Read It Later is one of the quiet success stories of the tablet and smartphone revolution. What started as a simple Firefox extension is now a much-used tool for our shifting reading habits, thanks to the emergence of new mobile devices. Read More »
Apps are, at the end of the day, very personal pieces of software. And your favorite mobile app isn’t mine. So we decided to poll the staff here at GigaOM to see what apps changed our lives in 2011. Read More »
Mobile users love their apps and that love affair has outstripped our interest in browsers. That’s according to comScore’s latest mobile subscriber data, which found that the percentage of users who use apps has finally surpassed the percent of subscribers who turn to a mobile browser. Read More »
It wasn’t just here in the U.S. and it wasn’t just iPhone users; the mobile app obsession has gone global and is now bigger than ever. Here’s a look at some of the most interesting statistics involving the abundance of mobile apps we devoured this year. Read More »
Next year millions of consumers use fitness devices and apps designed to help them count their steps, calories, sleep and other personal metrics. But in the emerging world of connected wellness tools will newly aware consumers be using apps or devices? Read More »
As the year winds down, here’s a look back at the biggest, most significant things that happened in the apps we use on our smartphones and tablets this year, as well as the most important themes to watch out for come 2012. Read More »
When you find that perfect recipe on the web, you want to hold on to it. We tested several recipe apps with the aim of creating a digital library of culinary masterpieces. But we discovered that while recipe aggregation tools are useful, they still fall short. Read More »
Analysis by Xyologic found that of the top 150 apps downloaded on each the iPhone and Android in 2011, Android leaned toward apps, with 85 of 150 being non-gaming apps, while 100 of the top 150 apps on the iPhone were games. Read More »
Intel provided a glimpse of some reference designs for Android smartphones and tablets built off its Medfield mobile chip, which it believes will finally catapult the company into the mobile market in 2012. This is a refrain Intel has echoed before so will next year be … Read More »
One day after the International Trade Commission approved a formal ban on certain HTC products that infringe on an Apple patent, an ITC administrative law judge has issued an initial determination that Motorola has infringed on four claims of a Microsoft patent with its Android products. … Read More »
App analytics firm Distimo said the iPhone App Store is generating about four times as much revenue for the top 200 apps compared to the top 200 apps in Android Market. The app revenue gap is prompting developers to look for creative ways to make money. Read More »
Millennial Media is providing another solid bit of data on Kindle Fire sales, saying that the Fire’s ad impressions have been growing by 19 percent daily since its mid-November launch. The Kindle Fire is now on a faster initial pace than the iPad. Read More »
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On the scale of surprises, the news that British Telecom has become the latest technology company to sue Google is not at the high end. The number of Android lawsuits is so large that real question won’t be about who’s suing Google — but who isn’t. Read More »
Once again, yet another executive from Nokia is out dissing iPhone and Android, saying that youth are “fed up with” them. The Nokia ringtone used to be ubiquitous, but walking around Helsinki, I’m seeing a lot of non-Nokia phones in people’s hands. Read More »
Despite the confident words of Google chairman Eric Schmidt, who predicted that Android would be the primary platform for developers, the current trends are still decidedly leaning toward iOS. Mobile analytics firm Flurry found that developers are picking iOS over Android by a 3-1 ratio. Read More »
Amazon’s Kindle Fire has only been on the market for a few weeks but developers saying it’s providing a very significant lift in app sales because of its easy buying process. It’s giving Android tablet developers reason for a lot of optimism. Read More »
IOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 have collectively hit 991,524 apps available in their stores with the big million unit milestone set to be reached in the next day, said an analytics firm. It’s a reminder of just how big this modern app market is. Read More »
Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest mobile operator and Android device seller, does not install Carrier IQ’s keystroke-sniffing software in any of its phones and doesn’t use the now-controversial company’s data in way, company officials said. Now we wait for the other operators to sound off. Read More »
Rural mobile operator Viaero Wireless is preloading YouMail’s visual voicemail application into all Android phones, giving customers a compelling alternative to its standard network mailbox services. This could be the beginning of a trend that sees the mobile carriers abandoning voicemail to independent cloud providers. Read More »
A Nielsen study found among smartphone users who downloaded an app in the last 30 days, 83 percent used an iPhone or Android devices. That app advantage will help keep those two at the top ahead of other smartphone challengers. Read More »
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board intends to apply its familiar game-rating stamps to mobile apps, providing a way for parents to monitor and restrict the games and content their kids download. Five mobile operators and Microsoft have signed on but Apple and Google are missing. Read More »
Google is adding indoor mapping to Google Maps 6.0 for Android, which brings much of the power of its mapping product into large indoor public spaces. Users will be able to locate themselves on a map, which can identify which floor a user is on. Read More »
