by Mark Walsh on Oct 29, 4:45 PM
Earlier this month, comScore released data essentially confirming the perception that Japan is well ahead of the U.S. and Europe when it comes to using more advanced mobile technologies. Wireless subscribers in Japan were the most connected, with three-quarters of them Web browsing, using apps and downloading content on cell phones. (The U.S was more active in certain areas, including mobile social networking.)
by Mark Walsh on Oct 28, 5:15 PM
Moms are increasingly active mobile consumers, according to new findings in the latest monthly metrics report from Millennial Media. Using data from InsightExpress' Q2 Digital Consumer Portrait, the report noted 32% of moms owned a smartphone in 2010, up from 20% last year.
by Mark Walsh on Oct 27, 3:48 PM
Apple's announcement Tuesday that the eagerly awaited white iPhone would be delayed again until spring means it could be trumped by that other mythic Apple device -- the Verizon iPhone -- expected to appear as early as January. Apple said in July that the white iPhone hardware had proved "more challenging to manufacture" than originally expected. But the company has never explained exactly why. Um, hasn't Apple already made millions of white MacBooks, iPods and earlier generation iPhones?
by Mark Walsh on Oct 26, 2:15 PM
The smartphone surge rolls on, with high-end handsets making up 19% of all handsets shipped in the second quarter, according to ABI Research. That represents a 12% increase over the first quarter, and a 50% jump compared to the same quarter a year ago.
by Mark Walsh on Oct 25, 4:43 PM
Amazon is once again touting strong Kindle sales without providing actual unit sales figures for its e-reader. The online retailer Monday
said sales of the new generation of lower-priced Kindle devices introduced in July had already outpaced total Kindle sales for the fourth quarter of 2009.
by Mark Walsh on Oct 22, 4:01 PM
A new study by ABI Research today confirms that mobile subscriptions worldwide passed the 5 billion mark in the second quarter. The crossing of that dramatic threshold had been predicted earlier in the year, and Ericsson estimated the 5 billion mark was reached in July.
by Mark Walsh on Oct 21, 3:00 PM
Coming to you from my local Starbucks after browsing the Starbucks Digital Network (SDN), which launched Wednesday with much fanfare and loads of media coverage. The offering is much what you'd expect from Starbucks, a "premium blend" of content from partners including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Apple (iTunes) presented in a slick package spanning areas like news, entertainment, business, health and local. A feature in the entertainment section called New Word City launches with an excerpt from marketing guru Seth Godin's new book "Graceful," which may describe how Starbucks would like users to think of …
by Mark Walsh on Oct 20, 3:46 PM
Any expectations that Yahoo might disclose mobile revenue after Google last week did so for the first time -- to the tune of a $1 billion run rate -- weren't met during the Web portal's third quarter earnings call Tuesday. There was plenty of talk about mobile initiatives from Yahoo, but little in the way of numbers.
by Mark Walsh on Oct 19, 2:16 PM
If mobile has become more than an afterthought for companies, it's still far from being a key part of their marketing or e-commerce efforts. A new survey of more than 200 global companies by Forrester finds that more than half (57%) don't have a mobile consumer strategy or are in the early stages of developing one.
by Mark Walsh on Oct 18, 3:46 PM
When Tapulous last week launched a new Katy Perry-themed app in its hugely popular "Tap Tap Revenge" franchise, it marked the first time a new game in the series included a title sponsor: Bing.