly $1.5 billion this year.

For its part, Verizon told The New York Times the company had not set any specific price for delivery of text messages or a date that any fee might go into effect.

Service providers have definitely been carrying more traffic on their networks as a result of texts. Americans sent 75 billion text messages in June 2008 alone, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association—up from 29 billion in June 2007.

John du Pre Gauntt, senior analyst at eMarketer, said that carriers had some justification for wanting fees from marketers because otherwise they would have to pass full costs on to consumers—which would not serve either industry.

However, Mr. Gauntt said carriers should not just look at mobile marketers as another revenue stream to tout in earnings calls. “You milk the cow once it’s grown, not after it’s just been weaned,” he said.

“Carriers will likely start charging marketers for commercial texts at some point. But in the long run, it will be thought of as negotiating point, rather than a threat to the freedom of the mobile Web,” Mr. Gauntt concluded.

Do you ever turn off your cell phone?

2008-10-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is the question of the day at Gizmodo.

There are very few times that I power down and usually is it out of sheer frustration. But I did spend one week in Mexico this summer where, GASP, I had my cell phone off, and in the hotel safe for 8 days.

Due completely to the fact that I refused to pay the exorbitant roaming charges I sent one text to my family letting them know we arrived safely and locked my phone away.

And to be honest I didn't miss it at all, OK that's not entirely true. There was one time when I was wandering the hotel and couldn't find my companion that I wish I had my phone to place that "Where are you?" call. But what good would it have done if I had my phone, when his was still in the safe.

And its funny because coming home I thought that my cellular vacation would have made me less dependent on my mobile phone but it didn't it might have made it worse because now I know I can be without a mobile but I just choose not to be.

Will mobile phones kill the TV station?

2008-10-22T08:54:00.001-07:00

That’s a question one can’t help but ask Patrick Parodi, CMO of mobile advertising solutions provider, Amobee. As chairman and global board director of the Mobile Entertainment
Forum , Parodi loves to play the role of evangelist, telling mobile operators to turn into a media company. In an interview with ET, the messiah of mobile entertainment and marketing speaks at length on how mobile operators are probably close to missing the bus, the lessons they could learn from the commoditisation of internet service providers (ISPs). And, of course, the fate of the TV station.

Mobile marketing is largely tactical or promotion-led , and is rarely part of a long-term strategy. Is the mobile useful only as a shortterm marketing tool?

To a great extent, mobile marketing is being used as a direct marketing tool for lead generation and as a push model. That’s going to change. We are going to see mobile more as a media option where the user becomes the centre of the medium. That’s largely happening because of the advancement in handsets like the iPhone, or what others like Nokia, HTC and Google’s Android platform are doing. From our perspective, the operator is in the centre of the wireless ecosystem. But they have a big job ahead in accelerating their networks to become media companies.

Online and Mobile Family Connections

2008-10-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Families stay in touch, with and without wires.
Nearly nine out of 10 married-with-children households surveyed owned multiple mobile phones, and nearly one-half owned three or more. Two-thirds of such households had broadband at home. The national average for all households is 52%.

Many of the families surveyed used their mobile phones to keep in touch: 70% of couples in which both partners owned a mobile phone contacted each other daily to say hello or chat, and 42% of parents contacted their child/children every day by mobile phone.

“Some analysts have worried that new technologies hurt family togetherness, but we see that technology allows for new kinds of connectedness built around mobile phones and the internet,” said Tracy Kennedy, author of the report, in a statement.

The Ultimate Social Network

2008-10-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

It’s no surprise that text messaging is the most requested feature on mobile phones. In fact, the top 5 most popular features listed in a recent Amplitude Research survey are pretty understandable given the evolution of mobile technology in the past 5 years:

1. text messaging (73%)
2. camera (67%)
3. e-mail (63%)
4. Internet (61%)
5. music (34%)

But what’s missing on this list is the one feature that initiates all communications on the mobile device: the phone book. Without it, mobile phones would be an accessory, not an indispensable communication tool.

So why doesn’t the phone book appear on this list of must-haves? Most subscribers (and their mobile operators) view it as a standard mobile phone feature. No one would buy a phone without a place to store their contacts. Without easy access to people’s contact information, initiating a mobile call, SMS, e-mail, mobile IM chat or a mobile location-based service is a huge aggravation, if not impossible.

Despite its necessity, the phone book in its current incarnation doesn’t deliver much value to consumers or to mobile operators due to its severe limitations

New on the horizon is the social address book, which transforms the phone book on any standard mobile phone into a social networking platform that makes it easier for subscribers to exchange contact information.

When you think about it, our real social network is the people we meet and communicate with on a daily basis, not simply a list on a Website. The foundation of our social network is literally in the palm of our hands: our mobile phone book. Mobile operators are right in the middle of this real-world network

How Do Mobile Users Spend Their Time?

2008-10-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Texting tops the list.

Mobile users in the US are on their phones more than ever, talking, texting, watching videos and using the mobile Web.

Over one-half (54%) of mobile users surveyed in September 2008 by Azuki Systems said their usage had increased by more than 25% over the past two years. One-fifth said their usage had increased by 50% or more. One-third of respondents talked on their mobile phone more than 10 hours per week, and 34% of respondents ages 17 and under talked for more than 15 hours weekly.

