Facebook this week began enforcing its updated ad guidelines, which includes requiring that all ads containing user data, such as names and profile picture, be approved by the social network. While Facebook explained in a blog post last week the impetus behind the stricter policies, it […] Read more »
The emergence of a commercially significant electronic book (e-book) market in the past three years has been the result of two quite-recent technological developments. The first, and most critical, has been a breakthrough in the technology for manufacturing reflective electronic paper displays (EPDs), allowing for the introduction of affordable, lightweight and portable e-book readers such as Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader.
The second has been the rollout of reliable “3G” wireless broadband networks, which have made it possible to deliver digital books directly to reading devices without the intermediate steps of downloading files to a PC and then transferring them to a reader. Direct-to-device sampling and delivery, particularly with Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPhone, have enabled impulse-driven e-commerce, which has been critical to early consumer adoption of e-books.
The technology for e-books, however, remains nascent. The Kindle and its ilk are very much first-generation devices that deliver the minimally acceptable experience. Further development of the business will be closely tied to future technological developments, including flexible and color displays, format standardization and rich-media applications. As the market grows, there are numerous opportunities for other technology players, from social networks to cloud service providers and more. This report examines the trends and opportunities ahead. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Facebook continued to crack down on ad networks this week by updating its advertising guidelines. Starting August 3, ad networks must receive authorization from Facebook to run ads that contain user data, such as names and profile pictures, the company said in a blog post. Facebook’s […] Read more »
Every once in a while, a girl deserves an Arrested Development renaissance, and I am deep into mine right now. Which means that I have been reminded of how solid the show’s cast was, especially overlooked players like Tony Hale, whose work as youngest sibling Buster […] Read more »
With a new product and new name, Rovi is perhaps one of the best-positioned companies to provide software, metadata and guide support to the various hardware and service providers looking to navigate the world of multiscreen video entertainment. The challenge will be trying to provide solutions ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Facebook said today that application developers can now apply to test out its virtual currency platform, an aggressive move that places pressure on virtual currency companies such as Offerpal and Zong. Third-party virtual currency companies have made millions of dollars over the years through the sale […] Read more »
Verzion’s FiOS Gets Twitter, Facebook and Web Video; the new Widget Bazaar makes TV more social, adds video from Veoh, blip.tv and Dailymotion. (Multichannel News) Watch New Office Webisodes and Follow Character Tweets; new web spin-off series The Office: Blackmail stars Creed, and you can follow […] Read more »
Personal branding, as Pamela wrote earlier this week, is somewhat inescapable in the days of social media and working online. It really is just a fancy “Web 2.0″ term for being aware of, shaping and monitoring your online reputation. And for us web workers, whether we like it or not, our online reputations are often crucial to our abilities to do business and advance our careers.
The thing I personally wrestle with the most about my own personal branding is finding the balance between being transparent and yet protecting my professional reputation and marketability. Read more »
[qi:gigaom_icon_4G] People will consume an exabyte — that’s 1 million terabytes — of information on mobile networks this year, predicts independent wireless analyst Chetan Sharma in his latest report, entitled “Managing Growth and Profit in the Yottabyte Era.” (A yottabyte is 1,000 billion terabytes.) Sharma notes that […] Read more »
Like any gaming platform, the sustained success of the platform itself is driven by its users. Social gaming networks allow for increased user interaction and, in many ways, a more engaging gaming experience. On the Xbox, you have the Xbox Live service; the Playstation 3 features […] Read more »
Facebook employees, have you been eyeing your friends at Google with disdain and jealousy as they cash out their options to buy houses and cars and the like (at least the ones who joined the company early on)? Have no fear, now you, too, can cash […] Read more »
In recent years, virtual worlds (also known as massively multiplayer online games, or MMOs) have shown tremendous growth in terms of user numbers and revenue. However, the market for them is currently in tremendous flux, with the most well-known sub-genre — the subscriber-based fantasy role playing games (MMORPGs) — suffering a growth plateau, due to the dominating success of World of Warcraft. At the same time, user activity in “freemium” virtual worlds continues to explode, most especially in the tween/adolescent market, which is likely to reach a market saturation point soon, though monetization prospects for all but the established players remain uncertain. The explosion of social networks, which share numerous traits with virtual worlds, have created a new potential audience for this genre, while the mass adoption of web plug-ins and smartphones like the iPhone have opened up new markets for the genre.
In this transitional period, many of the best investment and growth opportunities to watch are not the worlds themselves, but the solution providers offering developers the means to better monetize their existing MMOs. Opportunities also exist in niche MMOs that appeal to consumers seeking entertainment outside the established fantasy and kids social MMO space. However, new players that would enter this already crowded market must foster a community of users by rewarding user-created content and continued engagement, while also being architected with multiple revenue streams and play platforms. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Rick Marini, who co-founded Tickle.com, the quiz site that Monster.com acquired for $100 million in 2004 and later abandoned, is back with SuperFan. The site, which went live this week, is a social network where people can join the fan pages of various celebrities, bands, sports […] Read more »
