| 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! |
Today's Top Stories
1. Amazon challenges iTunes with MP3 Store for Apple's iOS
2. Facebook expands Messenger voice calling to U.S. iPhone users
3. eBay forecasts 2013 mobile commerce volume will eclipse $20B
4. Microsoft launches HelpBridge emergency app for Windows Phone, iOS, Android
5. 'Rolling Stone' for iPad integrates iTunes previews, purchases Editor's Corner: Netflix's 'Arrested Development' resurrection signals the future of mobile video Also Noted: Spotlight On... AT&T's Christopher dishes on HTML5, OTT threats
Bango, Telefonica team on mobile payments; Amazon updates Appstore marketing resources and much more... Mobile payments: User-driven vs. vendor-driven
 The gold rush to win the mobile payment race has attracted a lot of different companies, however it's still unclear which ones will succeed at this multi-billion dollar industry. The ecosystem is currently divided into two camps: vendor-driven and user-driven initiatives. Thus, it makes much more sense to compare the players to others within their own camp, and to look at whether that camp at large will succeed. Feature
| This week's sponsor is Bandwidth. | 
| Webinar: OTT Voice and Messaging: The future of Telecom
Thursday, February 21st, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT
When there is an app for everything and a phone becomes less of a "thing" and more of a capability embedded in something else, what does the future hold for providers of traditional telecom services? Please join Sean Buckley, Senior Editor of FierceTelecom and a panel of VoIP experts, to learn about what you need to know to not get hamstrung in the regulatory morass. Register Today! |
| 
Netflix's 'Arrested Development' resurrection signals the future of mobile video
Seven years after Fox unceremoniously dumped Arrested Development, the cult-classic mockumentary sitcom has a new lease on life. Netflix has commissioned an all-new fourth season of the show slated to premiere this spring, bringing back the original cast and creative team, and a feature film is reportedly in the works as well. The big news isn't simply that Arrested Development is coming back, however--it's also how it's coming back. Speaking at the recent Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif., the show's creator Mitchell Hurwitz revealed that Arrested Development Season 4 will not only abandon broadcast television but also many of the medium's most fundamental tenets, so swallow a Forget-Me-Now pill and disregard all your preconceived notions of conventional programming strategies. Netflix will release all 14 new episodes in one fell swoop, on a single day this May. Each episode will focus on a different Arrested Development character, and the episodes may be watched in any order the viewer wishes, with the overarching plots and themes gradually locking into place. And instead of adhering to standardized episode lengths designed to air in 30-minute sitcom programming blocks, Hurwitz said each episode runs a different length, although they still average half an hour. "Netflix might just have found its niche in taking the logical step beyond the subject matter innovations of the Golden Age of television and providing structural flexibility to television storytellers as well as room to tackle new subject material and in new tones," wrote ThinkProgress critic Alyssa Rosenberg. "Television, for all that it's developed beyond an episodic structure to tell long-arc narratives, is still a fundamentally linear storytelling mechanism… A willingness to treat episodes like a series of interlinked short films that can be watched in multiple orders is something Netflix can do particularly because of its strategy of releasing all of the episodes of its shows at once and because it doesn't have to build and retain viewers episode to episode the way a network does to keep a reliable stream of advertising revenue flowing." Arrested Development's anything-goes approach to episode running times is another radical innovation. As Rosenberg notes, scripted programs on broadcast networks are essentially locked into 30-minute and 60-minute increments: Running long or short can play havoc with advertising agreements, start times of other series and DVR scheduling. But requiring creators to keep an eye on the clock also can compromise the finished product, forcing writers to either pad or slash scripts to fit their allotted time. The on-demand Netflix model affords showrunners total flexibility because subscribers are in control over what they watch and when they watch it. One episode of a series could stretch two hours, and the follow-up could wrap in less than 15 minutes, depending on the story being told. It's the script determining the running time, instead of vice versa. And that's where mobile comes in. It's easy to picture a substantial chunk of Netflix subscribers viewing the new Arrested Development episodes on iPads: Last year, an OnDevice Research survey revealed that Americans now spend an average of 2.4 hours per day consuming media content on mobile devices, more time than they spend in front of their TVs or PCs. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they access mobile media services while lying in bed, 70 percent multitask on mobile while... continued Read the full column on the Web Read more about: Netflix
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| 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
> Webinar: OTT Voice and Messaging: The future of Telecom - Thursday, February 21st, 2 pm ET/ 11 am 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
> eBook: How Cloud Communications Reduce Costs and Increase Productivity
> eBook: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time
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
> Manager Business Process II - Business Intake - Denver, CO - Cricket Communications
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* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. Amazon challenges iTunes with MP3 Store for Apple's iOS
