Posts Tagged ‘iphone’
App of the Week: midem
posted by Terri Kim
midem is just one day away! For those of you who don’t know, midem is an annual event held in the city of Cannes, France where “artists, technology and brands are connected by music.” Last year, 6,850 participants from 3,120 companies spanning 77 countries attended midem.
If you’re attending midem this year, don’t forget to download the official midem app powered by Mobile Roadie. Available for iPhone, Android, and even iPad, the official midem app allows you to “consult the conference & festival schedule, discover speakers & artists line up, access a practical guide to Cannes, and view official photos & videos.” App users can also “read the latest industry news and see what companies & partners are at midem.” It’s the only thing you need to get around smoothly during the 4-day event.
To download the official midem app, visit http://road.ie/MIDEM
And don’t forget to RSVP for the Music Tech Meetup that we’re co-hosting with SoundCloud, Spotify, Topspin, Webdoc, MXP4, Musixmatch, Next Big Sound, The Orchard, and midem.
2011: Top 10 Facts about the US Smartphone Market
posted by Terri Kim2011 was a dynamic year of growth for mobile. The following 10 facts summarize the highlights of the US smartphone industry in 2011:
1. By the end of November, there were over 234 million Americans (age 13 and older) who used mobile devices.
2. Over 91.4 million people owned smartphones in the US compared to the 63.2 million in 2010, an increase of over 44% (study by comScore).
3. Smartphone penetration in the US was close to 44%, up from 25% in 2010.
4. Over 62% of 25-34 year olds who owned mobile phones owned smartphones in 2011, up from 41% in 2010. Following behind, 54% of 18-24 year olds owned smartphones in 2011 (study by Nielsen).
5. Google Android was the most popular OS claiming 46% market share, followed by Apple iOS with 28%.
6. The Apple iPhone was the most sought-after smartphone device based on the fact that the only phones that are powered by iOS are iPhones. In the third quarter of 2011, the top 3 best-selling phones in the US were the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and HTC EVO 4G, according to The NPD Group.
7. Close to 7% of all US Web traffic was from smartphones and tablets, with smartphones accounting for about 2/3 of this figure (study by comScore). iOS devices accounted for around 58% of non-computer online traffic while Android accounted for 32%.
8. In 2011, the most popular activity amongst smartphone users was texting or messaging (70%), followed by emailing (60%), social networking (50%), talking on the phone (43%), and then surfing the Web (40%) (study by CloudTalk).
9. 38% of mobile subscribers downloaded apps. Among the smartphone users who downloaded apps, 83% had either an Android or iPhone device.
10. In December 2011, an average of 1.5 million smartphones were downloaded each day. On December 25th, however, it was estimated that more than 6.8 million iOS & Android devices were activated (study from Flurry).
The smartphone industry flourished in 2011, and will continue to experience growth in the new year; it is predicted that smartphones will outsell PCs in 2012 (according to multiple industry sources). So here’s to another great year in mobile!
App of the Week: Jason Derulo
posted by Terri Kim
Whatcha Say? Jason Derülo has a mobile app that contains all the info you’ll ever need on him, including audio, photos, tour dates, news, fan leader boards, social media integration and much more? That’s right, now fans from across the world can have an all-access pass to Jason Derülo via his official app powered by Mobile Roadie.
At only 22, Derülo has achieved much in his musical career thus far, writing songs for international artists like Diddy, Danity Kane, Lil Wayne and others, and ridin’ high with his solo career which includes opening up for Lady Gaga in The Monster Ball Tour and the Black Eyed Peas in The E.N.D. World Tour, having multiple Billboard Top 10 singles, and releasing his second studio album, Future History, last month. In addition to these accomplishments, last year he kicked off his first headlining tour called the “Jason Derülo World Tour” to a fully-packed venue in London.
Don’t miss out on this it app. Download the Jason Derülo app at http://road.ie/jason-derulo
Mobile Roadie + Apple = Simple yet Powerful Apps
posted by Michael ArcandWhen Apple first launched its App Store in June 2008, the push was for quantity. In just a few months, the store’s selections exploded, featuring over 100k apps by the end of 2009. With its overwhelming popularity, and the paralleled success of both the iPhone and iPod Touch came the inevitable low quality wave. Most of these apps were created with templates to get them up and running quickly, primarily with RSS feeds, blogs and other standard web content. Many development companies and freelancers began to appear, taking advantage of the template concept to offer apps at lower prices to unwary customers.