But minutes of talk time became a commodity long ago, and mobile carriers—and the marketers who want to reach mobile customers—are looking to mobile data for new revenues.

The survey results should encourage them: Nearly four out of 10 mobile Internet users surfed the mobile Web for 2 or more hours every week. That number is likely to rise as smartphones continue to go mass market; 62% of mobile users surveyed said they either already owned or would own one within the next 12 months.
Nearly four out of five mobile users said they sent text messages from their phone, and 29% of those who did spent more than 2 hours every week on the activity.

The percentage of mobile users who told Azuki they sent text messages was even higher than results recorded by Nielsen Mobile in Q2 2008. Nielsen also found texting to be the most common mobile content activity, although it estimated that only 53% of mobile users engaged in SMS messaging.

Mobile Phones: 100% Just Isn't Enough

2008-10-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2008, was a milestone in mobile communications: the 25th anniversary of the first commercial cellphone call. As the revolution-without-wires has spread, the result is an adoption rate that would have left Alexander Graham Bell himself speechless. Within a quarter century of that call—which was placed to Mr. Bell’s grandson—the majority of people on this earth have a mobile phone.

Think of anyone you know, odds are that person is a wireless subscriber.

In a phenomenon that baffles newcomers to the mobile world, penetration figures sail past 100%—and no one so much as bats an eyelash.

The reason, of course, is that people have more than one mobile. One for home, one for work. A contract phone for around town, a prepaid phone for the road. This happens to a particular degree in Europe, where frequent travel across borders means juggling subscriptions to keep from paying steep roaming fees. Usually, this means carrying one phone and switching out the SIM card, the little chip that stores your subscriber information.

For example, Informa Telecoms & Media estimates that by the end of the year, 28.9% of prepaid mobile subscriptions worldwide will consist of “secondary or tertiary SIM card ownership.” Certainly a very useful figure to know, but can you blame us if “tertiary SIM card ownership” sounds an awful lot like “has more phones than hands?”

Heck, the GSM Association reports mobile phone penetration in Italy at 154%. It’s hard not to picture every man, woman and child in the country carrying baskets of phones, trading them like currency, using them as noisemakers at football matches, building sculptures out of them to stand alongside fountains and in piazzas.

Happy 25th birthday, Mr. Cell Phone

2008-10-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Wireless Association, is commemorating a major industry and technology milestone this month - the 25th anniversary of the first commercial cellular call in the United States.

Today, there are now more than 262 million wireless subscribers in the United States - 83 percent of the total U.S. population - and 3.3 billion active cell phones worldwide, making it one of the fastest global dispersions of any technology in history.

The first commercial cellular call was placed on October 13, 1983 to the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell in Germany from the president of Ameritech Mobile Communications at a ceremony held outside of Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. This transatlantic conversation launched the nation's first citywide commercial cellular system. Weighing nearly two pounds and 13 inches long, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X used on that historic day had only 30 minutes of talk time, a far cry from the sleek, thin multi-purpose wireless handsets of today.

Puma mobile campaign targets Chinese F1 fans

2008-10-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE - Puma is running a mobile campaign around the Chinese Grand Prix created by mobile agency Phonevalley, including a specially created game, a member-get-member drive and mobile coupon mechanics.

Launched the week leading up to the F1 Grand Prix race in Shanghai on Sunday, Publicis agency Phonevalley has designed a mobile campaign centred around an F1-themed Puma mobile website, which features Puma's 'F Wan' videogame racing site. In Chinese, "wan" means "play".
Designed in partnership with media agency Zenith China, the website allows users to download the F1 racing game to their mobile device, complete with in-game advertising.

Players are encouraged to submit their scores by SMS back to the Puma website with the incentive that the top three scorers each week win Puma merchandise. Prizes are also awarded for users who forward the game onto friends.

The mobile site allows gives access to a store locator that identifies the closest Puma retailer. It also provides in-store promotion details and gift coupons, including Puma F1 toys and Puma F1 mobile screensavers and wallpaper.

Banners and text links to the site will be displayed on three Chinse mobile portals -- QQ, 3g.cn and Kong.net. SMS short codes are also integrated into Puma print ads.
Alexandre Mars, CEO of Phonevalley and head of mobile for Publicis Groupe, said: "Following our recent Euro 2008 campaign for Puma, I am thrilled to pursue our mobile operations for the sport lifestyle brand in China.
"With its 600m mobile subscribers, the Chinese market is undoubtedly a fantastic opportunity for Puma to develop its mobile presence."

Mobile marketing spend to rise 150% in five years

2008-10-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Mobile marketing is set to take off as major brands look to invest in the platform over the next five years, according to an independent survey commissioned by O2.

The survey shows brands will have increased their spend on mobile marketing by 150% come 2013 and do not anticipate any impact on budgets as a result of the economic downturn.

The survey, which was carried out by Vanson Bourne in May this year and included marketing and IT directors at 100 leading brands, also found that the personalised nature of mobile marketing campaigns means they generate a higher response rate than traditional advertising.

Of those marketing directors questioned, 60% favoured mobile marketing because it was considered better for close targeting, especially in financial services advertising.

The use of mobile marketing is increasing with specific services gaining in popularity. Text-to-win competitions and text-to-call-back or email campaigns have increased in use by more than 20% each, while retail and financial services ads were judged the most popular mobile advertising areas.

