Amazon Can Leverage Both Data And Trust In Its Mobile Ad Play by Steve Smith

Amazon appears ready to extend into mobile the ad model it has been building on the Web. While many admire the data the e-commerce giant brings to the party, their biggest strength is in what they do with the data for consumers' benefit. ...Read the whole story

  • And The Award For Best Social Media Extensions Goes To MTV by Joe Mandese

    The word "TV" still dominates its name and identity, but beginning today, MTV will introduce a variety of so-called "second screen" experiences leading up to and running through its annual "MTV Movie Awards" on June 3 that may cause some users, er viewers, to question which screen is their dominant one. Not surprisingly, social media will be at the core of the new digital screen experiences, including a new movie awards category, dubbed "Real Hero," that will be chosen dynamically in real-time by fans tweeting in to special Twitter hashtags. ...Read the whole story

  • Global Mobile Payments To Hit $171 Billion This Year by Mark Walsh

    Worldwide mobile payment transactions will surpass $171 billion in 2012, up 62% from $106 million last year, according to Gartner. The number of mobile payment users will reach 212 million, up from 160 in 2011. Global mobile transaction volume is projected to grow 42% annually between 2011 and 2016, leading to a market worth $617 billion and 448 million users in four years. ...Read the whole story

  • tourism 'Why Vermont?' Beefs Up Mobile, Digital by Sarah Mahoney

    Not quite a year after Hurricane Irene pulverized the Green Mountain state, Vermont is sharpening its summer tourism efforts, with a "Why Vermont?" campaign that includes mobile, video, and a special pitch to Boston Red Sox fans. ...Read the whole story

  • Mobile Apps To Help NBC Widen Olympics Reach by Steve Smith

    As part of NBCUniversal's massive cross-platform coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics Games in London, two apps for smartphones and tablets will feature live streaming and featured highlights. ...Read the whole story

  • Yahoo Pulls Plug On Livestand Tablet App by Steve Smith

    Only six months after introducing a personalized news aggregation app to the iPad, Yahoo announced its intention to discontinue the Livestand project. Regardless, the company claims that it is pursuing a mobile-first strategy. ...Read the whole story

Facebook's Challenge: Turning Buzz Into Mobile's Financial Future by Diane Mermigas

Facebook's public offering and economic promise look like a leap of faith, constricted by nagging concerns about whether it can monetize exploding mobile device use with new social search, advertising and commerce models. ...More

  • A Phone by Zuckerberg? Or Why You Don't See Too Many Facebook 'Fan-Boys' Around by Steve Smith

    Memorial Day weekend was abuzz with fresh rumors that Facebook is getting serious (no, really, this time) about launching its own phone or mobile OS. Because this is the brand from whom we want to buy a phone? Huh? ...More

  • Is The Laptop Threatened By The Tablet? by Jack Loechner

    According to Kathryn Cave, Editor of IDG Connect, with an analysis of research into marketers' opinions of tablet growth to discover how today's marketers will impact tomorrow's business landscape, 12% of iPad users already say the device has completely replaced their traditional laptop, while another 54% said it had partially replaced their laptop. In addition, 44% of marketers believe tablets will have a high or very high impact on laptop use in 2012. ...More

  • World's Ugliest Internet Device by Max Kalehoff

    I was passing through the baggage claim at LaGuardia Airport when I stumbled on a terribly odd contraption mounted to a wall. From a distance, I had no idea what it was. At first, it resembled those tired-looking ATM machines you often see in New York City delis, with a screen, keyboard and credit card reader. But its black handset also resembled a retro payphone. Yet it also had a black industrial-grade box with a peephole, bolted to the top. WTF was this? ...More