Google said it will introduce location-oriented APIs so Android developers can build richer applications that make the most of the sensors on Android devices. Read more »
Placecast is adding card-linked offers to its ShopAlerts location-based offers platform. Now, users can get a message about a nearby deal and then redeem it with a swipe of their credit or debit card. Read more »
Mobile deals combine location-aware discounts with mobile marketing campaigns. What are the largest pitfalls in this promising space, though? Privacy and security issues must be addressed to assure consumers their purchases are secure and their location is being closely guarded. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The fourth quarter may have lacked a dominating big-event product announcement like Q3’s Facebook platform extension or Q2’s unveiling of Google+, but the NewNet world continued to buzz along. In the battle for mind share, everyone wanted to be a platform. Meanwhile, consumer and social technologies continued to gain momentum, and new vehicles for content and service discovery presented both challenges and opportunities for NewNet companies. And it is hard to ignore the overcrowded but growing world of daily deals. This quarterly report analyzes these trends and others, and it also provides a near-term outlook of trends, technologies and companies to watch in 2012. Companies mentioned in the report include Amazon, Facebook and Socialcast. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
We’re still a ways off from our prediction that every mobile app will have location. But we’re seeing more and more of that reality take shape, especially as location-as-a-service providers create the tools necessary for developers to weave location into their mobile apps. 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 »
