The website of Alex Kinch, live from London
Posts tagged facebook
Facebook mobile access in NZ rockets 700% in five months
Jun 17th
Mobile usage of Facebook in New Zealand has risen 700% since January 2009 according to figures released by Telecom New Zealand (Telecom), operators of the country’s second largest mobile network XT.
In a New Zealand first, Telecom customers with Facebook accounts can now also sign up to receive text notifications directly to their mobile phones from Facebook. Notifications include new messages, friends’ status updates or friend requests. Users can also update their status, search for phone numbers, or upload photos and videos from their mobile phone.
The Facebook notifications’ text is easy to set up online or simply by texting ‘f’ to 3223.
“Almost 2,500 Telecom customers are using Facebook messaging each day since the launch of XT, showing just how much social networking is in demand with our customers” says Liz Wilson, Telecom Head of Mobile Marketing.
“With New Zealand’s Twitter penetration of six percent, the highest in the world, we are going to where customers are online and making it easier for them to connect.”
Those using Twitter on mobiles can receive friends’ tweets, tweet their own message, and send and receive direct messages via a text message. This service is easy to set up by texting to 8987, with the ability to choose which friends’ updates are received and to turn off updates for selected periods of time (see www.telecom.co.nz/twitter for more information).
INQ1 handset owners are top mobile data users
Jun 10th
INQ Mobile, makers of the INQ1 mobile handset for 3, have released data on how the network’s UK customers use the handset.
According to the company an average of 65% of INQ1 customers are using Facebook, with the majority of users accessing once a day or more. 30% of INQ1 customers are regularly using email, and Windows Live Messenger usage is 3-4 times higher than other 3G phones on the 3 UK network – with approximately 50% of INQ1 owners using it at least once a month.
Unsurprisingly Skype usage is also quite high – with 19% of the INQ1 base using the VoIP service to chat and make calls.
“3 have always led the industry when it comes to widespread data and mobile internet activity amongst the base but the numbers we’re seeing on INQ’s Social Mobiles really pushes us to a new, truly mass level,” said Marc Allera, Director of Sales and Marketing at 3G only operator 3 UK. “The INQ results with high customer take-up of the integrated services, confirms that 3′s strategy of delivering easy to use, well priced mobile internet solutions for everyone is right. If an internet communication service is well designed, always on, and simple to use then the take-up potential on mobile is huge. The reason people don’t use internet services on most devices (except the iPhone) is because the user experience on nearly all devices isn’t good enough. The INQ team has very successfully addressed this.”
“The iPhone and Blackberry are great devices, but it is important to remember that smartphones only make up 12% of the market.* We see a huge opportunity to provide an internet and social networking experience on a handset that costs operators a fraction of what they’re paying for higher end phones,” said Frank Meehan, CEO of INQ Mobile. “Consumers with an INQ1 can get unlimited data, internet and texts on £15 pay as you go tariff. And now we have seen that they are actually using the phone to access data services like Skype, Windows Live Messenger, email and Facebook at an astonishing rate. We are very happy to see that the simple, well integrated approach we’ve taken to creating a Social Mobile is resonating with the other 88% of the market.”
INQ is also seeing strong numbers in the Hong Kong market, which launched with the INQ1 in March 2009. 50% of INQ1 customers regularly use data services on a level that is four times higher per subscriber than the typical 3G user base. Facebook usage is also three to four times higher than the average on other 3G devices on the 3 Hong Kong network.
Row breaks out over Twitter driving research
Apr 10th
According to research by insurance company esure, nearly one in ten motorists questioned in a recent survey admitted to using the Internet and social network services like Twitter and Facebook whilst driving.
Head of risk and underwriting at esure, Mike Pickard, said: “There is a time and a place for social networking and it certainly isn’t when driving a car. Messages being posted on Twitter from behind the wheel are a real cause for concern for the safety of other motorists and pedestrians.”
However, the Association of British Drivers (ABD) hit back at the claims – saying it’s not British drivers that are the problem. By conducting their own research, they found many of the example Tweets used by esure did not originate in the UK.
Just in case you wondered how stupid people could be, here’s a selection:
“Driving with my knees and peeling an orange…Probably not the safest thing to be doing.”- USA
“Driving school bus”- USA
“Irresponsible twitter driving woo!”- USA
“Driving up to Newcastle while we Tweet!”- Australia
“Driving home in the rain…almost crashed!”- Australia
“Trying my best to stay awake while driving”- USA
“Awake, hungover, and driving”- USA
“Is it wise to use Twitter while driving? Probably not”- USA
“Intoxicated driving. Let’s hope this works out”- USA
“Twittering and driving…”- USA
ABD’s Nigel Humphries said: “Whilst everyone should rightly be concerned about any unnecessary distractions to driving, using evidence from other countries in an attempt to generate a bit of publicity and incite more hysteria about British drivers is not remotely helpful.
“All drivers should make every effort to avoid all unnecessary distractions whilst driving.”
And in a final kick in the teeth for esure’s publicity attempt, ABD chairman Brian Gregory added: “If this is typical of the analytical skills of insurance companies, no wonder premiums are so high.”
via Twitter users a danger on the roads? – www.totallymotor.co.uk.
Have Yahoo! tamed the social networking holy grail?
Mar 31st
So many social networking services, so many apps – and only so much your poor mobile (and brain) can handle at once if you want access to all of them on the move. However, this might be about to change if Yahoo! have their way.
The Yahoo! OneConnect app, which is expected to launch in the UK in Q2, can be downloaded onto your phone and is compatible with Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo and other social networks.
By using the app you’ll be able to see the latest Tweets on Twitter, alongside images that your friends have recently uploaded on Flickr and even messages left on your wall on Facebook, all without having to navigate to the different sites.
via @NorthLondon and Yahoo unveils new social networking mobile app News – PC Advisor.
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