Monthly Archives: September 2010

Rise of the Event based on Social Networks

Rise of the Event-Based Social Networks
ReadWriteWeb / July 21, 2010

http://rww.readwriteweb.netdna-cdn.com/tinytv.pngWith interest in location-based social networks (LBSN) hitting an all-time high with Foursquare’s recent funding Announcement valuing the company at $115 million, a new type of social networking has emerged that borrows some of the mechanics and incentives from location-based services: event-based social networks (EBSNs).

While LBSN users notify their personal networks where they are physically located by checking in to the service (and earning virtual badges in the process), EBSN users earn their virtual rewards by also using check-in mechanics, but without actually being physically present at a location.

Alex Calic is currently working on an undisclosed start-up having spent the past 10 years at several tech companies. After starting at Assal and Coremetrics, Alex was most recently VP of [insert title of whatever needed to get done that quarter] at Clearspring Technologies. Prior to that he was VP of Corp. Dev. at InPhonic where he helped take the company public, launch Wirefly and acquire a dozen mobile and e-commerce companies. (more…)

Going Global Going Mobile

Going Global Means Going Mobile in Emerging Markets

Nielsenwire August 17, 2010

mobile-demand

Venkatesh Bala, Chief Economist, The Cambridge Group

SUMMARY: Consumers around the world are hungry for access to information and communication, especially in countries with a growing middle class. Defying classic economic models, the demand for communication (cell phones) leads traditional media growth, signifying a global, disruptive phenomenon. The demand for information via the Internet follows slower, more predictable growth patterns. The implications for marketers: lead with mobile advertising in high-growth, emerging economies.

The demand for information and communication is being reshaped around the globe, especially in countries with a growing middle class such as the Russia, India and China and some N-11 (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey and Vietnam) economies. Recent projections from the International Monetary Fund indicate that over the next five years, growth in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in emerging markets will be substantially higher than in developed economies. (more…)

Yahoo.com: Left for dead by MTV, music videos rebound on Web

In this publicity image released by Music World Entertainment/Columbia Records, Beyonce Knowles is shown during the filming of her music video "Single

Yahoo News – Thu Sep 9, 2010

NEW YORK – It wasn’t long ago that the music video was on life support.

MTV — which will hold its 27th annual Video Music Awards on Sunday — phased out videos in favor of reality programming and other shows that attracted better ratings. At the same time, the music industry was collapsing and slashed budgets no longer had room for elaborate clips.

But recently, the music video has had a revival. Watching music videos has become a central aspect of Internet usage. Music blogs and social media have greased the channels, facilitating the quick, easy spreading of videos, especially those with arresting or controversial visuals. People even buy clips on iTunes. (more…)

Narm.com: Live Streaming Video Jumps 600% In Past Year

comScore Voices

Live Streaming Video Jumps 600% in Past Year

By Andres Palmiter – September 3, 2010

Nearly a decade before anyone had heard of YouTube, the first viral video spread among snickering teens and procrastinating college students. Discovered via direct download links and embedded QuickTime players, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s “The Spirit of Christmas” not only launched what would soon become the popular animated series “South Park”, but also reinvigorated an entire cable network. What I remember most about “The Spirit of Christmas” was not the story (or the salty language), but the size and quality of the video. The file was huge! And it took close to a day to download! Even after the download bar clicked through to 100%, the video quality was still a fraction of what you’d experience on TV.

A lot has changed in last 10+ years. YouTube, once maligned for its streaming quality, can now pump out videos in 4K (for the uninitiated, that’s 4x the pixels of broadcast/cable HD), most online TV programming can be found in HD, and even the cheapest camcorders have the capability to upload a HD video. All those extra pixels require bandwidth and computing muscle; and fortunately, over the past two years publishers and portals have made the necessary technology investments to create a significantly better viewing experience. Live streaming video, however, with its own pernicious set of tech requirements, has lagged behind the larger Video-On-Demand portals and publishers in terms of consumer experience. (more…)

Nielsen: African-Americans, Women and Southerners talk and text The Most in the U.S.

nielsenwire, August 24, 2010

Think you can guess which Americans talk or text the most on their cellphones?

