Carriers are struggling to address the gap between mobile data usage and revenues even as their networks approach capacity. But those willing to embrace new business models and innovative services still have a chance to thrive in the era of the superphone. Read more »
LinkedIn is enjoying a banner year, but unlike Twitter and Facebook the social network doesn’t enjoy much mobile traffic. It has a chance to be a major player in the booming mobile industry, though, if it pursues a few ambitious goals. Read more »
The market for enterprise tablets shows enormous promise as end users take their own devices to work and IT departments begin to deploy the new gadgets. But a small army of manufacturers is vying for a slice of the market, and competition will be fierce. Read more »
Though smartphone users compare the relative cost of their apps by their price, the better measure now that data caps are looming may be the cost of ownership which factors in data usage, argues the maker of a news aggregation app. Read more »
Voice recognition has long failed to gain much traction in mobile thanks to technology that was overhyped and underwhelming. But Apple could once again change the way we interact with our phones by integrating the technology with its upcoming iOS 5. Read more »
With almost 10 million users, Foursquare is set to be featured as the default location application on the INQ Cloud Touch phone, also known as the Facebook phone. Dennis Crowley said INQ is implementing Foursquare’s API in its phone to offer the location service. Read more »
NoSQL startup Couchbase is offering a beta version of its Mobile Couchbase for iOS product, which is designed for iPhone app developers who want data synchronization between mobile devices and backend data stores. The product targets data like preferences, contacts, game scores and enterprise application data. Read more »
Smartphones are remaking the lives of their male users, according to a new survey from Spike TV. The study found men are unabashedly in love with their smartphones, a borderline addictive relationship that has empowered and also distracted men in both small and profound ways. Read more »
Carriers no longer dominate the mobile world thanks to the emergence of Apple, Google and the rise of third-party app stores. But they can retain — or even increase — their relevance by leveraging a few important things. Read more »
With baseball season around the corner, basketball in full swing, and March Madness upon us, Hitpost, a San Francisco-based start-up is releasing mobile apps to share photos of sports events. It is the latest of many apps that are building mobile-based immersive experiences. Read more »
Mobile marketing is an emerging industry with tremendous opportunity, but it also is a space teeming with potential pitfalls. Here are some of the key mistakes to avoid for advertisers attempting to target users on their phones. Read more »
Mobile malware has become a very real threat thanks largely to Google’s lack of oversight in Android Market. The company’s refusal to play app cop will increasingly take a toll on its app distribution business — and maybe on Android as a whole. Read more »
The always-unpredictable mobile space enters 2011 at a particularly dynamic time. Carriers are now bringing 4G networks online, even as their definitions of “4G” vary. Meanwhile, mobile data consumption is exploding and the FCC trying to settle on policies both to regulate the industry and to ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Mobile barcodes have finally become a viable tool for mobile marketing, giving brands an easy way to engage with consumers through their phones. Here are a few tips for getting the most of any 2-D barcode ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Offering freemium versions of mobile apps is a now a full-fledged trend, so shouldn’t all app developers employ the model? Not so fast. The strategy has worked, but it requires understanding of both the market and your product, along with careful thought, planning and a willingness ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The mobile applications market has exploded in recent years, with Apple’s App Store surpassing 300,000 applications and the Android Market continuing to gain ground. Apple and Google’s crowdsourcing strategies and the market’s low barriers to entry have set the standard and convinced dozens of individuals — regardless of experience — to become mobile app developers. A survey of 331 respondents derived from our readership at TheAppleBlog and jkOnTheRun looks at trends among mobile application developers, including average income for a developer, the most popular app platforms, the rising popularity of tablet applications and the in-app advertising vs. paid and/or low-cost apps. Companies mentioned in this report include Apple, Google, Research in Motion and Nokia. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
TV apps will soon be “everywhere,” according to attendees of a recent GigaOM Bunker event examining the future of the TV market. But how that market will develop, and which TV platforms will win out, is yet to be ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The third quarter saw the continuation of important trends in mobile, from the astounding growth of Android to soaring sales of Apple’s iPad. Perhaps the biggest trend, though, is the march towards 4G, which will have a tremendous impact on the industry in the coming months. Read more »
A lack of easy discoverability plagues the mobile app world with each new title that comes to market. But operators who can help solve that problem have a chance to regain their relevance in the exploding space — if they keep in mind four useful tips. Read more »
There’s plenty of new innovation in the mobile space, as development has become easier than ever before. But while today’s mobile startups are finding it easier to create and release applications than in the past, VCs said marketing those apps is still a huge issue. Read more »
