New analysis of tablet advertising suggests that although the Kindle Fire is 2.7-inches smaller than the iPad, users actually click on advertisements at a higher rate on the Fire than on Apple’s device.
But the report also notes that most of the Fire’s clicks come from Baby Boomers (ages 45 to 64) and that these people are unlikely to make purchases from tablets.
The report explains that consumers 18 to 34 are most likely to own an iPad and that customers 25 to 34 are the most likely to make purchases from a tablet.
The solution may be in building advertisements that can operate on multiple screen sizes. Advertisers will likely lean this way soon if Apple’s rumored iPad Mini ever comes to fruition.
In a related CNET article, the iPad continues to dominate the tablet market, while the demand for Amazon’s Kindle Fire is dwindling. The tablet market is growing rapidly, with sales numbers up 185 percent last year and 18.2 million devices shipped in just the first quarter of this year.
“Apple accounted for 11.8 million of those shipments, or 65 percent of the market. That’s largely thanks to the launch of Apple’s third-generation iPad and a price reduction on iPad 2 models,” explains CNET. Samsung Electronics comes in second, shipping 1.1 million tablets.
The Windows Phone Marketplace is growing fast, taking just over five months to double its numbers in application submissions.
The Marketplace has had around 100,000 applications submitted in total, averaging 313 submissions daily.
“As a disclaimer, this doesn’t mean we currently have access to all hundred-thousand apps — just over 10,000 of them are no longer available, which translates into 88,371 apps being live somewhere in the world,” explains Engadget.
The Windows Phone Marketplace achieved this milestone about five months faster than the Android Market and three months slower than the iOS App Store.
“Given the popularity of both competitors, we’d say that developer growth has been strong and steady for Windows Phone — and with an exciting ‘sneak peek’ of the OS’s future (Apollo) coming up in a couple weeks, the trend is likely to continue increasing at an exponential pace,” adds the post.
While Android has about 50 percent of the global handset market share, compared to less than 30 percent for Apple’s iOS, Web traffic for the two show a much different story.
Apple accounts for more than 60 percent of mobile Web traffic. Android has only 20 percent. Similarly, e-commerce sites report that most mobile buying comes from Apple devices.
Android users appear to be made up of a largely consumer mass market which is less interested in reading, using apps or buying. If true, the value of Android as a platform is less than its market share numbers suggest.
This may have long term consequences regarding which mobile development platform becomes dominant.
In a related Business Insider article, senior editor Jay Yarow suggests Android is suddenly in a great deal of trouble. He cites trends such as developers leaning toward iOS, the fact that Android has been an “utter disaster in the tablet space,” Verizon’s plans to back Windows Phones, and lack of interest in Android’s latest operating system Ice Cream Sandwich.
In late May, Apple published its first ever iOS security guide intended for an IT audience.
“The new guide includes four sections dedicated to topics like system architecture, encryption and data protection, network security, and device access,” reports TechCrunch.
According to the guide: “Apple designed the iOS platform with security at its core. Keeping information secure on mobile devices is critical for any user, whether they’re accessing corporate or customer information or storing personal photos, banking information, and addresses.”
“For organizations considering the security of iOS devices, it is helpful to understand how the built-in security features work together to provide a secure mobile computing platform,” adds Apple.
TechCrunch suggests not to view the guide as a trend towards openness, but rather as a repackaging of largely existing information specifically designed for an IT audience.
“It’s important that these details are documented in language IT understands as more and more businesses allow personal devices on their network and implement their own BYOD (bring your own device) programs,” notes the post.
Sony has announced its new home cinema projector that offers super high-definition at 4096 x 2160 image resolution.
“The VPL-WV1000ES is the first 4K resolution projector designed for home theaters,” reports Electronista. “The new projector displays not only the ultra-high definition 4K format, but also upscales SD and HD content to 4K resolution.”
The $26,000 projector touts brightness of 2,000 ANSI-lumens and 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with a 330W bulb promising 2,000-2,500 hours of life.
It features a 2.1x motorized zoom and can display images from 60 to 300 diagonal inches.
“The projector also supports 3D content, although it relies upon active-shutter 3D glasses, requiring USB-chargeable 3D glasses,” notes the article. “It comes with two HDMI ports, component input, a mini D-sub port, and an Ethernet port.”
Foursquare’s Twitter feed has exploded with the hashtag #allnew4sq — a not so subtle hint at the complete revamping of the location-based application expected within the next week.
During the past year, Foursquare users have begun using the application less as a way to check in and let everyone know where they are at all times, and more as a way to find what local restaurants are popular or what activity is generating a lot of buzz on a particular night.
