Posts tagged ‘mobile’
Google foiled!
When Apple announced its purchase of Quattro Wireless, some of the happiest people were probably at Google, surprisingly enough. Previous to the purchase, Google acquired AdMob, an ad developer for mobile phones, for a nice amount – $750 million. The one problem was that regulators were likely to step in so the combined entity didn’t take too much of the market.
With a renewed rivalry with Apple in the same field, Google probably thought it had smooth sailing. Not so. It’s now expected that the Federal Trade Commission will block Google.
The concerns are fairly valid. The market for mobile advertising is small and if a large company like Google snags too much of the market right off the bat, there will be very little growth and few new entrants.
On the other hand, the sector is small but the other company in it is one which Google is likely to fight tooth and nail against. Apple and Google just aren’t friends. And as long as those two companies are at odds (considering Google beat out Apple for AdMob, they aren’t going to suddenly become friends), it’s basically guaranteed that the industry will stay competitive.
Why let Apple have all the fun? I’m curious to see what Google’s vision of mobile advertisements look like.
Apple wants to control the world
When Apple comes out with a new concept, it’s like everyone and their dog wants to be a part of it. And it’s clear Apple knows that.
When Steve Jobs announced iAd, I was … ambivalent. It’s a good idea, even though I don’t want ads on my phone. And I realize they are a necessary evil. However, I don’t agree with the pricing model at all. There are mobile ads out there and maybe they suck and that’s the whole point, but I find it hard to believe that Steve Jobs wants people to go from paying less than $200,000 for a mobile ad to dropping a cool $1 million. That’s a huge jump.
And if you want to be one of the first, you’ll easily be paying more.
It seems like a rip off. It seems like Apple knows it can say “jump” and the rest of the world will ask “how high?” It gets worse too. Advertisers have to pay Apple when someone opens an app and just sees an ad. They don’t even have to click on it and Apple gets paid. Then if they do click on it, Apple gets more money.
Plus, Apple doesn’t even trust advertisers to get it right. In order to place an ad, not only do you have to pay a large sum, but you have to use Apple’s developer kit.
Apple is taking over the world.
Fast growing mobile countries just catching up
eMarketer released some mobile stats on Brazil, Russia, India and China, which at first blush seem “eye-popping” but taken into context I might say they aren’t. As long as things are kept in perspective, they make sense. For instance, China and India have the two largest populations in the world with more than 1.3 billion and 1.1 billion, respectively.
Now, Noah Elkin makes a statement that initially will make you blink multiple times before you process the information: “there will be more mobile Internet users in China in 2010 than the entire population of the US.”
Look at the numbers, though. The population of the United States is the third largest in the world with 300 million. China has 1 billion more people than the U.S. That’s a staggering difference. It also means that if the users of mobile Internet in China equals the population of the U.S. that is still less than 25 percent of China’s population.
That’s not even all that impressive. This time last year, 21 percent of the U.S. was using mobile Internet according to comScore. And according to a Quantcast Mobile Web Trends report that mobile Web use increased 110 last year, which means the U.S. is actually nearing 43 percent of people use mobile Internet. Personally, the fact that almost half of the country is accessing the Web on-the-go is what I consider an eye-popping number.
Of course, there are other factors to take into account. For instance, in the U.S. 89 percent of the population has a mobile phone. In China, mobile subscribers only accounts for 56 percent. Roughly half of America’s mobile subscribers use the Internet. Although I know the estimated number of mobile web users for China is 957 million in 2014, I don’t have the exact 2010 number, other than the information that it is more than the total U.S. population. Based on the trends, I can hazard a guess around 350 million web users. This means that roughly 40 percent of China’s mobile subscribers use the mobile Web. This number isn’t staggering at all. In fact, it makes sense based on the U.S. stats.
The point here is that, although the BRIC countries seem to be growing very fast, they’re really playing catch-up at this point. It won’t be for another three years that they might outpace the rest of the world. But let’s face it. Eventually mobile Web growth is going to slow down. New mobile subscribers is growing at a slower rate. It doesn’t mean it’s losing popularity. It just means that there aren’t many people left in the market to get. Everyone who wants a cell, has a cell. Soon everyone will have access to mobile Internet until the numbers are no longer suprising because it’s a part of everyone’s everyday life.
Here's an obligatory, corny stock photo showing how many people use cell phones.
Facebook strips down…
… its services that is. I know, I know. You were probably picturing that girl you know who likes taking profile pictures in just a bra. We all know that girl. No, Facebook is offering a diet version of the Web site. An unsweetened. A basic plan.
Facebook unveiled Facebook Zero (like Coke Zero or Powerade Zero). It has all the fun of following your friends and (and surreptitiously following people who don’t even realize they’re still friends with you), but it’s free on your mobile device. It’s kind of like Twitter. The page is your news feed and you can update your status. But if you decide to click on a link and go onto Facebook’s page, then your cell phone carrier can charge you.
The company is gambling on the idea that this year (and in the future) people’s use of mobile devices will increase a lot. It’s a good gamble and a “no shit” statement.
You can see the 16-minute presentation given at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at TechCrunch.
Following something mobile on a mobile
What?
In many cities food trucks have taken over the streets. NYC (among the many cities) food trucks boast everything from the traditional ice cream to cupcakes, tacos and dumplings. However, since food trucks are mobile, they are usually on the move and difficult to find. Thankfully, social networking comes to the rescue again.
Van Leeuwan ice cream truck
Now, these trucks can use Twitter and Facebook to keep their fans happy. Tweets will appear listing the location of the truck and sometimes a recommendation. For instance, today, Wafles & Dinges is promoting apple cider. Now any time the truck moves people can be instantly updated. It’s convenient for customers, but it’s better for the company because they won’t have to wonder how many people will find them.
You can even be on the streets looking for the truck and get the latest update of where it is. And there are food trucks all around the country. Know your favorite one but not where it’s going to be? Odds are pretty high that they have some sort of social media account to make announcements for your convenience.
