Going Mobile!

With Visa signing on; Google stands to make a big (Android) push with getting the nascent field of mobile payments up and running (in America and the EU). However, the commercial adoption / adaption is and will be still largely dependent upon the acceptance and implementation by Retailer Industry itself (which IS the largest driver of consumption in most of the non-OECD nations that are lagging behind their Asian counterparts within this space).

From Sudan Vision Daily: http://goo.gl/19wLd

PS: Thanks (obviously) go out to The Who (too!)

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Perhaps You’ve Heard…

Granted, there is no shortage of criticism regarding the Ugly (Unaware in this instance) American. And, if the enclosed report from Connected Intelligence is accurate, Redmond just might have a bigger problem than they anticipated / realized… As forty-five percent (yes, 45%) of potential (American) shoppers for their next smartphone / handset are purchase are simply unaware of the existence of Windows Phone 7!? In a word: ouch… or, in a few words: you’re kidding, right?

From Connected Intelligence: http://goo.gl/DPrPa

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The New AOL?

Granted; as a website, Facebook is not afraid of change. Nevertheless, even with the (seemingly) endless cycle of announcements; the follow-on updates; resistance / complaints, and ultimately end-user acceptance… the site’s dedicated following clearly (at this junction) demonstrates their influence on the entire social networking phenomenon.

From Forbes: http://goo.gl/M50gz

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Stolen Thunder…

If the Apple rumor-mill is correct (just the innuendo alone generates massive free PR for the firm) the iPhone 5 will be out in the first week of October. If true; expect the buzz prior to; on the date of release; and, immediately thereafter to in all probability dominate what is otherwise a busy month for the (American) Wireless Industry.

From Information Week: http://goo.gl/R4NND

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Blocked Copies.

The reality of nationalism and the strong pull therein means that no firm is immune from this dynamic (including Apple) and with their increasingly terse battle with Samsung they might have a new challenge: just being banned outright (be it officially and/or unofficially).

From FT: http://goo.gl/KAhlH

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NFC’s Opportunity.

Although it’s been launched with Sprint (a win for the firm but not necessarily for the vast majority of American mobile users) Google Wallet is making inroads into paving the way for greater commercial adoption of this technology.

From IBT: http://goo.gl/4EPyF

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“Don’t Be Evil”

In advance of Google’s (American) Senate grilling (e.g., political theater / grandstanding, etc.) it is reportedly ‘loading up on lobbyists’ (which is not illegal in and of itself) nevertheless, it does put a different spin on their supposed corporate motto…

From the Inquirer: http://goo.gl/uYoIz

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(Throwing) Another Hail Mary?!

In simple terms: Redmond has failed abjectly in their on-going attempt to largely cram the (PC) desktop environment onto a handset… Yet; aside from giving Microsoft credit for trying, at some point in time it should’ve been obvious (perhaps several release-cycles ago) that said strategy is not; has not and/or will not work period (on a mass consumer scale no less).

Fast forward to their next attempt: Windows 8 (on a table no less this go-round) and for those who care to give this matter any further study… they might conclude that by the time said OS is released… the company is essentially going to be leap-frogged / passed again (certainly, at a minimum, by Apple).

Netscape; Novell; Sybase and/or a number of others are not going the way that Microsoft has seen prove effective previously; e.g., kill the competition via outspending and/or loss-leadering them (this is a remote possibility at best with Apple or Google anytime in the near future as it now stands / continues to progress).

From Beat Week Magazine: http://goo.gl/syalN

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What’s IN Your Wallet?

It’s been a very long-time coming (and it seems like there’s an eternity to go) however; mobile wallets (while still in a very nascent stage of consumer and retail development / adoption in America) look staged to take-off as preliminary field tests by Google; AT&T; Visa, etc. have been received favorably. Moreover; if the next iPhone has NFC-capability (as rumored) this could be a major boost for the US (and, by extension, EU) market(s) catching up to their counterparts in places like Japan; Singapore and other developed / savvy consumer areas throughout Asia.

From CS News: http://goo.gl/gPxYY

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A ‘Little’ Slow.

Actually… they are more than ‘a little slow’ in and as far as how long it took for a number of (American) states to finally get around to deciding to commit to joining the DOJ’s lawsuit against the proposed AT&T / T-Mobile merger…

Wow; it’s a good thing that the involved parties do not run Public Service agencies whereas they are ‘looking after the average consumer’s best-interests! Do’h… that’s right – they actually do run them!

From the NY Times: http://goo.gl/i84Rp

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