| This week's sponsor is Flurry. |  | | |
Today's Top Stories
1. Facebook reportedly launching mobile OS, not Facebook phone, at upcoming event
2. RIM: Developers submit 15K BlackBerry 10 apps in less than two days
3. PayPal expands mobile wallet to more retailers, tests order-ahead pickup
4. Viggle, GetGlue abandon merger plans
5. Groupon acquires Glassmap, will shut down real-time discovery app Also Noted: Globalstar
Spotlight On... Touring the CES 2013 show floor
Intertainment, Avenza acquire Poynt assets; Delta adds support for Apple Passbook and much more... Visa's Gajda: NFC will allow mobile payments to hit the mainstream
 At the helm of global financial services providerVisa's mobile strategy is industry veteran Bill Gajda, Visa's global head of mobile. Gajda, who has been in the position since 2010, previously served as a chief executive at the GSMA. FMC's Sandhya Raman recently spoke with Gajda about the future of mobile payments and the importance of NFC. The following is a lightly edited version of that conversation. On the Hot Seat
| This week's sponsor is Aricent. | 
| 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: Kontagent 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 > Wavefront Wireless Summit - Vancouver, BC - Feb 4-6, 2013
> App Planet @ GSMA Mobile World Congress - 25-28 Feb 2013 - Fira Gran Via, Barcelona
> Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 Live Announcement of this Year's Winners - Now Available On-Demand
Marketplace > Brief: Secure Android Capability
> Whitepaper: New Research on LTE Usage in Korea, Japan, and the U.S.
> Whitepaper: Key Strategies To Unleash Roaming Profits Through Signaling
Jobs > RF Engineer Job - Beaverton, OR, USA – Yoh
> Test Engineer Job - Overland Park, KS, USA – Yoh
> Implementation Manager II Job - Bellevue, WA, USA – Yoh
> Transport Engineer Job - Gardner, KS, USA – Yoh
* Post a classified ad: Click here.
* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. Facebook reportedly launching mobile OS, not Facebook phone, at upcoming event
A Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) media event scheduled for Jan. 15 is once again fueling rumors the social networking giant plans to unveil some kind of mobile phone initiative, most likely a device built by a manufacturing partner but running a Facebook-designed operating system. The company also is expected to introduce a version of its Messenger application optimized for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad tablet. Citing multiple sources with knowledge of Facebook's plans, TechCrunch reports the company will introduce some kind of "Facebook phone" Tuesday, although specifics are scarce. Instead of releasing a branded device built in-house, conventional wisdom says Facebook will roll out its own mobile OS, most likely a forked version of Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android, designed to run devices created by an OEM partner or multiple hardware partners. Facebook phone rumors have surfaced in the past, of course--not only have those rumors proven untrue, but Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly stated the company has no plans to initiate such a project. In addition, insiders say Facebook has privately promised both Apple and Google that a branded phone is not in the cards. But TechCrunch notes Facebook has consistently disavowed plans for a mobile device, not an operating system--moreover, it's possible the OS may not compete head-to-head with iOS and Android but could instead power lower-cost phones tailored for emerging markets. Also lending credence to the latest Facebook phone rumors is the scale of Tuesday's media event. The company will hold simultaneous presentations in Silicon Valley and London, and multiple sources tell TechCrunch the announcement will be "a big deal," suggesting something far more newsworthy than new services or applications. That being said, a separate TechCrunch report states Facebook will debut Messenger for iPad, a new version of the popular messaging app optimized for the tablet form factor, complete with photo-sharing, location-tagging and voice messaging features. Facebook launched Messenger for iPhone and Android in mid-2011 in an effort to steer users away from conventional operator SMS solutions; a recent update introduced voice messaging options, and VoIP calling features are in the pipeline. Facebook now touts more than 1 billion users worldwide, with roughly 600 million accessing its platform via mobile. For more:
- read this TechCrunch report and this report Related articles:
Facebook adds voice messaging to Messenger for iOS, Android
Facebook opens Messenger for Android to non-Facebook users
Facebook trials automatic photo sync for Apple's iOS
Facebook extends Gifts platform to Apple's iOS
Facebook introduces device, OS targeting for mobile advertisers
Facebook: 14% of ad revenue comes from mobile Read more about: Facebook, Android
