Mobile media market to smash the $200bn barrier by 2017

June 12th, 2013, 21:11 Posted By: wraggster

Powered as increasing number of consumers buy content from their phones.
A new Strategy Analytics report finds that the global mobile media market spend will pass $200 billion by 2017, which is a rise $161 billion last year. The huge sum excludes tablet-based spending and only accounts for buys from handsets, with apps, games, music, video and more to drive the revenue.
Operators are concerned as an increasing number of consumers use over-the-top services like WhatsApp and Skype, thus restricting revenues from text messaging and calls.
The report notes that data revenue accounted for 62.5 per cent ($100bn) of the total mobile media spend in 2012 and operators will still profit. However, today's Juniper findings suggest networks will lose 50 per cent of data traffic to wi-fi this year.
The main challenge is expected to be in emerging markets where 2G is still prominent, limiting the access to mobile entertainment and content. Casual tariffs and flexible pricing packages are said to be the key as low priced smartphones roll out in the developing regions.
Meanwhile, mobile ads are said to become a more key revenue stream, tripling to pass $42bn by 2017.
David Kerr, VP at Strategy Analytics, said: "Mobile is becoming a core part of digital advertising with companies like Google making it easier for advertisers to deliver ads to mobile devices.
"Facebook also reported 30 per cent of its digital ad revenue derived from mobile, which underlines advertiser demand to test and experiment with well-targeted mobile inventory provided by popular social networks."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...by-2017/021579

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Third party controller for iOS accepted by Apple

June 12th, 2013, 21:10 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has green-lit support for third-party game controllers for iOS and OS X devices.
A new game controller framework to be added in iOS 7 as the company looks to make it easier for the device to find a connected controller. Games will then read controller inputs as part of normal gameplay.
The framework will also be introduced to Macs in OS X v10.9.
Controller inputs must be optional however, and developers must ensure games can be played without them and take advantage of the touch screen input on iOS.
OS X games meanwhile will still also require a mouse and keyboard input.
Although confirmed support was announced during the WWDC, Apple has said information regarding officially support controllers are subject to change...

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...y-apple/021583

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Pay-outs shoot up to $10 billion for App Store developers

June 12th, 2013, 21:09 Posted By: wraggster

Nearly a third of pay-outs have come in the last six months alone
Apple has paid out $10 billion to developers since the App Store began.
As reported by TechCrunch, Apple also revealed that there were now 900,000 iOS applications for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Of these, 375,000 were created specifically for the iPad. As recently revealed, there have been more than 50 billion app downloads in total, with a number of games leading the way in the all time top downloads and top grossing charts.
The rise to $10 billion in revenue is already up $3 billion from the $7 billion announced in January, and twice as much from the $5 billion in revenue announced a year ago.
This means that nearly a third of developer pay-outs during the App Store's lifetime have come in the last six months alone.
Games leading the way in developer pay-outs include the likes of Supercell's Clash of Clans and Hay Day, which are said to be generating the developer $2.4 million a day.
GungHo's Puzzle & Dragons meanwhile is thought to be making $3.76 million in revenue a day for GungHo Entertainment.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...elopers/021586

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Samsung unveils Galaxy S 4 Zoom

June 12th, 2013, 21:07 Posted By: wraggster

Further blurring the lines between consumer smartphone and camera technology, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S 4 Zoom.
The device is yet another rendition of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S 4 device, but with one key difference – it's armed with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens.
From the outset, the device resembles a traditional camera more so than it does a smartphone, but the Zoom retains the features of the original S 4 device.
In addition to the high-power camera, the Zoom sports a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED 960x540-pixel screen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Android 4.2 operating system.
Rounding off the device is 8GB of internal memory, which is upgradeable to 64GB via microSD, and LTE connectivity.
Interestingly, prior to Samsung's confirmation of the device's existence, the Zoom was leaked by a Russian tech site, which posted its review of the device online. Ooops.
Hi-tech.mail.ru posted a detailed review of the Zoom, including images of the device and its overly bulky frame, thanks to the 10x zoom lens.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-4-zoom/031165

