Featured Report: AT&T Fires Employee for Security Breach

ZD Net

Microsoft's Windows 10: More on the 'under the covers' security, Store features

Oct,02,2014

by: Mary Jo Foley

Now that the Windows 10 preview bits are available for any interested parties to test, many -- but not all -- of the coming new features in the operating system have come to light.  On October 1, Microsoft officials blogged in a fairly vague way aboutsome of the coming features of potential interest to enterprise users. But these "under the covers" features were not explained or analyzed in detail -- at least up until now. Read More

Wireless Week

AT&T Fires Employee for Security Breach

Oct,07,2014

by: Andrew Berg

AT&T is cleaning up the mess after an employee violated the company's security guidelines. In a letter sent to affected customers and obtained by Seeking Alpha, AT&T said that it had determined that in August an employee had wrongfully accessed customer accounts and would have been able to access customers' account information, social security number and driver's license number. AT&T confirmed that 1,600 customers were affected by the breach. As a result, AT&T is offering customers reversal of any charges that may have resulted from the situation, as well as a year's worth of free credit monitoring through CSID. According to a report from Reuters, about 1,600 customers were affected by the breach.  Read More

Forbes

Developers Looking To Increase Smartphone Revenue Should Target Phablets

Oct,06,2014

by: Ewan Spence

Developers looking to maximise their revenue should be targeting larger screened smartphone and phablets, suggests new data from  mobile marketing platform provider Localytics. Users spend more time in moreapplications on larger screened hardware. That bodes well for iOS 8 developers targeting Apple’s new 5.5 inch screened iPhone 6 Plus smartphone. Read More

Fierce Developer

Report: 49% of app users would be willing to pay a monthly subscription

Oct,06,2014

by: Shane Schick

While nearly half of all consumers are willing to pay a monthly subscription for an app they love, nearly as many said they would be willing to pay less than $25 a month, according to a recent study from Branchfire. The Chicago-based firm based its research on a survey conducted July 8-10, 2014, among 2,042 adults (aged 18 and over), of which 1,298 own a tablet or smartphone. The survey was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Branchfire via its Quick Query omnibus product. Read More

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Featured Report: Microsoft finally cracks down on deceptive Windows Store 'crap apps'

Fierce Wireless 

Nokia to bring HERE mapping platform to Android via partnership with Samsung

Aug,29,2014

by: Phil Goldstein

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) said it will bring its HERE mapping platform to devices that run Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android software starting with Samsung Electronics' Galaxy smartphones. The deal represents a major win for Nokia since the company sold its devices business to Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) in April.

According to Nokia, thanks to a licensing deal with Samsung, a HERE beta for Android will be made available for free in October when Samsung rolls out its Gear S smart watch, which runs on the Tizen platform but also supports HERE. That should strengthen the link between the wearable device and Samsung's smartphones, which can be paired together via Bluetooth. Read more

PC World

Microsoft finally cracks down on deceptive Windows Store 'crap apps'

Aug,28,2014

by: Mark Hachman

So-called deceptive “crap apps” have always plagued the Windows Store. But now, Microsoft appears to be finally ready to do something about them.

In a blog post late Wednesday, Microsoft said that it had removed 1,500 deceptively named apps as part of a policy shift to crack down on developers “trying to game the system with misleading titles or descriptions,” the company said.

A year ago, Microsoft publicly said that the Windows Store has more than 100,000 apps, and it’s unlikely that that number has climbed higher than 200,000 apps by now. But as far back as Oct. 2012—before Windows 8 even launched—analysts were pointing out that the fate of the Windows 8 app store didn’t need a large number of apps to be successful. It needed quality, and that’s not what Microsoft delivered. Instead, consumers are faced with numerous clone apps and paid “alternatives” to freeware, both outcomes that give those users a bad taste in their mouths.  Read More

Wireless Week

AT&T Rolls Out New Secure Cloud for Government Clients

Sept,02,2014

by: Ben Munson

AT&T today announced a new secure cloud storage offer for Federal Government agencies. Synaptic Storage as a Service for Government is a multi-tenant, community solution.