SMS was used by nearly a third of all businesses interviewed, yet half of the marketers questioned who have yet to make use of mobile marketing campaigns claim they are concerned that their customers will view the text messages as spam.

Simon Dean, head of mobile media at O2 UK said there has "never been a better time for brands to engage with their customers via mobile".

Dean said: "One in 10 of those we surveyed already think mobile marketing has saved their business at least £1m when compared to other marketing solutions.

"With more consumers than ever browsing the web through their mobile handsets, there is a significant and largely untapped audience for brands to target their customers directly."

Election Polls Hit Mobile Phones

2008-10-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

In yet another sign of tech’s influence on the presidential election, JumpTap and Zogby International are teaming up to poll likely voters – on their cell phones. The surveys have been launched via a mobile ad banner campaign across “premium” mobile sites, the companies announced.

While the poll isn’t intended to be a rigorous, scientific assessment of voters’ likely leanings, the companies are hoping to gain insight into user engagement with polls.
“From an mobile advertising perspective, our goal is to show how relevancy in the mobile marketing channel encourages user engagement and willingness to respond to targeted messaging via their mobile phone,” Paran Johar, CMO of JumpTap, told ADOTAS. “From a polling perspective, we are interested to see if and how, a) users on various publisher sites vote in a distinct way, b) if different handset users have a certain political preference, and c) how mobile polling patterns compare to traditional polls – voter preference based on state, age, race and issues.”

Currently, 43 million U.S. mobile subscribers are using the mobile Internet.
JumpTap reaches more than 170 million mobile subscribers through partnerships with 18 mobile operators and numerous content publishers with its search and advertising solutions.
Zogby International was the most accurate pollster in every one of the last three presidential election cycles, and continues to improve its telephone and interactive methodologies using its own live operator, in-house call center in Upstate New York, and its own secure servers for its online polling projects. In the 2004 presidential election, not only was Zogby’s telephone polling right on the money, its interactive polling also nailed the election as well.

How to get the most out of mobile marketing

2008-10-08T08:14:00.001-07:00

The movement to access content on mobile platforms is gathering pace: 57 per cent of mobile phone users will have 3G internet access by 2011, according to Forrester Research.

So far, the speed of the mobile internet has limited its development. But the popularity of flat-rate data plans, the proliferation of services and applications, and the emergence of high-speed devices such as the iPhone 3G and BlackBerry Bold, have made the technology viable and accessible.

Marketing group Nielsen estimates that going mobile will extend the audience reach of many internet sites by an average of 13 per cent. To get their hands on this ever-growing market, search providers are introducing applications and services, and opening up new possibilities to market on a personal level.

For marketers looking to use mobile web browsers, it is critical that their offering is presented in a practical, consumable way. For media-driven sites such as Disney.co.uk, this is a straightforward proposition - making a 'snack-sized' portal that balances advertising with content. Retailers have been more cautious, given the difficulty in displaying sufficient quantities of information to encourage a purchase.

But, unlike the fixed internet, the mobile web has no established models by which to measure success or failure, which makes it difficult to justify its slice of the marketing budget. It is therefore important for marketers to start to obtain a view of how their customers are interacting with their brand over this channel. Are visitors viewing more than one page on the site? Are their browsers capable of handling video? What screen size do most visitors use?

The mobile internet is reaching critical mass. Digital marketers need to understand its value and how to communicate with visitors accessing their sites with handheld devices. Maximising its potential begins with analytics, and using the lessons of the internet will help us understand how to deliver value.

Is The Smartphone Your Next Computer?

2008-10-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Is the smartphone the new laptop? Can we really ditch our Windows-powered portables when we travel, in favor of BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile-, or Symbian-powered handsets? It's true that full-fledged x86 computing excels at supporting deep views into business intelligence and CRM databases. However, most professionals would like nothing better than to lighten their load on the road. And hey, if they can access their companies' Oracle , Salesforce, SAP, or Sybase apps from a lightweight mobile interface, why not?

What we found is a mixed bag. Smartphone makers are rushing to partner with software houses, as both see big bucks in giving their customers mobile enterprise access. The former envision over-the-air ERP and CRM as ways to drive expensive handsets into the hands of workers who currently don't rate more than commodity cell phones. And software vendors anticipate broader usage--or at least heightened mindshare--for their apps if they can get many more people to spend more time interacting with customer and transaction-oriented data on their handsets.

As for users, we found a market clearly in its early stages though poised for rapid growth. In an InformationWeek online survey of 1,139 business technology professionals, 30% of smartphone users say they use their devices for enterprise connectivity, and 37% either occasionally or frequently leave their laptops at home in favor of their smartphones.

Many more users would like to ditch their laptops when they travel but are afraid of being caught short. Most midlevel execs will only cop to arriving at a meeting armed with just a smartphone if they're on a day trip. So, for the near-term, a dual-use scenario will be the norm, where laptops lumber on in their traditional role.

Peering Inside a Mobile Phone Network

2008-10-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why your mobile phone can alert you to new voicemail without having ever rung? Or why a text message can get through when a call can't? Maybe you've traveled across continents and been amazed at how calls still manage to follow you? Or perhaps you've noticed that sometimes your battery only seems to last a fraction of its normal life? And why can the iPhone 3G figure out your location in 3 seconds when it takes takes your car GPS 3 minutes?

