| This week's sponsor is Kontagent. |  | Whitepaper: 5 Lessons on Driving More Revenue, Loyalty and Lifetime Value to Your Mobile Apps
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Today's Top Stories
1. Study: Apple's iOS tops 50% of U.S. smartphone sales, Android slides
2. AT&T prepares to battle OTT players with call management API
3. Verizon, Samsung bolster Ativ Odyssey with new personalization apps
4. Dish's new Hopper with Sling pushes DVR content to mobile devices
5. Leap's Muve Music service reaches 1.1M user mark Also Noted: Spotlight On... How to find, keep and maximize a mobile app's 'power users'
AT&T launches multiplatform U-verse Screen Pack; Chartboost scores $19 million and much more...  CES 2013: Complete coverage
The Consumer Electronics Show, held in Las Vegas, is the biggest electronics trade show in the United States. And it's no surprise that mobile technology has taken a central role at the event during the past several years. And this year looks to be no exception. Mobile heavyweights Qualcomm, Samsung, Verizon and others are scheduled to make major appearances. As in past years, Fierce will be out in force at this year's CES. Phil Goldstein, Sue Marek and Mike Dano will be on the ground during the show covering all the major news. Stay tuned to this page for complete coverage of this year's Consumer Electronics Show. CES mini site
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| Webinar: Capitalizing SON – How to Implement SON for LTE to reduce OPEX and Increase Revenue
Tuesday, January 29th, 11am ET / 8am PT LTE is the fastest growing communication technology of all time. In this webinar our experts will discuss how Network Equipment Manufacturers can leverage the concept of Self Organizing Networks (SON) to not only manage highly complex LTE networks but also reduce operational expenditures and enhance customer satisfaction. Register Today! |
| Sponsor: Globalstar FierceLive! Webinars > Globalstar's New "Wi-Fi" Super Highway - Tuesday, January 22nd, 11:00am EST/8:00 am PST
> Capitalizing SON – How to Implement SON for LTE to reduce OPEX and Increase Revenue - Tuesday, January 29th, 11am ET / 8am PT
Events > Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 Live Announcement of this Year's Winners - Now Available On-Demand
Marketplace > Wavefront Wireless Summit
> Brief: Secure Android Capability
> Whitepaper: New Research on LTE Usage in Korea, Japan, and the U.S.
Jobs > Field Technician I Job - Portland, OR, USA – Yoh
> FSO Telecom Field Technician I Job - New Orleans, LA, USA – Yoh
> Telecommunications Field Technician Job - Spokane, WA, USA – Yoh
> Telecommunications Project Controls Analyst Job - Bellevue, WA, USA – Yoh
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* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. Study: Apple's iOS tops 50% of U.S. smartphone sales, Android slides
Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS powered 53.3 percent of all smartphones sold in the U.S. during the 12-week-period ending Nov. 25, 2012, up from 35.8 percent in the year-ago period, according to new data published by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. The growth spurt signals the first time the iOS platform has surpassed a 50 percent share of sales in the American market. Among all U.S. consumers who purchased an iPhone in November, 27 percent upgraded from another smartphone operating system, 34 percent upgraded from an earlier iPhone edition and 40 percent acquired their first smartphone. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech noted that 44 percent of Verizon Wireless' (NYSE:VZ) feature phone userbase upgraded to an iPhone during the period, compared to 38 percent of the AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) feature phone segment. At the same time, 51.7 percent of AT&T's existing iOS userbase upgraded to a newer iPhone model, compared to 15 percent of Verizon iOS users who made the change. Although Apple released its iPhone 5 in late September, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech says legacy units like the iPhone 4 and 4S also fueled the iOS platform's recent U.S. gains. "This is particularly the case for first-time smartphone iPhone buyers, where we see the older models still selling well amongst this group," said Kantar Analyst Mary-Ann Parlato. The growth of iOS translated to sales share declines for Android. The Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) mobile operating system fueled 41.9 percent of U.S. smartphones sold during the survey period, down from 52.8 percent in the period ending Nov. 27, 2011. Research In Motion's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry plummeted from 7 percent in the year-ago period to just 1.4 percent in November, falling to fourth nationwide behind Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone, which increased from 2.1 percent to 2.7 percent. Symbian accounted for 0.2 percent of U.S. sales, down from 0.4 percent a year earlier. AT&T led all U.S. operator smartphone sales during the period ending Nov. 25, accounting for 35.4 percent of sales nationwide, up from 30.9 percent a year ago. Verizon Wireless follows at 31.9 percent (up from 31.3 percent), trailed by Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) at 14.5 percent (down from 19.5 percent) and T-Mobile USA at 7.1 percent (down from 9.4 percent). Smaller U.S. operators increased from 9 percent a year earlier to 11 percent. For more:
