On The Future of Apple and Google. When Tim Cook was interviewed by Charlie Rose after Apple’s mega launch event a few weeks ago, he scoffed at any mention of competitors, highlighting only Google as Apple’s arch-rival. Apple and Google are entrenched in a modern version of the PC war, and are the only two players with relevancy at the operating system level. Here are some thoughts on why this is important and what’s next as we enter the golden years for mobile and approach the early beginnings of the post-mobile era: Android is now the operating system of the world. It dominates any non-Apple, non-PC application. It’s provocative to think about where Apple and Google each go next. Today, Google is snapping up robotics companies and investing in autonomous vehicles, all of which will run futuristic versions of its operating systems and have the promise to measurably improve the way humans live. All of this innovation is underpinned by software, software that is figuratively eating the world.
Five-Year Report: It’s an App World. The Web Just Lives in It. Flurry Five-Year Report: It’s an App World. The Web Just Lives in It Posted by Simon Khalaf on Wed, Apr 03, 2013 Five years ago, the iPhone ushered in the era of mobile computing. Today, more than a billion consumers are “glued” to these devices and their applications, impacting nearly every aspect of their lives.
For businesses, opportunities seem endless and disruption is everywhere. The list of disrupted industries is long, including communications, media and entertainment, logistics, education and healthcare, just to name a few. The past five years at Flurry have been wildly exciting. On the five-year anniversary of launching Flurry Analytics, we took some time to reflect on the industry and share some insights. Today, the U.S. consumer spends an average of 2 hours and 38 minutes per day on smartphones and tablets. 80% of that time (2 hours and 7 minutes) is spent inside apps and 20% (31 minutes) is spent on the mobile web. The App World The Web World. TED releases official app for Android and Kindle Fire — Online Video News. The Obama Campaign Is Now Using Mobile Payments Device Square For Fundraising. The latest technology to be adopted by the Obama campaign—Square. The mobile payments device is now being used by the Obama for fundraising, says the company.
Staff, fundraisers and others are being equipped with the card reading devices, says Square, enabling the campaign to take donations on the go via Android devices, iPhones or iPads. “Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, running for president or local assembly, Square makes it easier than ever for candidates, organizations and volunteers to fundraise for their cause,” said a spokesperson for Square. There’s no doubt that using a mobile payments device from Square makes fundraising much easier. With traditional forms of fundraising, if you want to donate money at a fundraising event, you often have to fill out a form and hand over a check or cash at the event. If you don’t have your checkbook or cash handy (which, many of us don’t), credit cards are the only option. Boot to Gecko: Mozilla Plans a ChromeOS Rival for Mobile Devices.
Mozilla today announced Boot to Gecko, a very ambitious project that aims to create a “complete, standalone operating system for the open web.” This project’s goal is to develop what seems like a ChromeOS-like operating system where all the apps are based on HTML5. This system will use Google’s own open-source Android platform as its basis. The focus, Mozilla’s VP or Technical Strategy Mike Shaver noted in a Google discussion forum today, will be on the “handheld/tablet/mobile experience.”
According to Shaver, we may see some PC-based prototypes, but Mozilla is more interested in the “device space.” Android: Just for Booting and Drivers The Android connection here is that Boot to Gecko will use the Android kernel and drivers to boot the device. Indeed, Shaver also notes that Mozilla aims to “use as little of Android as possible.” Break “The Stranglehold of Proprietary Technologies Over the Mobile Device World” Challenges. Square’s Disruptive New iPad Payments Service Will Replace Cash Registers.
Mobile payments startup Square is announcing big numbers today—500,000 Square card readers shipped, 1 million Square transactions in May, and the startup is now processing $3 million in mobile payments per day. Clearly the company is on a roll in terms of traction and usage. And CEO Jack Dorsey is also revealing the next generation of Square. And Square is about to get a whole lot more disruptive. Today, Dorsey is revealing Square Register, a high-powered point of sale replacement for cash registers and point of sale terminals. And the company is taking it one step further for consumers by launching the Square Card Case, a way for purchasers to access a local merchants’ goods, prices, location, loyalty card and more.
For background, Square offers an iPhone, Android and iPad app which allows merchants to process and manage credit card transactions with a handy little credit card swiping device that plugs into the headset/microphone jack. Square Register For The iPad. iPad & iPhone apps.
Can Virtual Rewards Keep Mobile App Users Engaged?: Tech News and Analysis « A recent study found that 26 percent of mobile apps downloaded last year were used only once, a warning to developers that app downloads don’t equal long term engagement. But what if a developer or publisher could incentivize extended engagement through a virtual reward system?
That’s what Tapjoy, an app distribution and monetization company, hopes to find out. The company is launching a new pay-per-action service that allows Android and iOS app makers to offer virtual currency or goods to users who complete actions within an app. A developer or brand could offer a reward for completing a tutorial or getting to the second level of a game or uploading a photo. Essentially you’re getting paid in scrip to play the game. The idea is that incentives laid out inside the app can keep people tuned in and help turn them into more loyal and potentially more lucrative customers. It’s an interesting idea, though its usefulness will be limited to mostly games that make use of virtual goods.