An Ignoble Experiment

2. Facebook trialing mobile game ads inside notifications tab

Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS led all rival mobile operating systems on worldwide advertising impressions and revenue during the second quarter of 2013, according to Opera Mediaworks' latest State of Mobile Advertising report.

Click here for a larger version of this chart.

iOS generated 43.75 percent of mobile ad impressions during the second quarter and accounted for 49.36 percent of revenues, Opera Mediaworks reports. Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android follows at 31.24 percent of impressions and 28.08 percent of revenues: The aging Symbian OS represented 5.16 percent of traffic and 1.59 percent of revenues, while BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) made up 3.37 percent of traffic and 5.41 percent of revenues. Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone trails with 0.26 percent of impressions and 0.30 percent of revenues.

Apple also tops all manufacturers with 43.75 percent of all mobile ad impressions served on iOS devices, including 91.2 percent of tablet impressions. Samsung Electronics is a distant second with 17.4 percent of total device impressions, although looking exclusively at the Android platform, the manufacturer accounts for 58.45 percent of impressions, trouncing HTC (10.88 percent), Motorola (8.7 percent) and LG Electronics (7.2 percent).

The Music, Video & Media apps and sites category yielded the highest volume of impressions in the second quarter at 22.4 percent. While the Sports category is relatively small, generating just 6.5 percent of impressions, revenues surged to a disproportionate 22.2 percent, a leap Opera Mediaworks credits to the opening of the 2013 Major League Baseball season.

The U.S. market continues to drive the majority of ad requests and revenue across the Opera Mediaworks platform, with close to $3 out of every $4 in transactions taking place in the American market. The U.S. also fuels 48.9 percent of mobile impressions.

Opera Mediaworks now spans more than 13,000 apps and sites, generating more 60 billion impressions each month and reaching 400 million consumers across the globe. The platform is on track to deliver more than $600 million in revenues to mobile publishers and app developers this year.

For more:
- see this report (PDF)
- read this release

Read more about: BlackBerry, Android
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By Jason Ankeny

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3. Canonical raises $3.4M (so far) in crowdfunding for Ubuntu Edge smartphone

Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is testing new ad units that insert recommendations for mobile games directly into a user's notifications tab, alongside comments, likes and other social interactions.

AllThingsD reports that the ads suggest mobile titles based on users' previous gameplay habits and genre interests, spotlighting similar games. "We're always testing new channels to promote games," a Facebook spokesperson said. "This is part of a small mobile distribution test we're running for game developers." Mobile users who do not play games will not see the ads.

Last fall, Facebook introduced a mobile app install ads program enabling developers to target consumers based on the apps and games they already access on their smartphones. Developers select their intended audience demographic, budget and method of payment, and Facebook inserts ads for their apps directly into targeted users' mobile news feeds. Following a March 2013 update, developers may also pinpoint specific OS versions of Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android.

Mobile user acquisition platform Fiksu credits increased marketer spending on Facebook app install ads for helping increase daily downloads from Apple's App Store. "Mobile app marketers have quickly realized the disruptive power of Facebook mobile app install ads, which have poured a new stream of effective and cost-efficient inventory into the market," Fiksu CEO Micah Adler said last month. "Savvy marketers have already taken advantage of Facebook's extensive capabilities for focusing on specific audiences, and as more brands follow suit, we can expect volume to continue to climb."

Facebook's total mobile monthly active users eclipsed desktop users earlier this year and reached 751 million in the first quarter of 2013, a year-over-year increase of 54 percent. Facebook's mobile-only MAUs also increased to 189 million, up from 157 million in the previous quarter. The social network reported first-quarter advertising revenues of $1.25 billion, with mobile contributing 30 percent of that total, up from 23 percent in the previous quarter.

For more:
- read this AllThingsD article

By Jason Ankeny

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4. Shopkick adds in-app purchasing to help retailers combat Amazon's growth

Canonical, the firm behind the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system, is seeking to raise $32 million via crowdfunding site Indiegogo to launch a smartphone that will dual-boot both Ubuntu and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android.