The carrier has built in the same features and policies as its commercial cloud storage service but it’s added other functions to beef up security.

The STaaS storage towers are physically separated from other towers in the data center, government customer data won’t co-exist with commercial data, government customers get a separate cloud portal, and all their users are assigned RSA hard token for 2-Factor Authentication.   Read More

Mobile Marketing

Apple Updates Mobile App Ad-serving Guidelines

Sept,01,2014
by: Tim Maytom

Apple has released new, stricter guidelines for developers submitting apps to the iTunes store designed to serve ads.

Under the new rules, Apple will reject mobile apps that don’t use Advertising Identifiers, specifically the IDFA, a unique ID for each iOS device that is the only way to offer targetd ads across the network. Apps may also be rejected if they use the IDFA but do not display ads properly or have a built-in advertising, or indicate they don’t use the IDFA when they do.

With more and more developers using deep linking to help people discover relevant content within their apps, identifying content-related ads in apps has become increasingly important. Apple has expanded its iAd advertising network into 16 countries and regions, moving into Russia and Switzerland most recently.  Read More

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Featured Report: When the FCC gambles on number portability, consumers stand to lose

Wireless Week

B&N and Samsung Launch New Nook Tablet

Aug,20,2014

by: Andrew Berg

NEW YORK - Barnes & Noble (B&N) Wednesday unveiled its new Nook tablet, the first of its products to be released since the company announced it would outsource its line of slates to Samsung. The new Nook is essentially a re-branded Galaxy Tab 4 that comes running Barnes & Noble’s Android overlay.  B&N CEO Mike Huseby called the launch an “historic” day for his company, saying that he was very proud to be partnering with Samsung. 

Tim Baxter, president Of Samsung Electronics America, noted that the research firms are seeing a slow-down in tablets, but he also said that Samsung continues to see sales of its slate grow. He attributed that growth to Samsung's variety of sizes and choices.  Read More

RCR Wireless Week

When the FCC gambles on number portability, consumers stand to lose

Aug,17,2014

by: JERRY JAMES

The Federal Communications Commission will soon make a critical decision regarding a vital component of the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure: selecting the administrator for local number portability. Portability enables U.S. consumers to keep their phone numbers when they switch carriers and supports the routing of virtually every voice call and text message sent across the country The FCC will decide whether to stay with current vendor Neustar or direct the industry to transition to a new vendor, Telcordia, a subsidiary of Ericsson. The contract with Neustar is currently scheduled to expire in July 2015, about 10 months from now.  Read More

Fierce Developer

'Like' it or not, Facebook's developer program change is the right decision

Aug,19,2014

by: Shane Schick

According to Facebook, all app developers using its platform should be able to honestly quote a version of Sally Field's famous Oscar acceptance speech: "They 'like' me! They really, really 'like' me!" Earlier this month, Facebook made some significant updates to its Platform Policies under games and proper use. The first one comes as no surprise: In keeping with recent moves by Google and increased threats from regulatory bodies, Facebook is requiring developers to be up front about any in-app purchase requirements in so-called free-to-play (F2P) games. Read More

RCR Wireless News

Reality Check: Making voice over Wi-Fi a reality

Aug,15,2014

by: DAVE FRASER

Wi-Fi is now an essential part of our smartphone and tablet-enabled lifestyle. Today, more than two-thirds of our monthly wireless data is consumed over Wi-Fi, and all signs are that this proportion will continue to grow. So while the traditional, cellular-centric view of the industry positions Wi-Fi as a support to the mobile network, there is an alternative and provocative perspective: we actually use the cellular network as in-fill during the time we spend away from our Wi-Fi connections, be they in the home, the office or our favourite coffee shop. Read More

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Featured Report: User Beware: That Mobile App is Spying on You

CIO Mobile

User Beware: That Mobile App is Spying on You

Aug,05,2014

by: 