If you can’t beat iOS and Android devices in the market, you might as well secure them. That seems to be the stance of RIM, which is launching a device-management and security service for IT departments called Mobile Fusion that builds off its BlackBerry Enterprise Servers. Read More »
With Google Music, Amazon Cloud Player and iCloud, there has never been an easier — or more confusing — time to buy music. Avowed music geek Dan Kantor of exfm tells you everything you need to know about how (and where) you should buy your music … Read More »
Xyologic, a mobile app search firm, has come up with what it says is the first break down of mobile advertising on Android apps, showing that Google’s AdMob is well ahead of rival ad providers. It found 89 percent of the top Android apps use AdMob. Read More »
One in every two smartphones sold in the world is an Android device, according to Gartner, which said that Google’s mobile platform has doubled its share in the past year and surged to a 52.5 percent smartphone market share worldwide in the third quarter. Read More »
More evidence, if it were needed, that Europe is increasingly becoming a mobile-centric culture, with figures showing that France’s smartphone market has grown 34 percent in the last year. Read More »
Today is Veterans Day, a day meant for appreciating the hard work and sacrifice of our men and women in the military, past and present. This week’s highlight of mobile apps we like includes iOS apps that help us remember and appreciate those who have fought. Read More »
iOS and Android have tripled their mobile gaming market share since 2009. But it’s not just number of individual game sales on iOS and Android devices that’s growing: the two platforms’ game sales are affecting the bottom lines of the biggest names in gaming. Read More »
Republic Wireless, the division of Bandwidth.com that offers customers an Android phone with unlimited voice data and texts for $19 a month launches Tuesday. Here’s how it will work (there’s a $199 “membership” fee) and what it means for the wireless industry. Read More »
Barnes & Noble unveiled its answer to the Kindle Fire Monday with the introduction of the Nook Tablet, a more robust version of the Nook Color that will feature beefier hardware and a wider array of content options. The device wil sell for $249 starting next … Read More »
Apkudo, a start-up, is about to unveil a new free testing service for Android developers that allows them to see how their apps will perform on almost 300 actual Android devices. It should be a help for developers frustrated with testing apps for Android. Read More »
How much impact does Android’s data thirst have on carriers? Sprint said it expects to get 50 percent more lifetime value from iPhone users over other smartphone users because of the network efficiency of iPhones. That suggests that Androids are putting significant strain on mobile networks. Read More »
With Android gobbling up market share, it was just a matter of time before it took the lead in app downloads from Apple’s iOS. That’s what happened in Q2 with Android commanding 44 percent of overall app downloads compared to 31 percent for iOS. Read More »
For years, owners of Android phones have generally gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to having great apps. But venture capital firms are finally starting to realize that the Android market should be much more than just an afterthought. Read More »
A little over a week after releasing its App Player for Windows software that lets computer users run Android apps, BlueStacks now says that it has raised a strategic investment from AMD and Citrix Systems along with funding from existing investors. Read More »
In an interview, Android user experience director Matias Duarte explains how Android is evolving to become something that inspires more wonder and is more usable for users. If Android with Ice Cream Sandwich can become more lovable like iOS, it could further challenge smartphone OS competitors. Read More »
When it comes to the phone business, there is no doubt that Apple vs Google makes a great headline. After all, who doesn’t like the battle of pachyderms. In fact it is about Apple and Google versus phones with the 12 key pads. Read More »
Vlingo, a voice recognition start-up, isn’t sweating the introduction of Apple’s Siri voice action and AI system. In fact, the start-up saw its best week last week with five consecutive days of record usage with voice actions up 50 percent daily over the previous high. Read More »
The tablet market is growing rapidly — but it could be getting even more of a boost thanks to the growing number of operator subsidies on offer. The latest? A series of cut-price deals aimed at France’s large student population. Read More »
Siri, watch out: Apple’s personal assistant is getting competition from a Russian startup, whose founder is currently touring the Valley as part of a roadshow for Russia’s Skolkovo IT park. I met with him and three other of the Skolkovo startups this week, and left impressed. Read More »
While Android has been a leader in handset sales over rival iOS, it has trailed Apple in enterprise adoption. But a couple of new tools from Motorola and AT&T may help close the gap for Google’s OS and help Android thrive in the era of bring-your-own-devices. Read More »
Sprint is said to betting the farm on the iPhone. On paper its decision to commit almost $20 billion for the chance to sell iPhone 5 makes no sense. However, it is not such a crazy move for a company bleeding customers to rivals. Read More »
Mobile backend provider Kinvey found 73 percent of iOS and Android apps are basically static and don’t connect to a backend. IOS apps fare better with 35 percent of apps connecting to cloud backends while 18 percent of Android apps connect to these services. Read More »
Just like TV, mobile usage is highest during prime time, peaking at 9 p.m., according to Flurry. But just as important is the fact that mobile app use is relatively higher throughout the day than both Internet and TV, only eclipsed by TV in prime time. Read More »
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