by Sarah ReedyMarch 12th, 2010
Qualcomm’s (NASDAQ:QCOM) mobile television arm FLO TV announced today it has expanded its relationship with partner Turner Broadcasting to add CNN Mobile to its channel line-up, including content from CNN US and International, HLN and CNN.com. The channel will be available on FLO TV’s dedicated Personal TV device, its Auto Entertainment platforms and on AT&T (NYSE:T), although not Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ, NYSE:VOD) at launch.
CNN Mobile, first introduced as an exclusive to AT&T Mobile TV subscribers in 2008, provides political, world, health and entertainment news, including from Anderson Cooper, Larry King and Robin Meade, as well as live events, one of FLO TV’s best performing content categories. AT&T’s exclusive hold on CNN Mobile still holds today, so it won’t be made available to subscribers of VZW’s V Cast Mobile TV service. (more…)
Related Topics: 3G/4G, Machine-to-machine communications, Mobile Apps, Wireless |
by Sarah ReedyMarch 8th, 2010
Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) much-awaited iPad, which goes on sale April 3rd, had its commercial debut at last night’s Oscars. In true Apple fashion, the commercial featured a catchy song and a compelling demo of what the device does well, including e-reading, photos, music and email.
The tablet computing device has received a storm of media coverage, both before and after it was officially announced at the beginning of the year. Analysts have since put out multiple forecasts on iPad sales, most of which have the supply not meeting demand for the device. To name a few, Canaccord Adams analysts say production problems will limit the number of units available at launch to 300,000, while BroadPoint AmTech believes the iPad will definitely sell out in hours – much like both versions of the iPhone. (more…)
Related Topics: 3G/4G, Machine-to-machine communications, Mobile Apps, Wireless |
by Sarah ReedyMarch 4th, 2010
The most forward-thinking of companies have traditionally been those that optimized their sites for mobile, but that’s no longer enough. The rise in popularity of touch-screen mobile phones means that businesses also need to optimize their mobile Web sites for a consumer that is on-the-go and prone to pinching, pulling and tapping their touchscreens.
Right now, about 83,300 shopping and services Web sites have gotten on board with this trend, according to a report from mobile search firm Taptu.
Taptu makes its business from touch-enabled sites, so it’s not surprising the firm believes that the mobile touch Web presents a huge opportunity. But, a report from Gartner today gives credence to its findings as well. (more…)
Related Topics: 3G/4G, All Stories, Mobile Apps, Wireless |
by Sarah ReedyMarch 3rd, 2010
AT&T (NYSE:T) has finally embraced Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android, but not entirely. When it launches its first Android phone, the Motorola (NYSE:MOT) Backflip on Sunday, the default search engine will be supplied by Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO). It’s a big win for Yahoo, but it raises the question, will it become the norm for AT&T? If so, what does it mean for other wireless operators that have search agreements in place?
Android is open-source, so AT&T was free to use any search engine it liked, but the move is surprising nonetheless. Yahoo trails far behind Google in mobile search with even the iPhone using Google as its default search engine. According to the Nielsen Company, Google Search was accessed more than any other mobile Web site between January and September of last year. (more…)
Related Topics: 3G/4G, All Stories, Mobile Apps, Wireless |
by Sarah ReedyMarch 2nd, 2010
Adobe Systems (NASDAQ:ADBE) used last month’s Mobile World Congress to outline its plans for Flash 10.1 as and Android, but the company has been in an increasingly tight spot when it comes to Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)-competitor Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Apple CEO Steve Jobs first slighted Adobe’s Flash Player when he excluded it from the announced features on Apple’s much-hyped new iPad. But this wasn’t surprising considering Apple also blocked it from the iPhone, for which Adobe has used workarounds to enable. (more…)
Related Topics: 3G/4G, Mobile Apps, Wireless |
by Sarah ReedyMarch 2nd, 2010
It may not be ready to let users transform the iPhone into a TV remote control as Verizon (NYSE:VZ) recently did, but Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is willing to give its cable TV subscribers what they really want: remote digital-video recording (rDVR) on the iPhone.
Comcast’s first mobile app was introduced to the iPhone and iPod Touch last fall to let consumers view and use the features of their Comcast Digital Voice, Cable and high-speed Internet services in one central location. According to Cathy Avgiris, Comcast’s senior vice president and general manager of communications and data services, the app reached more than 100,000 downloads in less than one week, but remote DVR was a feature that consumers were still asking for. (more…)
Related Topics: All Stories, Mobile Apps, Video, Wireless |
by Sarah ReedyFebruary 23rd, 2010
Hybrid location provider Skyhook Wireless’ news that it is powering location-based social networking service Gowalla had fortuitous timing today. Concurrent with the announcement, Juniper Research put out a report suggesting that mobile location-based services (LBS) will exceed $12 billion by 2014, driven in part by Skyhook’s specialty, hybrid location. (more…)
Related Topics: 3G/4G, All Stories, Mobile Apps, Wireless |
by Sarah ReedyFebruary 23rd, 2010
Related Topics: Broadband Stimulus, Broadband/FTTX, Regulation |
by Sarah ReedyFebruary 22nd, 2010
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) has agreed to acquire over-the-top (OTT) content provider Vudu, according to a New York Times report today. Terms of the acquisition weren’t released, but the 
companies reportedly informed Vudu’s Hollywood studios and TV manufacturers of the deal today. The acquisition could make Wal-Mart, already a leader in DVD sales, a formidable competitor in OTT service delivery as well.
Vudu started offering its service with a required standalone set-top box (STB) three years ago. But, following a difficult business case, it transitioned to embedding its software into Blu-Ray players, IPTV STBs and high-definition TVs from LG Electronics, Vizio and Mitsubishi, and more recently announced partners Samsung, Sanyo and Toshiba. The company has also sought partnerships with independent telcos looking for a cheaper alternative than IPTV and distinguished itself with a focus on HD content and expansion into applications and Web services. (more…)
Related Topics: All Stories, Broadband/FTTX, IPTV, Residential Services, Service Delivery |
