The state of the mobile commerce ecosystem

A great infographic on the state of mobile commerce ecoystem.  From the ebook "How To Make It In Mobile Commerce," by MPD's Karen Webster and Will Graylin, Founder and CEO of ROAM Data

Coupon culture in recessionary times: Infographic

Research from RedPlum and Valassis shows some interesting US trends as to how consumers are using the four S's to recoup up to $US50 per week: 'scissors', 'smartphones', 'social sharing' and 'saving lots in less time'. Technology has changed the way coupons are used by consumers, as can be seen by this infographic... 

Twitter beats Facebook on mobile ad revenue

	While Facebook struggles to find ways to increase revenue, Twitter has got it down pat. It has been estimated that Twitter will earn $129.7 million in mobile advertising revenues this year, while Facebook will earn just $72.7 million despite a far higher user-base. Creating a mobile-first strategy for businesses is becoming increasingly important as the volume of smartphone and tablet owners continues to increase exponentially. Twitter grasped this trend early and now generates more ad revenue from its Promoted Tweets program via its mobile platform than on its desktop app. To read more click here.

iPhone 5 announcement: evolution not revolution

			Google can breathe a sigh of relief - the new iPhone 5 did not have some of the ground breaking features that had been rumoured. Sure, it is the thinnest phone Apple has ever designed with a larger 4-inch retina screen and has 4G capability, an improved processor and better battery life. However its lack of an NFC chip, which would allow contactless data transfer means it may be left behind in the mobile wallet sphere if people opt for that over mobile payment apps.

Its Passbook functionality allows storage and management of plane tickets, loyalty cards and e-ticket details. However, Apple feels that the contactless payments industry still has a lot of work to do to drive consumer adoption of contactless payment - so it might be keeping its powder dry until the market is a little more mature. The iPhone's change of charging and connector socket (called Lightning) could annoy some consumers as the adaptor will cost $US35. It does have some neat new features, such as setting your phone to 'do not disturb' while sleeping, improvements to its camera software & new EarPod headphones. While Apple loyalists may rush to upgrade to the new iPhone 5, Windows and Android users are likely to stick with what they've already got given that the improvements have not been 'game-changing'. To read more click here.

Gamification still the business buzzword

Gamification is here to stay. According to consultancy firm Deloitte, gamification “will be in 25 per cent of redesigned business processes by 2015... and will have 70 per cent of Global 2000 businesses managing at least one “gamified” application or system by 2014”. Time Business recently outlined the six reasons why gamification will rule the business world. Key to its growth is the fact that gamification exploits some basic human instincts in that creating engagement through the melding of competition, reward, easy-to-track progress and an enjoyable user experience. To read more click here.

Is Zuckerberg really “in over his hoodie?”

Facebook's stocks continue to slide amid growing scepticism regarding its future revenue prospects (especially after its less-than-impressive first quarter results & admission of a lack of mobile strategy). Questions are now beginning to surface as to whether founder Mark Zuckerberg is the right man for the job. Silicon Valley has always favoured the founder but some commentators claim that his strengths lie with creating technology - rather than managing and fronting a commercial business. The founder-as-CEO is becoming a hot topic in Silicon Valley. To read more click here.

Google's Trekky Doodle

One of the best interactive Google Doodles to celebrate Star Trek's 46th anniversary.

Follow the story down to the planet surface and beat the pesky alien...www.google.co.uk/.