Although we normally take the ubiquitous mobile phone for granted; assuming it should work anywhere at any time, there's quite a bit of complex technology involved in sending a call to a device in your pocket. While we've all screamed in frustration over dropped calls and other annoyances, the truth is these are impressive devices, packed with amazing technology, that still hold a few tricks up their sleeves. And after you learn a little more about the inside of the system, maybe, just maybe, you'll be a little less irritated the next time you battle to make a simple call.

Mobile Location-Based Services on the Move

2008-10-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

The pin marks your spot.

Consumer mobile location-based services first became available two to three years ago as the performance and cost of mobile handsets—especially smartphones—made it feasible to launch mobile information services that used location data. The iPhone, and all the clones that sprang up after its introduction, accelerated adoption.

eMarketer estimates there will be over 63 million location-based service users worldwide this year, and 486 million in 2012.

“Consumers have discovered that the appeal of location-based services extends beyond pinpointing locations, businesses and other points of interest,” says John du Pre Gauntt, senior analyst at eMarketer and author of the new report, Mobile Location-Based Services. “Buddy beacons and friend finders based on location-based service technology allow mobile users to determine each other’s physical location.”

Not surprisingly, marketers, too, are interested in mobile location-based services.

“Connecting with consumers at the last three feet of a transaction is the holy grail for advertisers,” says Mr. Gauntt.

Where Is Online Video Headed?

2008-10-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

eMarketer CEO Geoff Ramsey spoke about the future of online video recently at IAB MIXX. He said that in the near- and midterm, television and online video models will merge, both in content and ads. TV will get more measurement, targeting and accountability, while online video content will improve to rival TV.

One of the brightest spots will be the on-demand video model. The format, which lets consumers watch whatever they want at any time of day or night, will continue to be largely ad-supported.
David Hallerman is a senior analyst covering online video at eMarketer. Like Mr. Ramsey, he foresees changes in ad models as the online video market grows. New models for online video advertising, such as through widgets, or new/old models, such as product placement and sponsorship, will coexist with increasing use of in-stream ads (for example, preroll), which are currently associated with traditional TV content.

Source: emarketer.com

Worldwide mobile cellular subscribers to reach 4 billion mark late 2008

2008-10-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré announced in New York that worldwide mobile cellular subscribers are likely to reach the 4 billion mark before the end of this year.

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

When a Map is No Longer Just a Map

2008-10-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, I indulged in my one and only reality TV obsession. I long ago gave up on the idea that I could actually be on "Amazing Race" on CBS, especially since my friends refuse to pair up with me to make a team until I learn my left from right.
There is absolutely no way I'd undertake that kind of adventure without a data- and voice-enabled mobile phone with international service. After all, I panic when I leave the house without my BlackBerry. I can't but help think about of all the mobile applications I'd download before taking on an "Amazing Race" adventure. Mobile mapping would be first.
Mobile mapping is just about the ultimate example of relevant, timely, and actionable information. A quick check on usage shows that eight percent of U.S. based mobile subscribers accessed maps from mobile devices over a three-month period that ended in May 2008, according to a comScore report. This represents an 82 percent increase year-over-year. The majority of users were looking for driving directions and accessing the information from a mobile browser versus an application.
Finally, in the mobile space, a map is no longer just a map. The future of navigation for consumers will bridge the gap between point A and point B, bringing people and places (like retail stores and mom-and-pop shops, too) together with marketers like never before. The real promise of on-the-go access is unfolding now. Too bad the folks on "Amazing Race" have to win the old-fashioned way.

Article by Courtney Acuff, The ClickZ Network

Why Talk When You Can Text?

2008-09-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Text messaging overtakes mobile voice calls.

The average mobile subscriber in the US sent and received more SMS text messages than mobile telephone calls during Q2 2008, according to Nielsen. This was the second consecutive quarter in which the average number of text messages was significantly higher than the average number of phone calls.
John du Pre Gauntt, senior analyst at eMarketer explained that communicating by text was close to having a conversation, and noted that marketers could embed links to pop text sessions into other media (click-to-map, click-to-call, click-to-video).

"The biggest mistake for marketers is to confuse texting by users over age 35 with asynchronous e-mail. If we look at text/Twitter and IM, there is a lot of value to textual communication that comes closer to—but is not the same as—synchronous voice communications. Marketers engaging with text still need to master the art of conversation," Mr. Gauntt continued.

Revenues from all ad-supported messaging in North America will approach $4 billion by 2011.

Riding the Perfect Storm of Mobile Marketing

2008-09-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

A flurry of new studies and product releases last week seems to point to one thing: we're about to enter the perfect storm for mobile marketing. And it's time to think about how mobile marketing is different and how we can fit it into our increasingly complicated campaigns.

And while you may feel like you've heard this before well things are different now. The technology's become fairly mature. People are used to texting and mobile e-mail. Devices work a heck of a lot better, and today's mobile devices now come tricked out with GPS, Wi-Fi, cameras, and a host of other features that the old four-function flip phones of yore could only dream of.

People are changing their use of mobile technology, too. Fully 17 percent of households are ditching their landlines for mobile phones, and Nielsen Mobile predicts that the number could jump to 20 percent by year's end. While it's not a big surprise to anyone that teens are leading the mobile revolution, I was amused by a recent Harris Interactive study which found that nearly 60 percent of teens credited their mobile phone for improving their lives and that four out of five teens carry mobile devices (a 40 percent jump from 2004). In fact, the devices have become so much a part of their lives that the same study found that 42 percent of teens could text blindfolded!

