Android sales to top 55 million in 2010

Android sales are set to break the 55 million barrier in 2010, handing the Big G’s youthful OS second place in the smartphone charts. That’s according to research by Digitimes, which reckons the burgeoning platform will be boosted by LG and Samsung outing more blowers replete with the operating system.

That number of phones will give Android 24.5 per cent of smartphone sales, leaving only Symbian above it on 32.6 per cent. And with Nokia’s creaking OS slipping fast, you can expect Google to be gunning for number one in 2011.

Digitimes reckons RIM will drop to third in the charts with 16.4 per cent, while iOS will sit behind its key rivals with 15.2 per cent. These are projected figures, but RIM and Symbian will be worried that as their figures slide, newer rivals Apple and Google are kicking on.

The stats come just weeks after Android jumped ahead in the charts for the first half of 2010, recording 13.8 per cent of smartphone sales and giving Cupertino a battering. With 200,000 Android phones being activated daily, it seems the growth is not about to stop.

What do you make of the figures? Is Android going to become number one? Tell us what you think on Facebook and Twitter.

Via Digitimes

Posted by Joe Minihane

The Behavioural Targeting Promise Land?

If you were to put together a list of irritating and annoying everyday occurrences, those dinnertime phone calls about getting your ducts cleaned or your windows and doors replaced would be high on the list, followed closely by email spam, and television commercials that seem to be twice as loud as the program and repeated ‘ad infinitum.’

Would You Like Some Behavioural Targeting With Your Duct Cleaning?

My own special hell includes all those newsletters, reports, and white papers touting statistical analysis aimed at directing advertisers to the behavioural targeting promise land. Behavioural targeting refers to the practice of collecting data (that’s data not information) about how people behave. That data is then used to display advertisements that are supposed to be of value to individuals who have shown an interest in that subject matter. From an advertiser’s point-of-view it seems like a very promising tactic for increasing the effectiveness of what otherwise would be a shotgun approach, and I would hazard a guess that at its most sophisticated (as in expensive) it may actually work. On the other hand, if it’s not done properly, it can lead to silly if not downright unfortunate marketing gaffes. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to see how this approach in the wrong hands or set to autopilot by some backroom programmers could go terribly wrong. … Continue Reading

Samsung Galaxy S Tablet specs revealed?

A firmware leak has revealed the specs for Samsung’s upcoming Android tablet: the Galaxy S.

Running Android 2.2 FroYo out of the box the Galaxy S looks set to have a 400×800 WVGA screen and has been clocked with a 1Ghz processor. This is surprisingly slower than some expected, but with Android 2.2 it’s not expected to be a hinderance. For those with a photographic interest the tablet is set to have a front-facing camera with a resolution of 240×320 (perfect for video calling) and a rear facing camera with a much higher resolution of 2048×1536.

You can also expect it to output 1080p content through a built-in HDMI interface and will be armed with WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS, whilst packing in the rather excellent Google Maps as well. Other smaller things to expect will be Java, Flash 10.1 and also Swype; an program that allows users to type quickly on a touchscreen simply by dragging their fingers over the letters they want to use, whilst the program then predicts what you want to say.

Whilst some of the news may already be known, it has revealed some other important information that will surely be a hit with those hoping the Galaxy S tablet can truly be a rival for Cupertino’s holy grail.

Will you be trading in your iPad for a Galaxy S Tablet? Or are there things you’d like to change about it; faster processor, better screen? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

Link: Samsung-Firmwares

Posted by Thomas Tamblyn

Statistical Evidence Supports Online Video As The Web’s Preferred Marketing Communication Tool

Those of us in the video production and marketing communication business have known for some time that the Web is positioned as the perfect platform for video marketing communication. Many companies, especially e-retailers have been slow to act instead focusing their budgets on e-commerce, social networking, and search engine optimizing. But times have changed and the Web audience has adopted video as their preferred method of receiving Web-based information. Those that find the decision to invest in Web video difficult and need a statistical push, read Paul Verna’s article “Companies Throw Their Weight Behind Online Video” published in ‘eMarketer, Digital Intellience’ at http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007821. Verna supplies enough statistical evidence and market intelligence to get the most reluctant marketing executive scurrying to develop a Web video marketing strategy and implementation program. … Continue Reading

Virgin Media unveils VM202 budget QWERTY slider phone

UK mobile network provider Virgin Media has announced the latest edition to it offering of budget handsets in the full QWERTY slider touting Alcatel VM202.

Despite its bottom-end £29.99 price tag the VM202 handset packs a variety of techy innards including an MP3 player with MP4 video playback, VGA camera and an inbuilt FM radio as well as a 1GB microSD card kindly supplied by the big V. … Continue Reading