QR codes are still waiting for their break-out moment. But the 2D barcodes, which trigger URLs or information when scanned, continue to gather quiet momentum that could finally tap into the potential of the technology. Here’s a look at some of the latest developments. Read more »
iOS remained the top operating system on Millennial Media’s ad network in September, but for the first time, Android revenue eclipsed iPhone-only revenue. The figures show that Apple is still in the driver seat with 46 percent of smartphone operating system impressions, though its dominance continues to erode. Read more »
Evernote announced it has raised $20 million, enabling it to expand on its mission to capture memories and ideas in the cloud. The new round of funding will allow for faster product development and expansion into new markets and validates Evernote’s freemium model. Read more »
Developers looking to make a buck on Android in-app purchases will be heartened to hear that Papaya Mobile is the first to deploy Zong’s in-app payment system for its social gaming platform. The deal opens a new era for Android developers waiting for in-app purchase solutions. Read more »
Google represents 97 percent of mobile searches on the iPhone, according to Chitika Research, with 49.08 percent of searches coming through the Safari tool bar, 42.24 percent coming from its home page and other minor sources and 8.68 percent from its dedicated Google app. Read more »
Angry Birds just passed 2 million downloads on Android, making it the fastest downloaded app on Android Market ever. The successful launch on Friday says a lot about the game and about the state of Android Market. Here are five things we learned: Read more »
Is Wi-Fi the Future of Mobile Internet? Jeff Thompson, the CEO of Towerstream has been asking this question lately. And after seeing the results of a test Wi-Fi project in mid-town Manhattan, Thompson keeps coming back to the same answer: yes. Read more »
Venture capital funding shrank by 31 percent in the third quarter of 2010: to $4.8 billion compared to the previous quarter due largely to a decline in cleantech deals. But the strength in the number of early and seed-stage deals suggest VCs are optimistic. Read more »
Mobile virtual goods accounted for 80 percent of revenue from iOS apps in September, far outpacing advertising, according to new data from analytics firm Flurry. January was the last month advertising revenue was greater than revenue from virtual goods. Read more »
Geo-fencing is getting a major showcase with a roll-out by UK mobile operator O2 of an offer program that will target a million subscribers with Starbucks and L’Oreal coupons. O2 subscribers who opt in will get discounts on Starbucks and L’Oreal products as they pass by. Read more »
Free and bundled mobile navigation services are bringing once-pricey turn-by-turn services to the masses, and the masses are responding in a big way. That’s the upshot of a new study which found that the number of mobile users utilizing turn-by-turn navigation on their handset increased. Read more »
U.S. teenagers have quadrupled their mobile data usage, according to Nielsen, a sign that the traditional power texters are now ready to become serious mobile Internet users. Teens used 62 megabytes in the second quarter of this year, compared to just 14 MB last year. Read more »
As data volumes skyrocket, startups looking to take advantage of the opportunity in Big Data need to focus on the art of statistical-learning algorithms, says the founder of Dataspora. Modeling and analysis through algorithms is what will determine the winners and losers in Big Data. Read more »
Sony’s Google TV remote is a good example of the challenge facing any manufacturer looking to integrate its TV platform with Google’s devices. The remote sports 90 buttons, and it often requires two hands for things that many people are used to doing one-handed. Read more »
Sony’s Google TV remote is a good example of the challenge facing any manufacturer looking to integrate its TV platform with Google’s devices. The remote sports 90 buttons, and it often requires two hands for things that many people are used to doing one-handed. Read more »
Sony unveiled a new family of Google TV-powered TVs and a Blu-ray player, pricing the hardware with an eye toward selling consumers on the benefits of marrying the full Internet with TV. The announcement came one week after Logitech announced its Google TV-powered Revue set-top box. Read more »
Sony unveiled a new family of Google TV-powered TVs and a Blu-ray player, pricing the hardware with an eye toward selling consumers on the benefits of marrying the full Internet with TV. The announcement came one week after Logitech announced its Google TV-powered Revue set-top box. Read more »
Having spent time with Windows Phone 7 and hearing from executives, I think if Microsoft executes well — and that’s a big if considering this is a first release — Windows Phone 7 could bite into the growth of Android and regain significant ground in the smartphone space. Read more »
Japanese social platform maker DeNA is snapping up mobile game maker Ngmoco, continuing a run of acquisitions in the social gaming space. The deal reflects the growing interest in social gaming and underscores how important mobile is for gaming as it is for all web services. Read more »
In the past, operators have looked to limit the number of operating systems they sell. The carriers are seeing that smartphone competition can be good for them, helping them reassert their power, which has been checked by the rise of the iPhone and app marketplaces. Read more »
