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More ads on mobile, more video on social media 0

Ads are getting more play on mobile devices, a new report says.

Citrix released its Mobile Analytics Report for the first quarter of 2014 this week. The company specializes in the creation of virtual workspaces, networking and cloud infrastructure to enable new ways for people to work better. In its summary of key findings gleaned from a survey of its tier one customer base, says this:

  • Mobile ad reach has doubled that of 2013, yet only 1 in 20 subscribers are served video ads. Citrix believed the number of subscribers exposed to video ads is expected to grow, in part by features such as auto-play for video ads.
  • Health apps are booming. The Citrix survey finds that 52 percent of subscribers are using their mobile health apps now, as compared to when it was first downloaded. The 10 most popular apps by usage are related to fitness and running, weight loss and nutrition, and women’s health.
  • Video is growing dramatically on social media, comprising 32 percent on the networks, while images make up 63 percent and text 5 percent.

When Was the Last Time You Set Foot Inside a Bank? 0

mobilebanking_artLong gone are the days when you would drive to the bank, park, go inside and fill out a paper withdrawal slip, then wait in line for the teller just to get 40 bucks out of your account for groceries or to pay a phone bill. Today, the majority of your banking can be done through your smartphone or tablet.

The major banks are releasing banking apps for mobile devices with cutting-edge features and tools that make online banking easier and more convenient than accessing the bank’s website through the device’s Internet browser.

The competition for this consumer market is robust, according to Business Insider (subscription required):

“The banks that establish a  reputation for mobile innovation are likely to benefit in the future from  greater market share and more engaged — and high-margin — customers.”

While you still can’t withdraw cash from your iPad like an ATM, you can use your bank’s mobile app to transfer money between accounts, apply for loans or other forms of credit, check your mortgage status and more.

Bill paying is where the bank mobile apps really demonstrate their usefulness, in terms of saving time and positively affecting our lifestyle. No more filling out paper checks and mailing them. Now, it’s just a few taps on your mobile device and the deed is done. There’s no waiting in line for a teller, and it is less likely you’ll be late on a payment.

Perhaps this may not seem like such a life-changing spinoff of mobile technology advancement, but think of those people with mobility or health issues who find it difficult to get around town to complete tasks. In the past they would likely have to rely on family or friends to assist with banking and other activities that others take for granted.

With mobile technology, such as banking apps, people can maintain their sense of autonomy and that is always a very good thing.

  • How do you use mobile technology for banking?
  • Do you have concerns about the security or safety of banking online from a mobile device?

Charging Stations: A Massive Data Threat? 0

blurred charging stationCharging stations are popping up all over the place, and there’s no doubt that they’re convenient. But are they safe?

We’re all connected to our phones and use them as an integral part of our everyday lives. But have we been so eager to keep our devices charged that we overlooked some basic safety concerns?

Every time we plug our phone into a USB at a charging station, we may be exposing our data to being stolen and downloaded. Think about all the important, sensitive data stored in your phone.

If we weren’t so hungry for a quick charge, and blinded by the fear of our devices dying, would this have raised red flags to us?

This article raises some really great points about potential security threats we may be exposing ourselves to by plugging our phones into these charging stations.

3 Key Apps to Keep You Organized 0

 

Evernote

Evernote is a free app that is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry,  as well as on your desktop PC or Mac. It syncs between your devices so whatever you file on your phone will show up on your tablet.

Evernote is all about note taking and filing things away. You can use the phone’s camera to take a picture of a paper receipt and then file that in a “receipt” notebook. If you make an online purchase, you can forward the electronic receipt from your email directly into Evernote and then file accordingly.

omnifocus-logo

Omnifocus

Omnifocus is an app designed for iPhones, iPads and Mac’s. The iPad and iPhone apps are priced heavily at $40 and $20 respectively, but this app is the powerhouse of organization and if you take the time to learn all the ins-and-outs of Omnifocus, it really will become a part of your everyday life and is worth the investment.

Omnifocus helps you organize projects and files, task management, day-to-day reminders, etc. It has great location-based services, so it can send you a notification when you’re passing the grocery store to pick up some dog food. It pulls data from your mobile devices internal calendar and syncs between the iPhone, iPad and Mac desktop apps.

The learning curve is a big one with this app, but once you understand what it can do and how it can keep you organized, you won’t regret the money spent.

1Password

1Password

Does this scenario sound familiar: Your friend is over visiting for the weekend and he or she wants to access your home wifi signal. What’s the password to gain access?  Or how about this: You’re trying to log into an account for some online social network you haven’t accessed in seven months. What’s password for that?

This is where 1Password comes into play. This app is a place for you to store all these passwords, login keys and account numbers in a safe, secure and user friendly place. The app even has its own internal web browser and will automatically populate the login and password fields of the website you’re accessing- a huge time saver.

You can really store any data you want in this application. It’s universal, so it will sync nicely between your devices, plus it’s packed with security features itself to give you some piece of mind.

Splunk Acquires BugSense 0

Check out this cool article about a mobile analytics platform recently acquired, article via TechCrunch:

Splunk has acquired BugSense, a mobile analytics platform used by developers to improve app performance and improve quality. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close during Splunk’s 2014 fiscal third quarter, which ends in October.

BugSense, founded in 2011, provides analytics from machine data it collects to understand how apps are performing on mobile devices, the quality of the apps and for collecting data to do better troubleshooting. It works on Android, iOS and Windows Phone through its software developer kit, giving developers access to data analytics from hundreds of millions of mobile devices that it manages from its scalable cloud platform.

For the full article click here.

Want free data? There’s an app for that 0

If you like the idea of getting free data for your smart phone, or you’re an advertiser and wish your mobile ads were getting more engagement, you may want to check out Boston based startup Aquto.

Kickbit by AqutoAquto has essentially incentivized mobile advertising by partnering with cellular carriers to provide free data in exchange for a certain amount of engagement with a mobile ad.

How it works is that you download Aquto’s app Kickbit and then using the app you can earn data by watching videos, taking surveys, etc. From inside the app, you then have the option to transfer the data you’ve earned to your mobile carrier. You’ll have to check their list to see if your carrier is supported though-not all carriers support this yet.

Did Aquto figure out the best way to monetize mobile ads? Is free data enough of a hook? It might be. The number of smart phone users continues to grow, and so does the amount of data we’re using on our phones. A VentureBeat article on mobile data usage cites new research by Strategy Analytics, which projects that people will use 300% more data by 2017.

Does free data for your smart phone sound like something you would be interested in?