While the mobile Web and mobile marketing in general have had their share of overhyped moments and jump-the-gun promises in the past 10 years, there's no question now that if you're a marketer, you'd better be paying attention. And once you start paying attention, you'd better start thinking differently.

Source: clickz.com

Mobile hardware outpaces software, user capabilities

2008-09-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

Mobile hardware is outpacing software capabilities and the mobile user experience, according to a panel of technologists at Technology Review's Emerging Technologies Conference held at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. Among those speaking was Rich Miner, group manager of mobile platforms at Google Inc., who said open operating systems -- like the one launched on Google's long-awaited G1 Android phone -- will drive future innovation, but much of it may be lost on the user in the short term.

"The easiest way to see this is ... about 80% of mobile phones have cameras in them today, yet if you were to ask how many people actually use those cameras (know how to get photos off of the phone), it's probably literally 10% to 15%," Miner said. (ie ClickOVA)

But with the entrance of companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Google in the mobile platform market, a shift is coming. In a few years, a large contingent of consumers may not even use a PC, but instead perform all their Internet and communications applications on mobile devices, according to panelist Kevin Lynch, chief technology officer of the experience and technology group at Adobe.

Mobile Ads Might Work with Teens

2008-09-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

Their attention has a price

Nearly one-half of teen mobile phone users in the US said they would be at least somewhat interested in accepting mobile ads, as long as they got something in return, according to a September 2008 study conducted by Harris Interactive for mobile trade group CTIA.

For the past three years, Synovate has surveyed mobile phone users in the US on behalf of the Mobile Marketing Association. Each year, at least three-quarters of respondents said they were not interested in mobile marketing.

Video Ad Spend: Building to Steep Growth

2008-09-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

It now appears that the market will take until 2010 to surpass the $1-billion mark. Beyond 2010, huge additional sums will go to online video advertising each succeeding year. Two essential factors will support that growth: more trusted video content to sustain advertising and more large advertisers (brand marketers, mainly) seeing enough scale to enter this market in a big way.

While only 2% of total Internet ad spending will go to video in 2008, that share will be nearly five times higher by the end of 2013.

Further, as total Internet ad spending approaches total television ad levels in 2013, it will become commonplace for TV network ad sales to be a two-way play, with media buyers looking to both online and TV for most campaigns, even in the upfront market.

College Students' Social Networking

2008-09-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Many collegians are on daily.

Social networking is an everyday activity for the majority of college students, and the percentage of students who use the networks daily has nearly doubled in the past two years. EDUCAUSE compared social network usage at 44 colleges and universities in 2006, 2007 and 2008. It found that nearly twice as many students at these institutions use social networks every day in 2008 (59%) than did in 2006 (33%).

Source: emarketer.com

Text Messages Drive Mobile Data Growth

2008-09-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Medium demands savvy use by marketers

Mobile data service revenues in the US rose to $14.8 billion for the first half of 2008, according to the CTIA. That was up 40% over the first half of 2007, when data revenues reached $10.5 billion. Mobile data now accounts for one-fifth of all mobile revenues.

"More and more people are using wireless devices to access the Internet, take photos, get directions, watch videos, download music and send text messages," said Steve Largent, CEO of the CTIA, in a statement.

Do Ads Fit with Mobile User-Generated Content?

2008-09-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Once, long, long ago, advertisers only had to worry what was on the facing page.

YouTube educated the mass market about authoring and sharing user-generated content (UGC), and now advertisers are catching on, too.

Clearly, mobile UGC spending is growing. But advertisers still face challenges in reaching consumers in highly personalized—and often unpredictable—UGC settings. Nevertheless, smart marketers are beginning to address the distinct mobile UGC environment through contests, branded tools and other forms of digital collateral that add value to consumers' creative and distribution efforts.

Evolution of the Mobile Phone

2008-09-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

See how Far the Mobile Phone has come.

Social Networks Are Not Yet Universal

2008-09-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Not everyone is pokable.

More than one-half of adults surveyed in 17 countries do not know what social networking is, according to Synovate. The company said it asked over 13,000 consumers in Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the US if they were familiar with social networking.

Although such aggregate findings are useful in a directional sense (many consumers worldwide have yet to hear about social networking), Synovate noted differences in individual countries and among demographic segments.

Social Networks Get Down to Business

2008-09-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

Do business and socializing mix?

Apparently so. As the number of business users of social networks continues to increase, advertising expenditures will rise, too. In the US this year, advertisers will spend $40 million to reach a business audience on online social networks, and that is just the beginning. According to eMarketer projections, that ad spending will reach $210 million in 2012.

A clear sign of the revolution in business thinking and behavior is the popularity of LinkedIn—the most widely known professional social network—where the audience has more than doubled in the past year, and the rise of additional business-oriented networks, including a raft of networks aimed at verticals.

Source: emarketer.com

Global Mobile Broadband subscribers hit 50 Million

2008-09-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

The GSMA, the global trade group for the mobile industry, today
announced that the number of worldwide subscribers using Mobile Broadband (HSPA) networks has topped the 50 million mark from 11 million one year ago. Global uptake of HSPA technology among consumers and businesses is accelerating, indicating continued traffic growth for high-speed mobile networks worldwide. Wireless Intelligence expects the number of HSPA connections to be growing by 4 million per month by the end of 2008.

