Full-track, over-the-air downloads have yet to gain any serious traction, and ringtones are so 2006. But when it comes to mobile music applications, U.S. carriers increasingly are looking to ringback tones to boost data revenues.Ringback tones-music clips that a caller hears instead of a...
Ringback tones continue to gain traction even as the U.S. ringtone market plateaus, according to new figures from M:Metrics.The market research firm found that the popularity of ringback tones-music clips that a caller hears instead of a traditional ring before the person being called...
Sprint Nextel Corp. was the first U.S. carrier on the mobile music dance floor in October 2005, launching a full-track, dual-download service for its music-loving subscribers.For now, though, Verizon Wireless is the belle of the ball. And Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s new service may prove...
Wireless publisher Glu Mobile Inc. hopes to raise as much as $92 million with a long-awaited initial public offering, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.The firm looks to become the second pure-play mobile game maker to go public, following...
For those of you yearning to edit your MySpace page while on the go, supreme happiness has arrived: Cingular Wireless and MySpace.com have struck a deal. Cingular customers can use MySpace Mobile to edit their profiles, view and add "friends," post photos and blogs...
Italian teens are leading their U.S. and Western European counterparts in consuming user-generated content and social networking applications, according to new figures from M:Metrics.The market research firm found that 70 percent of 13- to 17-year-old Italian wireless consumers used their phones in October to...
SAN FRANCISCO-Telephia is teaming with place-shifting software developer Roundbox Inc. to deploy on-device measurement technology for wireless video and other mobile broadcast applications.The companies said they are building an interface between Rondbox's mobile broadcast software and Telephia's metering platform that tracks broadcast usage and...
It's an increasingly awkward dance between U.S. wireless carriers and handset manufacturers as phone makers begin to assert their independence from operators.
Handsets don't work without the network and networks are useless without handsets. Neither can go solo.
Or can they?
It's no secret that in Europe,...
SEATTLE-In October, new phone buyers most often selected the LG VX8300-a straightforward silver clamshell handset at Verizon Wireless for $50 with Vcast music-download abilities, picture messaging and Bluetooth connectivity-over Motorola Razr models at Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless L.L.C., according to data from M:Metrics.This...
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.-Nielsen Mobile announced a deal with Sprint Nextel Corp., the nation's No. 3 wireless carrier, to monitor the operator's weekly ringtone and full-length over-the-air song download sales data. Nielsen Mobile is a division of Nielsen Entertainment, which primarily provides TV viewership statistics."Sprint...
In these early days of mobile data, the wireless industry is scrambling for timely, accurate data about consumer behavior. But it's finding that such information can be difficult to come by. Mobile content measurement firm Telephia last week clarified a recent study that raised...
Wireless carriers smitten with sexy 3G services should stop searching for the killer app and start focusing on the bottom line, according to a recent report from Strand Consult. The Danish market research firm last week issued a "wakeup call" to network operators, saying...
NEW YORK-Mobile ESPN seemed to have all the qualities of a successful MVNO: a highly successful brand and recognized brand, a unique user interface, slick handsets and content that would appeal to its sports-enthusiast demographic. But after eight months on the market, the mobile...
Wireless data revenues are surging for U.S. carriers, but whether network operators can cash in on mobile entertainment is far from certain. It's no secret that network operators are wagering vast sums on wireless data to offset ever-slimming margins from voice, and those bets...
BASKING RIDGE, N.J.—Nielsen Mobile continued its leisurely stroll into wireless, tapping Verizon Wireless to provide sales information regarding the carrier’s mobile music sales. Nielsen Mobile—a division of the longtime Internet and television tracking firm Nielsen Entertainment—said Verizon Wireless will provide weekly sales data of...
The days of charging consumers $3 for a 30-second ringtone may be coming to an end. But for carriers, record labels, artists and software developers, there is still plenty of money to be made in mobile music "personalization." Analysts long have predicted the demise...
Mobile gaming enthusiasts envision the day when they can play massive multiplayer titles that combine real-time interaction and pinpoint location capabilities with eye-catching, 3-D graphics. For now, though, the most popular games in wireless are old and simple. And they weren't originally built for...
SEATTLE—Increasing ownership of camera phones is fueling uptake of photo-messaging in the United States and Europe, according to the latest figures from M:Metrics. The survey found that photo-messaging among U.S. users has increased nearly one-third since February; the application saw increases of 20 percent...
The data on mobile devices and data is clear and simple: smart-phone users consume more data because their devices are optimized for games, video, music and e-mail. Even the most popular handsets-for instance, the seemingly ubiquitous Motorola Inc. Razr-don't come close to driving similar...
SEATTLE—M:Metrics unveiled its on-device media measurement technology just days after competitor Telephia Inc. filed a patent-infringement lawsuit targeting the software. The Seattle-based market research firm said it has deployed the technology, dubbed the M:Meter, on 1,000 smart phones in the United States and United...
For more than a few mobile startups, MySpace has become MyObsession. The most popular of a throng of new Web sites featuring user-generated content, MySpace.com has an estimated 55 million users and reportedly accounts for 12 percent of online advertising. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp....
NEW YORK-Nielsen Media Research reiterated its intentions to move into mobile, outlining plans to track usage of multimedia services on wireless phones. The longtime television and Internet usage monitoring firm said it plans to integrate its efforts across platforms including TVs, PCs and portable...
Telephia Inc., a consulting firm that provides measurement information on the mobile industry, said it filed a lawsuit against fellow research company M:Metrics Inc. on claims the company violated Telephia's intellectual property. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the...
SAN FRANCISCO—Telephia Inc., a consulting firm that provides performance measurement information on the mobile industry, said it filed a lawsuit against fellow research company M:Metrics Inc. on claims the company violated Telephia’s intellectual property.The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for...
