Internet2Go: The State of the Mobile Internet
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After many years of hype without substance, the age of the "mobile Internet" is finally here and providing bridges to the physical world in the form of location-based content, services, and advertising. In this webinar, LMS senior analyst Greg Sterling presents a high-level marketplace and data overview of the state of mobile.
Held in conjunction with BrightTALK, click here to watch this webinar.
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For more information, please contact Pete Headrick (pheadrick@opusresearch.net or 1-415-904-7666)
Skyhook Tracking Location-Based iPhone Apps
Skyhook Wireless, which provides location awareness technology (GPS, WiFi, cell tower) to the iPhone and other devices, is keeping track of the growth of location-based applications on the iPhone. Here are some charts the company sent me, reflecting the current state of things with location aware apps:
Looking at the Skyhook data it appears there are roughly 275 location-aware applications for the iPhone, with a slight majority on the paid side. We did a review of the location-aware apps when the iPhone Apps Store first launched in July. At the time there were about 55 by our count.
Earlier in the week, Centrix (based in Canada) introduced software, NetworkLocation, for the Mac. It uses Shyhook's WiFi positioning capabilities to automatically adjust network settings based on location:
NetworkLocation allows users to customize their Mac OS X settings, such as launching an iTunes playlist, enabling Airport, or iChat message status based on location . . . "We developed NetworkLocation to address an annoyance we all come across to varying degrees – the tedious routine of getting our laptops into a comfortable and productive state,” said Richard Fillion, co-founder of Centrix.ca. "Everywhere we go, we want our computers to behave a certain way - from lowering the volume at the library, to changing the default printer or mail server. With NetworkLocation, it just happens.”
Centrix.ca has integrated WPS from Skyhook Wireless to determine user location. "With Skyhook, NetworkLocation can position a user automatically indoors, where people use their Macbooks most,” said Kate Imbach, director of developer relations at Skyhook Wireless. "Network Location shows how location-aware software can optimize user experience based on environment-specific requirements.”
Once any software determining location is on the desktop, both content and advertising can be automatically targeted to users in a more geographically specific way. Google, for example, is integrating location (its cell-tower database) into its Chrome browser, which will eventually enabled AdWords campaigns that offer much more geographic precision.