Mobile Social Networking

Sprint adds sniff friend-finder app

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:45:26 -0500

Mobile location technology provider Useful Networks announced its sniff social networking application is now available in the U.S. via Sprint. sniff (Social Network Integrated Friend Finder)--named one of FierceMobileContent's Five Mobile Social Services You Should Get to Know earlier this year--is a permission-based mobile application enabling consumers to locate contacts in real-time, anytime and anywhere, via SMS or on Facebook. In addition to providing users with a detailed map view of their friends' current whereabouts, the sniff app emphasizes privacy--all behavior is governed by principles of notice and consent, guaranteeing users remain in complete control of who can locate them and when. Registration is free, although Sprint subscribers are charged $0.25 for all successful "sniffs." Useful Networks adds it will offer a sniff API for developers who wish to incorporate friend-finder functionality into existing social networking or community services.

For more on sniff's U.S. launch:
- read this release

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RIM launches MySpace app for BlackBerry

Jason Ankeny — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:41:42 -0500

Social networking giant MySpace announced the availability of a new, integrated mobile solution customized for device maker Research In Motion's BlackBerry smartphones. The application--which RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie first announced in September during his keynote appearance at CTIA Wireless I.T. and Entertainment 2008--promises instant, push-based messaging of social content, complete with a full messaging interface, real-time status and mood updates, camera integration and optimized photo management and notification of new MySpace events like message and friend requests.

In addition, MySpace will launch a new community page for BlackBerry smartphone users offering access to content, videos, games, ringtones, skins and related features. The web page will also boast a product demo of the new BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone (including a tutorial for using the MySpace app) and BlackBerry smartphone cheats. "In a few years' time, we expect up to 50 percent of our traffic to be via mobile devices," said MySpace Canada general manager Dave Stevens in a prepared statement.

For more on the RIM/MySpace deal:
- read this release

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3 unveils INQ's Facebook phone

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:50:01 -0500

British mobile operator 3 officially introduced handset maker INQ's so-called "Facebook phone," a.k.a. the INQ1, which integrates social networking information and status updates in its contact list. The slider phone, developed by INQ and manufactured by Amoi, promises a social networking experience comparable to the PC, with Facebook, Windows Messenger and Skype VoIP services always on in the background. In addition to one-touch access to music site Last.fm, video aggregator YouTube and online auction site eBay via the 3 mobile web portal, the INQ1 boasts offline Facebook profile browsing, pokes and messaging--a 3.2 MP camera also enables users to efficiently upload photos to their Facebook page.

3 has not yet announced an official launch date for the INQ1, but announced the device will available free to subscribers who sign up for an 18-month contract: For £15 ($22.25 U.S.) per month, users will enjoy unlimited access to Facebook, Skype and Windows Live Messenger services as well as up to 1GB a month of web access, unlimited texts, unlimited email, unlimited calls to other 3 customers and 75 minutes of calls to other networks. "The 85 percent to 95 percent of the market that did not buy the iPhone and cannot afford an expensive smartphone has been frankly forgotten," said INQ CEO Frank Meehan.

For more on the INQ1:
- read this Guardian article

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Facebook passes 15 million mobile user mark

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:38:30 -0500

Social networking giant Facebook announced its mobile userbase has expanded from 5 million to 15 million since the beginning of 2008. Writing on The Facebook Blog, Facebook mobile team engineer Wayne Chang adds that in the 24 hours after the site began allowing subscribers to comment on their friends' status updates to the Facebook mobile site, users posted close to a million status comments. Chang adds that Facebook is in the process of expanding its mobile staff, and promises new improvements are forthcoming.

For more on Facebook's mobile efforts:
- read this Facebook Blog entry

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Forecast: 82M location-based mobile social networkers by 2013

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:17:28 -0500

Location-based mobile social networking sites will top the 82 million subscriber mark by 2013 according to a new forecast released by market analysis firm ABI Research, which cites the availability of multimedia-centric GPS handsets as well as licensing agreements with carriers and handsets manufacturers as catalysts behind the growth. ABI anticipates mobile social networking will emerge as a key driver of location-based services uptake, promising a unifying framework for a number of mobile applications including friend finders, local search and geo-tagging. ABI also notes the growth of location-enabled instant messaging applications such as Palringo Local and Nokia Chat. The study predicts that while a wide range of coexisting business models will initially drive location-based mobile social networking, advertising-based models will win out due by capitalizing on the possibilities of local search- and content-driven social context.

