Best & Brightest: COM #221 iPhone Stats & Rants, Smartphone Headaches, Mobile Advertising Figures PLUS This Month’s COM Highlights & High Flyers
In brief: As many in Europe embark on a long weekend, here is some required reading in the form of a detailed summary of the best in mobile blogging covering the top posts from the last month. From iPhone stats to the size of the mobile market, from the business value of location to the potential dangers of social media, it’s all here.
This time the Carnival of the Mobilists – the line-up of the best blogs and bloggers on all things mobile – comes to us via Holly Kolman. Holly a first-time host, who – true to her blog title – is a real mobile enthusiast brings us COM #221. Kudos for an excellent job and I hope Holly will host another COM soon (!)
The line-up of blogs includes:
- A look at the recent announcement that Japan’s four leading mobile phone makers are teaming up with NTT DoCoMo to develop the operating system for DoCoMo’s next-generation mobile phones (via Ajit Jaokar @ Open Gardens)
- The real reason why Apple iPhone sales didn’t dip (via Tomi Ahonen @ Communities Dominate Brands)
- Refreshing realism on the iPhone and app opportunities (via Carl Martin @ Mobsessed)
- A welcome reminder to designers – and everyone in mobile – that not everyone will have or wants to have a smartphone (via new COM member Belen Barro Pena
- The potential headaches associated with supporting smartphones & the opportunity for operators to wring more value from helping their customs use them in the first place (two post via new COM contributors Amdocs)
- An in-depth look at opportunities in gaming and gambling (via James Coops @MobiAffiliates)
- More need-to-know mobile stats (via Andy Favell @mobiThinking – an excellent curator of key mobile advertising facts & figures)
PLUS Post Of The Week:
Humbled that this week’s pick is my own post on The Mobile Movement. By way of background, I have joined with entrepreneurs, humanitarians, artists & academics in a coalition committed to bringing mobile capabilities to non-profits in order that they may reach millions more people in need by leveraging mobile devices, networks and innovative applications created in partnership with social entrepreneurs.
On Monday I will update you on our recent advisory board meeting and the exciting projects in the works, as well as details about a new Knowledge Sharing event focused on mobile charity. (Disclaimer: MSG is aligned with the aims of The Mobile Movement and Peggy Anne Salz sits on the board of advisors.)
COM #220
Tsahi Levent-Levi over at Radvision steps up to host COM #220 – a vibrant mix of posts and insights that fits with the excitement that comes with the celebration of Israel’s Independence Day. Pay special attention to the post-even coverage and videos around this centerpiece event looking at the impact of technologies on our life and work in 2025. Another destination not to be missed: The Wadi – a new site/blog dedicated to the Israeli hi-tech industry. For links and details check out Tsahi’s blog post here.
Other posts included in the COM:
- A look at what iAd really means for the mobile space (via Carl Martin @ Mobsessed)
- How (and why) targeting can potentially increase conversions (via James Coops @ MobyAfilliates)
- An analysis that outlines the extent to which Android really is open source and the gaps that may alarm you (via Andreas Constantinou @ VisionMobile)
- Why mobile is the Here, the Now and the Future (via Antoine RJ Wright)
- A welcome roundup of stats showing why Asia will dominate in mobile (via Any Favell @mobiThinking)
- The security shortcomings associated with using Wi-Fi hotspot connection (via Martin Sauter @WirelessMoves)
- How Indian operator Idea Cellular is building a business on Pretones, content people can listen to while they call someone on their mobile phones (via very welcome COM newcomer Nikhil Pahwa)
- Musings on a possible Twitter business model that will likely become reality soon (via Ajit Jaokar @ Open Gardens)
- Tsahi’s own ideas on what videochat on the iPhone may be like
NOTE: Tsahi didn’t pick a Post Of The Week – so allow me to direct your attention to Andeas’ expertly researched and written post on Android. A real eye-opener!
COM #219
Although many of us tweeted our best wishes, a round of thanks to Antoine RJ Wright for hosting the COM #219 on his birthday. A gift to us all on his birthday is a summary of posts that set the bar.
These include:
- Management, tracking and targeting tips for your mobile campaign (via james Coops @MobyAffiliates)
- A rant about the Nexus (and all smartphones) with humor that reminds us what really makes a good user experience good (via “Mr Fat Fingers” Tsahi Levent-Levi @VoIP Survivor)
- Do companies really have a mobile strategy when all they do is launch an iPhone app? (a thoughtful post via Martin Wilson @ Indigo 102 – look for his more in-depth column on MSG soon)
- A look at what Apple results and sales really say about iPhone’s ongoing popularity (via Tomi Ahonen @Communities Dominate Brands)
- What does version 4.0 of the iPhone OS mean for developers? (via WIP Connector)
- A walk through the main points of Open Mobile (a book project I am proud to have edited) and a look at the 35+ mobile trends highest on the radar (via Ajit Jaokar @ Open Gardens) BTW: Ajit’s submission was chosen as Post Of The Week – all the more reason to read the post and download his book.