High-speed mobile access opens up a wide range of services for consumers, including interactive gaming, music and video streaming and the easy sharing of pictures and entertainment. Businesses can use fast Mobile Broadband to rollout advanced solutions for flexible working and to enable field workers to have quick and easy access to the company’s information systems.

Source: GSMA

Who Are You Going to Call?

2008-09-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Mobile phone subscribers, operators and content providers all have an important need for a comprehensive mobile content backup and transfer service. The data on a consumer’s mobile phone, which previously used to be just contacts, now includes calendars, tasks, pictures, licensed content (such as wallpapers, ringtones, and music) and purchased applications.

U.S. 3G Adoption Rivals Europe

2008-09-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

The number of U.S. subscribers with 3G-enabled devices has grown 80%, to 64.2 million during the past year, comScore reports. The market has responded enthusiastically as mobile vendors have rolled out their enhanced networks and a new crop of 3G-enabled devices.

Source: Wirelessweek.com

LG officially announces the 8 megapixel KC910

2008-09-04T12:32:00.001-07:00

Everyone’s quick to point out the aesthetic similarities to some other touchscreen phone made by some dude who grows apples or something, but the KC910 is packin’ a whole lot of heat inside:

8 mp shooter w/ Xenon flash and Schneider-Kreuznach
30 FPS video recording at 640×480, 60 FPS at 320×240
Internal GPS w/ Geotagging
Dolby Audio
Divx/Xvid support
Manual Focus
Smile, focus, face detection, Image stabilization
Quad-band GSM, HSDPA 7.2 mbps
Bluetooth 2.0
WiFi
MicroSD up to 8GB
3″ touchscreen, 240×400
TV out support

Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales Increased 12 Percent in Second Quarter of 2008

2008-09-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Worldwide sales of mobile phones reached close to 305 million units in the second quarter of
2008, a 11.8 percent increase over the second quarter of 2007, according to Gartner, Inc.
Sales of mobile phones in the mature markets of Western Europe and North America slightly
recovered after a difficult start. Western Europe reached close to 42 million units while North
America surpassed 44 million units in the second quarter of 2008.

Nokia sold 120.4 million mobile phones in the second quarter of 2008 and widened its lead
to control 39.5 percent of the global mobile phones market.

Samsung’s mobile phones sales into the channel reached 45.7 million units.

With mobile phone sales reaching 30.4 million units, Motorola’s worldwide market share
dropped further in the second quarter of 2008 at -4.5 percent year-on-year.

LG’s positive momentum continued in the second quarter of 2008, with mobile phones sales
amounting to 26.7 million units. This represented a 2 percentage-point increase
year-on-year.

Sony Ericsson’s market share grew slightly in the second quarter of 2008 sequentially with
worldwide mobile phone sales reaching close to 23 million units.

Source: Gartner

Getting ClickOVA to work on your Blackberry Device (For T-Mobile USA users)

2008-09-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

To get ClickOVA to work on your BlackBerry device with T-Mobile USA, you have to change the internet settings on your device:

Navigate to Settings->Advanced Options -> TCP -> Configure APN - put wap.voicestream.com for the APN, leave the username and password blank.

For further assistance contact us: support@clickova.com

Mobile Social Networking As Killer App?

2008-09-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Social networking may soon grow from just another mobile application into “killer app” status, JupiterResearch said in its latest report.

Emerging Markets Driving Growth in Worldwide Camera Phone Market

2008-08-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

According to Infotrends, the number of camera phones shipped by 2012 will pass the 1.3 Billion mark due to the boom of the camera phone market in "Eastern Europe, Middle Eastern, and African regions".

Would you Watch if it was free?

2008-08-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

At the three carriers that offer mobile TV services--AT&T ( NYSE: T), Verizon ( NYSE: VZ), and Sprint--consumers must pay either a monthly fee, or a pay-per-view charge. But there's growing evidence from other countries where mobile TV broadcasts are available for free that it's that little inconvenience of having to pay that prevents consumers from watching, not their short attention spans or the size of mobile phone screens. In Japan, free TV broadcasts killed off the Toshiba-backed paid mobile TV service Moba-Ho! just a few weeks ago, while in Germany, there have been press reports that subscription TV venture Mobile 3.0 will be forced to shut down after operators threw their support behind DVB-T technology that lets users view digital terrestrial TV for free.

has the Iphone 3G been fixed?

2008-08-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

The brand-new radio chip in the Apple iPhone 3G has been causing the company a bit of indigestion in recent weeks as customers complain about dropped phone calls and intermittent connections to the highly touted 3G network.

Several hours ago, Apple shipped its second software update for the new iPhone 3G. Software version 2.02 “fixes bugs,” according to the documentation accompanying the software patch. That has touched off a wave of speculation that this update will fix the new handset’s communications problems.

On a side note you can win an IPhone 3G from ClickOVA. ClickOVA is giving away an Iphone 3G to their most active user. The contest ends August 31st, 2008 and you can get more details at www.ClickOVA.com

The Dream is Real!

