Facebook CEO promises 'something awesome' to launch next week
TechCrunch speculates Facebook will introduce a new mobile photo sharing application in the vein of services like Instagram or Path. Based on roughly 50 MB of images and project documents obtained by TechCrunch in mid-June, the app--known internally as either "Hovertown" or "WithPeople"--is built on top of Facebook's social graph, and it appears to exist as a standalone solution. Screenshots indicate users will be able to tag friends and locations.
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TechCrunch adds Facebook will not unveil its much-discussed HTML5-based mobile platform optimized for Apple's iPhone and iPad but designed to circumvent the App Store distribution channel, giving Facebook far greater control over the user experience. Known internally as Project Spartan, the platform will initially target Apple's mobile Safari browser, but over time will expand to other operating systems, including Google's Android. The mobile web solution will include a drop-down menu featuring various Facebook and partner applications--clicking an app loads it from the appropriate server, complete with a Facebook wrapper that integrates key social media functions. Sources say Project Spartan is still weeks away from completion and was not developed in Seattle.
Insiders say it is also "highly unlikely" Facebook will introduce its social networking application optimized for Apple's iPad. Last month, The New York Times reported Facebook's free iPad app has been in production for over a year, evolving through a series of design iterations. People who have seen the app say its user experience is tailored for the iPad's touchscreen interface, with revamped Facebook Chat and Facebook Groups features. Facebook also will unveil new full-screen photo and video-sharing tools. Sources indicate that Facebook additionally plans to retool its mobile website to accommodate the iPad form factor--one person said the site is not intended to compete with Facebook's iPhone and iPad apps, but will "supplement these experiences."
[Fiercemobile]
Online Social Networkers Consume More Media Content
Two recent surveys conducted by ABI Research have revealed that compared to average mobile phone service subscribers, those who also participate in online social networking via sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo are much heavier consumers of digital content including text messages, mobile email, photos, music, games and mobile TV. These findings are detailed in a new white paper from ABI Research, available for free download on the firm’s website.
“The fact that online social networkers consume more mobile content and media than mobile subscribers who aren’t into online networking may not be really surprising,” says principal analyst Nick Holland. “However, what we have long suspected is now confirmed by the numbers: for most kinds of mobile content, online social networkers consume about twice as much as their non-networked peers.”
The two surveys, conducted online in the United States in November, 2007, sampled just over 1000 mobile subscribers and just over 500 online social network mobile subscribers respectively.
Three quarters of the latter group were aged between 18 and 30, and were twice as likely to own a smartphone as their non-networked equivalents.
What drives online social networkers towards consumption of mobile media? They are on average younger and more tech-savvy for a start. Also, many social networking networks are organized around a specific media-related interest such as photography or music.
What are the implications for the mobile content industry? According to Holland, “Advertising on social networks isn’t working particularly well, so promotion of mobile content on online social network sites should be a high priority for mobile operators, content distributors, media companies, and advertisers.”
“Mobile Content End-User Survey,” a white paper which presents and interprets the results of the two surveys in detail, is available free on the ABI Research website. (Free site registration is required.) It can be viewed or downloaded here. [ABI Research]
Emerging Media Forecast: Mobile, Social Media, and Online Video Will Lead The Way
A recent media forecast by Magna Global - one of the world’s leading media service firms - predicts that mobile media, social media, and online video will be the fastest growing of the emerging media channels. Download the full study.
This is a very interesting forecast/presentation about the US market that not only looks at the future growth of emerging media, but also puts them in perspective with existing advertising. The point is that traditional media has never died, but large advertisers drive TV, and smaller advertisers drive emerging media.
“Models that were well designed for an era of homogeneous media platform access may not work may not be as well-suited for a world of Web 2.0% which will reach some audiences and miss others.”
Some interesting conclusions emerge:
- Social Media will grow by 37% to over over $1.4 billion, and will be helped by improved monetization possibilities.
- Online video will grow by 45%, being the fastest growing of all the emerging media. It will benefit from similarities to traditional TV.
- Mobile will grow by 42% to around $300 million. Key drivers for mobile are the growing mobile ad ecosystem and new opportunies in CRM and m-commerce on the plus side. On the negative side are the diversity of consumer interfaces and the lack of existing creative assets. [MobiAdNews]
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