Written on Wednesday, August 25, 2010
During the latest patch of updates I downloaded for my iPhone apps, there was also a Facebook app update. The thing I have with updates is that I never know if it's just a bugfix release, or bringing out major changes to the app.
I sometimes like the way an app is, and don't want it to change (the developers suddenly decide to change it completely), but wouldn't mind a few bugfixes. I still haven't figured out how to do this, but that may be just me (so suggestions welcome ;) ).
Anyway, next time I opened my Facebook app, there it was, right bang in the middle of my screen, a link to Facebook Places.
What's this then? It turns out Facebook have finally taken the first step towards implementing Location-Based Services! Wow, this is exciting, I thought, and eagerly clicked on it to see what I could do...
Disappointment... But nothing more we can do here, is there? So I had a quick look online to see what it's about..
I came across this very helpful article on
businessinsider.com, with a
series of screenshots tha show how Facebook Places works (where it IS available).
Take a look -- it seems very promising. I certainly look forward to seeing something like this available here in Greece soon! Any comments or experiences from using Facebook are welcome, as usual, via email or the comments section..
Posted in
iPhone,
location-based services,
social networking
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Written on Monday, August 23, 2010
Pretty amazing piece of news!
Mobile Marketing Watch reports on a 16-year old entrepreneur from the UK, who has already managed to earn his first million, and is now using it to fund a new
mobile advertising startup that he says will take him to 100million.
And, ok, you would normally doubt a 16-year old who goes round saying that, but given what he's achieved so far, wouldn't you at least think twice about it? I know I would...
Not to mention that I think his choice of business sector, combined with the right business choices certainly has the potential to take him there!
(...) UK teenager Christian Owens, 16, has done just that. His company, called
Branchr, is a provider of PPC ad-services for traditional and mobile Websites as well as mobile apps. In its short existence, Branchr is already serving more than 250 million adverts to 11,000 websites/apps every month and has even acquired a second company, Atomplan, which provides business software.
Working on the company after school each day and on the weekends, Owens surpassed the $800,000 revenue mark before the startup’s first year was even over, and has plans to “become a leading name in the world of internet and mobile advertising and push myself right to the top of the game.” With big-name clients like betting site William Hill and social networking site MySpace on its roster, Owens is on track to reach that goal. ”I don’t know where I will be in 10 years time but I won’t leave Branchr until it has reached £100 million,” he said.
Owens was no stranger to being an entrepreneur before he founded Branchr. At age 14, he founded a simple website called Mac Box Bundle which resold discounted Mac software. Owens was able to negotiate big discounts with select developers to create lucrative bundles of popular Mac apps worth about $400, but sold for $50. That little venture earned Owens his first million dollars and helped the teenager fund Branchr. We cover mobile-ad startups all the time on MMW, but none that have such an interesting back-story as Branchr, we’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on this one.
And with clients like the ones he's already got, including major betting sites, or other betting sites with a
gambling affiliate program, that are flourishing in today's online betting world, and a
social networking site (MySpace) already on track, how can you argue?
I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out for Christian, and sincerely hope him all the best in what's looking as a very promising career.
Posted in
mobile advertising
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Written on Thursday, August 19, 2010
During my - short :( - summer break I came across a number of really interesting articles, but I never got round to publishing posts about them. Here's the top 5, however of the articles I read through, each, I believe, definitely worth reading through:
Wow! Just wow! Watching an artist paint on a blank canvas has always been impressive for me at least, but seeing the same thing happen on an iPad, with no brushes (apart from the app, of course), colours, or any other materials is just astonishing!
Nothing more to say... just watch the video -- stunning!
The Yo!Sushi restaurant chain are hopping on the mobile marketing train, while lots of other restaurant chains still fail to see the benefits from this. They're running an opt-in sms marketing campaign where you send a text to get an offer:
Finally, a museum bringing out an iPhone app to enhance the visitors' experience during their visit:
The application makes use of several state of the art technologies, one of which is an indoor Wi-Fi network which allows the Explorer app to pinpoint a user's exact location in the museum and direct them to specific exhibits and even the closest bathroom. It is a prime example of effective brand utility, augmenting a museumgoer's experience while placing the organization's logo on the mobile user's home screen.
Meet
Precious, a bike with a brain and a number of sensors that track and broadcast information along the way, making it
easily the number 1 item on my xmas wishlist for this year. Shame it's not into mass production yet!
For those of you interested in
real estate mobile marketing, take a look at this article, reporting on the use of a
bluetooth marketing system that was used to attract commuters to a newly-built block of flats.
Posted in
bluetooth marketing,
iPhone,
mobile coupons,
mobile marketing,
proximity marketing,
QR codes,
sms marketing,
text marketing
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