"While growth will be mainly driven by the availability of multimedia-centric GPS handsets, other mobile form factors will also become important", said ABI Research director Dominique Bonte in a prepared statement. "Mobile Internet Devices with built-in GPS receivers have been announced, with location-based social networking site GyPSii supporting Moblin-based Intel Atom processor-powered MIDs. Connected PNDs and outdoor GPS solutions are other obvious candidates for location-based networking. Nissan Carwings' in-car telematics solution allows the sharing and ranking of fuel consumption in Japan."

For more on the ABI Research forecast:
- read this release

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LimeLife debuts multi-platform lifestyle site

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:57:56 -0400

Digital media firm LimeLife announced the launch of a new multi-platform women's lifestyle site targeting media-savvy consumers between the ages of 18 and 34. Optimized for both the online and mobile platforms, the site promises to explore a range of women's lifestyle subjects ranging from music to fashion to dating tips as well as introduce My Snaps, a social networking application enabling community members to clip their favorite things from the web (e.g., images of new outfits or must-have beauty products) to share with friends on LimeLife and Facebook. According to LimeLife, future versions of My Snaps will enable users to photograph and share their favorite products and inspirations via wireless device.

For more on the LimeLife site:
- read this release

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Intercasting teams with Mzinga for UGC moderation

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:17:36 -0400

Social media and learning solutions provider Mzinga announced it will help moderate user-generated content across the communities powered by mobile social networking platform provider Intercasting's Anthem platform. Intercasting's Rabble application enables more than 250 million U.S. mobile subscribers to create and share content across more than 15 social networking sites--Mzinga will moderate text, message posts and uploaded photos to ensure that interactions comply with Intercasting's established guidelines. According to Mzinga, its professional moderation team boasts extensive experience moderating and monitoring communities, currently supporting more than 5,000 hours of moderation per month across global online communities in a dozen languages.

For more on the Intercasting/Mzinga deal:
- read this release

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MySpace Mobile launches on Android

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:52:44 -0400

Social networking giant MySpace announced the launch of a new, free MySpace Mobile application optimized for Google's Android mobile operating system and available via the Android Market virtual storefront. MySpace Mobile promises deep integration with Android-based devices like T-Mobile USA's G1, with features including instant photo uploading, friend searches and status and mood updates--the app will also integrate with music discovery service Shazam, enabling users to identify songs and connect to the artist's MySpace page.

According to MySpace, its mobile website now welcomes two million unique users each day. A recent ABI Research study adds that 70 percent of mobile social networking users have visited MySpace--in addition to Android, MySpace has developed mobile applications for the iPhone and Sidekick, with an app optimized for Research In Motion's BlackBerry device platform currently in development.

For more on MySpace Mobile's Android debut:
- read this release

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Motorola's first Android phone to hit U.S. in mid-2009

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:37:41 -0400

New details continue to emerge on Motorola's forthcoming social networking device powered by Google's Android mobile operating system. BusinessWeek.com reports the Motorola device will boast an iPhone-like touch screen, a slide-out Qwerty keyboard and a variety of social networking-themed features promising users more direct and efficient access to services like Facebook and MySpace. Citing sources familiar with Motorola's plans, the report notes that the device maker is already showing spec sheets and images of the handset to its worldwide operator partners, but likely won't introduce the Android phone in the U.S. until the second quarter of 2009.

BusinessWeek.com adds the Motorola device resembles T-Mobile USA's forthcoming G1, the HTC-produced, Android-based handset scheduled to hit retail later this week--however, Motorola's phone will sell for about $150 with a two-year contract, a price comparable to its new Krave. Motorola declined to elaborate on its efforts, releasing a statement noting "We're excited about the innovation possibilities on Android and look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google."

Motorola is a founding member of the Google-backed Open Handset Alliance, and in late September reports surfaced the firm is seeking to expand its Android development team from 50 members to 350. Citing an Android developer approached by a headhunter to join the Motorola team, TechCrunch reported Motorola is making a significant financial bet on Android in an effort to reverse its sagging fortunes in the handset market; critics have long singled out software as the culprit behind the company's economic woes.

For more on Motorola's Android phone:
- read this BusinessWeek.com article

Motorola at work on Android-based social networking phone

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:51:35 -0400

A job advertisement posted by Motorola strongly suggests the handset maker is at work on a social networking-specific device powered by Google's Android mobile operating system. According to the AndroidGuys website, the Motorola posting seeks candidates for the position of Senior Staff Interaction Designer to work on development of new mobile products including the self-explanatory Android Social Networking SmartPhone--the phone would presumably serve as a kind of mobile hub connecting consumers to their favorite social networking services, with a pronounced UI emphasis on personal media sharing and related activities.