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E3 organiser reportedly calls police to close Ouya booth

June 12th, 2013, 21:06 Posted By: wraggster

The long-running conflict between the ESA and makers of the Ouya micro-console has taken a hilarious turn for the worst at this year's E3.
Ouya founder Julie Uhrman reports that ESA, the organisers behind E3, called the police to close down their booth.
Why, you ask? Well, prior to this year's E3, Ouya confirmed that it would be demonstrating its product at this year's convention, all be it in a slightly unconventional way – by renting a car park opposite the E3 expo.
Instead of renting a booth inside the main E3 hall, which is housed in the LA Convention Center, Ouya opted to rent an entire parking lot facing the centre.
A clever idea indeed, but one that didn't sit well with the ESA.
Now, Uhrman has told IGN that the organisation allegedly called the LAPD in to close down the Ouya booth. However, a quick flick through the firm's permits and the law officials were off on their way.
This is where it gets interesting, as tweets posted by Uhrman and the official Ouya Twitter account indicate the ESA – not wanting to have its ejection plans foiled by the legal system – opted to switch to plan b.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...a-booth/031167

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Listing for 7-inch ASUS tablet with Bluetooth LE sets tongues a-wagging

June 12th, 2013, 01:21 Posted By: wraggster

We've been hearing mumblings that the next version of Android will get a new Bluetooth stack with v4.0 Low Energy (LE) goodness for a while now. That, at least, explains why the Nexus 4 and Galaxy Nexus have been re-sent through the Bluetooth SIG in order to gain approval for the newer standard. What's less clear is what the ASUS K008, an apparently new 7-inch slate from the company, is doing supporting v4.0 LE. Our dour belief is that ASUS is merely future-proofing its forthcoming MeMo Pad HD 7, but perhaps "K008" is optimistic latin for "second-generation Nexus 7 with Android 4.3."

http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/11/b...ing-asus-k008/

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Native Instruments outs Kontrol Z1: an iOS DJ mixer with audio interface

June 12th, 2013, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster

It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Native Instruments was going to release some hardware to cozy up to that shiny new iOS version of Traktor DJ. And here it is -- the Kontrol Z1 -- a two-channel mixer with a built-in audio interface specifically for iPad and iPhone. Plug this into your iDevice, and Traktor DJ gets full pre-cue functionality, plus some proper (club-level, 24-bit) audio output, not to mention dedicated faders and 3-band EQ controls. The hardware (which is similar in size to theKontrol F1) means you can break out the mixer section, leaving the touchscreen display dedicated to transport and performance. The Z1 will keep your iDevice charged up, too (it needs to be plugged in), so you're good for that epic Balearic chill-out set. Likewise, it also works with Traktor Pro 2, if you're looking to integrate something a little smaller into your laptop setup. It'll need a lightning adapter to work with the latest devices, and costs $199 / €199 from your favorite DJ outlet. The app won't support the hardware until a June 24th update, but in the meantime, roll past the break for the demo video.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/11/n...ts-kontrol-z1/

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Mad Catz confirms M.O.J.O. Android 'micro console'

June 12th, 2013, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster

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Majority of Americans Say NSA Phone Tracking Is OK To Fight Terrorism

June 12th, 2013, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster

While the tech media has gone wild the past few days with the reports of the NSA tracking Verizon cell usage andcreating the PRISM system to peer into our online lives, a new study by Pew Research suggests that most U.S. citizens think it's okay. 62 percent of Americans say losing some personal privacy is acceptable as long as its used to fight terrorism, and 56 percent are okay with the NSA tracking phone calls. Online tracking is fair less popular however, with only 45 percent approving of the practice. The data also shows that the youth are far more opposed to curtailing privacy to fight terror, which could mean trouble for politicians planning to continue these programs in the coming years.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/06/...ight-terrorism

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Apple's War Against Jailbreaking Now Makes Perfect Sense

