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Friday Grab Bag: Ready for the SEC Network?

March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Samsung has continued its steady expanse of its Android powered smartphones with the release of the Galaxy S4 at an extravagant unveiling at New York’s Radio City Music Hall earlier this week.

The handset has a 5-inch screen and features a 13-megapixel camera while its software now includes both eye-tracking and gesture control features to make its use even simpler. Expected in mid-April it is being carried by 327 mobile operators.

Apple files patent for Smart Cover inductive charging
Apple has filed for a patent for its Smart Cover for iPads involving a technique that would allow the cover to charge the device when the cover is closed. A built-in induction cable would make the charging possible.

The cover would also have battery cells that would be able to charge the iPad where ever it was as long as the cover is closed. The cover could then be recharged via a USB cable, according t a report on the topic at AppleInsider.

MLB’s mobile seats upgrade program advancing
MLB’s At the Ballpark mobile app that will allow fans to upgrade seats when at the ballpark has undergone a successful trial run at this year’s Spring Training and is expected to be ready for the opening of the regular season.

The app, available for iPhones and iPads, was developed by MLB Advanced Media in partnership with Experience Partner and should be usable at the homes of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics initially with other teams adding support as the season progresses.

Consumers want more personal data control with mobile apps
It seems that just about every month another article comes out telling you that one app or another can access your personal information on your smartphone. Now a survey from Mobile Marketer shows that consumers are increasingly wary of this and want more control over what personal information is shared.

The report showed that 70% of consumers say that they want to know what information apps are collecting and what data it is sharing.

SEC expected to launch TV channel next month
The Southeastern Conference is expected to announce that it will be launching its own television channel that will be called the SEC Network sometime in mid-April, ESPN has reported.

The move has been expected for some time and the network should help funnel more revenue into the powerhouse conference. Other conferences have already formed their own television channels including the Pac-12 and the Big 10

Google Glasses Banned from bar
While not earthshaking news by any means it appears that a bar is Seattle has banned customers from wearing Google Glass, claiming that they violate customers’ privacy and that they do not want people videotaped or photographed against their wishes.
The 5 Point Café is a self described seedy bar whose owner said the ban of the $1,500 glasses is partly a joke, partly for privacy reasons and partly just a statement of the type of customer that the place does not want.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, ESPN, Google, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Major League Baseball, NCAA.com, Samsung, SEC, Smartphone Tagged With: , , , , , ,

CBSSports.com Delivers Updated Mobile App in time for March Madness

March 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

cbs

CBSSports.com has updated its mobile app with enhanced features that enables avid fans of the NCAA’s March Madness tournament, and even just casual observers, to follow the tournament, get insight into games and map out their bracket strategy.

This is not its first shot at delivering an app for the tournament but the company has completely redesigned the program to provide an enhanced experience for people that follow the event on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets as well as via a web site.

At the most basic level the redesigned CBS Sports mobile app provides instant access to brackets and access to insight from experts on which teams to pick, which as even the most casual fan knows is of all importance during the tournament, for bragging rights if nothing else.

However the app, available for both Android and Apple iOS device users is not just a static data program but provides a host of other features including featuring live access to all CBSSports.com bracket games (iOS users only), tweets from other game that are currently ongoing as well as updates and final scores as they are warranted.

It provides fans with several options in the area of brackets including allowing a user to enter the Bracket Challenge where a user can have as many as three brackets and competes with others who enter the event. There is also a tool called Bracket Manager that is designed to help create and manage bracket groups that you might want to form with friends or coworkers. For Users whose picking skills are similar to mine there is also something called Round by Round that permits fans to pick each of the six rounds, eliminating “busted” brackets.

For those who cannot wait for the tournament the app also provides coverage of this weekend’s Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Semifinals and Championship on Saturday and Sunday.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Basketball, CBS Sports, Contests, iOS, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, NCAA Hoops, NCAA.com Tagged With: , , , , ,

Android Tablets See Growth at iPad’s Expense

March 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

The market for tablets is changing as both Android-powered devices gather additional market share and the smaller form factor tablets, sub-8 inches, are seeing extremely strong growth, according to the most recent study from market research from International Data Corp.

Overall the tablet market is strong and growing, and IDC has upgraded its forecast to reflect this trend, now estimating that there will be 190.9 million, up from its previous forecast of 172.4 million units sold in 2013. It is also expecting the market to grow at an average increase of 11% a year between 2013 and 2016, with estimated shipments in 2017 to reach 350 million units according to the company’s most recent Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker.

Smaller form factor tablets, those smaller than 8 inches, now account for half of all tablet sales and it expects that this trend will continue as consumers have found that smaller tablets often work better for daily usage compared to their larger brethren.

Tablets powered by the Android operating system grew its market share to 48.8% of the market, at the expense of Apple’s iPad family which witnessed a 5% market share drop to 46% of the market. However both are expected to see continual share erosion going forward as Windows, which combined RT and Pro, will gain an estimated 4.7% of the market this year but should grow to 10.1% by 2017, according to the report.

