Nuance Bets that Mobile Ads Will Soon Be Talking to You

Voice technology continues to take on more tasks including search, text entry and device control, and now Nuance thinks voice technology could play a significant role in mobile advertising via talking ads. On Monday, the company announced a venture with advertising agencies, ad networks and publishers, in an effort to test if mobile ads featuring voice interaction provide more engagement than traditional banner ads. Continue reading Nuance Bets that Mobile Ads Will Soon Be Talking to You

Will Mobile Messaging Apps Replace Our Social Networks?

In addition to using the major social networks to create personal profiles, build networks of friends and other connections, share photos, videos and music, many tech-savvy young people are turning to smartphone-based messaging apps for these functions. Popular apps such as Kik, Whatsapp, KakaoTalk, LINE and WeChat are growing in popularity throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. Continue reading Will Mobile Messaging Apps Replace Our Social Networks?

Aereo Wins Again: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ruling

Aereo, the Internet service startup backed by Barry Diller that streams TV stations without compensation, has won another battle with broadcasters. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York yesterday upheld a ruling in favor of Aereo, which could set the stage for a full-blown trial. Broadcasters sued the startup last year claiming the service violates copyright law, but a district court judge denied the request for a preliminary injunction. Monday’s 2-1 decision affirms the lower court ruling. Continue reading Aereo Wins Again: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ruling

Akamai Hopes to Put Your Wireless Data in The Fast Lane

Links on mobile devices take an average of 5-6 seconds longer to load than those opened on desktops. Massachusetts-based company Akamai is out to help solve that problem, at least for companies willing to pay. Because the truth is, some consumers abandon slow-moving mobile transactions if they take too long. Akamai aims to create a “fast lane” on the radio waves on which wireless services are offered. Continue reading Akamai Hopes to Put Your Wireless Data in The Fast Lane

Will Facebook Event This Week Include a Facebook Phone?

Facebook is scheduled to host an event called “Come See Our New Home On Android” on April 4 at its headquarters in Menlo Park. TechCrunch suggests the event may include the long predicted Facebook Phone. Sources say the event will showcase a modified version of the Android operating system with native Facebook functionality on the home screen. Additionally, it may live on an HTC handset. Continue reading Will Facebook Event This Week Include a Facebook Phone?

New 49ers Stadium to Boast Simultaneous Wi-Fi for All

The San Francisco 49ers are set to open a new stadium for the 2014 NFL season. When the Santa Clara Stadium opens, it will feature the best publicly accessible Wi-Fi network of any sports facility in the country. Every single one of the potential 68,500 fans will be able to connect to the wireless network at the same time, with no limits on uploads or downloads. Until now, such a feat was thought to be impossible. Continue reading New 49ers Stadium to Boast Simultaneous Wi-Fi for All

Motorola Mobility Report: More Video, but Viewers Frustrated

According to Motorola Mobility’s recently released Fourth Annual Media Engagement Barometer, consumers are watching a great deal of video on multiple screens, but are frustrated with the process. Time-shifting technology and mobile devices have led to a significant shift in global media consumption. The Engagement Barometer is an independent global study of video consumption habits among 9,500 consumers in 17 countries. Continue reading Motorola Mobility Report: More Video, but Viewers Frustrated

Will Spotify Be Next to Develop Video Streaming Service?

It seems a number of major media companies are looking to get into streaming video as it continues to grow more popular. On-demand music service Spotify is the latest company rumored to be in the planning stages of such a service, perhaps a surprise to many since its focus has thus far strictly involved music. But two sources say Spotify intends to grow into an on-demand music and video service, including original content. Continue reading Will Spotify Be Next to Develop Video Streaming Service?

Social Second Screens: Twitter Wants in to TV Ad Business

Business Insider deputy editor Nicholas Carlson admits that he did not plan on watching this year’s Academy Awards ceremony until he logged in to Twitter and read the many comments about the red carpet. He then tuned in, compelled to be a part of the ongoing conversation. Twitter believes that this type of response will allow the company “to get in on the $70+ billion that Nielsen says is spent on TV advertising in the U.S. every year.” Continue reading Social Second Screens: Twitter Wants in to TV Ad Business

CIA Discusses Plans for Collecting and Analyzing Big Data

During a presentation at last week’s GigaOM Structure:Data conference in New York, Ira “Gus” Hunt, the CIA’s chief technology officer, detailed the Agency’s vision for collecting and analyzing information people put on the Internet. The presentation came just two days after it was reported that the CIA is about to sign a cloud computing contract with Amazon worth up to $600 million over 10 years. Continue reading CIA Discusses Plans for Collecting and Analyzing Big Data

Mobile World Congress: GSMA Says Time for NFC is Now

At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, there was a clear message sent by the GSMA, the congress’s organizing body: Near Field Communication (NFC) might finally be ready to have its day. That message may be hard to believe, considering NFC has been on the cusp of breaking through for nearly a decade and still has yet to achieve mainstream adoption. However, the technology was everywhere at this year’s MWC. Continue reading Mobile World Congress: GSMA Says Time for NFC is Now

Samsung Unveils New Android-Powered Galaxy S 4 Phone

Samsung unveiled the new fourth generation flagship Galaxy S 4 at its Unpacked event in New York last week. Features of the new Android 4.2.2 phone include a screen that can be used when wearing gloves, improved camera capabilities with autofocus and no shutter lag, larger screen size, improved battery life and a slimmer yet stronger form factor. The Galaxy S 4 also touts smart features based on eye-tracking technology. Continue reading Samsung Unveils New Android-Powered Galaxy S 4 Phone

Vevo TV Streaming Music Platform is All About Devices

With the launch of Vevo TV — a 24-hour live stream of curated programming — Vevo has taken an additional step toward becoming a full-fledged music television network. The new channel uses MTV-like VJs and is available on the Web and mobile devices, as well as via Roku boxes and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. Looking ahead, the company hopes to take Vevo TV to cable distributors and have it compete with the likes of MTV and VH1. Continue reading Vevo TV Streaming Music Platform is All About Devices

Bing Now Turns to Live Crowdsourcing for Advanced Search

Bing Now, a new research project demonstrated at Microsoft’s headquarters last week, could give Web searchers a way to gauge the ongoing atmosphere of a bar or restaurant before they decide to visit or make a reservation. Researchers are looking to smartphone owners who are already at the location to provide updated information when checking in. The crowdsourcing tool measures sound with the smartphone’s microphone. Continue reading Bing Now Turns to Live Crowdsourcing for Advanced Search

App Industry Continues to Boom, Five Years After it Began

Apple kicked off the mobile apps craze five years ago and the industry continues to gain momentum. App stores run by Apple and Google offer more than 700,000 apps each. Because of the growing range of choices, it is estimated that consumers spend an average of two hours per day with their apps. And they’re spending money on them, too. However, this may only be the beginning. Continue reading App Industry Continues to Boom, Five Years After it Began