“Foursquare has been slowly (and sometimes in leaps and bounds) building its data set, learning the habits of its users, all as part of a quest to offer better recommendations, to help them find destinations that they’ll like — and just better explore their worlds,” reports TechCrunch.
This has Foursquare in line to compete with recommendation service Yelp. In a related article, Business Insider notes that if Foursquare can improve on Yelp’s user experience, it can overtake Yelp as the premier recommendation service.
“Improving recommendations so that they take your location into account, as well as your interest graph and time of day, along with a map and social experience that competes with Yelp, Foursquare 2.0 could be a whole lot more appealing,” adds TechCrunch.
Developers are building on top of Pinterest in an effort to feed consumer and brand needs and monetize the site’s growing popularity.
The interest has sparked competitors such as Fancy (iOS app with “buy now” functionality that recently reached one million users) and third party applications including ShopMyPins (simple bookmarklet that enables users to shop online when they see something they like on Pinterest).
Related services include PinShoppr, Pinerly and Curalate (the latter two offer analytics for brands).
“The whole conversation revolving around Pinterest and Pinterest-types and their ability to turn this new, visual, viral thing people have taken to at an astounding rate into a viable e-commerce model doesn’t end at proprietary applications though,” notes Digital Trends. “Third party developers are well aware that there’s an opportunity for them to be a part of this Web evolution as well.”
Should Pinterest be creating its own new features? “I think Pinterest is kind of going through a similar thing that Twitter went through when they were growing explosively and I really think they are focusing on the right thing,” responds Apu Gupta, Curalate CEO and co-founder. “You have to make sure the wheels stay on the bus before you do other things.”
New York City–based Kickstarter was initially developed to support creative projects, but has emerged as a significant force in financing technology start-ups.
“Entrepreneurs have used the site to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time to develop and produce products, including a networked home sensing system and a kit that prints three-dimensional objects,” notes MIT’s Technology Review.
Kickstarter has become a viable alternative to venture capital funding. Last year, it funded some $99 million, equivalent to 10 percent of all seed investment.
In April, ETCentric highlighted a report suggesting that Kickstarter funding was expected to triple this year to around $300 million. At that time, the top projects seeking funding involved film, music, design, art, publishing, games, and technology.
Typical requests for funding are modest, but some projects have attracted more than $1 million. Angel stakes are typically less than $600K. And through Kickstarter the founders retain creative control and attract committed followers and customers.
“If crowdfunding sites start offering equity shares, it will make a few dozen VC firms disappear,” suggests Paul Kedrosky, senior fellow at the Kauffman Foundation.
During yesterday’s keynote at the E3 gaming expo, Microsoft unveiled its new multiscreen entertainment platform called SmartGlass.
“The platform allows users to play video and other media from their mobile devices on their big-screen television, thanks to the Xbox 360,” reports CNET.
Users can send content from one device to another. “To add more value, tablets and smartphones will act as a companion, allowing users to see more information about the program being watched on their Xbox, creating a ‘multiscreen’ experience,” explains the post.
Launching this fall as a competitor to Apple’s AirPlay, SmartGlass will work on Windows, Windows Phone and the Xbox 360 and will support Android and iOS.
The post includes a 4-minute video from E3 in Los Angeles.
Could Microsoft’s most recent updates to the Xbox 360 change cable TV as we know it?
“The Xbox 360 has nearly always had an impressive suite of media streaming options with Netflix and others. For most households, though, the offering was never enough to replace cable. In fact, it was more of a supplement,” reports Engadget. “But today’s announcement brings a host of new options, stations, and apps to the Xbox 360. With these new features, the Xbox 360 has finally become Microsoft’s Trojan Horse. The target? Cable companies.”
Originally unveiled at the E3 conference in 2005, the Xbox 360 has since become the best selling console and has morphed into a media platform rather than just a gaming system.
At E3 2012 this week, Microsoft announced new apps and media offerings. “Now, seven years after its reveal, the 360 truly fits the definition of a home entertainment system,” comments Engadget.
The Xbox 360 will now deliver Bing, Internet Explorer and other new media apps to the box, along with added live sports from NBA TV, NHL TV and content from several ESPN channels.
In addition to more content, there is now enhanced Kinect interaction with voice controls for Bing and Internet Explorer.
A new report from market research firm IHS iSuppli indicates that Netflix is now the dominant force in the online movie business, dethroning Apple’s iTunes.
“The firm credits Netflix’s success with its focus on TV-like subscriptions, which it sees as superior to the company’s DVD mail service or iTunes’ more traditional video on demand (VOD) model,” reports Ars Technica.