- read this release Related articles:
ComScore: Apple's iOS captures 35% U.S. smartphone market share
Forecast: Windows Phone shipments in 2017 will match iOS shipments in 2012
Google's Schmidt: Android winning the mobile war against Apple
IDC: Apple must offer low-cost phones to keep pace with Android
KPCB: Android adoption growing 6x faster than iPhone Read more about: Android, iOS
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| This week's sponsor is Globalstar. | 
| Webinar: Globalstar's New "Wi-Fi" Super Highway
Tuesday, January 22nd, 11:00 am EST/ 8:00 am PST
This webinar will discuss the innovative technology, public benefits, and regulatory outlook of providing a new 22 MHz channel under the existing 802.11 IEEE standard. Join to learn technical aspects of TLPS deployment and the outlook for near-term relief from the FCC. Register Now! |
2. AT&T prepares to battle OTT players with call management API
LAS VEGAS--Over-the-top voice services beware. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) is currently in alpha testing of a new Call Management API service that will let customers take their existing AT&T mobile phone number with them regardless of what device they are using.  | | David Christopher | Speaking at the AT&T Developer Summit here held in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show, AT&T Mobility Chief Marketing Officer David Christopher said that although there are several over-the-top voice providers that let customers make calls using their mobile device and a data connection, consumers have to sign up for a new phone number to use the OTT players' services. And while that number can be programmed so it rings through to the customer's existing cell phone number, it adds complexity that most consumers do not want. Instead, AT&T's Call Management API will let customers add Web telephony to other devices, such as tablets, gaming devices or even the connected car, and use their existing AT&T phone number. AT&T's Call Management API is powered by Voxeo Labs' Tropo Platform and uses Ericsson's IMS platform. Christopher also said that WebRTC technology, which is a key part of HTML5, is also instrumental in the Call Management API because it means that customers will be able to access their communications in real-time while in the browser. In other developer news, Christopher also announced that more than 1,000 developers have downloaded AT&T's Application Resource Optimizer, or ARO, which was introduced at the 2012 AT&T Developer Summit. ARO helps developers test how efficiently their app interacts with the wireless network. Perhaps even more impressive is that by using ARO, developers have been able to streamline their apps and "save" 500 TB of data use on the network. Christopher noted that ARO is still in the early stages, and he expects more developers to start using ARO. Interestingly, AT&T also announced that it is changing its pricing structure for the API Platform to allow developers to get one million API calls per month on the AT&T API Platform for $99. For more:
- see this release Related articles:
AT&T launches API platform for HTML5 that enables in-app billing
AT&T looks beyond app store battles with HTML5
Will HTML5 be good enough for mobile gaming?
HTML5's rise spells Adobe Flash Player for mobile's demise
HTML5 versus Native Apps: The truth you need to know Read more about: Ericsson
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3. Verizon, Samsung bolster Ativ Odyssey with new personalization apps
Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) is introducing new personalization tools in conjunction with the forthcoming Samsung Ativ Odyssey, its third 4G LTE smartphone powered by Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 8 operating system. The Ativ Odyssey preloads the Now app, which offers users easy access to weather, news, stocks and other customized information. The phone also builds in the Photo Editor app, which enables users to apply filters, frames and stickers to their images in addition to resizing, rotating and cropping options. After photos are edited and saved, Ativ Odyssey owners can share their efforts with friends or post them to social media sites. Also new: The Mini Diary app, which allows Verizon subscribers to keep a daily record of their activities. Each entry can include photos, drawings, location data and audio clips. Users may also share Mini Diary entries on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Picasa. The Ativ Odyssey is Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device released to the U.S. market and the third Windows Phone 8 handset in the Verizon Wireless portfolio, following the Windows Phone 8X by HTC and the Nokia (NYSE:NOK) Lumia 822. The global-ready Ativ Odyssey boasts a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a WVGA resolution (800x480 pixels), a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. Verizon is expected to release the Ativ Odyssey during the first quarter of 2013. For more:
- read this Verizon Wireless News Center post Related articles:
Verizon Selects uses subscribers' location, usage data for opt-in program
Verizon Video shutting down in favor of Viewdini discovery app
Verizon upgrading Droid Razr HD smartphones to Android Jelly Bean
