Mobile advertising is about to boom

Ready, or not, here it comes to the tune of an expected one billion-plus buys next year. This Technology Review post on the subject is interesting, but one quote stood out to me:

Can you name some brands whose mobile advertising has been very engaging and useful for the user?

One of my favorite campaigns recently was one that was run by Dunkin’ Donuts, where they were releasing a new iced latte product to the market. When the user went to the screen, the screen frosted over, very much like the frost on the side of a glass for your iced latte, and then with your finger you wiped the frost off the screen.

This was art that was reproducing the experience that people have in the real world, and it brings a real joy to people.

If you can combine the engaging nature of the medium together with that joy, together with the message that ties directly with this product you’re offering, that’s very powerful for the advertiser.

I have the feeling one person’s joy is another person’s total pain-in-the-ass with this campaign.

 

The long arm of the internet reaches 5B devices

Yes, that header is correct — this month will see the five billionth device connected to the world via the internet Something to think about there. From the early days of ARPANET up to today’s World Wide Web full of commercialization, social media, viral video and everything else you can track down in the online world, human communication has gone through an honest revolution. A revolution I doubt very many of us would want to see rolled back.

From the first link:

Sometime this month, the 5 billionth device will plug into the Internet. And in 10 years, that number will grow by more than a factor of four, according to IMS Research, which tracks the installed base of equipment that can access the Internet.

On the surface, this second tidal wave of growth will be driven by cell phones and new classes of consumer electronics, according to an IMS statement. But an even bigger driver will be largely invisible: machine-to-machine communications in various kinds of smart grids for energy management, surveillance and public safety, traffic and parking control, and sensor networks.

Earlier this year, Cisco forecast equally steep growth rates in personal devices and overall Internet traffic. [See “Global IP traffic to increase fivefold by 2013, Cisco predicts“]

Today, there are over 1 billion computers that regularly connect to the Internet. That class of devices, including PCs and laptops and their associated networking gear, continues to grow.

Microsoft Kin phone, RIP

Given the current huge ad campaign in action, this is just truly epic failure (yes, the phrase is way overused and becoming quite trite, but maybe the only way to truly express this level of corporate idiocy.)

From the link:

The company halted the rollout of Kin One and Kin Two phones after less than two months.

And:

But the timing of Kin’s arrival was off. Microsoft Corp. had just announced a new Windows Phone system. And during the years Kin was said to be in development, smart phones grew more sophisticated. Kin doesn’t have extra “apps” for download or a GPS mapping function.

No more all-you-can-eat data with AT&T

The iPhone and iPad have killed off AT&T’s unlimited wireless data plan as of next Monday (June 7). There may be some billing surprises come July.

From the link:

Previously, AT&T offered an unlimited data plan for new subscribers for $30 a month. But this week the phone company announced it will end its unlimited data plan on June 7.

Now AT&T will offer two data packages: $15 a month for up to 200MB (plus $15 for each additional 200MB) and $25 a month for 2GB (plus $10 for each additional 1GB). Tethering will cost an additional $20 per month; tethering for the iPhone will be available with iPhone OS 4.0, expected to be released to the public this summer.

At least AT&T’s spin on this move is going to prove true for almost all of their customers. Only two percent of current smartphone customers soak up more than two gigs a month.:

Spinning usage-based pricing as a cost saver for customers, AT&T says that 98 percent of its smartphone customers use less than 2GB per month on average and 65 percent use less than 200MB. This means that many AT&T customers can take advantage of the cheaper data plans.

Detecting malware on mobile devices

Malware and other dark computer arts will become a problem for smartphones and other mobile devices. It’s definitely a matter of when, and not if. This idea to combat the problem seems pretty ingenious. The solution involves checking the device’s RAM for usage or anomalies that expose the presence of  malware.

From the link:

Yesterday at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, a researcher presented a new way to detect malware on mobile devices. He says it can catch even unknown pests and can protect a device without draining its battery or taking up too much processing power.

Experts agree that malware is coming to smart phones, and researchers have begun to identify ways to protect devices from malicious software. But traditional ways of protecting desktops against threats don’t translate well to smart phones, says Markus Jakobsson, a principal scientist at Xerox PARC and the person behind the new malware detection technology. He is also the founder of FatSkunk, which will market malware-detection software based on the research.

Most antivirus software works behind the scenes, comparing new files to an enormous library of virus signatures. Mobile devices lack the processing power to scan for large numbers of signatures, Jakobsson says. Continual scanning also drains batteries. His approach relies on having a central server monitor a device’s memory for signs that it’s been infected, rather than looking for specific software.

Pervasive games — gaming’s future?

Maybe so. Between the revolutionary Wii system, the coming-soon no controller gestural game control and crazy proliferation of smartphone gaming apps, the gaming industry is just massive.

Looks like pervasive games may be the next big thing.

From the link:

Instead, the most exciting developments are coming from the world of mobile phones or other sensor networks where engineers are testing a new generation of games that can be played anywhere there is a mobile phone or wireless network. These games are location aware, involve multiple players, rapid physical activity and Wii-like gesturing.

So-called pervasive games generate an entirely new set of challenges–and not just for the people who play them. They must work with multiple types of input-an iPhone must be able to play against a Nexus One. They involve many players communicating rapidly, so these devices need to synchronise with each other.

Tech threats v.2010 — scareware and smartphone exploits

All the usual suspects — phishing, trojan virii, et.al. — will be around, but the proliferation of smartphones make that device a very enticing target for cybercriminals, and fake anitvirus scareware looks like a growth industry of sorts.

Smartphone security is going to be a major issue, particularly as mobile devices take over sensitive data functions, such as access to personal bank accounts, from larger, and hopefully quite secure, platforms like desktop and laptop computers.

As always, it’s a good idea to take a bit of time to understand the threats out there for any device you use and make sure to implement appropriate security measures for that device. The bad guys aren’t going away, they’re just adapting to the changing technology world.

From the link:

Another accelerating security trend is the wave of criminals selling rogue antivirus software. Fake antivirus software is often called “scareware,” since frightening the PC owner is often part of the scam. Rogue antivirus, which Symantec counts as a top threat going into 2010, is not only thriving, but criminals selling it are starting to display new tricks.