The report’s numbers note that Netflix went from 0.5 percent of the online movie market in 2010 to 44 percent in 2011.
Despite bumping up its prices, Netflix made deals with Apple, Microsoft, Roku, and others to be included in set-top boxes and dramatically increased its accessibility in 2011.
“Comparatively, Apple fell from 60.8 percent in 2010 to just 32.3 percent in 2011. The number three player, Microsoft, also fell between 2010 and 2011 — from 16.7 percent to 7.6 percent,” adds the post.
The online video market doubled revenue in that time frame and is expected to double again in 2012.
According to analyst Tony Wible of Janney Montgomery Scott, online streaming of television once helped network TV’s overall ratings, but no longer.
Wible suggests that we’re seeing a peak and perhaps even the start of a decline in benefit for network TV to stream its content online.
“Investors need to look at a broader set of metrics as they evaluate the impact of new technology adoption,” he says, noting that the data “is not reflective of current trends in the broader population but rather is a tool that helps us find harbingers for future trends.”
Wible indicates that the biggest surprise in his data revolves around broadband content usage, including Netflix, Amazon and others. “Users of broadband services watched 1 percent more TV in aggregate when looking at C3 ratings,” explains The Hollywood Reporter.
“Industry ratings may have been weaker for a longer period but were masked by a rapidly growing over-the-top sub base,” according to Wible. “The growth in over-the-top subs is now slowing, and the ratings benefit is moderating… This could be a sign that over-the-top subs are starting to migrate online, cannibalizing the networks they once helped.”
Henry Blodget, CEO and editor-in-chief of Business Insider, describes how dramatically television viewing has changed over the past five years.
He notes that television shows are commonly recorded and viewed later. Ads are typically not watched except during live sports. With Netflix, iTunes or HBO, ads have become “intrusions.”
Other than sports, the only other time many consumers watch live TV is for news events. Additionally, consumers are increasingly watching TV on various devices including laptops, smartphones and iPads.
Blodget lists some implications of these trends: 1) TV advertisers are wasting their money since we don’t watch the ads, and 2) Cable subscribers are wasting their money since they are paying for live TV that is rarely watched. Most programs are available on iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
How will this impact the traditional TV business? Blodget suggests that networks will be replaced by libraries of content from Netflix, iTunes, and uber-networks like NBCUniversal and Time Warner. These are also more efficient for content production, acquisition, and distribution.
Viewers may figure out other ways to get their sports and stop paying the $100/month for cable TV. They will eventually see no distinction between TV and other forms of video content. And cable providers may stop paying affiliate fees to networks.
Like the newspaper business before it, the TV business is destined to become more efficient due to these changes in viewer behavior. The change may already be taking place, as cable TV ratings are dropping.
Groupon rival LivingSocial has partnered with AEG in a deal that will bring sports and entertainment tickets to the discount site.
AEG owns and operates — or is affiliated with — more than 100 venues (such as the Staples Center in Los Angeles). The deal comes after Groupon agreed to a similar deal with Ticketmaster.com about a year ago.
“LivingSocial’s AEG partnership is part of its Live Events business, which offers full-priced vouchers for entertainment and unique experiences,” reports Reuters. However, the service does not plan to offer big discounts on AEG events, which will be a departure from its daily deal model.
“It’s not an excess inventory dump,” said Doug Miller, senior VP of new business initiatives at LivingSocial. “Neither party came at this partnership with that idea.”
Reuters notes: “LivingSocial’s more than 60 million members will be able to buy vouchers for AEG events and get access to unique packages, such as VIP access or early admission at AEG venues, said Miller.”
During a surprising pre-E3 press conference, Nintendo unveiled its new Gamepad controller, which will include a pressure-sensitive touchscreen along with the traditional buttons and directional pad.
In addition, the device adds an NFC reader/writer and a gyroscope/accelerometer.
“This pre-briefing speaks to the confidence of Nintendo. These sort of details are generally reserved for Nintendo’s big E3 event,” comments TechCrunch. “Now that the Wii U hardware has been unveiled, Nintendo can spend even more time during its Tuesday morning press extravaganza showing off the games. Brilliant.”
Nintendo also showed a home theater remote app, which could possibly portend a larger home theater announcement.
According to a related article from AllThingsD, Nintendo is also introducing its social network called Miiverse that it claims will draw family and friends together.
The TechCrunch post includes a 30-minute video of the press conference.
New analysis of tablet advertising suggests that although the Kindle Fire is 2.7-inches smaller than the iPad, users actually click on advertisements at a higher rate on the Fire than on Apple’s device.
