Shaping the Future of the Newspaper Blog - Mobile

Report: MENA region to see jump in online media revenue

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:06:49 -0600

Online media revenue in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to spike to US$600 million by 2015, from less than $100 million last year, research from global consulting firm Booz and Company shows, The National reported today. Mobile revenues are also increasing, expected to reach $2.7 billion.

According to the report, 70 percent of audiences in MENA countries said they spend two hours or more on the Internet each day, while 36 percent said they spend two or more hours watching TV.

iPad on sale April 3: Will newspapers be ready?

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:58:59 -0600

Apple's iPad will go on sale in the United States April 3, and will be available for pre-order beginning March 12, TechCrunch reported early this morning. The "magical and revolutionary product at an unbelievable price" will start at US$499, Apple's Web site states.

The Wi-Fi models will be available April 3, but Wi-Fi + 3G will be available in late April in the United States, according to Apple's press release. All models will be available in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

SFN report: Global mobile advertising to exceed $19.1 billion in 2012

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:37:49 -0600

Global mobile advertising spending totaled US$2.7 billion in 2007, according to eMarketer, and is expected to exceed $19.1 billion in 2012, SFN's World Digital Media Trends 2009 reported.

Mobile message advertising contributed the majority in 2007, and will grow from $2.56 billion to $14.2 billion in 2012. Mobile display and mobile search advertising accounted for a niche amount in 2007, but will rise from $52 million to $1.2 billion, and from $83 million to $3.8 billion in 2012, respectively, eMarketer projects.

NY Times content debuts on 850 video screens across U.S.

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:59:56 -0600

RMG Networks and The New York Times today announced the launch NYTimes.com Today, a digital network of video screens that will feature top headlines, photos and videos from NYTimes.com. The 850 screens are placed in cafes and eateries in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, reaching six million consumers each month.

As a result of the partnership and extension of The New York Times brand into the medium of video ad networks, the paper will become the sole brand on RMG's Urban Mobile Network. "RMG's strategy is to offer best-in-class video entertainment and information to engage high-value audiences when they are on-the-go. This agreement represents a game-changing offering within both the place-based media sector and the broader ad industry," Garry McGuire, CEO of RMG Networks, said in the press release.

AP launches new units set to charge for iPad

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:12:01 -0600

The Associated Press announced Friday it will launch a new unit to identify and develop new products for mobile devices and other multimedia platforms, Editor & Publisher reported.

The unit, called AP Gateway, will focus on softwares and products that will "enable newspapers as well as the news cooperative to display content on such devices as Apple Computer Inc.'s iPad," said Tom Curley, AP's president and CEO, at the annual meeting of the Colorado Press Association.

UK Publishers criticise upcoming BBC mobile app

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:41:53 -0600

UK-based Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) expressed its concern over the BBC's upcoming mobile ventures, reported The Independent on Friday. According to the Press Gazette, the BBC will be launching an iPhone application in April and applications for BBC Sport and its iPlayer afterwards.

"At a time when the BBC is facing unprecedented levels of criticism over its expansion, and when the wider industry is investing in new models, it is extremely disappointing that the corporation plans to launch services that would throw into serious doubt the commercial sector's ability to make a return on its investment, and therefore its ability to support quality journalism," said NPA Chief David Newell.

BBC to launch free iPhone apps

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:36:09 -0600

The BBC will launch a trio of iPhone applications in April, aiming to replicate users' online experience on the mobile platform, Times Online reported. The app will be free of charge.

The mobile apps will be based on the broadcaster's news, sport and iPlayer video services. Because the BBC app will be free, analysts say it will "increase tension with companies looking to offer paid-for content," according to the Times Online.

Publishers may be reluctant to launch iPad versions

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:15:45 -0600

Newspaper and magazine publishers may be reluctant to jump on the iPad bandwagon, suggests ArsTechnica. Possible reasons include the 30 percent commission that Apple takes as well as the firm's policy of not sharing customer data.