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is ramping up its mobile multimedia rivalry with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), challenging iTunes with a version of its MP3 Store optimized for iOS devices. The HTML5-based Amazon MP3 Store enables iOS device owners to discover and purchase DRM-free digital music via the Safari browser. In addition to a catalog encompassing 22 million songs, the storefront offers signature Amazon features like personalized recommendations, bestseller lists and customer ratings. All purchases can be saved to the consumer's Cloud Player library and can be downloaded or played instantly using the Amazon Cloud Player app, which supports the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad as well as Android smartphones and tablets (including Amazon's own Kindle Fire) and connected home entertainment systems. iTunes has dominated digital media download sales for roughly a decade, with more than 500 million user accounts worldwide. After crunching numbers released by Apple earlier this month against existing data, Asymco analyst Horace Dediu calculates that the iTunes economy as a whole (including music, video and iOS apps) now generates $12 billion in annual gross revenues. Multimedia sales currently account for about $8 billion of that total. But Amazon has made significant gains in recent years by porting many of its digital media services to the iOS platform, most recently bringing its Instant Video streaming effort to the iPhone. The online retail giant introduced the Cloud Player music streaming service in early 2011 and extended the app to iOS in mid-2012. Cloud Player Free customers can store all MP3 music purchased at Amazon, plus import up to 250 songs from their PC or Mac at no charge. Cloud Player Premium, priced at $24.99 per year, allows customers to import and store up to 250,000 songs. Amazon-purchased MP3s (including all previous purchases) do not count against either the 250 or 250,000-song limits and are added to both Free and Premium Cloud Player libraries at no charge. Cloud Player rivals Apple's own iCloud, launched in June 2011 as a replacement for its MobileMe service. iCloud automatically syncs content on Apple servers for access across iOS devices as well as Macs and PCs--each day, the service backs up all of a user's iOS devices over Wi-Fi, storing content including purchased music, movies, apps and books as well as photos, videos, device settings and app data. All iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion users are given 5 GB of free iCloud storage. Consumers looking to expand their digital lockers are charged $20 per year for 15 GB total, $40 per year for 25 GB or $100 per year for 55 GB total. The introduction of MP3 Store for iOS further underscores the differences between Apple and Amazon's respective business models. While Apple relies on content from its iTunes storefront and App Store for iOS to boost hardware, Amazon looks to extend its services to all connected platforms to drive digital content revenues and by depending on affordable devices like Kindle tablets and e-readers. For more:
- read this release Related articles:
Amazon expands Cloud Player app to Apple's iPhone, iPod touch
Amazon Cloud Drive music player expands to Apple iOS devices
Amazon one-ups Apple's iTunes with cloud music service
Amazon's Kindle FreeTime Unlimited offers all-you-can-eat content to kids
Amazon enhances tablet gaming, reading with new Kindle Fire HD Read more about: Amazon, 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. Facebook expands Messenger voice calling to U.S. iPhone users
Two weeks after Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) added free VoIP calling to the Canadian version of its Messenger application for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS, the social networking giant is now extending the feature to iPhone users in the U.S. The updated Facebook Messenger for iOS 2.1 enables American users to call other iPhone users for free via Wi-Fi or cellular data connection. To initiate a call, users open a conversation with their Facebook friend, tap the "i" button in the top-right corner and click Free Call, The Verge notes. Call recipients will receive a push notification indicating someone is attempting to reach them. Earlier this month, Facebook introduced voice messaging capabilities to Messenger for iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android. The app now includes a "Record" button next to the "Attach a Photo" and "Camera" options, enabling users to share push-to-talk messages up to one minute in length. Recordings appear in the Messenger conversation stream as a waveform icon, and recipients can listen to messages directly within Messenger or via Facebook's mobile Web interface. Potential use case scenarios for the new feature include hands-free messaging options or more complex messages that are too long and detailed to type as conventional texts. Facebook launched Messenger in mid-2011 in an effort to steer users away from conventional operator SMS solutions, and the addition of voice options promises to further escalate the threat posed to carrier services. Facebook is also taking steps to expand Messenger services beyond its core platform: Last month, the company updated Messenger for Android to support mobile device owners without existing Facebook accounts, signaling the first time the company has made its services available outside its userbase. Facebook now touts more than 1 billion users worldwide, with roughly 600 million accessing its platform via mobile. For more:
- read this Verge article 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: iOS, VoIP
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3. eBay forecasts 2013 mobile commerce volume will eclipse $20B
eBay anticipates its mobile payment volume will exceed $20 billion in 2013. The company also said its PayPal unit will handle around $20 billion in mobile transactions this year. The figures are up significantly from what the company reported for 2012. eBay reported full-year 2012 revenues of $14.1 billion, up 21 percent over 2011; in the fourth quarter, revenues grew to $4 billion, an 18 percent year-over-year leap. eBay adds that U.S. gross merchandise volume (excluding vehicles) increased 18 percent last year, crediting the gains to mounting mobile adoption, double-digit user growth across its portfolio and the expansion of its Marketplaces business. "eBay mobile finished the year with $13 billion in volume--more than double the prior year--and PayPal mobile handled almost $14 billion in payment volume, more than triple the prior year," said eBay President and CEO John Donahoe. eBay's suite of mobile apps attracted more than 4 million new customers in 2012. Speaking to Bloomberg, Donahoe said mobile device users represent a quarter of all new eBay customers, bringing a younger demographic to the site. He added that mobile users complete purchases more