Several months ago we reported that Apple was in the process of cracking down on “cookie cutter” apps in the App Store. That process continues, with apps being pulled or rejected for using standardized templates. With the approval process becoming more streamlined and strict on Apple’s end, many of these apps no longer make it to the store in the first place. Apps are dropping like flies and companies are shutting down or suspending their operations left and right. While there are no hard figures on the actual number that have been pulled, or definite reasons why they are pulled, this issue continues to strike a chord with developers. Just last week Apple released a statement responding to that community: “We are relaxing all restrictions on the development tools used to create iOS apps…in addition we are publishing the App Store Review Guidelines, to help developers understand how we review submitted apps.” Click here to check out the review guidelines.
Either way, Mobile Roadie’s ongoing relationship with Apple has continued to keep clients confident. “While we may provide a platform that allows anyone to build and manage iPhone apps from a central template, it’s a highly customizable template that our clients can count on,” said Rob Swope, Communications Manager of Mobile Roadie. “You can rename and reorder sections, upload custom graphics, media, and other content, or have our design team build a theme for you. Also, top-notch partnerships with companies like Brightcove, Soundcloud, Topspin and Ustream, assures that the content we do allow in our apps will be of the best quality. In addition, our advanced API and the ability to bake in custom features from outside developers create exciting possibilities for the builder and a positive experience for the user.”
With that said, a long list of updates will be released by the end of October, and along with it, the bottom line becomes that much clearer: Mobile Roadie apps are simple at their core, but powerful when customized, just the way Apple likes it. It’s no surprise that some of the most successful brands and individuals in the world trust Mobile Roadie. So stop thinking about building a mobile app and join Madonna, Taylor Swift, The Wynn Las Vegas, The Miami Dolphins and Drake, on your own quest for a mobile experience. It won’t be too long until you have some “mobile roadies” of your own, downloading your app all over the world!
Apps Are the New Website
posted by Michael Arcand
Take a look around the technology landscape, and what do you see? Today, the mobile market is growing by leaps and bounds, faster than ever before. In fact, growth in smartphone sales this year have surpassed the growth in traditional desktop computers, at least by percentage. Perhaps the most obvious example is Apple, which has transformed their business from a niche computer market to a leader in the smartphone industry. Their best-selling products of all time are the iPhone and iPad, both mobile devices that are transforming how we digest content from the Internet.
As seen in the graph above, sales of desktop PCs are slowing, while smartphone sales are accelerating. In fact, many are predicting that smartphone sales will outpace the sales of desktop computers by 2012, with one analyst predicting over 50 billion mobile devices connected to the net by 2020. In just over two years since the Apple App Store debuted in July of 2008, they have amassed over 250,000 apps listed in the store, with over five billion downloads to date. The trend is very clear: people are using the mobile web more and more each month. So when will we be attending the funeral of desktop computing?
The truth is the desktop computer will never completely die, but as more and more of its computing power is moved to the cloud with online applications and storage, it makes it easier for the mobile market to access all of your information on the go. The day of the mobile office is already here. In fact, Google’s Eric Schmidt noted earlier this year that “mobile web adoption is growing eight times faster than the first wave of PC Internet adoption.”
This year alone smartphones are set to see sales increases of up to 50 percent, up to 250 million units sold. Contrast that to 20 percent growth in the PC market, with sales of 366 million units, and you’ll see why some experts believe we won’t have to wait until 2012 to see the takeover of the market.
So what does all this mean for you? It’s simple. Mobile apps are the new website! Remember when getting your very own website for your business was cutting edge, and everyone was telling you that you needed one? They were right, weren’t they? Well, history is repeating itself, sort of. The smartphone industry is set to overtake desktop computing. The primary way users are adapting to this new environment is through the use of mobile apps. In other words, you need a mobile app and you need it now.
Think about this for a minute. There will be 250 million smartphone sales this year (projected), with 250,000 apps in the Apple App store alone. That’s roughly a 1:1000 ratio. Based on the chart above, with 500 million sales in 2012, at the current ratio, this would mean 500,000 apps on the market. That’s double what Apple has available right now.
So what are you waiting for? Don’t you want to get in on the biggest wave in technology since the Internet came along?
(Image source: Bloomberg.com)
(mt) Media Temple and Mobile Roadie Talk Pro, Announce Virb Partnership
posted by Michael ArcandOur friends over at (mt) Media Temple came by before the launch of Mobile Roadie Pro and sat down with Michael Schneider and Brock Batten about the product and where we’re headed moving forward. Check out the video then check out the (mt) app.
Media Temple is a hosting company which we are proud not only to have as our friends and clients, but also to use as our very own hosting company. (mt) Media Temple customers can manage their hosting accounts, get support and buy domain names through the (mt) AccountCenter for iPhone web app, without leaving the native app.
