Facebook have just made life a little easier for its users! They just released a new mobile app which allows Facebook friends to call each other for free.
The App, which was produced by internet telephony company Vonage, lets users call their Facebook friends using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), providing both parties have the app downloaded. The app will be available on iPhone, Android, and the iPod Touch (for outbound calls only).Vonage Mobile for Facebook is free to download and use and will work across Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G networks.
Later versions will look to include instant messaging, SMS and the ability to make call to mobile numbers directly from the application. An iPad version is also currently being developed.
Although this app does appear to offer Facebook users a very convenient way to contact their friends, it does raise an unavoidable question: how many of your Facebook friends would you feel comfortable being able to call your mobile phone?
Posted by jen | Comments (0)
Lonely Plant has made a move to expand its reach within the digital space, with the launch of a series of augmented reality (AR) apps on Google’s Android Market.The company already has a strong hold in the Apple App Store but wants to expand its mobile readership beyond this one domain.
The Lonely Planet Compass Guide apps use AR and the phone’s GPS features to display local attractions in 25 cities, including Bangkok, London and New York.
Matthew Cashmore, innovation and ecosystem manager at Lonely Planet, said the apps, priced at $4.99 (£3.14), are designed to drive premium revenues for the company, and ruled out any third-party ads.
In addition to the release of the AR city apps, they have recently introduced a discover eBooks series, which profiles areas of interest, on Apple’s iBookstore.
Lonely Plant’s expansion into these new digital arenas demonstrates their commitment to developing innovative and exciting products for their consumers, while at the same time developing their online operations.
Posted by jen | Comments (0)
Sales of Android phones have risen by more than 300% since the beginning of 2010! With 1 in 10 mobile contracts sold in the UK now running on Google's mobile operating system.
From the beginning of 2010, most of the UK's major mobile operators have started selling a number of Android based mobile devices, running on Google's Linux-based software. The HTC Desire and HTC Legend are among the devices hailed by critics and consumers alike. HTC, the Taiwanese manufacturer of many devices running Android, posted a 41% global sales increase for the first six months of 2010.
"The figures suggest an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name," said GfK analyst Megan Baldock. "Operating systems are no longer simply a by-product but a key selling point in their own right."
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Aiming to increase the success of the Android App Market and reduce the gap with the Apple App Store, Google has released a web-based system which it says needs "NO programming knowledge" to write your own app.
The program, known as App Inventor, is attempting to bring app programming and creation to the masses. The web based application makes the whole process simpler by removing the tedious process of writing code and allow users to drag and drop display elements and use blocs to specify the app’s behavior. The creators said that there are blocks available for just about everything you can do with an Android phone, as well as the more depth function calls.
Google said it had been working on the system for a year and were pitched at those with little knowledge of programming.The programming system was developed with the help of computer scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who created a similar coding system known as Open Blocks.
Obviously Google’s main objective in producing the system is to increase the number of apps in the Android App Market and to add allure of their platform. However it will remain to be seen if App Inventor will lead to thousands of useless basic being developed or genuinely useful apps that will allow Android really challenge Apple as the rulers of the App space.
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Foursquare are moving things to a higher level with the introduction of a new tool called “Location Layers”. Location layers will effectively tag information onto geographical locations.
To give a clearer picture, say you are near a location that was used in a famous film; you would receive an alert giving you information on that location and its connection with the film! The possibilities are endless for the type information that could integrated, such a live news needs, historical facts and more importantly commercial brand information!
The idea that brands can feed consumers information based on their current location sounds very promising, however foursquare would have to try and prevent it from descending into location information overload…
Posted by jen | Comments (2)
Hi
As part of a renewed effort to provide advertisers with more stats; I'm going to start putting up stats as and when i see them.
