Shaping the Future of the Newspaper Blog - Mobile

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?"

Mobile apps predicted to raise US$29 billion by 2013

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:16:55 -0600

According to a report by business research firm Gartner, sales of mobile phone applications are predicted to raise more than US$6 billion in 2010, CMSWire wrote Tuesday. By 2013, the figure is expected to reach US$29 billion. This year, an estimated 4,500 applications may be downloaded, compared to 2,500 in 2009.

UK newspaper The Guardian announced that it sold 68,979 copies of its premium iPhone application that it launched in December. Each one costs around US$3.99, which amounts to about US$275,000 so far. The outlet can earn up to US$3.2 million per year, according to CMSWire.

Jobs: Apple tablet may revolutionise newspaper industry

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:29:37 -0600

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs suggested that he may be able to restructure industries such as textbooks, newspapers and television, the Wall Street Journal reported today. "People familiar with the talks" said Apple has been discussing possible ventures with book, magazine and newspaper publishers such as the New York Times Co., Condé Nast Publications Inc. and HarperCollins Publishers, as well as its owner, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

According to a survey by market research company Retrevo, 70 percent of respondents will not spend more than US$700 on Apple's upcoming tablet device, accoding to Computer World today. Seventy-five percent said they wouldn't acquire the tablet unless it had a battery life of more than six hours, reported ZDNet.

South African consumers can buy mobile airtime with digital currency

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:20:46 -0600

Consumers in South Africa who would rather not use their credit card online, or who don't have a credit card, can buy airtime over the Web or via their mobile phones without a credit card or even a bank account, Biz-Community Africa reported today.

Customers can buy airtime from mobile providers Cell C, Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Wordcall using mimoney, or mobile currency, developed by digital agency Prezence South Africa.

paidContent: Guardian iPhone app could net £2 million a year

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:01:07 -0600

Income from iPhone apps is nothing to scoff at. The Guardian's app costs £2.39, and the UK newspaper announced it has sold almost 69,000 app downloads since the app's launch in December. At that rate, income from the app alone could reach £1.97 million a year, paidContent reported today.

In the first 48 hours after launching the app, the Guardian made £20,000. It is currently listed in the top 10 news apps on Apple's Web site. However, Apple does get a 30 percent commission, and these figures are before that commission is taken, paidContent pointed out.

Report: France Télécom exec hints at existence of Apple tablet

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:49:25 -0600

France Télécom/Orange Executive Stephane Richard hinted in an interview today with France's radio channel Europe 1 that his company may soon be offering the much awaited Apple tablet, CNet reported. He responded "yes" to the question of whether a tablet with a Web cam would be launched by Apple.

Richard unveiled a possible venture between the France Télécom/Orange and Apple, by responding "yes" to a question asking if Orange users would benefit from the launch. The tablet will be another step towards modernizing the videophone concept, Richard said.

Google unveils Nexus One phone

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:42:20 -0600

Google today revealed its new mobile phone, the Nexus One, the launch of which Wired pointed out is a shift from the online giant's "original stance as a neutral distributor" of the Android mobile operating system, which could be used on different handsets and via different mobile carriers. With the launch of Nexus One, Google is now "competing with the very manufacturers that use its OS."

In the United States, the Nexus One will run on T-Mobile, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, which will be the first mobile carrier to offer a plan for it; however, consumers will be able to buy it directly via a Google Web site. In the spring, Verizon Wireless will also offer a plan, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Image: via Google

Hearst to debut large-screen Skiff e-reader

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:04:33 -0600

U.S. publishing company Hearst this week will dive into the e-reader game as it unveils its Skiff Reader at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Skiff is a big part of Hearst's efforts to draw back paying readers, and the publisher is expected to tout the e-reader's flexible display and large screen.

Although the actual device is not flexible, the display is, due to a "thin, bendable sheet of stainless steel foil rather than glass-based displays favoured by other e-readers," PC World reported today. The Skiff was designed by LG Display, and although it will not display colour, it does boast a resolution of 1200 by 1600 pixels.

Image: Folio

Google's Nexus One smartphone to be unveiled tomorrow

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:56:47 -0600

Google's Nexus One smartphone will be revealed on Tuesday at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, the Times Online reported yesterday. The project may help boost the company's presence within the mobile sphere as well as offer direct competition to Apple's iPhone.

"With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we've seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what's possible," the invitation AFP and others received stated.

Image: A leaked picture, according to Engadget

Chrome OS-run netbook rumoured to be released in a year

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:07:18 -0600

Google may be launching its Chrome OS-based netbook by the holiday season in 2010, IBTimes reported Sunday. The search engine company has already contacted numerous hardware manufacturers and sent out RFPs (Request for Proposal), according to the report. The device is predicted to cost under US$300 (€210) and will be sold directly by Google.

According to The Link, using Chrome for netbooks means building an open-source OS (Operating System) that will permit developers to build directly on top of the system and drop the licensing fee that Microsoft entails, thus making the netbooks 10 percent less expensive. The project may take away from the significant share of the OS market that Microsoft has.

Apple tablet to be heavyweight e-reader competition

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:56:35 -0600

Apple Inc. shares have continued to grow this week after reaching a record high Thursday, The Street reported. Apple's stock closed at US$211.61 on Monday, up by $2.57 (1.23 percent) over the day's closing price of $209.04. The proposed reason for the rise is Apple's alleged launch of a new tablet computer in early 2010. However, Frost & Sullivan analyst James Brehm said there may be "strong interest in it, but it won't be the wave of the future," according to CNNMoney.com.

QuickPwn speculates that the tablet will not be a larger version of the iPod/iPhone as expected, but would instead be an eBook reader to compete with Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook and other e-readers.

Should Amazon's Kindle change?

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:19:12 -0600

Amazon received a pleasant surprise this Christmas; "for the first time ever" consumers bought more Kindle editions of books than physical books, MSNBC reported yesterday. However, PC World's Jeff Bertolucci suggested that as the e-reader landscape is expected to change next year as other e-readers are launched, such as the expected unveiling of Apple's tablet computer, there are steps Amazon can take to prevent the Kindle device from becoming outdated.

One possible transformation is the addition of a colour screen, which would largely benefit magazines and newspapers, Bertolucci wrote. E-Ink displays are alright for books, but Kindle may have to swap it "to appease its news publishing partners." Another change could be dropping the physical keyboard since a touchscreen may be enough for "limited text-entry tasks" and the extra space could be used to enlarge the display.

Google's AdMob acquisition raises antitrust and privacy concerns

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:07:17 -0600

Two advocacy groups have urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prohibit Google Inc.'s planned US$750 million acquisition of mobile advertising firm AdMob Inc., BusinessWeek reported yesterday. The Center for Digital Democracy and Consumer Watchdog issued a statement mentioning antitrust concerns and privacy issues that the sale incited, pointing out that it might "substantially lessen competition in the increasingly important mobile advertising market." according to Reuters.

Search giant Google, Inc. intends to improve sales of adverts featured on applications on mobile phones, Reuters reported. The resulting purchase of AdMob is presumed to spawn the biggest mobile advertising company that would occupy 30 percent to 40 percent of the market, Karsten Weide, an analyst from California's Interactive Data Corp., told BusinessWeek.