2008-08-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile will be the first carrier to offer a mobile phone powered by Google’s Android software, according to people briefed on the company’s plans. The phone will be made by HTC, one of the largest makers of mobile phones in the world, and is expected to go on sale in the United States before Christmas, perhaps as early as October.

Is your cellphone corny?Samsung hopes it is!

2008-08-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Samsung unveils its latest “eco-phone.” The E200 Eco is the third phone Samsung has introduced this year with parts made from bioplastics — materials extracted from corn. It is the first, however, in which the entire case is bioplastic.
The E200 Eco has a 1.3-megapixel camera, video messaging capabilities and an MP3 player. It's due to release in Europe in September but American's are going to have to wait it out to get green as there isn't a release date yet for the US.
And in case you were wondering even the packaging materials are green, having been made from recycled materials.

Where Will You Be Watching The Olympics? From Your Mobile Phone?

2008-08-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

With the 2008 Olympics well underway hopefully most of you have figured out how you will stay updated. And various media companies are hoping you turn to your mobile device for your updates. They're banking on the Olympics being the watershed moment for mobile content, and even mobile advertising. And, when you think about it, the Olympics has a perfect recipe for making this come true: there's a gigantic, worldwide audience full of people who can at times be ravenous for updates no matter where they are.
YAHOO! has developed a specific mobile page devoted to the event; NBC, the official Olympic broadcaster in the U.S., has a number of options; and a number of smaller scale companies have launched everything from mobile TV to microblogging sites just in time for the Aug. 8 event.

SK Telecom Launches 'Auto Picture Transmission' Service

2008-05-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

SK Telecom begins a service that automatically sends pictures in mobile phones to Cyworld, a social networking service like MySpace.
It will set you free from the frustrating work of connecting cables to PC and your mobile phone to move the pictures, or sending each picture and video through MMS, said SK Telecom.

Named "Icebox", the service uploads mobile phone pictures to Icebox website and your personal Cyworld "mini hompi (homepage)" during the night time.

SK Telecom said that it would also offer the service to bloggers at Cyworld, egloos, and empas.

Lights. Camera. Cellphone Action.

2008-04-24T07:51:00.001-07:00

Spike Lee is teaming up with Nokia, the cellphone maker, to direct a short film comprising YouTube-style videos created by teenagers and adults using their mobile phones.

Full-length shows, even movies, growing on cellular

2008-04-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Today, only about 7% of mobile subscribers (cell and data) watch video on their phones, he says. But the industry is poised for major growth: Mobile video revenues at domestic carriers jumped to $308 million in the last three months of 2007 from $112 million in the same period a year earlier, according to Nielsen Mobile.

Guerrilla Mirror Phones - Rogers Video Phone Ads

2008-04-24T07:18:00.001-07:00

Rogers, one of the key mobile phone companies in Canada, used clever “mirror phone” guerrilla ads to promote their new video phone service.

Can User-Generated Content Generate Revenue?

2008-04-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

In the US, eMarketer projects that the number of user-generated content creators will rise from 77 million in 2007 to 108 million in 2012. The content is being read, seen and heard, too. The number of consumers of user-generated content will increase from 94 million in 2007 to 130 million in 2012.

Mobile TV To Be Biggest Ad Revenue Generator By 2010: Report

2008-04-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Jupiner predicts that spending on mobile TV advertising will grow from $335 million in 2008 to more than $2.5 billion in 2013. Total annual global spending on mobile advertising will hit $1.3 billion in 2008, rising to $7.6 billion by 2013. China and the Far East will remain the largest regional market for mobile advertising, because it includes the massive population of China and the advanced mobile markets of Japan and South Korea.

New Satellite Will Supply TV To Cell Phones

2008-04-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

The satellite is designed to provide 10 to 15 live television stations for mobile phones in the future. It is powerful enough to not require a dish to receive broadcast.

Instant Digital Prints (and Polaroid Nostalgia)

2008-04-14T07:43:00.001-07:00

Now, Polaroid wants to conjure up those golden analog days of vast sales and instant gratification — this time with images captured by digital cameras and camera phones.

This fall, the company expects to market a hand-size printer that produces color snapshots in about 30 seconds.

Web firm to offer TV streaming to iPhone

2008-04-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Two leading UK broadcasters are exploring a service that would allow live streaming of their programmes to Apple's iPhone.

London-based web TV technology specialist Best Before has developed server-based technology called Millicent that allows a broadcaster or other content producer to provide an edited video feed to be watched on the iPhone without needing to hack into the handset.

3 takes your mobile phone to the cinema

2008-04-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

3 is one of the most innovative mobile phone companies in the world. The Vizux iWear goggles are exclusively available in 3 stores this week, using pocket-sized video glasses to “make the big screen as portable as your mobile”. Tiny high-tech displays inside the glasses create a virtual screen that’s the equivalent of watching a 62-inch plasma TV.

Older Adults Shifting To Mobile Phones From Landlines

2008-04-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

In a survey conducted in the fourth quarter of last year, Harris Interactive found that about one in seven adults only uses a cell phone, up from roughly one in 10 in 2006. The percentage of adults with landline phones has dropped slightly to 79% from 81%.

Projectors to magnify cell-phone cinema

2008-04-04T07:54:00.001-07:00

"Pico projectors" that are small enough to carry around in a shirt pocket are expected on the market later this year. Eventually, the technology will be tiny enough to be built into phones and portable media players.