June 12th, 2013, 00:08 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has always been extremely anti jailbreaking, but it might now have a good reason to plug up the exploits. As Hardware 2.0 argues, Apple's new iOS 7 Activation Lock anti-theft mechanism which renders stolen handsets useless (even after wiping) unless the owner's Apple ID is entered relies on having a secure, locked-down OS. Are the days of jailbreaking iOS coming to a close?"I can see a whole new variety of phone-based ransom-ware based on this capability, too.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/06/...-perfect-sense

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First Look At Ubuntu Touch, the Smartphone OS

June 12th, 2013, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster

The first developer preview of Ubuntu Touch – aka 'Ubuntu for Phones and Tablets' – was unveiled just a few short months ago. And, just a few weeks back, it was announced that the team was shooting for having a fully functional (aka "can use it as your actual phone, on a daily basis") version by the end of May. May is now over, so Bryan Lunduke published some screenshots and analysis of the core features of the Ubuntu OS for smartphones and tablets."

http://linux.slashdot.org/story/13/0...-smartphone-os

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Mobile phone sales expected to hit 1.86 billion in 2013

June 11th, 2013, 23:55 Posted By: wraggster

Results driven by strong smartphone growth.
2013 appears to be the year of the smartphone, as shipments exceeded that of non-smartphone sales for the first time since their creation.
Less than 25 per cent of phones sold in 2012 were asmartphone device, however this year has seen that number increase to two-thirds of all phone sales. The CCS Insight's new market forecast has predicted that over 6.6 billion mobile phones will be in use by the end of 2017, with 1.86 billion sales this year.
50 per cent of in use phones in Western Europe and North America alone are smartphones, and CSS Insight reckons this will rise to 80 per cent in 2015, predominantly coming from emerging markets. By 2017 the combination of phones and tablets in use will exceed the world's population.
However this isn't effecting everyone positively, Marina Koytcheva, director of forecasting at CSS Insight, said: "Having defined the modern smartphone era, Apple is struggling to keep up with overall smartphone market growth, particularly as the growth shifts toward emerging markets. Apple will have to choose between sustaining its profit margin and holding onto market share."
It is not all about competing software platforms, where companies like Microsoft are lagging behind the likes of Samsung and Apple. ''Giving phone users the next generation of communication technology is going to be critical,'' says Koytcheva.
This no doubt includes offering consumers more 4G-enabled phones, as sales of the devices are expected to skyrocket tenfold between 2012 and 2017 to 650 million units.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...in-2013/021566

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Tablet overdose in US as sales grow by 47 per cent since 2012

June 11th, 2013, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster

Stateside ownership rises rapidly among online Americans.
44 per cent of the American population have some form of tablet in their household – which is a 47 per cent growth rate in just one year – while 54 per cent of Americans aged between 18 and 34 own a tablet.
It seems that Apple continues to have the upper hand on this one. The Magid Media Futures Study reveals that over half of all tablet owners in the US have a full-sized iPad, and that's not including iPad mini owners, resulting in Apple dominating 59 per cent of the market.
Mike Vorhaus, president, Magid Advisors, stated: ''America is not just connected country now, but a mobile-connected country.''
Android appears to account for the majority of the smartphone market with 53 per cent compared to iPhone at 41 per cent. Specifically Samsung have stolen the sales at 50 per cent, which is 26 per cent of all smart phones.
The overall app market has been booming over the last 12 months with $2.3 billion spent on tablet apps and $1.7 billion smartphone downloads.
Both the smart phone and tablet is also becoming even more of an essential for watching video and TV. In fact, 38 per cent of smartphone owners regularly use their device for video, along side 63 per cent of tablet users.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...ce-2012/021568

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Vodafone, O2 and Three unveil Nokia Lumia 925 pricing

June 11th, 2013, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster

Nokia has kicked off sales of its flagship Lumia 925 smartphone in Germany, with other European markets, China and the US to follow soon.
In the UK a number of carriers have already announced their pricing and pre-ordering plans for new phone, including Vodafone, O2 and Three.
While the 925 is selling in Germany on Vodafone for €59.99 a month with a one-off fee of €109.89 for a two-year contract, Vodafone has revealed that it is taking reservations for the phone in the UK for its Red L price plan.
This price plan offers the user a free handset alongside unlimited minutes and texts and 2GB of data for £34 per month on a two-year contract.
Three is offering the Lumia 925 for free on its most popular pay monthly tariffs, the Ultimate internet 500 and The One Plan for £35 and £37 respectively on two-year terms. Three is expecting to deliver the device by June 21st.
O2 began taking orders for a white Lumia 925 on May 30th for its two-year contact option, which starts at £37 a month and has no upfront fee.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...pricing/031154

