|
Digging Deeper
The mobile web, or mobile Internet, is the experience of browsing the Net or using Internet functionality such as online maps and web search on your cellular phone or personal digital assistant (PDA). The promise of the mobile web is to let you do things like check email or news headlines, find good local restaurants, and get driving directions while you are on the move.
more »Jennifer Woodard Maderazo
The Blessing and Curse of the iPod Touch
Here at MediaShift, we have had some less than perfect experiences with mobile devices and the Internet. Earlier this year, Mark wrote "a manifesto about what would make for a smarter smartphone." And last summer "I grumbled about the bad time I was having with my new smartphone." The Treo 680 was under-delivering in the one area that had convinced me to purchase the phone in the first place: surfing the web.
more »MarketingShift
Marketers Grapple with Giving Teens More Control Online
SAN FRANCISCO -- A curious thing happened at the Hotel Nikko in downtown San Francisco today during the Ypulse Mashup 2007 conference about those wired teens. Yes, a lot of older folks dressed business-casual tried to look hip and decipher what the kids were doing online in social networks, on mobile phones and in virtual worlds. But on numerous...
more »Jennifer Woodard Maderazo
Why My Smartphone Is Dumb About the Net
I've got a problem: I hate using the Internet -- on my phone, that is. I am one of those people whose ears perked up at the idea of being able to take my online activities, such as reading news, watching videos and social networking with me wherever I go, on my phone. And after investing in a flashy...
more »Your Take
Is getting news on your mobile phone a satisfying or frustrating experience?
So many people have cell phones with web access that media companies are falling over each other to deliver content to cell phones. A recent article in the New York Times noted that CBS, News Corp. and ESPN are all putting big resources into mobile content, news and video delivered to cell phones, but the article also pointed out that...
more »MarketingShift
Marketers Get Weak Signal from Users on Cell-Phone Ads
There is an interesting disconnect between the way marketers view advertising on cell phones and what average folks who use cell phones think about those same ads. Marketers, ad agencies, research firms, cell phone makers and carriers are salivating over the prospect of delivering marketing messages to people via their cell phones. But survey after survey shows that people are not quite as excited about it -- in fact, most people consider it an outrage to be bothered by ads on such a personal device.
more »Your Take
What do you think about advertising on your cell phone?
There are so many ways to avoid advertising now, from pop-up blockers to DVRs, where you can skip through TV commercials. But advertisers are a clever bunch, and they are considering ways to deliver commercial messages to your cell phone. Some ideas include text messages with coupons, or ads that are based on your geo-location. "Hey, you're near our video store, stop by for a discount!" the ad might chirp. If the ad is not too intrusive, it's relevant, and it's useful (and maybe you'd get a discount on your cell service), maybe you would want it. That goes the thinking, but a recent Forrester survey found that 79% of people were annoyed just by the idea of ads on cell phones. What would you do if an ad popped onto your cell phone? Would you change services, or figure out a way to block them? Or would you welcome them if they were more discreet and relevant? Share your thoughts in the comments below and I'll include the best ones in the next Your Take Roundup.
more »Your Take Roundup
The Definitive Guide to Cell Phone No-No's
I went to New York City last weekend, and noticed all the people on cell phones while waiting for their planes in the airport. OK, there's not much to do in these waiting lounges so why not call people up? But it got worse when we were loading onto the plane and someone stood right in the middle of everyone else and spoke loudly into their cell phone. Everyone around looked annoyed but it make no impact on the person in conversation. When it happened again while loading onto another flight this weekend, I decided it was now a trend.
more »Digging Deeper
Stanford Fellow Imagines Every Cell Phone as Citizen Media Outlet
Perhaps some day in the not so distant future, every person on the planet who has a cell phone camera will be able to snap a photo of a newsworthy event happening in front of them and easily send it to a web clearinghouse of such news images. That's the dream of Erik Sundelof (pictured at left), a Reuters Digital Vision Fellow at Stanford University, a program that aims to develop technology to advance humanitarian goals in underserved communities.
more »