Bill Snyder

 

Those apps you download on your smartphone may be free or very cheap, but there’s a hidden price you should be aware of: loss of privacy.The vast majority of the most popular iOS and Android mobile apps collect a variety of personal data from users, including location details, address book contacts and calendar information, according to a just-released survey by Appthority, a company that advises businesses on security.The report does offer some significant good news. Appthority found that very few of the apps it analyzed carried malware.Appthority, which says it has a catalog of around two million apps, analyzed a total of 400 of the most popular mobile apps available (based on downloads) in Apple’s App Store and Google Play. When it comes to free apps, there was essentially no difference between the two platforms.  Read More

ZD Net

Is the smartphone killing off society's social skills?

Aug,06,2014

by:David Gewirtz

Did ever notice how sometimes things can seem absolutely normal, until you look around and realize you could be in a Doctor Who episode? Last night was like that. It was late and I was at a local pub celebrating a friend's birthday. I'm not much of a pub creature. I sowed my wild oats a long time ago. Sowed them, harvested them, cooked them, and made meal out of them. But I'm -- quite thankfully -- past those days.   As a result, I only find myself in a pub-like atmosphere on those few occasions when I didn't plan far enough in advance to have a good excuse to get out of a social event. That means I manage to avoid having to go out on the town more than once every two or three months. Read More

RCR Wireless News

Mavenir looks to moderate NFV expectations as hype swells

Aug,04,2014

by: DAN MEYER

Network function virtualization has become a significant talking point across the mobile telecommunications space, with most wireless operators and equipment vendors looking more closely at the technology. That attention comes from the potential cost savings and potential improvements in rolling out new services that wireless carriers are always looking to take advantage of. IDC recently released a report predicting that network virtualization was “set to revolutionize the telecom industry as it transforms the culture and operational infrastructure, as well as the fabric of legacy proprietary infrastructures that have, until now, dominated the space.” That followed a report from Maravedis-Rethink released earlier this year that predicted early three-fourth of mobile operators will deploy some form of NFV by 2018, noting the move to NFV will be one of the most important ways carriers will “transform their cost base and their service delivery in the next few years.”   Read More

Wireless Week

Verizon to FCC: Throttling Unlimited Users “Widely Accepted”

Aug,05,2014

by: Ben Munson

Verizon has officially responded to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler after the Commissioner criticized the carrier’s decision to start slowing data speeds for some unlimited plan customers on its LTE network. The United States’ largest carrier called the practice “widely accepted,” according to Reuters. Verizon CEO Dan Mead, to whom the FCC’s letter was addressed, said the policy was in line with FCC principles. Verizon calls the practice “network optimization” and says that it will only apply to the top five percent of users on unlimited plans and will only take effect when the network is congested. The carrier says the policy will “ensure the fair allocation of capacity.”   Read More

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Featured Report: Mobile internet revenue to hit $700B in 4 years, growing more than 300%

VentureBeat

Mobile internet revenue to hit $700B in 4 years, growing more than 300%

July,30,2014

by: John Koetsier

Mobile revenue will jump more than 300 percent in the next four years, hitting $700 billion in revenue by 2017, according to a new report by Digi-Capital. No, that’s not all gems in Clash of Clans. In fact, most of the growth will be in mobile commerce, which Digi-Capital says will hit $516 billion. Consumer apps will account for another $74 billion, while enterprise mobility will hit $53 billion. Mobile ads, at $42 billion, and wearables, at $11 billion, will round out the $700 billion total. “Mobile’s so big, it’s hard to take in all at once,” report author Tim Merel told VentureBeat. “When we broke down the data by sector … what jumped out was the power of mCommerce to drive the market. Growing from over $100B to half a trillion dollars globally, it commands the lion’s share.” The next four years won’t only showcase the maturation of mobile, however. According to Merel, it will also highlight the ascendence of Asia. Read More

Marketing Experiments Blog

Copywriting: How to tip the scale so customers act

July,14,2014

by: Daniel Burstein

When writing copy for promotions, content and advertising, many writers tend to be pulled between two possible directions: creativity on one side, and communication on the other.