Publishers view information about their subscribers as valuable since it may affect marketing plans and an outlet's content, the Financial Times (FT) reported.

Facebook to launch text-only mobile service Zero

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:10:37 -0600

Facebook will launch Zero, its text-only version that may be offered by mobile phone carriers for free, according to TechCrunch. The low-bandwidth service that doesn't offer access to photos will be launched "in the coming weeks", Hexus today reported.

"We are discussing it... as an option to make Facebook on the mobile web available to everyone, anywhere and allow operators to encourage more mobile Internet usage," said a Facebook spokesperson, according to BBC News.

iPad deals with publishers face obstacles

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:10:41 -0600

The arrival of the iPad has generated much optimism in media circles that hope it will revitalize a struggling industry, but so far, there has been much talk over what the device could do, but little evidence that shows newspapers will actually benefit from the device.

In fact, newspaper and magazine publishers have not yet agreed upon the key issue of sharing subscription revenue, as they consider deals to offer digital versions of their publications on Apple's newly released tablet, the Financial Times reports. This vital piece of the puzzle will decide whether publishers will succeed in cashing in on the iPad.

For more on this story, visit our sister publication, editorsweblog.org.

Evening Standard to launch mobile app, may charge for print again

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:26:38 -0600

The London Evening Standard will launch a mobile application later this month, aiming to connect its content with social media, Media Guardian reported today. The newspaper's print version is also now being sold again, after dropping its cover price in October.

The new mobile app will be available later this month across all major smartphone platforms, according to a press release from Handmark, the company that built the app. However, no detail was provided as to whether the app will be paid, or supported by advertising. It will deliver the newspaper in a simple, easy-to-navigate format and the "content within the mobile application will be refreshed automatically and available for offline reading."

New York Times' metered system will take time

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:25:27 -0600

Building a great system takes time, which is why The New York Times isn't in a hurry to launch its metered paywall this year, President and CEO Janet Robinson said in an earnings call today, paidContent reported.

The new system will "keep us connected to search driven Web" by being flexible between paid and free content, she said.

Kindle acquires touchscreen technology maker Touchco

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:31:42 -0600

InformationWeek divulged Thursday that Amazon may have acquired Touchco, a touchscreen technology manufacturer. According to a New York Times (NYT) article from Wednesday "a person briefed on the deal" revealed that Amazon would be combining the manufacturer's technology and staff members into its California-based hardware division Lab126.

The acquisition was reportedly a step to boost Kindle's touch screen mechanism in light of the launch of Apple's new device iPad, said the Wall Street Journal. The iPad is thought to be better than Kindle because it has a more colourful screen and is easier to navigate.

Study: Teens blog and use Twitter less than young adults

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:01:35 -0600

Teens and young adults blog less today than they did in 2006, while older adults are blogging more than ever, according to a Pew Internet Project survey, out today. Teens are also not using Twitter in large numbers, with just 8 percent of Internet users ages 12-17 using the micro-blogging service.

Currently, 14 percent of online teens say they have a blog, while 28 percent said so in 2006. Comments on blogs are down too, with 76 percent of teen social network users saying they commented on friends' blogs in 2006. Today, that number is 52 percent. For adults, 24 percent of those ages 18 to 29 said they blogged in December 2007, while just 7 percent of those age 30 and older did so. By 2009, less users age 18 to 29 blogged - just 15 percent of Internet users - while 11 percent of those age 30 and older have a personal blog.

iPad: Privitising or opening the Internet?

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:23:03 -0600

The launch of the iPad yesterday is the next step in the "device-based walled gardens," Randall Rothenberg, of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, wrote. Amazon's Kindle has built a higher wall, as anything capable of surfing the Web "still hints at the larger world." Other gated communities include the Sony Playstation, Microsoft's xBox, Netflix Streaming and more, he stated in his iab column/blog (which he has dubbed a "clog").

As walled gardens and gated communities are created, the big question that arises for content creators is: "How fragmented will the advertising supply chain become?"