Here's some stats from Tomi Ahonen's new Book:
-There are twice as many mobile phones as TV’s
-At the end of 2007 there were 3 times as
many mobile phone subscribers as there were total users of the internet
-There are 4 times as many mobile phones as personal
computers of all types
-At the end of 2007 there was a mobile phone
subscription for 50% of the population (world population is 6.6 billion)
-Globally there are 3.3 billion mobile phone
subscribers (Informa)
-72% of people use their mobile as an alarm
clock (Nokia 2006)
-60% of all wireless internet access is done
indoors
-It takes on average people 68 minutes to
report a lost mobile phone (Unisys report that it takes 26 hours to report a lost
wallet)
-There are 4 times as many camera enabled phones
sold as pure digital camera
-2007: 2.5 Billions active users of SMS Vs.
1.2 billion users of email
-18% of the world’s population can be
reached via Email V. 38% who can be reached via SMS
Ends.
Posted by donald | Comments (1)
I was on my way down to a conference in Wexford when i pulled over to snap this new campaign from Permanent TSB. They've launched a new service which allows consumers to receive their bank balance via SMS. Fiiiiiinally, a financial institution that cares about it's consumers and realises that in the mobile age you can't dictate how to interact with your consumers. Historically the likes of 24 banking have been great reasons to stay or switch nothwithstanding the great word of mouth that it generates. I know my bank make me go thru 4 layers of red tape to check my balance so this would defo make me consider TSB. I'm sure Marketing fought hard to push it through security fears and inertia so hats off to TSB - a brand that clearly gets mobile!
Posted by donald | Comments (1)
Tags: mobile banking, mobile crm
In Jan 2008, I went to Tokyo (the new New - York apparently) "on research" to see what's what over in Asia when it comes to mobile and what is now leading the industry for them. I took some snaps and I met with Ogilvy digital (Tokyo).
Tokyo is just a mad place and, eventually, I was dying to go home when faceed with all the media clutter and advertiser presence. In spite of this, it is the real vision of an "always on", digitally mobile and connected society where, if you do manage to intercept a Japanese consumer you have to make it count!
They do this by putting a mobile response number/url/QR code/ or search box on their advertising. This allows consumers to act on the advertising there and then, reducing OTS, and maximising advertising effectiveness (Plus it's relevant and cool etc..)
Here are some snaps of mobile enabled advertising (from Japan!) If you are interested in seeing a full presentation download slides below! (Just scroll to end - past all the pictures)
Donald
Guinness Drip mat pub locator - you snap the QR matrix and it takes to you mobile website.
Mobile response QR code on McDonalds POS, Leads to mobile website where information on menu and nutritional value can be found.
Mobile Search box on advertising
Coca Cola Ambient advertising - snap image and be brought to "coke side of life" mobile website.
PRESENTATION!
Toky'o'Mobile_Return2Sender.ppt (4.92 mb)
Posted by donald | Comments (2)
Tags: donald douglas, mobile marketing japan
Donald has made the big time and not just self - proclaimed.. the Irish Times think so too! :O
So check out the history of stuff by reading Donald's rise to the top here
Posted by lisa | Comments (0)
Tags: return2sender, donald douglas, irish times
The Direct marketing association is reporting that new research conducted by them indicates that SMS is by far the most effective direct marketing channel.
A bold statement and it has been proven as 70% in the online survey confirmed that they had responded to a marketing message via mobile vs. 41% had completed surveys and a dissappointing 30% had answered an email offer.
The survey also revealed that a massive 24% of those asked have acted on a mobile offer and the remaining members of the group who had not responded claimed that they had never received a marketing message.
The study also revealed;
- 71% of those who responded to a marketing message over mobile have fixed data plans with lack of interest and cost of airtime cited as the primary reasons for non
response;
- 21% have replied to 3 or more mobile offers per month;
- Teens between 15-17 years old (19 percent) and young adults between 21-30 years old (19 percent) are twice as likely to respond to offers on their mobile devices as
individuals between 18-20 years old (seven percent);
- Top 3 industries where consumers had acted on messages: 44% food/Beverage; 21% Telecoms/mobile; 15 Beauty/personal care
Posted by lisa | Comments (0)
Tags: dma, statistics, mobile marketing, sms marketing