LinkUp, a job seeker search engine, reports that 20.8% of their site traffic this quarter was from mobile traffic.
In fact, in high-tech cities like Washington D.C., 56% of all job seekers used their mobile devices to browse the site. Note: that the iPad is currently considered a mobile device.
This is pretty remarkable, and yet another reminder that the world is moving to mobile even more quickly than we may have thought. And unless your site is beautifully optimized for mobile browsing, it’s time to consider creating Android, iPhone and iPad apps to help your prospects better browse your site.
Now we’re getting into the fun, legally-tricky aspect of digital books. Eligible Amazon Kindle books can now be loaned to individuals, one time, for a period of 14 days. This borrowee does not even need to own a Kindle. They can use any free Kindle reading application for either the PC, MAC, iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry. The lender is unable to read the book during this loan period.
Not all e-books are lendable. That right is left up to the book publisher. And you will see “Lending: Enabled” on those specified books. This is very cool, but expecting a friend to read any length book in 14 days seems a bit unfriendly. All in all, however, this a very cool step forward in our digital pirate-free future.
The app development craze could very well be the last big development push since the dot-com boom a decade ago. Never before have so many people, businesses and industries dropped everything to become app guys. Because that’s where they think the future’s heading. And specifically, many of these app developers are sticking to iOS development, the Apple mobile operating system. Even after Android’s recent push to become market leader. Why?
Because overall app revenue still places Apple as the industry leader. In fact, despite Android’s growing market share lead, Apple’s app revenue still beats out Android’s, 47% to 36%.
Rich people buy Apple. The rich are more likely to pay for apps. If that’s where the money is, that’s what the app developers are going to build for. It’s as simple as that.
I actually didn’t see this coming. An off-site non-proprietary app store. This is really interesting.
Because Amazon isonline shopping. That’s where you buy most everything else. So why wouldn’t you buy your apps there? After all, for those of us who still prefer navigating on a bigger screen, it’s easier to find new apps. And with Amazon’s App Store, I can purchase an app and have it automatically start loading on my mobile device. It’s seamless. So, why would I learn a new retailer? The Android App Store. The Apple App Store. No, I’m already at Amazon for everything else.
Is this a sign that Amazon has officially Walmart’d the Web?
But just in case this convenience isn’t enough to get those already sold on the propretiary app stores, Amazon is also releasing original content as well, including Angry Birds Rio for the Android device. Yeah, that ought to do it.
While Google TV‘s current lack of content partners has prevented them from really taking off in this niche as quickly as Roku, Boxee or even Apple TV, their ‘Android phone as remote control’ concept is pretty ingenius. All of your standard remote items, plus voice control, online programming search and more.
It’s one of those things that just makes sense. Yes, of course, my mobile phone should control my television. I don’t need another device. And while you would think that those with Google TVs would primarily have Android phones, Google has just released a remote control app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod as well, just in case.
There have been some heated online debates in the past year regarding what the future forward design of the remote control should look like? Perhaps Google has already invented it. It’s an app.
Well, it had a 5-year run. Straight in to the ground. After starting 5 years behind.
Microsoft has announced that they will no longer be releasing new Zune devices. Instead, they are turning Zune into a smartphone app. This sounds very similar to the path Garmin is taking with their GPS devices. And they were, in fact, the industry leader. But now, with free Google Maps software on your smartphone, the role of an expensive GPS no longer makes too much sense. And yet, Garmin is selling extraordinarily expensive mobile apps via iPhone and Android.
I totally understand the desire for these companies to hold on for dear life. But I also think they need to understand when they’re dead.
With the clear benefits of geo check-in still escaping many businesses, Foursquare hopes to remedy that and keep hold of the market lead with their release of Foursquare 3.0.
This new version of the Foursquare mobile app has some new social features. “Explore” gives you local suggestions based on your previous place visits and friend recommendations. There is also a new point system, to encourage one-upping your friends and checking in to more places.
But the really interesting are the ones targeted for business owners. There are now six different kinds of specials you can offer your customers to get them not only to come in, but to check-in, and share your visit with their friends. This is what businesses have been waiting for to get on-board. Ease of creating accounts. And the ease of seeing the benefits. I think we’re there.
After hearing non-stop about QR codes for the past year, get used to the buzzword that is “augmented reality.” This technology lets you use your smartphone to virtually interact with reality. We’ve talked about it in January with eBay’s Fashion App. The idea that you can “try on” sunglasses from home. You choose your frames, and the product interacts with your body. You turn your head, the sunglasses move on your body.
It’s awesome. And like always, every marketer in the world is trying to figure out how to utilize it with their service. But here’s the reality. It probably doesn’t make sense for you. It might. But probably not. After all, the sunglasses application is a perfect one. And yet, it’s one of the only perfect ones.
In reality, pardon the pun, augmented reality is probably going to evolve into 3D mobile gaming. Games that take place within your real world. Animated creatures that pop out behind your couch when you’re viewing the couch through your smartphone in your living room. Bonus coins that you can only obtain in certain geo-locations.
This isn’t only cool. But it makes sense. And that’s where you have to look when you’re trying to see the future.
The idea of Google Music has been pervasive in the music world for such a long time now, that it’s hard to remember what parts of it are actually possible, and what parts we just made up on our own.
The idea of your music collection, living in the cloud, and having the ability to stream it on demand from any device is the dream. But it’s also the reality, right? This is not just possible. It would be insane if we don’t get to that point really soon.
And really soon could be just 2 months away. Sanjay Jha, the CEO of Motorola Mobility slipped at Mobile World Congress, talking about a Google music service as it if existed, then quickly said, “that is, there will be a music service.”
The best part is? He didn’t even try to pull it back. He just corrected the context. It’s almost here. And it’s really exciting to see exactly how much of everything it’s going to change.
Android Market, the largest app market in the world, just got a new convenient Website to browse for new goodies on. We talked about this a while back. The problem with Android’s open-door’ish policy on apps would make it harder for the cream to rise to the top.
But now you can use your tablet or desktop to more quickly review Android’s entire app library. Best of all, it’s not just for browsing. Browse through top free and paid apps in every category you can imagine. And them, send them directly to your Android device for download. Plus, share app recommendations with your friends through the site’s social network integration. This is going to help an app like Angry Birds to never stay a secret for too long again.