Click here to see a video of the Ubuntu Edge

Canonical plans to produce 40,000 Ubuntu Edge smartphones, slated to feature a 4.5-inch sapphire crystal display, support for dual-LTE, dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4 and Near Field Communications, as well as features like GPS, accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, compass and barometer. "The Ubuntu Edge is an exclusive production run, available only through Indiegogo," Canonical said. "All of the funding we receive goes directly towards producing the device for expected delivery in May 2014."

As of this writing, the Canonical campaign has raised close to $3.4 million, with 30 days remaining. More than 5,000 contributors claimed a one-day exclusive package offering the Ubuntu Edge for an introductory price of $600. Moving forward, contributors must donate $830 to receive the device.

Ubuntu for phones allows users to navigate through the platform by swiping from one side of their screen to another: swiping from the left brings up a list of favorite apps, swiping from the right navigates to the most recently used app and swiping from the bottom brings up each app's menu.

"As well as being a bonus for app developers and anyone with a big Android app collection, including Android on the phone means we're able to offer full convergence at launch," Canonical said. "On day one, you'll be able to launch the Ubuntu desktop from within Android using our existing Ubuntu for Android app. That integration is fully functional today... Then shortly after launch we'll push out a free software update that adds this desktop integration to Ubuntu mobile as well. That's the real goal we're working towards. At that point you'll have a leading-edge smartphone that runs Ubuntu and Android, both of which can also run a fully integrated Ubuntu desktop OS."

The first Ubuntu devices are expected to reach retail in October. Earlier this month, Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) joined the Ubuntu Carrier Advisory Group, a consortium of mobile operators participating in technology discussions around the OS. The group allows operators to shape Ubuntu's mobile strategy: Members receive advance confidential briefings and supply feedback, and they are also offered the chance to become a launch partner, gaining the right to ship Ubuntu devices in the markets they serve. Verizon Wireless is the first U.S. operator to join the alliance, whose 10-member ranks also include China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, EE and SK Telecom.

For more:
- read Canonical's Indiegogo pitch
- read this CNet article

Read more about: Indiegogo, Android
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By Jason Ankeny

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5. Microsoft expands Fresh Paint digital art app to Windows Phone 8

Shopkick is expanding its location-based consumer rewards application, enabling shoppers to make purchases directly within the app.

The free Shopkick app, which is available for devices running Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android, rewards users with points called "kicks" for entering retail stores, scanning consumer goods and making purchases. To collect kicks, shoppers must physically step inside brick-and-mortar locations--Shopkick leverages patent-pending location technology that automatically identifies the user's presence in partner stores, crediting rewards and delivering relevant offers directly to their account. Consumers can redeem kicks to claim prizes like gift cards, movie tickets, Facebook Credits and iTunes downloads. Shoppers also can sign up to receive special in-store coupons and discounts.

Shopkick users can now purchase items from more than 30 partners, including Target, Macy's, Best Buy, Old Navy, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Gymboree, Bath & Body Works and Urban Outfitters. Shopkick CEO Cyriac Roeding told TechCrunch that the new feature will not only enhance the company's revenue stream but also help retailer partners compete against digital commerce threats posed by Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).

"We're not including Amazon in our app," Roeding said. "Using our app to buy goods means you will be buying goods from the actual stores, not Amazon. We are the anti-Amazon coalition." Roeding did not specify how much a cut Shopkick claims on each in-app purchase.

The revamped Shopkick also will allow consumers to "like" favorite items and receive automatic reminders upon entering stores where the product is sold. Users may also browse themed product books to discover new merchandise, save favorites to customized books and share books with other shoppers.

Shopkick is in use across more than 7,500 retail stores and malls nationwide. The company achieved profitability in the fourth quarter of 2012, a little more than two years after the service first rolled out. In January Shopkick announced it has driven more than $300 million in revenue for its retail and brand partners, including more than $200 million in 2012 alone.

Forty-seven percent of all U.S. smartphone owners use mobile shopping applications, according to a Nielsen report issued last year. Shopkick ranked fourth in terms of unique audience size, trailing only eBay Mobile, Amazon Mobile and Groupon.

For more:
- read this release
- read this TechCrunch article

Read more about: iOS, shopkick
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By Jason Ankeny

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