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| 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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2. RIM: Developers submit 15K BlackBerry 10 apps in less than two days
Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) reported that developers submitted 15,000 applications for its new BlackBerry 10 operating system during a virtual Community Port-A-Thon event running over the weekend. "37.5 hours in, we hit 15,000 apps for this portathon," BlackBerry Development Head Alec Saunders tweeted. "Feel like I've run a marathon." The Port-A-Thon, which kicked off at noon ET on Jan. 11, awarded developers $100 for each eligible mobile app or game approved for BlackBerry 10. Developers who submitted between five and 10 approved apps were also given a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device; in addition, the first 10 developers with 10 approved apps were given a paid trip to BlackBerry Jam Europe 2013, taking place in Amsterdam early next month. RIM is scheduled to unveil its first BlackBerry 10 devices on Jan. 30. BlackBerry 10 runs on the same QNX-based software powering RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Features include the new BlackBerry Flow UI, which includes BlackBerry Hub, as well as BlackBerry Balance, which separates personal applications and information from encrypted work profiles, enabling organizations to protect their data while giving users the flexibility to optimize their devices for personal use. RIM released the finalized gold build of its BlackBerry 10 software development kit in mid-December. Native C/C++ and Qt developers can leverage the BlackBerry Cascades user interface framework to integrate with core BlackBerry 10 feature elements such as the new BlackBerry Hub, which enables simplified user access to all messages, notifications, feeds and calendar events. HTML5 developers can exploit core features using the BlackBerry WebWorks platform to design native-quality Web-based apps. RIM is also offering tools for building BlackBerry 10 apps based on the Adobe AIR runtime. The SDK additionally touts the BlackBerry Runtime for Android, enabling developers to port and repackage applications originally written for Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) rival mobile OS. To download the SDK, click here. RIM is betting on BlackBerry 10 to reignite developer passion for its platform. According to a recent survey conducted by Appcelerator and research firm IDC, just 9 percent of respondents said they are very interested in writing BlackBerry apps, an all-time low. However, a follow-up survey commissioned by RIM and conducted by Pivot Point Research reported that 58 percent of developers would recommend BlackBerry 10 as a development platform, up 123 percent between May and October. RIM added that developer satisfaction with the BlackBerry 10 platform surged 56 percent during the same period. For more:
- read this Verge article Related articles:
RIM issues finalized BlackBerry 10 SDK to developers
RIM rebrands BlackBerry App World, adds music and video for BB10
RIM confident of BlackBerry 10 launch, will release first devices in February
RIM launching BlackBerry 10, new smartphones on Jan. 30
RIM now accepting BlackBerry 10 apps
RIM delays BlackBerry 10 until Q1 2013 Read more about: blackberry world
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3. PayPal expands mobile wallet to more retailers, tests order-ahead pickup
PayPal is extending its fledgling mobile wallet service to five additional U.S. retail partners, increasing the number of physical stores supporting the payment processing technology to 18,000. In addition to new agreements with RadioShack, Dollar General, Famous Footwear, Mapco Express and Spartan Stores, PayPal said it has inked deals with two additional partners to be named soon. As of the end of 2012, PayPal had mobile wallet partnerships in place with 23 nationwide retail chains. TechCrunch reports PayPal and Jamba Juice are also testing a new ordering option enabling consumers to pre-pay for their order via PayPal, schedule a pick-up time and bypass the customer line upon arrival. eBay-owned PayPal launched the mobile wallet early last year, allowing consumers to connect their existing PayPal account to their mobile device and fund purchases by entering their phone number and PIN code into the retailer's existing point-of-sale terminal. The service also features price comparison and shopping list tools as well as support for coupons and offers. Beginning later this year, Discover will enable all of its 7 million existing merchant partners across the U.S. to accept PayPal transactions--the firms are also negotiating to extend the alliance to Discover's international payments network. PayPal has championed the wallet as an alternative to Near Field Communications and other mobile commerce technologies requiring retailers to adopt new point-of-sale hardware. In a blog entry posted Monday, PayPal Vice President of Retail Services took a thinly-veiled shot at NFC-based mobile