iPhone
One Theory On Why The iPhone Is Dominating Flash Sales Site Traffic
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/one-theory-on-why-the-iphone-is-dominating-e-commerce-2012-5
At Fab.com, a flash sales site, 95 percent of its mobile visits (which make up a third of its overall visits) come from the iPhone.
At OneKingsLane, another designer flash sales site specializing in home decor, iPhone and iPad owners stand far above other mobile devices among mobile shoppers (who make up more than 20 percent of OneKingsLane’s revenue).
Why?
We sat down with Doug Mack, CEO of OneKingsLane, to find out why. Here’s one theory:
- Before the iPad came out, very few shoppers came from the iPhone — or any mobile device. Very few of the site’s sales came from the iPhone just 18 months ago. There wasn’t enough screen real estate to trigger a shopper to buy something on OneKingsLane, Mack said.
- After the iPad came out, mobile sales shot up like crazy across the board. They now account for more than 20 percent of OneKingsLane’s revenue. There’s more screen real estate on the iPad, so it removed a mental block on shopping on a mobile device.
- iPad owners are probably more likely to own an iPhone. So it’s natural to expect that the sales would translate to the iPhone from the iPad. The iPad version of the website is now the second-most visited version of OneKingsLane, behind the desktop website.
There is a little bit of cross-over for OneKingsLane’s audience, though, since most of its users use Mac computers, Mack said.
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In Case You Had Any Doubt About Where Apple Gets Its Money From (AAPL)
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-apple-makes-money-2012-4
In case you had any doubt, Apple is an iPhone company now.
The iPhone accounted for 58% of Apple’s total revenue last quarter.
The iPhone didn’t exist five years ago. Today, the iPhone business alone is more profitable than Exxon.
Below, you can see how the iPhone has gone from zero to a hundred billion annually in the span of five years.
And if you think that’s mind blowing, then you need to check this out >
In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they’re using iOS
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/in-ticketing-cellphone-credit-card-reader-inhand/
Converting a cellphone into a credit card reader is nothing new, but transforming one into a box office for live events could shake things up a bit — or, at least provide a bit of friendly competition for NFC-based alternatives. In Ticketing has just launched InHand Box Office software for use at live events. The company claims to be one of the greener ticketing outfits out there, and plans to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a device capable of wirelessly processing payments (and printing out paper receipts, unlike Square or PayPal Here) at independently run concerts or festivals. Potentially reducing time spent in line and preventing congestion at the entrance translates into more people inside the venue, and using your phone instead of a difficult-to-establish credit card merchant account should reduce the friction in throwing such an event. As long as you tend to carry the appropriate iDevice with In Ticketing’s ! new app installed, you can marry it to that iAPS Sled you see above to create your own personal CC processing machine. The only issues? Convincing Gotye to play your house party instead of Coachella next year, and that awkward lack of support for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.
In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they’re using iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
MBTA and Masabi team up for first smartphone rail ticketing system in the US, launching in Boston this fall
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/23/mbta-masabi-smartphone-ticketing/
In Boston this fall, you won’t need to keep up with your train ticket anymore — as long as you don’t leave your smartphone at home. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Masabi have joined forces to bring a rail ticketing to handheld devices via iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps. Headquartered in London, Masabi has launched similar tech for transit companies in the UK, eliminating ticket lines for many smartphone-wielding passengers. Software will allow riders to purchase tickets and passes that are validated with a barcode scan by conductors equipped with mobile devices of their own. MBTA is looking to cut costs and provide added convenience with the new system instead of adding more ticketing kiosks to its stations. The aforementioned apps will be developed alongside focus groups and a small pilot group this summer with a full rollout to all MBTA customers expected to happen this fall. Looking for a bit more info? Hit the coverage and source links below to read on.
[Image credit: Masabi on Flickr]
MBTA and Masabi team up for first smartphone rail ticketing system in the US, launching in Boston this ! fall originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
MBTA and Masabi team up for first smartphone rail ticketing system in the US, launching in Boston this fall
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/23/mbta-masabi-smartphone-ticketing/
In Boston this fall, you won’t need to keep up with your train ticket anymore — as long as you don’t leave your smartphone at home. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Masabi have joined forces to bring a rail ticketing to handheld devices via iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps. Headquartered in London, Masabi has launched similar tech for transit companies in the UK, eliminating ticket lines for many smartphone-wielding passengers. Software will allow riders to purchase tickets and passes that are validated with a barcode scan by conductors equipped with mobile devices of their own. MBTA is looking to cut costs and provide added convenience with the new system instead of adding more ticketing kiosks to its stations. The aforementioned apps will be developed alongside focus groups and a small pilot group this summer with a full rollout to all MBTA customers expected to happen this fall. Looking for a bit more info? Hit the coverage and source links below to read on.
[Image credit: Masabi on Flickr]
MBTA and Masabi team up for first smartphone rail ticketing system in the US, launching in Boston this ! fall originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
You Can Now Hire Funny Or Die To Make Your Ads
Funny or Die is going commercial by, well, creating commercials.
The Adam McKay and Will Ferrell brainchild, which had a humble start in 2007 (featuring videos of drunken landlord babies) and then exploded into a celebrity-laden viral video machine, is launching a division called Gifted Youth that is entirely dedicated to making real advertisements.
While some products have been integrated into videos—like Emma Stone’s “ad” for iPhone murder apps—it wasn’t done to sell anything. So far, brands have served as excuses to make funny videos. Now they’re going to be the main event.
