The world has TV programming guides that run on TVs, not to mention a new swell of guides that somehow combine the two. But does the Web need its own real-time programming guide? Count Live Matrix as yet another entrant (SetJam, Clicker enter hypercompetitive online TV-guide market) With the amount of live, streaming programming on the Web these days, it seems like a no-brainer. With telcos playing in all areas of this market (IPTV, ISP and mobile), one lingering question is exactly what’s the service provider partnership play in this area?
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YAOTVG, or ‘Yet Another Online TV Guide,’ launches
The strange story of Android vs. Droid vs. Nexus One
Some seemingly contradictory bits of news today: Android devices are seemingly selling like gangbusters, with the first 74 days (what an odd number) of sales of phones running Google’s Android OS outgunning the sale of Apple iPhones over the same introductory period. So all is well in the land of “goog-phones,” then, right? Not so fast. Sales of Nexus One, the Android device that Google is selling directly have, it appears, tanked. So what’s the story here? (more…)
Could the iPad ever live up to the hype?
iPad pre-orders started over the weekend, and the results so far are mixed. Fan-boys (and –girls) immediately swamped Apple’s Web site with orders to the tune of more than 100,000 sold in the first few days. But after that immediate rush, orders dropped off sharply. Which begs the question: is the iPad all hype, or something more real? And will it make the same impact on mobile operator networks that the iPhone had?
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SXSW and the great location wars
As the hipsters descended on Austin, Texas last weekend for South by Southwest (the event, by the way, that “made” Twitter a few years ago, much attention turned to location-based services. By some reports, more than a dozen new location-based-style services are launching at the show. Are location-based services the next big thing in mobile? (more…)
CNN Mobile synchs up with FLO TV, but not VZW
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…)
Will you buy an Apple iPad? (poll)
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) began taking iPad pre-orders today for either the Wi-Fi-only version, available on April 3, or the AT&T (NYSE:T) 3G-plus-Wi-Fi version. Some analysts are predicting shortages, while others are pointing out the reasons you should wait to buy Apple’s computing device. The Wall Street Journal even breaks down whether a Wi-Fi-only iPad or 3G version, which even AT&T doesn’t believe will be most popular, is best for you. Will you be ordering either?
First iPad commercial gets Oscar debut (video)
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…)
What the mobile touch-screen takeover means for businesses
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…)
How much power do mobile search partners have?
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…)
Adobe talks back about Apple, HTML5 (video)
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…)