Microsoft is trying to carve out its own territory with Windows Phone 7, positioning it as a different phone that aims to be deeply personal for users. The new platform launches Nov. 8 in the U.S., but will it help Microsoft regain relevance in smartphones? Read more »
Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 handsets from nine manufacturers that will run on 60 carriers in 30 countries worldwide, including Verizon and Sprint next year in the U.S. Here’s the list of what’s launching in each country and on which carriers. Read more »
Amazon’s rumored Android Store could add confusion and more work to the lives of developers. But in talking to some developers, they see a lot of potential in the store and improved prospects for apps, which says a lot about the state of Android Market. Read more »
Yahoo plans to bring its popular Yahoo Messenger client to iPhone and Android phones, enabling FaceTime-like video chat conversations across multiple platforms, both mobile and PC. David Katz, Yahoo’s VP of Mobile for the Americas region, shared the news with Reuters. Read more »
BlackBerry phones in the United Arab Emirates will continue to operate following the news that RIM has reached an agreement with the country to avert a shut-off. The question: How exactly did RIM avoid an Oct. 11 deadline for the suspension of service? Read more »
It’s been a good month for Adobe and its mobile efforts, first with Apple’s relaxing of its Flash developer tool ban and now the release today of AIR for Android, which opens the door for AIR applications on Android devices. Read more »
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen reportedly met recently in San Francisco and discussed a number of issues including a possible acquisition of Adobe by Microsoft, according to an account by the New York Times. This isn’t the first time the two have talked buyout. Read more »
While augmented reality proponents have tried to push the edge of the technology with limited success, they’re now making a concerted effort to empower developers to incorporate AR into their apps. It’s a bet that developers can help AR can finally find a home in consumer’s lives. Read more »
Motorola is the latest company to tackle one of the thornier issues for mobile devices: how do you print documents from your mobile gadget? Motorola is showing off a new application called MotoPrint that allows Android users to print documents from their phone on any PostScript printer. Read more »
IOS and Android devices are finding fast adoption by corporate customers, according to new figures from Good Technology, which found that iOS devices represented more than 50 percent of new activations from June to September, fueled by interest in the iPhone 4 and the iPad. Read more »
The latest release of the free Ubuntu Linux operating system scheduled for this Sunday includes an expansion of its personal cloud service to iPhone and Android devices as well as a new netbook edition made for smaller screens. Read more »
Android doesn’t offer a complete solution especially when it comes to video content. Sony is trying to correct the problem with the release of a new Crackle video app, but it only points up the need for a more comprehensive solution, something hopefully Google is working on. Read more »
Verizon Wireless plans to roll out 4G LTE in 38 metro areas by the end of this year, hitting 110 million people in major cities such New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area. Read more »
Facebook’s Sync Contacts feature on its iPhone app is the latest target of fearful critics who are wondering if the social networking giant has gone too far in peering into your personal information. The concern underscores Facebook’s growth as a target of privacy fears. Read more »
Google this morning asked a court to dismiss Oracle’s patent suit alleging the Android operating system violates Oracle’s newly acquired patents and copyrights for Java. Google asserts it has not violated any of the alleged patents, which Oracle obtained after it bought Sun Microsystems. Read more »
Nielsen is adding its voice to the chorus of research firms confirming the ascension of Android. Nielsen said among recent acquirers of smartphones in the last six months through August, Android was the top platform with 32 percent of purchases, followed by the iPhone and RIM. Read more »
Skype has expanded availability of its Internet calling service to most Android phones, though U.S. users are limited to Wi-Fi calls. Skype said today that a new client for Android phones running 2.1 or higher is now available for download in Android Market or at skype.com. Read more »
Engadget has a look at an upcoming Samsung smartphone running Android that offers a second smaller OLED touch screen below its main display. That by itself is intriguing, but when I saw the latest news of the Samsung Continuum, my first thought was why stop there? Read more »
Google is finally getting its act together, expanding the number of countries that can buy and sell paid Android apps. Google in the process over the next two weeks of opening up 18 new countries where you can buy paid apps, bringing the total to 32. Read more »
In a death match between native and mobile web apps, which one walks away the victor? That was the heavily paraphrased question posed at the Mobilize conference today and while a panel of experts did its best to weigh in, the less sensational answer is that there’s room for both. Read more »
