The Mobile Roots Blog
- 4 million tiny screens and Ads, too!
Recently, a friend referred to the mobile ’space’ as 4 million tiny screens. That’s a great perspective.
Historically tiny, the mobile phone screen is getting bigger as we see the transition from traditional feature phones to the new smart phones. Which, is leading to some very cool things. For example, ads. Here’s a recent article that hits the nail on the head with iAd, Apple’s new iPhone ad system.
Our prediction? No matter how it shakes out, mobile ads are here to stay, and will be huge. The iAd system has an obstacle in that it only serves ads to iPhone apps - not cross platform. Since the market of platforms seems to be diverging, it’s an obstacle that will need to be addressed. Ad placers will not want to fiddle with a separate ad system for each device. Will iAd be a success? I would bet in favor of that, but only with reservations. It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
- The Uptake App launches during Netroots Nation Conference
We’re proud to announce our new app for The UpTake. The app launch
ed during Netroots Nation in Las Vegas, where we’re exhibiting our apps. The UpTake, which emphasizes video coverage of political events, allows playback of its latest news uploads from within its new app. UpTake content largely consists of contributions from volunteer videographers. Check out it by searching for The Uptake at The Apple Store, the Android Store or at http://m.theuptake.org/.
- Mobile Roots Goes to Netroots Nation 2010
Mobile Roots is getting ready to go to Las Vegas for Netroots Nation 2010, July 22-25 at the Rio! We’re excited to be sharing a block of booths with our friends at Zanby, Warecorp, and The UpTake.
Mobile Roots developed the Margaret for Governor app, a multiplatform mobile organizing app recently launched by the campaign of Minnesota’s Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Mobile Roots helps political and advocacy campaigns win more votes and get more attention by leveraging the possibilities of mobile technology. We work with campaigns and organizations to understand the best practices for social media and web content integration through all mobile devices, including iPhone, Android, Blackberry and mobile web.
Zanby will be showing off the latest version of their unique community organizing platform, including client sites like Rework the World and The UpTake.
Warecorp is a full-service web design, development and hosting provider. Among its many social change-oriented clients, Warecorp hosts Soapblox, the blogging platform that powers many of the Netroots’ most important haunts, like Open Left and Pam’s House Blend, and does custom Drupal development for organizations like 1Sky and 350.org.
The UpTake, the award-winning video citizen journalism outfit that live-streamed gavel-to-gavel coverage of last year’s Al Franken/Norm Coleman election recount process, will have a video interview booth where anyone who visits will walk away with a video on whatever they want to talk about. Just tell them the topic and they will interview you and email you your video, including embed code so you can use the video on whatever website you desire. They’re calling it “virtual schwag”.
If you’re going to Netroots, drop by our booth (and get a cool Mobile Roots tattoo!), and visit our friends to see what this powerful combo of online community, web development, mobile organizing, and video services can do for your org or campaign.
- ‘Margaret for Governor’ App expands to Android, Blackberry and web browser
Mobile Roots continues to help reach the grassroots!
Read the press release.
“Our mobile strategy is consistent with the grassroots focus of this campaign,” said campaign manager Jaime Tincher. “Adding this application to our arsenal of voter contact methods will help us connect even better with voters, volunteers, and donors.”
“People feel connected to a campaign using mobile technology. They can get information when they are discussing issues or can find a polling place – and that’s when you want to reach them.”
- Four Out of Ten iPhones Sold to Business Users
Apple has succeeded in overcoming early misgivings about the iPhone’s security and business-readiness. Recall that last fall, the device scored highest in both the consumer and business categories of JD Power’s Smartphone Satisfaction Study. The iPhone scored 803 points out of a possible 1,000. That’s 79 points more than Research in Motion’s BlackBerry, which took second place with a score of 724 points, the industry average.
“Four out of 10 sales of the iPhone are made to enterprise users,” according to Ron Spears, chief of AT&T’s Business Solutions unit. “When the iPhone came out, what most people heard in the first year from ’07 to ’08 was ‘oh my God, it’s not BlackBerry secure. This is not going to work on the enterprise space.’ At the end of the day, it’s just software. That’s all it is.”
- Mobile + Politics: The Slow Embrace
Political and advocacy campaigns are beginning to add mobile to their communication toolbox even with the perception that it’s an expensive tool to use. In the ClickZ article Despite Cost, Political Campaigns Try Mobile, arguments for embracing a mobile strategy are made.
“Mobile hasn’t proven that it can be tied to a conversion outside of a rapid response event like Haiti,” said Mark Skidmore, director of advertising and promotion at Blue State Digital. “There’s definitely apprehension, but we’re all going to have to figure it out. From my perspective, it’s a no brainer that anybody doing new media advertising is going to have to get into mobile advertising,” said Skidmore. “It’s going to be a huge component of the next election and 2012.”
“It takes away dollars… I can see why people might be resentful about that,” said Katrin Verclas, co-founder and editor of MobileActive.org, a network of practitioners using mobile for social impact. “Mobile is still fairly expensive, and there’s an investment that might not show immediate return…however innovation and new ideas can’t happen without risk.”
Since Mobile Roots is in the business of helping political and advocacy campaigns win more votes and get more attention by leveraging the power of mobile technology, we want to help campaigns understand the best practices for social media and web content integration in a thoughtful and effective way. We’re watching the slow embrace of mobile with great enthusiasm!
- Kelliher campaign app first of it’s kind in Minnesota
We’re happy to get a bit of attention for our newly released iPhone app, Margaret for Governor, from the Minneapolis Star Tribune and to learn that our app is the “very first for a Minnesota campaign.”
- Mobile Roots Release First Campaign App!
We’re celebrating the launch of our first campaign app for Margaret Anderson Kelliher, a leading Democrat candidate running for Governor in Minnesota in 2010.The app, ‘Margaret for Governor’, features news, event information, Margaret’s issue positions and background information, contribution links and twitter updates.
A resource for campaign staff and followers, it provides quick access to information such a count-down to the election, a polling finder and Margaret’s volunteer signup webpage.
Cheers!
- Google Nexus One Comes to Verizon March 23
Verizon will release Google’s Nexus One Android device on March 23 according to sources familiar with the Google. Originally released on T-Mobile in January, the Nexus One has passed FCC inspection for use on Verizon’s CDMA network and, according to a Google ‘worker’ who wishes to remain anonymous, it will be made available on March 23, 2010.Verizon will introduce the Nexus One on March 22, the day the International CTIA* wireless show begins in the US. Pricing and tariffs are not yet known but the source said they would be “competitive.”
*CTIA is the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry.
- iPad = more iPhone app development
Developers initiated more than 1,600 new iPhone OS application projects in January according to cross-platform mobile application analytics provider Flurry, almost tripling December 2009 totals and representing the largest single-month spike on record.
Flurry believes that Apple’s forthcoming iPad tablet is behind the renewed developer interest, contending that coders who customize their applications for the iPad now may enjoy a greater opportunity to stand out early and generate more downloads. Although Android projects starts are also growing, Flurry adds that the number of new Android apps in the pipeline dipped following the iPad announcement.
While developer interest in the two platforms waxes and wanes, Flurry reports that consumer loyalty and engagement metrics across the largest application categories on iPhone and Android are roughly equal. Retention curves between iPhone and Android applications were nearly identical–according to Flurry, Android handsets are now capturing a more mainstream audience similar to the iPhone, adding that Android devices have improved in regards to usability and processing power. In addition, about 20 percent of developers are now creating both iPhone and Android versions of the same application.
