Each week the MEF team curates mobile stories from around the world. Essential news, the latest market insight & data nuggets, the Global News Round-up offers an instant international mobile content & commerce snapshot.
Global News Stories
Report: Tablet owners spend 3x more on in-game purchases than smartphone users
Fierce Mobile Content
Tablet owners spend about $914 million a year on in-game virtual goods, roughly three times the amount spent by gamers who play mobile titles on smartphones, according to a new study conducted by research firm Frank N. Magid Associates in partnership with gaming developer PlayFirst.
Will OTT messaging apps kill SMS in Asia Pacific?
Digital Market Asia
The exact question should have been: will they kill SMS worldwide? However, it may be a bit too early to ask that. OTT (over the top) messaging apps are a rage in Southeast Asia at present and the fire is spreading to South Asia too.
WEARABLE COMPUTING: Inside The New Mobile Market That Is Taking Shape
Business Insider
Those betting big on wearable computing believe an assorted new crop of gadgets — mostly worn on the wrist or as eyewear — will transform the way in which we interact with the rest of our devices. But wearables won’t just complement smartphones. What is perhaps most intriguing about them is that they will serve new purposes too.
iPhone to EyePhone: The Next Gaming Frontier?
Gamesindustry.biz
This year, Google began limited testing of its Google Glass wearable mobile device. One new startup, Mind Pirate, Inc., believes that Google Glass is the herald of the next big shift in consumer technology. The company is preparing to deliver new game experiences on current mobile devices and future wearable technology, after closing a $2.5 million seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP) and Signia Venture Partners (SVP)
Argentine government seeks to launch mobile state company through the merger
Frecuencia Latinoamerica Online
President of Corporate America , Eduardo Eurnekian, advances in buying Nextel Argentina subsidiary and associate it with the state Enterprise Ar-Sat. Ar-Sat has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the laying of fiber optic networks covering 70% of Argentines.
Read More… (Spanish)
The Mobile Tourist: How Smartphones Are Shaking Up The Travel Market
Business Insider
Smartphones and fast mobile Internet access have transformed nearly all facets of life, but travel has seen some of the most dramatic changes. In a recent report from BI Intelligence, we explore the market for mobile travel services, dive into travel-related mobile usage, analyze how mobile travelers are attractive to brands and advertisers, and look at some of the barriers to growth in the mobile travel space, particularly the high cost of international data roaming.
One in 10 retailers use in-store features in their mobile apps: report
Mobile Commerce Daily
Pointing to how retailers are struggling with integrating mediums such as mobile into the store experience, only one in 10 currently offer in-store features in their mobile applications, according to a new report from EKN Research.
App Store Turns Five: The Industry Responds
Mobile Marketing Magazine
The launch of the App Store, five years ago today, was arguably the defining moment in the history of the smartphone. Our own David Murphy has already paid tribute to the App Store today, but we also went out to some of the industry’s best and brightest and asked them for their thoughts.
Global mobile ad revenue to hit $9bn in 2013 after massive 2012 surge
memeburn
According to research released today from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and analysis firm IHS, mobile advertising revenues increased 83% between 2011 and 2012, growing from €3.8-billion (US$4.9-billion) to €6.9-billion (US$8.8-billion). Given continued growth, it’s therefore more than likely that it will shoot past the US$9-billion mark this year.
Mavericks, innovation, gaming & expats: Africa’s tech scene at a glance
ventureburn
My favorite thing about Africa right now is how everyone is gingered up about amazing things that are happening in the tech scene. It’s not just about the innovations or the fact that the continent has more than 45 tech hubs, it’s the culture that is emerging. Africans are building something special and in ways the world has never imagined.
Government of Colombia invests money to promote financial inclusion
Frecuencia Latinoamerica Online
“What we want with these initiatives, we work hand in hand with financial institutions, is getting more and more Colombians, especially low-income, have access to formal financial services,” said Juliana Alvarez, Director of The Opportunity Bank .
Read More… (Spanish)
Global News Round-up – These articles are not written by MEF and do not represent any views of individuals, members or the organisation.
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