Another loser is ereaders, which are expected to lose market share due to the growing presence of low cost tablets that can both serve as an ereader and for a wide variety of additional uses as well. IDC has reduced its forecast by an average of 14% a year between 2013 and 2016. It estimates that there was 26.4 million sold in 2011 and that number represents the platform’s peak, declining to 18.2 million the following year. IDC expects modest gains this year and next before a permanent decline sets in.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Google, iOS, iPad, Microsoft, Samsung, Surface, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Heineken Reaches Out to UEFA Fans with Mobile App

March 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

heiny

Heineken, one of the sponsors of the UEFA Champions League soccer tournament has released a mobile and Facebook app that allows fans to enter into a contest that could result in their winning sports memorabilia or hosting a viewing event for the final match.

It is very simple to participate, and there are two manners in which you can do so. The first is to simply take a photo of yourself watching a UCL match and post it and tag your location. Each photo from a city counts as a point and the two cities with the most points gets to host a viewing of the last game in what it calls an epic party. You can upload three pictures a day.

The second is even easier as there is an instant win feature for people that use the text to win feature to get instant swag. Not surprisingly the app also has a handy outlet locator for people looking for the nearest place to buy a Heineken.

The effort is part of a larger move by the company to use social media as a tool to reach its fans and to broaden the appeal of its brand. A quick look at the Facebook site shows a number of efforts to appeal to fans with apps such as predict the managers next move or to design its next beer bottle. The contest runs until mid-April and will be supported by a series of ads on a variety of broadcast sports channels. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Filed Under: iOS Tagged With: ,

MLB adds Mobile Ticket Upgrade Feature to At Bat

February 28, 2013 by 2 Comments

mlbats

Major League Baseball expands its mobile ticket program that allows for seat upgrades from four teams to 13 as it continues to be at the forefront of utilizing mobile technology to connect with fans.

Last year we reported that Major League Baseball had adopted Apple’s Passbook Ticket technology, a mobile ticket option that enables fans to upgrade seats. At the time MLB was rolling the program out in four ballparks across the nation as a test program.

In its most recent release of MLB AT Bat the ability to support Passbook, first available in Apple’s iOS 6 release, has been expanded to 13 teams. The basic gist of the app is that a fan can use it to get a seat upgrade via a paperless ticket while at the ballpark.

It was initially rolled out at the end of last year with four teams participating: the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals. Additional teams that will now provide the service include the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs.

MLB executives, speaking at a fan event yesterday in New York City said that additional teams will be added during the season. It is also working to further integrate its teams with Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Last year’s push with Instagram is an example of that.

Each team will handle the upgrades on an individual basis, allowing for differences in how teams want to upgrade fans. I suspect that this will also help spur teams to enhance their existing wireless infrastructure to handle this type of transaction.

As most fans know the wireless experience at sporting venues is often very unsatisfactory, with slow and dropped connections a commonplace event. The effort to build, maintain and expand a network is complex, but teams are increasingly making the effort due to how necessary it is now in a connected world.

While it has been reported that Apple’s iOS users represent 70% of all MLB At Bat users, MLB recognizes that it will need to support the growing users of Android and other mobile operating systems. Its support for the BlackBerry this year is a sign of that but right now there is no announced cross platform support for this app.

Filed Under: iOS 6 Tagged With: , , , ,

Friday Grab Bag: Apple Watch, Smaller Surface Tablets?

February 15, 2013 by 1 Comment

The New York Times has reported that Apple is developing a watch that will run the same operating system as its popular iPhones and iPads, iOS. That is about the sum total of the information provided but it is fun to think of all of the interesting things that you can do with such a device. I suspect schools will not be looking forward to students having access to answers via such a device.

Smart watches have been in vogue for the last few years, with Kickstarter favorite Pebbles probably leading the pack. There is also a range of task specific watches for activities such as golf, biking and other outdoor activities.

Changes in 2020 Olympic Sports
What do wrestling, softball and baseball have in common? Well for one they have all been dropped as Olympic sports, with a final vote now pending to drop wrestling starting with the 2020 games. The other two sports were dropped in 2005.

Still there is a line of sports seeking to be allowed at the Olympics including baseball and softball, which are seeking reinstatement. Others include karate, roller sports, squash, sport climbing and wakeboarding while rugby and golf have made the cut and will be played at the next games in 2016.


Nike says no to Android
Users of Nike’s Nike+ Fuelband are being left out if they are also users of an Android smartphone as the company has said that it will not be developing apps for that platform in the near future, but will stay the course by continuing to support Apple’s iOS.

Nike tweeted the news, which was reported by a number of outlets such as Engadget, and said that it will be focusing both on the Apple side of things and that users can also use nikeplus.com to sync their activity.

Microsoft to have smaller sized Surface tablets?
Microsoft’s chief financial officer Peter Klein hinted that the company was looking at developing next generation Surface tablets in a wide array of new sizes at the recent Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, according to geek.com.

He said that the company was prepared to meet demand from its customer base and that anything from 4-inches to 13 inches are on the table. The company had slow sales for its Surface RT models but appears to have strong sales in the Surface Pro lineup, particularly at the high end.

Apple has iOS fix in the works
Users of Apple’s iPad and iPhone devices that have its iOS 6.1 operating system might have noticed that the operating system appears to have issues with Microsoft’s Exchange servers. Well it looks like Apple is acknowledging the issue and has a fix in the works.

Issues such as reoccurring calendar items and excessive calling back to the servers and thus killing battery life were two of the principal issues associated with the bug.

Filed Under: iOS 6 Tagged With: , , , ,
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