Verizon shutters its app store
Verizon expands Android Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade rollout Read more about: Verizon Wireless
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4. Dish's new Hopper with Sling pushes DVR content to mobile devices
LAS VEGAS--Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) announced a new service the company said will allow Dish subscribers to view live and recorded DVR programs via their mobile devices, and to move programs they recorded on their DVR onto an iPad for offline viewing. The technology helps to highlight the increasingly innovative ways that TV is migrating into the mobile realm as well as Dish's expanding interest in the wireless industry. During its press conference here at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, Dish unveiled its new "Hopper with Sling" digital video recorder. The product essentially marries the company's Hopper DVR, which it introduced last year, with the company's 2007 acquisition of Sling Media, which offers technology that allows users to view their DVR and TV content on PCs, smartphones and tablets via the Internet. The result is a DVR that allows users to watch their TVs remotely and also to transfer recorded TV content from their DVR to their iPad. Dish said the TV recordings can be moved from its Hopper with Sling to an iPad via a user's Wi-Fi connection. The company said the technology's digital rights management limits users to one mobile transfer per recording, and that a 30-minute program takes around five minutes to move to an iPad TV viewers are moving to mobile "at a full-on sprint," said Dish CEO Joe Clayton. "What they (users) want is choice and control of their content. We're willing to take risks and make changes to our technology." Dish said it plans to launch the Hopper with Sling, as well as the related Dish Anywhere mobile app, within the next few weeks. The company did not disclose pricing, but said the ability for users to move content to an iPad for later viewing would not cost extra. Of course, Dish isn't the only company that is working in the area of mobile TV viewing. TiVo, AT&T (NYSE:T) and others offer a range mobile options for DVR users. However, Dish's actions in the space are notable considering both the company's size (Dish counts around 14 million customers) as well as its clear desire to enter the mobile industry. Dish recently received FCC approval to build a nationwide LTE Advanced network with its 40 MHz of AWS-4 spectrum. For more:
- see this Dish release Related Articles:
Dish still searching for wireless partner, but seems to rule out Sprint
Dish must build 40% of its wireless network in 4 years, FCC says
Pay TV households with DVRs increasing rapidly, finds survey
TiVo strengthens whole-home DVR, iPad app pitches Read more about: Mobile TV, DISH Network
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5. Leap's Muve Music service reaches 1.1M user mark
Cricket provider Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP) announced that it now counts more than 1.1 million subscribers to its Muve Music service. The figure reflects the continued success of the prepaid carrier's mobile music strategy, which is available across all of the carrier's Android smartphones, and is notable in a market where a number of digital music services have struggled to find traction. Muve Music allows customers to download an unlimited number of songs onto their Cricket phones. The offering is included in Leap's prepaid smartphone plans, which start at $50 per month. The carrier offers 6 million songs through the service via providers including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Leap spokesman Greg Lund said hip-hop and Latin songs are among the most popular. He said the average user downloads more than 100 songs per month and listens to over 20 hours of music per month. "People like it, so they stay with the service," explained Lund, who declined to provide specifics on the financial details of Leap's Muve Music service. "It's a differentiator. So that brings us more customers. And certainly the stickiness is certainly a benefit too. We're definitely pleased with it." Leap launched Muve Music two years ago in an effort to set itself apart from its competitors. Other carriers offer somewhat similar services. For example, Leap rival MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) offers unlimited access to the Rhapsody music download service for $60 per month. For more:
- see this release Related Articles:
Leap CEO: Muve Music improves churn
Cricket expands Muve Music to all Android rate plans
Leap: We won't make $75M payment to Sprint for 2012 network access
Muve Music doubles catalog to 10 million tracks via CDBaby, TuneCore
Leap's Cricket considers licensing Muve Music to other carriers
Cricket's Muve Music surpasses 500,000 users
Leap pushes Muve Music onto Android, reaches 200,000 user mark Read more about: music, Metrics
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... How to find, keep and maximize a mobile app's 'power users'  Every successful product has them, and they can go by various names. To some, they are the superfans. To others, they might better be called the die-hards. According to experts in the mobile marketing space, however, app developers should figure out how to get closer to what they refer to as "power users."
