GasBuddy [Time Magazine]
The top spot on Time Magazine’s list of the best 50 websites went to GasBuddy—a site that works with spotters across the nation to find the cheapest gas in your area. If there every was a site made to go mobile…
MySpace: The Next Big Web Portal? [AdAge]
Just as we predicted last May, Chris DeWolfe of MySpace says the site is aiming to be a web portal with their new site redesign and ad strategy.
IGA: Most Gamers Cool With In-Game Ads [IAB SmartBrief]
IGA Research found that 82% of gamers thought that games with ads were enjoyable and 70% felt better connected to the brand.
Consumers seek utility from mobile Web: Study [Mobile Marketer]
According to a new study, mobile users want practical mobile content with better mobile web experiences (as opposed to useless content with bad experiences??). In addition, respondents would like to see more content from banking, airline, and entertainment industries and 90% want to learn about the mobile web.
VCs Say The Focus Is On Mobile And Online Content For Next Two Years: Report [MocoNews]
Venture Capitalists are bullish on mobile video with 90% saying its mass adoption will occur in the next five years. We hope all that snacking doesn’t worsen the obesity epidemic.
Mobile Search Has Promise, Pitfalls [eMarketer]
Young people ages 18-24 are the leading users of mobile search. According to a recent study, 27% of 18-24 year-olds search on their handsets frequently or occasionally, compared to just 15 of those 25-54 and only 5.5% of people 55-64.
Virgin Mobile USA holds SMS poll for festival lineup [Mobile Marketer]
Virgin Mobile Festival—featuring Kanye West, Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson—will select the final band through a SMS campaign called “Book the Band.” Users text one of five band names to a short code and the winner will be announced July 24th.
Political Ringtones: the new Bumper Sticker for 2008? [Mobile Content Today]
Ringtones and ringbacks are a way to express yourself and broadcast your affiliations. During the upcoming election season, voters can ally themselves with a candidate with a “Yes we can!” Obama ringtone, a “my friends” McCain version, or many others.
Yahoo Moves Deeper Into Mobile Ads, Search in Asia [PC World]
Yahoo pushes past shake-up rumors at home to capitalize on the growing mobile web opportunities in Asia. Yahoo will become the select mobile search engine for users in India, Hong Kong, Philippines and Taiwan while securing mobile advertising deals in Malaysia and India.
Trend Watch: Hot Fundoshi Underpants [PingMag]
We couldn’t resist commenting on the traditional thong-like underwear finding its way into the unmentionable drawers across Japan. Sellers credit the media attention for the booming sales, but we think it has more to do with those sweet-looking patterns!
It’s good to be green (and other tech news) [Shanghaiist]
After coming under much criticism recently, China is attempting to go green. Recycling boxes are turning up in communication stores across Shanghai while mobile technology companies Samsung and D.Phone both announced initiatives to manage e-waste.
Mobile Advertising Influences 18-24-Year-Olds Most [Marketing Vox]
According to a study by BIGresearch, 18-24-year-olds are just over twice as influenced by mobile advertising when compared to other adult segments. It could be argued that this demographic is also more used to sharing, as well as receiving, information via their phones.
Teens Learn From Advertising on Social Sites [MediaPost Publications]
Over 50 percent of teens learn about financial services, movies, mobile services and accessories, travel and other Web sites from social networking sites, says OTX. However, they’re not going all Cherry 2000 yet – teens still prefer real friends and “real world” activities, such as shopping, to their digital counterparts.
Mobile 2.0 Europe - Startups Selected! [m-trends.org]
For a peek at the some mobile apps of the future, check out the startups presenting at the Mobile 2.0 conference in Europe. Participants run the gamut from a mobile image search startup to one specializing vocal text messaging.