Chris Bruss, the vp/branded entertainment at Funny or Die who will helm Gifted Youth, told the New York Times that the division will give agencies and marketers the coveted opportunity to work with writers, directors, and maybe even actors who have worked with Funny or Die.
Advertising agencies are constantly trying to create the next big viral video. While once in a blue moon a client will sign off on Old Spice guy, let’s face it, moons are rarely blue and agencies are far more likely to make Mary J. Blige sing about fried chicken in a Burger King ad that is destined to get pulled.
Funny or Die, on the other hand, epically wins at viral content. For example, Will Ferrell’s local Super Bowl ads for Milwaukee beer—spawned from a deal that Pabst made with Funny or Die in 2010—got more Twitter mentions than $3.5 million national Super Bowl spots for Cadillac, Century 21, CareerBuilder, Lexus, and Hulu.
But everyone shouldn’t start dancing in the street just yet. While Funny or Die is good at creating funny content, it’s a whole other ball game when you have a client that’s going to have to approve content every step of the way. Who’s really going to be able to tell Will Ferrell, for example, what he can and can’t say? We’re also anticipating that agencies, who just love working/competing with new creatives on the block, will be butting heads with Gifted Youth.
The new ad shop had a soft launch during TNT’s slam dunk contest during the NBA All-Star weekend by airing a Kia commercial starring Blake Griffin and actor Jeff Goldblum. Gifted Youth also just released spots for New Era baseball caps in which comedians Nick Offerman and Craig Robinson fight over their respective love for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Socks. (This is a continuation of last year’s ads in which John Krasinski and Alec Baldwin feud about the Red Socks and the Yankees).
iPhone shipments overtake BlackBerry in Canada, RIM now runner-up in its hometown
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/22/iphone-shipments-overtake-blackberry-in-canada-rim-now-runner-u/
Heads up, RIM. The bad news train is coming to your backyard and only Mr. Heins can get you off the track. It appears not even local loyalties are enough to bolster the BlackBerry brand back into its former hometown glory. According to research provided by Bloomberg and IDC, Waterloo’s Canadian prospects are dimming, as that chunk of revenue, which amounts to about seven percent of its total earnings, has begun to wither, putting the company in second place behind Apple. Last year alone, iPhone shipments in the region outstripped BlackBerry by nearly one million and its recently reported fiscal performance isn’t helping to brighten the picture, either. With its 3rd quarter domestic sales down 23 percent and US revenue plummeting by almost half, the once prominent king of the smartphone sector has a long uphill battle ahead. For the company’s sake, let’s hope its annual BlackBerry World showcase, less than two months away, and anticipated BB 10 devices can turn its financial frown upside down.
[Image credit via Life of an Architect]
iPhone shipments overtake BlackBerry in Canada, RIM now runner-up in its hometown originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:31:00 EDT. Please see our http://w ww.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/”>terms for use of feeds.
PayPal Showed The Future Of Retail Today — And It’s NOT The New Credit Card Reader (EBAY)
The big news today from PayPal was a tiny credit-card reader called PayPal Here. It lets any small business owner with an iPhone or Android phone take credit card payments.
But there was actually a far more interesting technology shown today.
It lets you walk into a store and buy a product without touching your phone, money, or a credit card — or even taking your wallet out.
Like the credit card reader, it’s pretty obviously inspired by Square, whose Card Case app was introduced about six months ago. But I never actually got how revolutionary the concept of touchless retail payment was until I saw it in action today.
Here’s how it works.
You need a PayPal account and the PayPal mobile app on your phone. You use the app to look up nearby retailers that accept PayPal. If you find one that you want to shop at, you check in — just like you’d do on Foursquare or any other check-in service.
When you walk into the retailer, their PayPal app (used with the PayPal Here reader) will automatically recognize you. If you want, you can pay with a credit card or cash.
But if you want to use your PayPal account, you simply tell the person behind the counter and the amount will automatically be debited.
You don’t have to do anything else.
I didn’t get what a big deal this was until I tested it out after the event at a nearby cupcake store that had signed up for PayPal Here.
It’s like walking into your local bar and saying “put it on my tab.”
It’s so much smoother than the clunky NFC-based system that Google is using in Google Wallet, where you have to take out your cell phone and tap it against a reader.
In fact, this feature isn’t new at all. It’s called PayPal Local, and it’s been around since late 2010 in San Francisco. But I’ve never seen it in use, anywhere. That’s probably because most merchants aren’t interested in setting up this system JUST to take PayPal payments in the real world.
Either way, if PayPal or Square doesn’t do it, some other company will. Maybe Amazon or Google, maybe Foursquare or another check-in company, maybe a credit card company or bank. Or maybe some startup.
But the idea — walking into a store, being recognized, and being able to buy something without having to use any physical object to complete the transaction — is too great to pass up.
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See Also:
- How PayPal Royally Screwed This Company And All The Kids It Was Trying To Help
- 1 Out Of Every 8 Merchants That Take Credit Cards Uses Square
- Marc Andreessen: Retailers Should Be Scared About 2012
About Me
Dr. Augustine Fou is an advisor on digital strategy and social media marketing, with over 16 years of in-the-trenches, hands-on experience. He provides client executives with objective, in-depth assessments of their current marketing programs and recommendations for improving business impact and ROI with digital insights.
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