How can I be creative and still effectively communicate the ideas I have?

 Think like the customer

Creativity and communication are not the two opposing forces in the customer’s mind. The customer is weighing these two decisions:

• What is the value of this?
• How much will it cost me?

“Essentially the prospect, even if at a subconscious level, engages in elementary math: Vf_Ac - Cf_Ac, which is to say, they subtract the perceived cost force from the perceived value force,” said Flint McGlaughlin, Managing Director, MECLABS, parent company of MarketingExperiments.  Read More

Site Pro News

Content Marketing or SEO: Which is Most Crucial?

Aug,04,2014

by: Tina Courtney-Brown 

Every season, it seems some new marketing trend surfaces, and people speculate whether it will replace SEO all together. Perhaps we’re all a little sick of the unknown and infinite process that is SEO; but try as we might, it really isn’t a replaceable task.

Content marketing may be a new and trendy phrase, but the practice itself is ancient. Online, it’s become the single most successful means of educating folks about your industry, product, and services. And while content marketing is integral to great SEO, it has not, and will not, replace it. So how can the two best work together for maximum benefit? That’s the right question to explore.  Read More

Marketing Proofs

Three Questions You Have to Ask Yourself About Your Social Brand

Aug,01,2014

by: Lance Neuhauser 

Marketers often get preoccupied by trying to track their direct return on investment for social spend. How much does each "like" cost? How much in sales will each "like" bring in?

Those are the wrong questions to ask.

Social spend for marketers has ROI that far exceeds the number of "likes" a brand acquires.

Based on my experience with major national brands, trying to use social as a direct response channel or only to drive one specific action leaves a lot of business intelligence value on the table.To really add value to your social brand, you should be asking yourself the following questions. Read More

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Featured Report:Looks are everything in wearable tech

Info World Mobilized 

The Tizen smartphone flopped -- and open source is to blame

July,29,2014

by: Galen Gruman

You know the saying: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Now that Samsung has "indefinitely" delayed the launch of its first Tizen smartphone, can anyone believe any more open source mobile promises?

Open source mobile efforts have a history of failure: Moblin, Maemo, MeeGo, and Tizen are all examples that have been shepherded into oblivion by the Linux Foundation and an assembly of vendors. Canonical's Ubuntu Touch, Mozilla's Firefox OS, and Jolla's Sailfish (derived from MeeGo) all seem to be following similar trajectories to nowhere. Read More

Fierce Wireless

BlackBerry exec indicates more enterprise-focused devices are in the pipeline

July,29,2014

by: Phil Goldstein

BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) is aiming its forthcoming Passport smartphone squarely at the enterprise market, but has plans for enterprise-focused devices beyond that.

At an event in New York City that focused on enterprise security, BlackBerry executives touted the Passport, which will be released in September. The gadget has a 4.5-inch square HD screen and a physical keyboard. However, it's not the only enterprise-focused phone BlackBerry is planning, thought he company did not provide many details on its future product roadmap.  Read More

Tech Republic U.S.

Looks are everything in wearable tech

July,29,2014

by: Teena Hammond 

One of the first panel questions related to size. Does an oversized wearable appeal as much to the consumer as a more moderately sized one?

"It's about the application that matters. Sometimes it's if the wearable is meant for a construction worker, size might not be an issue, but if it's for a hardcore athletic sportsman and sportswoman, then definitely size matters," said Mikko Malmivaara, sales and marketing manager for Clothing Plus Ltd., which makes sensors for wearable tech clothing.