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Samsung could debut 12.2-inch tablet

June 11th, 2013, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster

Latest speculation surrounding Samsung indicates the firm might soon introduce a new super-sized tablet, measuring in at 12.2-inches.
The awkwardly named Mega Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 was first rumoured by Korean news site ET News, which reports the device could be released before the end of the year.
Citing "industry insiders", the site claims the device will sport a 12.2-inch full HD 2560 x 1600 WQXGA display, with display manufacturer Sharp rumoured to be producing over 12 million screens for the device.
As it stands, the device is recognised only as the Smart Pad, which is believed to be a working title.
In addition to this, the rumoured device will allegedly feature Samsung's trademark S-Pen stylus – a prominent feature of all the South Korean brand's Note devices.
The Mega Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 is expected to receive a Q3 release and join the ranks of the Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note 8.0 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
In the meantime, Samsung is set to host its Premier event on June 20th, which could potentially stage the device's unveiling.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-tablet/031159

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Google: BadNews Malware Wasn't Really Bad, After All

June 11th, 2013, 10:36 Posted By: wraggster

When reports surfaced about 'BadNews,' a new family of mobile malware that affected Google Android devices the news sounded — well — bad. BadNews was described by Lookout Mobile Security as a new kind of mobile malware for the Android platform-one that harness mobile ad networks to push out malicious links, harvest information on compromised devices and more. Now, six weeks later, a senior member of Google's Android security team claims that BadNews wasn't really all that bad, after all. Speaking at an event in Washington D.C. sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission, Google employee and Android team member Adrian Ludwig threw cold water on reports linking BadNews to sites that installed malicious programs. The search giant, he said, had not found any evidence linking BadNews to so-called SMS 'toll fraud' malware."

http://it.slashdot.org/story/13/06/1...-bad-after-all

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Mobile Devices Will Outnumber People By 2017

June 11th, 2013, 10:35 Posted By: wraggster

According to the latest report from analysts at CCS Insight, there will be more mobile phones and tablets in use in four years' time than there are people on the planet. With the machines well and truly taking over, will we be using them or will they be controlling us?"

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/13/...people-by-2017

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Apple Updates MacBooks and Mac Pro Desktop With Haswell, "Unified Thermal Core"

June 11th, 2013, 10:34 Posted By: wraggster

On the hardware side, Apple is updating its two MacBook Air devices; both the 11-inch and 13-inch versions will enjoy better battery life (up to 9 hours and 12 hours, respectively), thanks in no small part to having Intel's new Haswell processors inside. They'll also have 802.11ac WiFi on board. Both models have 1.3GHz Intel Core i5 or i7 (Haswell) processors, Intel HD Graphics 5000, 4GB of RAM, and has 128GB or 256GB of flash storage. Arguably the scene stealer on the desktop side of things is a completely redesigned Mac Pro. The 9.9-inch tall cylindrical computer boasts a new 'unified thermal core' which is designed to conduct heat away from the CPU and GPU while distributing it uniformly and using a single bottom-mounted intake fan. It rocks a 12-core Intel Xeon processor, dual AMD FirePro GPUs (standard), 1866MHz DDR3 ECC memory (60GBps), and PCIe flash storage with up to 1.25GBps read speeds. The system promises 7 teraflops of graphics performance, supports 4k displays, and has a host of ports including four USB 3.0, two gigabit Ethernet ports, HDMI 1.4, six Thunderbolt 2 ports that offer super-fast (20Gbps) external connectivity."
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/13/0...d-thermal-core

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Game Center redesigned for iOS 7, coming this fall

June 11th, 2013, 00:50 Posted By: wraggster

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OS X Mavericks, coming this fall

June 11th, 2013, 00:26 Posted By: wraggster

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