Mobile broadband to overtake fixed broadband data speeds
Mobile News has a post that The GSM Association has commented that mobile broadband could hit 100Mbps before fixed fibre lines.
For a lot of people in Australia this is definitely no surprise due to our poor fixed broadband coverage. Today there are people who can utilise faster mobile broadband data speeds than what access they can get around fixed data.
Whilst many taut mobile broadband to be the holy grail of new generation network connectivity, the reality will see us using a hybrid of services.
Whilst mobile broadband’s strengths are expansive coverage and of course mobility, the traditional telco model it enjoys today will be threatened by next generation hybrid mesh networks of the future.
Posted By Shane Williamson
Citizen journalists turning into citizen cops
Great article in The AustralianIT about how the Australian Victorian government is considering allowing citizens to submit photographic evidence of street crimes from mobile devices. Specifically they are interested in people using mobile devices to record the stupid antics of car “hoons” that use public streets as personal drag strips or performing dangerous stunts that endanger the lives of other people.
Great idea, but why isn’t this for all driving related incidents like those annoying people that change lanes with indicating or those that throw lit cigarettes from their cars or those people with hats driving slow in the fast lane!?!?! 🙂
Posted By Shane Williamson
HSBC looking into replacing Blackberrys with iPhones
Who says the iPhone isn’t enterprise ready!?!?! 🙂
ZDNET: HSBC could order 200,000 iPhones
Posted By Shane Williamson
26-AUG-08 UPDATE: An HSBC spokesperson has now denounced this…..
AdMob creates tailored iPhone mobile advertising
AdMob’s recently released numbers on iPhone usage for mobile sites has supported the company’s drive to develop an Apple iPhone specific mobile advertising system. The great user interface on the Apple iPhone empowers the mobile advertiser to deliver a richer customer experience.
AdMob has created various ways for customers to interact with advertising on the Apple iPhone including,
- Maps – Users launch Google Maps and display store locations, services, or other business listings near that user’s location.
- Video – Users view a video and share that video with friends.
- iTunes – Users open the iTunes Store and purchase music or video content from iTunes.
- Call – Users initiate a voice call, delivering targeted phone leads to your business.
- Web – Users visit your iPhone Website.
- Audio – Users listen to recorded or streaming audio content, including music, podcasts, and news.
- Canvas – Users interact with your custom content from within a screen-sized canvas on any iPhone Website or Application.
AdMob’s iPhone advertising – http://www.admob.com/s/solutions/iphone
Posted By Shane Williamson
AdMob has released their June 2008 statistics that put the Apple iPhone as the world’s 4th largest Smartphone viewing mobile sites with their ads. AdMob serves Graphical Banner and Text Link ads on mobile web pages for more than 5,000 publishers.
These AdMob statistics are impressive considering the iPhone is the only mobile from Apple versus the multiple mobiles from each of the other manufacturers. it will be interesting to see how the new iPhone changes these statistics as this report’s data is prior to the release of the new 3G iPhone.
If you are designing mobile websites, this is more ammunition for tailoring to the ever growing iPhone base.
AdMob Mobile Metrics Report – http://www.admob.com/s/solutions/metrics
Posted By Shane Williamson
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) have released a set of guidelines that "address the effective and responsible use of the mobile channel world wide." The MMA represents around 650 member companies worldwide in around forty countries and was established to grow mobile marketing and its associated technologies.
The updated Global Code of Conduct includes five categories:
- Notice – The fundamental principle of the MMA Privacy Code of Conduct, informing users of the marketers’ identity or products and services offered and the key terms and conditions that govern an interaction between the marketer and the user’s mobile device.
- Choice & Consent – Respecting the right of the user to control which mobile messages they receive by obtaining consent (opt-in) and implementing a simple termination (opt-out) process.
- Customisation & Constraint – Ensuring that collected user information is used to tailor communication to the interests of the recipient and is handled responsibly, sensitively and in compliance with applicable law. Mobile messages should be limited to those requested by the user and provide value such as product and service enhancements, contests, requested information, entertainment or discounts.
- Security – The implementation of reasonable technical, administrative and physical procedures to protect user information from unauthorized use, alteration, disclosure, distribution, or access.
- Enforcement & Accountability – The MMA expects its members to comply with the MMA Privacy Code of Conduct and has incorporated the Code into applicable MMA Guidelines, including the U.S. Consumer Best Practice (“CBP”) Guidelines. Until the Code can be enforced effectively by a third party enforcement organization, Mobile Marketers are expected to use evaluations of their practices to certify compliance with the Code.
The 4 page PDF can be downloaded from their site here
Posted By Shane Williamson
Jetstar airlines creates ticketless mobile site.
Jetstar airlines has created a new mobile portal to their main website, but unfortunately you can’t buy tickets on their flights from it.
Whilst the Jetstar mobile site is limited, the user can check arrival & departure times of flights and there is contact information including a click-to-call customer support link. Also good to see that they have used browser sniffing capability so that you just point your mobile at their main site and you get redirected to the mobile version without having to fumble around trying to work out the mobile address.
Posted By Shane Williamson
JOY OF TECH COMIC: Self-esteem workshop for non-iPhones
CafePress is staying true to it’s company’s business model by acquiring imagekind.com as the two companies are very synergistic. Creating a business that makes revenue from selling User Generated Content (UGC) is tricky at best, but CafePress and Imagekind have both nailed it.
CafePress is one of the greatest ways to make cash on the Internet by selling user generated content. I originally created my CafePress store as a demonstration that even a dog could have a website and make money. Whilst I did it as a jest, it wasn’t long before I got my first sale on the service and my dog was US$1 richer for it…. or more specifically her master was.
CafePress is a free online service that lets you tailor shirts, mugs and other merchandise with your brand, photography or even a campaign message that you want to advertise. As long as you own the intellectual property of the image or saying you can sell it on CafePress. The service then lets you add a prift margin to your stores branded merchandise. When you make a sale, Cafepress does the billing, manufacturing and shipping of your goods to your customer and you get the profit. There are no setup fees.
My dog’s site still gets the occasional sale and I don’t promote the site in any way (Except here of course), but this service is a powerful way to get your company merchandise printed without having to purchase bulk amounts and watch them waste away.
CafePress has a professional version of their service that allows more stores and greater flexibility in merchandise you can choose for a low service fee.
I’ve since used CafePress for marketing materials for a couple of the startups and business programs I have been involved in and even though the service is based in the US, the shipping fees are very reasonable and the products are a good quality.
So next time you hear someone criticise that you can’t make money from user generated content, just point them at CafePress and tell them to buy a Nikita mug! 🙂
CafePress – www.cafepress.com
Nikita’s store – www.cafepress.com/nikita
Imagekind – www.imagekind.com
Posted By Shane Williamson
Universal Convergence 