According to Nielsen, African-Americans use the most voice minutes – on average more than 1,300 a month. Hispanics are the next most talkative group, chatting an average of 826 minutes a month. Even Asians/Pacific Islanders, with 692 average monthly minutes, talk more than Whites, who use roughly 647 voice minutes a month.

African-Americans and Hispanics also text the most. Hispanics send and receive around 767 SMS messages a month while African-Americans send and receive around 780 – significantly more than Asians/Pacific Islanders (384 texts a month) and Whites (566 texts a month). The voice and text results are compiled from one year (April 2009-March 2010) of mobile usage data gathered by the The Nielsen Company, which analyzes the cellphone bills of more than 60,000 mobile subscribers each month in the United States. (more…)

Nielsen: Smartphone Sales Soar in Brazil

Affordable Devices Reach More Consumers

nielsenwire, August 31, 2010

Smartphones are rapidly gaining popularity in Brazil as recent price reductions have made these devices more accessible to people of all economic levels according to new research from The Nielsen Company.  Sales of smartphones were up 128% in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, and up 17% versus the first half of 2008, the period prior to the global recession.   The volume of handsets sold also jumped 31%.  Overall, smartphones make up about 10% of mobile phones owned in Brazil.

The average price of smartphones dropped 2% in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2009 and by 5% versus 2008. (more…)

Nielsen: Hispanic TV Homes Jump to 40%

Increase Far Outpaces Overall TV Household Gains

Multichannel News, 9/3/2010

With results of the 2010 Census expected to show a significant increase in the Hispanic population, Nielsen has been busy re-aligning its demographic meter.

The television measurement company estimates that 40% of U.S. television homes this season will be Hispanic households. That’s an increase of 3.07%, or nearly 400,000 Hispanic homes season-to-season. It also outpaces overall household gains season-to-season (0.87%) by more than three to one.

There were also more rank changes this season in local markets compared to the previous season. Among the top 50 Hispanic DMAs, 22 changed rank this year, compared to only six last year. Philadelphia had the largest increase, gaining 8% compared to last year, followed by Kansas City , up 7.7%.

A modest increase in African-American and Asian households is also expected this season. In the top 50 African-American markets, Kansas City had the largest increase, up 4.7% year-to-year. And in the top 50 Asian markets, Austin increased by 3.7%.

UFC Sues Justin.TV and Ustream For IP Addresses Of Live Streaming Copyright Pirates

WebTvWire 2010

With YouTube and other online video sites playing ball, and file-sharers being stepped on left, right, and center, the attention is turning towards live streaming sites such as Justin.TV and Ustream. (more…)

Check out this excellent TV Coverage of Los Tigres Del Norte!

Los Tigres Del Norte Entertains KC

Famous Latino Band Performs In KCK

Kansas City News 5:  April 8, 2010
UPDATED:  April 9, 2010                       

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A famous Latino band that has won 10 Grammys and sold millions of albums worldwide made a stop in Kansas City recently.Los Tigres del Norte — the Tigers from the North — performed to a sold-out crowd at the Bermudas hall in Kansas City, Kan.Before the group hit the state, the famous Mexican band went to Oak Park Mall to meet hundreds of their screaming fans.Many of the shoppers at the mall were wondering what was going on when the group arrived. Most of them had never heard of Los Tigres. But in the Spanish-speaking community, they are legends, selling 35 million albums. (more…)

Want A Global Hit?

Spend More Time On Facebook.
Hypebot.com Oct 2010

image from www.pdcc-read.com Social networks are hugley popular in the US, but they are rapidly becoming even more so in other markets. According to Nielsen, the social network and blog category reached 74% of active internet users in the US but in Italy the number was 74% and Brazil 86% of active internet users in Brazil spent significant time on social networks. Then there’s China… (more…)