Another project from the team at (mt) is Virb, a unique way to build an elegantly simple website. Although the service hasn’t launched yet, we’re excited about teaming up with Virb to provide our app resources to the Virb website platform. With a Virb website and an integrated MoRo app, you’ll be able to update your app’s photos, videos, songs and more – right from your website. That’s right, your updated web info will be pushed out from Virb to your app on the fly, eliminating the need to add stuff through the MoRo CMS.
You can check out our other business partners on our partners page.
Comedy Apps Deliver Laughs and Customers
posted by Michael ArcandWe’ve started taking a look at various business models that are using mobile apps to reach their customers and generate new business, such as photography apps. Today we want to take a look at what a mobile app can do for comedians and comedy clubs. So let’s start off by taking a look at one of today’s hottest comedians and his app on the Mobile Roadie platform.
Jamie Kennedy is a comedian and actor who rose to stardom in the 1990s in the Scream series of horror films, playing the role of Randy Meeks, the video store hero. He garnered his own stand up comedy reality show on the WB Network from 2002-2004, called The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. More recently he has starred in the CBS series Ghost Whisperer, as well as lending his voice to FOX’s animated comedy, The Cleveland Show. Now you can catch more of Kennedy’s comedy action on his official iPhone app.
Download the Jamie Kennedy app here: http://road.ie/jamie-kennedy
The Laughter Lounge is one of Ireland’s premiere comedy clubs, with four venues: Dublin, Belfast, Galway and Waterford. The original location opened their doors in 1997 and quickly became one of the most popular comedy venues in the country. Their iPhone app allows them to post full details on forthcoming shows, videos, news, photos and it is where they also post all of their best ticket deals. If you’re in Ireland or planning a trip there soon, this app is a must-have for entertainment while you’re there.
Download the Laughter Lounge app here: http://road.ie/laughter-lounge
The Sin City Comedy Show is one of Las Vegas’ most highly acclaimed attractions, creating a mixture of burlesque dance and comedy, keeping audiences entertained. The venue has a rotating lineup of nationally known comics perform each night, with stars of Comedy Central, Letterman, The Tonight Show, VH1, HBO, and from famous comedy clubs around the country. The Sin City Comedy Show is produced by Emmy award winner John Padon. Now, with the iPhone app, they are sharing videos of these great comedians on Apple’s mobile devices.
Download the Sin City Comedy app here: http://road.ie/sin-city
Still don’t think a mobile app is right for your business model? Why don’t you take a tour of Mobile Roadie, then give us a call. Let’s see what we can do for you!
Scoble Dishes on His New Mobile Roadie Apps
posted by
We’re pretty excited to announce that Robert Scoble has joined the Mobile Roadie app family. I caught up with him just before his trip to Israel to find out more about why he decided to upgrade his existing app with one built on and powered by the Mobile Roadie platform. Robert joins a growing number of online influencers experimenting with apps to give their audience a more holistic view into what they’re up to, and another direct way to connect. He’d taken note that we were investing in the early adopters in the tech industry in a way that others weren’t by supporting several well-respected tech people and conferences.
“[Mobile Roadie] has an idea of events and community which the other’s don’t,” he told me. And then he shared a few comments about the breadth of capabilities of our CMS and vision as a company versus alternatives who are just offering “a template with lame content.”
Oh stop. We’re blushing. OK, keep going. We don’t mind.
“I never used my app. With Mobile Roadie it’s the completeness that I like. My content behavior is spreading out. I used to be a blogger but now i do a lot of content across many platforms like Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, that collectively make up what my brand is. With my app, I can see Twitter faves, people who write to me on Twitter, show videos, blog content..It gives a more complete picture of what I do.”
When I asked him why he wanted an app in the first place he said, “I want to see what it can do. I have a personal brand and don’t need an app to survive but I already use my mobile phone so much to interact with celebrities and bloggers and people who write content I care…everything is changing due to mobile and Twitter and Facebook and I wanted to explore what that meant and how my audience would react to it. When you have a committed audience that wants to interact they are going to consumer more of this type of content in this format.”
So how’s it going, you wonder? Well, Robert called it an “awesome app” and said he’s hearing a lot of praise from people who’ve tried it. We’re thrilled.
Being the curious company we are we pried a bit into how he was envisioning using the app. Robert said he isn’t entirely sure yet and wants to see what happens and how his audience consumes and engages with the content. He knows videos will be something to watch since “it’s easier to find videos on that app than on YouTube… I can see why my video views are already doing well.” He’s also looking forward to playing around with the Fan Wall, where anyone with the app can post comments, and virally push them to Facebook and Twitter.
