Frustrating news for mobile internet freaks

Mobile Web: So Close Yet So Far - New York Times

Similarly, surveys by Yankee Group, a Boston research firm, show that only 13 percent of cellphone users in North America use their phones to surf the Web more than once a month, while 70 percent of computer users view Web sites every day.

“The user experience has been a disaster,” says Tony Davis, managing partner of Brightspark, a Toronto venture capital firm that has invested in two mobile Web companies.



While many phones have some form of Web access, most are hard to use — just finding a place to type in a Web address can be a challenge. And once you find it, most Web content doesn’t look very good on cellphone screens.

Social bookmarking's effect on rankings

Ben Cook created a blog with a single post
and submitted it to Digg. The post reached Digg's front page, a deluge
of visitors ensued, but what's next? High search engine rankings and a
continuous trickle of visitors, Ben Cook explains



MIT Adverlab links to a recent experiment by some guy who claims to be trying to "make it" as a blogger or quit. He documents how he's used Digg to grow his audience, and we can learn a thing or two about social bookmarking for brands by association.

Emerging media meets sports

Sports Marketing Gets Digital Boost

One emerging area of opportunity is targeting fans on TV and the Web simultaneously. About 58% of fans watching a game on TV are also using their mobile devices for instant messaging, e-mailing, text messaging or talking on the phone, the study found. In addition, research shows that these multitaskers are more engaged and have better recall of the ads they see than the viewers who are only watching the game, the report said. This provides an opportunity to engage fans using multiple media at the same time.

- This is real. It's happening now. And we know how to take full advantage of the emerging media within target consumers' lives.

The End Game is Upon Us ...

Use Of Broadband Service To Overtake TV Viewing

Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007 7:01 AM ET

WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, more than 16 million U.S. households with televisions will use their broadband service more than they use their TV sets today, says technology consulting firm In-Stat. Up to 30% of viewers will drop subscription TV and use the Internet for watching TV, according to a recent survey by the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based In-Stat. More than 40% say they aren't getting enough international news and information from their current TV service, despite having hundreds of channels to choose from. Respondents had a broadband connection, a TV, and were 18 or older. --Mark Walsh

In-Game Ads ... Still Emerging

Google Optimistic About In-Game Ads, Dabbles Lightly with AdSense - MarketingVOX
n July, Microsoft and EA developed a dynamic in-game ad platform for the Xbox 360. Google's budding interest in in-game advertising will likely bode badly at Steve Ballmer's breakfast table.

MediaPost Publications - Wal-Mart to Reveal Holiday Promotions Online - 11/08/2007

Walmart.com CEO Raul Vazquez estimates many of the 10 million people who visit Walmart.com on Thanksgiving Day will end up in the store on Friday. "The same behavior driving Google's growth reflects the increase in visitors we see on our Web site traffic," he tells MediaPost.