often than consumers browsing on the desktop. Donahoe said eBay will look to streamline the mobile signup process in the year ahead, pointing to the company's mid-2012 acquisition of card.io, which developed data capture technology that automatically reads credit card information using a smartphone's camera. "Picture by the end of this year, you download the eBay or PayPal mobile app, you take a picture of your driver's license, and you take a picture of your credit card, and that's registering," Donahoe said. PayPal ended the year with 123 million registered accounts, a 15 percent hike, and added close to 2 million accounts a month during the fourth quarter. The unit's mobile efforts include PayPal Here, which enables small businesses and other users to process credit and debit transactions by swiping cards through a dongle that attaches to their smartphone or tablet. In addition, PayPal is teaming with retail chains including Home Depot, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, JCPenney, Foot Locker, Office Depot and Toys "R" Us to trial mobile wallet services across more than 18,000 physical U.S. stores. For more:
- read this release
- read this Bloomberg article Special Report: Mobile payments: User-driven vs. vendor-driven Related articles:
comScore: Amazon, eBay lead all retailers on mobile commerce traffic
eBay revamps iPhone, iPad apps to simplify selling
PayPal expands mobile wallet to more retailers, tests order-ahead pickup
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 Read more about: PayPal
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4. Microsoft launches HelpBridge emergency app for Windows Phone, iOS, Android
5. 'Rolling Stone' for iPad integrates iTunes previews, purchases
Rolling Stone magazine is coming to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad, bolstering its traditional music news, artist profiles and record reviews with direct links to the iTunes digital media storefront. The Rolling Stone app incorporates the same content included in the magazine's print edition, adding iPad-exclusive photos. Paid Content reports that all album and song reviews as well as all music-themed articles include a link to explore corresponding samples and purchase tracks from iTunes. Readers may listen to all samples directly within the app, without opening up their iPad's media player. The Rolling Stone app is free to download, although the digital edition will not be bundled with the print version. iPad owners may instead buy a single issue of the magazine for $4.99; a one-month subscription is priced at $1.99, with the first month free, and a one-year subscription is $19.99, also with the first month free. All subscriptions are automatically renewed until cancelled. Rolling Stone arrives on the iPad less than two years after publisher Jann Wenner told AdAge that the magazine industry's rush to the Apple platform is "sheer insanity and insecurity and fear." At that time, Wenner also said publishing's shift to digital would span decades: "You're talking about a generation at least, maybe two generations, before the shift is decisive," he said. For more:
- read this Paid Content article Related articles:
Newsweek kills print edition, stakes future on tablets
New York Times introduces HTML5 app for Apple's iPad
Next Issue Media CEO talks about launching on iOS, plans for Windows and more Read more about: Rolling Stone
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... AT&T's Christopher dishes on HTML5, OTT threats  AT&T Mobility has always advocated on behalf of its developer partners, and its annual Developer Summit--held last week just prior to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas--underscored that commitment, bringing together the carrier's top brass with developer partners to talk strategy and new tools for building better apps. AT&T Mobility CMO David Christopher talked with FierceDeveloper to discuss why the company is so bullish on releasing its Call Management API to developers and what he really thinks about HTML5's market potential. On the Hot Seat
Quick news from around the Web @FierceMobiCo: Developer Voices: Mobile networking: Where #HTML5 falls short http://bit.ly/13wq5IG via @FierceDeveloper Article | Follow @FierceMobiCo > Bango, Telefónica team on mobile payments. Release > Amazon updates Appstore marketing resources. Blog Wireless News > RIM woos 1,600 N. American businesses with new BlackBerry 10 program. Article > AT&T reportedly considering buying a European wireless carrier. Article Broadband Wireless News > Sprint adds 28 cities to LTE rollout plans. Article > AT&T's SIM-based Wi-Fi roaming sets stage for Hotspot 2.0. Article European Wireless News > FT Orange CEO slaps down 'pan-European network' rumors. Article > Vodafone Spain could cut hundreds of jobs as price war escalates. Article And finally… Woman spends 1,000 hours assembling 24,000-piece puzzle. 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! > Webinar: OTT Voice and Messaging: The future of Telecom - Thursday, February 21st, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT When there is an app for everything and a phone becomes less of a "thing" and more of a capability embedded in something else, what does the future hold for providers of traditional telecom services? Please join a panel of VoIP experts, to learn about what you need to know to not get hamstrung in the regulatory morass. 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. > eBook: How Cloud Communications Reduce Costs and Increase Productivity Download this new eBook to quickly learn how cloud communications deliver cost savings, Communication Features and more... Request Now! > eBook: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time This eBook sets out 5 simple steps for optimizing customer service and support with an effective, best-practice-led knowledge management initiative. 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. > Manager Business Process II - Business Intake - Denver, CO - Cricket Communications Cricket Communications, a subsidiary of Leap Wireless, is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts serving approximately 6 million customers. The Business Intake Manager will provide oversight and management of the Business Readiness Board and delivery of a consolidated calendar of system & commercial launch dates. Bachelor's Degree - business, marketing or related field; or equivalent experience required...Learn more. | |
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