Given Robert’s highly social nature and his very active audience, we’ve no doubt he will turn the use of his app into an example for the rest of the industry to follow.
Mobile Roadie Apps Hit Android
posted by Michael Arcand
You’ve been asking for it, and we’re ready to deliver. We’ve been planning on producing apps for Android users for some time, and now we can finally let the cat out of the bag. So who are the first users to have Mobile Roadie apps on both the iPhone and Android systems?
None other than Madonna, Ashton Kutcher and Dolly Parton (with Taylor Swift coming soon!). That’s right, four of the most recognizable names in the entertainment industry today are powering their online app presence on multiple platforms via Mobile Roadie.
You might say, “So what? What’s so special about that?” Here’s the big deal – Mobile Roadie is the first platform that allows anyone to create and manage their own Android App in minutes with no programming knowledge required. Additionally, customers will be able to use Mobile Roadie’s content management system (CMS) to simultaneously make updates to both their iPhone and Android Apps. This empowers our users to take control in a way never before imagined by everyday people, musicians and entertainers. Building a brand image on both platforms has never been easier, and now you don’t have to make a choice between one or the other.
So why does Dolly Parton use the Mobile Roadie platform? Parton has always been a pioneer in the music and entertainment industry, and she doesn’t want to get left behind now. In fact, she’s got fans ranging in age from under 20 to over 50 downloading her iPhone app. Who else can say that? Her plans for using the platform include sharing un-released photos and promoting her events if she decides to go back on tour.
In fact, here’s what Dolly Parton had to say about Mobile Roadie’s services:
My first phone was two tin cans tied together with string, and it worked pretty good. But now you can watch TV, download music and surf the web from your phone. Sure beats smoke signals. I never thought in my lifetime, that you’d be able to watch movies, read books and listen to music from a phone, but I guess the technology of tomorrow is here today. And to think that folks will be able to watch my Video Diaries and listen to my music on the go is just fantastic. I think it’s great that Mobile Roadie has made it so simple for my fans to keep up with everything I got going on, and who knows, I may even learn how to use it.
So what are you waiting for? Find out more about our multiple-platform services by taking our tour and view all of our live apps here. Don’t miss out on the easiest way to manage your brand image on both of the most popular smartphone systems around.
Web Apps vs. Native Apps
posted by Michael Schneider (Mobile Roadie CEO)A frequently asked question we get is why get a native app when web “apps” are becoming so good? Why invest in Apple’s approval process and store (and soon Google’s and others) when you can hire a web developer to build you an HTML5 mobile friendly experience?
As good as web apps may be, they are still a far cry from their native app cousins. Here are a few specific examples that matter to you:
Push Notifications.
One of the great things Mobile Roadie customers do with their apps is reach their users – at times geo targeting them up to just one mile around any location – with a “push notification.” This message looks like a text message and appears regardless of whether the app is open or not. It’s an incredibly powerful way to reach users. Web apps simply can’t do this.
U/I.
As good as web apps have become, the overall user interface is still dependent on Safari. Things like scrolling, animation, transitions, forms, “cover flow,” and other native app-specific nuances aren’t possible or aren’t as pretty and seamless for users. Loading time is also greater in web apps than native apps. What this really means, quite simply, is that your users will have a better and faster visual experience with a native app – and be more likely to come back and frequent it.
Home screen icon.
Yes, you can create a “bookmark” which creates an icon on the iPhone’s home screen to a web “app.” But not everyone knows this. An App comes with a built in presence on the iPhone’s screen – making it easy to find and placing a constant reminder about you/your company/your brand/your group. Additionally, native apps show up in iTunes under Applications; web apps don’t.
Enhanced access.
Web apps can’t access your address book, iPod, or camera; native apps can. Native apps can tap into your iPod (to suggest to users what tracks they’re missing from your collection) and address book (to enable easy access to share with friends). Native apps can also access the camera that – in Mobile Roadie’s case – allows users to post photos from a particular event/show.
Your own world.
Native apps are all about you – your content, your users, your brand. But with a web app, while users may start off in your world, with one errant click Safari can take them to a completely unrelated website with no clear way back. This can’t happen in a native app.
While we applaud the efforts of developers around the world to improve HTML, Javascript, Flash (not on the iPhone), and other languages to make the web a more mobile-friendly place, there is still a very relevant place for native apps – and it is only going to grow as Apple (and others) add on features to the hardware that only native apps can take advantage of. While it’s a good strategy to have both a mobile-friendly website and a native app – if you wanted to go for the one with the best chances of making a big impact on your customer/fan base – native apps simply blow web apps away.
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