Juniper Research’s Mobile Web 2.0 report forecasts that the value of presence based Mobile Web 2.0 services will increase to more than $6 billion by 2012. Two factors that will help spur the growth are a growing number of smartphone users and an increased usage of mobile instant messaging. However, the report also noted problems…
TripAdvisor launches mobile website
The travel community site TripAdvisor is going mobile. But it’s not a mobile application they’ve launched, it’s a mobile website — “something completely different” in today’s app economy. 😉 The site (in beta) is available in 17 countries and 11 different languages, and so far it managed to attract more than one million unique monthly…
Qualcomm’s BREW platform to come with embedded Opera browsers
Opera Software and Qualcomm announced that they will be pre-integrating the Opera Mobile 10 and Opera Mini 5 browsers with Brew Mobile Platform (Brew MP) under Qualcomm’s 3Pre program. This is a huge win for Opera as they will see its browser(s) pre-installed on a number of handsets. And considering Brew is now a free…
Yahoo! to provide Telefonica’s Spanish mobile portal with search results, ads
Yahoo! scored a big contract in Europe, as it has signed an agreement with Telefónica España — Spain’s largest operator network — to power the mobile Internet search experience and sponsored search advertising on Telefónica’s emocion portal. The new deal builds on top of the earlier partnership deal Yahoo had with O2 Germany that was…
Brazil’s TIM to offer Opera Mini 5 to its customers
Opera Software announced a new partner for Opera Mini – Brazil’s TIM, which will offer the latest version of the popular mobile browser through its WAP Portal. We’re guessing — though it wasn’t mentioned in the press release — TIM will provide its customers with a custom version of the browser that comes with set-by-the-carrier…
Sprint WiMax phone could debut next week
Credible reports are swirling that Sprint will unveil its first 4G smartphone at next week’s CTIA conference. Will we finally get to see the HTC Supersonic? Sprint CEO Dan Hesse will be giving a keynote speech at CTIA next Tuesday, and those “people familiar with the matter” told The Wall Street Journal that WiMax and…
Shorthand Mobile uses SMS to bring apps to non-smartphones
We’re always looking at the next great smartphone, but it’s easy to forget that most people are still rocking feature phones or dumb phones. Shorthand Mobile is trying to bring apps to the masses by launching a service that will utilizes SMS for web content. “While there is incredible buzz around mobile app consumption, in…
Google’s blue dot helps you shop
Google is trying to help mobile users shop by letting searchers know if products are in stock at local stores. If you’re shopping for a specific product from Best Buy, Sears, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, or West Elm, there will now be a blue dot telling you where this is available nearby. When you click that…
Motorola to use Bing Search and Maps services on its Android smartphones for China
Back in January, we picked up a story from Reuters involving Motorola which said they’ll use Baidu instead of Google on their Android smartphones in China. Now we have the same company [Motorola] announcing a deal with Microsoft to use Bing. So one wonders – what’s happening here? This time, however, it’s not Reuters picking…
Opera Mini comes to Cosmote Romania
Opera Software has a new partner for its “custom Opera Mini” scheme called Web’n’Walk. It’s Cosmote Romania, which is delivering a branded version of the mobile browser to its customers in Romania. The special version of Opera Mini will feature a customized user interface, Romanian localization, and bookmarks of popular local websites, such as Ziarul…