- A recap of Bible Tech (via our host Antoine RJ Wright)
COM #218
Carl Martin makes his debut as host of COM #218 and does a great job. We hope he returns to take the honors soon.
Meantime, here are the posts that made the line-up:
- A look at Nokia Bots: four mini-apps that bring new intelligence to our mobile devices –or do they? (via Antoine RJ Wright)
- MSG’s own analysis of why barcodes have a lot of mileage in the enterprise and beyond
- Must-read data points and details contained within the updated Global Mobile Data Market report (via Chetan Sharma)
- Mobile forecasts and milestones for 2010 (via Tomi Ahonen @Communities Dominate Brands)
- App promotion basics and a helpful list of companies, destinations and resources (via James Coops @ MobyAffiliates
- Are smartphones just PDAs by another name? (via Tsahi Levent-Levi @VoIP Survivor)
- A little phone geek fun (via Terence Eden)
COM #217
Martin Wilson takes the helm for COM #217 and leads us through an eclectic mix of posts and promotions people in the mobile industry need to know.
The line-up includes:
- Details on the forthcoming Mobile 2.0 Europe 2010 event (via the ever-active Rudy De Waele over at the new event website)
- An overview of the top developments and trends at CTIA (via Chetan Sharma)
- What is location really and where is the business value (via Martin Wilson and his guest column on MSG)
- A solid argument for the money – and the excitement – in Mobile 2.0 mashups that analysts might be missing (via Volker Hirsch @ Volker On Mobile)
- A discussion of affiliate marketing as a new and potentially much more lucrative way to monetize apps (via James Coops @ MobyAffiliates)
- An attempt to answer the question: when do apps make business sense (via PSFK, a New York City-based trends research and innovation company)
- A study of mobile commerce and a look at whether it is best suited to an app or a full-fledged mobile website (via Carl Martin @ Redweb)
- The decision my Mozilla to put its Windows development on hold (via Tam Hanna @ TamsPPC – the Windows Phone Blog)
- Are operators are confusing themselves and the market when it comes to defining (and understanding) mobile data? (via Declan Lonergan @ the Yankee Group)
- A podcast chock-full of highlights specific to the U.K. mobile market (via The Fonecast)
- To what extent can/does mobile education empower students to overcome a variety of physical and mental barriers (via Judy Breck’s guest appearance @ Handschooling.com)
- The inside track on BlackBerry’s popularity in the Middle East & a few surprising cultural causes (via Russell Buckley @ MobHappy)
- Expert advice to help you make the most of the Android G1 and Magic’s Limited RAM (via Dennis Bournique @ WAP Review)
COM #216
Tam Hanna hosts COM#216, a brief but appreciated summary of the top blog posts of the week. The On the heels of the industry-first report of the app market size and value, several posts choose to focus on the continuing app phenomenon.
Posts that made the line-up include:
- Highlights and data points from the milestone app report released by Chetan Sharma (via Chetan Sharma’s AORTA blog)
- A different perspective on the same report with additional insights and a podcast with GetJar, the number one independent app store worldwide (via MSG)
- An outreach from Verizon Wireless to developers (via WIP Connector)
- A comprehensive post that serves as a mobile marketing guide to Japan (mobiThinking connects the dots in observations made by Japan expert Christopher Billich)
- A hard and fair look at Adobe’s Flash mobile strategy (via Guilhem Ensuque @ Everything and the Mobile Software Universe…
- Why the 2.0 version of PayPal’s iPhone application could become one incredibly disruptive technology to the banking and credit/debit card industries (via Antoine RJ Wright)
- A run through a map app allowing people to reserve a parking space for their car (via Coldtags Suite)
- A look at mobile data charges and why transparency is just a part of the discussion (via Ajit Jaokar @ Open Gardens)
- A real life story reminds us of the collateral damage that can be caused by the wrong information when it spreads like wildfire via social media (via Dr. Jim Taylor @ Mobility Digest)
Again, no Post Of The Week was chosen. The app report is by far the most important industry news/trend. However, Jim’s thoughtful recount of a real-life incident illustrating how social media can ruin lives has my vote.
As he concludes: The story “demonstrates how the reputation and perhaps life of an innocent person can be summarily ruined as a result of an equally innocent, yet misconstrued, occurrence, poor due diligence and decision making on the part of people who should know better, and, ultimately, the power of social media.”
NOTE: If you want to submit your post to be considered for the weekly line-up by the COM host, then email your link by Sunday to mobilists@gmail.com. If you want to host a COM, then contact me directly (peggy@msearchgroove.com) Everyone is welcome to submit their post for consideration. Of course, there is no guarantee that all posts will be included in the final selection.