In the mobile space, power users may be particularly relevant to developers because they represent that core percentage who drive the majority of installs, in-app purchases, shares and more. But Chuck Martin, CEO of the Mobile Future Institute, a think-tank based in Boston, suggests that few developers properly understand the nature of power users in the apps space today, even though these users could offer the keys to profitability and success from a developer perspective. "They don't really distinguish that there are these groups out there," said Martin, whose third book, Mobile Influence: The New Power of the Consumer, comes out later this year. "It's a subset of the market, but it's a really good subset." Feature Quick news from around the Web @FierceMobiCo: #Glympse, #Ford team on in-car location sharing http://bit.ly/VKzUgz Article | Follow @FierceMobiCo > AT&T takes on Comcast, Verizon with multiplatform U-verse Screen Pack. Article > Mozilla: Firefox OS two weeks from completion. Article > Chartboost scores $19 million to expand mobile game monetization network. Article > InMobi acquires context-aware computing startup Overlay Media. Article Wireless News > Sprint to launch HTC, Samsung Windows Phones by the summer. Article > Alcatel One Touch promises U.S. smartphones by second half of 2013. Article > Qualcomm's Jacobs unveils new Snapdragon chips, touts connected vision. Article And finally… Australian heat wave is so intense that new colors are added to the weather map. Article > Globalstar's New "Wi-Fi" Super Highway - Tuesday, January 22nd, 11:00am EST/8:00 am PST This webinar will discuss the innovative technology, public benefits, and regulatory outlook of providing a new 22 MHz channel under the existing 802.11 IEEE standard. Join to learn technical aspects of TLPS deployment and the outlook for near-term relief from the FCC. Register Now! > Capitalizing SON – How to Implement SON for LTE to reduce OPEX and Increase Revenue - Tuesday, January 29th, 11am ET / 8am PT LTE is the fastest growing communication technology of all time. In this webinar our experts will discuss how Network Equipment Manufacturers can leverage the concept of Self Organizing Networks (SON) to not only manage highly complex LTE networks but also reduce operational expenditures and enhance customer satisfaction. Register Today!
| > Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 Live Announcement of this Year's Winners - Now Available On-Demand Please join Jason Nelson, Publisher of FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, and FierceCable as we announce the winners of the Fierce Innovation Awards 2012. Click here to RSVP today.
| > Wavefront Wireless Summit 50 billion connected devices by 2020 – how are you going to stay relevant? Hear how leaders at HP, Google, Deloitte and more are using mobility solutions to fundamentally change business operations. Learn more and register at wavefrontsummits.com. > Brief: Secure Android Capability Securing mobile devices is crucial because the same capabilities that increase our social interactions and business effectiveness can be subverted and used for unintended uses. Download this Brief to explore how Wind River has combined extensive experience with our capabilities in secure certified embedded systems to develop an advanced security strategy that also ensures compatibility with the commercial Android development model. > Whitepaper: New Research on LTE Usage in Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Mobidia and Informa share their latest analysis of mobile data usage on LTE networks. Identified trends include increased mobile data usage, decreased Wi-Fi usage, and a decrease in unlimited plans. Download this paper to understand more about how mobile subscribers are using LTE networks
| > Field Technician I Job - Portland, OR, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Field Technician I to join our client in Portland, OR. Responsibilities include developing proficiency in primary skills of customer relations, basic electricity, basic electronics, basic telephony, radio principles for CDMA and iDEN, and basic principles of digital transmission, fiber communication, data communication, telephony terminology, industry standards, and on-line network control/maintenance systems. Two to five (2-5) years of basic microwave experience required...Learn more. > FSO Telecom Field Technician I Job - New Orleans, LA, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a FSO Telecom Field Technician to join our client in Knoxville, TN. Responsibilties include developing proficiency in primary skills of customer relations, basic electricity, basic electronics, basic telephony, radio principles for CDMA and iDEN, and basic principles of digital transmission, fiber communication, data communication, telephony terminology, industry standards, and on-line network control / maintenance systems. Travel required...Learn more. > Telecommunications Field Technician Job - Spokane, WA, USA – Yoh Yoh has a six (6) plus month contract opportunity for a Telecommunications Field Technician to join our client in Spokane, WA. This role requires reliable transportation, and successful background, driving record and drug test prior to employment. Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. is required...Learn more. > Telecommunications Project Controls Analyst Job - Bellevue, WA, USA – Yoh Yoh has a five (5) plus month contract opportunity for a Telecommunications Core Project Controls Analyst to join our client Bellevue, WA. Resonsonibilties include to assist with Core Network Order Fulfillment (CNOF) by working directly with Supply Chain, Warehouse, Shipping and Procurement departments, as well as Ericsson organizations. Candidate must have five (5) plus years of relevant experience...Learn more. | |
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