It's not just the size of the device, but how it fits against the body, said Amy Puliafito, spokesperson for Misfit Wearables, which produces the popular Misfit Shine fitness device. "In everything we did with Shine we were trying to eliminate a lot of friction points people have with their activity trackers," she said.  Read More

Fierce Developer

Vision Mobile: One-quarter of developers make nothing from apps

July,25,2014

by: Shane Schick

A disappointing 24 percent of developers will make absolutely nothing from the apps and mobile games they create, according to Vision Mobile. The firm's Developer Economics Report Q3 2014 is based on survey responses from more than 10,000 developers in 137 countries. 

• 50 percent of iOS developers and 64 percent of Android developers are below what Vision Mobile calls the "app poverty line" of $500 per app per month. 
• Besides the 24 percent who make nothing from apps, Vision Mobile said a further 23 percent make less than $100 per app per month. 
• The overall app economy includes its own "one percent." In this case, 1.6 percent of developers have apps earning more than $500k per month
• Games dominate app store revenues, but 57 percent of those games make less than $500 per month.
• Vision Mobile found that the more games a developer has shipped, the more likely they are to be financially successful. However, 70 percent of game developers have shipped less than four titles. Read More

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Featured Report: Will Apple bring developers to IBM's Watson ecosystem?

ZD Net 

Will Apple bring developers to IBM's Watson ecosystem?

July,20,2014

by: Larry Dignan 

One of IBM's primary motives for cutting a large enterprise deal with Apple may revolve around building a mobile and cloud developer ecosystem for cognitive computing and Watson.

Last week, IBM and Apple announced a broad enterprise pact where Big Blue would develop industry specific apps built on iOS. In addition, there were service, support and mobile device management parts of the deal. Apple gets some enterprise throughput with IBM that it couldn't achieve on its own. IBM gets a key partner in Apple and some help for its mobile efforts.

Read More

CIO Mobile

Mobile Workers: ‘I Want My BlackBerry Back’

July,23,2014

by: Tom Kaneshige

At a well-known investment firm in New York City, something strange is happening: Mobile app performance issues and privacy concerns have sparked a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) revolt, and now many employees are asking for their corporate BlackBerry back."It's a nightmare," says an IT executive speaking on condition of anonymity.The executive says he's tried four mobile device management (MDM) products and, in every instance, has had significant problems. Architectural failings made some rollouts difficult, he says. One MDM featured an impressive containerized solution but no push notifications for email. Another wouldn't let salespeople send email from inside the Salesforce app or open a PDF with GoodReader. Read More

Fierce Developer

How app developers are sizing up the Android Wear opportunity

July,21,2014

by: Shane Schick

For consumers, adapting to a smart watch is all in the wrist, but for app developers, it will take more to determine whether Android Wear is the right fit for what they want to create.News recently surfaced that Flopsy Droid, a clone of the massively popular Flappy Bird, would be among the first mobile games to make its way to the wearable platform Google announced at its I/O conference in late June. In other categories, however, such as fitness and health, Android Wear apps have been steadily hitting the market, while device manufacturers such as LG have created smart watches specifically tailored to the technology. For those that get in early, there is the potential to stand out, while those who wait may be able to avoid some of the early glitches that have hampered the move to wearable experiences.  Read More

Fierce Wireless

Verizon takes Smart Rewards customer loyalty program nationwide

July,21,2014

by: Phil Goldstein

Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) will launch its Smart Reward program nationwide on July 24, giving all of its postpaid customers access to its customer loyalty program. The program, which was launched earlier this year in select markets, allows customers to accumulate points and then use those points toward discounts on the purchase of various goods and services. Verizon said customers who sign up for Smart Rewards will get at least 10,000 points when they register. The carrier said that customers will get points for activities such as signing in to the My Verizon online account management tool, paying their monthly bill, and other transactions like using the Verizon Trade In program or choosing paperless billing.

The Smart Rewards program is similar to the loyalty and reward programs offered by credit card companies, grocery stores and others. Verizon said its program offers customers discounts and savings of up to 40 percent on brand-name merchandise from more than 200 well-known brands. The program also gives customers offers on local shopping and dining they can redeem directly from their wireless device, as well as travel offers including discounts at more than 26,000 hotels. Read More

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