Posted: 12/15/11 by Mobile Future Team
In 2011, the mobile space saw profound growth and a vast array of new wireless innovations and services emerge. Our annual video, The 2011 Mobile Year in Review, takes a look at the major accomplishments and ground-breaking developments in the wireless space this year. For a more in-depth view of the mobile landscape in 2011, see our accompanying paper 2011 Mobile Year in Review.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 09/29/11 by Mobile Future Team
As GigaOm highlighted, several new statistics reflect the growing trend of consumers using mobile devices to access their favorite social networks. 350 million Facebook users typically access the site from a mobile device and approximately 103 million Tweets are sent from mobile phones every day. The photo-sharing application Instagram receives 26 new image uploads every second.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 06/28/11 by Mobile Future Team
The ability of text messages to rally individuals to action is highlighted in a recent NYTimes article featuring Do Something, a nonprofit organization that encourages young people to pursue civic activities. By texting teenager’s simple ways to become involved in various philanthropic events, Do Something has already engaged over 1.2 million individuals to join at least one community service project.
According to Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn and Do Something board member:
“Teens receive, on average, over 3,300 texts a month, and their phones are part of their social tissue. I’m convinced this is the best way to move teen philanthropic action to a new level in terms of scale and effectiveness.”
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 05/19/11 by Jonathan Spalter
Smartphones, tablets and an ever-expanding array of mobile gadgetry have become ubiquitous in society. In ways large and small, we all bear witness every day to the fact that modern life is being transformed by the power of the Internet in the palms of our hands.
What makes it all possible? A pivotal resource with an elusive definition. In geek-speak we call it spectrum. But what IS spectrum? In a nutshell, it is the essential 'invisible infrastructure' that makes all mobile connectivity possible. Without allocating more spectrum for mobile, our nation's appetite for wireless could outstrip capacity in as little as three to four years.
Today, Mobile Future is releasing a video, "Spectrum: Fueling the Mobile Future," that seeks to explain why we need more spectrum to power the ongoing expansion of the mobile Internet, and the strong stake our nation's 300 million wireless consumers have in what has so far been a highly technical and inside-Washington debate about the future of this critical resource.
What's driving the sense of urgency? Fast-expanding mobile connectivity is poised to power the next wave of American innovation and job creation. Ensuring there's adequate spectrum to keep pace is essential to the quality and reliability of mobile service that consumers take for granted today.
A few key facts about the coming (yet easily avoided) mobile capacity crunch:
This article was originally published on Huffington Post.
Follow Jonathan Spalter on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mobilefuture
Posted: 05/12/11 by Mobile Future Team
Embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle and reducing your energy consumption is simplified with these new apps highlighted in USAToday. From apps that monitor your electricity meter to apps that highlight green businesses in your area to apps that offer recycling tips, going green has never been easier or more enjoyable.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 02/18/11 by Mobile Future Team
Taking the time to compile and correctly format a bibliography is arguably one of the most daunting tasks associated with research papers and dissertations but a new app for iPhone and Android users could prove to be a huge timesaver for all students.
Quick Cite--which was developed by undergrads at the University of Waterloo-- uses your phone’s camera to scan the barcode on the back of a book and then automatically generates a bibliography in correct APA, MLA, Chicago, or IEEE format. The bibliography is then sent to your personal email as reported in Fast Company.
Unfortunately, the really hard work- writing the paper- can’t be accomplished with a mobile app.
For more information click here.
Posted: 01/19/11 by Mobile Future Team
How many times have you gone to a local bar or café to meet up with friends only to find that the venue is packed and the line is out the door? With What Spot Now -- a new service from spotlight mobile available via mobile website or as an iPhone app -- you can take a live look inside the venue before you get there.
This location viewing service allows users to watch live images of participating businesses on their smartphone, gauge how crowded they are and see what tables are available.
The trademarked “SpotCam” Wifi cameras transmit a real-time view of the venue to your smartphone to help you decide where you want to grab some food or a drink. For privacy reasons, the camera blurs out the faces of customers.
As an added bonus, the cameras also detect if business is slow in the venue and the app sends exclusive discounts directly to your mobile device. To take full advantage of more discounts available at venues in your area, another new service Bartab allows Facebook users to claim $1.00 beverage vouchers with their mobile phones at participating locations. .
If you’re looking for a new restaurant to try, Near+Now finds places based on users preferences, providing reviews and information regarding special events so users can quickly decide what spot to checkout next!
These new apps and services are sure to cause foodies and bargain hunters alike to rejoice. Bon appetite!
Posted: 12/14/10 by Mobile Future Team
We’ve already discussed the role mobile commerce played in early holiday shopping. Today, eBay released groundbreaking numbers that made yesterday the biggest mobile shopping day ever. eBay’s mobile gross merchandise value, the total sales dollar value for merchandise sold through eBay, rose to $5 million in the US and $13 million globally (that’s a 127% and 165% increase respectively) according to the article.
Posted: 12/07/10 by Mobile Future Team
Mobile apps handle just about everything these days: entertainment, scheduling, home monitoring, cloud computing. But until today, few would suggest that mobile apps are a matter of life and death.
Not anymore. Last week, Eric Cooper, a basketball coach at La Verne Lutheran High School in California, downloaded a $1.99 mobile app that offers CPR instruction.
His timing could not have been better. This week, according to the Los Angeles Times, his star center-- who has a heart condition that causes irregular pumping of the blood-- collapsed on the court. Using CPR tips from the app, Coach Cooper was able to revive the player and keep his heart beating until paramedics arrived.
We’ve written previously about how mobile apps are revolutionizing our lives, especially in healthcare. Mobile technology is making healthcare more accessible and affordable. And whether the technology is a smartphone app or a more complex monitoring system for a home-bound senior, mobile’s potential to save lives is amazing.
Posted: 11/29/10 by Mobile Future Team
It happens every year: We emerge from our turkey-induced stupor and stumble immediately into our holiday social calendars, the sights and sounds of the season making it too difficult to say no to one more piece of peppermint bark or that final glass of eggnog. When it comes to our palettes, it really is the most wonderful time of the year.
But if your impeding festivities have you fearing the holiday bulge, check out Tech Talk from the NY Times, which has conveniently profiled a slew of innovative tech gadgets that will have you looking forward to exercising between fetes and really allow you to enjoy your season's eatings.
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Tags: Applications, Competition, Consumer Awareness, Consumer Benefits, Innovation, Mobile Phone, Spectrum, Wireless Devices, Wireless Innovation, Investment/Competition