Intel reveals its vision for mobile phone evolution

2008-04-03T07:26:00.001-07:00

Intel has set its technicians working on a new initiative that it hopes will get mobile devices piggybacking on other devices its user may come across, as well as making use of the increasing number of sensors--such as cameras and GPS--within the device itself.

Sony Films headed to Mobile Phones

2008-04-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS (Hollywood Reporter) - Sony Pictures Television is looking to launch the first movie network on mobile phone in the United States. The studio has signed a deal with AT&T and MediaFLO USA to launch the linear channel as one of two exclusive channels coming to the newly announced AT&T Mobile TV with FLO service in May.

AT&T Set to Offer Qualcomm Service To Broadcast Live Video to Cellphones

2008-03-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

AT&T Inc. in May plans to begin offering a long-awaited mobile-TV service, using a Qualcomm Inc. network called MediaFlo that broadcasts live video to cellphones.

Zambia: Mobile Phones to the Rescue

2008-03-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Satellite Communication equipment including phones have arrived in Zambia to help several thousand flood-affected people access aid in time.

Twenty-five Thuraya hand-held sets satellite phones and mobile Immarsat Global Area terminals or devices which offer voice, fax and data services will be given to identified officials or community leaders to help coordinate rescue and relief efforts.

Street journalism: transmitting live video footage from your camera phone

2008-03-26T09:27:00.001-07:00

Leading bloggers already participate in street journalism by streaming live video footage of them attending conferences and of the supporters of American presidential election candidates, which they send to MTV online campaigns.

Camera phone buying guide

2008-03-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Cameras in mobile phones are well past being a low-grade gimmick. The quality of camera phone images has increased significantly, and the sheer convenience makes cameras an indispensable feature in mobile phones today.

New 3-D Camera Will Have 12,616 Lenses

2008-03-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Science Daily (Mar. 19, 2008) — The camera you own has one main lens and produces a flat, two-dimensional photograph, whether you hold it in your hand or view it on your computer screen. On the other hand, a camera with two lenses (or two cameras placed apart from each other) can take more interesting 3-D photos.

Concept Phone with Adjacent Cameras

2008-03-20T07:33:00.001-07:00

Designed by Paris-based Lysandre Follet, this unusual dual-camera handset is designed for multi-tasking functionality, claims Motorola. Users can click pictures with one camera while they can shoot with the other one. Also, two separate flashes can be used together at one go.

LG Launches `Touch-Web’ Mobile Phone

2008-03-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

LG Electronics has come up with touch-based multimedia handsets in a bid to take a bigger stake in the promising global touch-screen mobile segment.

Cell camera turned medical microscope

2008-03-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Say you're in a remote or undeveloped part of the world, and you have to diagnose an illness. Even if you could find a microscope, you don't have a doctor to look through it, but you do have a cell phone.

Mobile phone sales hit new record in Japan

2008-03-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Handset sales in 2007 marked a gain of 10.7 percent from the previous year. The sales broke the previous annual record of 48.7 million handsets in 2003, when customers snapped up new handsets featuring cameras.

Samsung announces world's thinnest 8 megapixel cellphone module

2008-03-18T07:16:00.001-07:00

Measuring just 8.5-mm thin, you're looking at what Samsung claims to be the slimmest CMOS camera module of its kind. The 8 megapixel module is expected to supplant the 5 megapixel job found in todays top-end cameraphones sometime in the second half of the year.

Send a Video Message to the Presidential Candidates’ Cell Phones

2008-03-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Start-up Mogreet, out of Venice Beach, Calif., which recently launched a service that lets people send personalized video messages to cell-phones, is empowering the U.S. population by letting them send video messages to the presidential candidates’ cell phones.

EU backs Nokia standard for mobile TV

2008-03-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission moved to simplify the nascent mobile phone TV sector by adopting a standard backed by Finland's Nokia. The Commission said setting the Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the preferred European Union standard would give the industry a boost.

Flash Lite and Reader LE for Windows Mobile phones

2008-03-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

"Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced that Microsoft has licensed Adobe Flash Lite software, Adobe's award-winning Flash Player runtime specifically designed for mobile devices, to enable web browsing of Flash Player compatible content within the Internet Explorer Mobile browser in future versions of Microsoft Windows Mobile phones.

Report: Phones to outsell TV sets in 2008

2008-03-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Dublin, Ireland-based firm predicts that 300 million such phones that can play audio and video and browse the Internet will be sold in 2008. Its new report, "Mobile Media 2008: The Third Screen for Entertainment," also found that half the world's population, or 3.3 billion people, now have a mobile phone subscription.

Kodak sees picture of future in high-quality camera phones

2008-03-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Camera phones are increasingly ubiquitous. The number in the United States leaped from 48 million in November 2005 to 132 million in November 2007, according to the research firm M:Metrics.The number of digital cameras in the country hit 106 million in 2007, according to the Photo Marketing Association.

Cell phones to ring up sales even in time of recession

2008-03-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Even with fears of a recession looming, the cell phone has become an item that most Americans can't seem to forgo. Eighty percent of the population carries a mobile device, according to industry figures.

Tessera Introduces OptiML UFL Technology for Camera Phone Modules

2008-03-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

The OptiML UFL solution is a significant addition to Tessera's portfolio of image enhancement solutions, as it addresses the growing challenge of image quality in next-generation mobile devices.