payment solutions like Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Wallet and carrier-backed Isis, writing "Some of the competition has stumbled with alternative technology offerings that don't address true customer pain points--they have created technology, just for technology's sake." PayPal's mobile commerce initiatives also include PayPal Here, introduced in March, which enables small businesses and other users to process credit and debit transactions by swiping the card through a small, triangle-shaped dongle that attaches to their smartphone or tablet. Users also can access their mobile device's camera to scan and process cards and checks. PayPal handled more than $10 billion in mobile payment transactions in 2012, an increase of 150 percent over the previous year. For more:
- read this PayPal Blog entry
- read this TechCrunch article Related articles:
PayPal Here goes on sale at AT&T stores
eBay credits mobile user growth, PayPal for boosting Q3 revenues
PayPal, Discover team to bring mobile wallet to millions of stores
PayPal on pace to process $10B in mobile payments in 2012
Survey: Demand for PayPal mobile wallet trumps Google, Apple
PayPal expands mobile wallet to 15 new national retailers Read more about: Isis, Google Wallet
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4. Viggle, GetGlue abandon merger plans
Social TV application makers Viggle and GetGlue have called off their merger plans. The companies did not specify the rationale behind the decision; in a blog post announcing the decision, GetGlue founder and CEO Alex Iskold wrote "the two companies remain friendly." Viggle and GetGlue first announced their intentions to join forces in November 2012, with Viggle agreeing to acquire GetGlue for $25 million in cash and 48.3 million shares of stock. Viggle announced it would operate both brands, with Iskold joining the company as a senior executive and board member. TechCrunch reports the merger was contingent on Viggle raising another $60 million in financing from an unnamed strategic partner. When the investment failed to materialize, the two companies last week filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicating they were "discussing an extension of such date and other potential modifications to the Merger Agreement." Viggle, available for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android, leverages the mobile device microphone to automatically capture and identify the show a user is watching, awarding them points when they check in to the broadcast. Viggle also supports second-screen interactions like real-time questions, polls and voting tied to the program users are presently viewing, and it distributes additional points for playing games, watching video clips and taking quizzes. Viggle's 1.2 million users can redeem their points for premiums from partners including Best Buy, Burger King, Fandango and Old Navy, or convert them into charitable donations. GetGlue, also optimized for iOS and Android, leverages the check-in model to connect more than 3.5 million television and movie fans, also offering personalized recommendations as well as premiums like stickers and discounts. Brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Intel, Gap and Mercedes have sponsored GetGlue advertising campaigns. For more:
- read this GetGlue blog entry
- read this TechCrunch article Related articles:
Verizon adds Viggle second-screen rewards app to Android devices
BET, GetGlue highlight the future of interactive TV apps
Shazam extends second-screen tagging to all TV shows Read more about: GetGlue, Mobile Social Networking
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5. Groupon acquires Glassmap, will shut down real-time discovery app
Groupon has acquired Glassmap, a real-time location sharing and local discovery service optimized for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android. Glassmap confirmed the acquisition on its blog. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Glassmap's Relay technology enables users to share their live location with friends, either disclosing what city they're in or revealing their specific whereabouts at that given moment in time, complete with free in-app text-messaging and calling. Glassmap also combines, sorts and filters Instagram, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Twitter news feeds into one feed. Late last year, the app added Glassmap Business Solutions, which enables brands and local businesses to target users based on their activities, location and social graph. The technology behind Glassmap Business Solutions is expected to complement and expand the Groupon Now application, which presents local on-demand offers based on the consumer's present location. Groupon will shut down the standalone Glassmap app on Feb. 15. Groupon presents daily bargains from businesses across a range of verticals. Mobile devices now generate about one-third of transactions across the company's North American digital deals platform, a year-over-year increase of close to 30 percent, the firm said in November. Earlier last year, Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason told investors that the company's mobile shoppers spend about twice as much on average as their desktop counterparts. For more:
- read this Glassmap blog entry
- read this AllThingsD article Related articles:
Groupon Payments expands to Android devices
Groupon: Mobile devices drive one third of transactions
Groupon battles Square, PayPal with new mobile payments platform
Groupon revamps iOS, Android apps to promote deal discovery
Nokia adds location-based Groupon deals to Lumia smartphones
Groupon acquires iOS point-of-sale app maker Breadcrumb
Groupon acquires Ditto recommendation app, will shut it down April 30 Read more about: Groupon, Mobile Marketing
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Also Noted | 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! |
SPOTLIGHT ON... Touring the CES 2013 show floor  LAS VEGAS--The show floor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show is never disappointing. The show--the largest trade conference in the United States--attracts players from around the world, both large and small, and they all battle for the attention of the conference-goer. As a result, the CES floor is often the site of novelties amazing, strange and laughable--sometimes all at once. Fierce was out in force during this year's Consumer Electronics Show, and captured some of the more entertaining aspects from the event. Click here for a slideshow tour of this year's CES show floor. From the big to the small, from the cool to the weird, this is CES. Slideshow
Quick news from around the Web @FierceMobiCo: .@Asymco: iOS apps drive one-third of iTunes' revenues http://bit.ly/ZCcoTS Article | Follow @FierceMobiCo > Intertainment Media, Avenza Systems acquire Poynt assets. Release > Delta Air Lines adds support for Apple Passbook. Release Wireless News > Report: Apple cuts iPhone 5 component orders on weaker demand. Article > Ericsson sells wireless patents to Unwired Planet. Article Broadband Wireless News > FairPoint expanding FTTT mobile backhaul business. Article > Ruckus helps make Sundance into a Wi-Fi event. Article European Wireless News > Report: Mobile challengers needed to drive down data prices in EU. Article > GSA: Number of LTE networks to hit 234 by year-end. Article And finally… Fish catches man. 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!
| > Wavefront Wireless Summit - Vancouver, BC - Feb 4-6, 2013 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. > App Planet @ GSMA Mobile World Congress - 25-28 Feb 2013 - Fira Gran Via, Barcelona App Planet at Mobile World Congress connects the developer community and ecosystem. App Planet features exhibition, product and service demonstrations, networking, and workshops from some of the most influential mobile industry companies > 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.
| > 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 > Whitepaper: Key Strategies To Unleash Roaming Profits Through Signaling Armed with smartphones and tablets, consumers are demanding constant connectivity and consistently high quality of service, anytime and anywhere, at home and abroad. As a result, roaming traffic is expected to grow rapidly. Will your roaming profits grow as well? Download Today.
| > RF Engineer Job - Beaverton, OR, USA – Yoh Yoh has a (12) months contract opportunity for a RF Engineer to join our client in Beaverton, OR. Job responsibilities include designing RF system block, creating specifications and characterizing subsystem from antenna through digital conversion. Minimum three (3) plus years RF engineer experience...Learn more. > Test Engineer Job - Overland Park, KS, USA – Yoh Yoh has an exciting contract opportunity for a Test Engineer II to join our client in Overland Park, KS. The Test Engineer II to provide technical support in the execution and maintenance of the production network. The Test Engineer II candidate should have a thorough understanding of IP routing, switching and the OSI model...Learn more. > Implementation Manager II Job - Bellevue, WA, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for an Implementation Manager II to join our client in Bellevue, WA. Responsibilties include to manage all aspects of telecom equipment deployment from: customer relationship, project plan of record, project schedule, cost, and inventory. Minimum of five (5) years of experience...Learn more. > Transport Engineer Job - Gardner, KS, USA – Yoh Yoh has an exciting contract opportunity for a Transport Operations NOC to join our client in Gardner, KS. This position understands in-depth equipment specific maintenance procedures and can assist field operations in card swaps and equipment restoration. Ability to manage multiple tasks on time, including ticket administration, communications, and follow up activities required...Learn more. | |
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