Early returns show that Apple owned Christmas this year, as iOS activations left all competitors in the dust. iPhone owners were downloading like mad last week. Well, except for my mother.

In which we find respite from the omnichannel fervor in a humble hardware shop that understands the basics of getting that one true channel -- the one involving people -- right.

Mobile search is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to geotemporal data sets that can help advertisers better understand consumer behavior. Geotemporal data can provide marketers with more granular insight into how consumers' location behavior changes, helping them to gain a more complete view of consumers' real-world behavior.

Video content can't get off the desktop fast enough, it seems. In the process one has to wonder how the greater personalization of the viewing experience will ultimately change TV as we have known it.

According to advertising agency thought leaders who participated in a panel at the December 4 members-only Digital Content Next Mobile Day, 2015 is the year that marketers expect to maximize mobile as it continues to gain ground with consumers as their main consumption point for digital content of all types.

Having responsive or at least adaptive designs for your email messaging should be de rigueur by now. But what is "responsive" responding to? Screen size or context?

Mobile marketers are seeking the best ways to generate app downloads, drive engagement within their apps, and increase their app store rankings.There is no silver bullet to app marketing success; rather, the approach that works is a well-laid plan with clear objectives and goals.

Gamification that uses simple rewards and challenges to compel engagement may be missing some of the real appeal of mobile gaming. Design, characterization. and space are at the heart of many of the best games.

Mobile payment is not the only -- or even the most interesting -- use of NFC. The technology virtually eliminates the friction inherent in other forms of mobile activation, including beacons. Australian firm Tapit has been flying early campaigns using the tech, and is extending its presence to the U.S.

Mobile advertising has a content problem on its hands -- how can engagement, data, and creative all correlate with one another? A consumer's ability and willingness to engage with content is the biggest factor in determining its consumability. But the industry still lacks a standard set of best practices for gathering and utilizing consumer data. The result is a data collection free-for-all, where brands and advertisers try to collect as much data as possible.