Location-based shopping services (LBS) have made many headlines recently, and studies have shown that users actually like receiving ads and offers well-targeted to their interests. Couple that with an influx of Tier 1 venture capital and the show-stopping Facebook Places, with which several startups have already joined forces, and it’s no wonder LBS is suddenly such a hot topic in the mobile sector. That doesn’t necessarily mean LBS shopping apps will be easy to implement. A number of challenges — privacy concerns, scaling issues and check-in integrity among them — provide a potential barrier to widespread adoption. This note examines both the drivers and inhibitors for making location-based shopping services a mainstream phenomenon, and includes focused profiles of Facebook, Twitter, Google, Loopt, Foursquare, BrightKite, Whrrl, Gowalla, Plancast, Groupon, AisleBuyer, Bizness Apps, Offeretti, ShopAlerts, Shopkick, Bakodo, Stickybits, Yelp!, Geodelic Sherpa, WHERE, MyTown, InCrowd, SCVNGR, Waze and Layar. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Mobile carriers have seen their role as content distributors diminish as app stores from Apple, Google and others gain traction. But cloud-based services for digital content gains more traction every day and could help carriers regain their waning importance — and ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Apple is stepping up its battle against iPhone jailbreakers with an updated version of its mobile operating system and the pursuit of a patent. But in all likelihood, the folks in Cupertino are pouring resources into a battle they shouldn’t be fighting at all. Read more »
A wave of new connected devices — from cameras to heart monitors to your refrigerator — will present a host of security concerns as the Internet of things begins to get legs. But those same issues will mean big opportunities for vendors of mobile security software. Read more »
HTML5 isn’t yet fully ratified, but browser vendors are nonetheless starting to implement some of its features. This presents a huge opportunity for forward-thinking web app developers, which in turn will spell good news for ever-growing number people who uses web ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Apple’s often-confusing approval policies for its App Store have been criticized in the past, and have also lead to a marketplace littered with sub-par, sometimes fraudulent offerings. With Android Market now gaining momentum, it’s time for the folks in Cupertino to throw out the trash and ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Like Android Market, Apple’s App Store teems with knock-offs, third-rate me-too offerings and plain old garbage. But the folks in Cupertino have a tremendous chance to differentiate their storefront by employing a bigger filter and offering a lineup of top-notch mobile applications. Read more »
Unlike some of Twitter’s other services, the upcoming launch of Annotations doesn’t involve a product, but a rethinking of the way the social network functions. The changes involved could have a tremendous impact on not just on the network, but on the nature of the web ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
If RIM can’t deliver a dramatic upgrade of its aging BlackBerry OS, its days as the dominant player in the mobile enterprise may be coming to an end. The question is, who is best positioned to become the new Number ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Smartphone use for maps and navigation in the U.S. has nearly tripled in the past year as GPS radios are becoming standard fare in such devices. For the first time ever, more smartphone owners seeking navigation or maps use software as opposed to a browser. Read more »
AT&T today restructured its pricing plans for mobile data, killing all-you-can-eat offerings that have long been enjoyed by users with iPhones and other high-end handsets. The move marks the beginning of the era of metered billing — which could significantly impact the world of mobile ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
A group of two dozen carriers and handset manufacturers are working to deliver a platform that would enable developers to write a single application and sell it through multiple carriers and storefronts. It’s a noble effort that is doomed to ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Instead of the stark choice between putting up a paywall and suffering a loss of traffic on the one hand, or making content freely available in pursuit of traffic and suffering low CPMs on the other, Apple may finally offer publishers a realistic chance of generating ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Applications for the iPad will be more expensive than those on other mobile devices, and new data indicates a substantial number of mobile users are willing to pay for on-the-go applications. So the iPad presents a lucrative opportunity for developers who can fully leverage the device. Read more »
Feature phones – you know, those passé, non-OS handsets that account for a whopping 83 percent of the U.S. handset market – are set to join their higher-end counterparts as viable vehicles for mobile applications. Read more »
Offerpal Media this morning said it has acquired Tapjoy, a small startup aimed at helping developers monetize their mobile applications. The move is a clear signal that the online phenomenon of offer-based ads is about to move into mobile in a big way. Read more »
GPS has become a standard feature on smartphones and is a key component of location-based apps that have gained tremendous popularity recently. The technology is trickling down into lower-end phones, which means the market for location apps is about to grow in a big way. Read more »
Much of the hype in the mobile application space has come to be dominated by Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system. Emerging markets will play a huge role as the worldwide market matures, though, and developers and app vendors should be paying close attention. Read more »
Microsoft is taking a page from Apple’s playbook and will require developers to sell Windows Phone apps exclusively through the company’s upcoming flagship store. It’s a move that will surely destroy some of the goodwill Microsoft has been working so hard to build up. Read more »
Microsoft is betting that that Silverlight can help lure third-party developers to its Windows Phone operating system, which is scheduled to be released by the end of the year. It’s a strategy that seems to be paying dividends — so far. Read more »