Motorola is a founding member of the Google-backed Open Handset Alliance, and in late September reports surfaced the firm is seeking to expand its Android development team from 50 members to 350. Citing an Android developer approached by a headhunter to join the Motorola team, TechCrunch reported Motorola is making a significant financial bet on Android in an effort to reverse its sagging fortunes in the handset market; Critics have long singled out software as the weak link in the Moto value chain.

For more on the Android Social Networking SmartPhone:
- read this AndroidGuys article

MySpace, Facebook widen mobile social networking lead

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:38:27 -0400

Close to half of all social networking users have now visited destinations like MySpace and Facebook via mobile device, according to an online user survey conducted by market analysis firm ABI Research. Forty-six percent of social networking members have visited their favorite sites on their phones, with more than half of them checking for comments and messages from their friends--about 45 percent have also posted status updates.

ABI reports that among all mobile social networking users, nearly 70 percent have visited MySpace, with another 67 percent checking their Facebook accounts. No other social networking destination achieved 15 percent mobile adoption. ABI suggests that consumers do not wish to create new and separate social networking profiles for the mobile platform, but instead prefer to access their existing social networking accounts on the go.

For more on the ABI study:
- read this release

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SK Telecom debuts cross-operator mobile social network

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:45:42 -0400

South Korean mobile operator SK Telecom announced the launch of Sky Buddy, a mobile social networking service that enables users to share user-generated content and information with fellow SK subscribers as well as consumers across Japanese carriers NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank. According to SK Telecom, Sky Buddy will feature real-time auto-translation to facilitate communication between users in Korea and Japan--the service also promises local language information services from Weathernews as well as Korea-Japan Info Zone, which includes information on more than 1,000 restaurants and tourist destinations in both countries.

SK Telecom will debut Sky Buddy in tandem with two new monthly flat-rate data plans: Sky Buddy Plan (which offers unlimited access to all Sky Buddy services without charging an extra data usage tariff) and Sky Buddy T Map Plan (which allows customers to use both Sky Buddy and the operator's T Map navigation services).

For more on Sky Buddy:
- read this release

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Research In Motion makes friends with MySpace

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:18:04 -0400

With its share of the U.S. smartphone market now at 54 percent, Research In Motion announced a series of new initiatives poised to increase its dominance in the segment, highlighted by an agreement with social networking giant MySpace to develop an integrated MySpace Mobile experience customized for BlackBerry devices. During his keynote appearance Thursday at the CTIA Wireless I.T. and Entertainment event in San Francisco, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie also announced a new partnership with Microsoft to launch Live Search optimized for the BlackBerry platform, as well as an agreement with digital video recording solutions provider TiVo to introduce customized wireless TiVo services. "It's important to create an environment where you support diverse messaging [services]," Balsillie said. "We're now seeing a convergence of the four screens--your cell phone, your home phone, your home Internet and your home content."

MySpace for BlackBerry, launching in October, integrates MySpace's primary social networking components (e.g., messaging, status and mood updates, and photo management) with the BlackBerry platform to provide instant, push-based messaging to BlackBerry and MySpace users. RIM will also introduce a BlackBerry community page on MySpace for users to access the latest BlackBerry smartphone news, content, videos, games, ringtones, skins and related features. Balsillie cited a recent eMarketer forecast that anticipates more than 800 million people worldwide will access social networks via mobile devices by 2012, up from 82 million in 2007. "When you change access to information, you change your relationship to it," Balsillie said.

Research In Motion's partnership with TiVo will enable BlackBerry users to wirelessly browse television schedule guides and program recordings--according to Balsillie, the two firms plan to eventually introduce software applications that further expand mobile access to video content, including caching programming directly on the device. RIM will also team with Microsoft to integrate the software goliath's Live Search apps into the BlackBerry Browser and BlackBerry Maps service, enabling contextual, location-sensitive searches or information on nearby points of interest. Another upcoming partnership will pair RIM with concert ticketing provider TicketMaster.

For more:
- read this RIM and MySpace press release
- Click here for photos of the Day Two Keynotes...
- Click here for photos of the new Pearl Flip phone...

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HBO hugs it out with Whrrl on 'Entourage' promo

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:29:10 -0400

Consumer technology solutions developer Pelago announced an agreement with interactive marketing boutique Deep Focus to promote the hit HBO comedy Entourage via its location-aware mobile social discovery service Whrrl. Per terms of the deal, Pelago will create Whrrl accounts for all of the major Entourage characters, enabling fans to interact with specific location-based information and character commentary spotlighting the bars, clubs and other real-world sites featured in the series, which begins its fifth season September 7. Whrrl users may also auto-friend individual Entourage characters or view them as a collective group.

For more on the Entourage promotion:
- read this release

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Forecast: 140M mobile social networking users by 2013

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:09:16 -0400

More than 140 million consumers will embrace mobile social networking by 2013 according to a forecast released by market analysis firm ABI Research, which anticipates subscription revenues in excess of $410 million. ABI expects mobile social networking subscriber growth to climb modestly over the next three or four years before exploding--the firm adds it believes mobile incarnations of social networks will follow the free, browser-based model defined by websites like Facebook and MySpace, which could limit mobile operator data traffic revenues. Mobile content sales and mobile advertising efforts will instead drive revenues, with ABI citing a recent end-user survey reporting that mobile social networkers are likely to consume two or three times as much digital mobile content than their anti-social peers. Still, ABI warns that social networking applications must first capitalize on the unique attributes of the mobile platform and cannot become reliant solely on advertising revenues, at least not initially.

For more on the ABI forecast:
- read this release

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Virgin Mobile USA catches buzzd

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:39:30 -0400

Virgin Mobile USA announced an agreement to add the buzzd location-based cityguide and mobile social network to its WAP deck. The buzzd on Virgin Mobile service promises to enable users to broadcast and share local entertainment information based on their current location, delivering editorially-driven event and venue data alongside consumer ratings and reviews--in addition, buzzd includes SMS and messaging features, user-generated feedback and licensed content from providers like TimeOut, Zagat and Flavorpill. buzzd now spans major metropolitan areas across the U.S. as well as locales in Europe and India.

For more on the Virgin Mobile USA/buzzd deal:
- read this release

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Zannel launches mobile political communities

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:42:14 -0400

Viral mobile entertainment network developer Zannel announced the launch of PoliticsBlue, a mobile community channel featuring reports from accredited state-based bloggers attending this week's Democratic National Convention in Denver. The bloggers, which Zannel said represent every region of the U.S., will broadcast videos, photos and text updates via their mobile phones direct from the DNC floor, and continue their efforts through Election Day. The Zannel mobile platform will enable the bloggers to instantly share their observations, interviews and other newsworthy moments with their blog's readers, the Zannel community and other social networks to which Zannel syndicates content. A PoliticsRed community channel will launch in time for next week's Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

For more on PoliticsBlue:
- read this release

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Samsung partners with GyPSii on location apps

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:12:03 -0400

Geo-location and mobile social networking provider GyPSii announced a multi-year worldwide agreement to provide technology, products, worldwide data center infrastructure and branding rights to handset maker Samsung Electronics. GyPSii's mobility application will be bundled on Samsung's Omnia SGH-i900 and embedded on the SGH-i780, promising consumers access to location-based social networking digital lifestyle features as well as the tools to create and share user-generated content across the GyPSii community as well as interoperable social networks like Facebook. Samsung will market GyPSii-enabled devices across the globe, making the application available in multiple local languages--GyPSii will provide the global infrastructure and operatingplatform to Samsung customers, and the two firms will share resulting revenues.

For more on the GyPSii/Samsung deal:
- read this release

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Loopt ties into Facebook Connect

Jason Ankeny — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:35:25 -0400

Social-mapping and communication service Loopt announced its integration with the Facebook Connect platform to enable users to connect their Facebook identity, contacts and privacy settings to the Loopt network. According to Loopt, Facebook Connect integration enables users to share and discover recommendations for nearby businesses, add location awareness to their Facebook feeds (complete with alerts when their contacts are nearby) and connect with Facebook friends both on and offline. The Facebook-enhanced Loopt capabilities will debut later this summer via iPhone's App Store--from there, the features will gradually roll out on the BlackBerry platform and across feature phones from Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Boost Mobile.

For more on the Loopt/Facebook integration:
- read this release

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MySpace optimizes social networking for iPhone 3G

Jason Ankeny — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:27:41 -0400

Social networking giant MySpace announced an integrated MySpace Mobile application customized for the iPhone 3G and available via the Apple App Store. The free MySpace app boasts features like instant photo uploading from the iPhone to the user's MySpace profile, a customized iPhone UI, real-time friend and status updates and a full messaging interface. According to MySpace, the service will be available in 12 languages by the end of 2008. MySpace adds its mobile website now receives more than 1.7 million unique daily visits within the U.S. alone.

For more on the MySpace iPhone app:
- read this release

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